Promoted to Outer Sect

Li Jun walked into the room, and the fragrance of tea came to meet him.

He looked inside. Aside from a row of bookcases, there was only a long table in the room.

At that moment, a man of about fifty was holding a teacup in his right hand and looking over with curiosity written all over his face.

"Who are you? What have you come for?"

Li Jun cupped his hands in salute and said, "Disciple Li Jun greets Deacon Xia. I have come today to register as an outer sect disciple. These are my credentials."

Li Jun stepped forward and handed over Shen Xiyue's waist token and letter.

"Oh? It's actually a special approval from the chief disciple, and from Medicine Peak at that."

Xia Qiugeng sized Li Jun up.

The young man before him was on the thin side. He was not short, and his looks could be counted as handsome, but this spiritual energy... seemed a little weak.

"It's rare to run into someone promoted to the outer sect by exception. Come here and let me test your strength."

"Sorry to trouble you, Deacon Xia."

Li Jun stepped forward, while Xia Qiugeng took out the Spirit Testing Stone and tested Li Jun according to procedure.

"High-grade five spiritual roots? Qi Refining... second level?"

Xia Qiugeng was dumbfounded.

According to his understanding, someone Shen Xiyue would specially approve either had a talent for cultivation or a talent for alchemy.

But no matter which it was, they absolutely could not have anything to do with five spiritual roots.

If he had not recognized Shen Xiyue's waist token, he would have suspected this fellow of faking it.

"Deacon Xia, is there some problem with this disciple?"

"Yes! A huge one! Be honest with me—with those five spiritual roots of yours, how did you persuade the chief disciple to specially approve you?"

Li Jun's expression did not change. He had long since thought of this point.

"Replying to Deacon Xia, although this disciple's talent is poor, because of certain reasons, I became Senior Sister's medicinal catalyst for alchemy. In addition, this disciple is skilled at feeding spirit beasts, and thus I was specially approved to go to Medicine Peak."

"Oh, so you're serving as a medicinal catalyst."

Xia Qiugeng took a deep breath, a trace of pity flashing through his eyes.

He took a box out from behind him, asked for some basic information, then placed a waist token and a set of clothes on the tabletop.

"Keep these safe. As for where you'll live on Medicine Peak, go directly to Deacon Huang Yi of Medicine Peak."

Li Jun nodded and put away the waist token and clothes.

"Deacon Xia, I heard that after becoming an outer sect disciple, one receives a copy of the Basic Spell Collection. Who should I go to for mine?"

Li Jun looked at Xia Qiugeng, while the latter had a face full of surprise.

"You know quite a bit. But do you really want to take that thing? With your five spiritual roots, wouldn't wanting that be a waste of time?"

Xia Qiugeng took a sip of tea and spoke with unconcern.

Li Jun was stunned for a moment. So this fellow thought his talent was poor.

"Deacon Xia, although this disciple is dull-witted, I also understand the principle that an iron pestle can be ground into a needle. If I learn these basic spells, this disciple can handle tasks better as well. I ask Deacon Xia to grant this."

Xia Qiugeng looked at Li Jun and shook his head helplessly. "Fine. Since you insist, then I won't say anything more."

Xia Qiugeng took out a black waist pouch and set it on the table.

"Many thanks, Deacon Xia!"

Joy appeared on Li Jun's face, and as he spoke, he reached out to take it.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Do you understand the rules or not?"

Xia Qiugeng hurriedly took it back, his face full of displeasure.

"No... Deacon Xia, isn't this for me?"

"I'll give you a big-headed ghost!"

Xia Qiugeng laughed, then opened the waist pouch.

"Put five spirit stones inside, and the Basic Spell Collection will naturally be given to you."

Li Jun suddenly understood. Only then did he realize what the other party meant.

So something that was originally free, he still had to dig out money here to buy, huh?

Li Jun felt very unhappy.

But when a man was under another's eaves, he had no choice but to lower his head.

He fumbled around inside his lapel and took out all the spirit stones he had saved.

"Deacon Xia, this disciple's entire fortune is only this much. Could you make an exception..."

Li Jun opened his hand. In his palm were only four and a half low-grade spirit stones.

Xia Qiugeng's eyebrow twitched. The quality of the spirit stones in this kid's hand counted as poor even among low-grade spirit stones.

So fucking poor!

Xia Qiugeng had meant to refuse, but after thinking of the chief disciple token in the other man's hand, he ultimately held himself back.

"Fine, fine. Before I change my mind, hurry up and get going!"

He snatched up the four spirit stones, then pulled a copy of Basic Spell Collection from under the table and placed it on top.

"Many thanks, Deacon Xia!"

Li Jun drew in a deep breath, took the items, turned, and left the room.

"I still have to think of a way to get spirit stones!"

Li Jun looked at the remaining half spirit stone in his hand. This time, he had finally experienced what it meant for a single coin to stump a heroic man.

"One day, I'm definitely going to achieve spirit-stone freedom!"

Li Jun swore inwardly, wrapped up his clothes and booklets, then quickly hurried toward Medicine Peak.

In the Azure Cloud Sect, the lowest-level laborers only received one low-grade spirit stone every two months.

Although Li Jun had worked here as a laborer for ten years, he had never been able to save any spirit stones.

After all, in the Azure Cloud Sect, bottom-level laborers like them had to pay for their own food and clothing, and in order to stay, they also had to take out a portion of their spirit stones to bribe the deacons.

For example, Zhao Wenjie—over these ten years, Li Jun had given him no small amount of spirit stones.

Although it was extremely unpleasant, if he did not hand over spirit stones, then he could forget about working in Oak Garden in the future.

"I heard outer sect disciples can get three low-grade spirit stones a month. But even so, the gap in my spirit stones is still huge!"

Li Jun thought to himself.

Generally speaking, Qi Refining cultivators, under normal cultivation circumstances, needed five low-grade spirit stones a month.

His spiritual root was special, basically more than five times that of an ordinary cultivator.

In other words, he needed at least twenty-five, perhaps even more, spirit stones to meet his cultivation needs.

Aside from daily cultivation, every time a Qi Refining cultivator broke through a level, the spirit stones required ranged roughly from one hundred to five hundred.

Calculated this way, if he wanted to break through, he might need over a thousand low-grade spirit stones...

"The path of immortal cultivation really is difficult. Even with outstanding talent, without resources, even if I cultivated until death, I'm afraid it would still be hard to attain the Dao."

Thinking of this, Li Jun cursed Zhao Wenjie all over again.

That guy had fleece more than half his spirit stones from him over the past ten years. He truly was a beast.

"Li Jun, why did you not return all night last night?"

Li Jun looked up in confusion, only then discovering that Zhao Wenjie had appeared at the foot of Medicine Peak at some point.

He looked at the clothes in Li Jun's hands that belonged to an outer sect disciple, and his brows furrowed.

"In reply to Deacon Zhao, thanks to Eldest Senior Sister's care, this disciple has already become an outer sect disciple of Medicine Peak. I imagine Deacon Xia will notify you before long."

Li Jun cupped his hands. Although he was unhappy at heart, he still maintained surface propriety.

"Oh? An outer sect disciple of Medicine Peak? Didn't you have no spiritual root?"

Zhao Wenjie froze for a moment, then pressed him.

"This disciple happened to awaken a spiritual root yesterday. If Deacon Zhao has no other business, this disciple will take his leave first."

Li Jun spoke, unwilling to tangle with him too much.

"Wait! I've never heard of someone awakening a spiritual root at this age. You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"

Zhao Wenjie took a step forward, spiritual energy surging over the surface of his body as he was about to make a move.

"Deacon Zhao, what are you doing here?"

At the critical moment, a cool, clear voice rang out.

Li Jun looked back, and inwardly let out a breath of relief.

Deacon Huang Yi, who was in charge of Medicine Peak's outer sect disciples, had appeared.