A Transaction, Dragon Creek Peak Scripture Repository

Though she did not understand, in the end, Jiang Xiaoyu still followed Zhong Ming with her brother to a secluded place.

Then, before Jiang Yue could ask anything, Zhong Ming spoke first.

"Brother Jiang, being rated Class A should be hanging in the balance for you, shouldn't it?"

Jiang Yue gave a bitter smile at those words. "Brother Zhong, you think too highly of me. In truth, I only have a thirty percent chance."

After a pause, Jiang Yue explained the reason. "As disciples of Cultivation Families, we do have spirit stones and pills. But every medicine carries some poison. To avoid pill toxins accumulating in our bodies and damaging our foundations, the number of pills we can take each day is quite limited."

"Moreover, there is an examination during the rating process. If they find that one's foundation has been damaged or that too many pill toxins have accumulated, then even if one meets the requirements for Class A, the rating will be lowered."

"So that's how it is."

This answer allowed Zhong Ming to understand why some family disciples, despite having heaps of spirit stones, could not even earn a Class B rating.

Clearly, pills came with severe restrictions. Dragon Creek Peak did not look favorably upon those who had raised their cultivation purely by swallowing pills.

Thinking this through, Zhong Ming understood even more clearly how important the information he possessed was to family disciples—especially those who wanted to advance and were only one step away.

With that in mind, Zhong Ming spoke bluntly. "Brother Jiang, you have been so enthusiastic toward me because you noticed that I comprehended something from the Mountain Stream Diagram. And you believe those things could help you as well, speeding up your cultivation and increasing your chances of being rated Class A."

"...That is indeed part of the reason."

Having gained some understanding of Zhong Ming's temperament, Jiang Yue did not conceal it and admitted it frankly.

Seeing this, Zhong Ming stopped beating around the bush.

"I did indeed comprehend something."

The moment those words came out, Jiang Yue's pupils abruptly contracted, and his hands, hidden within his sleeves, clenched tightly.

Naturally, he was nervous. Being rated Class A was extremely important to him.

It was not merely a matter of safety, nor was it only about Dragon Creek Peak's wholehearted nurturing.

Born into a Cultivation Family, what Jiang Yue cared about most now was his family's support.

And as a great family, the Jiang Family had more outstanding descendants than just him. They certainly would not hand all their resources over to him.

—Whoever was more outstanding would receive greater support from the family.

Without question, the difference between Class A and Class B meant the Jiang Family's support for him would differ as well.

If I'm rated Class A, I'll be in the first tier within the family, with a greater chance to contend for the position of family head. Class B, on the other hand, only places me in the second tier. My greatest possible achievement would merely be becoming an elder...

Thinking of all the benefits of the first tier filled Jiang Yue with anxiety.

If his current state of mind were compared to something, it would be that of certain students and their parents during the college entrance examinations of his previous life.

At such a crucial moment, they wanted to seize any opportunity that could add even the slightest weight to their scales.

—To score a few more points, students in his previous life had been willing to spend tens of thousands.

Jiang Yue now... was no different.

He was nervous, but Zhong Ming remained calm. "I do not intend to keep what I comprehended hidden away. If you can pay the price, I do not mind telling you the key points of my comprehension."

Zhong Ming clearly intended to sell some of what he had comprehended for spirit stones, then use those spirit stones to buy pills, improve his cultivation efficiency, and advance as soon as possible.

Upon hearing that he needed to pay money to buy it, Jiang Yue was not angered in the slightest. Instead, his face filled with delight.

To him now, money was nothing. What he feared was Zhong Ming treating his own broom as a treasure and keeping everything to himself.

Fortunately, Zhong Ming had no intention of suppressing potential rivals.

Rather than waste effort on that, I might as well improve myself. As long as I improve faster than others, I'll never need to fear them becoming strong.

Jiang Yue asked, "What do you want, and how much?"

"I want pills." After thinking for a moment, Zhong Ming named his price. "Pills worth at least one hundred and eighty spirit stones. I want two kinds: one to ease meridian fatigue, and one to increase cultivation."

"Fine."

Without any intention of bargaining, nor did he return to fetch medicine, Jiang Yue directly handed Zhong Ming the pills he used himself.

"This is an Origin Spirit Pill, and this is Earth Marrow Milk. The former increases cultivation, while the latter protects and nourishes the meridians."

"These are also the two types of pills I mainly use. These two bottles are worth two hundred and forty spirit stones."

Zhong Ming said, "...I don't have spirit stones to give you change."

"No need." Jiang Yue smiled. "Let's consider it making a friend."

Those words made Zhong Ming smile as well.

"Then I'll gladly accept you as a friend."

Having said that, Zhong Ming accepted the pills and told Jiang Yue the secret he had uncovered.

"By a stroke of luck, I saw a flood dragon in the Mountain Stream Diagram... So I guessed that the true core of our Dragon Creek Breathing Technique is not the springhead or the streams, but the dragon."

"A dragon of earth veins formed by mountains and rivers, by streams and waters."

Considering that what Jiang Yue had given exceeded his expectations, Zhong Ming took the initiative to add, "This afternoon, you can cultivate with me. I'll show you the momentum of mountains and streams that I found."

After speaking, Zhong Ming, who still had matters to attend to, quickly departed.

Once he was gone, a gleam flashed in Jiang Yue's eyes.

'The core of Dragon Creek Peak is the dragon, not the stream... Yes, it must be so. Dragon Creek Peak is not at the bottom of the Seven Mysteries Sect. People like us could never use a mere stream as our core visualization object—that would be far too petty. But if it is a dragon, then it makes sense.'

Jiang Yue had figured some things out, but Jiang Xiaoyu had not.

At this moment, she somewhat understood why her brother thought so highly of Zhong Ming—the true essence was extremely important. If Zhong Ming had truly comprehended the true essence of the Mountain Stream Diagram, then they indeed needed to treat him with caution.

Still, she had her concerns.

"Brother, how can you be sure Zhong Ming was telling the truth?"

This question made Jiang Yue laugh.

"As a great sect, the visualization object of our Dragon Creek Peak could never be a stream..."

After voicing his thoughts, Jiang Yue's gaze turned deep as he continued, "Besides, Zhong Ming would not dare deceive me."

"If he were mediocre and had comprehended nothing, yet dared to deceive me like this, making him pay the price would be effortless."

"And if he truly comprehended something from the Mountain Stream Diagram, then he must be very clever. Someone like that would be even less likely to deceive me... There is no need for him to guard against me."

At this point, Jiang Yue revealed the sharp edge unique to a heavenly prodigy.

"What I seek is Class A. Zhong Ming's best possible result is a Class B rating. We will not be competitors."

Jiang Yue thought very highly of Zhong Ming, but even so, he believed that Zhong Ming, with his Third-grade Spiritual Root, could at best attain a Class B rating in the Hundred Day Assessment.

Jiang Yue had not reached this conclusion through baseless speculation. Rather, he had carefully considered every factor before arriving at it.

And this conclusion... did have some basis.

Even Zhong Ming, despite having obtained the pills, was not very confident that he could raise his own rating to Class A.

It was not that he thought little of himself. Seven days to advance was simply too tight a timeframe.

"My efficiency at absorbing Spiritual Energy is still far too low."

"And although I have pills now, pill toxins still affect me. That means I don't dare take too much medicine in a single day."

Though he thought this, Zhong Ming did not show an ugly expression.

After swallowing a drop of Earth Marrow Spirit Liquid and letting its rich, warm aura ease the fatigue in his meridians, Zhong Ming turned on his heel and hurried toward his destination.

Five minutes later, a stone tower stood before Zhong Ming. Above its gates, the words Dragon Creek Peak Scripture Repository were prominently displayed.

As he looked at the Scripture Repository, Zhong Ming's eyes burned with anticipation.

"Whether I can advance to early Qi Condensation within seven days and earn a Class A rating—my hope lies here!"