"Hm?" Jiang Tian raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
He didn't understand why the long-browed old man was reacting so strongly.
He'd only picked out a few Qi Gathering Methods, hadn't he?
Was there really any need to make such a fuss?
Jiang Tian set the Qi Gathering Methods and techniques in his arms on the desk and cupped his hands in salute. "Elder, is there something wrong with the Qi Gathering Methods I chose?"
"Something wrong?" Elder Long-Brow's eyes bulged as he glared, his long eyebrows practically shooting toward the heavens. "There's plenty wrong!"
"Do you know that the qi gathered by a Qi Gathering Method varies in quality?"
"This disciple does not." Jiang Tian cupped his hands, his expression respectful. "Please enlighten me, Elder."
The long-browed old man stroked his trademark eyebrows and spoke at an unhurried pace. "Let's use the fire attribute, the most common Qi Gathering attribute in the Heavenly Fire Sect, as an example."
"The lowest-grade method is the Blazing Fire Qi Gathering Method. It gathers mortal fire: flames from kitchen stoves, bonfires, any kind of fire found in the mortal world. That's low grade."
"The Pill Fire Qi Gathering Method gathers the flames of pill furnaces. The fire inside an alchemy furnace is far purer than mortal flame and contains a trace of the world's spiritual essence. That's mid-grade."
"The Earth Fire Qi Gathering Method gathers the fires of the earth's ley lines. Several fire veins run beneath our Heavenly Fire Sect, and the Fire Qi drawn from them is already close to the source of heaven and earth. That's high grade.
Most of the sect's disciples who cultivate the fire attribute use this method. The ley lines are right here, so gathering from them is convenient."
Elder Long-Brow's expression was stern. At this point, he changed tack and fixed his gaze on the Sun Heaven-Burning Qi Gathering Method in Jiang Tian's hand, raising his voice. "But what about the Sun Heaven-Burning Qi Gathering Method you've picked? It gathers Solar Qi from the sun above! That's top grade!"
"But do you know how many people who called themselves geniuses have stumbled over this method?" He let out a cold laugh.
"They all had their heads in the clouds. They chose this method, then spent years without gathering even a wisp of Solar Qi. In the end, they could only give up in despair and switch to the Earth Fire Qi Gathering Method. Years of their lives, wasted."
"And the other three methods you picked—the Lunar Profound Heaven Qi Gathering Method, the Primordial Earth-Bearing Qi Gathering Method, and the Everlasting Wood Qi Gathering Method—are all top-tier among top-tier methods."
"Each corresponds to one of the most fundamental forms of qi in heaven and earth: the sun, the moon, thick earth, and yi wood."
He paused, then patted the desk earnestly. "You seem to have decent talent, boy, but don't let your ambition reach for the heavens.
"Keep your feet on the ground and take one step at a time. That's the path of cultivation for you! Remember: don't reach for what's beyond your grasp!"
"Thank you for the reminder, Elder. I'll keep it in mind." Jiang Tian lowered his head, his tone sincere.
"Mm." Elder Long-Brow's furrowed brows relaxed, and his expression softened.
He looked at Jiang Tian and, for a moment, seemed to see his younger self.
When he'd first joined the sect, he'd been just like this boy, looking down on everyone. He'd chosen the Sun Heaven-Burning Qi Gathering Method and the Lunar Profound Heaven Qi Gathering Method.
It had taken him nearly ten years to finish gathering qi, but afterward he'd never managed to balance the water and fire qi within his body.
No matter how hard he tried, he'd always ended in failure.
That had cost him another several decades.
If he'd listened to the advice of others back then, perhaps he wouldn't be stuck in this lousy Library Pavilion as its keeper now.
Still, by warning this boy, he'd helped the younger version of himself...
Before the thought had fully faded, Jiang Tian set his jade token on the long desk.
Jiang Tian lifted his head, his gaze resolute. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder, but I've made up my mind."
"Hmph!" Elder Long-Brow's face darkened at once.
"Then you can fend for yourself!"
He spat out the words coldly, then irritably took out all the copied versions of the Qi Gathering Methods and techniques Jiang Tian had chosen and stacked them on the long desk.
Then he reached out and swiped hard across Jiang Tian's jade token, deducting the contribution points.
He waved his hand impatiently. "Go on, get out!"
Jiang Tian didn't get angry. Smiling, he gathered everything up.
He knew Elder Long-Brow's words had been well-intentioned guidance.
The old man was probably one of those "geniuses who'd stumbled" he'd mentioned, and every word had been hard-won advice, paid for in blood and tears.
But just because others couldn't do it didn't mean he couldn't.
With that thought, Jiang Tian hurried back to his lodgings with everything in hand.
After greeting Yuan Manzhi, he went upstairs, shut the door, and sat cross-legged on his cushion to study the Sun Heaven-Burning Qi Gathering Method.
With the boost from his red-tier Heaven-Defying Comprehension entry, he understood the method completely after only three or four readings.
Every key detail and every route for circulating qi was as clear as if engraved in his mind.
All he had to do was gather Solar Qi.
What was so hard about that?
So while the sun still hung directly overhead, he opened the second-floor window, sat cross-legged, and faced the dazzling golden orb. Following the steps of the Sun Heaven-Burning Qi Gathering Method, he began to gather qi.
Time flew by.
The light outside shifted from gold to orange-red, then from orange-red to dark red.
Half the sun had already sunk below the horizon, hanging at the edge of the sky.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Jiang Tian irritably raked a hand through his hair.
The Sun Heaven-Burning Qi Gathering Method didn't seem all that difficult to understand, but putting it into practice was another matter entirely.
He already had the red-tier Heaven-Defying Comprehension entry, yet after a whole afternoon, he still hadn't gathered even a wisp of Solar Qi!
Just then, someone knocked on his door.
Yuan Manzhi's voice came through the door along with the knocks. "Jiang Tian, someone's here to see you."
Jiang Tian drew a deep breath, pushing down his mounting irritation, and answered, "All right."
He stood up, his eyes flickering.
He'd only just arrived at the Heavenly Fire Sect and didn't know many people. Who could be looking for him?
When he reached the first floor, a young man was sitting beside the table.
He wasn't wearing the Heavenly Fire Sect uniform, but a white robe. He was handsome, with sword-straight brows and bright, starry eyes.
A cup of tea Yuan Manzhi had poured sat on the table.
Jiang Tian froze when he saw him.
It wasn't because the man looked familiar. He'd never seen that face before.
It was because of the two... red-tier entries above the man's head!
[Name: Lin Chen] [Realm: Qi Gathering] [Entries: Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart (Red), Ice-Fire Battle Body (Red)]
Two red-tier entries!
Jiang Tian's eyes lit up, and his heart raced.
Extract!
He didn't hesitate for a moment, silently repeating the word in his mind.
Whatever this man wanted, he'd collect the entries first. This was a gift in his hour of need, the answer to his urgent problem.
He was worried that his red-tier Heaven-Defying Comprehension entry couldn't help him gather Solar Qi. But what if it were gold-tier?
Two red glows flew from above Lin Chen's head, one after the other, and slipped into Jiang Tian's brow.
The panel before Jiang Tian abruptly changed.
[Entry Points: 111324]
Enough!
Jiang Tian's heart surged with excitement.
He'd finally gathered enough points to upgrade a gold-tier entry.
"Hm?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of confusion.
What was going on? Why did he feel that Jiang Tian was looking at him strangely?
Wait, wasn't that young woman just now his Dao companion?
Lin Chen pushed the distracting thought aside, stood, and clasped his hands with a smile. "Junior Brother Jiang Tian, I'm Lin Chen. I'm a disciple of True Person Yunxiao, and I share a master with Mu Sining. Sining is my junior sister."
"Senior Brother Lin." Jiang Tian returned the salute, his expression once more composed.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
The sun was about to set. He wanted to upgrade Heaven-Defying Comprehension to a gold-tier entry as soon as possible, then gather a wisp of Solar Qi.
"It's nothing important." Lin Chen smiled warmly. "I just wanted to invite you to a tea gathering tomorrow afternoon."
"The gathering's for disciples from humble backgrounds like us. We can exchange ideas—cultivation insights, thoughts on techniques, anything at all. And I have a surprise for you tomorrow."
A surprise?
Jiang Tian wasn't especially interested, but since Lin Chen was Mu Sining's senior brother, he accepted out of consideration for her.
After Lin Chen left, Jiang Tian went to his second-floor room, shut the doors and windows, and sat cross-legged on his cushion.
With a thought, he summoned the panel.
The Entry Points column clearly read "111324."
His gaze fell on the two red-tier entries. Without hesitation, he poured every point into Heaven-Defying Comprehension.
"Add points!"
[Entry: Heaven-Defying Comprehension (Red) → World-Shocking Wisdom (Gold) (1+/10000000)]
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