Troubles

A figure emerged from Room Number Six.

It was Jiang Han.

Even during the morning cultivation session, when the Aura Spiritual Energy appeared for an hour, this guy did not cultivate in the courtyard.

Instead, he left the courtyard alone, seemingly going somewhere else to cultivate before returning afterward.

Su Bai looked up. Their gazes met, and they each gave a slight nod in greeting without exchanging any words.

After Jiang Han left the courtyard,

Zhou Chang and the others also rose one after another and came into the courtyard.

The five fellow disciples had already become quite familiar with one another. Each took a meditation cushion and chose a spot in the courtyard to sit down.

They simply waited for the Aura Spiritual Energy to emerge.

They did not have to wait long before the horizon turned fish white.

The morning sun rose.

Su Bai had already entered a state of closed-eye meditation beforehand.

Thus, the instant the Aura Spiritual Energy appeared, he sensed its presence.

Su Bai's goal was to open more than five meridians in one go today.

Calming his breath and settling his mind, Su Bai quickly guided the first wisp of pale gold Aura Spiritual Energy into his body.

Su Bai did not immediately refine this wisp of Aura Spiritual Energy.

Instead, he continued absorbing the Aura Spiritual Energy.

Buzz.

The second wisp of Aura Spiritual Energy was drawn into his body.

Like this, Su Bai absorbed six wisps of Aura Spiritual Energy in one breath.

When he tried to absorb more Aura Spiritual Energy again, he could already feel a burning sensation.

Forcing himself to absorb Aura Spiritual Energy at this point would do his body more harm than good.

Knowing that the scorching sun had risen, Su Bai then controlled the Aura Spiritual Energy he had drawn into his body and sent it crashing toward his blocked meridians.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The six wisps of Aura Spiritual Energy condensed into a mass and, under Su Bai's control, broke through the blocked meridians one after another.

A moment later, Su Bai opened his eyes, delight shining within them. This time, he had actually opened six meridians in one go.

He had surpassed his goal!

With this, after twenty days of hard work, eight or nine out of ten of the meridians in Su Bai's body had been opened.

Su Bai estimated that within three days, he would be able to open all the hundred meridians in his body, attempt to draw Spiritual Energy into his body, circulate it through a full cycle according to the cultivation method, then guide it into his Dantian and Condense Spiritual Power of his own.

For a Three Spirit Root cultivator, condensing a wisp of Spiritual Power within thirty days counted as excellent.

Su Bai might not even need thirty days before successfully Condensing Spiritual Power and advancing to Qi Refining Layer One.

Twenty days of arduous cultivation had borne fruit, and a smile involuntarily appeared on Su Bai's face.

"Junior Brother Su, you've finally finished cultivating."

"Quick, drink your porridge. It's almost cold." Zhou Chang's voice came from beside him.

It turned out that after Su Bai absorbed six wisps of Aura Spiritual Energy at once, breakfast time had already passed.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou," Su Bai said gratefully.

After opening six meridians at once, he truly felt somewhat drained inside.

Su Bai picked up the Spirit Rice Porridge and drained it in one gulp.

The Spirit Rice Porridge also contained some minced Iron Eater Beast meat, and it tasted quite good.

"Junior Brother Su, someone came looking for you after the morning cultivation session ended. He's waiting outside the courtyard." Only after watching Su Bai drink the porridge did Zhou Chang speak unhurriedly.

"Hm? Someone's looking for me?"

Su Bai thought for a moment, and Wu Tian's face immediately appeared in his mind.

At present, he was merely an obscure Outer Disciple who had just entered the Jade Mist Sect. The only person he knew was Wu Tian.

Su Bai walked toward the main gate, used his Jade Talisman to open the formation, and stepped outside the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard, a familiar figure was waiting by the gate. It was Wu Tian!

"Brother Su, it's been many days!" Wu Tian forced a faint smile onto his face, looking exceedingly haggard.

Su Bai could see that Wu Tian had something weighing on his heart.

So he stepped forward and patted Wu Tian's shoulder. "Come on, let's take a walk, just the two of us."

Come to think of it, this was the first time Su Bai had left the courtyard where he lived since that Inner Sect disciple had brought him to the Outer Disciple Courtyard that day.

Su Bai and Wu Tian walked along the Bluestone Slab Road between the courtyards.

Only then did Su Bai discover that after the morning cultivation session, quite a few Outer Disciples came outside to get some air.

Not everyone could be like him, spending Twelve Hours a day cultivating aside from sleeping and eating.

After they had walked far from Courtyard 32, Wu Tian finally could not hold back his complaint. "Brother Su, the Housekeeping Disciple in the courtyard I was assigned to is too damned beastly!"

"Why do you say that?" Su Bai asked with some curiosity, thinking that not every Housekeeping Disciple was as upright and kind-hearted as Senior Brother Zhou.

Wu Tian began to explain slowly.

It turned out that the Housekeeping Disciple in Wu Tian's courtyard was a Four Spirit Root cultivator who had originally been a Labor Disciple.

He had served as a laborer for two years before finally Condensing Spiritual Power and becoming an Outer Disciple of the Jade Mist Sect.

Yet this man held no gratitude in his heart.

Instead, he bore resentment toward youths like Wu Tian, who had become Outer Disciples of the Jade Mist Sect the moment they entered.

After becoming a Housekeeping Disciple, the guidance he gave Wu Tian and the other New Disciples regarding cultivation was complete bullshit.

Wu Tian had spent a full ten days before he managed to understand the booklet on the Qi Refining Technique by himself and find some footing in cultivation.

Even now, he only half understood the introductory cultivation method and had to feel his way across the river by groping for stones whenever he cultivated.

Su Bai commented, "For a Four Spirit Root cultivator to reach Qi Refining Layer Six, it seems this senior brother has quite good comprehension."

"But his character... well..."

"Can't you report him to the Deacon Hall?" Su Bai asked at last.

Wu Tian shook his head. "That guy is already at Qi Refining Layer Six. He's only one step away from advancing to Late Qi Refining and becoming an Inner Disciple."

"Even if the report succeeds, he might advance to the Inner Sect and leave this place any day."

"How would we dare offend him?"

Su Bai nodded slowly. That was true. For Wu Tian to cultivate to Late Qi Refining, even if everything went smoothly, it would take at least a dozen years.

Over such a long time, if that guy kept his eye on him and slipped him some small shoes to wear, it truly would not feel good.

After thinking for a moment, Su Bai said, "The Housekeeping Senior Brother in my courtyard is actually quite a good person."

"I've also studied the introductory cultivation formula more or less thoroughly."

Wu Tian revealed an envious expression. "Brother Su, your luck is better after all."

Su Bai looked at the youth who had provided him with his first Spirit Root. After pondering for a moment, he decided, "Then let's find a quiet place, and I'll give you some extra lessons."

Wu Tian's expression froze. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate... Would it affect your cultivation, Brother Su?"

Su Bai said, "It's only the introductory cultivation formula. If you pay close attention, I can explain it clearly to you in half a day at most. Half a day is nothing—it won't have much impact."

Wu Tian agreed gratefully.

Thus, the two set off on foot, heading west all the way until they left the Outer Disciple Courtyard.

Before them stretched a patch of green land scattered with bluestone.

This was the western edge of Qingyun Mountain's summit, where green grass carpeted the ground and bluestones stood in abundance.

The grassy expanse was broad, while beneath its edge lay a bottomless Ten Thousand Foot Cliff.

Quite a few Outer Disciples who preferred peace and quiet had long chosen this bluestone grassland as their place of cultivation.

Su Bai and Wu Tian quickly chose a large bluestone with no one nearby, climbed atop it, and sat down cross-legged.

Su Bai taught him hand in hand, while Wu Tian listened with desperate hunger and utmost attention.

The two exchanged questions and answers from time to time.

Like this, more than two hours passed.

After Wu Tian completed a round of cultivation, Su Bai stood up. "All right, you've learned more or less enough. It's time to return to the courtyard."

Wu Tian's face was full of joy. He had never expected that, with someone teaching him, he could master the introductory cultivation method so easily and completely.

Looking at it this way, the Housekeeping Disciple in their courtyard truly was unworthy of being called human!

"Brother Su, great kindness needs no words of thanks. If you ever have need of me in the future, come find your little brother anytime!"