"Haha, you mean Senior Sister? She's a legendary figure in our Lingxiao Sect!"
As soon as Chen Changming brought up Senior Sister, Yu Hailong perked up. His face flushed with excitement.
A legendary figure?
Chen Changming froze and stared eagerly at Yu Hailong, waiting for him to continue.
"You saw her just now. Senior Sister is Elder Luo's granddaughter. Given her family background and aptitude, she could easily have become an inner disciple, but she chose to be an outer disciple instead. Guess why?"
Yu Hailong put on a mysterious air.
"I'm afraid I really don't know. I couldn't guess."
Chen Changming smiled wryly and shook his head.
Senior Sister seemed like the kind of person who did things differently from everyone else. But why had she chosen the outer sect when she could have joined the inner sect?
"Senior Sister said, 'I'd rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.' She didn't want to be pushed around by the inner disciples, so she became an outer disciple. Now she's the strongest among the outer disciples. During the war between the two kingdoms, Senior Sister saved many outer disciples, myself included..."
As Yu Hailong spoke, his eyes reddened again, and tears spilled down his cheeks.
"I see. Senior Sister really is a legendary figure."
After hearing the whole story, Chen Changming couldn't help but admire her.
Yu Hailong launched into a long account of Senior Sister's heroic deeds, and Chen Changming listened with great interest. Before they knew it, they had reached their lodgings.
Every outer disciple of Lingxiao Sect had their own cultivation cave. Built into the mountainside, the caves were arranged in neat rows.
Standing outside the caves, Yu Hailong pointed in a direction and smiled. "Chen Changming, you've just become an outer disciple. If there's anything about the rules you don't understand, come ask me anytime. My cave isn't far from yours..."
"All right."
Chen Changming thanked him, then went into his own cave.
The cave wasn't large, about the same size as his room in the Spirit Rice fields. It contained a wooden bed, a wooden table, a stool, and some cooking utensils.
Even as an outer disciple, he had to prepare his own meals.
The sect distributed Spirit Rice every month, so none of its disciples had to go hungry.
Chen Changming opened his Storage Bag, took out an outer disciple's uniform and put it on, then pulled out the Evergreen Art. A faint smile appeared on his face.
The Evergreen Art was relatively complete and could take him beyond Foundation Establishment.
Chen Changming took out the outer disciple handbook and read it carefully, familiarizing himself with the many rules governing outer disciples.
"So this outer disciple Identity Token can also record Contribution Points..."
He picked up the silver token and smiled.
Back when he was a servant disciple, he hadn't even had an Identity Token. He'd only had a Contribution Token.
There were still more than a hundred Contribution Points on his old token. He could ask Elder Luo to transfer them to his Identity Token.
After that, he wouldn't need the Contribution Token anymore.
The new outer disciple Identity Token came with 100 Contribution Points. Chen Changming couldn't help but marvel at the difference in treatment. A servant disciple had to toil for an entire year to earn 100 Contribution Points, while an outer disciple got 100 right away without doing a thing.
The difference in treatment was immense.
When he saw the ten Spirit Gathering Pills and ten Spirit Stones, Chen Changming had nothing more to say.
Being an outer disciple was simply wonderful.
There was some dust in the cave. Chen Changming spent half an incense stick's time cleaning it, then went outside.
"If I had the Dust Removal Art, I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble to clean the cave and brush the dust off myself."
Chen Changming thought as he walked.
He'd read about the Dust Removal Art in the handbook. It was one of the spells he planned to learn.
Half an hour later, Chen Changming arrived at the Scripture Library. The elder who had been there before was gone, presumably having perished in one of the two battles. In her place sat a black-robed old woman at Foundation Establishment.
The old woman had a fierce face and a cold expression. She didn't look like someone easy to deal with.
"Senior, I'd like to choose a cultivation technique."
Chen Changming spoke softly and handed over his Identity Token.
Before coming to the Scripture Library, he'd found Elder Luo and had the Contribution Points from his Contribution Token transferred over.
The black-robed old woman checked the token and, finding it in order, gave a slight nod.
"Go straight ahead. Outer disciple section, first floor..."
"Thank you, Senior."
Chen Changming pushed open the door and entered the first floor of the Scripture Library.
The first-floor hall was enormous, more than ten times the size of the small room he'd visited before.
Bookcases stood in row after row, filled with booklets. At a glance, there were at least a hundred different techniques.
Chen Changming's eyes dazzled. He was thrilled.
He'd never had access to so many cultivation techniques before. This was a real eye-opener.
Most outer disciples were in the Qi Refining Realm, so the Contribution Point costs for spells and cultivation techniques were low. They started at 100 points, and even the most expensive cost only 200.
Chen Changming spotted the Dust Removal Art among them. He leafed through it, then put it back. He didn't have many Contribution Points, and he didn't care much about little chores like cleaning. What he needed most right now was a better movement technique.
For close combat, he had the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade. At range, he had the mighty Spirit Finger Flick, and for defense, the Spirit Armor Art. He'd also added the Heavenly Furnace Body Refining Art to his plans and intended to start training in it soon.
He had offense and defense covered. All he lacked was a movement technique.
Once he mastered one and continued to strengthen it, his chances of staying alive would improve considerably.
Chen Changming knew his own limits. He was a waste with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root and poor comprehension. He couldn't bite off more than he could chew. He had to choose carefully and, once he did, avoid switching to something else too easily.
After comparing the techniques in the movement section, Chen Changming chose one called Dragon Glide Step.
Once mastered, it would let him travel a thousand miles in a day. It would be immensely useful both in combat and when fleeing for his life.
"This is the one."
Chen Changming smiled excitedly and headed for the door with Dragon Glide Step in hand.
"Well, if it isn't that servant disciple who traded for the Detoxification Art! Looks like you've traded in your old gun for a cannon and become an outer disciple. You sure hit the jackpot, damn it!"
Three outer disciples happened to walk in through the entrance.
One of them spotted Chen Changming, blinked, and couldn't help sneering at him.
The other two burst out laughing.
Chen Changming looked the boy over and smiled faintly. "What, can't you accept it?"
The boy was only at the third level of Qi Refining, just a little above him. If the two of them fought to the death, Chen Changming's Spirit Finger Flick could kill him instantly.
Now that Chen Changming was an outer disciple himself, his status had changed. And he was close to breaking through to the third level of Qi Refining. He no longer had to be so wary of ordinary outer disciples.
The boy froze.
He hadn't expected a former servant disciple to dare challenge him.
"Are you looking to die?"
The boy flew into a rage and charged at Chen Changming.
"Shao Pu, don't be rash."
One of the others hurriedly grabbed him. Fighting inside the Scripture Library would earn them a severe punishment.
"Dare to face me on the Life-Death Arena?"
Shao Pu calmed down and glared at Chen Changming as he spoke.
"I don't want to fight trash like you..."
Chen Changming smiled faintly, turned around, and walked out.
If he went to the Life-Death Arena, killing Shao Pu would be easy. But Chen Changming didn't want to do that.
He didn't want to expose the Spirit Finger Flick, his trump card, in front of a crowd.
He'd only just become an outer disciple and had just chosen a decent movement technique. He should hurry and train instead of fighting to the death with Shao Pu.
When Chen Changming refused the challenge, Shao Pu stamped his foot in frustration, but there was nothing he could do.
An outer disciple tried to console him. "Forget it, Shao Pu. You're a whole realm above him. Of course he wouldn't dare accept."
"Yeah. If you faced him on the Life-Death Arena, Senior Sister wouldn't let you off. She'd scold you for bullying someone weaker!"
Another outer disciple chimed in.
The moment Shao Pu heard Senior Sister's name, he grew afraid. His bravado vanished, and he wilted on the spot.