Leaving the Sect

Yin Caiwei stared blankly at Li Jun.

She had not expected him to say something like that.

"A heart that seeks the Dao knows neither noble nor lowly..."

She repeated it silently in her heart, and her younger sister's stubborn face surfaced in her mind again.

"Thinking about it that way, my sister seems to have expressed something similar too. In a certain sense, the two of you are actually quite alike."

Yin Caiwei smiled, then sighed helplessly.

The two did not continue speaking deeply on this subject, and instead began chatting about interesting stories and anecdotes from the Azure Cloud Sect.

After dinner, Yin Caiwei thanked him and said goodbye.

Perhaps feeling that she could not eat this meal for nothing, Yin Caiwei told Li Jun that once she passed the alchemy assessment in the future, she would definitely treat him to a proper meal.

Li Jun agreed with a smile. In such a vast sect, having one more friend meant having one more path; in the end, it was not a bad thing.

After Yin Caiwei left, Li Jun sat cross-legged on the bed and immediately began cultivating.

No matter what the side effects of that medicinal primer were, in his heart he only wanted to become stronger.

Only by growing stronger without pause could he have more choices, and only then could he change his original fate.

Nothing happened overnight.

Early the next morning, just as Li Jun had finished feeding the Spirit Oxen, Huang Yi, whom he had not seen for a long time, appeared outside the cowshed.

"Li Jun greets Deacon Huang."

"No need to be polite. This is from Senior Sister."

Huang Yi tossed Li Jun a sachet. He opened it and saw that inside were actually five mid-grade Spirit Stones.

"Deacon Huang, what is this?"

"The oak trees in Oak Garden won't be able to supply us for a short while. Although Spirit Herb Garden can supplement some spirit herbs, relying on those alone to feed these Spirit Oxen well probably still won't be enough."

"The traveling merchants from Fire Cloud City will arrive at Fire Pond Town near the sect in the next couple of days. Take these five mid-grade Spirit Stones and go buy some nutritional supplements for the Spirit Oxen. Remember, ox milk is an important auxiliary ingredient for alchemy. You absolutely must not delay Senior Sister's proper business."

"Yes. This disciple will definitely feed the Spirit Oxen well."

After Huang Yi left, Li Jun looked at the sachet and sank into thought.

"Why have me go purchase supplies alone? Quite a few elders and disciples on Medicine Peak are raising spirit fowl. They could completely buy everything together."

He could not quite figure it out, but since it was Shen Xiyue's arrangement, he naturally had to follow it.

"Five mid-grade Spirit Stones is a bit much. As long as I can ensure the supply of ox milk, I'll gladly accept whatever is left."

Li Jun was in a good mood. With these Spirit Stones to supplement him, plus Spirit Gathering Pills and ox milk, breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refining was just around the corner!

After tidying up the cowshed, Li Jun descended the mountain.

"Come to think of it, this seems to be the first time I've left the sect since coming to this world."

Li Jun looked at the Azure Cloud Sect's mountain gate. At this moment, quite a few disciples were coming and going.

Fire Pond Town was a temporary outpost near the Azure Cloud Sect, spontaneously built by demon-hunting cultivators.

Most of these cultivators came from Fire Cloud City, which bordered the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Among them, those who felt their cultivation was unlikely to advance any further turned instead to becoming traveling merchants.

Every month, they regularly transported goods from Fire Cloud City to trade with members of the Azure Cloud Sect at Fire Pond Town, exchanging them for medicinal pills and Spirit Stones.

The elders and disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect were also happy to purchase what they needed nearby, avoiding the hardship of traveling thousands of miles all the way to Fire Cloud City.

With such back-and-forth dealings, it could be considered convenient for both sides.

Li Jun spent fifteen minutes reaching Fire Pond Town.

He walked through the crowd, listening to the sudden increase in hawking cries, and felt a strange sense of mismatch, as if he had stepped into another lifetime.

"These people's auras aren't weak. They're at least mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators."

Li Jun carefully observed the vendors by the roadside.

Although these people looked amiable, none who could do this line of work were not ruthless and vicious sorts.

Li Jun wove through the stalls, watching as he listened, and gained a rough idea of the prices of various items.

"Hmm? Someone has been watching me?"

Li Jun remained calm and continued weaving through the stalls.

A few minutes later, he arrived before a stall and looked with great interest at the various items laid out on the ground.

"Fellow Daoist, are you interested in ancient objects from the deep mountains? These were all dug up from deep within the mountains, and quite a few of them are good auxiliary materials for artifact refinement."

The speaker was a burly middle-aged man with a full beard, a back like a tiger and a waist like a bear, brimming with fierce air.

Li Jun looked around, then asked directly, "Fellow Daoist, do you have a map of the nearby area? Since you can dig up things like these, I imagine you must be very familiar with the surroundings."

"A map? Fellow Daoist, then you've come to the right person. When it comes to the terrain around the Azure Cloud Sect, no one is more familiar with it than me, Hu Dadao."

Hu Dadao smiled, then took two maps from his backpack.

"Fellow Daoist, I have a topographic map and a demonic beast distribution map here. Which one do you want?"

"Boss, I want both. How much?"

"Meeting is fate. My maps are much more detailed than anyone else's. Fifty low-grade Spirit Stones—not much at all..."

Li Jun took out his sachet and directly pulled out ten low-grade Spirit Stones.

"Boss, ten. Take it or leave it."

"..."

In the end, Li Jun smoothly obtained the two maps.

He opened the maps and glanced over them. They truly were detailed; it was clear that no small amount of effort had gone into them.

"So it really was this guy."

Li Jun kept silent, put the maps away, and continued browsing the stalls.

Behind him, Hu Dadao watched Li Jun's back, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Li Jun walked through all of Fire Pond Town. Near dusk, he finally dug out what he wanted from a stall.

A moldy, rotting second-grade spiritual plant—an Emerald Cloud Bamboo Shoot.

Emerald Cloud Bamboo Shoots had extremely high nutritional value and were excellent spiritual plants for raising spiritual birds.

But this thing's growing environment was extremely special. It usually lived in the swamps deep in the mountains.

The spiritual farmers of the Azure Cloud Sect had once tried to cultivate and propagate it artificially, but because they could not replicate the swamp environment deep in the mountains, it had ended in failure.

However, in the Fusang Hand that Li Jun had obtained, there was a record of a unique swamp-cultivation method.

Because of that, he had thought to come out and try his luck.

As long as he could obtain one Emerald Cloud Bamboo Shoot, even a rotten and withered one, he could use the cultivated swamp to propagate it in large quantities!

That way, the Spirit Ox's feed would be settled.

And if he fed it Emerald Cloud Bamboo Shoots, the milk yield might even increase. In the end, the one who benefited would still be himself!

"Hm? He actually followed me all the way here."

Li Jun frowned, quickened his pace, and headed toward the barren mountains near the Azure Cloud Sect.

Night fell. Li Jun threaded through the dense forest, while the footsteps behind him grew clearer and clearer.

Whoosh!

At a certain moment, an arrow suddenly shot out!

Li Jun's body swayed, and the arrow flew past his ear, finally striking a large tree.

"Eh? Not bad reaction speed."

Li Jun turned around and saw a burly figure walk out.

It was Hu Dadao, who had been watching him all day.

"You were watching me all day. I don't remember ever offending you," Li Jun said coldly.

"Heh! Like I care whether you offended me or not. You only need to know one thing—you're dying today!"

Hu Dadao grinned, his steps paused, and then he charged straight over.

Li Jun's expression did not change. When Hu Dadao was still twenty meters away from him, a large net descended from the sky.

"Heh! I was wondering why you ran this way. So you had an ambush prepared long ago. Watch me split this lousy net apart with one slash!"

Hu Dadao grinned.

He was a mighty fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator. Could he really fail to take down this third-level Qi Refining outer sect disciple before him?

Hu Dadao swung his long saber, and the instant it made contact, the large net shattered with a crack.

"Haha, I thought it would be tougher than that. But..."

However, before he could finish speaking, he felt a wave of dizziness in his head, and his entire body nearly failed to stay upright.

Hu Dadao staggered. When he saw the unidentified green liquid that had suddenly appeared on his body, his heart instantly gave a heavy thump.

"You little bastard, you're playing dirty?!"