A Meeting Gift

"Alchemist Lin of Heavenly Medicine Mountain's disciple?"

The female disciple sized Su Hao up, doubt in her eyes.

Naturally, she knew Lin Zhi Shan.

There were only so many Outer Sect alchemists—few enough to count on one's fingers.

With his exquisite alchemy skills, Lin Zhi Shan was one of the few disciples who occupied an entire mountain peak by himself, receiving better treatment than some deacons.

Over all these years, he had taken only one disciple.

She had also heard some rumors. Starting five years ago, Lin Zhi Shan had taken in batches of Medicine Slaves every year, selecting some as registered disciples. Yet in the end, all those disciples had vanished.

He had taken another disciple now? This person before her must have something exceptional about him.

"Master has entered seclusion. This is Senior Disciple Brother Lin Miao's jade token."

Su Hao displayed Lin Miao's identity jade token.

"Alright." The female disciple's attitude became noticeably warmer. She inspected Lin Miao's identity jade token and confirmed that it was genuine. "Junior brother, state your name and cultivation realm."

"Su Hao, Qi Refining Level 3."

Su Hao deliberately understated his cultivation by one level.

The disciple recorded his name and realm in a metal book. "Squeeze a drop of blood onto your name, then channel a strand of spiritual power into the jade token."

Su Hao did as instructed. After his blood dripped onto his name, the metal book flashed with a faint gleam.

He then poured spiritual power into the blank jade token.

"Su Hao, Qi Refining Level 3."

The information flashed across the jade token.

"It's complete. This is your identity jade token." The female disciple handed it to Su Hao. "You will need it to enter and leave special places such as cultivation chambers and the library, as well as to accept contribution missions. Please do not lose it. A replacement costs ten lower-grade spirit stones."

"That's all?"

Su Hao let out a breath. It was far simpler than he had expected; he had gotten through it without effort.

"That's all." The female disciple nodded.

Every day, one or two hundred low-level disciples died in the Outer Sect. Under special circumstances, even more died.

Every day, a corresponding number of disciples would register to make up the total of three thousand.

No one would bother conducting further checks into the identities of those who came.

When Lin Zhi Shan emerged from seclusion, he might discover this.

But by then, he would not care whether there was one more official disciple.

With this identity jade token, Su Hao was now a genuine Outer Sect Disciple, avoiding the risks of impersonating Lin Miao.

Walking openly down the main road, Su Hao felt far more justified.

Still, the atmosphere in this sect was far too oppressive.

Most of the disciples he encountered had gloomy, sinister gazes.

Every so often, their eyes revealed the look of hungry wolves, as though they were assessing Su Hao's strength and the resources on his person.

Su Hao could easily judge a disciple's seniority from their eyes.

On the western side of the plaza stood an even grander hall—the Library!

With his identity jade token, Su Hao boldly entered the Library.

Its collection was hundreds of times larger than Heavenly Medicine Mountain's, and its decorations were lavish. It had six floors in total.

Tall bookshelves lined both sides of the hall's front desk.

The moment Su Hao saw those thread-bound books, he understood that the first floor would not contain any precious cultivation techniques or ancient texts.

Several disciples stood at the front desk with cold expressions, motionless as statues.

When Su Hao approached the counter, three older, more senior disciples merely glanced at him. At a single look, they determined that Su Hao was a newcomer and had even less interest in receiving him.

Only a rather youthful man reluctantly stepped forward.

"Heavenly Medicine Mountain, Su Hao, Qi Refining Level 3?"

Unlike the female disciple at the Deacon Hall, the young man became even colder after checking the jade token. "The books on the first floor may be read freely. To go to the second floor, the entry fee is one spirit stone. Mortal Grade cultivation techniques and spells cost fifty lower-grade spirit stones each."

Su Hao was startled by the price. Fifty spirit stones!

So far, he had only received Lin Miao's inheritance and obtained a single low-grade Wood Spirit Stone.

"No spirit stones?" The young man tossed the jade token back to Su Hao and ignored him thereafter.

Holding the jade token, Su Hao found himself at a loss. Where was he supposed to get spirit stones? "I only joined recently. Where would I get spirit stones?"

"Simple!" The young man raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Go mine at the Flame Iron Ore Vein, or gather Corpse Soul Bones at the Ten Thousand Corpse Pit. The former earns one spirit stone a day, while the latter pays better. One Corpse Soul Bone can be exchanged for one spirit stone. If you find a top-grade Corpse Soul Bone, you'll strike it rich!"

"You could also sell yourself at Joy Peak. At Qi Refining Level 3, one time should earn you at least ten spirit stones. It feels good and makes money, too."

The other three all revealed meaningful smiles when they heard that.

If it were really that easy, they would not be stuck in this library, scraping by on a monthly stipend of ten spirit stones.

The sect did not keep idlers.

Anyone who wanted spirit stones had to serve the sect.

Positions like theirs, which paid ten spirit stones a month, were not something disciples without connections could get.

Su Hao's frown deepened. None of those jobs sounded easy, and where was he supposed to find the time to earn money?

"A disciple of Heavenly Medicine Mountain?"

A cultivator in a blue Daoist robe came down the stairs, his smile kindly.

"Steward Zhang."

The moment they saw the middle-aged man with graying temples, the few of them immediately greeted him respectfully.

"Are you blind, you mutts? A junior brother from Heavenly Medicine Mountain has come, and you dare neglect him? If there's a next time, I'll kill you all! Why aren't you serving tea already?"

Zhang Ming quickened his pace, walked over to Su Hao's side, and berated the disciples.

The four of them were terrified. They hurriedly apologized and rushed off to prepare tea and refreshments.

Name: Zhang Ming

Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 10

Talent: Golden Spirit Body (White)

Qi Refining Level 10 with only a White-grade talent?

Ever since Su Hao had left Heavenly Medicine Mountain, this was the first Qi Refining Level 10 cultivator he had encountered.

And judging by Zhang Ming's appearance, while most cultivators looked relatively young due to cultivation—

Zhang Ming might already have been over seventy.

"I am Zhang Ming." Zhang Ming beamed as he sized Su Hao up. "If I remember correctly, Alchemist Lin only has one disciple, doesn't he?"

"Master only took me in recently." Su Hao handed over his identity jade token.

Zhang Ming accepted the jade token. After confirming it, his gaze grew several degrees more fervent. "Junior Brother Lin Miao is Alchemist Lin's family junior, and Alchemist Lin intends to support him. If you aren't his relative, then your talent must be exceptional. Following Alchemist Lin, your future is boundless!"

"Not at all, you flatter me." Su Hao put on an honest, simple expression. "Sigh, I don't have much talent. No matter how good one's talent is, without money, one can't take a single step."

"Alchemist Lin provides more than half the pills used by the outer sect. His family fortune is incredibly substantial; no one in the outer sect can compare. Junior Brother Su should not be worrying about spirit stones."

Zhang Ming said with a smile.

Su Hao was instantly astonished. Lin Zhi Shan was only at Qi Refining Level 7, yet he was this formidable?

"Sigh, Master suddenly announced that he was entering seclusion, taking a registered disciple with him. It was all too sudden. Steward Zhang, I won't trouble you any longer. I'll come back when I have spirit stones."

Su Hao sighed, cupped his hands in farewell, and turned to leave.

"Please wait!" Zhang Ming pondered for two seconds before calling out to Su Hao. "Alchemist Lin and I have been friends for decades. What are a mere few dozen spirit stones? If there's one suitable for you on the second or third floor, feel free to pick a copy. Consider it a meeting gift from me to you, Junior Brother."

"This... how could I possibly accept that?"

Su Hao rubbed his hands together, already unable to wait.

He had not expected the identity of Lin Zhi Shan's disciple to be so useful!

"No need to feel embarrassed. Junior Brother Lin Miao has no talent for alchemy.

Alchemist Lin has not taken a disciple for so many years. Now that he is willing to accept you, it must be because you possess that qualification."

At that thought, Zhang Ming suddenly saw the light. He had internal discounts anyway; spending a few dozen or even a hundred spirit stones was still acceptable.