44: Newcomer Protection Fee

Gu Changan judged that he should be able to upgrade it into a top-grade spirit nurturing pill.

The result was self-evident; the top-grade spirit nurturing pill was successfully upgraded, only consuming some Crimson Treasure Qi.

Gu Changan quickly swallowed one and, without even circulating his Cultivation Technique, felt a slight growth in his Divine Soul, almost as if it were an illusion.

If he didn't pay close attention, he wouldn't even have noticed it, so Gu Changan stopped worrying about it; as long as it was useful, it was fine.

The cultivation time for the Purple Sun Soul Refining Art had now passed.

So, should he Cultivate the Jade Cleansing Art?

Or the Profound Mechanism Myriad Evolution Scripture?

He decided to set aside the Jade Cleansing Art for now; Body Tempering wasn't an urgent matter!

Gu Changan was currently more curious about the Profound Mechanism Myriad Evolution Scripture!

Following the instructions in the Cultivation Technique, he formed specific hand seals and analyzed the matters he wished to deduce.

Then, he compared the analysis results one by one with the sixty-four diagrams in his mind.

In this way, he could calculate the fortune or misfortune of the predicted event!

Gu Changan predicted his luck for today and found the result to be "Small Luck."

Gu Changan was quite happy as he pinched his fingers; it seemed he could dabble as a charlatan in the future when he went out.

He would carry a long canvas pole with the words: "Everything is out of man's hands, a whole life is but fate!"

Gu Changan could already imagine that scene.

Now, only the last Cultivation Technique, the Jade Cleansing Art, remained.

The treasure gathering basin was in his Dantian, and it contained plenty of Crimson Treasure Qi, so he would use that to Cultivate.

He wondered what kind of effect would be produced after completing the cultivation?

Gu Changan sat cross-legged and drew Crimson Treasure Qi from the treasure gathering basin, covering his Meridians with it.

The Meridians throughout his entire body began to become hardened.

The key to practicing the Jade Cleansing Art was to nourish one's body with Crimson Treasure Qi.

However, the concentration of Crimson Treasure Qi had to be within a certain range, because if it was higher than that range, the human body would begin to undergo Jade-like Transformation.

If it was below that range, one could use the specific Cultivation Technique to train and absorb the Crimson Treasure Qi.

The Crimson Treasure Qi covered his Dantian, Meridians, flesh, and bones.

This was not a fast process but a matter of slow and meticulous work, requiring accumulation over many years.

It seemed that both the Jade Cleansing Art and the Purple Sun Soul Refining Art would have to be practiced daily.

Gu Changan practiced the Jade Cleansing Art for a while before giving up.

He began switching to his main Cultivation Technique, the Five Elements Qi Refining Art.

The Spiritual Qi in his body began to be consumed rapidly, splitting into five streams and entering the five Qi vortices in his Dantian.

Gu Changan relaxed his whole body and guided the Spiritual Qi within him through one Great Cycle after another.

Time slowly passed like this until nightfall.

There was a knock on the door of the small courtyard.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, are you there?"

"Fellow Daoist Gu, something terrible has happened!"

Gu Changan had no choice but to end his cultivation. After he opened the courtyard door, the three of them filed in, followed by two Outer Sect Disciples whose cultivation levels were indiscernible.

Gu Changan asked, "Fellow Daoist Shen, Fellow Daoist Zhao, what is going on?"

Shen Yan's face was grim and he didn't speak, while Ye Wei was seething with anger, though her eyes were red-rimmed as if she had just cried!

Zhao Ye first looked at the two Outer Sect Disciples behind him, then at Gu Changan.

He said angrily, "They are here to collect protection fees!"

Upon hearing the words "protection fee," Gu Changan was also somewhat enraged!

They had only been here for two days and were already facing oppression!

It seemed that life in the Tianji Pavilion wasn't so easy after all!

However, he still asked, "What's the situation?"

"Who is this protection fee for?"

Seeing that no one was making any exaggerated moves, the two Outer Sect Disciples behind them felt relieved.

One of the thin and tall Outer Sect Disciples said with a smile, "Sigh, this isn't targeting you specifically!"

"Every newly entered Outer Sect Disciple has to go through this!"

"Don't worry, we aren't the ones collecting this money; those above us are!"

Gu Changan stared at him intently. "Who are you, Daoist?"

"And who are those above you?"

The thin and tall Outer Sect Disciple was not angry. "The Heavenly Being Institute!"

"We belong to the Heavenly Being Institute!"

"The Heavenly Being Institute was founded by Xie Chengze, the grandson of the Heavenly Human Peak Lord, Xie Yuanshan!"

"I advise you not to cause trouble!"

"Unless you don't want to stay on Heavenly Human Peak anymore!"

"So many previous batches of Outer Sect Disciples have silently followed this rule!"

"Do you really want to be the exception?"

"Even if you were the exception, so what?"

"Do you think those who have suffered this loss before will let you off?"

"Why should they?"

The Outer Sect Disciple's words plunged Gu Changan and the others into an ice cellar.

Their hands and feet went cold; only now did they feel the cruelty of the Sect's rules—this was entirely a dog-eat-dog world.

The few of them looked at each other and gave up their struggle.

On the surface, Gu Changan listened intently, but his heart was already burning with rage.

Although he didn't care much for the few Spirit Stones and pills issued by the Sect,

this feeling of being bullied at his own doorstep was extremely unpleasant!

Now, he didn't even have the courage to show his anger.

If he expressed dissatisfaction, he would not only be targeted and given a hard time by the so-called Heavenly Being Institute,

but he might also find himself standing in opposition to all the Outer Sect Disciples of the entire Sect.

After all, everyone else had paid the protection fee, so why shouldn't he?

Gu Changan thought it over and asked the key question: "What is this protection fee? How much do we have to pay?"

The thin and tall Outer Sect Disciple nodded with a smile; it seemed these people were quite sensible.

"We aren't making things difficult for you; according to previous custom, we only want half!"

"Out of 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, you hand over 5; out of 10 low-grade qi gathering pills, you hand over 5!"

"Of course, since their values are similar, you can also choose to keep only one type."

"Either hand over 10 low-grade qi gathering pills, or 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"It's your choice!"

Gu Changan thought for a moment and took out 5 low-grade qi gathering pills and 5 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

This way, whether he used qi gathering pills or Spirit Stones in the future, it would serve as good cover!

The thin and tall Outer Sect Disciple smilingly accepted the protection fees from the group, placed them into his Storage Pouch, and prepared to leave.

Gu Changan asked cautiously from behind, "Senior Brother, I am truly a bit curious!"

"Reasonably speaking, among the newly entered Outer Sect Disciples, there must always be some who refuse to pay!"

"What happened to them in the end?"

Gu Changan's question directly stung the two Outer Sect Disciples.

The previously silent, tall Outer Sect Disciple strode forward.

"Kid, are you looking for trouble?"

"You were dilly-dallying before, and I've been annoyed with you for a while now!"

"Why do you have so much nonsense to say?"

As he spoke, he extended his right hand to perform a hand seal, and yellow firelight flashed on his index and middle fingers, appearing ready to strike and release a Spell.

Gu Changan and the others were startled; how could this person be so arrogant and terrifying?

He was going to attack just like that?

Did he not care about the Sect's rules at all?

What methods did they have to circumvent the rules, or did they have their own people in the Hall of Discipline?