Chapter 23 - Spirit Grove

Not long after the one-star alchemist, Cao Mei, left Li Lang behind, a young boy came in and led Li Lang out of the gigantic tree building to one of the sect dormitories. It was a one-story wooden building, with several tiny rooms that could barely fit a single bed and a desk.Once Li Lang finished stowing his luggage away, he couldn't stand being cooped up in the tiny room and walked out to the common area. There he found several young boys around his age, in the middle of a discussion about the books in their hands.Li Lang's presence was instantly noticed, and they all turned toward him skeptically."You. We haven't seen you before. Do you have business here?" the shortest boy in the group asked."Yes, my name is Li Lang. I've been assigned to live here.""Now? So late? Impossible." the boy stood up and aggressively approached Li Lang while the others all watched on."Who are you really? Are you from the other dorms, here to sabotage us before the tests?""No, I just arrived at the sect today.""Hmph!" He spat on the floor. "Don't you dare lie to your Senior Yang here!"Li Lang had enough life experience to know it would be difficult to get words through this boy's head. He also knew people who liked to flaunt their superiority often feared their superiors as well."I'm not lying. I just arrived with Elder Cao Mei and she got someone to bring me here.""...I see."The color from the boy's face drained at the mention of the elder. Li Lang decided to do a quick retreat lest he embarrass the boy and start a feud."Anyway, I'm starving. Do you know where I have to go to get some food around here?"The boy furthest in the back, who was a bystander until now, swiftly answered, giving detailed directions. With that information, Li Lang immediately set off. As he left, the group of young cultivators immediately gossiped about him."Who do you think that boy with the large head is? He said Elder Cao personally brought him into the sect.""I don't know, but judging from his appearance, he should have a unique physique that caught the Elder's attention. It is better to befriend such a person rather than antagonize. Yang Quan, you were too reckless there."Li Lang didn't want to eavesdrop further and picked up his speed. He found the dining hall and was able to get food by simply joining the line. He didn't get a choice on the menu, but he wouldn't say no to free food when he was hungry.Not wanting to stand out too much, Li Lang decided to call it early and returned to his room right after he ate. Before he slept, he did his usual cultivating and checked in on things in his lab.The next morning, not long after the sun had risen, the same boy that had led him to his room returned. After a short greeting, he guided Li Lang out into a large clearing near the enormous tree in the middle of the sect.The alchemist-cum-elder, Cao Mei, was already there when they arrived. Beside her was a middle-aged man with a long beard that came all the way down to his chest."This is Li Lang, the boy I was talking about," Cao Mei informed the man.He stroked his beard as he examined Li Lang with a piercing gaze before nodding."I see. I am Elder Wang." He turned back to Cao Mei. "If there's nothing else, we should begin right away. I wouldn't want the juniors to call me slow on top of being an old fart."Cao Mei nodded in agreement and glanced over at Li Lang."Li Lang, are you ready?""Yes!"The first test they did was the aptitude test. While Li Lang had reported his aptitude level, the sect still had to perform the test in an official manner to record the results. To no surprise, the talent orb glowed red when Li Lang placed his hands on it.The old man then moved near Li Lang and placed a hand on his wrist. He stroked his beard as a floating brush beside him scribbled down the results."Next test, combat." Elder Wang flourished his sleeve and a wooden humanoid puppet appeared. "Fight this combat doll. I will limit it to the third stage of Energy Gathering, just like you."Li Lang could only take a deep breath at the mention of combat. As a scientist who holed up in his lab all his life, he didn't have a single experience of getting into a fight. There were soldiers for that, and he was clever enough to steer clear of any conflict, but he doubted he could get away from it now that he was in this world.Still, even if he was determined, it didn't change the fact he didn't have any skills in combat. He didn't even have a weapon on him, so he could only imitate a boxing stance he had previously seen.The wooden puppet clattered to life. It had the dimensions of a human and was unarmed as well. As it slowly approached Li Lang, he tried to bounce on the ball of his feet and launched a jab at the doll.While it seemed simple, with the cultivation of the third stage of Energy Gathering, Li Lang's fist could easily shatter bricks.Just as Li Lang thought his fist would make contact with the puppet, his vision suddenly rotated and, before he knew it, he was facing the sky. He could hear the sigh coming from Elder Wang, and it was then that he realized he had been knocked down.Am I really this weak? I'm going to have to work on this if I want to survive in the future…"Your stance is unorthodox, to say the least. It leaves your entire lower body undefended. I must say, you may not have a talent for martial arts. Hopefully, when your cultivation reaches the next stage, you'll find that you're more gifted in Qi arts."Fortunately, everyone knew the tests today weren't based on combat or aptitude. Li Lang quickly brushed off the dirt on him and they began moving on to the next test.They moved to an area further from the colossal tree and took a path that led underground. Atop the tunnel's entrance, there was a large wooden sign with the word 'Crafts' on it.It was apparent the tunnel led underneath the trees, as their roots could be seen all around the path. At the end of this path was a giant set of stone doors that easily reached ten stories high.It was already open and the circular space inside could be seen. It was so spacious that it could easily fit a thousand people. The walls and floors were all decorated with murals of people performing their crafts. It ranged widely from blacksmithing to construction work.There were many people gathered in this spacious hall, all chatting away or reading a book in the corner where several benches were. Others used it as a meeting point with their companions.On the opposite side of the hall were five different paths. Each path had yet another sign hanging above it. They were labeled with the five elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and Metal.The two elders wordlessly led Li Lang down the 'Fire' path.They soon arrived at a lobby where several disciples manned the reception counters. Elder Wang flashed his token and was swiftly handed a key. The trio then went further in, where numerous hallways branched off, each with dozens of rooms. It wasn't long before they entered one of them."Your next test, as recommended by Elder Cao here, is alchemy. I have the materials for refining Recovery Pills here." After another wave of his hand, a pile of materials appeared on the table.The two elders took a moment to inspect the alchemy room before leaving Li Lang to his own device.Time to refine another batch. I wonder if I can get some other pill so I can start expanding my repertoire? And can I even make money while I'm at it?As someone who had to be mindful of his research funds all his life, Li Lang couldn't help but steer his thoughts toward securing funding.Unfortunately, he previously didn't have the foresight to ask these questions, so he would have to save it for later.He got to work refining the pills once more.After several hours working away in the alchemy room, Li Lang emerged and was immediately greeted by the elders, who appeared from nowhere.He handed the fruit of his hard work with a smile, as he was confident of the results. After having refined the same pill several times, he believed he was starting to get the hang of it.Elder Wang accepted the bottles with a frown before turning to Elder Cao."Three bottles." He opened them each and inspected the contents. "Subpar quality, but he has succeeded in all three attempts yet again, as you reported. Is this a coincidence?"Cao Mei didn't bother to respond to her fellow elder and instead stared at Li Lang."Since you are joining our sect, why don't you tell us? Is this a fluke, or are you a genius, or is it something else?"Being glared down by two Violet Core cultivators who didn't bother to restrain their aura, Li Lang couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.