Though he hadn't slept all night, Fang Qingyuan was brimming with energy. As the saying goes, a happy occasion lifts the spirits. Having just broken through a bottleneck, he was full of vitality.
Besides, Cultivators could condense their Divine Sense, so it was common for them to go three to five days without rest. The only reason they returned to their sect residences each day was to avoid the dangers of the night.
Once the sun was up, Fang Qingyuan tidied himself up, then left his residence and headed for the morning market.
Where there are people, there is trade, and Tianshan Villa was no exception. At the foot of the mountain, in an open stretch of land, a large crowd had already gathered.
Some of these people were disciples of Tianshan Villa, but most were nearby Loose Cultivators. They sat on the ground, spreading a cloth in front of them to serve as their makeshift stall and open for business.
The items for sale were mostly low-end wares, but the variety was staggering, putting one's eye for quality to the test.
For those seeking high-quality goods, peace of mind, and who weren't short on Spirit Stones, the place to go was the Celestial Gate Mountain Marketplace. Quality was guaranteed there, as all the major merchant houses had branches. All you needed were Spirit Stones—and a willingness to pay the high prices.
This market, on the other hand, was all about low prices and variety. You could find almost anything here that the more formal Marketplaces wouldn't bother selling.
Fang Qingyuan arrived at the market and went straight to a stall, then said to the stall owner:
"Lao He, how many Red Lotus Fruits are left?"
The person Fang Qingyuan called Lao He was a middle-aged man approaching forty, with a sallow face that looked somewhat weathered.
It wasn't often one saw such a weathered look on a Cultivator's face. But after being stuck at the Third-Layer Qi Cultivation for nearly twenty years, unable to break through, the weight of his stagnation had etched itself onto his features.
Lao He was a Loose Cultivator who had been making a living for the past few years by setting up a stall here to sell Spirit Fruits. When he heard Fang Qingyuan's question, a smile appeared on his sallow face:
"Fellow Daoist Fang, you're here. There are still eighty Red Lotus Fruits. How many do you want? For others, it's five fruits for one Spirit Stone, but since it's you asking, Fellow Daoist Fang, I'll give you six Red Lotus Fruits for one Spirit Stone."
Lao He's words were laced with a desire to please, and he was very considerate toward Fang Qingyuan. The reason was simple: Fang Qingyuan was a disciple of Tianshan Villa.
As a Loose Cultivator, Lao He depended on Tianshan Villa to make a living, so he wouldn't dare offend one of its disciples. Of course, the disciples of Tianshan Villa were also well-behaved. The sect's rules were strict, and anyone caught throwing their weight around would face disciplinary action.
The price was quite fair. A Red Lotus Fruit resembled a jackfruit. It was enormous, but the only edible part was the fleshy layer covering the seeds.
However, this flesh was fragrant and delicious, with a taste somewhat like durian. Some Female Cultivators were particularly fond of it.
This kind of fruit was specially grown by Cultivators near Celestial Gate Mountain and wasn't expensive. But in Black River Square, the environment was harsh, surrounded by the Black River Evil Swamp, and Red Lotus Fruits were quite pricey there.
Here, one could buy six fruits for a single Spirit Stone, but in Black River Square, you could only get three or four. The main reason for this was the difficulty of transportation.
A small storage bag could hold, at most, five or six Red Lotus Fruits. The profit from a single trip wouldn't even cover the fee for a Transport Beast.
'So why not just use more storage bags?'
'Of course, they were too poor. Storage bags were expensive and conspicuous. A single one cost at least fifty to sixty Low-grade Spirit Stones, with some going for over a hundred. If you walked around with seven or eight storage bags, you'd just be flaunting your wealth and asking to be robbed.'
'What about using Flying Boats or shuttles for transport?'
'Unfortunately, the operators of those vessels wouldn't bother with such a low-profit venture. Red Lotus Fruits were bulky and not very valuable. With that much cargo space, wouldn't it be better to transport Spirit Ore?'
Moreover, Black River Square had only been open for twenty to thirty years and was considered a poor, remote area. Flying Boats only traveled there once every half a month, which was not nearly fast enough for transporting fresh fruit.
'That's why this particular fruit came to Fang Qingyuan's mind immediately. Red Lotus Fruits are bulky and difficult to transport, but they're guaranteed to sell upon arrival. It's the perfect business for someone who can use an Immortal Mansion for shipping.'
Hearing Lao He's offer, Fang Qingyuan pondered for a moment before speaking:
"Eighty, you say? I'll take them all. Deliver them to my residence later. Also, ask around with the other vendors for me. I need another hundred Red Lotus Fruits of the same quality and price."
Lao He was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a wide grin. This was a huge order from Fang Qingyuan! Buying all eighty fruits at once—that was nearly half a month's worth of sales for him.
And he needed another hundred! If he, Lao He, acted as the middleman, he could earn a nice commission. With this thought, Lao He's attitude became even more deferential:
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Fang, I'll handle everything perfectly for you. In the meantime, would you like to take a look at some of my other fruits?"
Fang Qingyuan waved his hand, took out a Spirit Stone and handed it to Lao He, then instructed:
"I won't look at the other fruits right now. Take this as a deposit. I have some business to attend to at the villa, so if I'm late coming back, please wait for me."
Lao He agreed readily. Although he had never been to Fang Qingyuan's residence, he knew where it was.
Tianshan Villa wasn't that large, and he recognized all of the Core Disciples. And while Fang Qingyuan was still an Outer Sect Disciple, he'd been around for a very long time.
Tianshan Villa took in disciples once every three years. The newest batch was a full three recruitment cycles junior to Fang Qingyuan...
After giving his instructions to Lao He, Fang Qingyuan turned and headed up the mountain. He passed through several gates and arrived at a grand hall halfway up the slope.
Looking at the plaque above the entrance, Fang Qingyuan let out a satisfied laugh. 'After all these years, it's finally my turn.'
This was the Grand Precepts Hall of Tianshan Villa, which was primarily responsible for the discipline of the disciples in the villa, as well as their promotions and dismissals.
After Fang Qingyuan broke through to the Qi Refining Fourth Level last night, he could now register to become an Inner Sect Disciple. He didn't want to wait a moment longer and came straight here, ready to become the Inner Sect Disciple he had dreamed of for so long.
But for an Outer Sect Disciple to become an Inner Sect Disciple, three conditions had to be met. The first and most important was that one's cultivation had to reach the Mid-stage Qi Cultivation.
Secondly, reaching the required cultivation level wasn't enough; one's recorded merit points within the villa also had to reach three hundred.
These merit points represented a disciple's contribution to the sect and were earned by completing sect-issued tasks. Three hundred points was no small amount, but Fang Qingyuan had earned them long ago.
Over the years, Fang Qingyuan had worked hard to complete sect tasks, and his merit points had already exceeded five hundred. Unfortunately, his cultivation had been stuck, preventing him from becoming an Inner Sect Disciple.
Now that his cultivation was sufficient and he had enough merit points, only one last condition remained: he needed to pass an assessment.
Every Inner Sect Disciple had to pass an assessment to be promoted. If Outer Sect Disciples were treated like stepchildren that the sect didn't value much, then Inner Sect Disciples were the seeds of the future, each one to be carefully nurtured.
Outer Sect Disciples could receive five Spirit Stones, a bottle of Qi-Enhancing Pills, and a bottle of Yellow Bud Pills each month.
These Elixir Pills and Spirit Stones were distributed every month, regardless of one's contribution to the sect. It was a guaranteed income, come rain or shine.
Loose Cultivators outside the sect lived from hand to mouth. They dreamed of becoming Sect Disciples, but for them, it was an unattainable fantasy.
Yet these benefits paled in comparison to what Inner Sect Disciples received. To start, their monthly Spirit Stone stipend rose to twenty.
Then, the amount of Elixir Pills was doubled, they received one new Daoist Robe per season, and most importantly, they could receive a sect Spirit Beast to raise.
The Beast Taming Sect, as its name implies, was a sect founded on the principle of controlling Spirit Beasts. It was a super-sect on par with, or even slightly surpassing, the Qi Yun Sect.
Because the Beast Taming Sect's Cultivation Technique was unique, its Cultivators could often control Spirit Beasts one stage higher than themselves. Therefore, whenever Beast Taming Sect disciples fought, they would lead a group of Spirit Beasts to swarm their opponent. Some of these Spirit Beasts even had higher cultivation levels than their masters.
Because they were extremely skilled at raising Spirit Beasts, every Spirit Beast produced by the Beast Taming Sect was of the highest quality. Every time one was put up for sale, it would cause a frantic bidding war among the various powers.
But this kind of Spirit Beast was just a standard benefit for Inner Sect Disciples. As long as your cultivation realm and status were high enough, the sect would issue one for free.
Of course, this Spirit Beast could only be chosen from among first-tier beasts, valued at around three hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. If you wanted a better one, you had to pay extra.
However, the Manta Ray that Fang Qingyuan rode was not in this category, as his Flying Manta Ray was far more valuable.
Also, Spirit Beasts were delicate and difficult to raise. The price for a Spirit Beast started at three hundred Spirit Stones, and the cost to raise it into a capable fighter was even greater. Impoverished Loose Cultivators couldn't afford one.
'Fang Qingyuan wasn't a Loose Cultivator, but right now, he had fewer Spirit Stones in his pocket than most of them. He hadn't even become an Inner Sect Disciple yet, and already he was starting to worry. What would he do if he couldn't afford to raise his Spirit Beast?'