Newly Arrived

"Zhang Hua, Li Qiang, Bai Jing, Li Huai'an. Follow me!"

Not long afterward, Zhou Hai came in from outside with an illustrated booklet in hand and spoke.

Then another batch of disciples followed him deeper into the cluster of buildings.

"This is not like your outpost. Many formidable senior brothers and sisters live here, so remember not to wander around. Their tempers may not be very good."

Along the way, Zhou Hai gave them a warning.

Upon reaching higher ground, the group saw a vast expanse of fields. Different kinds of vegetation grew within them, while robed cultivators busied themselves among the crops.

"Farming?" Bai Jing's eyes shifted.

Zhou Hai pointed at those fields and said:

"These are the Spiritual Fields of our Spiritual Elegance Peak, available for disciples to rent and earn Spirit Stones and Immortal Merit."

He looked at the changing expressions in the disciples' eyes, chuckled lightly, and said, "Do not think it disgraceful. In the future, most of you will be one of them."

"Of course, those with extraordinary talent and a craft of their own need not do so." As Zhou Hai spoke, he glanced faintly at Bai Jing and Li Huai'an.

As time passed, the disciples were assigned to different places one after another.

At last, Zhou Hai stopped at Number Thirteen, Southwest Street. Pointing to two adjacent residences ahead, he said, "You two will live here."

Bai Jing shrugged and glanced slightly at the silent youth beside him.

He had not expected to become neighbors with Li Huai'an.

The latter remained expressionless. He had always been cold and quiet by nature, disliking speech.

"Junior brothers, you must cultivate diligently from now on. For the two of you, becoming disciples of the upper peaks is what matters most."

Unlike with the other disciples, Zhou Hai gave the two of them a special reminder. "If you have any problems in the future, come find me at Steward Yu's place."

"Then we'll trouble Senior Brother Zhou." Both nodded together.

Afterward, the two watched Zhou Hai leave, then each entered their own courtyard.

Creak!

Bai Jing pushed open the main gate, and a little courtyard brimming with spring came into view.

His eyes lit up.

This residence was far better than his former thatched hut.

It was much more spacious as well.

Bai Jing saw a level area paved with bluestone beside the courtyard. It was probably specially meant for practicing supreme arts and divine abilities.

He opened the door to the two-story pavilion and found everything within fully furnished, from washing supplies to bedding.

"There's even a cultivation room." Standing on the first floor, Bai Jing looked at a stone chamber before him. The moment he opened it, waves of coolness washed over him, and wisps of thin purple qi drifted out.

At the same time.

Far from the two courtyards, several robed cultivators were secretly watching.

"That should be Li Huai'an's courtyard, right?" one young man asked in a low voice.

"Yes. If we become his neighbors and befriend him, then once he grows in the future, he can give us a hand too. As the saying goes, distant relatives are no match for close neighbors."

The other spoke, but his gaze was fixed on Bai Jing's courtyard.

Half an hour later, Bai Jing left his residence and, following his memories of the way here, headed toward the liveliest part of the building complex.

Before long, he arrived at the most popular marketplace on the lower peak.

All manner of shops lined both sides of the broad street. Robed cultivators moved through them, gathering in groups of three and five.

"Come take a look! Freshly refined, top-quality Myriad Marvel Pills!"

"Spiritual Artifacts just dug out from the Transcendence Cave Mansion—absolutely genuine, absolutely worth the price, absolutely guaranteed to satisfy everyone!"

"Transcendence Cave Mansion? Who are you trying to fool? Fifty Immortal Merit, and I'll take the lot!"

There were no shortage of disciples setting up stalls along the street. Disciples from all walks of life sparred with stall owners in battles of words, the exchanges fierce.

Bai Jing strolled and stopped along the way, finding everything novel.

In the end, he halted before a rather grand palace.

"Myriad Pill Hall!"

He raised his head and looked at the plaque above the palace, inwardly praising it. Impressive!

Daring to name itself Myriad Pills, it surely had some skill.

The stream of disciples entering and leaving the palace also showed that this pill shop was very popular.

Without further thought, he stepped inside.

"Welcome to our shop!" The moment he entered the hall, a soft voice reached him. A lavishly dressed female attendant came forward to greet him.

Bai Jing nodded in satisfaction. This was what a proper pill shop ought to look like.

"What kind of pills do you need?" the female attendant asked sweetly.

"Do you have Mid-grade Qi Replenishing Pills?" Bai Jing asked as he surveyed the hall.

It was very spacious inside, with all sorts of gleaming pills displayed in the counters.

Hearing his answer, the attendant nodded slightly, then led Bai Jing farther in as she said:

"Our Qi Replenishing Pills are refined by senior brothers from Pill King Valley and are of excellent quality. However, demand is too low, so we do not keep much in stock. Fortunately, someone placed a large order last time, and there are still some left. If you wish to buy more later, I'm afraid the pill masters will not take action unless the order is for at least ten bottles."

As she spoke, the two arrived before a counter.

Bai Jing looked at the two people behind it, froze slightly, then broke into a smile, feeling an immediate sense of familiarity.

"Little Senior Brother!" he quickly called out.

The two behind the counter were precisely the child senior brother and the lazy young man from the outpost's Pill Pavilion.

"You are?" Seeing a customer, Little Senior Brother smiled. Bai Jing's face seemed familiar to him as well. After a moment, as though recalling something, he said, "You're Junior Brother Bai Jing, aren't you? I never expected you to come to Spiritual Elegance Peak. I thought you would go to Array Dao Mountain."

Bai Jing nodded and asked, "Senior Brother, how much are the Mid-grade Qi Replenishing Pills?"

"One Immortal Merit per bottle. How many bottles would Junior Brother like?"

"Immortal Merit?" Bai Jing frowned slightly, then asked, "What about Spirit Stones?"

"If you pay with Spirit Stones, it will be five per bottle."

His expression changed again upon hearing that.

At the outpost, a bottle of Mid-grade Qi Replenishing Pills cost only thirty Ascension Coins, or three Spirit Stones. Yet here at Spiritual Elegance Peak, they were actually more expensive.

After considering it, he immediately took out his savings and placed fifteen Spirit Stones on the counter. "Give me three bottles for now."

Little Senior Brother nodded and reminded him, "Only such basic pills can be bought this way. If they are any more precious, they can only be exchanged for with Immortal Merit."

Bai Jing nodded. It seemed Immortal Merit was even more valuable than he had imagined.

After receiving the pills handed over by the other party, he casually asked, "May I ask, Senior Brother, do you have pills that nourish the divine soul?"

"Nourish the divine soul?" Little Senior Brother froze, then shook his head. "Senior Brother and I are not skilled at refining pills of that kind. Besides, such pills sell for a high price on the market. Even the lowest quality ones cost ten Immortal Merit. Why are you asking, Junior Brother? Is there something wrong with your divine soul, or have you not been sleeping enough?"

Bai Jing hurriedly shook his head. "Sometimes I feel lacking in spirit. I was only asking."

Having gotten his answer, he left.

"My cultivation is only at the Eighth Stage of Qi and Blood right now. There are still four stages before the Dao Platform Realm. Three bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills alone are probably not enough."

As Bai Jing walked back, he thought to himself.

Now, he had almost no Spirit Stones left. If he wanted to buy pills in the future, he would probably have to use Immortal Merit.

"Fifty Immortal Merit... I wonder how much starting Immortal Merit Li Huai'an has." He stroked the Jade Pendant at his waist.

That night, the moon shone brightly while stars were few.

Three robed cultivators came before a residence.

"This is the place."

"Have you prepared the Spirit Stones?" the lead disciple asked.

"They're ready. That junior brother will definitely agree to exchange residences." Another nodded, taking out a small pouch and gently squeezing it, producing a crisp clink.

The disciple in the middle nodded in satisfaction. Then he stepped forward and was about to knock on the door when he suddenly stopped.

"Hm?" he murmured in suspicion. His divine sense spread out, and he discovered something unusual.

"There's an array!" The other two sensed it as well, but did not take it seriously. "This array might stop Qi and Blood cultivators, but to us, it is no different from mere decoration."

"Star Array Formation!" The lead man looked into the courtyard. The formation seemed to have been touched by him slightly and was already showing signs of activation, with enormous stars appearing and vanishing faintly.

"Who cares what formation it is? Senior Brother, knock already. It is hard to see any end to honest cultivation; clinging to dragons and phoenixes is our first-class immortal opportunity." The disciple beside him urged.

Yet the lead man paused and said, "Do you remember how, during this new disciple assessment, a Violet Cauldron Genius was eliminated?"

"Of course. That fierce figure was truly incredible. He stayed outside the affair, washed himself completely clean, yet toppled and eliminated a Violet Cauldron Genius. Violet Cauldron disciples are those we have always looked up to." The two nodded.

"The fierce figure who eliminated that genius used the Star Array Formation!"

"Senior Brother, you mean...?" The expressions of the two changed instantly.

"I heard that quite a few geniuses came to Spiritual Elegance Peak this time. Perhaps that person is among them."

"Senior Brother, surely you don't think the person we are looking for now is that fierce figure?"

The lead man stroked his chin in thought and said solemnly, "That possibility cannot be ruled out. Perhaps that is exactly the case, which is why the sect arranged for him and Li Huai'an to be neighbors—so the two geniuses could support each other."

"Huh? Why are you two leaving?"

He looked up, only to see his two fellow disciples walking away without even turning their heads. They no longer had any thought of becoming Li Huai'an's neighbors.