The stone tortoise's belly was dark red, its shell pale blue-green. The heavy black Bagua lines carved upon its back were perfectly symmetrical, as if measured and etched with precision instruments.
Even more unusual were the countless fine cracks veining its surface, resembling the crackled glaze of Jun porcelain.
Ji An recalled that when he had first discovered this strange stone, he had thought it a piece of fired pottery.
It had been late autumn. The stone had lain quietly in a cold mountain stream, yet when he touched it, it felt warm and smooth.
Now, he suddenly sensed the tortoise that resided in his consciousness manifesting between his brows, then flowing along the newly opened immortal veins into his dantian. The sensation was uncanny, unlike anything he had ever felt.
Yet as long as he stilled his mind, he could still sense its presence, and the mysterious characters continued to appear within his thoughts.
Exhaling, Ji An finally relaxed. He had worried that the golden finger might vanish simply because it had shifted place.
As for whether this tortoise carried some hidden scheme, Ji An didn't care; he had no right to.
What mattered now was using this rare treasure to strengthen himself.
Only by becoming strong could he withstand the storms ahead.
In high spirits, he began to study the tortoise's functions.
After some time, he shook his head with a wry smile.
This "golden finger" was still a product without a warranty, no manual, no instructions, no guarantees. After much testing, all he gleaned was this:
"Dao Resonance" and "Spiritual Qi" were special forms of energy. With them, one could quickly comprehend techniques.
At present, however, he possessed no spells at all. Clearly, the Circulating Vein Method did not count as a spell in the tortoise's system.
He would have to wait until he acquired a technique and some Spiritual Qi before testing its true value.
Closing his eyes, he visualized the tortoise's natural Bagua markings and pondered their meaning.
In the study of the Book of Changes, the Later Heaven Bagua represented cycles and flow, like running water, yin and yang depending upon and giving birth to each other, the five elements generating one another.
Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, and Marsh.
But Ji An was merely an "armchair Daoist scholar." He couldn't even recite the Dao De Jing properly, let alone claim to deeply understand the Later Heaven Bagua.
Now, he truly felt the truth of the saying: when the book is needed, regret for its lack comes too late. Still, he racked his brain for the scraps of knowledge he had.
The sky brightened. The morning sun rose from the east, its golden rays piercing the mist atop Little Cang Mountain.
The light slowly crept down the slopes, scattering the fog until it shone directly across Ji An's closed eyes.
He took a step back and slowly opened them.
After rain in the empty mountains, the breeze blew gently. The rustling carried the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.
Raindrops clung like pearls to the tips of leaves, refracting seven-colored halos in the sunlight, shining brilliantly into his clear gaze.
The next morning, as the sun barely peeked over the horizon, the square before the Dao Academy's great hall was already packed with people.
Today was the day the Golden Spirit Sect's emissaries would arrive to conduct the examinations. All those eligible for the test had gathered.
Ji An stood alone at the edge of the crowd, a simple bundle on his back, quietly listening to the earnest exhortations of cultivators advising their children.
If he failed the trial, he would certainly be summoned by Zhang Yuanshan's clan and the others to "discuss" repayment of his debts.
If he succeeded in becoming a sect disciple, he would follow the emissaries back to the sect, buying himself more time.
Either way, his days at the academy were over.
Nervousness prickled his heart; his palms grew slightly damp.
The sect trial tested two things: first, one's innate aptitude; second, one's Dao heart. Even with a golden finger, it offered him no direct advantage in passing.
Not knowing how long until the emissaries arrived, Ji An simply closed his eyes to rest.
At once, he sensed the tortoise. A line of characters appeared in his mind:
[Master: Ji An]
[Dao Resonance: 0]
[Spiritual Qi: Kan 0.2, Kun 0.2, Xun 0.1]
[Spells: None]
This morning, when he performed his routine check, the data had changed. The discovery had filled him with ecstasy.
It meant the tortoise could absorb energy on its own, reassuring him completely.
He had feared he might need rare resources to replenish Dao Resonance and Spiritual Qi, but with only five spirit crystals left in his pouch, he could never afford such things.
Now, pondering the Bagua again, Kan represented water, Kun earth, Xun wood; did each correspond to its elemental attribute?
If so, then Spiritual Qi existed everywhere. Surely the sect's lands, steeped in spiritual veins, must be far richer.
Cultivation was founded on absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. This qi was everywhere, but not equally dense.
Thus, sects, clans, immortal cities, and markets were all built atop spiritual veins, where the qi was thickest.
These powers erected mountain-guarding arrays to lock the qi in place, preventing it from circulating freely, causing the rest of the world to grow steadily barren.
As he was mulling this over, a stir rippled through the crowd.
"They're here! The Golden Spirit Sect's flying vessel has arrived!"
Ji An opened his eyes to see a black flying vessel speeding toward them from a distance.
Sweeping his gaze around, he noticed several of the Dao Academy's elders stepping out from the great hall, adjusting their robes before standing respectfully at the entrance.
Before long, the flying vessel, like a massive yacht gliding through the air, over a hundred meters in length, hovered above the hall. For a moment, the world seemed to darken under its shadow.
Three cultivators, two men and one woman, descended gracefully through the air, their robes billowing.
Ji An swallowed hard. To fly unaided by artifacts, solely by riding spiritual qi, meant they were at least Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Only at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining could one build the foundation of the Dao.
In the eyes of higher cultivators, those still in the Qi Refining stage had yet to truly step onto the immortal path.
The elders strode forward in unison, bowing deeply.
"Greetings, honored uncles. All disciples of Green Pine Dao Academy on Little Cang Mountain who meet the conditions are present, ninety-six in total."
The leading cultivator had snow-white hair bound with a jade hairpin, a long beard draping across his chest. His appearance radiated immortal grace.
He gave a slight nod and said lightly:
"Dispense with courtesy. Begin the assessment immediately."
Little Cang Mountain was their last stop. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could return to the sect and deliver their report.
Compared to the sect's inner sanctuaries, the spiritual qi of the outside world was far too thin.
"As you command, Martial Uncle," the elders replied loudly. One remained outside to maintain order, while the others escorted the emissaries into the great hall.
From the deck of the flying vessel, many young men and women craned their necks to look down, whispering among themselves as they pointed at the candidates below.
"Silence! Form ranks at once! Enter the hall one by one to test your aptitude!" an elder called out.
The crowd quickly divided, with family members retreating while candidates lined up in a single file to enter the hall.
Soon it was Ji An's turn. He stepped forward with measured calm.
In this world, there was no concept of "spiritual roots." The human body contained all five elements; any elemental technique could be cultivated, including rare variations like wind, lightning, or ice.
As long as one opened their immortal veins, they were considered to have aptitude. The only difference lay in whether their aptitude was high or low.
The sect's strict age limit was meant to select the best of the best.
Aptitude was judged by one's sensitivity to spiritual qi. The classifications were: Inferior, Medium, Superior, Earth-grade, and Heaven-grade.
The stronger one's sensitivity, the more efficiently they could absorb and refine qi.
Those "heaven-fed" geniuses that sects fought over always started at least at Earth-grade.
"Place your hand here. Circulate the Circulating Vein Method," the female Foundation Establishment cultivator instructed, pointing to a white jade pillar about a foot high on the table.
This was the Spirit-Sensing Pillar, used to test aptitude.
Ji An did as told, placing his hand upon the jade, closing his eyes to settle his mind, and then circulating the Azure Water Circulating Vein Method.
The pillar flared with light blue, red, yellow, white, and black, the five elemental colors flashing one after another.
The five bands rose to different heights, though the difference was not great. The black glow reached its highest.
"That's enough. Step down," the woman said.
Ji An withdrew his hand, stopped his circulation, and bowed before leaving.
This was more of a formality than anything else. No one had ever been refused entry for poor aptitude unless they had exceeded the age limit.
After all had been tested, the group was led to a side hall.
Here, an Illusory Heart Formation had been arranged to test the candidates' state of mind and strength of will.
The three Foundation Establishment cultivators sat in quiet authority. The white-haired elder gave a small nod.
"Begin."
An incense stick was lit. The candidates entered the formation, each seated cross-legged at intervals.
A hazy white glow enveloped them, and one by one they sank into illusion.
Ji An startled awake, instinctively licking his lips.
The illusion had been astonishingly real, touch, sound, and smell no different from reality. Yet to him, it had felt oddly unreal.
In the dream, he had passed the Golden Spirit Sect's trial, advanced through his own effort, and successfully built his foundation.
Later, while on a training expedition, he encountered a fox demon. As a human cultivator, he had no choice but to fight. But instead, he fell into the fox demon's illusion.
The fox transformed into a voluptuous young woman draped in white gauze, radiating seductive charm. She tried to ensnare him, but his instinctive reaction was… to pull out his phone and take a picture.
The moment the "click" of the shutter echoed, he snapped awake.
"Not bad. The first to break free of the Illusory Heart Formation, your willpower is exceptional."
The female cultivator's eyes held surprise. Few awoke so quickly.
One of the elders murmured as he recorded:
"Ji An, age seventeen, Qi Refining first level, medium-grade aptitude, first in the Illusory Heart Formation trial. Assessment passed."
Ji An clenched his fist slightly as he stepped out of the formation.
Glancing back, he saw the others still trapped in illusion faces contorted in ecstasy, fear, or lecherous grins. He quickly looked away, twitching at the sight.
By the time an incense stick had fully burned, the white-haired elder rose to his feet.
"The trial is concluded. Hand me the roster of those who have awakened."
"Understood."
The elder in charge bowed, then added:
"Honored uncles, since you have come from afar, the cultivators of the Immortal City at the mountain's foot, admiring our sect's prestige, have gathered, hoping to seek your instruction.
We have prepared a modest banquet in the side hall. Would you have time to attend?"
The white-haired cultivator stroked his beard with a smile.
"Since the juniors have shown such diligence, a little guidance costs nothing."
After the banquet dispersed, Ji An slung his small bundle over his shoulder and boarded the flying vessel.
Glancing back, he noted that originally only nine had passed the assessment, but now, sixteen had been accepted.
The bad news: all three of his creditors were among them.
On the flying vessel
"Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Sister Zhao, Senior Brother Chu, from now on, we're all fellow disciples of the sect. If ever you need my help, just say the word."
Ji An patted his chest with forced bravado and added cheerfully:
"Your junior brother will never refuse."
Creditors, after all, needed to be kept happy.
The debt wouldn't vanish, but buying time was always worthwhile.
When he had first awakened in this world, he had been lost and uncertain. But now, a seed named ambition had begun to sprout in his heart.
He had comprehended the essence of the Circulating Vein Method to open his immortal vein on his own. He possessed a golden finger to aid him. If he still achieved nothing, he might as well smash his head into a block of tofu and end it.
At present, nine spirit stones were a crippling debt. But if he became a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator? That amount would no longer be a serious problem.
Zhao Mengyao covered her lips with a laugh.
"Junior Brother must keep his word. Should we one day come seeking your aid, and you refuse, it would shame us all."
"How could I? Senior Sister jests," Ji An replied with feigned ease.
Chu He snorted coldly, his tone sour.
"Once inside the sect, we'll need countless spirit stones to support our cultivation. Why not repay me right now?"
When they had seen Ji An step into the first level of Qi Refining, the three had nearly dropped their jaws.
Their original plan had been to pressure him for repayment, using it as leverage to seize his beast-taming secret. But Senior Brother Zhang had insisted they hold back for now. He wanted to see whether Ji An had truly achieved enlightenment.
If he had, then once he began learning spells, his talent would surely show, especially in water-type arts.
Zhao Mengyao had agreed with this reasoning. Two votes to one left Chu He no choice but to accept.
Ji An bowed deeply. "It's not that your junior brother is ungrateful. If I had spirit stones or anything at all worth repaying with, I would offer them without hesitation.
But my father…"
His voice choked, his eyes glistening with tears.
This was no act. The soul of his predecessor and his own had fused seamlessly. He was both the man from Blue Star and Ji An of this world.
And deep down, he understood: a father gone three months into the mountains with no word most likely would never return.
Zhang Yuanshan stepped forward, helping him rise.
"We understand your hardship, Junior Brother. But our spirit stones weren't blown in by the wind, either.
Here's my proposal: let's each take a step back. We'll give you another six months. At that time, we'll discuss repayment again. How about it?"
Ji An's heart stirred. That was all he had hoped for to delay. After all, wasn't the beast-taming secret art itself something that could serve as collateral?
Every day gained was worth something. He cupped his hands.
"Many thanks to Senior Brother and Senior Sister's generosity."
Zhang Yuanshan waved it off.
"Just remember your promise today. In six months, we'll revisit this matter."
Zhao Mengyao spoke then, her gaze thoughtful.
"Junior Brother, how much do you know of our sect?"
Ji An frowned slightly and gave a bitter smile.
"All I know is that the Golden Spirit Sect is guarded by a Golden Core Patriarch, and that it is famed for its skill in artifact refinement and beast-taming. Beyond that, I know little."
The reason he had been sent to the Golden Spirit Sect's Dao Academy in the first place was simply that it was closest to the immortal city where he had lived.
In Xilan Continent, the immortal cities were separated by vast mountain ranges.
For cultivators without the ability to fly, attempting to cross those wild ranges was no different from suicide. Ordinary cultivators and mortals alike could only eke out a living near the cities.
It was said that the Golden Spirit Sect and its peers had migrated here from other continents.
In this land, the greatest powers were not human but the demon clans hidden deep in the mountains.
Relations between humans and demons were anything but friendly.
Demons feasted on human flesh, especially cultivators, whose bodies were considered supreme nourishment.
Meanwhile, humans slaughtered demons without hesitation, flaying their hides, stripping their tendons, and using their blood and flesh as materials to further their cultivation.
Even among cultivators, fierce conflict flared between local sects and foreign arrivals. Bloodshed was common.
Ji An sighed inwardly. Truly, I know next to nothing…
Zhao Mengyao gave the faintest shake of her head and said softly:
"Once we enter the sect, we'll begin as outer disciples.
If we fail to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining within three years, we'll be expelled.
If we cannot reach the late stage of Qi Refining before thirty, we'll be expelled.
Only by becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator will the sect truly recognize us. Fail to build a foundation by the age of sixty, and again, expulsion awaits.
After joining, we'll be assigned randomly. The best placements are the Beast-Taming Hall or the Artifact-Refinement Hall."