First-Rank Dao Seal

December at the Drowning Dao Lower Court brought snow almost every day, and the cold bit deep.

Fortunately, the coffin was excellent. Even lying naked inside it at night, he felt no chill.

The lower court had also issued a jade pendant to each of these seekers of immortality with zero access privileges.

With the pendant on, warmth spread through their bodies, shielding them from the wind, snow, and cold.

At the end of the month, Zhao Hongyi's red-crowned crane came to fetch Wu Yong. He did not return until three full days later.

The first thing he said when he saw Wang Quan was, "Good thing you didn't go."

"If you had, I'm afraid neither of us would have made it back."

Wang Quan asked curiously, "Why? Did Zhao Hongyi want to imprison us?"

Wu Yong rolled his eyes. "We're seekers of immortality at the lower court. Would she dare?"

"What I mean is, Zhao Hongyi's manor is exquisite. I doubt even an imperial palace could be any better."

"Every pleasure you can imagine-and even those you can't-is there."

"I didn't want to come back. I was going to start refining magical power and stick with Hongyi."

"But then I thought of you here, all alone and lonely. I couldn't bear it, so I came back."

Wang Quan was speechless...

After Wu Yong returned, Wang Quan noticed that he spent less time at the Scripture Repository.

Still, the Scripture Repository remained crowded.

Although people left every day, over a thousand newcomers arrived each month.

But as great waves sifted the sand, few could endure the loneliness. After a while, they all went off to refine magical power.

Wang Quan continued poring over the Dao scriptures.

He now had only a dozen or so volumes left out of ninety thousand Dao scriptures.

Yet those last dozen or so volumes were exceptionally obscure and difficult to understand.

It often took him over a month to fully master a single volume.

January...

February...

March...

Wu Yong asked Wang Quan, "How many volumes have you mastered?"

Wang Quan smiled. "Four thousand five hundred."

Wu Yong nodded.

He had mastered six thousand himself.

Three more months passed, and Wu Yong asked again.

Wang Quan smiled. "Four thousand seven hundred."

Wu Yong sighed. "Both Sister Hongyi and Qian Xiuyue have contacted me, asking when I'll start refining magical power."

Wang Quan smiled. "Want to leave?"

"Yeah!"

"Then go!"

"I'm going to push for six thousand volumes of Dao scriptures!"

Wu Yong's expression grew complicated. "Sister Hongyi, Qian Xiuyue, and everyone else all say that mastering more Dao scriptures after you start refining magical power, then switching versions, won't affect your cultivation."

Wang Quan smiled. "Whether they're telling the truth or not, I want to use the six-thousand-volume version of the foundational method for my very first cultivation session."

Wu Yong nodded. "All right!"

"Anyway, I'm leaving!"

"I'll officially start refining magical power tomorrow."

"Sister Hongyi has prepared some materials to help me refine magical power."

"Mm!"

Wu Yong left. In the end, he left without reaching his goal of seven thousand volumes of Dao scriptures.

Wang Quan looked around the entire Scripture Repository and realized that, of everyone who had arrived in his cohort, he was the only one left.

At that moment, something called loneliness rose in his heart.

He gathered himself and returned to studying the Dao scriptures.

April... he still had twenty volumes left.

May... nineteen volumes.

July... seventeen volumes.

Before he knew it, he had become an old hand at the Scripture Repository.

Some newcomers to the Scripture Repository would ask him questions.

Wang Quan held nothing back, telling them everything he knew.

As for what choices they made, that had nothing to do with him.

December came again, with snow swirling thickly through the air.

Wu Yong arrived on a crane, dressed in gray-white Daoist robes.

The corners of his mouth lifted, and his eyes shone brightly. The simple honesty had vanished from his face, leaving only confidence, boldness, and elegance.

"Wang Quan, we expanded the manor this year!"

"In nine months, I refined twelve strands of magical power. I hear Sister Hongyi has refined seventy-two."

"Once we accumulate 360 strands of magical power, we can start preparing for Foundation Establishment."

"Then we'll be able to stay at the lower court forever."

"We'll always be disciples of the Drowning Dao."

"You have no idea how sought-after Drowning Dao disciples are here."

"Even outside the Drowning Dao Lower Court, we're highly sought-after."

Wu Yong chattered on and on.

Wang Quan listened attentively.

Finally, he asked curiously, "Don't the Dao scriptures say you can only attempt Foundation Establishment after refining one thousand and one strands of magical power?"

Wu Yong burst out laughing. "One thousand and one strands of magical power-that's just what the Dao scriptures say."

"The Inner Landscape we [inner-nature cultivators] open up can only hold three hundred and sixty strands of magical power."

Wang Quan nodded.

Finally, Wu Yong invited him to this year's gathering, but he still declined.

Wu Yong wore a strange expression. "Aren't you lonely, staying here by yourself?"

"You're the only one in our lower court cohort who hasn't started refining magical power!"

Wang Quan smiled bitterly. "What can I do? I studied too few Dao scriptures when I was young."

"I want to start refining magical power as soon as possible too!"

Wu Yong patted his shoulder and consoled him. "There's no rush. Take your time."

"If nothing else works, put your body up as collateral and buy a nine-thousand-volume version of the foundational method. You'll get a faster start than us."

The corners of Wang Quan's mouth twitched. "I'm afraid of dying."

Wu Yong chuckled. "I checked on the people who bought higher-version cultivation methods two years ago. They're still fine!"

Wang Quan fell silent.

He did not want to take the risk.

Besides, he only had a dozen or so volumes of Dao scriptures left.

What harm was there in enduring a little longer?

Wu Yong left, departing on a crane just as he had arrived.

Just as he had envied Zhao Hongyi the year before.

The sun-crow flew and the moon-hare raced; in a blink, it was July, when the Fire Star sank westward:

After two and a half long years of study, Wang Quan finally mastered the last volume of Dao scriptures.

The instant he passed the assessment for the ten-thousandth volume, information appeared in his sea of consciousness.

[First-Rank Dao Seal--Wang Quan--Lifespan: 18/100]

[Dao seal advancement requirement: 10,000/20,000]

[Realm: None!]

[Foundational method: None!]

[Spells: None!]

[Traits: None--Consume one strand of heavenly opportunity to condense a trait.]

[Heavenly opportunity: 1 strand.]

[Spiritual medicines, essences, and magical treasures can all be converted into heavenly opportunity.]

Wang Quan remained calm... without the slightest ripple.

The loneliness and hardship of spending two and a half years mastering ten thousand volumes of Dao scriptures had been enough to steady his heart.

Only after studying the [First-Rank Dao Seal] did he learn that it would emerge only once someone had mastered ten thousand volumes of Dao scriptures while possessing no magical power whatsoever.

He did not understand why the veterans of the Drowning Dao had not told those who came after them.

After pondering it and sensing the many mysteries of the [First-Rank Dao Seal], he headed straight back to the coffin dormitory.

Clack!

The coffin lid closed, plunging everything into darkness.

Wang Quan took a deep breath, then touched the traits field with his consciousness.

The next second, three hundred and sixty-five traits appeared:

Qi gathering +1, earth veins +1, spell power +1, recovery +1...

Wang Quan wanted every one of those three hundred-odd traits. Every one would benefit his cultivation of immortality.

But the foundation of cultivating immortality is gathering qi and refining magical power.

I should choose qi gathering to increase my speed each time I refine magical power.

Only then can I catch up with Wu Yong, Zhao Hongyi, and the others.

The next second, the [First-Rank Dao Seal] information refreshed:

[First-Rank Dao Seal--Wang Quan--Lifespan: 18/100]

[Dao seal advancement requirement: 10,000/20,000]

[Realm: None!]

[Foundational method: None!]

[Spells: None!]

[Traits: Qi gathering +1--Consume 10 strands of heavenly opportunity to condense a trait.]

[Heavenly opportunity: 0 strands.]

[Spiritual medicines, essences, and magical treasures can all be converted into heavenly opportunity.]

At the sight of this, Wang Quan smiled.

The next trait requires more heavenly opportunity, but that doesn't matter!

Next, I should choose a foundational method and begin gathering qi.

Then I'll do missions to raise my access privileges.

Before that, however, he sent messages to Wu Yong, Qian Xiuyue, and even Zhao Hongyi: "I've reached my planned goal. I'm ready to start refining magical power."