Nascent Condensation Skill, Seventh Layer.

Day ten.

Nascent Condensation Skill, Eighth Layer.

Day eighteen.

Nascent Condensation Skill, Ninth Layer.

’Success!’ Jiang Man was overjoyed.

’But my Cultivation is still too slow.’

Back in the Qi Refining realm, he had been able to master the Simple Skill in just a few days.

It hadn’t even taken him seven days.

But now, the Nascent Condensation Skill took eighteen days.

’If this were a Middle-Upper Grade skill, or even a higher one, how long would it take?’

When the Old Yellow Ox heard him, it just kept chewing its grass in silence.

’I need to find something to touch,’ Jiang Man thought.

’If I can get something good out of it again, my Talent will increase.’

These days, everyone went to the courtyard for Cultivation. The seven days of lectures were long over.

Everyone had seen Jiang Man staying up all night, but no one paid it any mind.

Instead, they assumed he would end up at the bottom of the rankings.

Yan Yiqiu had tried to talk him out of it once, but never brought it up again.

She respected everyone’s choices.

After all, some people had to learn things the hard way.

Jiang Man just smiled at their assumptions.

’Once the rankings are out, they’ll all be singing a different tune.’

’No need to rush.’

The first month was almost over, and the next two would pass just as quickly.

Now that Jiang Man was at the Ninth Layer of the Nascent Condensation Skill, he had fulfilled the requirement of the Unparalleled Celestial Pride.

And he still had a few days to spare.

’The Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart is one step behind me again.’

’It used to be a day behind, and now it’s three.’

’In the future, the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart won’t even be able to see my shadow.’

"Stop daydreaming and look at me," the Old Yellow Ox suddenly said.

Jiang Man turned his head, slightly surprised.

The Old Yellow Ox was glowing.

"You’ve got a message from your wife," the Old Yellow Ox said.

With a sigh, Jiang Man produced a ball of light, and soon Meng Qiewei’s gentle voice echoed from it.

But after he finished listening, he looked as if he’d been struck by lightning.

His joy at being a step ahead of the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart vanished in an instant.

"Was she being sweet to you?" the Old Yellow Ox asked.

Jiang Man fell silent for a moment before relaying the message truthfully.

"Old Huang, do you think she found out?" Jiang Man sighed. "If her people come here, what are we going to do?"

Old Huang shook his head. "She can’t sense you, and neither can anyone else. She’s bluffing."

"She said someone is coming. Is that true or not?" Jiang Man asked.

The Old Yellow Ox fell silent.

Jiang Man knew then that there was a good chance it was true.

’But are they really just taking a shot in the dark?’

’Logically, the Old Yellow Ox shouldn’t be wrong. Meng Qiewei simply can’t find me.’

’She can only cross over via the Magpie Bridge.’

’So how did other people find out?’

’Is it really just a coincidence?’

’I’ll just have to wait and see if any powerful experts with the surname Meng show up.’

Jiang Man asked curiously, "Old Huang, do you think anyone can tell that I have the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart?"

"Very few," the Old Yellow Ox replied.

’So it’s possible.’ He had no idea if Meng Qiewei’s family possessed such an ability.

"Whoever is coming won’t be a top-tier expert," the Old Yellow Ox suddenly said.

"Why?" Jiang Man asked.

The Old Yellow Ox just kept chewing its grass, not answering.

This put Jiang Man’s mind at ease.

’If they’re not a top-tier expert, then I can catch up to them.’

’Sooner or later, I’ll be the one to defeat them.’

After that, Jiang Man stopped worrying about it.

It was time to focus on improving his Cultivation. If he thought of his Cultivation as a Gourd, he hadn’t even opened his first one yet.

And this time, there were five Gourds of different colors.

He would have to ask what kind of Elixirs he needed.

「Foundation Establishment Front Courtyard, Ninth Courtyard.」

Yan Yiqiu looked down at the crowd and said, "For now, you need to focus on improving your Nascent Condensation Skill. You can’t use Elixirs for this, but you can use auxiliary Talismans, Spirit Plants, and Arrays, as well as practice Concentrating and Nourishing Qi.

"That will help you achieve twice the results with half the effort.

"Once you reach the Nascent Condensation Fifth Layer, you can begin your actual Cultivation."

After she finished speaking, Jiang Man asked, "Mr. Yan, what kind of Elixirs are needed to begin Cultivation?"

"Before you begin your Cultivation, you must first go and claim the Simple Body Refining Technique and the Foundation Establishment Visualization Skill." Yan Yiqiu looked at Jiang Man and continued, "The Body Refining Skill and the Visualization Skill each have nine layers. Normally, cultivating to the Fifth Layer is sufficient, but for those who are well-off, the higher the better, of course.

"Moreover, you need to reach at least the Cultivation Technique Sixth Layer before it’s suitable to enhance your Physical Body and Divine Thought. Otherwise, you’ll have to start over later.

"Secondly, when Magic Cultivators practice the Nascent Condensation Skill, they accumulate Magical Power.

"If your Physical Body is too weak and your Divine Thought is insufficient, you can easily injure yourself or even suffer a cultivation deviation.

"During Qi Refining, you can focus on raising your Cultivation first. But after Foundation Establishment, if you want to improve your Cultivation, you must first strengthen your Physical Body and Divine Thought.

"The reason I’m having you practice the Nascent Condensation Skill now is so you can first fully complete the Foundation Establishment Introduction."

Jiang Man nodded, indicating that he understood.

"The initial Realm of Foundation Establishment is aligned with the Gold Attribute, so you will need a Gold Attribute Elixir called the Golden Element Pill," Yan Yiqiu continued to explain. "The Elixir for the Physical Body is the Nourishing Essence Pill, and the Elixir for Visualization is the God Strengthening Pill.

"The prices are similar throughout the Sect, but you can check the street markets on the various peaks."

Hearing that Jiang Man wanted to buy Elixirs, An Rong recommended a place in a corner of Cloud Mist Peak.

It was the cheapest place to buy them.

But the quality wasn’t guaranteed.

Curious, Jiang Man asked around about the prices.

A Nourishing Essence Pill typically cost six hundred.

The God Strengthening Pill was the same.

A Golden Element Pill normally went for five hundred.

Jiang Man’s brow furrowed as he looked at the prices.

’So, to fill and open the first Gourd, I have to take all three Elixirs?’

’Seventeen hundred for a single session?’

’No wonder everyone takes on a Minor to earn Spiritual Source.’

’On top of that, I have to set up Arrays and Talismans in my residence, and it would be best to have a magical artifact as well.’

’I also need Magic Skills.’

’My lodging also costs Spiritual Source.’

’The costs for Foundation Establishment are astronomical.’

’It’s so hard for the poor to pursue Immortal Cultivation. No wonder the gap between cultivators is so huge, even in a Sect where everyone cultivates.’

’This isn’t just a test of Cultivation Talent; it’s also a test of wealth and the ability to earn Spiritual Source.’

’If I couldn’t "borrow" Spiritual Source...’

’...I wouldn’t be able to make any progress at all.’

’I hope Chang Qiweng is earning plenty of Spiritual Source.’

’He’d better not lend any to Fang Yong.’

’Next time he comes around, I need to get there first.’

’So Fang Yong can’t beat me to it.’

Later, Jiang Man went to the Dharma Transmission Courtyard to pick up the Body Refining Techniques and the Visualization Skill.

The Simple Skills were all free, and the first three Realms even came with three complimentary Magic Skills.

Any others had to be earned as rewards or purchased.

However, the Sword Control Technique was not among these three Magic Skills.

He asked around and found that the Sword Control Technique wasn’t that expensive—only three thousand Spiritual Source.

But...

It didn’t come with a Spirit Sword.

A Spirit Sword started at ten thousand.

Rumor had it that Forging methods were improving, and the price would drop to five thousand within three years.

’I can wait.’

’Buy now, enjoy now; buy later, get a discount.’

Back at his residence, Jiang Man sighed as he looked at his Spiritual Source, which amounted to just over twenty thousand.

After looking around, he realized just how poor he truly was.

He had also gone to that corner of Cloud Mist Peak to ask about Elixir prices.

The Golden Element Pill was about four hundred.

But the quality wasn’t great.

Even though it was a hundred cheaper, absorbing it would leave behind some impurities.

For someone like him, who needed to consume a large quantity, the drawbacks outweighed the benefits.

After that, Jiang Man stopped dwelling on it and decided to practice his other Cultivation Skills first.

In three more days, his Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart would unlock its next stage.

’The first time it gave me one Elixir, the second time two. The third time, it should be three Flawless Elixirs.’

’Maybe I won’t have to spend any Spiritual Source at all during this first stage.’

He was also very curious about what the next requirement would be.

————

「A Quaint Courtyard.」

Meng Qiewei sipped her tea, remaining silent for a long while.

Qing Dai, standing to one side, asked curiously, "Miss, do you sense a problem?"

"It’s a little bitter," Meng Qiewei said.

"The sweetness will come through later," Qing Dai said.

Meng Qiewei took a sip of cool water. "Have they been up to anything recently?"

"The new generation of Celestial Prides has gone to the Wuyun Sect. They even brought the entrance to a Secret Realm with them, claiming it’s to better locate the Fate Chart. Everyone agreed to it.

"Now, they are all convinced that you’ve buried your husband somewhere in the Wuyun Sect.

"They want to see just what unlucky soul ended up marrying you," Qing Dai said.

At this, Meng Qiewei looked at Qing Dai. "Is it so unlucky to marry me?"

Qing Dai lowered her head.

In past generations, every young lady who possessed the Celestial Pride Fate Chart was eventually married off.

But when it came to her, no one dared to come forward with a marriage proposal.

Because the Miss was indifferent, cold, pure as jade, and utterly inviolable.

It wasn’t that suitors were respectful of their own accord; it was that anyone who dared to be profane had died.

In her youth, the Miss killed without batting an eye. Now that she had stepped back, everyone felt it was perfectly reasonable that she would kill one more person—her husband.

There were even rumors circulating outside that the Miss had a peculiar fetish for being a widow while her husband was still alive.

"Are you also curious about which unlucky soul it is?" Meng Qiewei asked.

"I wouldn’t dare," Qing Dai said, lowering her head.

"Continue searching for information related to the Evil God," Meng Qiewei said.

With that Evil God involved, she didn’t believe anyone could actually find him.

It was all probably just lies from that young Celestial Pride.

————

Let’s reopen the group next month!

Everyone can disperse for now.

We’ll start it up again when there’s someone to manage it.