Yange, Uncle-Master

Chapter 5: Uncle Yange

Early the next morning, Shi Yue's eyelids twitched as he opened his eyes, full of energy.

Suddenly, clang! Clang! Clang! Three melodious bell tolls rang out from afar.

The crisp, clear chimes echoed throughout the entire Great Void Sect.

Hearing the bells, Shi Yue's face lit up with joy. He quickly walked out of his courtyard, flew into the air on his artifact, and sped off into the distance.

At the same time, dozens of figures rushed out from many courtyards on Azure Origin Peak, all taking flight on their artifacts and heading in the same direction as Shi Yue.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Shi Yue crossed over a dozen peaks of varying heights and a wide lake. A majestic palace, towering above the clouds and mist, appeared before him.

Though it seemed to float above the clouds, the palace was actually built atop a towering mountain peak, most of which was shrouded in mist.

The palace was over ten zhang tall, constructed entirely from massive green stone. A plaque hung at the entrance, engraved with three golden characters: "Dao Discussion Hall."

Shi Yue landed in front of the palace and quickly walked inside.

People continued to land before the palace and enter.

The main hall was extremely spacious, several mu in size. Hundreds of green cushions were placed on the floor, and over a hundred Qi Refining stage cultivators sat cross-legged on them, their gazes fixed eagerly on a man in white robes ahead.

The man appeared to be around thirty years old, with a clean, fair face and an air of scholarly refinement, dressed in a white robe.

Uncle Yange was responsible for giving lectures to Qi Refining stage disciples, imparting insights on cultivation and other knowledge of immortal arts. He taught once a month.

Shi Yue found a seat near the front and sat down.

People filed in one after another. Soon, every cushion was occupied, with no empty seats left. Some who arrived late simply stood.

The entire Dao Discussion Hall gathered five to six hundred Qi Refining stage disciples.

Yange flipped his hand and produced a green round disk, densely inscribed with spiritual patterns.

He tossed the green disk into the air, where it expanded several times to the size of a cartwheel. With a flick of his finger, a beam of green light shot into the disk.

The spiritual patterns on the disk lit up one after another, and the disk began to rotate slowly.

Yange spoke, "Disciples, silence. The lecture begins now."

Though Yange's voice was not loud, thanks to the amplifying disc, everyone could hear him clearly.

"Disciples, you have been in the sect for some time now. I am well aware of the hardships you've faced. I hope you will diligently cultivate and never slack off. Today, I will speak to you about the 'wealth' among the four essentials: Earth, Dharma, Companions, and Wealth. Listen carefully."

Hearing this, the crowd held their breath, staring intently at Uncle Yange, afraid to miss a single word.

"As everyone knows, Earth, Dharma, Companions, and Wealth are the four indispensable elements for a cultivator seeking the Dao and pursuing the truth! Whether a cultivator can advance on the path depends not only on talent but also on the amount of wealth they possess. You all know this well. There are many ways to earn spirit stones, but the four most lucrative professions are talisman master, alchemist, artifact refiner, and formation master. Alchemy and talisman crafting are the most costly, while artifact refining and formations require a certain talent. I do not recommend that you choose any of these four as your livelihood. I have seen many people spend their entire fortunes learning to craft talismans, refine pills, or forge artifacts, only to lose everything. If you believe you are among the rare lucky few, you may try."

"Our sect is renowned throughout the Great Tang for its alchemy. Countless pills are sold to various markets every year, requiring a vast amount of spirit herbs. I suggest you consider planting spirit herbs. With careful tending, there will always be a harvest. Start with some commonly needed, easy-to-grow herbs. Once you've gained experience, you can try planting rarer spirit herbs. The growth environment and effects of each herb are recorded in the sect's Scripture Repository. You can look them up there. Additionally..."

The lecture lasted for two hours. Everyone listened attentively, and no one left during that time.

"Alright, that's all for today. You may disperse." With that, Yange formed a single hand seal, and the green disk stopped rotating, flying into his sleeve and disappearing.

Yange left the Dao Discussion Hall and flew away on his artifact.

Seeing this, the others also took flight on their artifacts and left. Shi Yue sat still, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After listening to Uncle Yange's lecture, Shi Yue felt as if a wide door was opening before him.

The mysterious space had three mu of spirit fields, and time passed ten times faster there than outside. Using this incredible ability only to grow spirit rice was too wasteful.

Besides growing spirit grain, what else could he do?

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Shi Yue's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something. He stood up, walked out of the Dao Discussion Hall, and flew toward the Deacon Hall on his artifact.

Soon, Shi Yue arrived at the Deacon Hall.

This time, Shi Yue did not stop on the first floor but went directly to the third.

The hall on the third floor was bright and spacious, with a ceiling four to five zhang high. It could hold hundreds of people without feeling crowded.

Around the hall were counters made of precious red paulownia wood. Behind them stood tall shelves of the same material. Some shelves displayed various artifacts, others held small, delicate porcelain bottles, and still others contained ores or talismans.

At that moment, over twenty Great Void Sect disciples were in the hall. Their cultivation levels ranged from Foundation Establishment Realm down to the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refining. Most were talking to the duty disciples behind the counters, who occasionally took down artifacts or bottles from the shelves.

Shi Yue's gaze swept quickly across the hall, and he walked toward one counter.

Behind this counter, shelves held many porcelain jars of various sizes, each with a small label stuck to it.

Two Qi Refining stage disciples were speaking to the duty disciple behind the counter, with two jars placed on the counter.

The two disciples took out their identity tokens, swiped them across the silver disc in the duty disciple's hand, then picked up their jars and left.

"Junior brother, what do you need? Would you like me to introduce something?" the duty disciple asked with a full smile as Shi Yue approached.

"I'd like some spirit herb seeds. Preferably ones with a short growth cycle and a high purchase price," Shi Yue said after thinking for a moment.

"Well, there are three herbs that fit your requirements: Blazing Sun Grass, Cold Yin Flower, and Condensing Smoke Grass. Blazing Sun Grass matures in ten years and needs a sunny place to grow. Cold Yin Flower matures in seven years and requires a place rich in spiritual energy, with no sunlight at all, or it will wither. Condensing Smoke Grass matures in five years and isn't picky about its environment—just water it on time. Which one would you like, junior brother?" the duty disciple asked with a smile.

Shi Yue pondered for a moment, then asked, "How much are the seeds for Blazing Sun Grass and Condensing Smoke Grass?"

The mysterious space had no sunset and plenty of sunlight, making it suitable for growing Blazing Sun Grass and Condensing Smoke Grass.

"Blazing Sun Grass seeds are ten contribution points per jin, and Condensing Smoke Grass seeds are five contribution points per jin. How much would you like, junior brother?"

"One jin of Blazing Sun Grass seeds and two jin of Condensing Smoke Grass seeds," Shi Yue said after some thought.

The duty disciple nodded, turned to the shelves behind him, opened two jars, and used two leather pouches to scoop out some seeds.

"The red ones are Blazing Sun Grass seeds, and the blue ones are Condensing Smoke Grass. That'll be twenty contribution points total." The duty disciple placed the two pouches in front of Shi Yue, fiddled with the silver disc in his hand, and then handed it to Shi Yue.

Shi Yue took out his identity token, placed it on the silver disc. With a flash of silver light, he retrieved his token, picked up the two pouches, and left.