At the foot of Heavenly Full Peak, pavilions and towers were built along the mountain, sprawling like a small city.
Tao Fengnian personally brought Jiang Yuebai into the Miscellaneous Task Hall, which was crowded with half-grown children like Jiang Yuebai, all noisily waving their Miscellaneous Task Tokens wanting to register.
Five steward disciples were so busy they were at their wits' end, shouting themselves hoarse.
"Don't rush, don't push, we'll definitely register all of you today."
Jiang Yuebai blinked, surprised that so many people came to register on the last day. Had they all just broken through to the Qi Cultivation First Layer today?
Standing on tiptoe, Jiang Yuebai glanced around, recognizing a few children with Five Spirit Roots aptitude, only a few with Four Spirit Roots, all being servant disciples.
It seems the one-month restriction could indeed push everyone to strive harder.
A familiar girl caught her eye, dark-skinned, whose name Jiang Yuebai didn't know. She was behind her on the Ascension Stairs, so she remembered her well.
However, Jiang Yuebai recalled that this girl clearly had Three Spiritual Roots aptitude and was an Outer Sect disciple. Why did she also break through only on the last day and come to the Miscellaneous Task Hall to register?
Jiang Yuebai's gaze caught the girl's attention. Their eyes met, and the girl quickly looked away, fiddling with her bangs. Then, she glanced around, realizing she was in the wrong place, hurriedly lowered her head, and slipped away through the crowd.
Jiang Yuebai understood in her heart; this girl must be hiding, just like herself.
"Isn't this Elder Tao? What brings you to the Miscellaneous Task Hall?"
The older steward with a mustache, upon seeing Tao Fengnian, eagerly approached. Even though he managed the Miscellaneous Task Hall, he still wore a Miscellaneous Task Token at his waist.
Tao Fengnian remained calm, rubbing Jiang Yuebai's head, "I'm here to register my apprentice. This is Manager Hu, with whom I have some friendship. Call him Brother Hu."
Jiang Yuebai nodded obediently, "Brother Hu."
Hu Laoba assessed Jiang Yuebai, his eye twitching slightly. Tao Fengnian, being a Spiritual Cultivation Master, ought to take on an apprentice with better aptitude.
The little girl appeared clever, but breaking through to the Qi Cultivation First Layer on the last day, how good could she be?
"This little junior sister is lively and lovely; she seems to be material worth cultivating. Foundation Establishment and Core Formation are just around the corner. Elder Tao, you have a good eye. Give me the token, and I'll register the little junior sister right away."
Hu Laoba chuckled, while Jiang Yuebai handed over the Miscellaneous Task Token with both hands.
Tao Fengnian looked down at Jiang Yuebai, who whispered with a wink, "Grandpa, don't worry. I'm better at saying nice things than he is. I won't get carried away by a few compliments."
Tao Fengnian rubbed his nose. These days, Jiang Yuebai had been flattering and praising him, saying even his walking was full of vigor and vitality, applying all the idioms she learned to him.
When she spoke, her eyes were clear and sincere, making him feel like singing lately.
The token was quickly exchanged, now bearing Jiang Yuebai's name. Since Tao Fengnian had more to discuss with Hu Laoba, and the room was noisy, he let Jiang Yuebai go outside to wait.
Under the tree in the courtyard, Jiang Yuebai strolled around, muttering and reciting Daoist scriptures.
She suddenly looked up to see Hong Tao, whom she hadn't seen for a month, walking into the courtyard with a stern face, followed by two servants bending low, reporting something.
Jiang Yuebai smiled with her eyes, not daring to disturb, simply watched silently. Only later did she learn Hong Tao was also a Qi Cultivation Perfect Cultivator, and she should call him Brother Hong.
Feeling something, Hong Tao looked up, his gaze falling and lingering on the token at her waist for a moment.
Jiang Yuebai was about to speak, but Hong Tao walked straight away.
Her gaze gradually dimmed, and she clutched her clothes tightly.
"If you want to tell him, go ahead. Hong Tao is a trustworthy person."
Tao Fengnian came out, having witnessed the scene.
Jiang Yuebai shook her head, "Even a young genius becomes mediocre without effort. You taught me that the Immortal Path is long; talent only decides the starting point, not the height. Grandpa, relax. One day, I'll make everyone look up to me, not look down on me."
Tao Fengnian tenderly rubbed her head, unsure if he was right to have her hide. He always felt he wronged her.
But risking everything for the hope a Nascent Soul True Monarch in the Inner Sect might see her talent and take her as a disciple to protect her seemed too uncertain.
"Come, let's go to the Library."
Heavenly Interence Sect's Thirty-Six Peaks were named after the Heavenly Gang Thirty-Six Stars. As one of them, Heavenly Full Peak housed the Miscellaneous Task Hall and dining areas for servant and Outer Sect disciples at its foot.
The External Affairs Hall, which dealt with the sect's external matters, and the Inner Affairs Hall, handling internal matters, were at the peak's waist, while the Outer Sect Hidden Academy and the Dharma Hall for daily teachings were at its top.
Tao Fengnian took Jiang Yuebai to the Inner Affairs Hall to introduce her to a familiar senior sister and briefly explained how to issue sect tasks.
At this moment, Jiang Yuebai was Tao Fengnian's apprentice. For the next three years, she had no mandatory tasks. If she needed contribution points, she could come and receive them on her own, without restrictions.
Inner sect tasks are divided into four classes: A, B, C, and D. Among them, D-Class tasks are the most varied, ranging from cleaning the cave mansion of a Golden Core Master to going out to exterminate demons and ghosts, countless in number.
At this moment, there are only three A-Class tasks, prominently displayed at the center of the Inner Affairs Hall. Jiang Yuebai quickly spotted one among them.
[The Drought Demon has plagued Lin'an County, Qingzhou, Yun Country for more than three years. Ancient Spring Master will go to exterminate it, requiring five Foundation Establishment disciples to assist. Reward: 50,000 contribution points]
[Note: This Drought Demon appears and disappears mysteriously, is difficult to track, controls a hundred corpses, and is extremely hard to deal with. Sect losses across various locations exceed a hundred people. Disciples are urged to be cautious]
Qingzhou Lin'an County, isn't that her hometown?
So when people said that the chaotic world was caused by the Drought Demon leading to a great drought, was there truly a Drought Demon?
As Jiang Yuebai watched, a group of five entered the main hall, led by a red-clothed female cultivator who was eight feet tall and robustly built, even taller than the two male cultivators behind her.
Though her appearance was ordinary, she possessed an independent spirit like a lone peak standing proudly. Carrying a sword box on her back, she went up directly to take the task of exterminating the Drought Demon, and energetically led the four others away.
"That is Yuu Qiuqi, the direct disciple of True Monarch Cang Huo from Heavenly Hero Peak, with Golden Fire Dual Spiritual Roots, late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, an artifact refining expert. In her Hundred Treasures Box behind her, she carries thirty-six different artifacts, and holds the first position in the sect's Foundation Establishment Stage strength ranking."
Jiang Yuebai felt an eager stir in her heart, with a strong desire to personally eliminate the Drought Demon and avenge her parents and brother. At this moment, she genuinely hoped that Ancient Spring Master and Uncle Yuu Qiuqi would return victorious and not let the Drought Demon harm innocent people anymore.
All along the journey, distant mountains and nearby ridges loomed, veiled in mist.
"Talismans are the source of all methods. Pangu opened the sky, the Dao is indescribable. Cangjie invented characters, thus the Dao had methods to follow. The archaic Turtle Shell Script and Ancient Cloud Seal Characters are the closest symbols to the Great Dao. If you wish to learn the art of talisman making, start with Turtle Shell and Cloud Seals..."
Outside the Dharma Hall, a clear voice resonated powerfully, rhythmically delivering a lecture.
Standing outside the courtyard, Jiang Yuebai saw sect disciples filling up the square of the grand hall, and there were dozens within the hall.
Inside the hall, the disciples dressed in blue were outer sect disciples, while those outside in gray were servant disciples. The middle-aged male cultivator lecturing at the forefront was a Foundation Establishment Uncle from the inner sect.
Jiang Yuebai was captivated after listening to just a few sentences. She recently has been studying Turtle Shell Script and Cloud Seal Characters, and had many questions she wished to understand, so she instinctively walked towards the courtyard gate, only to be pulled back by Tao Fengnian by the collar.
"Lectures are held every day, fetch the schedule and come back next time. We have already been delayed for a long time today, and in half an hour the Library will close."
Jiang Yuebai was reluctant to leave, realizing that she once thought Huaxi Valley was vast, but now discovered the world beyond the valley was even vaster.
Her insignificance was fully exposed here; the vastness of heaven and earth and the myriad Daoist techniques, she wished she could learn them all.
Within the Library Tower's nine-story high structure, many outer sect disciples came and went.
Tao Fengnian informed Jiang Yuebai that the books on the first floor were diverse and scattered, including geographic travel notes, strange tales, cultivation insights, and farming tips.
"Reading the first floor requires no contribution points, you can often come here to read more and broaden your knowledge, maybe you'll find unexpected rewards. The second floor contains cultivation techniques and Daoist methods for the Qi Refinement Realm, from Ninth Grade to Seventh Grade, alongside some martial arts skills, requiring different contribution points for exchange. You currently have one opportunity to exchange a Ninth Grade cultivation technique; have you decided what to exchange for?"
Tao Fengnian patiently watched Jiang Yuebai, explaining the basic Ninth Grade cultivation techniques within the Heavenly Interence Sect and waiting for her decision.
Jiang Yuebai scanned through the rows of bookshelves inside, with countless books and jade scrolls that were too many for her to choose from.
After contemplating, Jiang Yuebai said, "I'm too young to know much, I'd like Grandpa to help me choose one."
In fact, Tao Fengnian had already made plans but didn't want to take away Jiang Yuebai's right to choose, so he asked her first.
If she had an idea, he would abide by it. It's just a Ninth Grade cultivation technique, and it's not a big deal if she picked the wrong one; he would make up for it himself.
"Then let's choose the 'Five Elements Rotation Method'."
Upon hearing this, the old steward responsible for replicating jade scrolls at the Library gave Jiang Yuebai a glance and said, "Are you sure about this one? It's not really a cultivation technique, though categorized as Ninth Grade, it contains scattered Five Elements Transformation Methods, not forming a complete system, and cannot be practiced."
Before Tao Fengnian could explain, Jiang Yuebai replied, "Grandpa said to choose this one, so I'll choose it."
Tao Fengnian swallowed the words he had prepared to say; this girl's casual comments made him feel warm inside.
The old steward shook his head and went in to help find the 'Five Elements Rotation Method'.
"I'll wait here, while you still have time, go and look around the first floor."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuebai's eyes lit up with joy, and she dashed downstairs, quickly browsing through the nearby bookshelves.
She picked up 'Five Flavors Collection', which was a travelogue written by a loose cultivator named Wuwei Mountain Man who traveled across Yunzhou.
[I have fought all my life, dedicating myself to Yun Country. But alas, treacherous officials rack havoc in the court, forcing me to resign and tend to household affairs, a complete joke! Hence, I resigned from office and traveled around.]
[Throughout my journey, I witnessed the vast mountains and rivers, the vast sky and land, feeling the smallness of the court. Half a life spent scheming seemed childish play; fighting with people pales in comparison to battling the heavens, where true joy is found. Upon realizing this, I used martial arts to enter the Great Dao...]
"You brat! I can't believe I ran into you here!"
As Jiang Yuebai was absorbed in reading, she suddenly heard a harsh female voice, and a shadow approached her. Lin Suwan came storming forward, snatched the book from her hands.