Normally, an ordinary person had to devote at least two hours each day to effective cultivation and keep at it for more than nine months to reach Human Rank Third Turn. Even then, they could only manage it if they encountered no bottlenecks and nothing else interfered.
Two hours a day might seem like very little, but besides advancing their cultivation, Spirit Tamers often had to train hard in all manner of skills: hand seals, the Borrowing Art, and even astronomy, geography, composition, arithmetic, music, chess, calligraphy, painting...
Daily social obligations and miscellaneous chores also took up a considerable amount of time.
And even if they were willing to double their efforts, it was all for nothing if cultivation exhausted their spirit essence and physical strength and they could not recover in time.
Many people went off to do other things after finishing their cultivation. That was all the so-called balance of work and rest amounted to.
But Fang Qianyuan had the advantage of recovering spirit essence extremely quickly, allowing him to keep accumulating cultivation time almost without interruption. A single day's work equaled several days of an ordinary person's efforts.
He also had a quick mind and a sharp intellect, making other skills easy to learn.
Together, these advantages had allowed him to break through to the Second Transformation and then the Third Transformation in just a month and a half.
When Gong Yuan heard the news, he was deeply gratified and once again marveled that he had judged the boy correctly.
After expressing his delight, Gong Yuan said, "Since you've already reached Human Rank Third Turn, it looks like I can send you out for some experience on next month's patrol assignment. Building a cart behind closed doors isn't the right path. Once you've attained a certain level of cultivation, you still need to venture out and temper yourself before you can truly grow."
Fang Qianyuan asked, "Elder, what assignment do you mean?"
Gong Yuan said, "Have you heard of the Demon Suppression Cavern?"
Fang Qianyuan paused in surprise. "The Demon Suppression Cavern? One of those sealed places where demons are suppressed?"
Demons were very peculiar beings. They originated from spirit beasts, monstrous beasts, spirits, and even ordinary wild animals that mutated after being tainted by demonic qi.
Demons were generally savage and extremely dangerous. They could also cultivate by absorbing demonic qi, evolving and multiplying at tremendous speed.
Demons usually lived in Otherworld Grotto-Heavens, but spatial rifts connected many places across the world to these Otherworld Grotto-Heavens, forming Demon Domains.
To prevent demonic qi from leaking out, or demons from charging forth and wreaking havoc upon the living, the mighty experts of ancient times had paid a considerable price to suppress them.
Most such places lay deep underground, which was why they were also called Demon Suppression Caverns.
But as the saying went, channeling a flood was better than damming it. To temper their disciples and obtain precious materials as well, those mighty ancient cultivators had not sealed these Demon Domains completely. Instead, they deliberately left passages through which weaker demons could come and go.
The unusual conditions nearby could also give rise to rare treasures of heaven and earth.
Thus, these places often served as training grounds.
"It seems you know its origins. Many academies belonging to the world's sects began as garrison posts established to guard these places. Naturally, a tradition developed of regularly sending disciples out to slay demons."
Gong Yuan explained.
"Deep beneath our Cang Mountain Academy, there is just such a Demon Suppression Cavern. Its grotto-heaven extends a full ten levels down, and vast numbers of demonic offspring breed there every year."
Fang Qianyuan said, "I remember now. The Merit Hall has a long-term assignment that stays on the bounty board all year round. Any disciple of our Cang Mountain Academy can go there to slay demons."
Gong Yuan said, "That's right. The minimum requirement for accepting that assignment is Human Rank Third Turn. I'll have someone take you there. Don't worry about anything else for now; make one trip first. I'll also arrange your leave with the steward at the book pavilion, so you needn't worry about neglecting your duties."
"Truthfully, Human Rank Third Turn is still a little early to train in the Demon Suppression Cavern. But you won't be riding into battle alone. As long as you stay close to the others, you'll be safe."
A few days later, Gong Yuan summoned Fang Qianyuan again and introduced him to the four teammates who would accompany him.
One was Ding Long, the book pavilion steward he already knew. The other three were a pair of brothers named Wei Wen and Wei Wu, and a senior sister named Ning Yuerong.
They were all disciples of the Heavenly Hall faction whom Gong Yuan supported and nurtured. They were very surprised to learn that Fang Qianyuan would also be training in the Demon Suppression Cavern, but with Gong Yuan vouching for him, they had no objections and agreed on the spot.
Wei Wen said, "Welcome to our team, Junior Brother Fang. From now on, you'll head down into the Demon Suppression Cavern with us to train."
Fang Qianyuan nodded. "I'll be counting on you, senior brothers and senior sister."
After the pleasantries, Wei Wen asked, "Demons are affected by the phases of the moon. The fuller the moon, the weaker they become, so we usually set out from the upper levels early in the month. After some time, we reach the deeper levels at just the right moment. How about leaving on the fifth this time, as usual?"
Every month, disciples of the academy formed groups to descend into the cavern and slay demons. They often set out early in the month, and over time, this had become customary.
"Then it's settled." Gong Yuan had evidently intended the same thing and made the decision for them on the spot.
Everyone then went back to make their own preparations.
Soon, the fifth day of the tenth month arrived. The group met at the Merit Hall to register their departure, then followed one of the hall's stewards into an underground chamber beneath an Ancient Pagoda within the academy.
They descended a long spiral staircase until they reached several hundred yards underground. Then the space before them suddenly opened up, revealing an enormous cavern.
The cavern was square. Directly opposite the spiral staircase stood an immense stone gate over a hundred feet tall, much like the mountain gate they had seen outside the valley.
But this gate bore many intricate dark-red markings of unknown meaning. At its center was a lifelike carving of a ferocious beast's head, roughly ten feet across. Spiritual light shone from its eyes, illuminating the entire cavern.
The air seemed thick with the smell of blood and faintly hot, lending the place an extraordinary atmosphere.
Some thirty people were already waiting before the gate, all members of the various teams taking part in this demon-slaying expedition.
Suddenly, a handsome youth came into Fang Qianyuan's view. It was Ye Tianming, the son of Elder Ye Li.
He had come to train as well.
But his circumstances were entirely different from Fang Qianyuan's, who was accompanying Ding Long, Wei Wen, and the others. Ye Tianming was in another team and clearly enjoyed a leader's status. Two men and two women stood beside him, talking quietly in a corner beneath the great gate.
Fang Qianyuan noticed that everyone present moved in groups of three to five. The various teams seemed to have ties with one another, but most remained as distinct as the clear Jing River and the muddy Wei, rather than mingling together.
This was because descending into the cavern to slay demons was both a form of training and a way to earn merit and cultivation resources.
Everyone needed comrades they could trust and work with seamlessly. Staying in a fixed team was best, and it also made dividing any gains more convenient.
Moreover, the demon cavern contained layer upon layer of spaces, separated by Teleportation Arrays. The teams would not encounter one another; in a sense, they would be fighting in different passages through space and time.