These glowing gemstones are lower-grade spirit stones that store natural spiritual energy.
Each contains a significant amount of spiritual energy, enough to fill the depleted Qi Sea of a Qi Refining First Layer practitioner.
The rest are ten small cylindrical ceramic bottles, two inches tall and one inch in diameter.
"Are these the spirit stones and Spirit Eye Liquid?"
Ye Feng muttered softly to himself.
"Sect Master Uncle, with the Spirit Eye Liquid, you can begin cultivating," Li Jiaojiao said, picking up a bottle of Spirit Eye Liquid with an expression full of joy on her pretty face.
"Oh?"
Ye Feng's eyes lit up, "Spirit Eye Liquid can set me on the path of cultivation? Then, how do I use it?"
"To enter the foundational stage of cultivation, the 'Gazing Breath Realm,' one must continually use Spirit Eye Liquid to wash the eyes, allowing them to see the spiritual energy of this world. Only then can one draw the energy into the body and step into the Qi Refining Realm," Li Jiaojiao explained.
"So that's how it is!"
Ye Feng suddenly understood.
No wonder he felt the scenery around him was similar to his previous life's view, with greener mountains, bluer waters, and more beautiful people, yet he could not see the existence of spiritual energy.
It turned out he had not yet washed his eyes!
"How many bottles of Spirit Eye Liquid are needed to enter the Gazing Breath Realm?"
Ye Feng quickly asked.
He was excited, with a premonition that he was about to embark on the road of cultivation.
"Generally speaking, less than half a bottle of Spirit Eye Liquid is enough. Those with poorer aptitude might need a whole bottle," Li Jiaojiao said, like a considerate little assistant, patiently clarifying for Ye Feng.
Huo Yunjie and Shi Lei's eyes were wide with excitement as they stared at the one hundred lower-grade spirit stones inside the box.
They had never seen so many spirit stones in their lives until now.
For a moment, they were both somewhat dumbfounded.
"Ahem! Wealth should not be flaunted; let's quickly move this wooden box back to the sect," Ye Feng said.
"Yes."
Shi Lei picked up the wooden box, handling it even more carefully than if it were his own wife, and placed it in the rundown Sect Leader Hall.
"Today, all my disciples have worked hard. Take some spirit stones and practice well, especially Yun Jie. First, consolidate your cultivation level," Ye Feng said, patting Huo Yunjie on the shoulder.
Huo Yunjie was the only one among the three disciples who had mastered the "Fire Cloud Palm" to perfection, and he had put in the most effort. He deserved a reward.
"Thank you, Sect Leader!"
Huo Yunjie carefully took three spirit stones.
As for Li Jiaojiao and Shi Lei, they exchanged glances and, in silent agreement, each only took two.
Although they had fended off the challenge from the Scarlet Serpent Sect and could develop smoothly for the coming year, Ye Feng was nonetheless faced with another issue.
The system assessment task!
He must recruit ten disciples within seven days, and three days had already passed. Time was tight.
"According to the system, someone of Shi Lei's cultivation level in the Qi Refining Realm would count as an Outer Sect Disciple."
"So, what exactly is a Registered Disciple?"
"A regular person? Or must they also wash their eyes and enter the Gazing Breath Realm to count? Or is it that regardless of cultivation level, everything follows the system's standards?"
Ye Feng looked down at the ten bottles of Spirit Eye Liquid in the wooden box, pondering such thoughts.
After a moment's thought, Ye Feng asked, "Where can we recruit disciples more quickly?"
The three disciples looked at each other and then pointed towards the main urban area of Whitefloat City, a dozen or so miles away, saying:
"The main city has the most people; obviously, it's the quickest place to recruit disciples, but our Misty Sect is just a lower-rank sect, and we were very poor before, so no one there would join us."
"Is it really that bad?"
Ye Feng was speechless, "Then, how did we use to recruit disciples?"
"Before, the Old Sect Leader would go door to door in nearby villages and only then might recruit one or two disciples. But they thought they couldn't even get enough to eat here, so they ran away," Shi Lei said.
Hearing this, Ye Feng was at a loss for words.
A sect this impoverished truly leaves one speechless.
Ye Feng pointed to the spirit stones and Spirit Eye Liquid in the wooden box, "We used to be poor, but now, we have money!"
However, aware of the importance of not flaunting wealth, Ye Feng expressed his concern, "But now that we're so rich, won't we attract plundering from other sects?"
"Don't worry, Sect Master Uncle. The Old Sect Leader had bought the sect territory deed from the City Lord's Mansion. They will uphold justice for us," Li Jiaojiao said.
"So, having a Sect Territory Deed is like paying protection money," Ye Feng realized suddenly.
In the following time, the three disciples shared many more things with Ye Feng.
Among the information, Ye Feng learned that all sects within the boundaries of Whitefloat City, as long as they purchased a Sect Territory Deed, would receive protection from the City Lord's Mansion.
The cultivation resources of the sects wouldn't be dared to be stolen, otherwise, it would mean opposing the City Lord's Mansion of Whitefloat City.
Of course, thefts did occur now and then.
Small frictions between disciples weren't unheard of either.
But no one dared to openly rob a sect that had a Sect Territory Deed.
Therefore, when leaving their sects, the leaders liked to carry their treasures with them to prevent theft if left behind.
Having learned this, Ye Feng nodded his head, sat on a wooden case, and said:
"You've all worked hard today. First, use the Spirit Stones to cultivate and recover well. Tomorrow, we'll go to Whitefloat City to recruit disciples, and, incidentally, buy some food to bring back."
"Yes."
The three disciples nodded in agreement.
They were just in the Qi Refining Realm, and Sect Leader Ye Feng was even just a mortal, without the ability to subsist without food, thus they needed to eat.
...
Whitefloat City's main urban area.
"Have you heard? Misty Sect, just a dozen or so miles east of the city, actually defeated the Scarlet Serpent Sect. Moreover, their disciples have all cultivated their spells to Major Achievement, even to Perfection."
"What? Perfection?"
"You heard right; apparently, those disciples are only at the Third or Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, and one of them had a breakthrough to the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement right then and there, defeating Si Taijian in front of everyone."
"Impossible, right?"
The topic slowly gained traction in the streets and alleys.
As the disciples from various sects who watched the battle entered Whitefloat City, the news spread even faster.
In half a day's time, half the city had heard about it, revealing expressions of disbelief.
Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, First Grade Spell to Perfection...
Is that even possible?
Ninety-nine percent of people expressed disbelief.
"Mom, I want to join Misty Sect!" A teenager of about ten years of age said to his mother.
"What are you joining for? Misty Sect is practically out of food supplies, are you going to be a beggar?" The woman said disdainfully.
"I heard they traded Scarlet Serpent Sect's Sect Territory Deed for a hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones and ten bottles of Spirit Eye Liquid, they're not poor now", an old man from across the street interjected.
The woman's eyes bulged, and she immediately shooed her child out of the house: "Go join Misty Sect!"
Similar scenes occurred occasionally in Whitefloat City.
In the blink of an eye, evening came.
Within a narrow alley.
A figure wearing a black dress and a black veil hat stood quietly in place, listening to the conversations of the people, and whispered softly:
"Misty Sect... I've finally found it."
She turned gracefully, her dress fluttering in the wind, and quickly left Whitefloat City. Then, stepping on a streak of sword light, she flew towards Misty Peak, a dozen or so miles east of the city.
Misty Sect.
The three disciples had already restored their spiritual energy, and their cultivation levels had improved somewhat.
"With Spirit Stones for cultivation, progress is indeed swifter; in a few more days, I could break through to the Fourth Layer," Li Jiaojiao said.
"Me too," Shi Lei nodded and added.
"I have stabilized my cultivation level; perhaps in half a month's time, I could potentially reach the Peak of the Fifth Layer," Huo Yunjie also opened his eyes and shared his cultivation progress.
Ye Feng, hearing this, nodded with satisfaction.
For the better part of the day, he hadn't been idle either, but opened a bottle of Spirit Eye Liquid and began wiping his eyes continuously with a clean towel soaked in it.
However, there were no effects yet.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a streak of sword light landed outside the door.
"Is this Misty Sect?"
The cool voice from outside drew the attention of everyone in Misty Sect.