Jiang Xuan knew several ways to speed up cultivation, but he had no ability to use any of them.
"Green Bamboo Town has pill shops. Pills refined from spiritual herbs contain spiritual energy that is extremely easy for the human body to refine and absorb. That could greatly accelerate my cultivation."
"Star Daoist Academy also has all kinds of spiritual incense. They can restore mental strength and even temporarily heighten perception, which would be of great use in locating Apertures."
Thinking of this, Jiang Xuan shook his head regretfully. "Unfortunately, pills and spiritual incense may be good, but I simply don't have enough Spirit Stones to buy them."
Even so, Jiang Xuan did not despair or grow dejected. On the contrary, a faint gleam quietly flashed through the depths of his eyes.
"Fortunately, I'm not completely without something to rely on."
He closed his eyes again and silently recited [Celestial Firmament Spirit Realm] in his heart. With a hum, an illusory game panel silently appeared before Jiang Xuan.
[Player: Jiang Xuan]
[Age: Fourteen]
[Profession: None]
[Talent: Spirit Root (Profound · Middle) (Blue)]
[Method: Nine-Breath Qi-Absorption Method (Realm 1, Beginner, 109/300) (Blue)]
[Available Professions]
[Main Professions: Apprentice Qi Refiner, Apprentice Swordsman, Warrior Apprentice...]
[Auxiliary Professions: Apprentice Painter, Daoist Acolyte, Kitchen Apprentice, Blacksmith Apprentice, Stream Angler...]
This panel was the benefit Jiang Xuan had brought with him when he transmigrated.
For some unknown reason, the game he had played had transmigrated with him and merged into his true spirit.
When the true spirit of Jiang Xuan from his past life fused with that of Jiang Xuan in this world, this panel had appeared within his sea of consciousness as well.
After several days of exploration, Jiang Xuan had figured out the abilities of his panel.
First, it displayed the state of Jiang Xuan's cultivation method and body. Though this ability appeared utterly ordinary, it was quite useful.
When people cultivated, what wore down their state of mind most was not knowing the road ahead, nor how far they themselves had progressed. Yet the attribute panel laid all of Jiang Xuan's information before his eyes, making every drop and every bit of progress plainly visible. That gave Jiang Xuan abundant motivation to pursue the Dao.
Moreover, this panel could ensure that Jiang Xuan would never take a wrong step in cultivation.
That alone was enough to satisfy Jiang Xuan with this game panel. What delighted him even more was the Profession System.
This was also the core feature of the game Celestial Firmament Spirit Realm. In that world, professions could be chosen freely, and upon meeting certain conditions and raising one's own level, one could even hold multiple professions at once.
Furthermore, these professions possessed a class advancement system that was almost without limit.
So long as one had enough time and energy, one could become a master of every profession in the Celestial Firmament game.
And this Profession System was the shortcut Jiang Xuan believed could get him into the Dao-Bearing Class.
With that thought in mind, Jiang Xuan first opened [Apprentice Qi Refiner] and examined its detailed information.
Without a doubt, now that he had come to the world of immortal cultivation, the best profession for him was Qi Refiner. Jiang Xuan had been working toward that these past few days.
[Apprentice Qi Refiner]
[Status: Not Employed]
[Rating: Rare (Blue)]
[Employment Requirements
①: Find a spiritual land and settle within it (Completed)
②: Obtain a Qi Refinement method and cultivate it to the Proficient level
③: Cultivate a thread of Spell Power (Completed)]
"I have a cultivation method, but the Nine-Breath Qi-Absorption Method only gains one point of proficiency after completing one full cycle and cultivating a thread of Spell Power."
"Because my mental strength is limited, even after two or three days in this world, I've only completed 109 cycles. The remaining 191 will take at least another three to five days."
Unable to take up the profession immediately, Jiang Xuan felt somewhat regretful.
Fortunately, even at the very beginning, aside from combat professions, Jiang Xuan could still choose an auxiliary profession.
This time, he chose the Daoist Acolyte profession, which was related to immortal cultivation.
[Daoist Acolyte]
[Status: Not Employed]
[Rating: Rare (Blue)]
[Employment Requirements
①: Find a Daoist abbey and join it (Completed)
②: Sweep the floor, sprinkle water, and tidy the courtyard thirty times (27/30)
③: Sincerely recite the Eight Great Divine Incantations thirty times in a Daoist abbey (27/30)
④: Offer incense to the divine statues, change their water, light lamps, and wipe them down thirty times (27/30)]
Unlike a Qi Refiner, a Daoist Acolyte counted as both an identity and an auxiliary profession.
Fortunately, most professions in the game had some use, not to mention that Daoist Acolyte was a Blue Rare Grade profession.
What excited Jiang Xuan even more was that a Daoist Acolyte's work could be performed three times a day, earning 3 experience points each time. Moreover, the last three employment requirements could be completed together.
"For the past three days, I haven't forgotten to sweep, offer incense, and recite divine incantations every morning, noon, and night. Three times three times three equals twenty-seven. That means if I do it once more this morning, I'll be able to take up the profession."
With that thought, Jiang Xuan immediately rose and headed for the main hall.
The main hall in Jiang Xuan's home was not large, but its furnishings were exceedingly strange.
The furniture common to an ordinary household had been moved into the corners. A worship table stood in the center, with three prayer cushions before it.
There were no divine statues or portraits on the wall above the worship table. Only two large characters hung high there—Heaven and Earth!
Jiang Xuan had actually arranged his own home as a Daoist abbey. Like Zhen Yuanzi of Five Villages Abbey, he worshipped neither immortals nor Buddhas, offering devotion only to Heaven and Earth.
When he had first done this, Jiang Xuan had not been certain whether it would succeed.
But perhaps because they were within an immortal sect and situated on spiritual land, those advantages had offset the other conditions. In any case, Jiang Xuan had succeeded.
His home had become the Daoist abbey Jiang Xuan was affiliated with: Profound Heart Abbey.
Because he had turned his home into a Daoist abbey, his subsequent employment tasks were to recite the Eight Great Divine Incantations at home, sprinkle water, sweep the courtyard, or wipe down the worship table and divine statues.
At this moment, after arriving in the main hall, Jiang Xuan first wiped down the worship table, added some oil to the lamp upon it, then lit three of the most ordinary incense sticks.
"Ding!"
The instant Jiang Xuan finished these tasks, a notification rang out in his mind.
[You wiped the worship table for the divine statues, offered incense, and lit lamps. Mission progress +3. Employment requirement ④ for Daoist Acolyte has been completed.]
The sudden sound made Jiang Xuan pause in his tracks, but he quickly went to the courtyard as if nothing had happened. He picked up a broom, swept away fallen leaves, sprinkled water to clear the dust, and arranged the items in the yard.
"Xuan, just leave these chores to me. Rest for a while first. You'll be going to the Daoist Academy to cultivate soon."
While Jiang Xuan was busy, the door to the bedroom beside the main hall was pushed open. A woman who somewhat resembled Jiang Xuan walked out. She was Shen Yuerong, Jiang Xuan's mother in this world.
Seeing Jiang Xuan hard at work, she immediately stepped forward, intending to take over.
But Jiang Xuan stopped her.
"It's fine, Mother. There's still plenty of time before morning class, so it won't delay anything. Besides, doing this helps calm my heart."
"..." That latter reason left Shen Yuerong with no choice but to stop.
Fortunately, Jiang Xuan's courtyard was not large and had always been clean. After casually sweeping the fallen leaves, sprinkling some water, and arranging a few things, Jiang Xuan's mission ② was also complete.
[②: Sweep the floor, sprinkle water, and tidy the courtyard thirty times (30/30) (Completed)]
At this point, he had completed three of the four requirements for becoming a Daoist Acolyte. So long as he completed the final task—sincerely reciting the Eight Great Divine Incantations—he could take up the Daoist Acolyte profession.
Though it was merely an auxiliary profession and only an apprentice-level one at that, Jiang Xuan was still excited at the prospect of taking it up.
For this reason, he spent quite some time calming his heart before finally entering the main hall and sitting cross-legged on a prayer cushion beneath the words "Heaven and Earth."
"Huu..."
After taking a deep breath, Jiang Xuan slowly began to chant.
"Supreme Dais Star, ever responsive and unceasing; drive away evil and bind phantoms, preserve life and protect the body; wisdom bright and pure, heart and spirit peaceful; the three souls endure forever, the seven spirits suffer no loss or decline..."
With his eyes closed, Jiang Xuan still had a few stray thoughts in his heart during the first recitation of the Eight Great Divine Incantations.
But once he finished reciting the Heart-Purification Divine Incantation, the foremost of the Eight Great Divine Incantations, Jiang Xuan's heart and spirit completely settled. That made his subsequent recitations even more focused, even carrying a touch of reverence.
Heart-Purification Divine Incantation, Mouth-Purification Divine Incantation, Body-Purification Divine Incantation, Land-Soothing Divine Incantation, Golden Radiance Divine Incantation...
And so, with a Sincerity · Heart that was clear and tranquil, Jiang Xuan recited all Eight Great Divine Incantations once.
Then, without pausing in the slightest, Jiang Xuan began the second recitation, followed by the third...
By the time he had finished three recitations, less than half an incense stick's time had passed, and the final requirement of Jiang Xuan's Daoist Acolyte employment mission had been completely fulfilled.
[Ding, your Daoist Acolyte employment mission ③: Sincerely recite the Eight Great Divine Incantations thirty times in a Daoist abbey (30/30) has been completed.]