After chatting for a while, Second Master Qi Baicang accepted the fact that his junior had suddenly become a true Xiu Xian genius. That very evening, he personally prepared a table full of Spirit Food, and the two celebrated properly.
Afterward, Qi Chuan returned to his room. Once he had calmed down, he cultivated for several hours, then lay down and slept soundly.
He rose rather late the next day. Just as Qi Chuan emerged from his room and was preparing to tend to the Spirit Field, he saw a Flying Carpet streaking toward his family's Independent Peak from not far away, with a figure standing upon it.
"Is someone here to see us?"
Qi Chuan was rather curious at the sight, unsure whether the visitor had come for him or Second Master.
Under Qi Chuan's watchful gaze, the Flying Carpet finally landed in an open space nearby, and a figure stepped down from it.
The figure looked like an ordinary old man, smiling faintly at Qi Chuan.
Yet when Qi Chuan saw him, his heart tightened slightly. He had seen this man more than once in the Discussion Hall. The man's seat had always been beside Patriarch Qi Wuyou, positioned among the Elders at the center. Rumor had it that he was the Qi Family's Grand Elder!
Within the Qi Family, aside from the Patriarch at Foundation Establishment and those Elders in the Late Qi Refining Stage, there was also a Grand Elder.
It was said that this Grand Elder's Cultivation Realm had reached the Tenth Layer of Qi Refining—the Perfection of Qi Refining.
However, he had always kept a low profile, assisting the Patriarch with various affairs.
"Qi Chuan greets the Grand Elder!"
Qi Chuan immediately stepped forward and bowed.
Second Master, having heard the commotion, also came out. Startled to see the Grand Elder's arrival, he too hurried forward to offer his respects.
"Mm..."
The Grand Elder nodded slightly, then looked at Qi Chuan and smiled. "I have not come for any other matter. I have brought you a reward from the family."
"A family reward?"
Qi Chuan and Second Master exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised. They had never heard of any reward.
"That is right. Qi Chuan, you secured the Inner Sect Quota allocated by the Wind Moon Sect to our family. In the future, when you enter the Wind Moon Sect to cultivate and compete against the sect's geniuses, the Qi Family naturally cannot offer you no support at all," the Grand Elder said with a smile.
Then he patted an inconspicuous storage pouch at his waist. A small, ash-gray dagger and an embroidered pouch floated into the air.
"This is a High-grade Magic Tool and one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, bestowed upon you by the family."
With a sweep of his sleeve, the Grand Elder sent the ash-gray dagger and embroidered pouch drifting before Qi Chuan.
Looking at the items before him, delight appeared in Qi Chuan's eyes.
He had not expected the family to reward him for winning the Inner Sect Quota, and the reward was remarkably generous.
He was finally about to possess the first Magic Artifact of his life, and it was even a High-grade Magic Tool.
There were also one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. Based on his former salary of two Low-grade Spirit Stones a year in the Early Qi Refining Stage, how many years would he have needed to save that much? Of course, he was now at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, in the Mid Qi Refining Stage, and his yearly salary had risen to four Low-grade Spirit Stones.
"Thank you, Grand Elder!"
Qi Chuan immediately clasped his fists, then accepted the Magic Artifact and Spirit Stones.
Seeing this, Second Master was happy for Qi Chuan, though a trace of emotion also surfaced in his eyes.
He too possessed a Magic Artifact, but naturally it was not a High-grade Magic Tool—merely an ordinary Low-grade Magic Tool. As for one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, he had never held so many in his hands.
This time, his junior had suddenly become well supplied. Once he entered the Wind Moon Sect, he would not be constrained at every turn. He could be said to have gained a bit of foundation.
"There is one more matter."
Having bestowed the reward, the Grand Elder looked at Qi Chuan and said seriously, "Once you enter the Wind Moon Sect, you will cultivate as an Inner Sect Disciple. However, above Inner Sect Disciples, there are also True Disciples."
"By becoming a True Disciple, you will have the chance to come into contact with a Foundation Establishment Pill, greatly increasing the odds of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment. Therefore, after joining the Inner Sect, you should cultivate diligently. If an opportunity arises, do your utmost to contend for True Disciple status."
"If you cannot become a True Disciple, you may also keep an eye out in the Inner Sect for news of Foundation Establishment Spirit Items. If there is any, you can notify the family."
Qi Chuan nodded. "Understood, Grand Elder. I will remember."
Since there was a True Disciple status above the Inner Sect, he would naturally strive for it if given the chance. All the more so because True Disciples might have an opportunity to access Foundation Establishment Pills. Once he successfully reached Foundation Establishment, his lifespan would double outright, allowing him to live for more than two hundred years.
As for Foundation Establishment Spirit Items, they were presumably somewhat inferior to Foundation Establishment Pills, substitutes for those fated never to obtain such a pill.
After speaking with Qi Chuan for a few more moments, the Grand Elder soon departed aboard the Flying Carpet.
Watching the Flying Carpet recede into the distance, Qi Chuan and Qi Baicang both revealed a trace of longing in their eyes. That Flying Carpet was a Flying Magic Tool, even more expensive than ordinary Magic Artifacts.
"In two months, the Wind Moon Sect will recruit disciples. By then, I will likely be heading to the Wind Moon Sect. I can use these two months to familiarize myself with this Dagger Magic Tool."
Qi Chuan stroked the ash-gray Dagger Magic Tool in his palm as he pondered inwardly.
This was a High-grade Magic Tool, quite valuable. Generally speaking, even cultivators in the Late Qi Refining Stage, if they were poor, might not possess a High-grade Magic Tool and could only carry a Mid-grade Magic Tool for protection.
High-grade Magic Tools possessed considerable power.
"However, the Grand Elder gave me this Magic Artifact without telling me its name. In that case, I'll name it myself. It shall be called... Flying Ash!"
"After all, this is my first Magic Artifact. It needs a better omen. Flying Ash means that every enemy who dares invade in the future will vanish into ash and smoke."
To control a Magic Artifact, one needed to master the Object Manipulation Technique.
Qi Chuan currently only knew Basic Five Elements Spells and did not know the Object Manipulation Technique, so he had to go to the family's Exchange Pavilion to exchange for it.
Thus, the next day, Qi Chuan arrived at the Exchange Pavilion and met the Exchange Pavilion Elder once more.
"What would you like to exchange for this time?"
The Exchange Pavilion Elder did not begrudge Qi Chuan a smile. Unlike before, Qi Chuan could now be considered a Foundation Establishment Seed of the Qi Family. The Elder could afford to show him a little care, rather than treating him merely as an ordinary Family Disciple as before.
"I would like to exchange for an Object Manipulation Technique," Qi Chuan said directly.
"Object Manipulation Technique? Are you planning to learn how to control a Magic Artifact?" The Exchange Pavilion Elder smiled, clearly aware that the family had bestowed a Magic Artifact upon Qi Chuan.
"Precisely," Qi Chuan replied.
"In that case, I suggest you exchange for a copy of the Qi Refining Spell Compendium compiled by the family. It contains quite a few commonly used spells. Aside from the Object Manipulation Technique, there are also the Spirit Calming Technique, Wind Control Technique, Spirit Eye Technique, Freeze Technique, Quicksand Technique, Levitation Technique, Sound Transmission Technique, Invisibility Technique, and more. All of them are quite practical," the Exchange Pavilion Elder said after some thought.
"Is that so... Fine, then I'll take a Qi Refining Spell Compendium." Qi Chuan finally nodded in agreement.
His Fireball Technique and Water Arrow Technique had already reached the Perfected Stage, while his Golden Skin Technique, Earth Wall Technique, and Wood Vine Technique were also close to reaching the Perfected Stage.
Once these spells reached the Perfected Stage, breaking through to the Perfection Stage would require a great accumulation of time and could not be achieved in a short while.
Therefore, he might as well learn some other spells.
After all, as a qualified Xiu Xian practitioner, he also needed to learn these commonly used spells. They had many applications in all manner of everyday matters.
The Qi Refining Spell Compendium required ten Low-grade Spirit Stones.
After handing over ten Low-grade Spirit Stones, Qi Chuan soon received the Qi Refining Spell Compendium from the Exchange Pavilion Elder.
After briefly leafing through the neither-thin-nor-thick Qi Refining Spell Compendium in his hands, Qi Chuan nodded slightly. Without further thought, he put it away.
After thinking briefly, he added, "By the way, Elder, give me three Spirit Quenching Pills as well."
He had already used up the elixir that assisted his cultivation. It was time to replenish his supply.
The Spirit Quenching Pill was an elixir he had previously seen on the exchange list provided by the Exchange Pavilion Elder. It was suitable for those in the Mid and Late Qi Refining Stages, with fairly good effects.
However, it was also rather expensive. A single Spirit Quenching Pill cost five Low-grade Spirit Stones.
Having just been granted one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, Qi Chuan could still afford the Spirit Stones needed to buy Spirit Quenching Pills.
The reason he only exchanged for three was that Qi Chuan had considered that, after entering the Wind Moon Sect's Inner Sect, he might encounter better elixir.
There should be two months left before he entered the Wind Moon Sect. These three Spirit Quenching Pills would only serve as a transitional supply. Afterward, Qi Chuan would need to seek better cultivation-aiding elixir within the Inner Sect.
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