86: Joining the Qingyun Sect, Qingming Xiaoyao Qi

"Medium Grade Earth-Wood Spiritual Root, eligible for Outer Sect Disciple."

"High Grade Wind-Thunder Spiritual Root, eligible for Inner Sect Disciple!"

"Low Grade Five Elements Spiritual Root, eligible for Outer Sect Disciple."

"Low Grade Wood Spiritual Root, eligible for Outer Sect Disciple."

...

From day to night, the Spiritual Root test finally concluded.

You discovered that people possessing a Spiritual Root are truly rare; among over a hundred thousand people, there were only twenty-something, and among all those who possessed a Spiritual Root, you actually ranked in the upper echelon.

Because you were the only Outer Sect Disciple with a mid-grade Five Elements Spiritual Root, you ranked first in terms of Cultivation talent among all the Outer Sect Disciples recruited this time!

Among these people, the only ones ranked above you were two high-grade spiritual root holders capable of entering the Inner Sect directly.

However, you noticed that the Azure Cloud Sect seems to have no Utility Disciples; as long as one possesses a Spiritual Root, one is an Outer Sect Disciple. Perhaps it is because Spiritual Roots are too rare.

As the test ended, you and the others, under the guidance of the Azure Cloud Sect's reception Disciples, boarded a giant flying boat over a hundred meters long.

The flying boat was entirely crafted from a certain cyan-colored spirit wood, with complex Formation patterns engraved on the hull, shimmering with a faint glow in the twilight.

After boarding the flying boat, you discovered that the interior was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside, adorned with night-luminescent pearls among the carved beams and painted pillars, and even the floor was paved with jade.

After everyone had boarded the flying boat, it slowly ascended. Suddenly, the hull shook, and the scenery around you instantly blurred into a stream of light; at this moment, the speed of the flying boat was dozens of times the speed of sound.

At this speed, if not for the Formation protection on the flying boat, you newly initiated Disciples would likely have kicked the bucket on the spot.

One minute later, the flying boat stopped once again on the plaza of an Immortal City. This Immortal City was also called Qingyun Immortal City; it could be said that any Immortal City established by the Azure Cloud Sect, regardless of size, was called Qingyun Immortal City.

This Immortal City was nearly three times larger than the one you were in, so there were more people testing their Spiritual Roots, and it took three days to finish testing.

However, although the final number of people possessing Spiritual Roots was several times higher than your group, there were only three people who possessed high-grade spiritual roots.

There are also differences between Spiritual Roots of the same grade. For the same High Grade single Spiritual Root, the higher the purity, the greater the brightness of the Spiritual Root testing crystal. You observed that the gap was so large it even exceeded the gap between a mid-grade spiritual root and a high-grade spiritual root.

In over twenty days, the flying boat traveled to ten Immortal Cities and recruited over five hundred people possessing Spiritual Roots. There wasn't much time wasted on the road; it was mainly the Spiritual Root testing that consumed time.

After finishing the last Immortal City, the flying boat took less than ten minutes to arrive at Mount Qingyun, where the mountain gate of the Azure Cloud Sect is located.

The moment you stepped off the flying boat, what met your eyes was a vast reception platform. In the center stood a giant stone stele that was entirely pearly white and wrapped in golden runes; the stele was over a hundred zhang wide and towered into the clouds.

What was even more shocking was that the sky above the platform was suspended with dense flying boats, numbering no less than a thousand.

Below each flying boat gathered newly initiated Disciples, sometimes ten or so, sometimes hundreds; all were new Disciples recruited by the Azure Cloud Sect this time.

Under the arrangement of the reception Disciples, everyone waited quietly on the platform.

As time passed, the flying boats in the sky increased like stars, and the new Disciples on the platform gradually gathered into a sea of people.

When the last batch of flying boats arrived, tens of thousands of new Disciples had gathered on the entire flat ground, bustling with noise but not lacking in order.

Suddenly, a melodious bell chime came from the sky. Everyone simultaneously quieted down and looked up, only to see nine figures stepping on clouds as they arrived, their sleeves fluttering, looking just like Immortals descending into the world.

The person in the lead wore a purple-gold Daoist robe that swayed gently in the wind; his crane-haired, youthful-faced appearance exuded an aura of an Immortal.

His eyes were bright and piercing, seemingly able to see through people's hearts, yet the corners of his mouth always carried a gentle smile that made one feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze. He spoke: "I am Sect Master Yun Qingzi of the Azure Cloud Sect. Seeing all you talents today brings me great joy. Since the founding of our Azure Cloud Sect... Finally, I wish all Disciples a prosperous path to Immortal Ascension."

You stood on the reception platform and listened to Sect Master Yun Qingzi speak for a full half-hour. Most of it was nonsense, but you still analyzed the main information from it.

Sect Master Yun Qingzi's general meaning was that the Azure Cloud Sect is a righteous Sect with a Legacy spanning over a hundred thousand years and a profound foundation; joining the Azure Cloud Sect is your good fortune.

The purpose of the Azure Cloud Sect gathering you all on the reception platform was to bestow upon you, all at once, the Cultivation Technique suitable for yourselves and common knowledge of the cultivation world.

After Sect Master Yun Qingzi finished speaking, he waved his sleeve, and the giant stone stele on the reception platform suddenly lit up, with countless golden runes swimming on the surface of the stele like flowing water.

Subsequently, the stone stele emitted a brilliant golden light, instantly shrouding all the newly initiated Disciples on the reception platform.

You were stung by the golden light and closed your eyes; immediately after, a stream of information slowly merged into your mind.

Following that, a lot of common knowledge about cultivation, an outline of Cultivation, and a Cultivation Technique — the Lesser Five Elements Qi Refining Method — appeared in your mind.

After receiving the Cultivation Technique, you and the others were sent to your respective destinations.

Under the escort of the reception Disciples, you soon arrived at the location of the Outer Sect, situated on the mountainside of Mount Qingyun. On the way, you saw many massive mountains floating in the air.

According to the information transmitted by the stone stele in your mind, the people living on these mountains are all Elders of the Azure Cloud Sect and their Disciples.

In the Azure Cloud Sect, as long as one reaches the Purple Mansion Realm, one can possess their own mountain.

After entering the residence of the Outer Sect Disciples, you discovered that the Azure Cloud Sect is truly generous. The luxury level of each Outer Sect Disciple's Immortal Cave was, in your view, no worse than the villas of your previous life, and it was filled with an ancient simplicity; it really had that cultivation charm.

Before leaving, the reception Disciple gave you an Outer Sect Disciple token.

According to the knowledge in your mind, you know that the Azure Cloud Sect's disciple token is not simple; to use words from your previous life, it is full of black technology.

It is not only the controller for the Immortal Cave's Formation, but the monthly Cultivation resources for Outer Sect Disciples are also distributed by the token.

That's right, a small Outer Sect Disciple token can transmit items across space. Besides that, the token can also contact and communicate with other Outer Sect Disciples, and it is even a mission platform where one can accept missions, receive contribution points, exchange for items, and so on.

However, missions have nothing to do with you right now. Outer Sect Disciples who have just joined the Azure Cloud Sect do not need to do missions for the first ten years; during these ten years, the Sect will distribute fixed Cultivation resources every month.

Of course, if you feel that the resources distributed by the Sect are not enough, you can also actively accept missions to earn contribution points.

In the Azure Cloud Sect, contribution points are hard currency and can be exchanged for everything needed for Cultivation!

After entering the Immortal Cave, you did not first Cultivate the Lesser Five Elements Qi Refining Method, but instead carefully reviewed the outline of Cultivation in your mind and some common knowledge of Cultivation that the original body did not understand.

Through reviewing the information transmitted by the stone stele, you discovered that the Azure Cloud Sect still has Utility Disciples; these Utility Disciples are all Xiantian Martial Artists from the mortal world.

Xiantian Martial Artists are the limit that mortal martial arts can reach. Of course, just like in the cultivation novels of your previous life, the strength of a Xiantian Martial Artist cannot compare to a cultivation novice who has just started Qi Refining.

However, Xiantian Martial Artists can also reach the Qi Refining Realm through special methods, and can continue to Cultivate, but they can never reach the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.

As for why these Xiantian Martial Artists from the mortal world do not act as kings and hegemons in the mortal world, but instead come to the Azure Cloud Sect to be Utility Disciples.

It is because the Azure Cloud Sect will help them reach the Qi Refining Realm, and the requirement is only for them to serve as Utility Disciples for thirty years; for them, this is a huge profit.

In this world, as long as one reaches the Qi Refining Realm, their Lifespan will increase to three hundred years. The Qi Refining Realm is divided into nine layers, and for each level raised, the Lifespan increases by thirty years.

And the maximum Lifespan of a Xiantian Martial Artist is only one hundred and twenty years; that is to say, a Xiantian Martial Artist who reaches the Qi Refining Realm can increase their Lifespan by one hundred and eighty years, and if they can Breakthrough further, it is equivalent to living four extra sixty-year cycles.

It is precisely because of this that everyone scrambles to be a Utility Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect.

After understanding the key points of Cultivation, you began to carefully look through the Lesser Five Elements Qi Refining Method bit by bit.

Although due to the stone stele, the Lesser Five Elements Qi Refining Method was already deeply branded in your mind, you still needed to familiarize yourself with it once before starting to Cultivate; after all, matters of Cultivation cannot be sloppy.

As you flipped through it, you discovered that your Comprehension Ability seemed to be climbing steadily; after one pass, you had already perfectly mastered the Lesser Five Elements Qi Refining Method.

"This feeling, could this be my cheat, Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability?"

However, you soon discovered that the cheat was not Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability, because as you perfectly understood the Lesser Five Elements Qi Refining Method, your Comprehension Ability returned to its original state.

Relying on your experience of having read thousands of novels, you judged that your cheat must be a kind of universal buffing ability, and you decided to test it again.

You jumped up suddenly on the spot and actually jumped five meters high directly; then you ran back and forth in the Immortal Cave, and your speed became faster and faster.

"Confirmed, it is a kind of buffing ability. To be precise, it should be similar to the power of 'I think it works'."

Moreover, you felt that this was not the limit of this ability; your own strength limited its performance. Possessing such a powerful ability, you were full of anticipation for the future path of Cultivation. In this cultivation world, you might just be able to attain Immortal Ascension and become an ancestor.

After testing your cheat ability, you officially started your path of Cultivation.

You took out the entry-level Disciple Cultivation resources distributed by the Azure Cloud Sect from your Outer Sect Disciple token.

The Cultivation resources given by the Azure Cloud Sect to newly initiated Disciples are very simple: one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills that increase the speed of Spiritual Qi absorption, and the most precious "Azure Nether Carefree Qi".

cultivators in this world can absorb special Heaven and Earth Qi when they step into the Qi Refining Realm. This Heaven and Earth Qi can bring special buffs to the cultivator, such as making Cultivation speed faster, attack intensity higher, and so on.

This Heaven and Earth Qi can continuously become stronger as the cultivator Cultivates, and the buffs it provides will not even be reduced in the Late Stage.

"Azure Nether Carefree Qi" is a very powerful type of Heaven and Earth Qi. After a cultivator refines it in the Early Stage of Cultivation, it can bring powerful buffing effects to the cultivator.

According to the annotations of the Azure Cloud Sect, the buffs provided by "Azure Nether Carefree Qi", in gaming terms, are: 100% bonus to Cultivation speed, 100% bonus to attack speed, 100% bonus to movement speed, 100% bonus to energy effects, 100% bonus to mental resistance, and 30% bonus to evasion chance.

Of course, such a powerful Heaven and Earth Qi is naturally not free; it must be repaid ten years after initiation, and the equivalent contribution points must be paid off within three years.

However, even so, you still feel that the Azure Cloud Sect is truly too generous.

Or does the Azure Cloud Sect have some ulterior motive for you? However, even if there is a motive, you will not give up on absorbing this "Azure Nether Carefree Qi".

Not to mention that besides this, where else could you find such good Heaven and Earth Qi? Just say, if the Azure Cloud Sect really is a demonic Sect, what would you do if you encountered a powerhouse from the Azure Cloud Sect while walking outside and you hadn't absorbed it?

At that time, if this powerhouse said something like "Kid, why don't you have the aura of Azure Nether Carefree Qi on you? Do you have an issue with the Azure Cloud Sect? Are you an undercover agent sent by another Sect?" and then grabbed you and refined you in an instant, what would you do?