Chapter 11 People from the Immortal Cultivating Families, Spirit Stones.
Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, the trees in the mountain range surrounding Xuanyue Sect had grown thick, and the air had become hot. After finishing his tasks for the day in the mine, Lin Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Walking out of the mine with his good friend, the chubby Wang Fu, Lin Hao gazed at the setting sun and murmured, "I can't believe it's almost been five months since I joined Xuanyue Sect."
"Ah! Not good! Boss, I only have a few days left as a new outer disciple," Wang Fu suddenly said with a change of expression. According to the sect's rules, newly joined outer disciples could only stay in the Newcomer area for half a year.
Having arrived a month earlier than Lin Hao, Wang Fu realized that in just three days, he would be forced to leave this place and move to the Elder Disciple area, where the workload was much heavier.
"These five months have been comfortable, thanks to you, Boss. Leaving the Newcomer area is harder than dying," Wang Fu continued with a sad face.
"Wang Fu, in the Elder Disciple area, your cultivation has already reached the late stage of Qi Refining Stage One, you should be fine there," Lin Hao patted his shoulder.
"Boss, Qi Refining Stage One won't be enough to survive there. I need to reach Qi Refining Stage Two to avoid being bullied," Wang Fu lamented, recalling the ruthless characters in the Elder Disciple area. He felt a wave of dread at the thought of leaving his comfortable life behind.
"Come on, Wang Fu, give me a smile. Don't be scared. If you can't avoid it, then face it bravely," Lin Hao joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Once you're in the Elder area for a while and reach Qi Refining Stage Two, you'll be one of the stronger disciples. Life is about looking forward!"
A few days later, Wang Fu left reluctantly, heading to the Elder Disciple area. His departure left Lin Hao feeling a little melancholic. Among all the people in Xuanyue Sect, Wang Fu was the only one he considered a friend. Now that Wang Fu was gone, there was no one left to chat and joke with.
The next day, after Wang Fu left, a new bed became available, and a new outer disciple was assigned to the room.
"Senior Brother Lin Hao, I'm Li Feilong, twelve years old, with three attribute fire-wood spirit roots. I just joined Xuanyue Sect today. I've heard much about you, Senior Brother Lin. Please take care of me," the new disciple said with respect after moving in.
Lin Hao was slightly surprised. The boy appeared to be over six feet tall, and although his face looked young, he seemed much older than twelve.
"How did you know my name?" Lin Hao asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Senior Brother Lin, I come from a cultivation family in Zhao Country. I have some connections in Xuanyue Sect," Li Feilong explained, cupping his hands. "I asked an outer disciple, Senior Brother Zuo, and he told me about you."
Lin Hao was slightly stunned. The boy came from a cultivation family and already had connections in the sect. He was in a much better position than Lin Hao, who had no roots.
"Senior Brother Lin, I have a request," Li Feilong said after a pause.
"What is it?" Lin Hao asked, curious.
"I've heard you're the strongest in the tenth team of the Newcomer area, and you mine quickly," Li Feilong continued. "I would like to ask Senior Brother Lin to help me mine for a month."
"You want me to mine for you?" Lin Hao frowned. Was this boy trying to use his family background to pressure him?
"No, it's not that simple," Li Feilong quickly explained, seeing Lin Hao's expression darken. "Senior Brother Lin, you'll be moving to the Elder Disciple area in a little over a month, right? If you help me mine for a month, I will give you a low-grade spirit stone as payment."
At the mention of a "spirit stone," Lin Hao felt a surge of excitement. He had heard of spirit stones and their importance in array formations, weapon refining, and cultivation. They were essential in the cultivation world and served as universal currency.
Lin Hao was at the peak of Qi Refining Stage One and was close to breaking through. If he had a low-grade spirit stone, he might be able to break through before leaving the Newcomer area.
"Deal. I'll mine for you for a month," Lin Hao said after thinking for a moment, his expression softening.
Li Feilong smiled and handed Lin Hao a glowing crystal stone. "This is a low-grade spirit stone."
"This is a spirit stone!" Lin Hao was thrilled as he took the stone, feeling a wave of pure spiritual energy emanating from it. He could tell that with this spirit stone, his cultivation speed would increase significantly, and he would likely break through in the coming month.
"Junior Brother Li, why would you give up such a valuable spirit stone instead of mining it yourself?" Lin Hao asked, curious.
"Because in my Li family, it's not just me who joined Xuanyue Sect," Li Feilong replied. "In our family, whoever cultivates fastest and becomes an outer disciple first will receive more family resources. So, I need to focus entirely on cultivation and don't want to waste time on mining."
Lin Hao couldn't help but feel a bit envious. Having a family background like that made cultivation much easier than for someone like him, who had no roots.
"Junior Brother Li, since I've accepted your spirit stone, I'll take care of your mining tasks," Lin Hao promised with a grin.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Lin," Li Feilong said, smiling. With his family as support, he wasn't worried that Lin Hao would fail to do his part.
The two chatted for a while longer before they each went about their training.
In the following days, Lin Hao worked tirelessly in the mine. With his current strength, it wasn't difficult for him to mine double the amount of spirit iron. At night, he absorbed the energy from the low-grade spirit stone.
With the help of the Wan Gu Changsheng Tower, Lin Hao absorbed the energy without any loss. The energy from one spirit stone was equivalent to the energy two people would gain from two low-grade spirit stones.
As time passed, there was only a short time left before Lin Hao would leave the Newcomer area.
On a summer night, the chirping of insects filled the air.
Inside his wooden house, Lin Hao sat cross-legged, eyes closed, using the Five Elements Longevity Technique to circulate spiritual energy through his meridians.
Having absorbed all the energy from the low-grade spirit stone Li Feilong gave him, Lin Hao felt that his internal spiritual energy was at least 20% stronger than it was a month ago.
As he continued his practice, Lin Hao instinctively prepared to start the next cycle. Suddenly, he felt a sensation of a barrier breaking within his body, followed by a wave of comfort.
After more than twenty days of hard work, Lin Hao finally broke through from the peak of Qi Refining Stage One to Qi Refining Stage Two.
Chapter 12 Struggle for the Mining Area Territory.
"Lin Hao has broken through!"
In the wooden house, Li Feilong sensed the aura of the breakthrough and stopped his cultivation, opening his eyes with a look of surprise on his face.
It's worth noting that Lin Hao had been cultivating extremely slowly, with a so-called "useless" Five Elements spiritual root! To reach the second level of Qi Refining within just half a year of joining the sect—this speed was on par with someone with a four-type dual attribute spiritual root.
It was simply illogical!
However, recalling the rumors, Li Feilong realized that Lin Hao had consumed a spiritual fruit so precious that even the Sect Leader had been startled. This explanation made sense, and a look of envy appeared on his face.
That spiritual fruit could allow someone with a useless spiritual root to break through to Qi Refining Second Level in just half a year. If he had such a fruit, how much faster would his cultivation speed be?
"I still owe it to the low-grade spirit stone you gave me, Junior Brother Li," Lin Hao said with a smile after exhaling a breath of turbid air, his face showing excitement. Reaching the second level of Qi Refining meant he was one step closer to the requirement for becoming an outer disciple at the third level of Qi Refining.
A few days later, the morning was clear and bright.
In the Tenth Team's new disciple area, a young man with a long face, wearing outer disciple robes, walked toward Lin Hao with a cold expression. "Lin Hao, you've been here for half a year, you're no longer a new disciple. Come with me to the Elder Disciple area."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Lin Hao nodded and replied calmly.
The long-faced youth couldn't help but feel slightly puzzled. Normally, new disciples who were about to be transferred to the Elder Disciple area would be like dead men walking, but Lin Hao seemed completely at ease.
"Ah, no wonder you're so calm. You've already reached Qi Refining Second Level. Among the disciples here, your cultivation speed is considered quite fast," the long-faced youth remarked, suddenly surprised as he sized Lin Hao up. A Five Elements spiritual root reaching the second level of Qi Refining in such a short time was truly a miracle.
"Senior Brother, I just broke through recently, by pure luck," Lin Hao said, offering a humble smile.
"Junior Brother Lin, you're someone with great fortune! If I could get my hands on a spiritual fruit like the one you ate, I could probably break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining and become an inner disciple," the long-faced youth said, no longer cold, his tone now full of admiration.
In the world of cultivation, spiritual roots were important, but opportunities were sometimes even more crucial. They could change the course of one's fate.
Lin Hao, with his Five Elements spiritual root, would normally take decades to reach Qi Refining Second Level, but he had done so in just half a year.
The long-faced youth began to imagine just how incredible the effects of that "spiritual fruit" could be. If it weren't for the sect leader, and if the fruit had not already been absorbed by Lin Hao, becoming part of his potential, and given that the sect was a righteous sect that prohibited direct harm among disciples, he imagined that some people might not be able to resist the temptation to kill Lin Hao and consume his flesh in hopes of getting even a fraction of the fruit's power.
"Senior Brother, you're joking. Even though I ate the spiritual fruit, I still have a useless Five Elements spiritual root. The further I go in cultivation, the slower I will progress. Becoming an outer disciple would be a big achievement for me," Lin Hao said, being mindful to remain modest.
The long-faced youth, now intrigued, dropped his aloof demeanor and began to chat more casually with Lin Hao.
"After leaving the new disciple area, you'll have to mine ten jin of spiritual iron to earn a meal," he explained. "Although there's twice as much work, the good part is that you'll receive two low-grade spirit stones each year."
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for clearing that up for me," Lin Hao said, cupping his hands.
The two continued walking, and soon arrived at the area where elder disciples who had been in the sect for over six months lived. Wooden houses were scattered everywhere, making it look like a small village.
As expected of the Xuan Yue Sect, one of the four major cultivation sects of the Zhao Kingdom—there were thousands of elder disciples working in the mining area alone.
In addition to the mining area, there were also areas for pill refinement, spiritual herb cultivation, and weapon forging, meaning there were likely tens of thousands of servant disciples in total.
"The elder disciple area is divided into thirty-six teams, each with around one hundred members," the long-faced youth explained, leading Lin Hao further. He pointed to a wooden house and said, "You will be in Team Thirty-Two. That's your house."
"Yes, Senior Brother." Lin Hao nodded.
After arranging everything for him, the long-faced youth quickly left.
Lin Hao entered the wooden house. Inside, he saw ten wooden beds.
In the new disciple area, rooms were shared by two disciples, but in the elder disciple area, each house had to accommodate ten disciples, and the conditions were much worse.
Since most disciples were out in the mines, the house was empty.
Lin Hao looked around and found an empty bed to put his meager belongings on. He also had two meal vouchers for the mining area, which could be exchanged for two bowls of spiritual porridge. So, he didn't hurry to start work but instead took some time to familiarize himself with the environment.
The Elder Disciple area spanned across several large mountains, and the scenery was quite nice with lush forests.
Lin Hao walked around the area surrounding his new quarters before returning to the wooden house to meditate and cultivate.
In the afternoon, as the sun set and dusk fell, the door to the wooden house opened, and several servant disciples walked in.
"Hello, Senior Brothers. My name is Lin Hao. I've just been assigned here," Lin Hao said, ending his meditation and greeting the newcomers.
"Newcomer? What's your cultivation level?" asked one of the larger disciples, frowning as he eyed Lin Hao.
"Replying to Senior Brother, I'm at the second level of Qi Refining," Lin Hao answered after a brief pause.
"Didn't expect the new guy to be so strong!"
Upon hearing that Lin Hao had reached Qi Refining Second Level, all the disciples entering the room relaxed, and the larger youth smiled. "Junior Brother Lin, I'm Jiang Sheng, the strongest disciple in this house. If we want to live well in the Elder Disciple area, we need to stick together. Let me explain the rules here."
"Senior Brother Jiang," Lin Hao nodded.
"I'm sure you already know that in this area, we have to mine twice the amount of spiritual iron compared to the New Disciple area," Jiang Sheng continued. "We need to secure the best mining spots if we want to extract more spiritual iron."
"There are four of us in this house at Qi Refining Second Level, while the other six are at Qi Refining First Level."
"Right now, the mining spot we occupy produces a decent amount of spiritual iron, but other houses have their eyes on it."
"If anyone tries to take our spot, the four of us at Qi Refining Second Level will need to fight back and defend it."
"Understood, Senior Brother," Lin Hao said, relieved that Jiang Sheng was being polite.
"Also, the six at Qi Refining First Level will share some of their spiritual porridge with us as a reward for guarding the mining spot," Jiang Sheng added.
With Jiang Sheng's detailed explanation, Lin Hao began to understand the situation in the mining area better. According to the rules of the Xuan Yue Sect, in the Elder Disciple area, every house of disciples acted as a team. To secure the best mining resources, teamwork was essential.
Chapter 13 Conflict of Interests
Upon arriving at the new location, Lin Hao had a brief conversation with the people in his shared room, and soon enough, he became familiar with their faces.
Afterward, the wooden house fell silent as the ten servant disciples began their cultivation.
As servant disciples, if they didn't become outer sect disciples within three years, they would have to leave the sect and go to the mundane cities controlled by Xuanyue Sect. These cities had very little spiritual energy, far less than the mountains where the sect was located.
If they couldn't ascend to the outer sect, their path to immortality would be cut off.
Therefore, every moment during these three years was crucial for the servant disciples, and they couldn't afford to slack off in their cultivation.
The next morning, as the sun rose, Lin Hao finished his cultivation, left the wooden house, and followed Jiang Sheng and the others to the mining site. The underground space of the elder servant disciple mining area was much larger than the one he had been in previously.
Fifteen minutes later…
The group of ten arrived at their destination.
"Clang! Clang!"
Many servant disciples were already there, swinging their pickaxes to mine.
"Lin Junior Brother, this is our territory," Jiang Sheng explained as the leader.
"Got it, Senior Brother Jiang."
Lin Hao quickly scanned the area and saw that the space they were assigned was quite large—about 100 meters or more in length.
"Let's get to work!"
They scattered, each grabbing a pickaxe and starting to mine the hard ground.
Time passed quickly, and soon an hour had gone by.
Lin Hao noticed that the soil and rock in this mine were much tougher, but there was noticeably more spiritual iron than in the mine of the new servant disciples' area.
He used his cultivation at the second level of Qi Refining to channel spiritual energy into his hands and worked diligently. After just one hour, he had mined nine pounds of spiritual iron.
"Junior Brother Lin, you're amazing! You're mining so quickly," Jiang Sheng said in surprise as he watched Lin Hao swing the pickaxe, nearly catching up with the elder disciples at the second level of Qi Refining in terms of output.
"I'm a newcomer, and I don't want to hold everyone back, so I had to give it my all," Lin Hao replied with an honest smile.
As a Five Elements spirit root, his spiritual energy was much stronger than other disciples at the same cultivation level. After just one hour, he had mined nine pounds of spiritual iron. If he really exerted himself, he could easily surpass ten pounds per hour.
"I see. Junior Brother Lin, don't rush. Take it easy, don't overexert yourself. Work at a steady pace," Jiang Sheng kindly advised.
"Understood, Senior Brother Jiang," Lin Hao nodded. After interacting with Jiang Sheng, he found him to be kind and not harsh like the cruel and demanding Yan Heng from the new servant disciple area.
The hours passed, and soon it was noon.
After a morning of hard work, the group had mined more than 170 pounds of spiritual iron.
The four disciples at the second level of Qi Refining had each mined about twenty pounds, adding up to over ninety pounds. The six others, who were still at the first level of Qi Refining, had been cultivating for about a year, so their spiritual energy was stronger than the new servant disciples. Their mining speed wasn't as fast as the second level disciples, but they weren't too slow either. Each of them mined around thirteen pounds, bringing their total to about eighty pounds.
"Junior Brother Lin, once we finish the morning's work, those of us at the second level of Qi Refining don't have to come back to the mine in the afternoon. We can use our free time as we wish," Jiang Sheng said, putting away his mining tools.
"However, Senior Brother Jiang, in order to get three bowls of spiritual porridge, I need to mine ten pounds of spiritual iron. But I only mined twenty-two pounds this morning, so I still don't have enough to trade for three bowls," Lin Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"You don't have to worry about that. The other six first level disciples in our group will continue working in the afternoon. If you don't have enough, they'll help us make up the difference," Jiang Sheng said, without any guilt or hesitation. He smiled and added, "The second level disciples need to focus on cultivation. The stronger we are, the better our position in the mine."
"Got it," Lin Hao nodded. Upon arriving here, he had decided to follow the rules, and so he agreed to Jiang Sheng's suggestion. He then prepared to go to the dining hall with the other servant disciples.
Suddenly, a group of people blocked their path. One of them, a hawk-nosed youth, spoke with an unfriendly expression: "Jiang Sheng, your strongest member, Xu Zhi Kai, has left. Now that there's a newcomer, I think it's time you move aside. This area is ours now."
"Zou Shan Hu, you want to take our territory? Haven't you been taught a lesson yet?" Jiang Sheng's brows furrowed as he coldly responded.
"Without Xu Zhi Kai, you won't be able to hold onto this place. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave," Zou Shan Hu's eyes gleamed with greed. He had long coveted this area rich in spiritual iron. With Xu Zhi Kai gone, he saw an opportunity to take over.
"Looks like it's time to fight," Jiang Sheng's face darkened. He knew that with the loss of a strong member and the arrival of a newcomer, their overall strength had decreased, and they were at a disadvantage in a fight. However, he wasn't willing to give up such a rich mining area so easily.
The tension in the air thickened, and Lin Hao's expression grew serious. It was his first day in this area, and already he was caught up in a territorial dispute. He knew that as a member of the same room, he couldn't stay out of it.
"Heh, looks like there's going to be a good show," some of the other servant disciples muttered as they gathered around to watch.
"Hmph, you've got no idea what you're in for. Get ready to regret it," Zou Shan Hu sneered and called for his followers to charge, shouting, "Teach them a lesson."
"Damned bastards, we'll fight them together!" Jiang Sheng roared, his face flushed with anger as he clenched his fists, leading the charge.
Seeing that their strongest member was so fierce, the other disciples quickly followed suit. Life in the elder servant disciple area had been tough, and they knew that if they showed weakness now, they would be bullied by others.
"Bang! Bang!"
The sounds of fists meeting flesh rang out.
Lin Hao, caught in the middle, didn't have time to think. Soon, a disciple at the second level of Qi Refining charged at him with a fierce look and raised his fist to strike.
"Isn't it supposed to be peaceful among cultivators? Why are they picking on me?" Lin Hao's heart burned with anger. His eyes reddened, and his spiritual energy surged as he clenched his fists, preparing to fight back.
Thus began his second fight in the cultivation world.
Chapter 14 Flexible Combat
At the Xuan Yue Sect, one could only learn spells after reaching the third level of Qi Refining and becoming an outer disciple.
The highest cultivation level for a servant disciple is the second level of Qi Refining. Fights mostly involve using spiritual energy to enhance the body and engage in close combat. However, if one has prior martial arts experience, they gain a considerable advantage in battle.
In the chaos of the fight, the square-faced young man, who had been charging straight at Lin Hao, was quickly within range.
Several months had passed since his master, the Everlasting Immortal, passed down the Everlasting Longevity Tower and Everlasting Longevity Technique to Lin Hao. Since then, the master had fallen into a deep slumber and had not appeared again.
This left Lin Hao's hope of learning battle spells or martial techniques from his master unfulfilled.
However, during his time in the newcomer district, to avoid being bullied, he had practiced fighting with his fat companion, Wang Fu, to improve his combat skills.
Seeing the square-faced youth was already within his attack range, Lin Hao activated his Five Elements Longevity Technique, channeling spiritual energy into his fists and sending a powerful punch forward.
"Bang!"
Although Lin Hao's cultivation in the Five Elements Spirit Root was slow, his spiritual energy was far greater than that of others at the same cultivation level. His enhanced punch created an explosive sound.
"Eh! What a fast punch!"
The square-faced youth's expression changed as he realized that the newcomer, who had just arrived from the Newcomer District, had a punch speed and power comparable to, or even stronger than, his own, despite being a late-stage Qi Refining second level cultivator who had been in the Elder Servant District for a year.
However, the square-faced youth quickly regained his composure. With his vast combat experience, he could tell that Lin Hao, despite his power, lacked martial training and his moves lacked discipline.
A cold glint flashed across his face, and he quickly executed a set of agile footwork to dodge.
Lin Hao's punch, imbued with mighty spiritual energy, missed.
"Whoosh!"
The square-faced youth dodged and then threw a sharp punch aimed at Lin Hao's abdomen.
Lin Hao was startled. The square-faced youth's combat experience was far superior to the vicious Yan Heng he had defeated in the Newcomer District. The punch's wind was terrifying, and it was closing in on his stomach.
By the time Lin Hao realized, it was already too late to dodge. He hurriedly gathered spiritual energy to protect his abdomen.
"Boom!"
A dull sound, like a hammer striking metal, echoed through the air.
"Hiss!"
Two pain-filled gasps sounded simultaneously.
Lin Hao was sent stumbling back five or six steps before he could steady himself, while the square-faced youth was stunned. The force of the rebound from Lin Hao's protective spiritual energy had caused his fist to hurt, and he quickly understood that the newcomer's spiritual energy was far greater than his own.
"Mo, quickly subdue this newcomer and join me in taking down that dog Jiang Sheng!" shouted the Zhao Shanhu as he struggled with Jiang Sheng.
"Got it, Zhao senior!" the square-faced youth replied, gritting his teeth as he decided to take down Lin Hao. He had figured out that Lin Hao's weakness was his lack of martial arts training, and he would focus on exploiting it.
"I'll hold him off," Jiang Sheng called to Lin Hao. "Just keep him busy."
"Mountain Crushing Fist!" Jiang Sheng roared, channeling all his spiritual energy into his fist, causing his arm to swell before striking at Zhao Shanhu with a fierce blow.
"Bang!"
The strongest of Zhao Shanhu's team, he was sent stumbling back, clearly at a disadvantage.
"You think you can defeat me so easily?" Zhao Shanhu retorted.
Lin Hao, heartened by Jiang Sheng's courage, gathered his focus to face the square-faced youth again. As long as he could hold off his opponent, their team would win.
"Boom! Bang...!"
The square-faced youth attacked rapidly, fists coming from all angles, aiming at Lin Hao's weak points where his spiritual energy was thin.
Lin Hao, however, wasn't stupid. After taking a few hits, he realized the youth's intent and quickly retreated. His spiritual energy, being more abundant than his opponent's, allowed him to move faster than the square-faced youth, who struggled to keep up.
The square-faced youth's steps grew erratic as he failed to land a hit, and Lin Hao taunted, "Look at your Zhao senior—he's almost done for. You guys are going to lose this fight. If I were you, I'd just surrender."
"Mo, stop wasting time with that newcomer! Come help me take down Jiang Sheng!" Zhao Shanhu bellowed, finding himself losing ground.
"Yes, Zhao senior!" The square-faced youth sneered at Lin Hao one last time, then turned to rush toward Jiang Sheng.
"Your opponent is me!" Lin Hao called, his eyes flashing as he surged forward, using the tactic of "advance when the enemy retreats," not allowing the square-faced youth to escape.
With the Five Elements spiritual energy supporting his legs, Lin Hao moved like the wind, quickly closing the distance and launching a punch at the retreating square-faced youth.
"You bastard!" the square-faced youth shouted, knowing just how powerful Lin Hao's punch was. He was forced to dodge, but couldn't escape his relentless pursuit.
"Boom!"
At the same time, a victorious cry came from Jiang Sheng, who took the opportunity to land a solid punch on Zhao Shanhu's face.
"Ah!" Zhao Shanhu let out a pained scream as he was knocked flying, crashing to the ground with a cloud of dust.
"Ugh!" He spat out blood.
"We surrender..." Zhao Shanhu and his remaining companions cried out in defeat.
"Stop!" came a calm voice from an outer disciple monitoring the scene in the mine.
According to the sect's rules, once one side surrendered or lost all fighting ability, the fight was over to avoid unnecessary injuries and disruptions to the mining process.
"Yes, senior!" Jiang Sheng bowed respectfully and ceased his attack on Zhao Shanhu.
The other servant disciples quickly stopped fighting as well, and Lin Hao's group successfully retained control of their high-yield mining area.
"Jiang Sheng, you... you'll regret this!" Zhao Shanhu shouted as he was helped away, still muttering threats.