All Is Ready

Bai Jing bought five bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills from the Pill Pavilion, then hurried back.

As he passed the Immortal Canteen, he merely glanced at it and shook his head.

By now, the deeper one's cultivation grew, the less one ate ordinary worldly food.

His former way of life was gradually fading away. More and more, there was only cultivation.

Back in the thatched cottage, he sat cross-legged on the bed, opened a jade bottle, took out a pill, and swallowed it.

Bai Jing's aura gradually grew stronger.

More than ten days passed before he knew it.

One morning.

Buzz!

Strands of Morning Glow Spiritual Tide gathered toward the thatched cottage.

Bai Jing calmed his breath and focused his mind, using the spiritual tide to nourish the Talent Tree.

At this moment, the Talent Tree had grown to a meter tall, becoming ever more mysterious and ancient.

"Hmm?" His brows furrowed slightly. The commotion outside had disturbed his peace.

"I'm leaving. In this life, I fear I have no fate with the path to immortality, no chance to experience its splendor and mysteries."

"My aspirations in this life will have to be fulfilled in the next."

"Forget it. Even if I cannot enter Shangqing Mountain, I've still learned quite a bit. In the mortal world, I should at least be able to become a carefree idle king of some corner."

Sighs of regret drifted into Bai Jing's ears.

Not long afterward, he opened his eyes and saw figures both familiar and unfamiliar passing by his door, heading toward the outermost perimeter.

"That is?" Bai Jing spotted a woman who looked rather familiar.

After thinking for a moment, he recalled that she was close to his former neighbor across the way. He had heard that they were childhood sweethearts.

Unfortunately, Shangqing Mountain's entry requirements were strict, and neither of the childhood friends had succeeded.

"Brother Bai!" A delighted shout rang out. Before the man arrived, his jubilant voice had already echoed over.

Bai Jing immediately rose and opened the door ahead of him.

"Brother Bai, it's been a long time!"

Xu Shan strode forward, passed a group of eliminated disciples, and entered the thatched cottage.

Seeing the joy written all over his friend's face, Bai Jing smiled and said,

"Go on. What good news is it? Let me hear it."

"Brother Bai truly understands me." Xu Shan immediately lifted the robe around his waist, revealing a somewhat damaged brown pouch.

With a slight touch of his hand, a large silver bow appeared out of thin air.

"A storage pouch?" Bai Jing exclaimed in surprise.

He had only seen such a precious item in Ling Qinghe's hands. Even Li Huai'an had never possessed one.

Of course, Ling Qinghe's was far more advanced than this one.

"This is for you!" Xu Shan handed the large bow over and said,

"I owe all of this to Brother Bai. In less than a month, I've already completed two Grade-A missions."

"So you looted those Rogue Cultivator families?"

"What are you saying, Brother Bai? Am I that sort of person?" Xu Shan rolled his eyes at Bai Jing. "How could Shangqing Mountain permit us to loot Rogue Cultivators? I merely stripped it from the target after killing him. This can only be considered spoils of war."

"Brother Xu is truly lucky." As Bai Jing examined the large bow, he added, "This bow is quite good. It was forged from the finest black iron; I fear no one in the Qi and Blood Realm could break it."

Then he shook his head and returned the bow. "Unfortunately, I don't use this thing. Deal with it yourself."

"You don't use it?" Xu Shan was the one surprised this time. "I had this specially forged for you at a famous blacksmith's shop in Lingzhou. It cost me three Spirit Stones. Didn't you cultivate some sort of archery art? Why don't you use a bow?"

"If Shangqing Mountain did not forbid disciples from exchanging ultimate arts with one another, I would definitely let you see it once. This ultimate art is not what you think it is; it is more like controlling Sword Qi."

Bai Jing tilted his head and smiled.

Three Spirit Stones are equivalent to thirty Ascension Coins. What a waste. He could have just given me the coins—why go through all this trouble? Bai Jing thought as he looked at the large bow.

"Fine." Xu Shan nodded. "If Brother Bai ever has difficulties with resources, don't keep it bottled up. Just tell me."

"Mm, I have no such need for the time being," Bai Jing replied.

Afterward, the two chatted for a while before Xu Shan took his leave.

"I hope that when I next see Brother Bai, it will be on the road to a mission."

Xu Shan's final words drifted in from the doorway as his figure receded into the distance.

After watching him leave, Bai Jing returned to the room.

He sat cross-legged on the bed and looked toward the Talent Tree in his sea of consciousness.

Mountain River Arrow (56/100)

After this period of training, the progress of this ultimate art had already passed the halfway mark. The pace was neither fast nor slow.

Star Array Basics (35/150)

The formation only needs a little more before reaching minor mastery. Once it is set up, it can withstand the Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood.

Its only flaw is that it takes somewhat long to set up.

Bai Jing only required minor mastery of the formation, but before the formation was complete, setting it up would still take time. In a fight, his opponent likely would not give him that opportunity.

Of course, having more methods meant having another trump card, one that could strike when least expected.

That was also why he cultivated this formation.

Then Bai Jing looked toward another branch of the Talent Tree.

Azure Cauldron (2/200)

Before I go on missions, this Azure Cauldron definitely cannot transform into the Purple Cauldron. I can only put this scripture aside for now, he thought.

Another half month passed. With only a little over a month left before the assessment ended, Bai Jing remained busy cultivating throughout this time.

Among them, the Mountain River Arrow and the formation successively reached their respective goals several days ago—one complete, the other at minor mastery.

Yet his cultivation had never managed to break through to the Eighth Stage of Qi and Blood.

"It's still lacking something, as though some kind of obstruction is blocking the way," Bai Jing muttered as he sat on the bed.

"Could this be the legendary bottleneck? That can't be, can it? I'm only in the Qi and Blood Realm. I haven't even stepped onto the true path of immortality."

As though he had thought of something, he looked somewhat astonished.

"Or perhaps I've taken too many Qi Replenishing Pills, and their medicinal effects are beginning to wane." Bai Jing pondered. "Should I try a Mid-grade Qi Replenishing Pill?"

"It's just that I don't have enough Ascension Coins on me." He opened the bedside cabinet, where all his possessions were stored, but there were fewer than ten Ascension Coins inside.

Bai Jing considered for a moment, then rose, having made his decision.

He left the room and headed toward a certain area.

Before long, he arrived in front of an imposing pavilion.

"Brother Xu's house is truly spacious and beautiful." He looked it over and offered a word of praise.

"Except..." Bai Jing frowned and muttered to himself, "He doesn't seem to be home."

"This is troublesome."

He had come to borrow Ascension Coins, but with the other party absent, he would likely have to keep tempering his cultivation for some time. Things did not look promising.

"When did Xu Shan leave?" Bai Jing knocked on Xu Shan's neighbor's door. Yet it was a familiar young woman who came out, idly playing with an Ascension Coin in her hand.

"Daoist Ling, you..." He was somewhat startled. He craned his head from side to side and spotted a man with an unnatural look in his eyes.

"I'm here to collect a debt," Ling Qinghe said calmly.

She walked out of the room, and only then did Bai Jing clearly see that the man inside was battered and bruised, clearly having just received a thorough beating.

"Did he fail to pay back what he owed you for pills?" Bai Jing could not help asking curiously.

"Not pill money. This man borrowed twenty Ascension Coins from me. Not only did he fail to repay them on time, he even hid from me. I had no choice but to come find him myself."

As Ling Qinghe spoke, she shot the man a fierce look. He fell silent as a cicada in winter, fear rising in his eyes.

This was the first time Bai Jing had seen Ling Qinghe looking so domineering. Normally, she always acted like a gentle, demure young lady.

He gave her silent praise and thought, This woman's business really covers a wide range.

"Oh, right, Brother Bai. He owes you money too. Do you want me to handle him for you?" Ling Qinghe rolled up her sleeves, seemingly not yet satisfied. The man inside panicked and looked innocently toward Bai Jing.

Bai Jing smiled wryly. "It is not as Daoist Ling thinks. I only wanted to ask him where my friend went."

"Xu Shan left on a mission two days ago," the man hurriedly answered, not daring to show the slightest delay.

Upon hearing this, Bai Jing's brows drew tightly together.

"It seems Fellow Daoist has encountered some difficulty."

At that moment, Ling Qinghe looked Bai Jing over. This was not the first time Bai Jing had seen that look in her eyes. He immediately crossed his arms over his chest and said,

"Daoist Ling really cannot pry into people so casually."

Yet Ling Qinghe rolled her eyes at him. With him standing like that, anyone who saw it would think she had molested him.

She said, "Xu Shan is only a half-baked genius, nothing impressive. Yet if he could make Brother Bai come looking for him, let me guess, you are..."

"No need to guess. That's right, I came to borrow Ascension Coins."

"..." Ling Qinghe had not even begun guessing.

"Is Daoist Ling's moneylending business still operating?" Bai Jing asked again.

"Tell me. How much do you want to borrow?"

"Thirty... no, fifty!" He held up five fingers.

Rip!

Ling Qinghe skillfully took out a contract from her sachet and said,

"If you find it suitable, sign and leave your mark."

Bai Jing took it and looked it over. His eyes widened. This woman is really cutting flesh from the bone. She wants twenty in interest, with a term of only two months. If it expires, the amount doubles.

But he had no choice now. He was truly at the end of his rope.

"Sorry." Ling Qinghe suddenly took the contract back. "I took the wrong one. This is the right one."

She took out another contract. Bai Jing examined it; he only needed to repay ten additional Ascension Coins in total. Though the interest was still outrageously high, compared to the previous contract, this was already more than good enough.

He looked at Ling Qinghe with slight confusion.

Just which unlucky person had provoked this woman enough for her to prepare even such a terrifying usury contract?

A moment later, Bai Jing signed and pressed his mark, then took out a pouch and placed the fifty Ascension Coins she gave him inside.

Half an hour later.

Inside the thatched cottage, Bai Jing sat cross-legged on the bed, with a white jade bottle beside him.

Without wasting time, he immediately took out a Mid-grade Qi Replenishing Pill and swallowed it.

Boom!

Vast energy erupted within his abdomen. Bai Jing faintly felt that bottleneck beginning to loosen.

Three days later!

Thump!

As expected, with the powerful medicinal effect of the Mid-grade Qi Replenishing Pill, he finally broke through to the Eighth Stage of Qi and Blood.

"Time is running out. It's time to finish the final assessment!" Bai Jing opened his eyes, sharp light shooting from them as he murmured.

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