Volume Two - The Map of Nine Provinces Appears, Entering the Spirit Ruins Chapter 76: Entering the Outer Sect

Amidst surprise and the envy of some servant disciples, Chen Yu took the outer disciple's token from the elder, Song Ning.

“Heh… Not bad. You passed the Heart Refining Trial on Dragon Carp Peak in less than half a day,” Song Ning remarked, though his astonishment was tinged with some dissatisfaction. “But it’s a pity your performance in the second segment, the Soul Ruins Heart Inquiry, was less than ideal.”

Though Song Ning shook his head helplessly, he did not make things difficult for Chen Yu. After all, Chen Yu had only been in the sect for a year and a half.

After leaving the outer sect’s task hall, Chen Yu parted ways with Xiao Gu. Following the instructions, he made his way to the outer disciple hall to officially register as an outer disciple of Tai Zhuo Peak.

“Uncle Master, I’m here to register as an outer disciple,” Chen Yu said to the middle-aged man behind the desk in the main hall.

“Register as an outer disciple?” The man was momentarily taken aback, then quickly understood. “You’ve passed the Heart Refining Trial on Dragon Carp Peak.”

“Yes, Uncle Master,” Chen Yu replied politely with a slight bow.

“Oh, that’s quite impressive. Only one in two or three manages it. Young man, I have high hopes for you.” The middle-aged man took Chen Yu’s jade token with a smile. “My name is Han Gong. If there’s anything you don’t understand in the future, just come find me.”

“Yes, Uncle Han.”

With Han Gong’s assistance, Chen Yu received the outer disciple’s robe, a low-grade sword-shaped magical artifact, and three Spirit Gathering Pills.

Han Gong then asked, “By the way, do you have a preference for where you’d like to live?”

Chen Yu was taken aback and asked, “Is there anything special about the accommodations?”

“Generally, outer disciples live together in designated quarters. Of course, some choose a secluded spot to live alone, but that comes at a cost,” Han Gong explained with a smile. “So, do you have any thoughts?”

After a moment’s consideration, Chen Yu asked, “What are the conditions for living alone?”

“You simply need to complete two hall tasks every month without compensation. Alternatively, if you can afford spirit stones, that’s another way. Shared living comes with no additional requirements.”

“Spirit stones?” Chen Yu looked at Han Gong, puzzled.

“Ah? You don’t even know about those? Are you really a cultivator?”

“I’ve only been cultivating for a few years, mostly exploring on my own, so there’s much I don’t understand,” Chen Yu replied with a bitter smile.

“Oh… Is that so?” Han Gong looked at Chen Yu with some suspicion but nevertheless explained.

Spirit stones are crystallizations of heaven and earth’s spiritual energy within certain jade, containing far richer energy than the world itself. High-level cultivators generally rely on spirit stones for cultivation. They come in three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Heaven-grade stones have the strongest energy—one hundred times that of Earth-grade, ten thousand times that of Human-grade, and Human-grade stones are ten times richer than the ambient spiritual energy.

Thus, the importance of spirit stones in the cultivation world is self-evident.

After his initial shock, Chen Yu calmed down. Trading with spirit stones was nearly impossible for him, but completing tasks seemed feasible. He then asked, “Is there a way to settle things once and for all?”

“Haha… I didn’t expect you’d have so many ideas,” Han Gong laughed, not stingy with information. “There is a way. If you rank among the top hundred outer disciples in the Demon Suppression Hall, you can live alone without any conditions.”

Chen Yu nodded, indicating his understanding.

Seeing him fall silent, Han Gong pressed out of curiosity, “So? Any thoughts? Do you want to choose your own residence?”

Chen Yu offered an embarrassed smile. “Not for now.”

Han Gong shrugged, not bothered—this was the usual choice among outer disciples. What he didn’t know was that this was merely a temporary measure for Chen Yu.

Chen Yu’s plan was simple: first steadily improve his strength, complete several outer sect tasks, then choose his own place for cultivation.

Finally, Chen Yu asked, “Uncle Han, could you tell me where in the outer sect I might find techniques for breaking through the First Origin realm?”

“Oh… Right, I nearly forgot,” Han Gong said. “New outer disciples are allowed one visit to the Hall of Techniques to select a cultivation method. After that, you’ll need to exchange merit points. So be careful in your choice.”

Chen Yu smiled. “Do you have any recommendations, Uncle Master?”

“Haha… You’re quite crafty, aren’t you?” Han Gong laughed. “The best technique for the Soul Ruins is the Supreme Pure Spirit Sutra, but that classic isn’t something ordinary folk can obtain. You’ll understand when you visit the Hall of Techniques.”

Seeing Han Gong unwilling to offer hints, Chen Yu could only leave with an awkward smile. He wanted to “bribe” him, but his own pockets were embarrassingly empty. Even if he had a thousand taels, a cultivator like Han Gong would never care for mere gold.

The outer disciples’ quarters were not far away. After leaving the main hall, Chen Yu walked for about fifteen minutes before reaching the foot of a mountain called Bee Hill, which housed the outer disciples’ residences. Built along the mountainside up to the peak, there were at least twenty thousand rooms—more than enough to meet the needs of all outer disciples.

Though everyone lived together, each had their own private suite. The only drawback was the limited space, which made cultivation somewhat inconvenient, hence some disciples opted for solitary quarters.

Chen Yu went to the steward’s house at the foot of the mountain and explained his purpose.

The disciple in charge merely glanced at Chen Yu and said, “Pick a room yourself on the mountain, then come back to register.”

Since he had no intention of staying long, Chen Yu casually chose a sunny, quiet room, registered, and returned to his new quarters.

Using his outer disciple’s jade token, he opened the door. Inside, there was only a wooden bed against the wall and a desk opposite it—simple and sparse.

Since it had long been unoccupied, both bed and desk were covered in a layer of white dust. Chen Yu casually cleaned up and settled in.

Outer disciples lived fairly leisurely lives. Aside from the monthly mandatory task, few bothered them. Of course, each day, uncles and elders lectured in the main hall, guiding disciples.

Outer disciples also had access to higher levels of the Myriad Books Pavilion than servant disciples, allowing them to learn more.

Though now an outer disciple, Chen Yu did not immediately dive into cultivation. Instead, he reviewed his own techniques several times, summarizing his experiences and reflecting on his path forward.

After seven or eight days, Chen Yu had grown familiar with all aspects of the outer sect.

The atmosphere among outer disciples was truly incomparable to that of servant disciples. Acquaintances would spar together or team up for tasks; everyone seemed to live in a constant bustle.

Chen Yu chuckled wryly. “It seems I should blend into this environment as well. But first, I must pay a visit to the Hall of Techniques.”