Only after the senior brothers had been gone for a while did Chen Yu approach Little Bamboo Peak.
He entered the Immortal Ruins to inspect the treasures that had refreshed that day.
There was one Qi Refining Pill.
There were also two unknown materials. Chen Yu studied them for a while, but even injecting spiritual power produced no change. Unable to work out their uses, he could only put them back.
The last item was a Spirit Herb.
In other words, all he had gained from today's trip was a single Qi Refining Pill.
"Not bad, I suppose."
"One Qi Refining Pill triples my experience gain for two hours. That's equivalent to gaining an extra 2 experience points."
Chen Yu still needed 50 experience points to reach the Qi Refining Sixth-Layer Peak.
With Qi Refining Pills boosting him the whole time, he could break through in less than twenty hours of cultivation.
"Unfortunately, the treasures in the Immortal Ruins refresh completely at random now, without any pattern. If I could harvest a whole crop like before, perhaps I could get even better treasures."
He put away the Qi Refining Pill.
Chen Yu looked at the two unknown materials and the Spirit Herb he had returned to their places.
"If only I had a Storage Ring. These materials and this Spirit Herb aren't much use right now, but they might be useful in the future."
Anything he did not take outside would disappear the following day.
But taking them outside would arouse suspicion.
A Storage Ring would let him have the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, Storage Rings were extremely precious, and Chen Yu had only ever seen one with Elder Sun.
"No matter! Once I raise my cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Realm, I'll gain preliminary control over the Immortal Ruins. Then all the cultivation manuals, martial skills, and heavenly treasures will appear for me to use!"
The Foundation Establishment Realm!
Chen Yu now had a goal in mind.
Starting tomorrow-
Seclusion!
He was different from other cultivators. He could break through realms simply by allocating points, completely free of the limitations imposed by his spirit embryo's aptitude.
Foundation establishment was only a matter of time.
After leaving the Immortal Ruins, Chen Yu headed straight for Purple Bamboo Peak.
Before entering seclusion, he needed to learn more about the Outer Sect Genius Ranking.
Soon, Chen Yu arrived at the Heavenly Union Association again and placed his Identity Token into the recess in the records room's door. With a click, the door opened automatically.
Chen Yu retrieved his Identity Token and entered the records room.
He turned around.
Then he closed the door.
Countless wooden shelves filled the records room, densely packed with books of every description. If he had to search through them himself, who knew how long it would take?
Looking around, Chen Yu spotted an ordinary-looking female disciple in one part of the records room. A flame emblem adorned the front of her chest, marking her as a disciple of Heavenly Flame Peak. She sat behind a desk, looking rather like an employee.
Chen Yu walked over and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Senior Sister, I'd like to look at the information on the Outer Sect Genius Ranking. Where can I find it?"
"The Outer Sect Genius Ranking?"
The female disciple from Heavenly Flame Peak glanced at Chen Yu and pointed in a direction.
"Over there. Section E, shelf twelve, third tier."
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
Chen Yu headed toward section E, quickly found shelf twelve, and located the books concerning the Outer Sect Genius Ranking on its third tier.
He took one down, and Chen Yu opened it to read.
[Outer Sect Genius Ranking]
[Updated in early September, year 136 of the Zhao'an Calendar.]
That was all the first page contained.
Early September of year 136 of the Zhao'an Calendar meant the beginning of the current month. This was the latest compilation of information on the Outer Sect Genius Ranking.
The book was not thick.
It was a very slim volume.
Chen Yu turned the page.
[Dao Sect · Outer Sect Genius Ranking, tenth place.]
[-Xu Xingyao.]
"Huh?"
The sight made Chen Yu's brain short-circuit for a moment.
He widened his eyes and looked carefully, then rubbed them to make sure he had not misread it.
"Xu Xingyao?!"
"The Xu Xingyao Elder Zheng just refined into Supreme Spirit Essence?!"
Could it be someone with the same name?
Chen Yu could hardly believe it.
He kept reading.
[Disciple of Heavenly Flame Peak.]
[Age: 58.]
[Cultivation: peak of the sixth layer of Qi Refining.]
[Appearance: dark and ugly.]
At this point,
Chen Yu could not help drawing a deep breath.
"It really does seem to be him..."
"There can't be two disciples named Xu Xingyao on Heavenly Flame Peak who are both at the sixth layer of Qi Refining."
Very few outer disciples of the Dao Sect reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining in the first place, let alone shared the same name. Even the description of his dark, ugly appearance matched. As for his age... a fifty-eight-year-old at the sixth layer of Qi Refining would basically look middle-aged.
Everything matched!
"No wonder he was so strong."
Chen Yu nodded.
Then,
His brows knitted again.
"But why did he have so much debt?"
Disciples on the Outer Sect Genius Ranking received 30 Contribution Points every month and were exempt from routine assignments. Under those circumstances, they only needed to settle down and cultivate diligently. There was no need to take out loans at all.
Yet Xu Xingyao had owed Elder Zheng 2,470 Contribution Points.
Puzzled, Chen Yu continued reading:
[Year 126 of the Zhao'an Calendar: Xu Xingyao borrowed 300 Contribution Points from Elder Zheng to exchange for two martial skills and one Qi Refining Pill. His cultivation was at the peak of the fourth layer of Qi Refining.]
[Year 127 of the Zhao'an Calendar: borrowed 300 Contribution Points to exchange for one martial skill and two Qi Refining Pills. Fifth layer of Qi Refining.]
[Year 133 of the Zhao'an Calendar: challenged Wei Jing, ranked tenth on the Outer Sect Genius Ranking, and successfully entered the ranking. He also signed a Wager Agreement with the Dao Sect's outer sect.]
[Year 134 of the Zhao'an Calendar: borrowed 500 Contribution Points.]
[Year 135 of the Zhao'an Calendar: borrowed 1,000 Contribution Points.]
[Year 136 of the Zhao'an Calendar: as of September this year, Xu Xingyao's cultivation remains at the peak of the sixth layer of Qi Refining, while his Wager Agreement is nearing its deadline. He also owes Elder Zheng more than 2,400 unpaid Contribution Points, placing him at high risk of default!]
[If Xu Xingyao is liquidated, Liu Jun, currently ranked eleventh, will take tenth place.]
Chen Yu studied the path Xu Xingyao had taken.
He was somewhat baffled.
"The first few loans make sense, but in years 134 and 135, he
"Borrowed a full 1,500 Contribution Points! What happened during those two years?"
"And what's this Wager Agreement?"
Chen Yu was still puzzling over it.
Just then,
He noticed a line of notes below:
[Wager Agreement: under this agreement, the Dao Sect provides disciples who enter the Outer Sect Genius Ranking with 30 Contribution Points per month and exemption from routine assignments. In exchange, the signatory must reach the Qi Refining Seventh Layer and become an Inner Sect Disciple within three years.]
[If the requirement is met, nothing happens.]
[If the requirement is not met, the signatory must repay three times the total support provided by the Dao Sect over those three years in a single payment, equivalent to 4,212 Contribution Points. Those unable to repay will be liquidated.]
"Holy shit."
Chen Yu was stunned by what he read.
So the monthly allowance of 30 Contribution Points and exemption from routine assignments granted to those on the Outer Sect Genius Ranking required signing a Wager Agreement!
And,
"If that's how it's calculated..."
"Xu Xingyao didn't just owe Elder Zheng 2,400 Contribution Points. Add the Wager Agreement, and that's... 6,612 Contribution Points!"
"Incredible."
Chen Yu was utterly impressed.
An entire batch of nominal disciples, recruited once every three years, could only be refined into just under a hundred portions of spirit essence.
Yet Senior Brother Xu Xingyao alone had owed more than sixty-six portions' worth.
No wonder this Outer Sect Genius Ranking had already listed the new genius who would replace Xu Xingyao. They had practically slid his coffin lid halfway shut already...