Wu Xueli

At the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, Han Changming was crafting talismans. A stack of finished Chain Fireball Talismans lay on the table, while some discarded Blank Talisman Paper was scattered around him.

Before long, he finished crafting another Chain Fireball Talisman.

Han Changming set it aside, intending to keep crafting more, when a Sound Transmission Talisman flew in.

He put down his Talisman Brush. What urgent matter had come up that someone had to send him a Sound Transmission Talisman?

He crushed the talisman, and Han Changshuo's excited voice rang out. "Ninth Brother, I passed the alchemy assessment! It's all thanks to the two bottles of Spirit Water you gave me. Are you free right now?"

Han Changming had a vague idea why Han Changshuo was looking for him. He was genuinely happy that Han Changshuo had passed the alchemy assessment.

He also wanted to know how much Spirit Water helped with alchemy.

He put away his talisman-making tools, opened the door, and went outside.

Han Changshuo was talking with Han Changjiong about something. Han Changshuo's face was wreathed in smiles, while Han Changjiong looked envious.

"Second Brother, congratulations!" Han Changming congratulated Han Changshuo.

"Ninth Brother, I owe this to you. I wouldn't have passed the alchemy assessment otherwise," Han Changshuo said sincerely, his voice full of gratitude.

He suddenly remembered something and continued, "Ninth Brother, do you have any of that Spirit Water left? Sell me some?"

Han Changming shook his head. "I'm out. I bought it from a Rogue Cultivator. I used it to refine Cinnabar, which can increase the success rate of talisman crafting. I gave you the two bottles I had left. Second Brother, did that Spirit Water really help with alchemy?"

"It did. It worked quite well. Of course, my chances of successfully refining Qi Accumulation Pills were already fifty percent. The Spirit Water just increased the rate of successful pills. It might not work as well for a beginner, since the Spirit Water only helps. The success rate still depends on the alchemist's skill."

Han Changming wasn't surprised. Spirit Water was only an aid, after all. The Spirit Water he'd given Han Changshuo had been diluted at a ratio of one to two. Undiluted Spirit Water would surely work even better.

"Heh, Second Brother, you'll be a disciple of the Ocean Listening Pavilion from now on. Don't forget us brothers."

Han Changshuo smiled and said, "We're all family. We should help one another. Seventh Brother, Ninth Brother, once I pass the test tomorrow, I'll treat you both to a feast at the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant. We'll celebrate properly."

After chatting for a while, Han Changshuo took his leave.

"Ninth Brother, that wasn't very fair of you. You had Spirit Water that increased the success rate of talisman crafting, but you gave it all to Second Brother instead of sharing some with me."

Han Changming chuckled, took out two boxes of Cinnabar, and handed them to Han Changjiong. "Seventh Brother, how could I? I only just got the Spirit Water myself. This Cinnabar was refined with it. Take it! Next time I buy some Spirit Water, I'll be sure to share it with you."

"That's more like it. Thanks." Han Changjiong beamed as he accepted the two boxes of Cinnabar.

After chatting for a few more moments, Han Changming returned to his room and continued crafting talismans.

The next evening, Han Changshuo hosted a grand banquet at the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant for his fellow Han Clan members.

He had passed the assessment and become a disciple of the Ocean Listening Pavilion.

"Thank you all for looking after me over the years. I won't be in the clan from now on, so please take good care of my parents. I'll come back to visit when I can."

"Changshuo, don't worry. We have a few clan members at the Ocean Listening Pavilion. Once you get there, you can contact them, and they'll help you. You're different from them—you have a special skill, and that can take you further. You've never been away from home before, so make plenty of friends after joining the Ocean Listening Pavilion. It's hard to get far on your own." Han Deling advised him earnestly.

"I understand, Seventh Aunt."

Han Changming took a bite of food and casually asked, "Second Brother, were there many Qi Refining cultivators joining the Ocean Listening Pavilion this time?"

"Quite a lot. There were over a hundred people taking the test with me. I don't know how many passed. One cultivator with an Ice Spirit Root showed up, and a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Ocean Listening Pavilion took them away on the spot." Han Changshuo's voice carried a trace of envy.

Cultivators with an Ice Spirit Root advanced relatively quickly and were considered quite talented. The Han Clan had never had anyone with an uncommon Spirit Root, or even a cultivator with two Spirit Roots.

"A cultivator with an Ice Spirit Root? Do you know which immortal cultivation family they came from?" Han Deling asked.

"I think it was a small family surnamed Wu. I've never heard of them."

"Forging iron still requires a strong hand. Changshuo, you'll be a disciple of the Ocean Listening Pavilion from now on. Don't make enemies. When trouble comes, try to give way, and don't get into conflicts with your fellow disciples. Make plenty of friends. The clan's door will always be open to you. If you need the clan's help, send someone back with a message." Han Debiao advised him earnestly.

Han Changshuo nodded. "I understand, Fifth Uncle. I will."

An hour later, the banquet ended.

Back at his lodgings, Han Changming sat cross-legged on the wooden bed and cultivated.

In a quiet pavilion, a beautiful woman in her early thirties, dressed in a green skirt, sat in the seat of honor with a faint smile on her face.

Standing before her was a young girl of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in white.

The girl had delicate features and a round face, with a pair of adorable dimples. She looked like a porcelain doll.

The woman in green was Lu Yun, a mid-Golden Core cultivator of the Ocean Listening Pavilion and a third-tier alchemist.

"I didn't expect to find someone with an uncommon Spirit Root this time. Very good. Are you willing to become my disciple?" Lu Yun asked warmly.

"This disciple, Wu Xueli, pays her respects to Master."

The girl in white knelt and kowtowed three times to Lu Yun.

"Good. From now on, you're my disciple. You have a senior brother and a senior sister. You'll meet them once we return to the Ocean Listening Pavilion. For now, stay by my side and don't wander off," Lu Yun instructed.

"Yes, this disciple understands." Wu Xueli answered obediently.

Half a month later, several hundred cultivators gathered at the exit of Kuixing Market to see the group off. Han Changming was among them.

Lu Yun released a White Giant Python over thirty zhang long. It had a golden fleshy crest on its head, and its body was covered in white scales the size of fists.

All the Ocean Listening Pavilion disciples, including new arrivals like Han Changshuo, climbed onto the White Giant Python's back.

"Let's go."

The White Giant Python let out a strange hiss and flew into the distance. Before long, it vanished over the horizon.

"The female disciples of the Ocean Listening Pavilion are so pretty. Second Brother's a lucky man." Han Changjiong muttered to himself, leering.

Han Changming didn't know whether to laugh or cry. No matter the occasion, Han Changjiong's thoughts were always on women.

"All right, Changshuo has left. Let's go back. Work hard at cultivation and your duties. Changshuo is striving forward, so you can't slack off either," Han Deling instructed.

Back at his lodgings, Han Changming took out a blue porcelain bottle and drank all the Spirit Water inside.

As soon as it reached his stomach, the Spirit Water turned into a surge of pure spiritual energy that flowed through his limbs and bones.

Han Changming hurriedly circulated his cultivation technique to refine the pure spiritual energy. Soon, a broad swath of yellow radiance appeared around him, enveloping his entire body.