Late December.

Jiang Man finished absorbing all the Flawless Golden Yuan Pills, successfully filling his first Gourd.

He was practically at the doorstep of the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.

With just a little more effort, he could officially advance from the Entry Level to the Early Stage.

But...

That was just the feeling.

Successfully breaking through would not be easy.

Just like when he broke through from the Qi Refining Sixth Layer to the Seventh Layer, there was a bottleneck.

The method to overcome it should be more or less the same: he needed to elevate his Physical Body and Spiritual Level.

Once he absorbed the Flawless Nourishing Essence Pills and Flawless God Strengthening Pills, his First Realm would be thoroughly consolidated.

The breakthrough should be easier then.

He just didn’t know what level his Physical Body and Spirit needed to reach to break through the bottleneck.

’No wonder Senior Sister Yu thought I wouldn’t be able to enter the Secret Realm. This breakthrough really is a bit difficult.’

Jiang Man estimated that further advancement would require a considerable amount of Elixirs and continuous hard work.

Reaching the Middle and Late Stages of Foundation Establishment within a year or two would require a lot of Spiritual Source.

’Still, there’s plenty of time, so I can take it slow. On the other hand, my Fate Chart is nipping at my heels, so I can’t afford to slack off.’

On another note, Cloud Mist Peak seemed even cleaner than before lately.

The clouds and mist in the sky were growing thinner.

The night sky had become clearer as well.

Throughout the entire Sect, Cloud Mist Peak was probably the only place where one could see the starry sky with such clarity.

Jiang Man took a deep breath, looked up at the starry sky, and asked, "Old Huang, what do you think I should choose for my Minor?"

’Once I finish absorbing the two types of Flawless Elixirs, I’ll have to start working on my Minor.’

’Without Flawless Elixirs, I’ll have to spend Spiritual Source to buy regular ones.’

’Plus, I’ve seen that other people have Arrays in their residences to enhance the gathering of Spiritual Qi.’

’I need one here, too.’

’I’ll also need Talismans and Spirit Plants.’

’I can’t skimp on these things.’

’But an Array needs Array Stones to run, which requires a constant supply.’

’It’s not that self-sustaining Arrays don’t exist.’

’They’re just too expensive.’

’And their effects aren’t that great either.’

"What are you good at?" the Old Yellow Ox asked.

"What if I have a Talent for every one of them?" Jiang Man asked.

"Then grow Spirit Medicine and practice Talisman Making," the Old Yellow Ox said.

Hearing this, Jiang Man asked curiously, "Why?"

"They’re cheap," the Old Yellow Ox replied casually.

"Old Huang, do you know anything about Arrays and Talismans?" Jiang Man asked.

"I know a little, but what I know isn’t the Immortal Gate Formation. If you want to learn, you’ll need to provide me with enough information. Only then can I understand the current revisions the Immortal Sect has adopted," the Old Yellow Ox said.

After a pause, it continued, "I can’t set up Arrays for you, nor can I create Talismans for you. If I make a move today, we’ll both be behind bars tomorrow."

"Is it that serious?" Jiang Man was a bit surprised.

"This is a Sect, one of the Three Major Sects under the Immortal Sects. The Four Major Immortal Sects only have twelve such Sects in total." The Old Yellow Ox raised its brow slightly and looked at Jiang Man. "Do you think a place like this is ordinary?

"How many people in this Sect have retired from the Immortal Sects? People from the Immortal Sects even come here from time to time to give lectures and teach the Dao."

Jiang Man could understand. For example, the instructing Pill Master he planned to apprentice himself to had retired from the Inner Sect.

He had come here to teach.

Occasionally, people from the Inner Sect would also come out to give lessons.

Furthermore, cultivators from the Foundation Establishment Courtyard would occasionally visit the Qi Refining Courtyard and the Rehabilitation Courtyard.

The model was the same everywhere.

It was even true for the Yunqian Bureau.

People from the Sect would also go to the Yunqian Bureau, though it was rare, and they were mostly Foundation Establishment Cultivators. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The Qi Refining Courtyard and the Rehabilitation Courtyard basically had no opportunities to go out.

"So you plan to learn Arrays and Talisman Making?" the Old Yellow Ox asked.

"Yes. Talisman Making is cheap, and knowing Arrays can save money." Jiang Man gestured at the courtyard. "Hiring an Array Master also costs a good amount of Spiritual Source."

"Arrays, Alchemy, and Forging are the most time-consuming," the Old Yellow Ox reminded him.

Hearing that it was time-consuming made Jiang Man feel like it wasn’t worth it.

’But I can give it a try first. If it takes too much time, I’ll just drop it.’

’Of course, I’ll wait until I’ve finished absorbing the Flawless Elixirs before I start learning.’

「Half a month later.」

January 1st.

The Flawless Nourishing Essence Pills were completely used up.

The Gourd for the First Layer was now full, and his Physical Body had become more resilient.

To advance further, he needed to open the second "Gourd" and enter the Physical Body Second Layer.

During this time, the residents of the Ninth Courtyard were often seen yawning, their dark circles growing much heavier.

But some of them were unaffected.

They had all used Elixirs and Talismans.

But regardless, their eyes shone with a bright light.

They grew even more excited, especially when they saw others resting.

Meanwhile, newcomers like Wei Beichuan felt that this courtyard was doomed to fail sooner or later.

Everyone was recklessly chasing achievements. It was inevitable that Heart Demons would arise.

Jiang Man often overheard Zhuo Bufan and the others discussing things.

Zhuo Bufan shared his recent insights: "I think even pulling all-nighters to cultivate requires the right method. Simply focusing on raising your Cultivation level is definitely not the way to go. You should first improve your Visualization Skill to nourish your Spirit. Once your Spirit is resilient enough, you won’t have to fear the lapses in concentration caused by fatigue. Then there’s the Physical Body. Although exhaustion of the Physical Body can be smoothed over with Elixirs, some traces still remain. As long as your Physical Body is tough enough, raising your Cultivation will be a simple matter."

"No wonder I’m not that tired. It’s because I’m a Body Cultivator," Cao Cheng said.

"I feel like my sword has been getting sharper lately. Is it because I’m honing my Sword Qi in this difficult environment?" Zhao Yaoyao asked.

Zhuo Bufan paused for a moment. "I have that feeling too."

An Rong said, "I’m a Magic Cultivator. What’s my advantage?"

"Isn’t being cheap enough of an advantage?" Cao Cheng asked.

An Rong: "..."

’I’m very well-off, okay? I just happen to like being a Magic Cultivator.’

Jiang Man felt nothing regarding these little insights of theirs.

Zhuo Bufan also curiously asked Jiang Man if he had any secrets to pulling all-nighters for Cultivation.

Jiang Man shook his head.

An Rong was very curious about how he managed to maintain his current calm and stable state.

Jiang Man replied, "It’s just natural Talent."

The group: "..."

Jiang Man had expected them to keep asking, but to his surprise, they didn’t pursue the topic.