Chapter 103: One Year

At the end of another year, a new batch of disciples entered the sect.

Chen Luo’s group gradually became Shixiong and Shijie to the newcomers. Their former mentor, Hu Qiudao, having completed his three-year term without breaking through to Late Stage Qi Refinement, had descended the mountain.

The elders departed, while fresh faces arrived.

This unchanging rule within the Divine Lake Immortal Sect mirrored the cycle of reincarnation, perpetually turning.

The immortal sect remained as it always was, with no significant alterations—save for its people continually changing.

Wu Dao Peak welcomed over a dozen new disciples this time, significantly more than when Chen Luo joined. However, compared to the vastness of Wu Dao Peak, their numbers still seemed quite small.

The main peak felt desolate; aside from occasional activity at the Merit Bestowal Grounds, finding any signs of life elsewhere proved difficult.

“Shixiong, how do I get to the Scripture Pavilion?” asked a nervous, youthful-looking newcomer, seeking directions from Chen Luo.

First level of Qi Refinement.

With just a glance, Chen Luo discerned the strength of this new disciple, noting that the two others behind him were also at the same level.

“Go straight ahead, then take the third building on the left,” Chen Luo replied with a smile.

Just like himself a year ago, albeit now realizing how swiftly that time had passed, he had transitioned from being a shidi to a shixiong.

“Many thanks, Shixiong.”

The disciple seeking directions hastily thanked Chen Luo, followed by his companions. The trio stood still, watching Chen Luo depart before collectively sighing with relief.

“What a formidable Shixiong.”

“His strength is unfathomable; I feel he’s even stronger than Elder Brother Ding who introduced us to the sect.”

They turned and headed towards the Scripture Pavilion, their expressions gradually shifting to excitement and anticipation. They hoped that someday, they too could become as powerful as their Shixiong, reaching Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, soaring on their journey to become legendary figures spoken of in myths.

At the Merit Bestowal Grounds:

“Shixiong, we need more search talismans,” Huang Ying said while storing the newly drawn talisman papers into her bag of holding. As she looked at her senior brother, her gaze couldn’t help but soften.

‘He has grown stronger again. Even those with heavenly spiritual roots might not match him.’

Huang Ying now found it impossible to discern Chen Luo’s cultivation base. After breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement, any lingering arrogance within her swiftly dissipated.

In comparison to her Shixiong, her progress seemed remarkably ordinary.

Reaching the sixth level of Qi Refinement within a year was considered swift among new disciples in the Divine Lake Immortal Sect. Most with middle-grade spiritual roots were still at the fourth or fifth levels, typically only advancing to the sixth level by the end of their second year. Huang Ying’s rapid breakthrough owed much to her fellow disciples venturing into arcane realms, consistently purchasing her talismans.

“It’s surprising that the joint mission hasn’t concluded yet,” Chen Luo remarked, somewhat taken aback.

Based on his estimation, half a year should have been sufficient for such a relic exploration task.

With a Foundation Establishment elder leading the expedition to a mid-sized ancient site, it ought to have been cleared within six months.

“I heard from returning Shixiong that the ancient sect is divided into inner and outer layers. Besides the discovered outer region, there exists a core arcane realm protected by an intricate formation. The techniques used by ancient cultivator-array masters differ significantly from those of today. Our fellow disciples exploring there haven’t managed to breach it yet, thus getting stuck at this point.”

Huang Ying was well-informed, which partly stemmed from her sociable nature.

Whenever disciples came to purchase spirit talismans from her, they would often engage in brief conversations. Over time, these chats pieced together valuable information.

“Apparently, Xing Dou Peak’s head disciple has been studying the formation for three months now.”

Xing Dou Peak specialized in array formations within the Divine Lake Immortal Sect.

The head disciple of Xing Dou Peak undoubtedly had significant expertise in arrays, possibly even being a tier-one array master. If someone of such caliber couldn’t break the formation after so long, it indicated that this ancient sect held some intriguing secrets, potentially harboring valuable treasures inside.

“Alright, I understand.”

Taking the spirit stones from Huang Ying, Chen Luo did not return to the cemetery on the mountain’s rear slope. Instead, he headed towards the sect market at its base.

After passing by the apothecary, Chen Luo entered a shop operated by Beast Control Peak.

Inside, various young beast hatchlings were displayed. If nurtured properly, they could become formidable allies for cultivators within ten to twenty years, transforming into true beasts.

“Shopkeeper, any news on the matter I entrusted you with?” Chen Luo asked upon entering the store.

“No luck,” replied the familiar shopkeeper.

For the past half year, this disciple from Wu Dao Peak had occasionally visited, but his demands were quite high. He insisted on fully grown beasts right away—where was one supposed to find such creatures? While it was true that the shop belonged to Beast Control Peak, only hybrid beast hatchlings were available for sale. Raising them to first-tier beasts required both time and effort.

Demanding fully grown beasts without investing the necessary time was something he had never encountered before. Mature beasts are notoriously difficult to tame; without raising them from infancy, they cannot be effectively utilized as combat companions and may even turn against their owners. In all his years of doing business on the mountain, he had only heard complaints about hatchlings being too large, never requests like this.

“Really, there aren’t any available. For fully grown beasts, you’ll have to visit the auction house.”

“I don’t want fully grown beasts; even bones from deceased ones would suffice.”

Chen Luo had already checked with the auction house. While they did sell live beasts, the prices were outrageously high, far beyond what his limited supply of spirit stones could afford.

“Even obtaining deceased ones is not easy,” the shop owner genuinely felt helpless.

Fully grown first-stage beasts were scarce even on Beast Control Peak, each meticulously numbered and tracked. Losing one would result in serious consequences.

For Chen Luo’s request, he had specifically approached his “Big Bro” at Beast Control Peak, but received the same response. Dead beasts didn’t require burial, nor was there a cemetery for them on Beast Control Peak.

“When beasts die, their remains are sold to Xing Dou Peak and Divine Fire Peak, occasionally Medicine King Peak buys some too. Nothing extra makes it to the market.” These were his Big Bro’s exact words.

“If all else fails, I can return your deposit.” The shop owner reached into a nearby cabinet and retrieved five spirit stones.

“No need. Please keep an eye out for me. If anything comes up, save it for me.”

Chen Luo felt somewhat disheartened, not expecting Beast Control Peak to be so resource-strapped.

Ultimately, it boiled down to the scarcity of beasts. Whenever one occasionally died, its parts were swiftly divided and claimed by various parties.

Xing Dou Peak required beast bones for their formations, Divine Fire Peak needed hides for equipment forging, and Medicine King Peak occasionally sought blood for potions. With such limited quantities available, there was never enough to go around.

Understanding the underlying profit chain, Chen Luo decided to abandon the conventional purchasing route. Instead, he planned to venture down the mountain later to hunt himself.

Fresh kills would ensure the integrity of the brain’s completeness!

Returning to the cemetery at the back of the mountain, Chen Luo retrieved a talisman brush from his cabinet and casually drew several Search Talismans.

The delay in completing the joint mission was good news for him. It meant that the market for Search Talismans could continue, ensuring a steady income of spirit stones for the foreseeable future.

After storing the talismans safely, Chen Luo pushed open the door leading to the rear room.

He had modified the Gravekeeper Shixiong’s quarters; the front area was used for drawing talismans, while the rear served as a space for pill concoction.

The inner room was pristine, containing only medicinal herbs, a pill furnace, and a woven bamboo meditation cushion.

Chen Luo sat on the cushion and performed a hand seal with his raised hand.

The pill furnace on the floor rose autonomously, hovering in mid-air. Igniting a spirit flame, he added the herbs, which rapidly melted into liquid under the Flame Control Art before coalescing into medicinal pills.

The entire process flowed effortlessly, showcasing a level of proficiency far superior to half a year ago.

Now, all the medicinal pills Chen Luo needed for his cultivation were self-concocted. After six months of refining Qi Nourishing Pills, his pill concocting skills had officially surpassed those of the ‘Senior Brothers’ within the external brains. By combining their strengths, he developed a unique set of techniques tailored specifically to him.

Moments later, the pill furnace settled back onto the ground.

As the lid opened, five medicinal pills flew out. Four of them were high-quality, displaying a vibrant reddish hue, while one was slightly inferior, exhibiting a darker red shade, classified as mid-grade.

Chen Luo took one high-quality pill and consumed it, storing the remaining four in a nearby gourd.

Over the past half year, he had refined approximately two hundred Qi Nourishing Pills. He categorized these pills into three grades: high, mid, and low. The high-grade pills were reserved for his own use, while the mid and low-grade ones would be sold to rogue cultivators once he descended the mountain. Although such subpar pills held little value on the mountain, outside, rogue cultivators would fight tooth and nail over them.

“Preparing to break through again?”

After digesting the medicinal pill, Chen Luo adjusted his cultivation technique, focusing on the mantra for the ninth layer of Qi Refinement. With just two repetitions, he instantly shattered the barrier of the eighth layer.

He reached the ninth layer of Qi Refinement!

In fact, Chen Luo had already broken through to the eighth layer three months prior.

The time Chen Luo spent early on in pill concocting, drawing talismans, and acquiring cultivation techniques now proved immensely beneficial. His progress in cultivation flowed smoothly, making breakthroughs as effortless as eating or drinking.

With his current strength, Chen Luo was already qualified to become an Inner Sect disciple of Wu Dao Peak.

He decided to approach Shizun Daoist Wuwei in a couple of days to advance his status, which would unlock better perks within the sect.

Early next morning,

Chen Luo arrived at the Merit Bestowal Grounds as usual.

Whether it was due to arriving too early or some other reason, significantly fewer people were present compared to the previous day. Those who did come for transactions wore anxious expressions, seemingly worried about something.

“Shixiong, you’re finally here.”

Huang Ying, setting up her stall today, appeared distracted, constantly looking around. Upon spotting Chen Luo, she quickly stood up.

“What’s happening?” After placing his talisman paper out first, Chen Luo inquired.

“Something major occurred,” Huang Ying whispered softly. “Disciples from Xing Dou Peak broke through the formation inside the inner layers of the arcane realm. There, Uncle-Master Su Tianyao from Divine Lake Peak discovered a complete array legacy. It includes teachings for a Third-Order Array Master!”

The uncle-master Su Tianyao mentioned by Huang Ying was none other than the “Outer Sect Eldest Apprentice Brother” who had fortuitously obtained a Foundation Establishment artifact within the arcane realm half a year ago, subsequently breaking through to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator. According to the rules of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, upon reaching Foundation Establishment, one’s seniority automatically elevates, granting them the status and privileges of an elder.

Third rank? Chen Luo’s eyelid twitched slightly.

He was no longer an uninformed novice. In the cultivation world, first rank corresponds to the Qi Refinement stage, second rank to the Foundation Establishment stage, and a third-rank legacy encompasses knowledge relevant to Gold Core Patriarchs!

Without needing further explanation, just hearing this news, Chen Luo knew it signified significant trouble.