Garrison Duty, Leaving the Mountain Gate

[Greatly Ominous Hexagram: Select the thirteenth wooden slip in the first row and travel to White Phoenix County. Encounter a Core Formation Fierce Beast on the road and be killed. Greatly ominous, ten deaths and no life.]

[Greatly Ominous Hexagram: Select the nineteenth wooden slip in the second row and travel to Ningfeng County. Chance upon a secret and be silenced. Greatly ominous, ten deaths and no life.]

[Ominous Hexagram: Select the ninth wooden slip in the third row and travel to Skycloud City. Draw the jealousy and hatred of many, leaving endless future troubles. Ominous.]

[Calming Hexagram: Select the twelfth wooden slip in the fourth row and travel to Cloudsky County. Gain nothing and obtain nothing. Calming.]

[Calming Hexagram: Select the first wooden slip in the first row and travel to Peaceful County. Gain nothing. Calming.]

[...]

A strange light flickered in Lu Qing's eyes as he looked at the wall of wooden slips ahead, where slips continuously vanished.

But his gaze settled on one spot.

After eliminating the Greatly Ominous Hexagrams, Ominous Hexagrams, and countless Calming Hexagrams, he looked toward what remained.

He raised his hand and drew over a wooden slip, currently seventh in sequence.

Amid countless wooden slips, it looked utterly ordinary.

Yet Lu Qing wanted to test whether he could use the Calamity Avoidance skill to make a reverse selection.

Such maneuvers were commonplace in games, but in this world, it was Lu Qing's first time choosing a divination that was not a Calming Hexagram.

The moment the wooden slip landed in his hand, his mind stirred. After choosing it, a location appeared before him.

Spirit Terrace County.

The purple-robed elder still sat above.

After making his choice, Lu Qing discovered another message within his token.

[Outer Academy Foundation Establishment disciple Lu Qing has drawn Spirit Terrace County, New Peace Prefecture, Spirit Prefecture, Profound Heaven Domain, as his garrison location. The immortal path stretches endlessly; the garrison term may be as short as one year or as long as uncountable years. Please allocate your time reasonably according to your appointment date.]

Lu Qing swept his eyes over it. "The Dao Academy has given half a month to prepare. It seems some places are quite far away."

He looked at his assigned location.

Then he checked the map of the Profound Heaven Domain.

"The Profound Heaven Domain lies in the center, while Spirit Prefecture is near the east. There are two prefectures between us."

Lu Qing's eyelids twitched. He took back what he had said earlier. Some places were not merely far away—they were exceedingly far away.

The area of a single prefecture was already dozens of times greater than Blue Star's oceans.

Lu Qing had never calculated it precisely, but he knew perfectly well that Spirit Prefecture was considered a remote place from the Dao Academy.

"But the places selected this time..." Lu Qing recalled those Greatly Ominous Hexagrams and Ominous Hexagrams. The place names had lodged themselves in his mind.

"Only a handful of cities. No wonder people would grow jealous." The resources a city could obtain were naturally different from those of a county.

Skycloud City had provoked jealousy, while Ningfeng County mentioned a secret. He had no idea what it was.

"I'll still need an escape art for traveling in the future."

The disciple Jade Token was indeed extremely important, but once outside the mountain gate, its effects seemed to be greatly diminished.

Lu Qing guessed it might be connected to the grand formations spread throughout the Dao Academy.

"I should first exchange for the things I need. The uncertainty of this garrison term is a little too high."

Lu Qing only hoped to pass one year safely and steadily. Generally speaking, he had also read the garrison regulations. So long as nothing went wrong, one year would be enough. But if something went awry, or if something important appeared at the garrison location, then the term could no longer be measured in years.

In the end, Lu Qing purchased the Windchaser Art and Thousandfold Waves—one movement art and one killing technique. Thousandfold Waves: all things could be layered. Lu Qing felt it had much in common with the Golden Light Formation.

Apart from cultivation techniques, the rest were necessities for travel.

The Dao Academy Treasury had everything.

Lu Qing was in no hurry to set out.

He first spent a day gaining entry into the Windchaser Art. This movement art was meant for traveling with the wind. Windchaser, Windchaser—when one reached the utmost speed, one transformed into the wind.

He already possessed a foundation of comprehension and familiarity with such ethereal things, so after gaining entry, he cultivated it to minor mastery in a short time.

He did not have many belongings on Dao Peak, nor did he need to pack much.

He dismantled the formations he had set up.

After bidding farewell to White Crane Boy, he left the Profound Heaven Dao Academy.

The mountain gate formation was profound and mysterious. The instant Lu Qing stepped out, he clearly sensed the difference in spiritual energy.

Before he had entered the path of cultivation, that feeling had not been clear.

Now that he possessed cultivation, Lu Qing finally understood why cultivators sought out places of spiritual terrain and divine beauty.

He looked over the map. The detailed map of the Profound Heaven Domain he had specially purchased was something everyone traveling outside possessed.

After confirming his direction, azure light flashed, and he sped away into the heavens.

Spirit Prefecture's New Peace Prefecture governed several county towns, one of which was called Spirit Terrace County.

Spirit Terrace County faced a great river in front and leaned against a great mountain behind. Living by the mountain, they ate from the mountain; living by the water, they ate from the water. The environment was not bad.

The Spirit Terrace River before it was rich in aquatic produce. Though it could not be called rare treasures, it contained a trace of spiritual energy. Sold to the major restaurants and inns within Spirit Terrace County, it followed the path of small profits and quick turnover, and the earnings were considerable. Spirit Terrace Mountain behind it had no spiritual trees or divine fruits. All in all, this place was utterly ordinary.

Yet Spirit Terrace County had quite a few powers. After all, with a river and a great mountain, it could support many people.

Recently, however, the important figures of Spirit Terrace County had been focused on the new garrison cultivator arriving from the Profound Heaven Dao Academy.

The current garrison cultivator of Spirit Terrace County was named Chen Sheng.

"Lord Chen, may I ask what background the newly arrived Immortal Master has? We can make preparations as well."

At the banquet, the county magistrate who managed the county town, along with the Zhao Clan, Li Clan, Chen Clan, and Bai Clan, all raised their cups in toast. After three rounds of wine, someone finally could not hold back and spoke.

They had learned not long ago that a new garrison cultivator was coming.

All of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators, so they were not afraid that the other party would refuse to give them face.

Hearing this, Chen Sheng shook his head. "There is no need to probe through me. As for which junior brother is coming, I only know his name. I know nothing else."

He glanced at the four of them and smiled. "No need to worry. You are all Foundation Establishment cultivators. I trust he will give you some face."

Garrison cultivators were not all lofty and aloof. With give and take, some things could be withheld. So long as there was no obvious shortage, everything could be accounted for.

The Zhao Clan's old patriarch said, "Lord Chen is right. We have also benefited from Lord Chen's care over these past three years. Allow me to toast you, my lord."

For a time, the banquet was filled with harmony and cheer.

After the banquet ended.

"Now it all depends on what sort of temperament the new Immortal Master has."

"Yes. Every new garrison brings a different style. Who knows what the newcomer will be like..."

"I have already heard that the one coming, though a Foundation Establishment cultivator, has only recently entered the path. There should be no need for excessive concern."

When this news reached the four great clans, some clan members wore thoughtful expressions.

Others visibly relaxed. In the cultivation world, strength was supreme after all.