Clue to a Fortuitous Opportunity: Frostmoon Altar

Buying the Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture at a price far beyond that of a Wheel-Nourishing Realm technique left him feeling like he had been taken for a ride.

Kong Jiao was naturally in a foul mood. After all, he had spent so many Spirit Crystals for nothing, and it pained him dearly.

"Fortuitous opportunities are priceless! Fortuitous opportunities are priceless! The fragmentary scripture isn't the goal—I'm after the opportunity. This little bit of money is nothing."

All along the way, Kong Jiao kept comforting himself with those words.

Feeling rather depressed, he returned to the cave dwelling and examined the Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture jade slip by the light of the luminous pearls embedded in the cave walls.

The crescent-shaped fragmentary scripture felt warm and smooth in his hand, but possessed no other extraordinary qualities.

At least, nothing could be seen from its surface.

Kong Jiao simply sank his consciousness into the fragmentary scripture and began reading the scripture within, word by word and sentence by sentence.

What he cultivated was a copied version of the Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture.

He knew every single word of the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture by heart.

Now that he compared them one by one, there was not the slightest difference.

"Come to think of it, judging by Deacon Zhao's tone, quite a few people must have studied this Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture. With so many people unable to find anything unusual, how could I possibly discover it so easily?"

His consciousness withdrew from the fragmentary scripture, and Kong Jiao wore an expression that said he had expected as much.

He no longer wasted time on such matters.

After all, his original reason for exchanging for this Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture had merely been the Cloud-Pattern Stele's guidance.

If he wanted to truly uncover the Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture's secret, he would inevitably have to do so through the Cloud-Pattern Stele.

As he pondered, Kong Jiao sank his consciousness into the Cloud-Pattern Stele.

He clearly saw that the writing on it had changed.

'Exchange for the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture fragmentary scripture from the Outer Sect Technique Pavilion to obtain Fortuity Value +5'

'Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture fragmentary scripture exchanged. Fortuity Value +5 obtained'

The Cloud-Pattern Stele then paused for a brief moment.

Another string of writing appeared.

'Carry the Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture to Frostmoon Altar to obtain Fortuity Value +10'

"It's finally here—the next clue for the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture!" Seeing the changes on the Cloud-Pattern Stele, the stone hanging over Kong Jiao's heart finally fell away. He heaved a deep sigh of relief, which was immediately replaced by wild delight.

His fortuitous opportunities and aptitude might not surpass those disciples throughout Cangwu Sect's history who had tried to complete the technique.

But he possessed the Cloud-Pattern Stele that they did not—the Cloud-Pattern Stele capable of locking onto the world's fortuitous opportunities.

And the Cloud-Pattern Stele had not disappointed him. As expected, it could pinpoint the next clue to the Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture.

This was only natural. When Kong Jiao had first begun cultivating the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture, it had been through the Cloud-Pattern Stele's guidance.

Since it had guided Kong Jiao to cultivate the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture, that proved it had already locked onto the opportunity trail of the Wheel-Nourishing Fragmentary Scripture.

For it to catch the Cloud-Pattern Stele's discerning eye, the complete version of the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture was surely no ordinary thing.

"I'm only cultivating the fragmentary portion, yet it has already put me far ahead of fellow disciples with aptitude equal to mine. If I complete it, the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture will probably undergo a qualitative leap."

At that thought, Kong Jiao's eyes lit up.

"This time, the Fortuity Value is an unprecedented ten points. The size of an opportunity is tied to its Fortuity Value. Even the Cloud-Pattern Stele believes this opportunity will be extraordinarily impressive."

After rubbing his hands together for quite some time, Kong Jiao finally calmed himself and began studying the clue given by the Cloud-Pattern Stele.

"Frostmoon Altar!" Kong Jiao blinked. He knew that place.

That place produced a spirit medicine called Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi, one of the main ingredients in a pill known as the Meridian-Protecting Pill.

Every year, Cangwu Sect sent disciples to Frostmoon Altar to gather that spirit medicine.

"Perfect. I can accept a sect assignment. That will give me a legitimate reason to leave, without arousing suspicion." Kong Jiao had already begun calculating.

Accepting a sect assignment to Frostmoon Altar was in fact the best choice.

Ever since Kong Jiao had entered Cangwu Sect, his strength had been too low for him to ever leave the sect.

He knew even less about the outside world.

He only knew of Frostmoon Altar, but had little idea where it was located.

If he went together with the disciples sent by the sect to gather from Frostmoon Altar, that problem would naturally be solved—killing two birds with one stone.

However, the time for gathering Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi was fixed each year.

Its growth cycle meant it only matured during one particular month.

As for which month that was, Kong Jiao had no idea.

"This isn't much trouble. I just need to ask at Lingyu Pavilion, where assignments are issued, and I'll know for sure."

He rubbed his chin and settled his plans for the next few days.

"Still, it was already late when I returned from the Technique Pavilion today, and it started raining outside. The disciples responsible for receiving people at Lingyu Pavilion have probably already left. I can only go tomorrow."

He put away the Frostfall Fragmentary Scroll. Having obtained a clue to the complete technique, Kong Jiao was in an excellent mood.

Even the three hundred Spirit Crystals he had spent no longer hurt quite so much.

He even found the leisure to glance at the fortune above his head. It had grown increasingly prosperous.

With Dan Baifeng's arrival today and his exchange for the Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture at the Technique Pavilion, he had completed both the "Pest Removal" and "Frostfall Fragmentary Scripture" opportunities at once.

The white fortune had nearly doubled, vaguely occupying one-third of that cluster of gray fortune.

"Only three hundred Spirit Crystals. It's nothing. Now that my fortune has improved, will I still have to worry about not earning Spirit Crystals in the future?"

Kong Jiao smiled in high spirits.

Thinking carefully now, the reason he had managed to earn so many Spirit Crystals through pest removal in the spirit fields was likely due to the blessings of his own opportunity as well.

Looking at the other disciples who cultivated the Frostfall Wheel-Nourishing Scripture, which one of them had earned more than he had?

Of course, the Cloud-Pattern Stele's push had also played no small part.

Another night of cultivation passed.

Kong Jiao felt that he was getting closer and closer to breaking through to the fourth stage of the Wheel-Nourishing Realm.

As he breathed in and out the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the spiritual power throughout his body stirred restlessly, faintly showing signs of slipping beyond his control.

This was precisely the sign of an impending breakthrough.

"Within half a month, I will definitely break through to the fourth stage of the Wheel-Nourishing Realm. Today, I'll make a trip to Lingyu Pavilion. Once I return, I'll enter seclusion. I won't emerge until I reach the fourth stage of the Wheel-Nourishing Realm."

Kong Jiao thought to himself as he emerged from cultivation.

After saying that, he rose from beside the Spirit Spring and swept his gaze across the cave dwelling.

He did not find that familiar figure from his memories.

"That fellow Shangguan Yuzhou never cultivates properly. He's coming to the Spirit Spring less and less often."

Kong Jiao muttered. He had been planning to ask Shangguan Yuzhou for some information about Frostmoon Altar.

After all, that fellow wandered around the outer sect all day, so he should be better informed.

"Before entering seclusion, I should still find him and ask." Kong Jiao felt that was necessary.

The clue given by the Cloud-Pattern Stele was not actually very detailed. It merely told Kong Jiao to carry the original Wheel-Nourishing Fragmentary Scripture to Frostmoon Altar, but it did not say how he was supposed to obtain the opportunity within Frostmoon Altar.

The broad direction was there, but the smaller details still needed to be carefully considered.

"A gathering assignment for Frostmoon Altar?" At Lingyu Pavilion, the disciple responsible for registering the assignments and commissions of various disciples was a female disciple who appeared to be around twenty. Her eyes shimmered, and she was quite beautiful.

However, cultivators did not judge a person's age by appearance alone. Though she looked twenty, she could very well have been thirty or forty years old.

She looked at the unfamiliar youth before her, whose bearing was rather lazy, with an odd expression. Then she smiled lightly and said, "Junior Brother, the Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi at Frostmoon Altar won't mature for another two months. The sect hasn't even issued the assignment yet."