Inside the room at the registration office.

Jiang Man was shown in.

Outside just a moment ago, many people hadn’t processed what happened.

They didn’t understand the situation.

So it didn’t cause much of a commotion.

But He Chenfeng and Bai Danyan, who knew what was going on, understood just how astonishing this was.

He had achieved Foundation Establishment a mere fifteen days after registering.

Something like this had never happened before.

Bai Danyan was even tempted to test the man before her to see if he was truly at the Foundation Establishment realm.

’Or is he just spouting nonsense to save face?’

In the end, she gave up the idea.

Instead, she decided to proceed with the official test.

At this moment, they had Jiang Man release his aura.

Sure enough, the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator spread through the room.

The two of them fell silent.

This was especially true for Bai Danyan. At first, she thought this man who couldn’t even find his way was only fit for an ordinary courtyard, where he would live out a mundane life.

Now, it seemed the Pioneer Courtyard would have been his "mundane" life.

The place she thought could change his life was one he hadn’t even deigned to enter.

He had leaped straight into the Foundation Establishment Courtyard.

If their previous conversation ever got out, she’d be too ashamed to show her face.

He Chenfeng sighed. "Your situation is a bit unusual, but it can be handled. It’s just a bit more troublesome than for others."

Jiang Man was a little curious. "I’ve already reached Foundation Establishment. How is that *more* troublesome?"

"Because cases like yours are extremely rare," He Chenfeng said.

At first, seeing that Jiang Man was from Luoyun City, he had thought he could look out for him a bit.

With a few extra resources in the early stages, reaching Foundation Establishment would be easier.

After all, he was first in the Yunqian Bureau’s assessment, so his chances of reaching Foundation Establishment were very high.

It had been this way for years.

But...

He had never imagined that Jiang Man would arrive already at Foundation Establishment.

His intended help now seemed completely insignificant. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Do I get any resource rewards from Cloud Mist Peak for this?" Jiang Man asked.

Back then, even Cyan Cloud Pavilion had given him five thousand Spiritual Source.

Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment right upon entry, it should be considered bringing honor to Cloud Mist Peak.

’They can’t just give me nothing, can they?’

"Did any of the Sect’s courtyards guide you?" He Chenfeng asked.

Jiang Man shook his head. "No."

"Then can they take credit for your rapid advancement?" He Chenfeng asked again.

Jiang Man shook his head again.

"Then who is supposed to give you a reward?" He Chenfeng gazed at Jiang Man.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Man understood.

Since no one received any corresponding benefits from his Foundation Establishment, no one was going to share any benefits with him.

From a short-term perspective, he had reached Foundation Establishment very quickly after joining.

But from a long-term perspective, he was merely a year faster than others.

Although no one could know that this one-year gap was the narrowest it would ever be between him and them, on paper, the difference really was only a year.

It didn’t prove much.

’I’ll just have to count on Yu Wanyi,’ he thought.

But if there was nothing, so be it. Jiang Man wasn’t too concerned.

He still needed to figure out the next steps in his cultivation as soon as possible.

"Let me take you there. I can answer your questions about Foundation Establishment along the way. Also, do you have your accommodations arranged?" He Chenfeng asked.

Jiang Man took out an iron token. "What about this?"

"With that, you can get a private residence in the Foundation Establishment Courtyard. It’s basically the best treatment you can get in the Outer Sect." He Chenfeng paused, then added, "The price is also more favorable."

’Price?’

Jiang Man was confused.

He immediately asked for clarification.

Bai Danyan, who was standing to the side, immediately chimed in, "For the first three years, entry-level disciples don’t have to pay cultivation fees. But you do have to pay for lodging with Spiritual Source. Naturally, the better the place, the more expensive it is. Otherwise, why do you think the vast majority of people live eight to a room?"

"How much Spiritual Source a month for an eight-person room?" Jiang Man asked curiously.

Bai Danyan explained, "A standard room is five hundred Spiritual Source. A four-person room—if you’re lucky—is six hundred, but there aren’t many. As for those with a recommendation token like yours, you can stay in a two-person room for one thousand a month.

"A single room is two thousand a month.

"You get a discount, so it would be around sixteen hundred for you.

"A small, private courtyard is three thousand a month; with the discount, it’s twenty-four hundred."

Jiang Man fell silent.

’So much for the advantages of being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator,’ he thought.

"Don’t feel like you’re getting a raw deal. Not everyone is even qualified for a private residence," He Chenfeng said to Jiang Man. "The Foundation Establishment Courtyard is divided into a front and back courtyard. Only those in the front courtyard are eligible. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators in the back courtyard have to live in two-person rooms. The only exception is if they can pay three to five times the normal amount of Spiritual Source."

After that, He Chenfeng led Jiang Man up the mountain.

"You can live wherever you want. To save Spiritual Source, you could even go live in an eight-person room. But the biggest difference between these places isn’t the number of people, but the Spiritual Qi," He Chenfeng explained as they walked. "The fewer people there are, the denser the Spiritual Qi. That’s why these prime spots are so limited. It’s especially true for the private residences—the back courtyard has to give way to the geniuses of the front courtyard for those.

"If you didn’t have a recommendation token, you would have to wait until your ranking was higher before you could choose a private residence."

Jiang Man sighed internally. It seemed he had no choice but to take a private residence.

He couldn’t possibly live with other people because he still had his Old Yellow Ox.

Thinking of this, Jiang Man finally remembered that he’d forgotten to ask Fang Yong where the Old Yellow Ox was.

’He’s most likely with Xiaopang. I’ll check his letter later,’ he thought.

’It will probably mention something about it.’

When they reached a point halfway up the mountain, they saw numerous buildings.

It resembled a small city.

"Cloud Mist Peak is divided into three courtyards: the Qi Refining Courtyard, the Rehabilitation Courtyard, and the Foundation Establishment Courtyard," He Chenfeng explained as they walked. "The Rehabilitation Courtyard is where new disciples go. If they fail to reach Foundation Establishment within three years, they are moved to the Qi Refining Courtyard. From then on, they have to pay cultivation fees based on their ranking."

"If you advance to Foundation Establishment, then you enter the Foundation Establishment Front Courtyard.

"You have nine years in the Foundation Establishment Front Courtyard. If you are unable to enter the Inner Sect within that time, you’ll have to go to the back courtyard and continue to work hard. You’ll also have to pay cultivation fees there based on your ranking."

Jiang Man nodded. Yu Wanyi had told him some of this.

Fail to reach Foundation Establishment in three years, and you had to start paying fees.

Fail to enter the Inner Sect in nine years, and you also had to start paying fees.

Jiang Man was rather curious just how much these cultivation fees were.