Chapter 5: Joining, Cultivation, Mission

The journey that originally took a day was completed in just one hour with your help.

“Please wait here for a moment, Senior. This junior will go report to the Elder.”

After obtaining your agreement, Li Yan rode her flying sword swiftly into the sect.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man covered in muscle appeared, and Li Yan, who had left not long ago, followed closely behind.

“So you’re the one who wants to join my Body-Refining Sect?” The man sized you up and asked.

“Yes, Senior, that is this humble one.” Sensing his aura, you determined he was at least a Golden Core cultivator, so you were extremely humble.

“Come with me.” The man said nothing more and directly led you into the sect.

On the way, the man introduced the sect to you.

The Body-Refining Sect was divided into outer and inner sect. Qi Refining disciples entered the outer sect, Foundation Establishment disciples entered the inner sect.

And the man before you was precisely an inner sect Elder, a Golden Core cultivator! His Daoist title was True Person Xuantizhen.

The culture of body refining flourished within the sect, so most members were simple-minded and brawny. To claim a place in the sect, everything depended on strength.

Arriving at the inner sect disciple registration office, True Person Xuantizhen tossed you a token, a set of inner sect disciple robes, and a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills.

Receiving the token, you immediately dripped blood to bind it, formally becoming an inner sect disciple of the Body-Refining Sect.

“That’s it?” You found it somewhat hard to believe. It felt different from what you had imagined.

“Within the token is the sect’s basic information. If there is anything you do not understand, you can come here and ask me.” True Person Xuantizhen waved his hand, signaling that you could leave.

You gave your thanks and departed on your sword.

On the way, you examined the information within the token, and only then did you understand why joining the Body-Refining Sect had been so simple.

For the first three months, inner sect disciples could collect one bottle of Qi Gathering Pills per month. After three months, the sect no longer provided any resources.

If you wanted cultivation resources afterward, you could only take on sect missions and exchange sect points for resources.

Everything clicked. No wonder you had rarely seen other inner sect disciples on the way here.

So, they were either doing missions, or on the way to do missions.

“Sure enough, no matter where you are, you can’t escape the fate of a wage slave.” You silently grumbled.

The Treasure Pavilion of the Body-Refining Sect. Using your inner sect disciple token, you entered very smoothly.

According to the information in the token, you knew that disciples entering the inner sect for the first time could select a free technique from the Treasure Pavilion.

Entering the Scripture Pavilion, you headed straight for the second floor.

The first floor mostly held Qi Refining techniques. Foundation Establishment techniques were on the second floor.

As for the Golden Core techniques on the third floor and the Nascent Soul techniques on the fourth floor, you currently did not have the authority.

Arriving at the second floor, your goal was very clear. You headed straight for the body-refining techniques.

For Foundation Establishment techniques, you already had the Longevity Art, and for now had no intention of switching.

A body-refining technique was undoubtedly the best choice at present.

You looked through all the Foundation Establishment body-refining techniques, and finally chose the fragmentary edition of the Green Wood Body-Forging Formula.

“Oh? This technique cannot be entered without ten or twenty years of effort, you know. Are you sure?” After seeing the technique you had chosen, the Scripture Pavilion Elder narrowed his eyes and asked.

“This disciple is certain. Please, Elder, grant it.” You bowed and spoke earnestly.

This body-refining technique could not be cultivated with the aid of external objects, conserving resources greatly. But because of that, its progress was extremely slow.

Coincidentally, the thing you had the most of was time.

The Elder said nothing more, and you quickly departed with the technique.

According to the information in the token, you arrived at cave residence number one thousand.

The cave residence was protected by a formation. Without your permission, no one below the Golden Core stage could force their way in.

Taking out the Qi Gathering Pill, you began to cultivate.

“Why is this Qi Gathering Pill different from the previous ones?” Looking at the pill, a size smaller than the ones from the Azure Cloud Sect, you felt something was off.

You cautiously swallowed one and sensed the changes in your body.

You realized that the spiritual power within this Qi Gathering Pill was ten times less than the Azure Cloud Sect’s!

However, the one advantage was that the spiritual power was gentle and would not damage your muscles and bones.

So, everything I ate before was fake? Recalling the pain you had suffered back at the Azure Cloud Sect, your hatred for True Person Zidan deepened another degree.

Three months later, the Body-Refining Sect’s novice period had passed, and you had no more cultivation resources.

“Weeding the spirit fields, too simple, not going.”

“Killing a Cloud Mist Sect Foundation Establishment disciple, too dangerous, not going.”

You flipped through the sect missions and realized you did not want to do a single one.

Looking at your remaining two hundred plus years of lifespan, you decided to prioritize stability and go nowhere.

Three years later, you broke through to Foundation Establishment level two.

The tenth year, you broke through to level three.

The fifteenth year, your Green Wood Body-Forging Formula finally entered the door, successfully stepping into the first layer.

Not in vain were your fifteen years of uninterrupted daily cultivation.

Now, even with only your physical body, you could fight and kill Qi Refining level three cultivators!

Of course, the premise was that the opponent could not fly.

In your twentieth year after entering the Body-Refining Sect, you broke through to Foundation Establishment level four.

In a great mood, you had just stepped out of your cave residence when you ran into the inner sect Elder, True Person Xuantizhen.

“You brat, you’ve finally decided to come out!” True Person Xuantizhen quickly blocked your path, afraid you would run back into your cave residence and not come out.

“May I ask what the Elder needs from this junior?” You said helplessly, blocked at the entrance of your cave residence.

“This mission is yours.” True Person Xuantizhen tossed you a token. “You brat, it’s been twenty years since you joined my Body-Refining Sect, and you haven’t done a single sect mission!”

“If you don’t complete this mission, you don’t need to stay here anymore!” With that, True Person Xuantizhen flicked his sleeve and left.

You probed the token with your divine sense and learned the details of this mission.

True Person Hongyang’s disciple was going down the mountain for training and needed two Foundation Establishment cultivators to escort and protect them for a period of three months. The reward was three hundred points.

“Isn’t it just being a bodyguard? Simple.” You decided to accept it.

After all, you did not want to leave the Body-Refining Sect just yet.

Moreover, having absorbed the Body-Refining Sect’s spiritual qi for free for twenty years, you felt it was time you contributed something.

“Twenty years without going out. This time I’ll treat it as getting some fresh air.” You spoke lightly, but in truth you had already prepared yourself. The moment danger appeared, you would definitely abandon True Person Hongyang’s disciple and run away alone.

Three days later, you arrived at the sect’s Mission Hall to wait for your teammates.