Chapter 5: Second Unit

The next day.

At dawn, it was his second day as a spirit slave at the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect.

Before dawn, the gate to his room was opened. Wang Yu rose punctually and followed the crowd to the bluestone plaza in front of the stone house area.

Twenty cultivators stood on a small platform, indifferently observing the gathering.

On the plaza, besides the group who had arrived from Stone Lake City yesterday, there were thousands of others from different regions, all possessing mixed or defective spirit roots.

Wang Yu was unsure about the differences between the Taihu and Chiyuan regions, but he knew the stone house area did not contain all the Spirit Slaves of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect; it was likely that a group was kept at the foot of each of the nine peaks.

Many of the spirit slaves, with their greying hair and aged faces, were their predecessors. He resolved never to end up in such a state!

Without delay, the twenty outer disciples of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect immediately began explaining the principles of cultivation.

They didn't need to fully understand the Blood Ignition Art; the goal was simply to explain the circulation of spiritual energy through meridians and the celestial cycles, allowing the spirit slaves to comprehend the cultivation methods.

For those spirit slaves who were illiterate, they were to listen first. After an hour of explanation, it would be time for the Q&A session, where five cultivators would be specifically assigned to teach literacy.

Not everyone would get the chance to ask questions; they had to compete and seize the opportunity!

Among his fellow natives from Stone Lake City, Wang Yu noticed a few poor farm boys cleverly avoiding the literacy lessons.

They couldn't read the two booklets distributed yesterday, so they wouldn't know the rules here. If they could produce value, it might be fine, but if not, their fate was obvious.

Death would be a release; living a life worse than death was the true torment. Only by creating value far exceeding their own inherent worth could they hope for the release of death.

After two hours, the explanation session concluded.

Everyone returned to their stone houses one by one. There was no noise, no conversation, and no attempts to escape. Everything was oppressive and silent.

Wang Yu returned to stone house number eighty-three. Soon after he sat down, a cloth bag was tossed through the window. It contained water and food, just like yesterday.

However, there was something extra.

"A note?"

Spreading it open, Wang Yu was both surprised and found it perfectly understandable. Wherever people gather, there is society, with its status disparities, varying degrees of closeness, and interwoven interests.

This was especially true for them, a group of spirit slaves who could generate profit but held no rights.

The Spirit Reversal Blood Sect's third peak was named Cold Blood Peak.

The wealth generated by the spirit slaves was public property of the sect. Assuming there were three thousand slaves, each producing 12 spirit stones per year, that would amount to 360,000 low-grade spirit stones in ten years—a significant sum.

Such substantial profits fueled various power struggles behind the scenes. The note came from Steward Duan, who was in charge of the spirit slaves, and he was not the only steward in the stone house area.

In total, there were three stewards, each representing the interests of a different faction within Cold Blood Peak. Besides outlining the current situation, the note primarily offered promises and gave instructions to Wang Yu.

It instructed him that after reaching the Qi Condensation stage, he was to deliver one tael and four qian of spirit sand to Steward Duan each month. The extra four qian would be recorded and could be exchanged with Steward Duan for elixirs, spells, or nourishing medicinal soups.

If he spent a certain amount, he could even gain early access to a spot as an outer disciple.

This enticing offer, though a mere promise, made even Wang Yu, seasoned by modern society, feel a bit dizzy. Wouldn't others desperately strive to refine spirit sand?

The Demonic Path truly understood human nature: self-interest and desire were always the roots of human effort. Want something? Then work harder, desperately fulfill your duties as a spirit slave.

True capitalists would give their livestock extra feed at night; anyone who has raised animals knows that supplementing their diet with eggs and refined feed is normal. Landlords, however, are different: if they can exploit labor for free, they naturally wouldn't let you eat or drink well.

Setting the note aside, he fell into thought.

Suddenly, a change occurred within him: a wisp of spiritual energy, unlike any he had felt before, emerged in his body.

"Is this Qi Condensation stage spiritual power?"

Wang Yu felt this unique, gentle power. As he guided it from his Dantian, a warmth spread throughout his limbs and bones, invigorating him and greatly increasing his strength!

Normally, spiritual energy would first flow through the meridians before reaching the Dantian. However, Wang Yu's situation was reversed; due to the unique nature of his "placement slot," this wisp of spiritual power appeared directly within his Dantian.

This skipped the process of breaking open the Dantian, proceeding from a point to a surface, rather than the usual surface to a point.

The sensation was incredibly wondrous.

Qi Condensation Layer One, achieved!

There were no tedious preliminary steps, nor did he need extensive comprehension of the cultivation method; he simply broke through directly. It was truly absurd.

With his defective spirit root aptitude, perceiving spiritual energy, circulating cultivation methods, refining spiritual energy—each step would normally be a hurdle, taking three to five years. Yet now, all of it was skipped.

The "placement slot" ensured he could absorb a wisp of spiritual energy every half hour. This was the first time that cultivated spiritual power had truly been transmitted and refined into spiritual force, assisting him in breaking through to Qi Condensation Layer One.

According to the Blood Ignition Art's description of the Qi Condensation realm, as long as he accumulated ten wisps of spiritual power, he could break through to Qi Condensation Layer Two, opening more cultivation nodes within his body, and refining more abundant and purer spiritual power!

Even if this wisp of spiritual power within him was consumed, it could recover on its own, making it truly his.

If it were condensed into spirit sand, it would be permanently lost, which he naturally couldn't bear to do.

"At a normal pace, even with guidance, this breakthrough is too fast," he thought. "Unless I use the special effects of the Blood Ignition Art."

Wang Yu was reluctant to damage his lifespan, yet he also worried that his cultivation level couldn't be concealed. If the note was true, he would have to acquire a spell that could hide his cultivation realm.

"No," he mused. "A mere spirit slave asking for such a spell would be self-incriminating."

If he were to self-damage his cultivation, reducing his abnormally high realm and storing it as tangible spirit sand, such an action would be utterly foolish.

Wang Yu clearly understood that power was his only means of changing his current situation. The higher his cultivation realm, the greater his chance of becoming an outer disciple.

He really only had one path: activate the Blood Ignition Art's effect to conceal his cultivation. He wouldn't need to use too much, just enough to appear like other spirit slaves. Only then could he explain the anomaly of his cultivation level and the amount of spirit sand he possessed.

Sacrificing lifespan was the only way to achieve such speed and conform to logic.

He had no choice but to cultivate.

Just as he was about to activate the life-span burning cultivation technique with his main body, Wang Yu suddenly noticed a change in his system. Perhaps it was due to breaking through to Qi Condensation Layer One, transforming from a mortal into a cultivator.

Placement Slot 1: Blood Ignition ArtPlacement Slot 2: None

"This—"

Wang Yu's eyes darted. He didn't know yet whether this was due to his breakthrough or some other reason. He would get some answers once he reached Qi Condensation Layer Two.

Unfortunately, he had nothing else he could place in the slots.

After a long sigh, a flash of insight struck him again. He tried placing the Blood Ignition Art into the second slot.

"It worked!"

Placement Slot 2: Blood Ignition Art"Blood Ignition Art (1/100): Forty-eight practices a day, achievable in one year."

Although the description hadn't changed, the progress was shared between both slots.