There were no years in the mountains. Several more days passed.
"Ten days have passed. How are things going at the 73rd Hanging Sword Array?"
Lei Qingyang stood on the cliff, his gaze fixed on the churning sea of clouds. Elder Liu, who was responsible for relaying messages throughout the sect, stood beside him.
"Reporting to Sect Master, under the leadership of Elder Lu and Elder Yu, our sect has won a great victory. We've completely taken the Blood Demon Sect's outposts at the 73rd Hanging Sword Array and are preparing to enter the array and fight their main forces."
"The only problem is that the Blood Demon Sect is entrenched in three cities with a million ordinary people each. Our sect doesn't dare attack rashly, for fear of harming the civilians."
Lei Qingyang nodded. "The Blood Demon Sect is cunning, and so are those demonic cultivators! Give the two elders this order: they can take their time, but they must do everything they can to keep those civilians alive."
"If necessary, I'll go there myself." His fist clenched sharply, arcs of electricity crackling between his fingers.
Elder Liu tried to dissuade him. "Sect Master, please think carefully. If you join the battle, the situation will inevitably escalate. The Blood Demon Sect will probably send even more powerful fighters."
"Mm, I know. At worst, we'll fight the Blood Demon Sect to the bitter end!"
"Xuanyun isn't the Sword Gate it was sixty-five years ago. Sooner or later, we'll settle the blood debt with the Blood Demon Sect for slaughtering everyone on Sword Suppression Peak!"
Lei Qingyang didn't care in the slightest. Thunder flickered in his eyes.
At the mention of Sword Suppression Peak, he suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, how has Grand Uncle-Master Chen been lately?"
At the mention of Chen Xian, Elder Liu smiled faintly. "Uncle-Master Chen has been attending lectures given by the elders of the various peaks quite often lately. The disciples of those peaks have been putting in much more effort in class, too."
"My uncle-master really knows how to take it easy. Hahaha, though I suppose that's a good thing."
Lei Qingyang shook his head, assuming Chen Xian was simply too bored and was attending lectures to pass the time.
He didn't expect much from an old senior whose life was nearing its end.
Elder Liu hesitated, then added, "Yesterday, I caught sight of Uncle-Master Chen from afar and noticed that his cultivation seemed to have recovered somewhat!"
"Oh?" Lei Qingyang was a little surprised this time.
He had examined Chen Xian's body and knew that his uncle-master had only his Mystic Jade Sword Bone left, with virtually no cultivation.
Could it be that he was going to succeed in cultivating anew at his age?
"Somewhere between the second and third levels of the Dao Disciple Realm," Elder Liu added.
"Ha! I thought Uncle-Master had recovered to the Sword Master Realm!"
Hearing this, Lei Qingyang immediately waved his hand dismissively. "He's probably been recuperating well since returning to the sect, so his cultivation has rebounded a little."
"Still..." A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.
"If Uncle-Master really could return to the Sword Master Realm and have his lifespan replenished, our Sword Sect might gain another veteran fighter. Hahaha."
As he spoke, Lei Qingyang chuckled and shook his head.
He felt he was being a little fanciful.
An eighty-year-old man, with his blood and vitality depleted, his cultivation gone, and his lifespan nearly at an end—how could he possibly succeed in cultivating anew?
"Should we send Uncle-Master Chen some Qi Induction Pills?" Elder Liu asked.
"No need. I know Uncle-Master's condition. Qi Induction Pills are useless to him."
"The sect's military situation is pressing. We should allocate as many of these pills and resources as possible to promising disciples."
Lei Qingyang shook his head and refused. It was the sect's duty to support his uncle-master, but the sect had an even more important responsibility: helping its disciples grow faster.
"That's true." Elder Liu nodded in deep agreement.
"By the way, since Uncle-Master isn't willing to go to Hidden Dragon Valley, find some people to clean up Sword Suppression Peak."
"If he likes keeping busy, let him serve as peak master and recruit some disciples. That'll give the Sword Suppression Peak branch a chance to carry on."
Lei Qingyang suddenly thought of something and gave the order.
"Yes!" Elder Liu replied.
"Qi Induction Pills... Mm, I need to figure out how to get my hands on some."
Walking out of the lecture hall where Sword Disciple outer-sect disciples were taught, Chen Xian rubbed his white eyebrows, his brow furrowed.
He had just attended a lecture. The elder had said that taking Qi Induction Pills in moderation could speed up cultivation.
As it happened, he'd felt that his progress was a little slow during the past few days of cultivation.
It had been five days since he broke through to the second level of the Dao Disciple Realm, and he had only just reached the threshold of the third.
He'd probably break through to the third level tomorrow or the day after.
One minor-realm breakthrough every seven days was already faster than riding a warship for the vast majority of disciples.
For most disciples, breaking through one minor realm every two or three months was already enough to be called exceptionally talented.
And the further one went along the path of cultivation, the slower it became. There were very few disciples who could reach the Sword Master Realm and join the Inner Sect within three years of joining the sect.
Chen Xian's cultivation speed was ten times theirs, but he was still dissatisfied.
These young pups had another seventy or eighty years to take their time. He had only two and a half years.
A Grade 6 Life-Prolonging Pill could only be taken once in a person's life.
So if he couldn't break through to the Sword Master Realm in two and a half years, he'd kick the bucket and be completely done for.
That was why he needed to rely on external aids to increase his cultivation speed.
Qi Induction Pills were exactly what he needed most right now.
Lei Qingyang usually had people bring him some spirit melons and fruits, but he basically never gave him pills or other such provisions.
Should he go ask Sect Master Lei for some?
No. Sect Master Lei might not give them to him, and he'd feel awkward shamelessly asking.
Lei Qingyang had already treated him well enough. As far as the sect was concerned, he was little different from a cripple. Asking for cultivation resources on top of that would be like putting his foot in the door.
So he could only get Qi Induction Pills for himself.
But how?
Chen Xian came to two conclusions: "Either make them or buy them!"
He could go to Pill Peak, find a few exceptionally talented alchemists, and copy some high-quality traits from them. Then he could make Qi Induction Pills and take them himself.
But there was another problem: talent wouldn't be hard to get, but he'd still have to buy the ingredients!
And that brought him back to the most fundamental problem—he had no money!
That was right. Lei Qingyang hadn't given him any "money."
After all, the sect provided everything he needed—food, drink, clothing, and lodging—so Lei Qingyang probably thought he had no use for "money."
Just as in most xianxia novels, the currency of the Xuanyun Sword Sect was "Contribution Points."
They could be obtained from the sect or other disciples by completing sect missions, buying and selling cultivation resources, and so on.
Since he was at Morning Sun Peak in the Outer Sect, Chen Xian went straight to the Mission Hall.
"Greetings, Grand Uncle-Master Chen!"
The person in charge of posting missions at the Mission Hall was a middle-aged steward of about thirty surnamed Liu, with the given name Yuanbao. He was as round and chubby as his name suggested, and looked very amiable.
As soon as Chen Xian entered, he greeted him proactively.
The disciples around them hurriedly bowed to Chen Xian as well, and he nodded in reply to each of them.
The hall was filled with mission boards, displaying well over a thousand missions.
Chen Xian couldn't be bothered to check them one by one. He walked over to Liu Yuanbao and asked, "Um, Yuanbao! Do you have any missions here that would suit an old man like me?"
"Of course! We do, Grand Uncle-Master!"
Liu Yuanbao nodded with a chuckle.