Where Are My Spirit Stones?

After leaving Jiang Zhiqiu, Zhang Yang remained tremendously excited.

At last, he had Spirit Stones for cultivation!

Granted, the one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones belonged to the Azure Cloud Sect.

But no matter what, he would get a share of them.

With Spirit Stones, his cultivation would improve much faster.

More importantly, they had also obtained many spirit herbs this time. If Third Uncle-Master refined them into Pills, would that not raise his cultivation even further?

With Spirit Stones in hand, naturally, it was time for a grand shopping spree.

Medicinal ingredients, materials, talisman paper, cinnabar... Aside from cultivation supplies, Zhang Yang also bought large quantities of rice, flour, meat, even steamed buns, mantou, flatbreads, and more.

The eighty-seven disciples who had just been accepted into the mountain were ordinary people. Before achieving Grain Avoidance, they still had to eat.

Zhang Yang had not concerned himself with them for the first two days because the journey to the Azure Cloud Sect's examination site was not short. Everyone had been required to bring dry rations. Leaving them alone for two days would not starve them.

After buying to his heart's content and stuffing the Spatial Ring to the brim, Zhang Yang and Ling Yunzi went to find Jiang Zhiqiu, intending to bring him up the mountain with them.

Jiang Zhiqiu had waited all afternoon. Upon seeing Zhang Yang and Ling Yunzi, he immediately set off.

The three of them flew toward the Azure Cloud Sect.

When they reached the Azure Cloud Sect, Jiang Zhiqiu was dumbfounded by the chaotic scene near the main hall, the bizarre... wooden sheds scattered through the mountains, and those... "carpenters."

The Azure Cloud Sect was a renowned sect, after all. How had it become like this?

"They are all disciples who have just joined the Azure Cloud Sect!" Zhang Yang explained before landing in front of the main hall.

Someone spotted Zhang Yang and hurriedly shouted, "Eldest Senior Brother is back!"

A great crowd came running toward the main hall from all directions.

Wang Baole came out, scratched his head, and asked somewhat sheepishly, "Eldest Senior Brother, um... everyone still has dry rations, but we are almost out of water. We did not dare trespass onto the mountain peaks of the elders without permission. Could Eldest Senior Brother help us find a water source?"

Zhang Yang pointed behind the main hall. "A li from here, there is a mountain spring suitable for drinking. You can fetch water there from now on. Also, the reason I did not look after you these past two days was to test your ability to survive. Looking at it now, your survival skills are rather worrying! Enough. The two-day test is over. You may now come collect food."

He would never tell them that, two days ago, they probably could not even afford to feed so many people.

When great piles of steamed buns, mantou, baked flatbreads, beef, and mutton appeared before them, Wang Baole and the others were all stunned.

Then everyone came to their senses, rushing forward one after another as they shouted, "Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother!"

Dry rations could keep them from starving, but how could they compare to meat?

Watching the crowd wolf down their food, Zhang Yang smiled. "Starting today, everyone can collect food from the sect every seven days, so there is no need to worry about going hungry. After eating, rest as soon as possible. At dawn tomorrow, I will explain the specifics of cultivation to you."

"Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother!" everyone thanked him again.

They had joined the Azure Cloud Sect for Immortal Cultivation. Tomorrow, it would finally begin.

After settling everyone down, Zhang Yang said to Jiang Zhiqiu, "First, I will register you in the Azure Cloud Sect's records. Tomorrow, I will take you to choose a cultivation technique from the Azure Cloud Sect."

He knew what Jiang Zhiqiu needed most after joining the Azure Cloud Sect, so he did not beat around the bush and directly gave his promise.

"Thank you... Eldest Senior Brother!" Jiang Zhiqiu said gratefully.

Zhang Yang gestured for Jiang Zhiqiu to find a place to cultivate on his own, while he and Ling Yunzi headed for the summit of Cloud Soaring Peak.

"Uncle-Master, please invite the other Uncle-Masters over," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

Ling Yunzi sent his Flying Sword toward the other mountain peaks. Upon receiving the message, several people flew over to Cloud Soaring Peak.

The moment they sat down, Seventh Uncle-Master asked with a smug smile, "Well? Managing the Azure Cloud Sect's accounts is not easy, is it? You should quickly think of a solution. A little over a hundred Spirit Stones cannot support so many people for long."

Third Uncle-Master shook his head helplessly. "Tomorrow, everyone can help me gather medicinal ingredients. I will refine some Pills and sell them for money."

Fifth Uncle-Master said with a bitter smile, "Then I can only write more talismans! Even talismans written on straw paper can fetch quite a bit if I write enough of them."

"Martial Nephew, rest assured. Although you caused trouble this time and brought so many people up the mountain, we cannot simply ignore it. We will all help you," Sixth Uncle-Master said firmly.

Only Ling Yunzi looked at the others with an odd expression on his face.

He really wanted to say, Everyone, your worries are unnecessary. The Azure Cloud Sect was probably about to prosper.

Zhang Yang thanked each of the Uncle-Masters in turn before saying, "With all of you Uncle-Masters working together as one, the Azure Cloud Sect's reform will surely succeed. Third Uncle-Master, I truly must trouble you to refine some Pills. See how these medicinal ingredients can be used to refine Pills that improve cultivation. In particular, the cultivation of you Uncle-Masters must rise quickly."

In his view, Ling Yunzi and the others lacked cultivation resources, which was why they had been unable to break through.

The future Azure Cloud Sect would naturally need powerful experts to hold the fort.

Third Uncle-Master Danchენzi shook his head with a bitter smile. "Unfortunately, there are no spirit herbs..."

The moment he finished speaking, a pile of spirit herbs appeared before him, along with several brocade boxes containing rare spirit medicines.

His eyes widened at once. He hurriedly pounced on the brocade boxes and cried out in disbelief, "Heart-Washing Lotus, Spirit-Tempering Herb, Jade Bone Flower... These are all spirit herbs for refining high-grade Pills! Where did you get them?"

"Can you use them?" Zhang Yang asked curiously.

Danchენzi nodded repeatedly. "More than use them! With these ingredients, I can refine Heart-Washing Pills to wash away mental barriers. Our cultivation has stagnated for so many years; our mental barriers are no small matter. Now there is hope for a breakthrough. I can also refine Spirit-Tempering Pills. Zhang Yang, they are exactly what you need to temper your Golden Core."

"Then I will leave all these medicinal ingredients to Uncle-Master. Refine the Pills as soon as possible for everyone to take." Zhang Yang motioned for Danchენzi to put them away.

Danchენzi beamed with joy and immediately put them away.

At once, everyone looked at Zhang Yang with strange yet expectant eyes. Where had these things come from?

"Sixth Uncle-Master, I will leave these materials to you." Zhang Yang gave Huolingzi the artifact-refining materials, along with tens of thousands of jin of copper ore.

With Danchენzi's matter coming first, everyone had already expected the appearance of artifact-refining materials, so they were not as shocked.

But everyone was still curious. Where had these things come from?

"Fifth Uncle-Master, I bought the talisman paper I promised you!" Zhang Yang took out a stack of talisman paper and handed it to Fifth Uncle-Master. "I also bought two liang of top-grade cinnabar. I hope Fifth Uncle-Master can use this talisman paper and cinnabar to draw powerful spirit talismans. The talismans you draw must be given to me, and I will use them to exchange for money."

Azure Cloud Market did not have much money for the time being. Azure Cloud Market alone could not support the Azure Cloud Sect; they had to open up new paths to make money.

Fifth Uncle-Master laughed heartily. "My kindness toward you was not wasted. You brat really did not forget my benefits. Do not worry, I will go draw talismans for you shortly!"

Drawing talismans was cultivation for him. He could cultivate while earning money from the talismans he drew—why not?

It was simply that ordinary talisman paper could not bear his spiritual power, while common straw paper could only be used for idle scribbling and did nothing for cultivation.

The others all watched Zhang Yang eagerly. He had given benefits to everyone else, so what about them?

Zhang Yang smiled helplessly. "This time, I only obtained things useful to several Uncle-Masters. When I find things useful to the other Uncle-Masters, I will bring them back for you. However, after this round of purchasing, there are still one hundred and twenty thousand Spirit Stones remaining. Keep fifty thousand as the sect's reserve, and let us divide the other seventy thousand Spirit Stones evenly—ten thousand for each of us!"

"How much?" Everyone was stunned.

Especially Seventh Uncle-Master, whose beautiful cherry-red mouth could have fit an egg.

Seventh Uncle-Master said, "Follow and give a five-star review, okay!"

When had the Azure Cloud Sect ever been this filthy rich?

And each person was getting ten thousand Spirit Stones... This... this was simply too much!

Everyone cried out happily, "Quick, quick, quick! Divide the Spirit Stones!"

Just then, a resentful voice rang out. "You unfilial disciple, you have Spirit Stones yet do not share them with me? And you lot, very good indeed. Now that you have Spirit Stones, you have forgotten that I, your Eldest Senior Brother, exist, have you?"

Azure Cloud Master, who had supposedly entered seclusion, suddenly appeared before everyone.