Excellent Aptitude

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[You practiced diligently and triggered a special effect: Destiny Points +1]

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[You practiced diligently and triggered a special effect: Destiny Points +1]

Shen Mo scrolled through the feedback on his night of cultivation, finally finding the notification hidden among the stream of prompts.

Practicing, triggering a special effect?

A look of joy appeared on Shen Mo's face. As I thought, practicing really can earn Destiny Points!

I must try it out immediately and see what changes these Destiny Points can bring me!

With that thought, Shen Mo reopened his Destiny Panel and discovered that the previously grayed-out destiny wheel attributes now displayed glowing options he could trigger.

Let's give it a try.

He steadied his mind and tapped lightly on the position of his aptitude destiny wheel.

[You consumed 1 Destiny Point to attempt to improve your aptitude, but failed.]

A point was gone, yet nothing had changed.

Only the content in the information bar let Shen Mo know what had happened.

It can fail? I'll try again. Shen Mo gritted his teeth and spent his last Destiny Point.

Whoosh!

As the Destiny Points at the top of his panel hit zero, a new change appeared in the base column of the destiny wheel representing his aptitude.

[Aptitude: Superior]

[You consumed 1 Destiny Point to attempt to improve your aptitude, and succeeded.]

My aptitude... it really changed?

Shen Mo stared blankly at the information before him, suppressing the joy in his heart as he began to circulate the Heaven Origin Technique within his body.

[Through diligent practice, Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +2]

Half an hour passed, and Shen Mo was stunned to discover that the growth of his Heaven Origin Technique cultivation had doubled.

My aptitude originally only allowed me to gain 1 point of proficiency at a time, but now, I can gain 2.

If I keep going like this...

River-Facing Sect, mountain gate.

Shen Mo had spent so long tinkering in his residence that he only just remembered he was on duty today, rushing over to guard the mountain gate.

"You finally showed up, you guy. I thought you'd actually headed down the mountain to leave the sect and live a life in the mundane world."

Seeing him arrive, a young man dressed in the same outer disciple robes of the River-Facing Sect spoke up.

This fellow, who was guarding the gate with him, was named Cao Ren, one of the few friends Shen Mo had within the River-Facing Sect.

Shen Mo had often confided in him before, sharing his anxieties and worries, as well as his thoughts about leaving the cultivation world.

"It wouldn't be that fast even if I were leaving. I just woke up late today and got delayed for a while."

Shen Mo hurried to his post and replied casually.

"I heard that Deacon Chen came by to deliver a Qi Gathering Pill to you last night?"

Cao Ren leaned in, sounding somewhat envious. "That's a top-tier treasure for breaking through the Body Tempering Realm. It's truly comfortable having a deacon for an uncle to look after you."

"Didn't your old man send you plenty of spiritual medicine for your cultivation, too?" Shen Mo rolled his eyes at him.

The job of guarding the mountain gate at the River-Facing Sect was looked down upon by inner sect disciples, but among the outer disciples, it was considered a lucrative position.

Therefore, most of those who managed to secure this task were disciples with connections in the inner sect.

Shen Mo relied on the recommendation of Deacon Chen An.

As for Cao Ren, he relied on the connections of his own father, the River-Facing Sect inner disciple Cao Shanyue.

They were both beneficiaries of nepotism.

However, Cao Ren's talent was significantly better than Shen Mo's.

The two were about the same age, yet Shen Mo had only just managed to break through to the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm last night.

Cao Ren, meanwhile, had long since reached the ninth level.

It was estimated that in a few more years, he would be able to touch the bottleneck of the Body Tempering Realm and attempt to break through to the Qi Gathering Realm.

Once successful, he would be promoted to an inner disciple and become a formally recognized member of the River-Facing Sect.

"You know what my old man is like, don't you? Tight-fisted to a fault."

"The meager cultivation resources he has aren't even enough for himself, so how could he possibly be willing to save anything good for me?"

Cao Ren complained, "In these past two years, he's only sent me a few Changbai Ginseng roots that were over a decade old. Their effect on cultivation was barely better than nothing."

Hearing Cao Ren say this and making a silent comparison, Shen Mo felt all the more grateful toward Uncle Chen.

When even one's own father was so stingy, Uncle Chen had truly treated him with great generosity.

"Well, there's nothing to be done about that. Who told you not to be born to a better father?"

"Tell me, Shen Mo, didn't you say you were planning to leave the River-Facing Sect?" Cao Ren's eyes darted around as he spoke, "Since you have no further aspirations for the immortal path, holding onto this Qi Gathering Pill is useless for you anyway."

"How about you spare one for me!" Cao Ren patted his chest, promising, "If I can successfully break through and ascend to the inner sect, I will definitely seek you out in the secular world to repay your kindness and grant your family a lifetime of glory and wealth."

The Qi Gathering Realm was only the second stage in the world of immortal cultivation; it was far from being considered a master.

However, the divide between the immortal and the mortal was like a natural chasm.

A cultivator in the Qi Gathering Realm protecting a clan of secular mortals and granting them glory and wealth was truly no idle boast.

"I knew you were up to no good."

Shen Mo shook his head, annoyed.

If this had been before he discovered the Destiny Panel, he might have actually been tempted by Cao Ren's request and agreed to the trade.

But now, the appearance of the Destiny Panel had changed Shen Mo's mind, so naturally, he would not agree.

"I have three Qi Gathering Pills. I took one last night, so two remain." Shen Mo looked at Cao Ren and said, "It's not impossible to spare one for you."

"But you must trade something of equal value in return. I can't be bothered to entertain such ethereal promises."

"Something of equal value?" Cao Ren scratched his head. "What do you need?"

This question actually stumped Shen Mo.

If one spoke of needs, the path of cultivation required vast resources, encompassing everything, so naturally, he needed everything.

But needs had their own urgency and priority; as for what Shen Mo urgently needed right now, he hadn't really thought it through carefully.

"Do you have any scrolls on alchemy, forging, or talisman-making?"

After thinking carefully for a long while, Shen Mo spoke, "If you can find those for me, I might consider giving you a Qi Gathering Pill."

What he urgently needed right now wasn't some divine skill or spiritual medicine, but a trade to make a living.

Alchemy and talisman-making were both highly sought-after skills in the markets.

If he could learn to refine pills or craft talismans, he could earn quite a few spirit stones each month through these two methods to cover his expenses.

Of course, alchemy and talisman-making were not without costs.

The raw materials required for some pills and talismans were quite expensive.

If one's skill in alchemy or talisman-making wasn't proficient enough and the success rate was too low, making a living this way would be impossible.

But Shen Mo wasn't worried about this; after all, he had the Destiny Panel and was different from ordinary people.

Furthermore, he had just raised his aptitude to a superior level.

He imagined that learning alchemy and talisman-making wouldn't be too slow.

New book, seeking support! Welcome, my friends, to take a look!