Chapter 13 : Accumulation
Chapter 13: Accumulation!
In the blink of an eye, Gu Yan had already spent an entire year within the inner sect of the Taiyi Dao Sect.
Within a quiet courtyard on the eastern side of Pill Glow Peak, the morning mist had yet to disperse.
Gu Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, observing his inner state.
The eighteen acupoints he had opened during the second revolution of martial cultivation were now completely filled with spiritual power.
Within each acupoint, the spiritual power had condensed into a small vortex.
Whenever even a trace of spiritual power was consumed, the vortex would automatically draw in the scattered Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, slowly replenishing itself.
Such a configuration was like carrying twenty-seven permanently recharging portable power sources.
A hint of amusement flickered through Gu Yan’s mind.
Beyond that, the spiritual power stored in his Dantian was even more abundant.
Although he was still at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, Gu Yan was not in a hurry.
This was because after stepping onto the path of cultivation, many once-blurry memories from his previous life had become clear again.
Those cultivation novels he had read repeatedly emphasized that Foundation Establishment was the first true threshold on the path of immortality.
Only when the Spiritual Energy within the body was fully saturated and transformed from a gaseous state into a liquid state could one naturally succeed.
Thus, over the past year, most of the Spiritual Energy he absorbed had been refined and stored within his Dantian.
Gu Yan opened his eyes and glanced at the sky.
The morning sun had already climbed past the peak of Pill Glow Peak.
“Time to go earn the rent.”
He muttered softly before standing up.
This courtyard had been exchanged a month ago using a large amount of sect contribution points.
Thinking back on why he had moved, Gu Yan still felt somewhat helpless.
Previously, while living in the inner sect disciple residence, he had once practiced the Clear Wind Sword Technique outside his door.
Having comprehended a trace of sword intent, each of his movements had become seamless and natural, attracting quite a number of fellow disciples to stop and watch.
After that, martial enthusiasts often came knocking to spar and exchange pointers, calling it “mutual improvement.”
To gain some peace and quiet, he had gritted his teeth and spent a considerable amount of contribution points to move to this secluded courtyard.
The environment was tranquil—but the cost was not small.
Each month, he had to pay five hundred sect contribution points.
Gu Yan calculated his remaining contribution points. They were only enough to last through this month.
“Cultivating immortality only to become a tenant… If this were a novel in my previous life, readers would probably complain.”
He shook his head and pushed the door open.
From the eastern side of Pill Glow Peak to the Teaching Hall on the western side of Evergreen Market, one had to pass through a maple forest and then skirt the edge of the martial practice field.
Gu Yan had walked this route many times and was already familiar with it.
“Junior Brother Gu!”
At that moment, a clear voice called out from the side.
Gu Yan paused slightly and turned his head.
He saw three women in the attire of true disciples approaching gracefully.
The one leading them appeared to be in her early twenties, with delicate and refined features.
“Senior Sister Liu.” Gu Yan cupped his hands in greeting.
Liu Qingyi’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment, a trace of appreciation flashing in her eyes.
The two junior sisters behind her exchanged glances and smiled faintly.
“Junior Brother Gu, are you heading to the Teaching Hall?” Liu Qingyi asked gently. “Coincidentally, we are also going to submit last month’s tasks. Why not travel together?”
“Senior Sister’s kindness is appreciated,” Gu Yan replied with a slight bow.
“However, I still need to visit the Scripture Pavilion to borrow some texts first, and I fear delaying Senior Sister’s matters.”
This was a polite refusal.
Liu Qingyi did not insist and simply smiled. “Then I won’t delay you.”
“However… the area around the sect has been somewhat unstable recently. Several disciples who went out on missions have encountered unknown attacks.
If you take any external missions, be sure to be cautious.”
Gu Yan’s heart stirred slightly, though his expression remained calm. “Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister.”
After watching the three true disciple senior sisters leave, Gu Yan continued on his way.
The Taiyi Dao Sect had a clear hierarchy: ordinary inner sect disciples, true disciples, personal disciples, chief disciples, and so on.
A regular disciple like Gu Yan, who had not yet taken a master, would not normally attract much attention from true disciples.
But appearance, no matter the world, seemed to always be a valuable asset.
Passing through the maple forest, the martial practice field came into view.
Disciples training in the morning were scattered in small groups, some practicing swordsmanship, others boxing.
Gu Yan’s gaze swept across the field and suddenly caught sight of two familiar figures.
Lin Wei and Su Zhi.
The two were sparring with swords at the edge of the field.
Lin Wei’s strikes were sharp and aggressive, while Su Zhi countered with finesse, her footwork light and nimble, evading attacks at critical moments.
Gu Yan did not stop walking, only casting a distant glance.
Over the past year, he had seen the two of them several times during grand lectures at the Teaching Hall, but had never stepped forward to greet them.
At the edge of the practice field, Su Zhi suddenly withdrew her sword and looked toward the direction Gu Yan had left, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
“What’s wrong, Senior Sister Su?” Lin Wei asked.
“I thought I just saw…” Su Zhi shook her head. “Perhaps I was mistaken. It felt like a familiar figure passed by, but when I looked closely, there was nothing.”
Lin Wei followed her gaze, but only saw disciples coming and going, nothing unusual.
……
Evergreen Market, Teaching Hall.
【Eliminate a branch stronghold of the Extreme Yin Demon Sect. Requires a team of five. Reward: three thousand contribution points. Spoils belong to participants…】
【Collect three hundred-year Snow Lotuses at the Northern Frost Mountains. Reward: one thousand five hundred contribution points…】
【Escort the Lin Family caravan to Jinling City. Duration: half a month. Reward: two thousand contribution points…】
At a glance, all were high-risk, high-reward sect missions.