Chapter 233 First-Class Disciple

A gentle breeze blows, accompanied by the bright moon.

The jade tree under the moon emitted a melodious chime, like a wind chime.

The white leaves were enveloped in the bright moonlight, their veins shimmering with golden light, like a crystal-clear work of art.

Ji An sat cross-legged under the tree, enveloped in emerald and yellow spiritual light, along with wisps of silver radiance that entered his mouth and nose with each breath.

As he circulated the Green Wood Everlasting Spring Technique, breathing in and out spiritual energy, white frost covered his skin.

He had now adapted to the coldness, his body instinctively operating his cultivation technique, his mind completely empty.

In a daze, he seemed to "see" a seed sprouting underground.

The roots embracing the darkness downwards, drawing nourishment from every drop.

The tender shoots reach upwards, chasing the light, and despite the wind and frost, they still stand tall and proud.

The sacred tree grew taller and taller, its roots growing deeper and deeper.

As time leaves its mottled rings, the life of the sacred tree comes to an end, gradually withering and decaying with time.

The glistening, jade-like green fruits that grew on the spirit tree fell from the branches and were buried in the wind and sand.

As the rain falls to the ground, the sand and dust turn into mud, and the green fruit slowly dries up and rots, leaving only the seeds.

One life has ended, and another is about to begin.

Perhaps the original life never ended, and the so-called new life is just its continuation.

In this sense, the boundary between life and death has become blurred.

Spring thunder rumbles, seeds sprout, and the cycle continues.

After flourishing, it slowly declines, which is the natural order. But life does not perish; instead, it lies dormant in another form, waiting for the right time.

Regardless of life or death, the vigorous growth of the Wood element remains there, never leaving.

Ji An opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing the light spots surrounding him. The nearby moonlight converged, forming a line that disappeared into his mouth.

It was as if I had drunk a pot of fine wine, and every pore on my body was emitting excited groans.

The ten Dao Seeds within his body shone brightly, their immortal veins gleaming with a crystal-clear emerald light.

The next moment, both the main vein and the branches grew by half an inch, becoming even thicker.

Ji An's liver was covered with numerous green vein-shaped patterns, which occupied three-quarters of the area.

At the same time, the white frost on his body disappeared instantly, and a large number of green patterns appeared on his skin.

The intricate patterns possess a unique beauty, resembling tattoos, and shimmer with a crystalline luster, exuding a vibrant life force.

The spiritual pressure, belonging to the late Foundation Establishment stage, suddenly spread outwards, and then quickly disappeared without a trace.

A drop of viscous, pale green magic power fell into the dantian, and the stone tortoise opened its mouth and swallowed it, its shell flashing with light.

In just one breath, Ji An was able to control the suddenly increased power, and all his energy was drawn back into his body.

The emerald green patterns on the liver gradually faded, and the patterns on the body surface first turned yellowish-brown, then became fainter and fainter, and finally disappeared.

Ji An continued to circulate his cultivation technique and found that the speed of refining spiritual energy had increased by half a point.

The late-stage Foundation Establishment technique of the Green Wood Everlasting Spring Technique needs to be exchanged from the Transmission Hall. Theoretically, after obtaining the technique, the speed of refining spiritual energy should be faster.

Ji An opened his eyes, his pupils shimmering with azure light.

He looked up at the sky, clenched his fist, and let out a long roar that echoed from the distant mountains.

It took him four and a half years to break through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, a speed that was faster than that of Senior Brother Liu Yu.

More importantly, he gained a glimpse into the fusion of Jia wood and Yi wood.

The seed falls into the soil, waiting for the right time to sprout.

The Wood element, with its harmonious balance of Yin and Yang, greatly increases the chances of igniting the primordial fire within one's life force.

In the stone house by the cold pool, Xia Yuhan and her sister exchanged a glance, both showing surprise on their faces.

"What good thing has happened to you, Uncle-Master?"

"Have you discovered any second-tier spirit plants?"

In a cave not far from the entrance to the underground cave, Big Yellow, fast asleep, gurgled and rolled over to continue sleeping.

In its nest on the rock face atop Crimson Flame Peak, the Golden-feathered Eagle listened intently before letting out a clear, sharp cry.

It could sense its owner's joy, and although it didn't know why, it couldn't miss out on joining in the fun.

5:00 AM (卯时).

The cold pool was shrouded in a gentle mist, and even the most diligent birds were still fast asleep in their nests.

Ji An left the cave. The moonlight was now faint, and the mountain breeze was slightly cool.

At the entrance of the cave, two swaying red pine trees bring a sense of warmth.

As usual, he flew to the cold pool to have breakfast, and then entered the mulberry field to begin his cultivation.

Although I haven't exchanged for the next stage of the cultivation technique yet, I can't waste the morning.

By constantly renewing oneself, one can naturally reach the pinnacle of achievement.

At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Ji An finished his cultivation and returned to the cold pool to inform them:

"Yuhan, I have to go out today and will not have lunch in the cave."

After saying that, he summoned his flying shuttle and sped away.

As the shuttle entered full-speed flight mode, he continuously channeled mana into it.

The mana in the later stages of Foundation Establishment contains more energy, and the speed of the shuttle increases even further.

An hour later, Ji An landed at the Qin Gong Hall on Lingxiao Mountain.

Inside the main hall, the charcoal fire in the stove glowed red-hot, the kettle gurgled, and wisps of steam rose into the air.

Ye Changqing held the teacup, a faint fragrance wafting through the air.

"Senior brother, I'm here to replace the jade pendant."

Ji An pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him.

"Replace the jade pendant?"

Ye Changqing was stunned for a moment, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he abruptly stood up:

"Junior brother, you've broken through?"

Due to the vigorous movement, some tea splashed out, staining his Taoist robe.

The water stains disappeared quickly as they gradually diffused, as if they had never appeared.

There are only three time points when sect disciples can change their jade tokens: when they break through the Foundation Establishment stage, when they break through the late Foundation Establishment stage, and when they break through the Yuan stage.

Ji An nodded slightly, revealing a trace of the spiritual pressure of a seventh-level Foundation Establishment cultivator:

"I broke through last night."

"Junior brother didn't take any pills to break through his cultivation level, did he?"

"Of course not, Uncle Jia Yu reminded me."

"Alright, alright! Junior brother, please follow me."

Congratulations, Junior Brother! From now on, you will enjoy the same treatment as a top-tier disciple of the sect, and your breakthrough to the Chaoyuan stage is just around the corner.

Ye Changqing clapped his hands and laughed. The treatment of a first-class disciple was a recognition from the sect.

These cultivators enjoy more resources and bear the responsibility of leading their sects to prosperity.

He turned and walked ahead, his steps brisk as he headed towards the rear hall, forcing Ji An to quicken his pace to keep up.

There are two ways to obtain the jade token of a first-class disciple: one is to obtain it when you enter the sect if you have reached the Earth-grade aptitude, and the other is to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage before you turn one hundred.

The first type is innate talent, which cannot be envied. The second type relies on a cultivator's hard work and opportunities.

The two stopped at the entrance of the rear hall, and Ye Changqing said softly:

"I do not have the authority to issue jade tokens to first-class disciples. Junior brother, please wait a moment while I go in and report to the Hall Master."

He walked slowly into the main hall and quickly came out, smiling:

"Junior brother, come with me. The Palace Master invites you."

Zhang Zizhao, the head of the Qin Gong Hall, was a high-ranking cultivator during the Chaoyuan period. He had a thin face, phoenix eyes that seemed half-closed, and a few long wisps of beard on his chin.

Ji An stepped into the main hall, bowed his head and clasped his hands, saying:

"Disciple Ji An greets Hall Master Zhang."

"Ji An, you are quite good. You have broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty. The sect needs cultivators like you. Now, bring me your jade token."

Zhang Zizhao had just thoroughly reviewed Ji An's information using the spirit compass and was very pleased that this disciple, who only had a mid-grade aptitude, had reached this point.

In his view, such a disciple must have a certain amount of luck.

"I don't deserve your praise, Uncle-Master," Ji An said, presenting the jade token to you.

Zhang Zizhao placed the jade tablet on the spirit plate and manipulated it a few times, then took out another jade tablet of the same size, its interior densely covered with pale gold magical restrictions.

"Force out a drop of blood and let it drip in, then give it back to me."

Ji An took the jade pendant, dripped some blood into it, and then returned the jade pendant.

Zhang Zizhao placed the golden jade tablet on the spirit plate, then held the cyan jade tablet in his hand.

The jade pendant was engulfed by blue flames and then shattered into pieces.

The cracks are crisscrossed and very evenly distributed, and each piece of jade is about the size of a soybean.

He threw away the broken jade and said:

"Alright, your contribution points and minor merits have been transferred to the new jade tablet."

Becoming a top-tier disciple is a new starting point. Having enjoyed the sect's preferential resource allocation, you will now have to shoulder greater responsibilities.

Zhang Zizhao offered a few words of encouragement and then spoke for a while about the matters related to cultivation in the later stages of Foundation Establishment.

He handed over the jade pendant and said:

"Let Changqing tell you the details about the treatment of first-class disciples."

Ji An sensed the other party's intention to see him out and put the jade pendant away.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle. This disciple takes his leave."

Ye Changqing also cupped his hands in a gesture of respect:

"Palace Master, this disciple takes his leave."

After the two left, Zhang Zizhao's lips curled up slightly, and he said:

"A 56-year-old late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with a cultivation progress comparable to a Grade Earth cultivator, and also with a special comment from Senior Brother Jia."

I'm curious whether the other side has the same level of staying power.

The other party's aptitude is only of medium grade, and such talent will be a bit of a hindrance when breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage.

Walking along the road, Ye Changqing gently patted Ji An on the shoulder and laughed loudly:

"Good lad, you're really something. You broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment without making a sound. It took me ten years to break through back then."

He understood very well how much a cultivator's aptitude affected their Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. Slow refining of spiritual energy was manageable; at worst, more resources could be used.

The most desperate time is when breaking through a realm; every step is extremely difficult.

Most cultivators lose the possibility of advancing further because the breakthrough process takes too long.

Ji An grinned and explained:

"I originally thought that it might take a long time to break through, but for some reason, the bottleneck was broken through quite naturally."

"Tsk tsk, after hearing that, I have the urge to beat you up."

Ye Changqing patted Ji An's shoulder hard, his own hand aching from the impact.

He took a deep sniff and asked:

"Where is that burnt smell coming from?"

"It's over!" Ye Changqing grinned and immediately rushed to the front hall.

Ji An followed closely behind and found that the spirit charcoal in the stove was still glowing red, and the kettle on the stove was billowing black smoke.

Ye Changqing used his object manipulation technique to throw the charred kettle away.

"What a pity about my water bottle."

He shook his head and smiled wryly. There wasn't much water left in the kettle, and he had forgotten to take it off the shelf because he was in such a hurry.

"Out with the old, in with the new. Let's change our teapot and try something new."

Ji An took out a very small white jade jar and smiled:

"This is a premium Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea, brought here for my senior brother to taste!"

The jars are only the size of a toddler's fist. There's no other way; if the jars are big, they can hold very little, and it wouldn't look good to give them away.

Sending a small jar as a gift lowers the recipient's expectations. When they open the jar and find that the tea leaves inside are packed tightly, they will be pleasantly surprised.

A little bit of psychology applied, learned in a past life.

"Junior brother's kindness is appreciated, I will gladly accept it."

Ye Changqing took the jar and immediately opened it. The Jade Dew Golden Bud tea leaves were strip-shaped, resembling tiny white jade pillars wrapped with golden threads.

A faint fragrance wafted through the air, carrying a hint of coolness.

He held the jar to his nose, took a deep breath, and let out a comfortable "ah".

"Excellent tea!"

Ye Changqing exclaimed in admiration, "Senior Brother Lin Mao's Azure Jade Tree was also planted in a second-tier spirit field, and it was cultivated to the highest grade a year ago."

From this perspective, Junior Brother Ji's ability to cultivate spiritual plants is comparable to that of the sect's strongest spiritual farmer.

He took out a new water jug ​​from his storage bag, washed it, and filled it with spiritual spring water.

The two sat down and waited for the spring water to boil.

Ye Changqing propped himself up on the table and said:

"Let me briefly explain to my junior brother the benefits enjoyed by Class A disciples. First, the contribution points required to exchange for cultivation techniques are half that of ordinary disciples."

Secondly, you can exchange for various resources such as spirit items and spirit artifacts and enjoy a 20% discount.

Thirdly, every six months, one can listen to the sermons of the senior uncles in the Chaoyuan stage;

Unfortunately, just last month, Uncle Lin from the Enforcement Hall said that the next one would be five months from now.

Fourthly, the number of pills received from the sect each year is twice that of a second-grade cultivator, and minor cultivation points can be exchanged for the same number of pills.

Junior brother can now go to the treasure pavilion on Chaoyang Peak to collect this year's share.

Fifthly, the jade token of a first-class disciple can withstand three attacks from a cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage.

The kettle made a 'bubbling' sound. Ye Changqing used hot water to rinse a teacup and brewed two cups of Jade Dew Golden Bud tea.

The delicate aroma of tea permeated the main hall.

Leaving the Hall of Diligent Work, Ji An walked through the secluded bamboo forest path and entered the Hall of Transmission.

The cultivator on duty was wearing a red Taoist robe, and it was clear that he came from the Weapon Refining Hall.

The cultivator had a jade slip stuck to his forehead, his brows furrowed, seemingly deep in thought about some difficult problem.

Ji An found the late-stage foundation-building part of the Green Wood Everlasting Spring Technique and took out the jade tablet to stick it on the magic array light screen.

The light screen disappeared, and he took out a jade slip that was shimmering with a blue light from the niche.

Ji An arrived at the entrance of the main hall, placed the jade slip and jade token on the table, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Senior brother, copy the jade slip."

The cultivator snapped out of his reverie, glanced down at the pale golden jade tablet, raised his eyebrows slightly, and revealed a faint smile:

"Junior brother, you look unfamiliar. Did you recently break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage?"

He himself was a first-class disciple. A month ago, when his senior uncle, who was at the Chaoyuan stage, gave a sermon, he did not see this junior brother in front of him participating.

The sect only has a few dozen late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples; it's a very small circle.

Even if they are not close friends, they are at least familiar with each other.

Ji An smiled:

"My name is Ji An, and I just broke through yesterday."

"Haha, my name is Teng Zhiyuan."

The sect has gained another top-tier disciple; this is truly a cause for celebration.

Junior brother, let's exchange magic imprints and keep in touch!

He's also very outgoing.

Ji An smiled and said:

“I hit it off with my senior brother at first sight, and I was just about to ask him for the mark.”

After exchanging magical imprints, the two engaged in a friendly exchange of compliments.

Teng Zhiyuan finally remembered the important matter, picked up the cultivation technique jade slip, used the key to unlock it, and smiled:

"Ordinary disciples need 20,000 contribution points to exchange for late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation techniques, but junior disciples only need 10,000 points."

Happy New Year!

(End of this chapter)