Chapter 30 Graduation 2: Within ten years of completing the Journey to Immortality, one must collect all the Spirit Stones.
"There's no other way. Refining materials are too expensive, and ordinary spirit beads are ruined after one use, which is too wasteful. For sustainable development, I refined this kind of spirit shield bead that can be charged with spirit stones. Moreover, the consumption of spirit stones is very low. One low-grade spirit stone is enough to charge it once."
Xu Xing removed the spirit shield. In fact, even if Wen Yao hadn't called a halt, she would have needed to replace it with a new spirit shield bead. This one had just reached its limit of use. "Based on your attack frequency just now, a spirit shield bead can be charged thirteen times, and each charge can withstand three to four of your attacks."
Of course, if she used a mid-grade spirit stone to charge it, the effect would definitely double, but she couldn't bear to do that.
Wen Yao pretended to be angry and pouted, "Fine! So that's why you agreed to the competition so readily—you were just using me as a test!"
Xu Xing took out some snacks he had fried last time and stuffed them into her mouth, saying, "So I'm here to bribe you, thank you, Ayao~"
"Once I've saved up enough spirit stones to buy more materials, I'll refine a few for you too."
Xu Xing only had enough materials to refine four pills. He had already used one for testing, leaving three. Based on Zhao Linglan and Wen Yao's cultivation levels, they were certain to pass the graduation assessment, so Xu Xing planned to give Wang Lianhua one for self-defense.
"Xu Xu, you're amazing!"
While munching on a snack, Wen Yao examined the now-dull spirit shield bead over and over, and exclaimed, "You'll definitely become a master weapon refiner in the future! Oh, and alchemy too!"
She then took Xu Xing's slender white hand, looked it over from left to right, and even squeezed it. "You're skilled in alchemy and weapon crafting, and you can even create so many novel gadgets. If those disciples who say behind your back that you're wasting your time on frivolous things knew, they would be absolutely astonished!"
Despite saying that, Wen Yao knew that Xu Xing's cultivation level was still too low, so she had to keep her ability to refine pills and weapons a secret to avoid bringing disaster upon herself.
"However, are you really planning to just use your spirit shield for protection during the assessment? Even if you pass, you won't be able to demonstrate your abilities..."
Wen Yao rested her head on Xu Xing's lap, snacking while worrying about her good friend.
The graduation examination of the Immortal Dao Academy not only signifies that the disciples can leave the academy and officially enter the Jade Cloud Sect, but it is also an important step for the peak masters and powerful figures of the inner and outer sects to select their disciples.
Most cultivators believe that those who are fearless and aggressive are good candidates for cultivation. If Xu Xing only focuses on defense, he will be seen as passively avoiding battle and will probably not be favored by powerful figures.
"Alright, stop worrying about this. It's normal for the seniors to look down on me with only five spiritual roots. As long as I can pass the test, nothing else matters."
Xu Xing gently touched Wen Yao's face, her eyes full of smiles. She knew that Wen Yao was doing this for her own good. Being able to make such a good friend was her greatest gain at the Immortal Academy.
With the assessment date approaching, Xu Xing made a trip to Dan Pavilion.
The Pill Pavilion is where the pills produced by the Alchemy Academy are sold. In addition to selling pills, it can also issue announcements to commission alchemists to refine pills. Therefore, it is usually very lively with disciples coming and going frequently.
The Pill Pavilion has five floors. The first floor is where first- and second-tier pills are sold. Many pills are displayed under the counter, with not only their names and effects, but also the corresponding types of spiritual herbs required, making it easy to see at a glance.
The formulas for all kinds of basic elixirs that are sold publicly are also public information. Only the formulas for high-level elixirs with special uses or the exclusive secret formulas of alchemists are kept secret.
Of course, even if you have the recipe and know what materials to use, you may not be able to make it successfully. The heat, the timing of adding the materials, and the amount are all extremely important steps.
Besides selling her pills, Xu Xing also enjoys recombining materials to create some strangely effective elixirs. By visiting the Pill Pavilion to see what sells best and considering the material costs, she can determine which second-tier elixirs to primarily sell.
"We've already told you we don't accept this request! Why are you bothering us? If you keep causing trouble, I'll have the patrolling cultivators kick you out!"
"Please forgive me, sir, but I am suffering from a strange illness and urgently need the 'Rejuvenation Pill.' I beg your leniency..."
"Sigh! Can't you understand human language? Even if I sent you a commission, no alchemist would be willing to take it! You'd better try your luck elsewhere!"
A man was arguing with the steward of Dan Pavilion at the side gate. Xu Xing happened to be standing not far away and overheard a few words.
Rejuvenation Pill? This seems to be for martial artists.
She turned around and saw that, sure enough, the middle-aged man with the pleading expression had no spiritual energy fluctuations around him; he was a martial artist.
After kneeling and pleading for a long time, the martial artist was eventually pushed out by two disciples called over by the Dan Pavilion manager. He hung his head, his heart ashen.
He walked out in a daze, looking completely lost and dejected.
"Excuse me, sir, please wait a moment."
Kang Cheng turned around and saw that it was a young girl who had called out to him, but when he saw that she was wearing the robes of a disciple of the Immortal Dao Academy, he looked somewhat bewildered.
"I wonder what business this fairy has with me?"
A fairy? Xu Xing, who was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, remained silent for a moment.
In her eyes, the Immortal Academy was a school, but even this "school" was divided into different levels. The Heavenly Pivot Academy was undoubtedly the highest level, while the Yao Guang Academy was the lowest.
Before leaving the academy, they studied together and had little conflict. They hadn't formally become disciples of anyone else. Even the disciples of Tian Shu Academy showed some respect to the disciples of Yao Guang Academy, and would address them as "Junior Sister" in a friendly manner.
The five years at the Immortal Academy can be said to be the most equal period in the lives of these disciples with different spiritual roots.
But the Martial Arts Academy is completely different.
These martial artists would all become servants and menial laborers to the cultivators in the future. In their eyes, even the lowest-ranking disciple of the Immortal Academy was their "master".
"You want the Rejuvenation Pill? Do you have the formula and ingredients?"
"Yes! Yes!" A glimmer of hope ignited in Kang Cheng's eyes as he handed over a bag with both hands. "Please take a look, Fairy."
The Rejuvenation Pill is often used to harmonize the internal energy in a martial artist's body. The fact that this pill is needed indicates that the martial artist may have gone astray in their cultivation and is showing signs of internal energy collapse.
Xu Xing glanced at the pill formula and immediately understood why no alchemist was willing to accept the commission. It wasn't because it was difficult; on the contrary, it was too simple.
This kind of pill isn't expensive, so even if you successfully refine it, you won't earn much spirit stone, and it's only for martial artists...
“I have an alchemist friend who can help you refine it.”
"Thank you, fairy!"
Kang Cheng's eyes lit up with excitement, but then dimmed. He rubbed his hands together, his lips trembling as he handed over the money pouch he was clutching in his palm, half-soaked with sweat.
"This, this is the reward I prepared, please, please..."
His hands trembled slightly. How could he not understand what the steward of the Pill Pavilion meant? How could any alchemist possibly be willing to refine pills for him with just a few spirit stones? This was all the wealth he had left…
Xu Xing grunted in agreement, took the money pouch, and glanced at it. Inside were five low-grade spirit stones.
Seeing that the young fairy's face was expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger, Kang Cheng knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly, "I know I don't have enough spirit stones, please save my brother's life! I'm currently on duty at the Beast Taming Arena and am willing to serve you!"
"Get up, you don't need to do this. It's just a Rejuvenation Pill. My friend happens to be free recently. You can come here to pick it up at this time tomorrow."
Xu Xing felt a little uncomfortable and sighed inwardly, but remained calm on the surface. Although she was willing to help, she did not want people to think that she was soft-hearted and easily bullied.
Xu Xing was unaware that his brief conversation with the martial artist had been observed by two people flying through the air.
"Helping martial artists refine pills?" Jin Chu raised an eyebrow, his tone playful. "Do you think she really has this friend, or is this 'friend' herself?"
Fu Shuang said calmly, "When did you change your ways and start paying attention to the affairs of these junior disciples?"
"Hmm..." Jin Chu said, "Could it be because she is the one with five spiritual roots?"
Seeing Fu Shuang's expression, Jin Chu knew that she had known about this for a long time.
"You don't know this, but the corpse that fell into the Hidden Pavilion back then was the work of this little girl. I became interested when Wei Ze mentioned this. Her sword intent was quite good. I was thinking that if this disciple had a good character, I could let you see it. Unfortunately, that sword intent was not hers, and she is not a sword cultivator."
Jin Chu, who was usually carefree, now had a serious expression. "The Frost Sword, which is famous throughout the demon realm, can't be without a successor. Fu Shuang, you should take on a disciple."
"I've also investigated that sword intent; it belongs to the outer disciple, Shen Du. Although that kid is incredibly unlucky, if you're interested, it's not entirely out of the question..."
Fu Shuang's eyelashes, hidden beneath the white silk, fluttered slightly, interrupting Jin Chu's words, "If you don't want to see that Wind Spirit Deer, I'll go back."
Jin Chu shrugged, "Of course I'll go."
He looked down at Fu Shuang, a hint of a smile in his narrow eyes, thinking to himself: The reason I'm paying attention to this disciple with five spiritual roots is naturally because of you. You won't reveal your thoughts, but I can see through them...
As she prepared to return on the Roc, Xu Xing suddenly felt something was strange, as if someone was watching her.
A high-level cultivator could not detect the presence of a high-level cultivator using their divine sense, so the sudden feeling she had was likely that the person was simply "looking" at her.
This wasn't the first time Xu Xing had this feeling, but that "gaze" was gentle and calm, and she didn't sense any malice, which is why she hadn't taken it to heart.
The fleeting feeling she had just experienced made her think that the person was very close to her. Xu Xing looked around, and as expected, she found nothing. She patted the roc and flew back to the Immortal Academy.
I wonder how Feng Ling and Wen Lu's investigation is going. Whatever the result, I hope it won't affect the graduation assessment...
Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and the five-year graduation assessment of the Immortal Academy arrived as scheduled.
Just as hundreds of disciples lined up to head to the trial platform, the only remaining cave dwelling in the abandoned Void Peak finally stirred.
Although the cave dwelling has not yet collapsed, it is already in imminent danger. Several magical artifacts that have lost their spiritual energy are scattered around it. The man in the cave dwelling has tattered robes covered with thick dust, like a statue that has been sealed for a long time.
The moment Shen Du opened his eyes from his seclusion, golden light flickered in them, and boundless sword intent surged within them before finally returning to calm.
A small golden sword, seemingly real yet ethereal, swirled around him. Upon seeing its master awaken, it quietly hovered beside him.
Feeling an unprecedented abundance of spiritual energy, Shen Du breathed a sigh of relief. Before going into seclusion, he had not expected that his tribulation would be such a dangerous Heavenly Lightning.
He had fought his way through the first eight trials, but had exhausted all his magical artifacts and elixirs. When his spiritual power was depleted, he thought his path to immortality had come to an end.
Heavenly lightning! I've never heard of a cultivator advancing to the Golden Core stage encountering such a powerful tribulation. A bitter smile escaped Shen Du's pale lips. Is this really his fate?
From the moment he embarked on the path to immortality, he was plagued by bad luck. It seemed that the heavens thought he was not qualified to cultivate immortality, and therefore always made things difficult for him in various ways.
He went to the secret realm, but it collapsed; he searched for treasure, but it was lost; he slew demonic beasts, but they self-destructed; even his master, the only one who was willing to be close to him and treated him like his own son…
Perhaps he should accept his fate.
With the broken Xuan Yue Sword lying horizontally in front of him, Shen Du, who could no longer lift the sword, released his strength and quietly waited for the last bolt of heavenly lightning to strike.
His clothes loosened slightly, and two bottles of pills suddenly rolled to the side from his bosom.
It was a first-tier Spirit Gathering Pill that Xu Xing had given him years ago.
Such low-grade pills would have negligible effect on a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator, and Shen Du had never considered taking them. However, since it was his junior sister's gift, he had kept it carefully.
Things stored in storage bags are always hard to keep, so he carefully kept them in his bosom. He never expected that the only thing he still had now, even though he had nothing, was these two bottles of Spirit Gathering Pills.
Staring blankly at the two bottles of pills, Shen Du unexpectedly thought of his quirky junior sister.
"Since meeting my senior brother, everything has been lucky!"
"This is called Celestial Investment. I believe my senior brother will definitely succeed in forming his core!"
"From now on, one of us is a master swordsman, and the other is a master alchemist. We should cooperate and achieve mutual benefit..."
Chen Du looked up at the gathering thunderclouds in the sky, where terrifying lightning churned and writhed, seemingly preparing to deliver the final blow to this reckless swordsman.
With his last bit of strength, Shen Du picked up one of the bottles of elixirs and swallowed all the Spirit Gathering Pills. He felt a faint spiritual energy again and picked up the Xuan Yue Sword once more.
After decades of arduous practice, how could I be willing to give up?
Besides, he still owes her two hundred spirit stones and promised to protect her so she can grow into a skilled alchemist...
He cannot die.
Pulling himself out of the memories of his tribulation two months ago, he used the incantation to sweep away the dust and restore his clean and refreshed state before opening the last remaining bottle of pills and glancing at the few oddly shaped pills, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
Carefully tucking the medicine bottle into his sleeve, Shen Du got up and left the cave.
Four years...
I wonder how my old friend is doing?
Upon opening the cave's protective barrier, Shen Du saw a piece of paper with floating spiritual energy pasted on the door.
Upon peeling it off, the paper read: The total cost of rebuilding the Void Peak, repairing the third-tier spiritual vein, and the surrounding buildings amounted to 23,763 mid-grade spirit stones. The sect has already subsidized 20,000, and another 3,763 mid-grade spirit stones are still required. The outer sect Golden Core cultivators are required to settle the debt within ten years of completing their cultivation and pay it to the Thousand Machine Academy.
It also bears the signature of the Thousand Machines Academy and a spiritual energy stamp, making it a very formal announcement with no possibility of forgery.
"..."
After reading it, Shen Du's expression remained calm, his dark eyes were expressionless, but his hand holding the paper trembled slightly, and the small golden sword floating beside him froze for a moment before falling to the ground with a "clang".
Let's go into seclusion for another hundred years...
Silently folding and putting the paper away, Shen Du turned back to look at the cave behind him and began to seriously consider the possibility of continuing his seclusion.
"Boom—"
The next moment, the only intact cave dwelling on Ruxu Peak, after struggling for two months, collapsed into ruins right before his eyes.
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Author's note: Senior Brother Shen, who was overwhelmed by debt before he could even share his joy of advancement with his junior sister: There is no time in cultivation. It's normal to go into seclusion for several hundred years, right?
Author's Note: No way, because you're going to be Xu Xu's henchman [waving hand]
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Thank you catle, baibaibai, zuiyuesheng, and minmin123n for the nutrient solution!
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