"Senior Brother Ji, what is this?" Chu Mo opened his mouth and asked tentatively.
How was this a "great pill"? She was clearly a bona fide cultivator. Had he switched to trafficking people? And he had only just sent Jiang Yunya away-High Person Yuanbai already knew?
"You mean her? Martial Uncle said you did well, so she's your reward." Ji Qing looked perfectly composed, as though this were a trivial matter. "She cultivates the Black Serpent Molting True Heart Scripture.
"You know the Black Serpent Molting True Heart Scripture, right? It was one of the three arts you could choose when you joined."
Seeing Chu Mo nod, he continued, "Those who cultivate this art need cultivation cauldrons to progress. Its peculiar feature is that their true qi undergoes a transformation every time they harvest someone.
"Black serpent true qi that has undergone repeated transformations is a superior cultivation resource, immensely helpful both for cultivation speed and for breaking through bottlenecks.
"This woman's black serpent true qi has undergone nine transformations. So long as you harvest her using a special method, the late-stage qi refining bottleneck will amount to nothing.
"After all, in late-stage qi refining, true qi surges like a tide, flowing without end. That's not so easily achieved. If you want to break through the bottleneck on your own, Junior Brother, you'll be stuck for a while no matter how talented you are. What a waste."
As he spoke, Ji Qing took a jade slip from inside his robe and tossed it over.
Sure enough, the Black Serpent Molting True Heart Scripture has a trap too! Chu Mo's gaze flickered, but he quickly regained his composure.
He caught the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. A torrent of information flooded his sea of consciousness, coalescing into a complicated method: the Essence-Seizing Qi-Transforming Molting True Art.
Its intricacies actually defied his understanding for the moment.
Seeing him absorbed in the jade slip, Ji Qing pointed at the woman beside him and chuckled. "Her name is Ke Wan. She's a spy the Upper Mound Commerce Association planted in our Hezhen Society.
A two-faced, double-dealing traitor like her should have been destroyed in body and soul as a warning to others. But Martial Uncle Yuan Bai was merciful and spared her life, letting her use her cultivation to help you break through your bottleneck. That should count as making amends for her crimes.
Chu Mo had just withdrawn his consciousness from the Essence-Seizing Qi-Transforming Molting True Art. Hearing those words, he looked at the pitifully lovely Ke Wan, and a chill ran through his heart.
Ji Qing made it sound so simple, but what difference was there between a cultivator losing all her cultivation and dying?
Once someone had tasted a qi refining cultivator's extraordinary abilities and a two-hundred-year lifespan-nearly half the lifetime of a mortal dynasty-going back was no easy thing.
He could not help remembering Jiang Yunya's coercion. If he had agreed back then, would he have been the one bound here today?
No, his fate might have been even worse. After all, the Profound Cavern Scripture he cultivated did not give him any value as a harvesting resource, unlike her art.
High Person Yuanbai had sent this woman both as a reward and to tell him that his choice back then had been right.
Unaware of Chu Mo's thoughts, Ji Qing patted his shoulder and said, "Martial Uncle told me to tell you that High Person Redcloud-that is, Zhou Huan-will return from the minor world in four years at most."
Chu Mo's heart tightened. "Understood."
"Heh, don't be nervous. Since Martial Uncle thinks highly of you, he must have his reasons." Ji Qing winked at him.
Judging by the Upper Mound Commerce Association's actions and Martial Uncle Yuan Bai's attitude, he had some inkling of what Chu Mo had done.
All he could say was that Chu Mo had real nerve. Truly a talent worthy of their Duo'e Sect! No wonder Martial Uncle had taken a liking to him.
Within the sect, the bold might die, but the timid were certain to. This fellow was worth befriending.
His eyes shifted, and he lowered his voice. "Junior Brother Chu, hurry and improve your cultivation, or you'll miss a tremendous opportunity."
"I wouldn't tell just anyone." Ji Qing chuckled. "Did you know? Half a year ago, our Duo'e Sect clashed with Heaven's Will Sect. In the end, even Nascent Soul True Lords were dispatched."
Chu Mo's gaze stirred. Luo Shan had told him about the clash, but what did it have to do with an opportunity?
Before he could think further, Ji Qing continued, "As for the reason... it was actually a struggle over the coordinates of a minor world named the Profound Sun Realm.
"Our sect's True Lord currently has the upper hand. I reckon this world will ultimately fall into our Duo'e Sect's hands. That's a tremendous opportunity."
A glimmer of understanding appeared in Chu Mo's eyes.
Having been in the sect this long, he knew how the Duo'e Sect dealt with other worlds.
The first to enter were not the higher cultivators, but outer disciples like them, who would gather intelligence and determine the world's grade and risks.
After all, before a stable connection had been established between the two worlds, the Darkworld Grotto-Scenery Banner could not collect disciples' souls across worlds.
Higher cultivators were too valuable to be used for such dirty, exhausting work. Losing even one would be a loss to the sect.
Outer disciples like them, however, were like wild grass-an inexhaustible supply, never running out no matter how much was used. Naturally, they were the best candidates.
Of course, it was not entirely without benefits for these outer disciples. As long as they brought back enough intelligence from another world, rewards of every kind were guaranteed. They could even have their fill of Foundation Establishment Pills.
"If your merits are great enough," Ji Qing patted Chu Mo's shoulder again and coaxed, "even being granted a Dao Register... or information about a Heavenly Register wouldn't be out of the question."
"A register?!" Chu Mo calmed his astonishment and cupped his hands. "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother."
Ji Qing nodded, quite pleased with his response. He was about to take his leave when Chu Mo suddenly called him back, making him look over in puzzlement.
Noticing that Ji Qing was in a good mood, Chu Mo asked tentatively, "Senior Brother Ji, are all three spirit-grade arts we received upon joining like this?"
As he spoke, he pointed at Ke Wan, who had remained silent beside them.
"Is that what you're worried about, Junior Brother?" Understanding dawned on Ji Qing. "You needn't worry about that. All three arts actually follow the grand and upright path. Once you obtain a register and open your estate, none of this will be a problem.
"But... if you don't establish your foundation by receiving the register..." He gave Chu Mo a meaningful look. "There's a reason the inferior method of foundation establishment is called 'qi refining, eleventh layer.'
"Their foundation rests not upon a dharma estate, but upon black serpent true qi, myriad forms treasure qi, or Profound Cavern Roselight. You'll understand the intricacies in time, Junior Brother."
After he saw Ji Qing off, silence returned to the cave abode.
"A different foundation?" Chu Mo murmured.
Because the foundation rested upon the dharma estate rather than the cultivation art, did that mean the art's hidden dangers effectively did not exist for the cultivator?
Although Ji Qing had not explained everything, Chu Mo could make a few guesses. The Dawncloud One-Qi Profound Cavern Scripture had hidden dangers too. He simply did not know whether he would become a cultivation resource or spiritual material for a magical treasure.
As for switching cultivation arts? The sect made only these three available to outer disciples. As for arts from outside, there was even less to say-he had seen those for himself.
The Heartfire Meridian-Tempering Chapter, the Burning Heart Sutra, and the Five-Color Essence Absorption Manual hardly looked any safer than the arts in the Scripture Repository.
Chu Mo's gaze fell once more upon the jade slip containing the Essence-Seizing Qi-Transforming Molting True Art, then upon the pitifully lovely Ke Wan, restrained beside him.
Ahead lay the pressure of Zhou Huan's return; behind him beckoned the opportunity of the Profound Sun Realm. Increasing his strength could no longer wait.