Chapter 44
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 44
Silence descended upon the Food and Medicine Pavilion.
“Ninety-one points?”
“That’s higher than Jin So-yeong.”
“What’s that fellow’s name?”
“Didn’t someone say he’s an independent alchemist?”
Jin So-yeong, seated a few rows ahead, turned her head to look as well. Her gaze lingered on Lee Hyun for a moment.
Yeo Mun-deok, sitting in seat twenty-nine, was gaping.
“Quiet down.”
The middle-aged female cultivator lightly shook the score sheet, and the murmuring applicants fell silent.
“Number thirty-eight, seventy-three points.”
“Number thirty-nine, fifty-six points.”
“Number forty, sixty-seven points.”
The scores continued to be called out, but no one surpassed eighty-eight points, let alone ninety-one.
Lee Hyun had taken first place in the first examination.
Out of eighty-three candidates, a total of forty-seven had scored sixty points or higher.
The middle-aged female cultivator spoke. “Those who failed, vacate the Guest Reception Courtyard by the end of the day. Those who passed will assemble at the Pill Inspection Hall by the hour of the dragon tomorrow. Do not grow arrogant over a high score in the first test. The Skilled Practitioner Selection evaluates candidates by totaling the results of all four examinations.”
Leaving the Food and Medicine Pavilion, Lee Hyun returned to the Guest Reception Courtyard. As he walked along the path, numerous eyes tracked his movements.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind.
“Fellow Daoist Lee!”
Yeo Mun-deok hurried over, his round face a strange mixture of joy and indignation.
“Ninety-one points! And you didn’t say a single word about it, even though we’re roommates?”
“About what?”
“That you were so skilled with food and medicine!”
“I didn’t expect to get ninety-one points either.”
Yeo Mun-deok’s brow twitched. “Are you saying that to rub it in? I barely scraped by with sixty-two points!”
“Still, it’s fortunate that you passed.”
“It is, yes. Honestly, you have no idea how terrified I was that I’d fall below sixty.”
As the two neared their quarters, Jin So-yeong approached from the opposite direction.
Yeo Mun-deok was the first to clasp his hands in greeting. “Fellow Daoist Jin.”
“Fellow Daoist Yeo.”
Jin So-yeong offered a curt greeting before looking at Lee Hyun.
“Fellow Daoist Lee. Congratulations on placing first in the initial test.”
“Thank you. I was lucky.”
Jin So-yeong did not seem to believe him. “Since childhood, I have had free rein of the spirit fields and medicinal herb warehouses of the Danha Jin Clan. I had already encountered most of the specimens from today’s test. I do not believe that falling behind you by three points was a simple matter of luck.”
“There are still three tests remaining,” Lee Hyun said.
“Indeed.”
Jin So-yeong gave a slight nod, then passed by the two without another word.
Staring at her receding back, Yeo Mun-deok whispered to Lee Hyun, “Did you hear that?”
“Fellow Daoist Jin just acknowledged us as rivals.”
“Didn’t she mean me?” Lee Hyun deadpanned.
“Why must you draw a line between us like that? You’re hurting my feelings.”
* * *
The next day, the Pill Inspection Hall was filled with small jade bottles.
Within the allotted time, the applicants had to determine the condition of the pills inside the bottles and, if there were any defects, record the underlying causes.
Lee Hyun wrote down his answers far more cautiously than the day before.
Let’s avoid first place.
Taking first place in an entrance exam for external Qi Refining rogue cultivators was no grand affair in a great sect like this. However, if he was unlucky enough to attract the scrutiny of a Nascent Soul cultivator, that would be an entirely different story. At their level, they might possess methods to see through his Spirit-Concealment Technique and Qi-Concealment Technique.
Of course, Lee Hyun was an old monster who had wielded these two spells longer than a Nascent Soul cultivator’s entire lifespan. When he focused on executing the Spirit-Concealment Technique, not a single trace of spiritual power was visible. Even the Golden Core cultivators of the Everlasting Spring Sect had shown no sign of noticing his Primordial Unity Body. Still, one could never underestimate what abilities a Nascent Soul cultivator might command.
At the same time, it would be unnatural for someone who placed first in the initial test to suddenly produce a dreadful score.
I’ll aim for the upper ranks, but I won’t outscore Jin So-yeong.
Even for questions he knew with absolute certainty, Lee Hyun deliberately left a few blank.
The results were announced.
“Number twelve, ninety-one points.”
Jin So-yeong had achieved a high score once again.
“Number twenty-nine, ninety-four points.”
Yeo Mun-deok clenched both fists tightly. “Yes!”
Impressive. He wasn’t bluffing when he said he prepared for pill inspection for two years.
“Number thirty-seven, eighty-two points.”
Lee Hyun nodded. It was a good enough score, one that wouldn’t draw as much attention as the first test.
Yeo Mun-deok couldn’t wipe the grin off his face the entire way out of the Pill Inspection Hall.
“Did you see that?”
“Congratulations.”
“Didn’t I tell you I was confident in pill inspection?”
“Indeed you did.”
“Ninety-four points! Three points higher than even Jin So-yeong!”
On the third day, the test was on heat control. Lee Hyun played the role of a reasonably competent Tier 1 alchemist.
The final day’s examination was practical pill refining.
This should be about right.
When Lee Hyun lifted the lid of the pill cauldron, a medicinal aroma wafted out.
The examiner checked the pills one by one. “Stable.”
“Thank you.”
All the examinations were now concluded.
* * *
The next morning, the applicants who had participated in the Skilled Practitioner Selection gathered in the wide plaza before the Guest Reception Courtyard. With the examinations in all nine fields—including alchemy—now over, a considerable portion of the hundreds who had originally filled the plaza had already departed the Crimson Sky Mountains.
Thirty-two people had made it to the final test of the alchemy track.
The middle-aged female cultivator stood at the front of the plaza alongside the Foundation Establishment examiners.
“I will now announce the results of the Skilled Practitioner Selection’s alchemy division.”
Tension tightened across the applicants’ faces.
“Twenty-four have passed. The remaining eight have failed.”
The middle-aged female cultivator unfurled the roster of passing candidates.
“First, Jin So-yeong.”
A smile appeared on Jin So-yeong’s face for the first time.
“Second, Wi So-cheon.”
An elderly cultivator at the 9th layer of Qi Refining, around sixty years old, stepped forward.
“Third, Lee Dong-sam.”
Lee Hyun walked forward. Jin So-yeong looked at him and gave a slight nod.
The names of the successful candidates continued to be called.
“Seventeenth, Yeo Mun-deok.”
Yeo Mun-deok stepped forward, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. “Phew…”
The twenty-fourth and final name was called. Once the eight who failed had left the plaza, the middle-aged female cultivator spoke again.
“In principle, those who pass the Skilled Practitioner Selection become outer-sect disciples of our sect.” Her gaze shifted to Jin So-yeong. “However, considering her twin spiritual roots, young age, and performance in this selection, Jin So-yeong has been chosen as an inner-sect disciple.”
“This disciple expresses her gratitude for the sect’s grace,” Jin So-yeong said, bowing respectfully.
Envious glances fell upon her from the other successful candidates. She then followed a Foundation Establishment cultivator and boarded a flying magical artifact.
Wuuuung—
Watching Jin So-yeong depart, Yeo Mun-deok remarked, “An inner-sect disciple… twin spiritual roots really are in a league of their own.”
“Are you not pleased with becoming an outer-sect disciple?”
“Not at all! After being a rogue cultivator my whole life, who am I to complain about becoming an outer-sect disciple of a great sect? Besides, one can accumulate contributions in the outer sect and obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill. If I succeed in Foundation Establishment, becoming an inner-sect disciple won’t just be a dream.”
The other successful candidates, excluding Jin So-yeong, also packed their belongings at the Guest Reception Courtyard before boarding the flying magical artifacts of the Foundation Establishment cultivators.
* * *
Outer Affairs Courtyard.
“Lee Dong-sam?”
A steward of the Outer Affairs Courtyard handed over two sets of Crimson Sky Sect outer-sect long robes, an identity token, and a small storage pouch. Inside the pouch were a bottle of Fasting Pills, ten low-grade spirit stones, and a book detailing the regulations for outer-sect disciples.
Lee Hyun checked the identity token.
[Outer-Sect Artisan Disciple Lee Dong-sam.
Outer Alchemy Courtyard.]
“As indicated on your tokens, you have all been assigned to the Outer Alchemy Courtyard. Your detailed schedules and duties will be provided there.”
“Understood.”
A young disciple in the back tentatively raised a hand. “Steward. Which Elder’s disciples will we become?”
The Outer Affairs Courtyard steward glanced at him. “Has an Elder taken you in as a disciple?”
“Not yet, no one…”
“Then where would you get a master from?”
Snickers rippled through the group.
The steward explained calmly, “Outer-sect disciples do not belong to the tutelage of any particular master. If you wish to enter an Elder’s tutelage, you must either catch their eye or rise to the inner sect.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Even so, artisan disciples who passed the Skilled Practitioner Selection have more opportunities than ordinary outer-sect disciples. Perform your assigned duties diligently, and there will be plenty to learn.”
Lee Hyun and Yeo Mun-deok changed into their new robes. Yeo Mun-deok looked down at his sleeves several times.
“Doesn’t this suit me quite well?”
“It does.”
“Doesn’t look half bad, does it?” Yeo Mun-deok puffed his chest out slightly, then leaned closer to Lee Hyun. “Say, do you think Jin So-yeong is interested in me?”
“Definitely not.”
Just then, several disciples wearing dust-stained long robes walked up from the foot of the mountain. The man at the lead presented his identity token to the steward at the entrance of the Outer Affairs Courtyard.
“We have returned from the Immortal Service Courtyard in the Anreung Kingdom. We have come to deliver the tributes and hand over the ledgers for the state-resident mission.”
Lee Hyun’s eyes shifted slightly. It was a familiar voice.
White Owl?
White Owl glanced once at the new disciples. His gaze brushed past Lee Hyun but moved on without any sign of recognition.
“Looks like the Skilled Practitioner Selection has ended,” he remarked.
The steward of the Outer Affairs Courtyard replied, “The results came out today. These fellows are new recruits heading to the Outer Alchemy Courtyard.”
“I see.” White Owl offered the newcomers a slight smile. “Congratulations on entering the sect.”
Yeo Mun-deok clasped his hands. “Thank you, Senior Martial Brother.”
Lee Hyun also bowed his head. “Thank you.”
Even upon hearing Lee Hyun’s voice, White Owl showed no reaction. The voice he used as Chief Badger in the gatherings and the voice of Lee Dong-sam were completely different, from pitch to cadence. This was thanks to Lee Hyun having reached Major Accomplishment in the Seven-Form Disguise Art, a technique he had obtained long ago from the Bureau of Heavenly Service in the Untaek Kingdom.
A moment later, a Foundation Establishment steward from the Outer Alchemy Courtyard arrived to guide the newcomers.
“I am Yang Jin-pyeong of the Outer Alchemy Courtyard.”
“Greetings, Steward Yang.”
After verifying everyone’s identity tokens, Yang Jin-pyeong produced a flying magical artifact shaped like a red leaf, measuring ten zhang in length.
“Everyone, climb aboard.”
The twenty-three new disciples boarded the artifact one by one.
Huuung.
The red leaf slowly rose into the air, flying between the peaks along the outer reaches of the mountain range. With every peak they passed, new pavilions and spirit fields came into view.
Yeo Mun-deok looked around in constant awe. “Just how many disciples are there in total?”
Yang Jin-pyeong replied, “Even excluding mortal laborers and those dispatched by cultivator clans, there are well over ten thousand. Probably nearing twenty thousand… though I don’t know the exact figure myself.”
He pointed toward the colossal peaks towering in the distance. “Most of those tall peaks over there belong to the inner sect. If you approach without permission, formations will block you, so do not draw near out of mere curiosity.”
The peaks, their summits poking through the white clouds, had an otherworldly air about them. Flashes of light, likely from spells cast by Golden Core cultivators, occasionally flickered between the clouds, their immense power palpable even from a great distance.
After about half a shichen, a vast valley encircled by three gentle peaks appeared. Hundreds of alchemy rooms were carved into the mountain slopes and cliffs, while large and small flying boats and cranes moved about in every direction. At the base of the valley, dozens of warehouses and pavilions stood in orderly rows.
The flying magical artifact touched down in the center. As they stepped off, a dense wave of spiritual qi mingled with the aroma of diverse medicinal herbs washed over them.
“Follow me, everyone.”
Yang Jin-pyeong led the newcomers toward the pavilion at the valley’s center. Three characters were inscribed upon its plaque:
[Outer Alchemy Courtyard]
Waiting inside was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a long, gaunt face.
Yang Jin-pyeong spoke to him. “Steward Kwon, I have brought the newcomers who passed this Skilled Practitioner Selection.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Steward Kwon opened a ledger and verified the newcomers’ names and scores one by one.
“For the first three months, you will rotate through the Medicinal Herb Room, the Pill Inspection Room, and the Alchemy Room. Afterward, your primary duties will be assigned based on your skills and preferences.”
He looked around at the newcomers. “Just because it’s a probationary period doesn’t mean you’ll only be doing menial chores. Having already proven your alchemy skills to enter, you will be assigned pill refining duties suited to your respective proficiencies. Once you deliver the designated quota of pills each month, your basic duties are fulfilled. If you achieve a yield and quality higher than the standard, you will receive additional contribution points. After completing your duties, you are free to cultivate, visit the Scripture Pavilion, or take on separate missions.”
A new disciple asked, “Is it also possible to leave the sect grounds?”
“During the first three months of probation, you cannot leave the Crimson Sky Mountains without permission. Thereafter, on the condition that you have completed your assigned work, you may apply for leave. If you intend to be away for more than a month, you must accept an external mission from the Outer Affairs Courtyard or obtain a steward’s permission.”
No problem.
Before entering the Crimson Sky Sect, Lee Hyun had completely filled the water tank in Tunnel No. 3 and inspected all the water supply facilities.
Steward Kwon said to Yang Jin-pyeong, “Guide them to their quarters and alchemy rooms, and have them attend the basic training in the Medicinal Herb Room starting tomorrow. Don’t forget the ranking rewards from the Skilled Practitioner Selection, either.”
He looked back at the newcomers. “Wi So-cheon, for placing second in the Skilled Practitioner Selection, receives fifty contribution points. Lee Dong-sam, in third place, receives forty. The rest of you may confirm your rewards with Steward Yang.”
* * *
The quarters provided by the Outer Alchemy Courtyard were located on a gentle mountain slope east of the valley. Small stone cottages were lined up at regular intervals. Each residence contained a bed, a table, and a cultivation room, with a small clearing out back large enough for a single person to practice spells. By mortal standards, it was quite luxurious, and more than sufficient for a Qi Refining cultivator.
Lee Hyun chose a quiet stone cottage at the edge of the slope. It was set slightly farther apart from the other quarters, and with a small rock wall behind it, the interior was not easily seen even if the door stood open.
Closing the door and activating the restriction, Lee Hyun mobilized the formation knowledge he had acquired from the Everlasting Spring Sect to meticulously inspect the interior. There were no special formation inscriptions on the walls or floor, and the residence’s restriction was a simple mechanism meant only to block outside intrusions and noise.
Not bad at all.
A Spirit-Gathering Formation was installed in the cultivation room; its formation inscriptions were more numerous and intricate than the one in his former quarters at the Everlasting Spring Sect.
A superior Spirit-Gathering Formation, then.
Lee Hyun lay comfortably on the floor and stared at the ceiling.
When he first entered the Everlasting Spring Sect, it was not long after the Azure Wood Ridge Herb Robbery, and he had been anxious that the sect might be attacked—which it was.
This time was different.
Within the Earth Kingdom, at least, no faction dared to attack the Crimson Sky Sect head-on. Nor did anyone have a reason to take a particular interest in a lone outer-sect disciple named Lee Dong-sam. All he had to do was refine pills, read the inheritances he needed at the Scripture Pavilion, and accumulate contribution points.
While other new disciples had to constantly push themselves to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage before their lifespans ran out, Lee Hyun felt as if he had come to the Crimson Sky Sect on vacation.
Isn’t this basically a temple stay? Not that I ever did one in my past life, either…
After lounging for a while, Lee Hyun rose and retrieved six Bronze Flying Swords from his storage pouch.
Wuuung—
The flying swords rose into midair in unison. As he lightly twitched his fingers, they began tracing circles, each chasing the tail of the one before it.
Clack-clack.
When he spread his palm, the flying swords stacked neatly and settled upon it.
Next, he took out the Black Iron Spear. With a light thrust from Lee Hyun, the single black spearhead instantaneously split into three, piercing distinct points in the empty air.
Whoosh—
Twisting his waist, he swung the spear, sending a heavy gust of wind sweeping around the cultivation room.
It had been nearly three hundred years since he acquired the Bronze Flying Swords and the Black Iron Spear. By now, the restrictions on these two high-grade magical artifacts bore not the slightest trace of their former masters. They had truly become extensions of his own limbs.
Finally, he brought out a fist-sized Protective Bell.
Wuuuung—
Imbued with Primordial Unity True Qi, the Protective Bell suddenly expanded to the size of a person.
“Hmm… this one still feels awkward.”
He returned the magical artifacts to his storage pouch. Just then, the spirit-insect pouch at his waist gave a faint tremor. Lee Hyun took out a Fluffy Bee.
Bzzzt—
The little fellow looped around the cultivation room before landing on the back of Lee Hyun’s hand.
“You can’t wander around recklessly here. This place is full of very scary cultivators. I’ll let you out once we go to the tunnel later.”
Lee Hyun put the Fluffy Bee back into the spirit-insect pouch.
He still didn’t know the Fluffy Bee’s true identity. It might be a spirit insect coveted by cultivators, so keeping it hidden seemed like the best course of action.
* * *
The next day, the newcomers gathered at the Outer Alchemy Courtyard’s Medicinal Herb Room.
Inside the massive room, which connected to dozens of warehouses, Tier 1 medicinal herbs were piled high like small mountains. Each pile bore a wooden tag noting the herb’s variety, medicinal age, harvesting period, and place of origin.
The scale is immense…
A substantial portion of the medicinal herbs didn’t even originate from the Crimson Sky Sect’s own spirit fields. Every day, herbs poured in from cultivator clans across the Earth Kingdom, from mortal kingdoms, and from external merchant companies. Some even came from the Chang Kingdom to the south or from cultivator states across the sea.
A Foundation Establishment steward in the Medicinal Herb Room addressed them.
“All medicinal herbs used in the Outer Alchemy Courtyard pass through these ledgers. Take only what you need for pill refining, and return the finished pills along with any leftover herbs.”
The orientation in the Medicinal Herb Room was over in just half a day.
Afterward, Yang Jin-pyeong guided the newcomers to another pavilion nearby.
“This is the Mission Pavilion for the Outer Alchemy Courtyard,” Yang Jin-pyeong explained as he stepped inside. “Most tasks within the courtyard are assigned here, and their results are inspected to award contribution points. Other courtyards have their own mission pavilions as well. However, affairs involving multiple courtyards or long-term external deployments are handled separately by the Outer Affairs Courtyard’s Mission Pavilion.”
The newcomers nodded in understanding.
Hundreds of mission plaques hung upon the walls of the Mission Pavilion. The tasks were varied: refining pills, appraising medicinal herbs, managing spirit fields, escorting goods, inspecting outside merchant companies, and even short-term dispatches to assist cultivator clans.
On the opposite wall hung lists of items that could be exchanged for contribution points: pills, magical artifacts, spirit stones, and alchemy ingredients. Submitting a request at the Mission Pavilion would forward it to the corresponding warehouse that managed the item.
Lee Hyun immediately searched for the Foundation Establishment Pill.
[Foundation Establishment Pill.
Outer-sect disciples at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining may apply for exchange upon passing the Foundation Establishment qualification screening.
Priority is determined by contribution points and length of service, according to the annual quota allocated to the outer sect.
Reapplicants additionally require past consumption records and a steward’s recommendation.]
The required contribution points were substantial, but the far bigger issue was the limited supply.
As expected, obtaining multiple pills is out of the question. Through official exchange alone, getting one or two will be the limit.
The recipe for the Foundation Establishment Pill was nowhere to be found in the Mission Pavilion. That, too, was expected.
Skimming the list, Lee Hyun turned to Yang Jin-pyeong.
“Steward Yang, if we want to browse cultivation arts or inheritances, do we have to go to the Scripture Pavilion?”
“That is correct.” Yang Jin-pyeong pointed toward the north. “The Scripture Pavilion is on Library Peak. Outer-sect disciples may only access the Outer Pavilion.”
* * *
Half a month later, finding himself with some free time, Lee Hyun left the Outer Alchemy Courtyard. He traversed several peaks and finally arrived at Library Peak.
Upon the peak stood two towering pavilions, one situated above the other. The plaque on the lower pavilion read [Outer Pavilion], while the one on the upper pavilion, which seemed to touch the clouds, bore the inscription [Inner Pavilion].
Stone stairs stretching over a hundred zhang connected the two, but a translucent barrier blocked the entrance to the staircase. Several disciples in outer-sect robes gave the barrier a wide berth as they passed.
Lee Hyun entered the Outer Pavilion.
The interior was several times larger than the Scripture Pavilion of the Everlasting Spring Sect, filled with countless bookshelves and stone chambers. Jade slips were sealed behind restrictive formations along the walls. From the outside, one could only see the name of the inheritance, a brief description, and the required contribution points.
Lee Hyun headed toward the section where insect-taming inheritances were gathered.
Hundred Types of Tier 1 Spirit Insects, Spirit-Insect Food and Medicinal Baths, Essentials of Spirit-Insect Imprinting…
Even these basic inheritances cost anywhere from two to dozens of contribution points. Higher-level inheritances also required low-grade or mid-grade spirit stones in addition to the points.
Lee Hyun stopped before Essentials of Spirit-Insect Imprinting.
[Contains various basic methods for forming master-servant bonds with spirit insects. 20 contribution points.]
He returned to the disciple managing the desk.
“I’d like to read the Essentials of Spirit-Insect Imprinting.”
The disciple took Lee Hyun’s identity token and placed it onto a formation plate.
Wuuuung—
The forty contribution points he had received from the Skilled Practitioner Selection appeared, and twenty of them vanished.
The disciple retrieved a palm-sized blue token and handed it to Lee Hyun.
“Proceed to Inheritance Room Seventeen. Touching the token to the door will open the restriction. Your reading time is two shichen.”
“Where is the jade slip?”
“It will be delivered inside once the room’s restriction activates. It will be automatically retrieved when your time is up.”
Lee Hyun took the token and headed toward Inheritance Room 17. When he pressed it against the groove beside the stone door, the door slid open without a sound.
Inside lay only a single meditation cushion and a small stone pedestal.
The moment Lee Hyun stepped inside, the stone door closed behind him. Dozens of golden patterns illuminated one by one along the walls.
Click.
The center of the stone pedestal parted, and a jade slip slowly rose into view.
Lee Hyun picked up the jade slip and pressed it to his forehead. A flood of characters and diagrams poured into his mind.
True to its description, the Essentials of Spirit-Insect Imprinting recorded various methods for forging master-servant bonds. There were contracts that linked the lives of the spirit insect and master through blood essence; restrictions that branded an imprint of obedience onto the soul; and even imprints formed by sharing food and energy until the creatures grew attuned to one’s presence. Each method came with its own nature and risks.
With some contracts, the death of a spirit insect inflicted a severe backlash upon the master. With others, the restrictions ensured the insects would perish if their master died.
Lee Hyun did not rush, reading through each one carefully. Then, his attention was caught by a particular section.
[Swarm Imprinting Technique.
A spell that etches the Spirit-Nourishing Seal across an entire swarm of spirit insects.
The contract’s binding force is weak. It cannot enforce complex orders that run contrary to the spirit insects’ natural instincts, nor can it compel them to follow commands that would lead to their deaths.
In exchange, it places almost no burden on either the spirit insects or the master, and there is no need to forge a separate contract with every single insect. Once the Spirit-Nourishing Seal takes root, the spirit insects will recognize their master and become capable of carrying out a few simple commands.]
This should be more than enough for the Fluffy Bees.