The Second Entry

This month's provisions were all in the little pouch. The first month came with an extra allotment, so each of them received ten low-grade spirit stones.

Xu Yuan touched the bulging little cloth pouch, his heart burning with excitement. But when he arrived at the rental office, his expression visibly fell.

Taking the lowest-grade, third-tier wooden cabin as an example, the rent alone cost three low-grade spirit stones a month. A level higher cost seven, while the highest-grade two-story building shot straight up to twenty low-grade spirit stones.

The exorbitant prices made Xu Yuan suck in a sharp breath. Now he understood why so many people had been sprawled around that hellhole last night.

Just renting the lowest-grade room would consume most of an Outer Mountain disciple's monthly provisions. If they had few ways to earn spirit stones, then after accounting for a month's cultivation expenses, it would be a miracle if they did not end up sleeping on the streets.

There was another rule: third-tier houses could accommodate only one person each, second-tier houses two, and only first-tier houses could accommodate four.

There was no need to explain why. It was naturally to stop people from renting a house and then subletting it among several others. It had to be said, when it came to not treating people like people, the Hidden Moon Sect was remarkably human.

There were also couple's rooms and family rooms, though their prices were not particularly pretty either.

Xu Yuan honestly paid the spirit stones. Having just received his provisions, he did not want to sleep on the streets in his very first month. Besides, he carried no small number of secrets and truly was not suited to living with others.

On the other side, seeing Xu Yuan pay, Bi Qiong also painfully paid a month's rent. Since they had rented at the same time, their rooms were not far apart, so they could continue helping each other out in the future.

After collecting their talismans and leaving the rental office, the two parted ways only when they reached their rooms.

Xu Yuan pressed the talisman against the restriction at the entrance. With a clang, the black mist around the door dispersed, and he pushed the door open without trouble.

It was a very ordinary little wooden cabin. Compared to the thatched hut he had lived in at the mining area, perhaps its only difference was the addition of a small courtyard.

Fortunately, the furnishings inside were complete, saving him the trouble of fussing with them.

Of course, the most important thing was naturally the spirit-gathering formation inside the house. That was also why such a tiny wooden cabin dared charge such an outrageous price.

In addition to shielding its occupants from the patrols of Yin soldiers and the corrosion of the twin moons, the house had a spirit-gathering formation laid within it, making the spiritual energy inside noticeably denser than outside.

Xu Yuan had come out of the mine naked as the day he was born, so he had not brought much with him. Naturally, there was nothing to organize. After hiding away the little cloth pouch, all that remained was for him to circle through the inner room once.

In the end, he sat down on the bed.

Everything he had experienced over the past few days surged through his heart at once.

At last, all the emotions filling his chest turned into a sigh. "The path of immortality is fraught with hardships, but at least now, I'm finally on the road."

His gaze swept over his surroundings before finally falling on his right hand. Only now did he truly have the time to examine the changes in himself.

After his cultivation had reached the Qi Refining realm, his life level had undergone a leap. At the same time, he had naturally gained another chance to add a trait.

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[Creator Lord: Xu Yuan]

[Status: Innate Martial Bones, First Glimpse of the Immortal Dao, Drawing Qi into the Body, True Soul Newly Formed]

[Current Trait: Innate Martial Bones (Green)]

[Traits That Can Be Added: 1/2]

[Selectable Traits: ...]

Drawing a deep breath, Xu Yuan looked at the traits available for his second selection.

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[Steadfast Dao Heart (Green): Your Dao Heart is firm as iron; ordinary external demons cannot stir it in the slightest. After selecting this trait, your sexual desire, appetite, and all desires for pleasure will gradually diminish until you are devoted solely to the Great Dao. Required: 330 spirit crystals, ten Bodhi seeds, half a cup of Carefree Water.]

[Copper-Poured, Iron-Cast (Green): You were born with excellent muscles and bones. After successfully drawing Qi into your body, your physique becomes even stronger. After selecting this trait, attacks from ordinary opponents of the same realm will find it difficult to injure you. However, your body will also grow uncontrollably to its own limit, and your temperament will become extremely violent and irritable. Required: 330 spirit crystals, one set of Stone Heart and Stone Guts, half a zhang of ironwood bark.]

"What the hell are these?"

Xu Yuan grumbled. These two traits were probably enhanced versions of green traits, but their side effects were simply too severe.

Especially the first one. If he chose Steadfast Dao Heart, would he not turn into a wooden man from then on?

His gaze lingered on them only briefly before Xu Yuan turned to the next two entries.

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[Sword Bone (Blue): You possess a Sword Bone and are a natural seed of the Sword Dao, born to practice the sword. After selecting this trait, your aptitude for cultivation will improve. No sword technique, not even ordinary immortal sword arts, will pose an obstacle to you. At the same time, you will be able to nurture a sword spirit more easily, and may even hope to reach the realm of unity between man and sword while still in the Qi Refining stage. Required: one mid-grade spirit stone, one high-grade sword artifact, one hundred chunks of refined black iron ore.]

[Five Elements Spirit Nurturing (Blue): Having broken through Qi Refining and become an immortal cultivator, you suddenly sense an unusual movement throughout your body, as though something is awakening. Select this trait, and you will gain Five Elements spiritual roots. Your cultivation aptitude and potential will be greatly enhanced, while your comprehension of Five Elements spells will be strengthened, allowing you to practice Five Elements spells more easily. Required: one mid-grade spirit stone, one portion of each of the Five Elements spiritual materials, one portion of heartblood from any demon beast at the peak of Qi Refining.]

Sure enough, after breaking through to Qi Refining, a new trait grade had appeared as well: blue!

Compared with the strengthened green traits, which came with a pile of negative effects despite their unimpressive benefits, these two blue traits were obviously far better.

"Sword Bone, Five Elements Spirit Nurturing."

Xu Yuan's mind swam as he read the descriptions, especially when he saw the part about spiritual roots under Five Elements Spirit Nurturing.

He still remembered when he had entered the Hidden Moon Sect: those seekers of immortality who possessed genuine spiritual roots, even the poorest ones, had been accepted directly as disciples. Some with powerful spiritual roots had even been taken in by elders as personal disciples!

Meanwhile, people like him with mixed spiritual roots—or rather, false spiritual roots—could only be tossed directly into the mines.

He had never expected that he could now possess genuine spiritual roots too. And these Five Elements spiritual roots looked exceptionally powerful.

His heart began pounding furiously against his will, only gradually calming after Xu Yuan looked at the additional requirements listed above.

He did not even know how long he would need to save for a single mid-grade spirit stone, much less the other items required.

One portion each of the Five Elements spiritual materials, plus the heartblood of a demon beast at the peak of Qi Refining—those things alone were worth far more than selling the current Xu Yuan after splitting him in half.

"Ah, the road is long and the burden heavy."

Reluctantly withdrawing his gaze, he skipped over the green traits that he could choose right now. He had dared gamble on a green trait even in the mine. Now that he was at least somewhere safer, his target naturally had to be blue traits.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan flipped himself upright and took out the survival manual for outer sect disciples that Chen Shouguang had given him.

His eyes skimmed past the sect's ten rules, such as not being allowed to look up at inner sect disciples, not entering the mountains upon hearing wolves howl, and pretending not to hear mournful singing.

There were also all manner of methods for begging forgiveness, from the most basic kneeling and pleading to kissing someone's shoes, or baring one's buttocks to the other party and asking to be beaten.

Xu Yuan kept turning pages until he finally reached what he wanted to see.

A Complete List of Ways Outer Sect Disciples Could Earn Money!