Chapter 15: Outer Sect Disciples

Qi Condensation cultivation is divided into nine layers, with two spirit energy purifications acting as bottlenecks. Breaking through to the middle stage counts as one, and breaking through to the late stage counts as another. This is precisely why those with inferior spirit roots struggle to ever reach the middle stage of Qi Condensation. It’s difficult for them to refine the spirit energy of heaven and earth, and even harder to condense it and improve its quality, as this process is almost entirely dependent on the spirit root. Hence, the term “inferior spirit root.” In contrast, for those with Heavenly Spirit Roots, the absorption and refinement of spirit energy is not only fast but also results in high quality. They face no bottlenecks until they attempt to break through to the Core Formation stage, precisely because their spirit roots are exceptionally effective.

Mana evolves from faint threads into currents, and then into robust flows. When breaking through to Foundation Establishment, there are three barriers. Manager Duan mentioned the Blood and Qi barrier as one, and the Spirit Energy barrier as the second. Cultivators must also complete a third spirit energy purification. This transforms the spirit energy flows into liquid ‘True Essence,’ which is fundamentally different from raw spirit energy. Foundation Establishment cultivators can fly and effortlessly crush cultivators at the Great Perfection stage of Qi Condensation. Volume is a major factor. Excellent mastery of cultivation techniques can also increase the chances of passing this barrier. However, this is currently too far off for Wang Yu, and he doesn’t have enough information about it yet.

After completing the breakthrough, the signs of aging on Wang Yu’s face significantly receded; he no longer looked like an old man on the verge of collapse. Apart from his noticeable white hair, he had largely regained his former youthful, handsome appearance. The days without needing to submit spirit sand meant he no longer had to worry about his cultivation speed. He was soon to become an outer disciple, so minor anomalies could be easily overlooked. The only thing Wang Yu found regrettable was that the placement bar showed no changes, confirming his previous guess. He would have to wait until he broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, a minor transition from the early to middle stage, to see if anything changed then. He was not in a hurry to change the content of the placement bar. He intended to experiment with different cultivation methods to see how the placement bar would reflect his progress.

That day, classes proceeded as usual. Manager Duan personally supervised, and after two hours of routine explanation, he did not immediately dismiss them.

“Wang Yu!”

“This humble one is present.”

He was always very formal in his self-address, showing no presumption even though he knew what was about to happen.

“True Disciple Su has acknowledged your diligent service, your contribution of lifespan to the sect, and your ample provision of spirit sand. You have fully paid your ‘redemption fee,’ and are hereby promoted to an outer disciple of Cold Blood Peak.”

“Wang Yu accepts the order.”

This announcement instantly caused a stir in the Bluestone Plaza. Regardless of whether they were old or new spiritual slaves, ever since they had arrived at the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, this was the first time they had personally witnessed someone truly being promoted to an outer disciple.

With their emotions unbalanced, some elders remarked sourly.

“What does a promotion matter? Look at his aged appearance; who knows how much lifespan he burned through.”

“They say the competition among outer disciples is even fiercer. How can a mere spiritual slave compete with cultivators who possess at least third-grade spirit roots!”

“True Disciple Su personally selected him—isn’t that enough? Forget the outer sect, even inner sect disciples hold far less prestige than true disciples. A little connection with him is enough for Wang Yu to thrive in the outer sect.”

“That’s true.”

After their sour remarks, some rational individuals began to analyze the situation. They all saw hope in Wang Yu, a glimmer of escaping their spiritual slave status that seemed remarkably close. Especially the newcomers, whose ambition had not yet been completely extinguished.

Seeing the high morale among the spiritual slaves, Manager Duan was quite satisfied with this outcome. Wang Yu’s actual promotion would greatly assist his upcoming integration efforts.

“Come with me.”

“Understood.”

There wasn’t much to pack in Stone Chamber No. 83. The clothes Wang Yu was wearing were still the same set he had on when he was originally captured; they were severely worn. Although he regularly cleansed them with spirit energy, the fabric was too common, making him look like a shabby scholar.

Manager Duan led the way, first taking him to the elegant pavilion beside the plaza. There, he handed over the standard items for outer disciples one by one, explaining each as he went.

“This is a disciple token, also known as a blood token. Simply drip a drop of your blood onto it to bind it to yourself, then wear it on your waist.”

Blood is required? Wang Yu felt a subconscious resistance. He was extremely wary of his bodily tissues. The last time, he had taken his severed arm, which had turned into minced flesh, back to destroy it, precisely to prevent anyone from exploiting his blood and flesh. He wasn’t worried about the present, but rather the future. He never believed he would be stuck at the mere Qi Condensation stage.

However, since it was a necessary procedure, he had no choice. Following Manager Duan’s explanation, he squeezed a drop of blood from his fingertip and let it merge into the token. The waist token, with a black base and a blood-red jade embedded in the center, automatically appeared at the front of his waist. A black leather strap extended from both sides of the token and automatically fastened. The character “寒” (han, cold) appeared in the middle of the blood jade, then vanished, replaced by the number zero.

“This is a disciple token representing Cold Blood Peak. From today on, it is a symbol of your identity. Remember, do not lose it. If it ever goes missing, go to the General Affairs Hall to get a replacement. The number on it represents sect contribution points. Cultivation techniques and spells from the Scripture Pavilion, resources from Cold Blood Peak, special facilities... everything requires contribution points to acquire. As the name suggests, contribution points are earned by contributing to the sect. The easiest way to get them is by completing various tasks at the Mission Hall. Currently, you hold a Black Blood Disciple Token. All outer disciples across the Nine Peaks of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect use these. Inner disciples use Purple Blood Disciple Tokens, and True Disciples use the highest-grade Red Blood Disciple Tokens. The tokens for elders, deacons, hall masters, and other seniors are different. Perhaps you will have a chance to learn about them in the future, or perhaps not. To be promoted to an inner disciple, you must at least be at the late stage of Qi Condensation cultivation, and your total accumulated contribution points must exceed ten thousand. Points already spent are still counted towards this total. Alternatively, you can become an inner disciple through promotion by an elder or a fellow true disciple. Is that clear?”

Wang Yu quickly nodded, indicating he understood.

Next were the other items for outer disciples: “A low-grade storage bag…” “A first-tier flying magic tool: Black Silk.” “One free opportunity to exchange for a cultivation technique at Cold Blood Peak’s Scripture Pavilion, limited to first-tier techniques.” “One exchange token worth one thousand contribution points, usable for any item.” This last item was a special reward from True Disciple Su for Wang Yu. It could be exchanged for spells, cultivation elixirs, or cultivation skills, as long as their value was under one thousand contribution points. Wang Yu didn’t yet have an intuitive grasp of the value of contribution points.

Additionally, there was the standard outer disciple uniform: predominantly black, with a red lining and lapels, embroidered with a golden outline of the Nine Peaks of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, making it very aesthetic. It only had a basic cleaning spirit pattern, making it a quasi-magic robe, unranked in quality. The sheer number of basic benefits for outer disciples left Wang Yu astonished.

After handing over all the items to Wang Yu, Manager Duan said, “That’s about all I needed to tell you. You can learn the remaining details yourself. Now, I’ll take you to the outer disciples’ living quarters.”

“Alright.”

As a formal disciple, his living quarters would now be among the cluster of buildings at the base of the Nine Peaks, which Wang Yu had seen upon his arrival.