Upper Branch, Evolving Immortal Sky Pool!

"Little fellow, in the ice lake just now, did you comprehend the Innate One-Qi Sword from the One Qi Sword Art?"

Granny Blue's sudden question did not catch Jiang Xuan off guard. He had never thought he could hide the state of his cultivation technique from the senior experts of the sect.

Nor was there any need to hide it.

The secret he truly had to keep buried was the profession system.

But that was difficult to see with the naked eye.

Thus, upon hearing the question, Jiang Xuan merely nodded calmly. "Senior, your insight is sharp. By a stroke of luck, my One Qi Sword Art broke through."

At this moment, Xia He still did not sense anything unusual, nor did Zhou Qing and Meng Yingyue—the three of them did not mainly cultivate sword arts, so they did not know the One Qi Sword Art. Naturally, they also did not understand the difficulty or wondrous uses of fusing Five-Organ Origin Qi into the Innate One-Qi Sword.

It was only when Granny Blue spoke her next sentence that their bodies stiffened, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Hehe, comprehending the Innate One-Qi Sword cannot be described with just the words 'by luck.'" After saying this, she fell silent for a moment. Several breaths later, she suddenly made a suggestion that even caused Jiang Xuan's brows to lift slightly. "Would you like to switch to another lineage? Your talent in the sword path is exceptional. It would be a pity for you to remain in Four Seasons Valley. If you are willing, I can vouch for you and send you to the Evolving Immortal Sky Pool to learn the sword."

"Have me transfer to the Sky Pool?"

"Aren't you an elder of Four Seasons Valley?"

Just as Jiang Xuan was puzzled, the fruit in Zhou Qing's hand fell to the ground with a plop.

Meng Yingyue, always gentle and dignified and mindful of her bearing, was also left staring dumbly. The grains and nuts in her hands scattered all over the floor.

"???"

Their reactions left Jiang Xuan even more confused. Before he could ask, Zhou Qing had already blurted out, his voice filled with shock, "The Sky Pool... the Evolving Immortal Sky Pool of the Upper Nine Peaks?"

Those words stunned Jiang Xuan for a moment. Then he abruptly turned to look at Granny Blue. He had not expected that she actually had the means to let him enter the Upper Nine Peaks.

To be honest, the temptation was immense for Jiang Xuan.

Leaving aside the rise in status and the admiration of others, one point alone greatly interested Jiang Xuan—the core cultivation techniques of the Upper Nine Peaks started at the same level as the Four Seasons Reincarnation Art after it had survived one death tribulation.

They might even be a level higher—Four Seasons Valley had become an Upper Branch thousands of years ago.

Over the years, because its cultivation technique was dangerous, Four Seasons Valley had not attracted any peerless prodigies. Without top talents, Four Seasons Valley had inevitably become somewhat set in its ways.

But the Evolving Immortal Sky Pool was different. It had developed for thousands of years, and countless prodigies had emerged there.

Although the higher one climbed, the more difficult it became to improve a cultivation technique, with so many astonishing geniuses, even if their techniques had not directly risen in rank, they would surely have been polished to perfection.

That meant their core cultivation techniques likely surpassed the Four Seasons Reincarnation Art after it had survived a death tribulation.

And cultivation techniques determined a cultivator's upper limit.

Before such a peak, it would have been a lie for Jiang Xuan to say he was not tempted.

This also made Xia He quietly clench her fists.

Yet although tears glimmered in her eyes and she was so anxious she was nearly crying, she never opened her mouth to urge Jiang Xuan not to choose the Evolving Immortal Sky Pool.

Clearly, despite her sweetly naive nature, she neither wanted Jiang Xuan to leave nor wished to delay his future.

Compared to her inner conflict, Jiang Xuan answered quickly. "The Upper Nine Peaks... I never expected someone like me, with only a mid-grade Profound Spirit Root, to receive such an invitation. Thank you, Granny Blue, for thinking so highly of me."

After thanking Granny Blue, Jiang Xuan's refusal was decisive. "But there is no need. I am very comfortable in Four Seasons Valley. This place is very good."

"..."

"Crack..."

Upon hearing Jiang Xuan reject the Upper Nine Peaks' invitation, everyone was greatly surprised. Zhou Qing's eyes widened round as he even wanted to dissuade Jiang Xuan.

But he quickly realized that Jiang Xuan, with his outstanding talent, remaining in Four Seasons Valley was the best outcome for him. Thus, he ultimately swallowed his words.

On the other side, complex emotions also flickered in Meng Yingyue's eyes.

As for Granny Blue, she was somewhat disappointed by Jiang Xuan's choice, but also somewhat gratified—no one liked a person who forgot righteousness at the sight of profit.

It was merely that her temperament was strange, and the words at the tip of her tongue emerged as mockery instead. "I truly did not expect you to be such a loyal person."

Jiang Xuan shrugged at those words, then spoke frankly. "Senior, you praise me too highly. I am not as noble as you think. A large part of why I am staying is that in Four Seasons Valley, I can receive their full support. If I went to the Evolving Immortal Sky Pool, I would just be one among hundreds or thousands of ordinary disciples. They would not pour all their resources into me, would they?"

Granny Blue shot him an irritated look. "Of course not. Just getting you in would require this old woman to exhaust all her reputation—the mid-grade Profound Spirit Root is ultimately a tremendous flaw. If you went there, you could only start as an Inner Disciple, and even then, as a reserve."

Those words confirmed for Jiang Xuan that staying in Four Seasons Valley was the right choice.

With the profession panel system, his future was bright. Even the most fundamental issue of cultivation techniques could be resolved by his future self.

He did not even need to painstakingly scheme for other professions.

"The Scripture Mystic Daoist lineage is closely connected to the Scripture Repository. In the game, the Scripture Repository was not merely a place to store cultivation techniques; it was also a place to deduce, optimize, and raise their ranks. By the late stages of this profession, raising the rank of cultivation techniques would be as easy as turning my hand over."

Still, the future was the future, and the present was the present.

Jiang Xuan knew very well that due to his mediocre Spirit Root talent, as well as the lack of power in the early stages of low-level professions, his most important task now was to acquire cultivation resources, then use massive amounts of them to swiftly pass through this frail period of growth.

In Four Seasons Valley, Jiang Xuan could obtain everything he wanted.

Take the Feast Ritual, for instance. Though this purple precious-grade skill was powerful, it still required enough food to fully unleash its potential.

Within Four Seasons Valley, so long as he could swallow it, he could eat spirit food for every meal. But at the Evolving Immortal Sky Pool, they might not treat him so generously.

Granny Blue could also understand Jiang Xuan's reasons for remaining in Four Seasons Valley.

Yet although she could think of them herself, Jiang Xuan's willingness to state them openly and honestly suited her temperament quite well.

Furthermore, Jiang Xuan could cast aside temptation and knew what he needed most. His nature of not coveting empty fame and clearly knowing himself instead made Granny Blue regard him even more highly. This also led her to give Jiang Xuan a promise:

"I will keep a place in the Evolving Immortal Sky Pool for you. Whenever you wish to go, come find me."

"And you must diligently cultivate the Innate One-Qi Sword as well. Condensed from Five-Organ Origin Qi, it is the richest and most fundamental vitality within the human body... When you have the time, pay more attention to spirit trees related to the Five Elements."