Turning another's strength to his own use

In the small room, Zhou Wuji didn't light any lamps. Anyway, he had the Six Yang Dharma Eye, so darkness had no effect on him.

This time, he was awarded a gold belt, the same style as the silver belt last time, except that the belt buckle was gold, but it was not pure gold, but gold mixed with star gold.

This combination gives it the luster of gold while maintaining sufficient hardness and toughness, making it more compatible with spiritual energy and easier to activate Law Technique.

The belt itself carries the Golden Light Incantation Mantra, or more precisely, the Golden Radiance Incantation, which is one level higher than the silver belt and is a Fourth Rank Law Artifact.

The most important thing about the gold belt is not its Law Artifact power, but rather that it represents his status as Fourth Rank mage.

The imperial court had numerous rules and regulations regarding etiquette, with strict rules governing what color clothes each rank wore, and what kind of belts and ornaments they could wear.

Wealthy merchants and gentry can do whatever they want at home, but when it comes to formal occasions, they still have to follow certain rules.

Zhou Wuji tried on the gold belt, and sure enough, it made him look more noble.

Dharma Master Hongde held Fourth Rank title, and his salary increased from one thousand taels to one thousand five hundred taels of silver.

The Upper Court earns a net profit of two thousand taels a year from its annual fees, legal fees, and other expenses.

He doesn't buy elixirs, Law Artifact, or swords. His daily expenses are mostly on personal items like clothing, and his biggest expense is giving gifts.

In addition, he still had more than 30,000 taels of silver on hand, which was enough for his expenses in the short term.

Zhou Wuji calculated the money in his hand. Zhichong, who came this time, was an old acquaintance, so he had to give him a gift to express his feelings.

He still had the spirit fruit preserves that Yunze had brought, which he was saving to give away.

I also need to buy some local specialties from Jingyang, such as the hanging needle tea from Spirit True Mountain, lotus root powder made from the 36-hole white jade lotus root, and Huangjing paste made from Huangjing that has been around for a hundred years.

These local specialties all contain spiritual energy, have special production processes and materials, and are easy to store and transport, making them very suitable as gifts.

When giving gifts to the special Heavenly Master's Manor, the gifts should not be too insignificant nor too expensive.

Zhichong is quite close to him, so he can give him more gifts. Yuan Zhifeng is Third Rank True Person, so he should also give him some gifts out of courtesy.

Now that he's established a relationship, he needs to cultivate it carefully. Zhichong is one of his connections at the Heavenly Master's Manor's Mansion!

You can do without connections, but you can't live without them!

After thinking for Zhou Wuji could only ask the old Daoist priest Zhiyuan to help him buy local specialties.

Yang Tie Ying is too young; she's easily ripped off when buying these things.

Zhiyuan the old man can lend money in Jingyang; he must have some connections. At least I won't get scammed.

Of course, the old man will definitely charge a handling fee, but that's better than being ripped off.

The next morning, Zhou Wuji went to see Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan patted his chest and guaranteed that he would definitely buy good goods and wouldn't let Zhou Wuji lose face, for only two thousand taels...

Zhou Wuji felt the price was a bit outrageous, but he didn't haggle. He just tricked the old man into paying 100,000 taels so the old man could make a profit.

In the morning, Zhou Wuji went to visit Zhichong alone again.

Zhichong inquired about Zhou Wuji's cultivation progress and asked about his recent situation, showing great concern.

"Heavenly Master Qingxu cares deeply for you; you must cultivate diligently and not disappoint his high expectations."

The Zhichong then said, "The seven branches of the Northern Pole have deep-seated conflicts. If you encounter any trouble, you can write to me."

"I still have some connections in the Northern Pole..."

"Thank you, senior. This disciple will certainly cultivate diligently, uphold the Dao, and vanquish demons, and will never fail the high expectations of the Celestial Master and senior."

Zhou Wuji bowed deeply and expressed his sincere gratitude to the old Daoist priest Zhichong.

"No need for that, we hit it off immediately. I'm very pleased to see such an outstanding junior."

The Zhichong Chong was quite pleased. He said with some emotion, "There are many geniuses in cultivation, but these geniuses are all too young and have all had smooth sailing. Few can be as quick-witted, courageous, resourceful, and decisive as you."

He paused for a moment and then said, "You have already made a great contribution by discovering the barbarians' unusual movements this time."

"To prevent the news from leaking out, this merit will be directly transferred to the Northern Pole Sect. You are currently making rapid progress in your cultivation, so seize this opportunity to cultivate diligently..."

Zhichong didn't know much about Jingyang Upper Court, but he knew that Upper Court of this size must have cultivation caves and various rare and heavenly materials and earthly treasures enhance cultivation.

With centuries of accumulated experience, Jingyang Upper Court is not much inferior to our own.

Having made a great contribution, one could exchange it for these precious cultivation resources. Zhichong was worried that Zhou Wuji wouldn't understand the ins and so he explained it to him.

Zhou Wuji listened attentively. Although he had a plan, he didn't need to tell Zhichong everything.

Yuan Zhifeng Zhichong only stayed until noon before heading to the Lesser Yin Sect next door.

Their purpose in coming here is not only to inspect the various factions, but also to communicate and exchange information with the abbots of each Upper Court.

Zhou Wuji guessed that the Heavenly Master's Manor might be informing other factions in advance to prepare for the invasion of the barbarians.

That Devil Cultivator Cui Yuanfeng said that there are at least a million barbarians, and their martial arts and witchcraft are very powerful.

If barbarian invasion were to occur, it would likely be a slow but protracted process.

The area surrounding the Yue Ridge will be affected by the war. At that time, who knows how many people will die...

As soon as Yuan Zhifeng Zhichong left, True Person Zhihua called Zhou Wuji and together they went to the Upright Heart Hall on the mountaintop to pay their respects to True Person Zhiyun.

The True Person Zhiyun remained unchanged, sitting peacefully beneath the statue of the Northern Emperor, his expression serene and tranquil.

Seeing Zhou Wuji approach and bow, True Person Zhiyun smiled and waved his whisk, "No need for formalities, please sit down."

Zhou Wuji sat obediently on a futon, his position slightly behind that of True Person Zhihua.

"Abbot, Yuan Zhifeng said that the Heavenly Master's Manor has awarded Zhou Wuji a great service this time, and in order to maintain secrecy, the matter has been directly transferred to the Upper Court for handling."

True Person Zhihua turned to look at Zhou Wuji: "Great merit can be exchanged for precious spiritual items for cultivation, or you can enter the Heavenly Pillar Treasure Light Grotto-Heaven for a hundred days of cultivation. Which do you choose?"

"Disciples will be selected to enter the Heavenly Pillar Treasure Light Grotto-Heaven for cultivation," Zhou Wuji said.

This was all planned out for him by True Person Zhihua long ago. He trusted True Person Zhihua a lot, and besides, he didn't have any better options.

"Heavenly Pillar Treasure Light Grotto-Heaven is indeed suitable for you."

True Person Zhiyun said softly, "Just be careful, the condensed light of the Heavenly Pillar will reflect the cultivator's own inner demons. Bring plenty of protective pills and Law Artifact to safeguard your mind, and don't be impatient for quick results..."

Thank you, Abbot.

Zhou Wuji suddenly bowed deeply. "Abbot, this disciple has a request."

Before True Person Zhiyun could ask, Zhou Wuji said directly, "My master has passed away, and now that I have advanced to the Fifth Rank, I cannot find anyone to pass on my ordination and initiation."

"This disciple humbly requests the abbot to ordain and bestow ordination upon this disciple."

True Person Zhiyun chuckled, his clear, bright eyes looking at True Person Zhihua. True Person Zhihua shook his head slightly; this was not something she had instructed.

She never expected Zhou Wuji to be so bold, nor did she expect Zhou Wuji to pull such a stunt.

But she quickly realized that Zhou Wuji knew that his popularity might attract Lu Zhijing's dislike.

Lu Zhijing is the Palace Master of the Heavenly Pivot Hall, in charge of the inheritance of the Secret Method of the Heavenly Pivot Lineage.

Therefore, Zhou Wuji found the abbot first.

If the abbot were to bestow ordination upon Zhou Wuji, how could Lu Zhijing Zhou Wuji to make things difficult for him?

Although the abbot doesn't concern himself with anything on a daily basis, he wields absolute authority in the Upper Court.

True Person Zhihua also thought Zhou Wuji's move was very clever. However, True Person Zhiyun, surnamed Lu, and even if he was from a collateral branch of the Lu Household, he might not be willing to stand up for Zhou Wuji.

"You possess both virtue and talent, wisdom and courage, and have Northern Emperor's Blessing; you are a seed for cultivating the Tao. It is my great fortune to be able to transmit your ordination and register."

True Person Zhiyun reached out and helped Zhou Wuji up. "I know your situation. Actually, even if you hadn't said anything, I would have asked if this old Daoist would preside over the ceremony."

"Thank you, Abbot! Thank you, Abbot! I am humbled and ashamed by your kindness."

Zhou Wuji was quite moved. Regardless of True Person Zhiyun's words were true or false, the fact that the other party readily agreed to help him pass on his ordination and talisman made him a truly good person.

He hates it when people ask him for help but give vague, ambiguous answers, without clearly indicating whether they're refusing or helping, which makes him feel particularly uncomfortable.

Helping is a favor, not helping is also normal.

After all that beating around the bush, all they're trying to do is get your understanding even if they don't help, and expect you to feel indebted if they do help.

But nobody's stupid; saying too much will only hurt feelings.

True Person Zhiyun smiled gently, "Everyone has seen what you have done."

There's no need to be overly modest.

He then added, "This time, both Zhihua and I benefited from your help. The transmission of ordination and talismans is nothing more than a trivial matter, not worth mentioning."

"De" "Qi" "Xiao" "Shuo" "Net" "Shou" "Fa" "d""e""q""i""x""s"".""o""r""g"

True Person Zhiyun said with some emotion, "Our sect's seven branches each have their own Secret Method Divine Ability, and we were once extremely prosperous."

"To this day, the conflict among the seven sects is the source of the sect's decline."

"The world is on the verge of great change, yet the seven factions are still locked in endless infighting; it's truly tiresome. I only hope that you will achieve something in the future, promote what is beneficial and eliminate what is harmful, and restore the prestige of the Northern Pole Sect..."

Zhou Wuji felt truly ashamed this time. He bowed deeply once more, saying, "Although I am of meager talent and virtue, I am willing to do my utmost."

"Very good."

True Person Zhiyun was very satisfied with Zhou Wuji's attitude; he neither boasted nor shirked responsibility, and was indeed a man who dared to act and was capable of doing things.

After exchanging a few more words, True Person Zhihua took the initiative to bid farewell and leave with Zhou Wuji.

Emerging from the Upright Heart Hall, True Person Zhihua smiled and praised, "Your preemptive strike, using the opponent's force against them, was truly ingenious. Excellent."

Zhou Wuji looked helpless. "This disciple was forced into this situation. Seeing that we had already fallen out with True Person Zhijing, I had no other choice."

To be honest, he really didn't want to go against Lu Zhijing.

But he also understood that if he wanted to become the True Disciple of the sect leader, he would inevitably face fierce competition from all sides.

The more he stands out, the more he will be disliked and hated by the public.

True Person Zhihua also reminded Zhou Wuji: "Lu Zhijing is all bark and no bite, and his methods are limited. He's actually just a minor problem."

"The sect leader's True Disciple are extremely important and precious. You will encounter stronger enemies and greater troubles in the future. You must be prepared."

"I understand. The sect leader's True Disciple is like the crown prince. Who wouldn't want to be the crown prince!"

"On the path to vying for the True Disciple, the most important thing is not how well you perform, but that you are stronger than other competitors and have stronger supporters than other competitors, so that I can become the sole winner."

True Person Zhihua clapped his hands gently and exclaimed, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you! With such awareness, you've already won by half!"

Zhou Wuji revealed a fawning smile, something he had learned from Yigeng. He had practiced in front of the mirror for several days and felt he had surpassed his teacher.

"True Person, please teach me another round of the Northern Dipper Seven Star Sword technique..."

Before True Person Zhihua could speak, he said to himself, "In this vast Upper Court, only you can help me!"

True Person Zhihua it somewhat amusing. "So you're trying to pin this on me?!"

Zhou Wuji hurriedly waved his hand, "How dare I? It's all thanks to your care that I'm where I am today."

"I simply love Swordsmanship and couldn't resist asking you for guidance..."