Inner Sect Disciples

"I need to eat. Right, to the Spirit Dining Hall."

Xu Changshou opened his door and came face-to-face with Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked surprised. "You were actually in your room? I thought you'd gone out."

"Junior Brother Jiang, move aside. I'm starving. I need to eat at the Spirit Dining Hall."

Jiang Xiaochuan stepped aside, and Xu Changshou raced downstairs, heading straight for the Spirit Dining Hall.

Something seemed to occur to Jiang Xiaochuan, and he cried out, "Heavens, that's insane! Senior Brother Xu actually cultivated for half a month?"

"What? Xu Changshou cultivated for half a month without eating or drinking?"

"I was wondering why I hadn't seen him for half a month. He's a real cultivation maniac."

"Xu Changshou is ruthless!"

News that Xu Changshou had spent half a month in seclusion in one stretch sent the entire Gengzi Courtyard into an uproar.

These disciples from aristocratic clans had all been pampered since childhood. None of them could have kept cultivating for half a month straight, let alone without eating or drinking.

"Junior Brother Changshou actually pushed himself that hard?"

When Ye Shanhua heard the news, she could not help secretly admiring him.

The Spirit Dining Hall.

Xu Changshou swept through four dishes, then ate five large bowls of dogtooth rice before he finally felt much better.

After eating his fill, Xu Changshou let out a long breath. I can't cultivate so desperately again.

He returned to the Gengzi Courtyard.

Jiang Xiaochuan, Su Mo, Han Zong, Li Linhao, Zhang Feixian, Shi Wantong, Qian Yuanbao, and Ye Shanhua-the nine of them surrounded Xu Changshou, looking at him as though he were some rare curiosity.

Jiang Xiaochuan asked, "Senior Brother Xu, were you really cultivating in your room this whole half month?"

"Yes!"

Xu Changshou answered honestly, "When we went to the Steward Hall together last time, I bought some Spirit-Gathering Pills there. I took one and spent half a month refining it."

Li Linhao asked, "You didn't eat or drink for half a month?"

"That's right!"

"Senior Brother Xu, you really are something." Lin Xian'er gave him a thumbs-up.

Admiration filled Su Mo's face. "Senior Brother Xu, I should learn from you."

Qian Yuanbao said with a cheerful smile, "That kind of perseverance is beyond me."

Ye Shanhua smiled and said, "Junior Brother Xu has tremendous perseverance. If he'd been born into a great lineage, he could certainly go much further. What a pity..."

Su Mo looked at Xu Changshou, then at Ye Shanhua, and gritted his teeth. "Senior Sister Ye, I don't think you're right. I believe that anyone has a chance at foundation establishment as long as they work hard."

Ye Shanhua smiled. "Hard work is necessary, but resources matter even more."

"No matter what, I'll definitely achieve foundation establishment!" Su Mo's voice was as firm as a blade striking iron. He turned to Xu Changshou. "Senior Brother Xu, what do you think?"

"Uh... if you work hard, you might have a chance."

That was Xu Changshou's reply.

He suddenly had the feeling that Su Mo had real drive and would surely amount to something great in the future.

Ye Shanhua was not angry. Still smiling, she said, "Junior Brother Su, I won't argue with you now. In time, you'll understand how important resources are."

Su Mo's gaze grew deep. "I believe human will can conquer Heaven."

Ye Shanhua shook her head, seemingly unwilling to argue. She smiled at Xu Changshou. "Congratulations on breaking through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, Junior Brother Xu."

Xu Changshou used the Qi-Reading Art and glanced over the others. To his surprise, every one of them had made a breakthrough.

Ye Shanhua had actually reached the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Jiang Xiaochuan had also advanced from the Qi Refining First Layer to the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Lin Xian'er was at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Su Mo was at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Li Linhao was at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Han Zong was at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

"Senior Sister Ye, don't tease me. Haven't you made a breakthrough too?"

Jiang Xiaochuan said, "Senior Sister Ye reached the Qi Refining Fifth Layer ages ago. I reckon she'll reach the Qi Refining Sixth Layer in less than two months."

"So fast! Just what I'd expect of Senior Sister Ye."

Xu Changshou was secretly astonished. Why does Ye Shanhua cultivate so quickly? Could it be... resources?

"It's not that exaggerated."

Ye Shanhua changed the subject. "By the way, try not to go out tomorrow, everyone. Someone will come to register our spiritual roots again."

Xu Changshou asked, "Senior Sister Ye, what do you mean by registering our spiritual roots?"

Jiang Xiaochuan laughed. "Senior Brother Xu, you really do shut your ears to everything outside your window."

Ye Shanhua said, "Our spiritual roots were registered once when we entered the sect. Registering them again is for assigning duties in the future."

"Assigning duties?"

Xu Changshou was bewildered. Assigning what duties? He had never heard of this.

Ye Shanhua said, "Our Green Immortal Sect has seven main peaks: Great Unity Peak, Cinnabar Clouds Peak, Scarlet Fire Peak, Green Ink Peak, Heavenly Pivot Peak, Eight Trigrams Peak, and Fengdu Peak.

"Each of the seven main peaks has its own responsibilities.

"Great Unity Peak is the sect master's peak, the cultivation grounds of the sect's core leadership.

"Cinnabar Clouds Peak is responsible for refining pills.

"Scarlet Fire Peak refines artifacts.

"Green Ink Peak draws talismans.

"Heavenly Pivot Peak crafts puppets.

"Eight Trigrams Peak lays formations.

Fengdu Peak practices Corpse Refining.

"Besides those seven peaks, there is another important peak, Luminous Grace Peak.

"Luminous Grace Peak admits inner sect disciples."

"Luminous Grace Peak..."

Xu Changshou nodded to himself.

The inner sect disciples of Luminous Grace Peak were the true disciples.

People like them were merely the sect's servants.

"That's right."

A trace of longing flashed through Ye Shanhua's eyes. "They're the sect's true disciples. We're only servants..."

"Servants..."

The others exchanged looks. Even Senior Sister Ye isn't an inner sect disciple. Just how strong must inner sect disciples be?

Lin Xian'er asked, "Senior Sister Ye, what requirements do you have to meet to become an inner sect disciple?"

Ye Shanhua smiled. "The sect has its own rules for recruiting inner sect disciples. I don't know the details either. All I know is that very few disciples can enter Luminous Grace Peak. There are only thirty places every three years."

Jiang Xiaochuan was puzzled. "Thirty? There's even a fixed quota?"

Ye Shanhua nodded. "Of course. Only forty-odd Foundation Establishment Pills are produced each year. Every inner sect disciple gets one Foundation Establishment Pill. Some of the rest are reserved for the descendants of certain bigwigs in the sect, while the leadership uses others as gifts or trades them for cultivation supplies."

"Foundation Establishment Pills are that scarce? Isn't the Green Immortal Sect skilled at pill refining?" Xu Changshou frowned.

Ye Shanhua smiled. "It has nothing to do with how skilled we are. Foundation Establishment Pills are scarce because there aren't enough spirit herbs to make them."

Xu Changshou understood. There were not enough resources, so the important ones could only go to those with exceptional talent or the Immortal Second-Generation.

Jiang Xiaochuan said bitterly, "Does that mean we have no chance of getting Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Ye Shanhua shook her head. "Almost none."

Su Mo gritted his teeth. "Even without a Foundation Establishment Pill, I'll still achieve foundation establishment."

"Heh!"

Ye Shanhua gave a soft laugh. "Never mind us-even those inner sect disciples who take Foundation Establishment Pills only have a thirty percent chance of achieving foundation establishment."

"Hiss-"

Xu Changshou could not help sucking in a breath of cold air. He had never imagined foundation establishment would be so difficult.

Back when Liu Chuansheng and Zhang Zhengyuan had spoken, they had mentioned the difficulty of foundation establishment at every turn. Xu Changshou had only just entered the sect then and had not really understood.

Now, after hearing Ye Shanhua's words, he finally understood. Foundation establishment was difficult-harder than ascending to the blue heavens.

"All right, we've gone off topic. Let's get back to assigning duties. That's what we servant disciples should be concerned about."