When Zong En finished casting the magic and turned around, he was surprised to see that Zhang Deming had finished as well.
He was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting that Zhang Deming, who had only learned the technique yesterday, was even more proficient than he was after half a year of practice.
He took a serious look at his friend of several years, who had always kept a low profile, and said, "Let's go. We'll head straight to the Outer Sect."
Zhang Deming asked in surprise, "Aren't we going this afternoon?"
Zong En replied, "Aren't you planning to choose a technique too? I've already made my choice, so it doesn't matter to me if we go in the morning or afternoon."
"But since you haven't decided yet, we should go earlier. After all, one token only lets you enter the Scripture Pavilion once."
"If we go early, you'll have the whole day to consider your options."
Zhang Deming mulled it over. 'Even though I have a plan too, it wouldn't hurt to go early and look around. Besides, I don't have to work so hard watering anymore.'
"Alright, let's go then," Zhang Deming said.
Both of them happened to have their tokens with them, so they didn't need to go back and get them.
They immediately left Little Qing Mountain and headed toward the mountain peaks of the Outer Sect.
As they left the valley of Little Qing Mountain, a vast range of continuous mountains stretched out before them. The Celestial Spirit Sect was nestled within this mountain range.
The Main Peak was at an extremely high altitude; it and several surrounding peaks formed the Inner Sect.
Zhang Deming had never been there before. For one, he'd never had the opportunity. For another, even if he had, climbing it on foot would have been nearly impossible.
Because in the Inner Sect, not being able to fly or lacking a corresponding means of transport was a truly miserable affair.
Beyond the peaks of the Inner Sect lay the Outer Sect.
Farther out still were the servant peaks, like Little Qing Mountain. They were numerous and mostly small, with countless low-lying ranges encircling the main mountains like sentinels.
Beyond that lay countless villages and towns, whose survival revolved around the Celestial Spirit Sect.
The Outer Sect and the Miscellaneous Affairs Courtyard handled the Sect's daily upkeep and operations, supplying the daily needs of the Inner Sect. The villages and towns, in turn, supported the numerous Outer Sect and servant disciples.
In return, the Celestial Spirit Sect provided them with a stable life, with the Sect governing the many surrounding areas.
As a result, many of the surrounding villages and towns were deeply intertwined with the Celestial Spirit Sect, whether through business or blood, forming a rather complete ecosystem.
The Main Peak of the Outer Sect was not one of the tallest ones right next to the Inner Sect's mountains.
On the contrary, the Outer Sect's main mountain was located on its outermost perimeter, among the many servant peaks; it was a mountain that was not tall but very large.
This place handled most of the Celestial Spirit Sect's daily affairs, the reception of ordinary visitors, and other matters related to the mortal world.
Of course, any truly important matters were filtered out and handed over to the Inner Sect to manage.
For all these reasons, one could say this was the most bustling place in the entire Celestial Spirit Sect.
This was especially true because the servant and Outer Disciples still ate mostly ordinary food.
As a result, there was a great deal of mortal trade every day, making the area seem quite lively and the entire mountain very prosperous.
It was a stark contrast to the other tranquil and leisurely peaks.
The two arrived, and as just two ordinary, inconspicuous servants, they inconspicuously crossed more than half the mountain. The many places they passed along the way were incredibly prosperous.
Along the way, Zhang Deming even overheard a great deal of gossip.
Things like which Elder's genius disciple had been promoted to the Tai Chi Stage, which young prodigy was now dating whom—all kinds of gossip and scandalous news.
This was a stark contrast to the tranquility of Little Qing Mountain; it felt like two different worlds.
The two walked for a full hour before arriving at a corner of the Outer Sect, one of its most important locations.
The Outer Sect's Scripture Pavilion. It was said to be guarded at all times by Stewards or Elders with cultivation at the Tai Chi Stage or above.
In the Hongmeng Cultivation Realm, cultivators were divided into several tiers.
Beginning with the unranked apprentices, the cultivator levels were divided into the Apprentice Stage, the Tai Chi Stage, the Duality Stage, and the legendary Three Talents Stage.
Zhang Deming didn't know what came after that. After all, he was just a servant—and one who had rarely left Little Qing Mountain in ten years.
When the two arrived before the Scripture Pavilion, they didn't see the guards they had imagined. The entrance to the pavilion seemed completely unguarded.
By the time they arrived, it was already high noon, and a steady stream of people were coming and going.
So, despite its remote location, the area was far from quiet.
They approached the entrance, looking a bit nervous since it was their first time.
Only as they drew closer did they discover a faint, film-like Light Curtain covering the entire entrance. No wonder there were no guards.
The people coming and going paid them no mind.
Every so often, a fellow disciple would approach the entrance, toss a token into the open mouth of a Pixiu statue by the door, and immediately pass through the Light Curtain.
'It's like tapping a card for the subway,' Zhang Deming understood the mechanism at a glance.
The two exchanged a look, instantly understanding the token's function. They followed suit, tossing their tokens into the Pixiu's mouth.
Zhang Deming immediately felt an aura settle over him, which vanished as soon as he passed through the Light Curtain.
"The Entry Order only lets you choose a technique on the first floor. Going to the second floor requires Contribution Points."
"Hmph. You servants don't have Contribution Points, so forget it. Don't even try to go to the second floor."
"Once you've made your choice, come to me for confirmation. The first floor mostly has basic spells, which are stored in two forms: books and Jade Scrolls."
"For books, you just need to bring them here to be copied. Jade Scrolls require a fee of three Spirit Stones to be read once."
As the two of them entered, a young man at the counter by the entrance glanced up at them.
Somehow, he realized it was their first time here. Before Zhang Deming and Zong En could say a word, he stated the rules and then fell silent.
The two exchanged a glance, nodded at the aloof young man to show they understood, and then walked into the main hall.
The entire hall was split in two, starting right from the entrance.
Both sides were lined with tall bookshelves. One side was pristine and orderly, its shelves filled with thin Jade Scrolls, each about two fingers wide.
The other side had a more rustic appearance, its shelves holding ancient-looking books.
"Books or Jade Scrolls?" Zhang Deming asked Zong En, standing at the entrance.
"Even though a Jade Scroll can be inscribed directly into your mind with a single reading, three Spirit Stones is just too expensive," Zong En replied.
"Who knows how long it will take to learn, anyway? It'll require repeated study, and I'll have to memorize it sooner or later. I have no intention of wasting Spirit Stones like that."
Zhang Deming nodded. It seemed they were both on the same page.
Three Spirit Stones might not sound like much, but Zhang Deming had only managed to save five in his entire ten years of farming.
And that was the result of his constant hard work and frugality, which just went to show what a huge expense three Spirit Stones was for a servant.