Tagging along with you? Show me your strength by V-ing me a thousand spirit stones first!

Follow you? Venmo me a thousand spirit stones first and let's see your strength! Zhao Hao pushed open the stone door, preparing to head for the Lecture Hall.

Blinding sunlight fell over him, and he narrowed his eyes on instinct.

Outside the door, a figure had long since been waiting. It was Lu Gui.

The eager smile on his face stiffened the instant he saw Zhao Hao.

Immediately after, he looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes going round as he stared straight at Zhao Hao.

His voice cut off abruptly.

Zhao Hao felt a chill crawl over him under that stare. He lowered his head and checked his magic robe, but there was nothing wrong.

"Senior... Senior Brother Zhao..."

Lu Gui's voice trembled. He edged half a step forward, then seemed to be forced back by some invisible aura.

"You... you've drawn qi into your body?!"

His voice was indescribably strange, slicing through the quiet of the early morning.

"No one has taught you any cultivation method yet, and it has only been one night! You've already stepped into the first level of Qi Refining?!"

With no one to guide him, Qi Refining in a single night!

In the entire history of the Extreme Yin Sect, this was unheard of!

The prodigies recorded in the sect's ancient texts had needed at least three days just to understand the cultivation method, then another three or four days groping their way through solo cultivation before they could barely refine out a wisp of spiritual energy.

This person before him was simply a monster!

As expected of a Heavenly Spiritual Root!

Zhao Hao's heart gave a thump, but his face remained perfectly calm.

He lifted his chin slightly and, in the uniquely youthful tone of pure arrogance, lightly spat out three words.

"Is it hard?"

The three words floated out weightlessly.

But Lu Gui was left speechless.

Not hard?

This was called not hard?!

He thought back to himself. With the aptitude of three spiritual roots, under the personal guidance of his family elders, he had spent a full week before he understood the cultivation method, then another three days meditating before he stepped into the first level of Qi Refining.

At the time, he had even been hailed as a rarely seen genius within the clan!

Compared to the person before him, his own title of genius was practically a joke!

Lu Gui became more and more convinced that this Senior Brother Zhao would absolutely rise like a yellow crane and soar to the heights in the Extreme Yin Sect!

If he did not cling tightly to this thigh now, then when would he?

The burning heat in his eyes was practically about to spurt fire, and his waist bent even lower.

Seeing him like this, Zhao Hao's eyes shifted, and he decided to strike while the iron was hot.

He wanted to test just how much value this identity of "Heavenly Spiritual Root" actually had.

"Senior Brother Lu," Zhao Hao said casually, "I've only just arrived, and I want to raise my strength as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, my pockets are shy."

He paused, then extended one finger.

"I wonder if Senior Brother could lend me one thousand low-grade spirit stones?"

"O-one thousand?!"

The smile on Lu Gui's face instantly froze, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped out across his forehead.

One thousand low-grade spirit stones!

That was practically the entire fortune he, a seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator, had scraped together over many years!

Besides, he did not have that much on hand right now at all!

This Senior Brother Zhao truly was opening a lion's maw wide.

The expression on his face changed several times, from difficulty to pained reluctance, then to struggle.

But the moment he thought of Zhao Hao's miracle of breaking through in a single night, thought of that immeasurable future behind him, then thought that this was the first time a Heavenly Spiritual Root had opened his mouth...

If he refused, how was he supposed to cling to this thigh in the future?

He would gamble!

This was absolutely the greatest investment on his road of immortal cultivation!

"For Senior Brother to trust me is this junior brother's honor!"

Lu Gui's expression turned incomparably solemn, and he cupped his hands toward Zhao Hao.

"Even if this junior brother has to smash the pots and sell the iron, I'll gather it for you!"

"Please give this little brother a bit of time, Senior Brother. Before noon, it will definitely be delivered!"

Zhao Hao gave a deliberately "grateful" nod.

In his heart, he gained a deeper understanding of this Demonic Sect where the weak were meat and the strong did the eating.

As long as you displayed enough value, someone would be willing to ruin their family and bankrupt their fortune for you.

Under Lu Gui's near-"escort," the two of them went to the Lecture Hall together.

After settling Zhao Hao in, Lu Gui's expression turned grave. He bowed to Zhao Hao again, then left in hurried strides.

That manner of his truly made it look as though he was about to handle some earth-shattering, heaven-shaking affair.

Zhao Hao walked into the Lecture Hall.

The space within the hall was vast. Quite a few disciples were already seated inside, most of them newcomers who had only recently entered the sect, along with a small number of older disciples in outer sect attire.

When the disciple in charge of registration saw the inner sect robe on Zhao Hao, then sensed the faint aura of the first level of Qi Refining on him, he first froze, then immediately became respectful and led him into the hall.

Zhao Hao directly found the best cushion for listening in the first row and sat down.

His appearance instantly became the focus of the entire hall.

A new face whose aura was only at the first level of Qi Refining was actually able to wear an inner sect robe, and even sit in the chief seat as if it were only right and proper?

The bookshelf grouping function has been added. Multiple books can now be added into groups (categories). After using it, if you great readers have any suggestions, please bring them up, and we will make further modifications.

Whispers immediately rose inside the hall.

Just then, an eleven- or twelve-year-old youth who had just entered the hall, wearing inner sect attire and carrying an aura around the third level of Qi Refining, frowned in displeasure.

His name was Xiao Wugui. He had aptitude with dual spiritual roots, and within the sect he also had a second uncle at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage as his backer. He had always been the center of attention among the new disciples.

Originally, with his current cultivation, the time when he needed to come to the Lecture Hall to listen to teachings had long since passed, but he liked this feeling of stars clustering around the moon the most.

At this moment, he felt that his limelight had been stolen by some mud-legged peasant who had appeared from gods-knew-where, and he was extremely displeased.

The teaching elder had not arrived yet.

Xiao Wugui directly led two lackeys straight to Zhao Hao, his chin slightly raised.

"Hey, new guy." His voice was full of superiority.

He swept another glance over Zhao Hao's inner sect disciple attire, then sensed the fluctuations of aura on his body and said, "You're that Heavenly Spiritual Root who entered the sect yesterday?"

"Don't you know this seat has always been mine?"

"You think good aptitude makes you impressive? What use is good aptitude worth a damn? If you want to get by in the sect, you need power. You need a background."

"Follow me from now on. I'll cover you."

Zhao Hao raised his head and leisurely sized him up.

A bit of innocence appeared on his face, while a trace of calculation hid in his heart, and he asked back, "Follow you? Are you very powerful?"

This question, so blunt it bordered on offensive, made Xiao Wugui freeze for a moment.

He then puffed out his chest and said proudly, "I have dual spiritual roots and I'm at the third level of Qi Refining! My third uncle is Deacon Xiao of the Alchemy Hall, with cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage! What do you think?"

"Oh—"

Zhao Hao feigned sudden understanding.

He nodded, then in front of everyone, stretched out a hand toward Xiao Wugui.

"So Senior Brother is this impressive."

"Then Senior Brother, first lend me one thousand low-grade spirit stones so I can see your strength, and I'll follow you."

The entire Lecture Hall instantly fell deathly silent.

Everyone stared at the scene, dumbstruck.

Xiao Wugui was choked by those words until his whole face turned bright red.

One thousand low-grade spirit stones?

His monthly stipend was only twenty pieces! Even if his uncle was a Foundation Establishment elder, it was impossible for him to casually give him one thousand spirit stones to squander!

Was this kid crazy, or was he stupid?!

"You..."

Xiao Wugui trembled all over with anger and was just about to flare up.

At that moment, a powerful pressure came from outside the hall, and a Lecture Hall elder in the Foundation Establishment Realm with a deep aura slowly walked into the main hall.

Xiao Wugui could only sit down resentfully at a nearby spot. Before leaving, those venomous eyes scraped over Zhao Hao like a blade.

The lecture began.

The elder glanced at this youth who was already at the third level of Qi Refining, yet instead of properly cultivating in his cave dwelling, came running here to attend lessons every day, but said nothing.

He began explaining from the most basic common knowledge of the cultivation world. His voice was flat, yet it contained a power that made people focus their minds and calm their qi.

From the elder's narration, Zhao Hao learned that this world was called Azure Cloud World, divided into the five regions of Eastern Continent, Southern Border, Western Desert, Northern Lands, and Central Continent, and the Extreme Yin Sect was located in the Northern Lands.

The Northern Lands had eight great Nascent Soul-level powers: the five righteous sects and the three demonic sects.

Though the Extreme Yin Sect was not counted among the Nascent Soul-level powers, it was still top-tier. It had four Golden Cores in one sect, and its sect master was even at Golden Core perfection.

These bits of common knowledge held the disciples below utterly engrossed, Zhao Hao included.

After that, the elder began explaining the Mysterious Yin Qi Absorption Art.

As Zhao Hao listened, he compared it against the cultivation-art experience the system had strengthened in his mind.

The elder's explanation filled in many details of the cultivation world and nuances of practice that he had not known, making his understanding of this world far more three-dimensional.

As the explanation deepened, the proficiency of the cultivation art on his system panel actually rose slowly by 10 points.

More importantly, he confirmed one thing.

This publicly taught Mysterious Yin Qi Absorption Art contained several "passes" deliberately set up in pursuit of universal applicability, sacrificing cultivation efficiency.

Fortunately, the experience the system had poured into him followed the most orthodox route, perfectly matching his situation.

The two-hour lecture soon ended, and the disciples got up one after another to leave.

Xiao Wugui was just preparing to bring people over and block Zhao Hao again, to show him a little color.

But just then, a sudden commotion came from the entrance of the Lecture Hall's main hall.

Lu Gui had returned.

His face was full of joy, even carrying a faint flush.

Lu Gui ignored everyone, quickly crossed through the crowd, and walked straight up to Zhao Hao, who had just risen to his feet.

"Senior Brother Zhao! I have not failed your trust!"

Under the gaze of every disciple present, he pulled a heavy large bundle from his storage pouch and stuffed it into Zhao Hao's arms. Zhao Hao nearly failed to hold it steady.

Immediately after, he lowered his voice, his tone unable to hide its excitement and heartache.

"Senior Brother! One thousand low-grade spirit stones! Use these first. If it's not enough... I'll think of another way!"

Xiao Wugui's pupils abruptly contracted.

As someone at the third level of Qi Refining, he naturally heard every word with perfect clarity.

He looked at the enormous bundle in Zhao Hao's arms, almost too big to hold, then thought of the embarrassment he had suffered when the same demand had been made of him just now. His face instantly flushed crimson.

It burned like a slap.

He stared fixedly at Zhao Hao, that gaze as if he wanted to devour someone.

In the end, Xiao Wugui said nothing. With his lackeys in tow, he flicked his sleeves and left.