At the peak of Nine Cloud Peak, the cloud sea surged like raging waves.
A red-gold flood dragon coiled at the highest point of the peaks, its dragon head held high. As it breathed, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi transformed into a visible misty glow, swirling around its body like ribbons.
The dragon scales gleamed with a metallic chill under the skylight filtering through the gaps in the clouds, each one seemingly cast from red gold, with edges emitting a faint flame light.
The dragon's body meandered, stretching over thirty zhang long. When coiled, it resembled a red mountain, and with every breath, it summoned clouds and rain from all directions.
"Whoosh—"
The flood dragon inhaled sharply, causing the surrounding cloud sea to surge violently, transforming into roaring spirit rain dragons that dove down and precisely poured over the thousand acres of Spirit Field below the peak.
The Tier Three Spirit Grain planted in the Spirit Field, nourished by this Spirit Rain, instantly became plump by threefold. The leaves unfolded, emitting a subtle hum, as if grateful for the nurturing of the sweet rain.
The Spirit Rain fell not in chaos, but following a mysterious rhythm, evenly permeating the Spiritual Qi into every inch of soil, revealing the caster's exquisite control over Spiritual Power.
The next moment, crimson light burst around the crimson flood dragon!
Its dragon body contracted sharply, scales vanished, and the dragon head transformed into a human face, the dragon claws retreated into hands. In just a few breaths, it became a man dressed in a red-patterned cyan robe.
Chen Sheng stood with hands behind his back, black hair fluttering without wind, his eyes opening and closing with a hidden dragon might. He looked at the Spirit Field below and heartily laughed:
"Hundreds of years have passed, and I still perform this Cloud Rain Skill quite well!"
Once upon a time, even irrigating ten acres of Spirit Field required him to sit and restore his Mana several times. Now, nourishing a thousand acres of High Grade Spirit Field was a breeze for him.
The next moment, he looked up at the Restriction Spiritual Light circulating around Nine Cloud Peak. Those spiritual lights flowed like water among the mountains, ancient trees, and clouds, weaving into a tight, impenetrable net.
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The runes engraved on it were intricate and profound, with faint phenomena of lightning, fierce fire, and ice appearing, precisely the Mountain Protection Array "Nine Palace Locking Element Array" of Nine Cloud Peak.
This grand array was set up by a Sect elder proficient in Array Vein, rooted in the quasi-fourth-rank Spirit Vein of Nine Cloud Peak, reaching the level of a Tier Three Top Grade Grand Array.
Chen Sheng held the core Array Order, perfectly controlling this grand array.
"Oh?"
Chen Sheng's sword-like brows slightly arched, Sword Heart Clarity instantly operated, as if an invisible sharp sword within his Mind Sea, quickly probing along the array's vein.
Although his Array Dao Cultivation was not as advanced as the elder who set this array, he had already grasped its essence.
At this moment, using Sword Heart alongside array knowledge, it was like finding the lead in a tangle, soon capturing a node where Spiritual Power flow slightly slowed.
It was an inconspicuous cliff on the northeast side, the terrain of which happened to obscure the junction of the Restriction Spiritual Light, causing a slight sluggishness in the rune connection.
"Here it is."
Chen Sheng's heart was certain, the Qi Blood Golden Core within his Dantian suddenly heated up, the blood-colored Gang Qi flowing on its surface rolling like boiling magma, rapidly rushing towards the glabella through the meridians.
This was his Blood Gang Divine Technique "Forbidden Breaking Divine Light", which required using his own Blood Gang as a catalyst to activate.
"Buzz—"
At the glabella, a crimson point lit up, then transformed into a fine thread-like invisible divine light containing terrifying penetration, silently shooting out and accurately hitting that Restriction node.
In an instant, the originally integrated Restriction Spiritual Light fluctuated violently, like the calm water surface being hit by a giant stone, stirring up layers of ripples.
Immediately after, a light golden gap about one zhang wide suddenly appeared, the boundary runes flickered intensely, emitting a "sizzling" sound, as if desperately resisting something.
This gap lasted only for three breaths before closing like a receding tide, finally disappearing completely, the Restriction restored to its perfect state.
Chen Sheng slowly exhaled a murky breath, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes:
"Although this Restriction is a weak point, it still has the strength of a Tier Three High Grade."
"Now at the Body Refining Seventh Layer, relying solely on 'Forbidden Breaking Divine Light' can break it for an instant, enough to gain a sliver of life in a crisis."
He lightly nodded, thinking to himself: This "Forbidden Breaking Divine Light" combined with Sword Heart Insight to detect flaws, and aided by array knowledge, is indeed a lifesaving weapon.
In the Cultivation Realm, dangers are everywhere; being trapped in a dead end, or being pursued by strong enemies is common. With this divine technique, one can find a glimmer of life in desperate situations.
"When my cultivation advances further, achieving Great Success of Body Refining, and Qi Blood Golden Core Perfection, the power of this divine light will surely be even greater. By then, even the void lockdown of a Nascent Soul True Monarch might not be impenetrable!"
Nascent Soul Cultivators wield Void Power, and with one move of "Void Grand Capture", they can imprison the surrounding space, making it almost impossible to escape from that invisible space cage, no matter how powerful one is.
For Golden Core Cultivators, it's almost a certain death situation, utterly despairing.
But with this divine technique, Chen Sheng might have a chance to find a sliver of life in such a deadly situation.
Calming his Heart Spirit, Chen Sheng stopped thinking further, turning his gaze toward the mountain below, murmuring to himself:
"Time to attend to sect duties."
The sect's arrangement for duties is quite humane, not strictly demanding completion each year.
After all, a cultivator's retreat varies from a few months to several years, imposing a fixed time limit would be unreasonable.
This year is Chen Sheng's third year in the sect, the first two years spent in seclusion, focusing entirely on breaking into the Pill Transformation Realm, accumulating three uncompleted duties, now ready to settle them all at once.
He flicked his finger, and a lustrous jade scroll flew out from his sleeve, suspended in front of him.
The jade scroll hummed softly, and a clear water curtain spread out of thin air, densely listing various affair details.
From guarding the spirit field, collecting spiritual materials, repairing magical artifacts, teaching courses, alchemy array formation... everything was there, and each one was marked with the corresponding small merit rewards.
Chen Sheng's fingers gently slid across the water curtain, his gaze swiftly scanning, and he quickly selected three items:
——Lecture at Danqing Hall, a total of ten times, with a reward of thirty thousand small merits.
——Refine one furnace of Tier Three Middle Grade Yuqing Barrier-Removing Pill for a reward of twenty thousand small merits.
——Refine two furnaces of Tier Three Middle Grade Little Cyan Dragon Longevity Pill, with more than two refined pills each furnace for a reward of fifty thousand small merits.
After the selection, the water curtain quietly dispersed, and the jade scroll flew back into his sleeve.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Chen Sheng's mouth, as these three tasks were not chosen at random; there was a calculation behind them.
"Although the treatment of an Inner Sect Elder is quite good, fifty thousand small merits a year may seem a lot, but for the Tier Three spiritual materials needed for alchemy, it is just a drop in the bucket."
"Just one Tier Three High Grade spirit grass 'Red Flame Reishi' costs thirty thousand small merits, buy one or two, and there is almost nothing left."
He shook his head, thinking to himself:
"If I want to maintain my cultivation, or even go further, expanding my sources is the right path."
"I am new here, so I don't have any impressive records in the sect, making it difficult to gain trust; it's naturally hard to tap into the high-end market."
Chen Sheng's gaze was deep:
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"Alchemy is currently my best source of income, but to make more people aware of my skills, I still need a reputation. The lectures at Danqing Hall are an excellent opportunity for that."
"Moreover, for most Golden Core Cultivators, breaking through and prolonging life are eternal pursuits, and for someone with my Middle Grade Spiritual Root talent, they are even more crucial."
Chen Sheng nodded slightly:
"I might as well devote my energy to these two fields, delve into research, and strive to become a leading figure in both. By then, orders will pour in endlessly, so why worry about a lack of resources?"
With his plans set, Chen Sheng didn't delay any longer. His figure flickered, transforming into a red rainbow, flying towards the direction of Danqing Hall.
...
Danqing Hall, located at the core area of the sect's Dan Vein, is a magnificent palace made entirely of white jade.
The palace stands dozens of zhang tall, with flying eaves and upturned corners, engraved with lifelike images of pill furnaces and spirit grasses, blending with the surrounding mist, resembling an immortal realm.
At this moment, on the square outside Danqing Hall, a group of disciples dressed in Inner Sect attire of the Dan Vein were gathered, discussing in small groups.
These disciples were all about fifty years old, with steady auras and a hint of arrogance between their brows — those who could enter Danqing Hall to study were all carefully nurtured Inner Sect disciples of the Dan Vein.
At the very least, they were Tier Two Alchemists, and some of the outstanding ones had even touched the threshold of Tier Two High Grade.
"Hey, have you heard? The lecturer for tomorrow's class is changing," a slightly chubby disciple squeezed into the crowd, speaking mysteriously.
"Oh? Who's it going to be?"
A nearby female disciple with a delicate face curiously asked:
"Elder Mo, who lectured on 'Spirit Grass Identification' before, taught really well, why the sudden change?"
Another disciple in a pale robe with a steady demeanor added:
"I just checked the course schedule on the jade scroll; tomorrow, it'll be Elder Micro-Image teaching, focusing on the 'Path of Inference Fire'."
"Elder Micro-Image? Why haven't I heard of this name before?"
The slightly chubby disciple was taken aback, scratched his head, checked the jade scroll, and shook his head helplessly:
"There's very little recorded about him in the Jade Register, only that he's a Tier Three Middle Grade Alchemy Grandmaster and seems to have joined the sect not long ago."
A disciple well-informed of the news raised his eyebrow, speaking with a hint of boastfulness:
"Not long indeed, my cousin works at the Primordial Magnetic Hall, so he has much more inside information than us."
"I heard from him that Elder Micro-Image joined our sect just two years ago and was directly elevated to Inner Sect Elder!"
"What?!"
This statement caused an uproar around them at once.
The slightly chubby disciple clicked his tongue:
"Entering the sect and being an Inner Sect Elder right away? That's against the rules, isn't it?"
"We have many Guest Elders in our Dan Vein who've toiled away in the Outer Sect for over a hundred years. They are no less skilled or experienced, yet they haven't been able to enter the Inner Sect, let alone become Elders!"
The disciple in the pale robe frowned slightly, speaking in a deep voice:
"You can't say that. Our Daoist Sect has always embraced diversity and unique talents."
"Back then, Ancestor Zhong Hai, Ancestor Wei Yuan, Ancestor Miao Yu, were all prodigies when they joined. Didn't they all become Grandmasters of our Dan Vein, lighting up the sect?"
He paused, looking at the well-informed disciple, asked: "What else did your cousin say? Elder Micro-Image must have something extraordinary, right?"
The well-informed disciple puffed out his chest, lowering his voice:
"Certainly! My cousin said this Elder excels in Fire Techniques, and he directly refined a Tier Three Middle Grade Realm-Breaking Elixir on the spot."
"Even Han Lou True Monarch praised Elder Micro-Image profusely, saying he has the potential to reach Tier Four Grandmaster! Because of this, the sect broke from tradition and promoted him extraordinarily."
"Tier Four Grandmaster?!"
This sentence was like a hefty stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up waves.
The disciples present showed more intense surprise on their faces, and the light in their eyes inevitably burned bright.
It must be known, throughout the entire sect, Tier Four Grandmasters are but a handful, and each one is a stabilizing force for the sect.
If Elder Micro-Image truly has such potential, then his alchemy skills must be extraordinary.
The female disciple murmured, her eyes already filled with anticipation:
"A Tier Three Middle Grade Grandmaster just over a hundred years old, with the hope of impacting Tier Four... Such talent is truly astonishing, far beyond comparison with those Guest Elders in the Outer Sect."
"The 'Path of Inference Fire' is one of the core challenges in alchemy. If I could get some guidance from him, maybe my bottleneck at Tier Two Middle Grade might loosen."
Among the crowd, there were discordant voices as well; a haughty-looking disciple sneered:
"In alchemy, potential and talent are certainly important, but when it comes to lecturing, the most essential thing is experience. This Elder is so young, he might only recite from the book in classes."
This statement immediately drew a rebuttal:
"Brother Li, your words are misplaced! Han Lou True Monarch is a Tier Four Middle Grade Grandmaster, a giant in our Dan Vein. How could he misjudge?"
"Besides, to be made an Inner Sect Elder, he must have unique insights in alchemy. Even listening to just one or two words from him might be beneficial."
"Indeed, we'll know after listening tomorrow. If he truly has skills, we will be convinced."
For a time, everyone was talking about it. While there were a few skeptical voices, most of the disciples were full of curiosity and anticipation.
After all, a young elder endorsed by a True Monarch, with the potential to become a Grandmaster, was indeed intriguing for everyone.