[I beg the Celestial Book, show me the chances of my breakthrough to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer today?]
[Subject of Inquiry: Breaking the Realm]
[Deduction Time: Twenty breaths]
[Deduction Result: Guaranteed success.]
"Excellent!"
Jiang Yi felt a great sense of relief. He saw several more inquiries on the golden paper.
They were for the [Auspicious Location for Breaking Through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer], the [Auspicious Time for Breaking Through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer], and so on.
'Of course! I'm at the very peak of the Qi Cultivation Third Layer. What could possibly go wrong?'
He took a deep breath. The frigid air pierced his lungs, but it invigorated his spirit and sharpened his senses.
"Brother He, I'm heading out. If you see Marshal Yang, please let him know I'm busy today. I'll visit him in a few days."
He the Venerable poked his head out of the kitchen, a beef patty dangling from his lips. He sized up the invigorated Jiang Yi and asked with a click of his tongue,
"Brother Yi, what's the happy occasion? You look like you're on your way to your own wedding!"
Jiang Yi laughed.
"The real celebration will be when I set foot on the Inner Peak and ascend the ranks! I'm still a long way off from that!"
The words tumbled out, brimming with a youthful vigor that perfectly captured his heroic spirit.
Standing at the entrance to the courtyard, Jiang Yi was like a rising sun, his brilliance almost dazzling the other residents of the Big Mixed Courtyard.
Widow Qin leaned against her doorway and said with a smile,
"I'm sure that day will come. I'll be waiting for your good news, Brother Yi! Winter is setting in, so I'll be making dumplings. Remember to come back for some."
The wrinkles on Old Li's face smoothed into a grin as he chuckled.
"You can tell Brother Yi is destined for great things! If my boy was half as promising as him, I could die a happy man!"
He'd barely finished speaking when his wife gave him a sharp pinch and scolded,
"Spouting such unlucky nonsense first thing in the morning! Get your butt to work! Winter's almost here, and we still haven't earned enough this month to cover the boy's expenses for next year!"
Old Li chuckled sheepishly, planting his hands on his hips.
"Don't you worry! I heard from Tang Zhiyi at the Grinding and Carving Room that the Inner Peak has opened another marketplace. That means our market will expand, and there'll be more jobs! We'll have no trouble earning talisman money!"
With that, he trotted off to the workshop like a diligent old ox.
He the Venerable, however, remained quiet. After that incident with Zhang San and Dong Si, his once boisterous and impetuous nature had mellowed considerably. He didn't even joke around with the other workers as much anymore.
Sensing the vibrant, optimistic energy radiating from the Big Mixed Courtyard, Jiang Yi smiled and once again dismissed the thought of moving.
Everywhere in the Outer Sect Four Peaks was just as lacking in Spiritual Energy. There was no point in moving just for some peace and quiet or a bit more space.
Jiang Yi headed to the Forging Room and once again asked Zhou Guang for the Jade Token for Riding the Flying Crane. According to the Celestial Book, the most suitable place for his breakthrough was a Quiet Chamber on the third floor of Heshui Cave on Guanlan Peak.
This wasn't surprising.
The Spiritual Energy on the Inner Peak was far richer than that of the Outer Sect. And while the publicly accessible Quiet Chambers in Heshui Cave couldn't compare to the private Cave Mansions protected by Restriction Arrays, they were more than enough for a Mortal Servant.
Zhou Guang, as always, was a man who only got things done for a price. His small, turtle-like eyes darted about shiftily.
'This kid has been going to the Inner Peak more and more frequently. Don't tell me he's trying to break through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer so soon?'
Qi Wei, who was busy polishing his boots, lowered his voice.
"Luo Tong came looking for me yesterday. He attended a lecture on the Inner Peak but said it wasn't much use to him. He was hoping I could feel things out with you, sir, about getting his hands on a bottle of Nourishing Essence Pills."
Zhou Guang sneered.
"He's got some nerve. Even I have a hard time getting my hands on Nourishing Essence Pills! What's his offer?"
Qi Wei replied honestly,
"One hundred fifty thousand talisman money."
The fat on Zhou Guang's face trembled as he snarled,
"Luo Tong is that rich? As I recall, the Lianxi Luo Clan doesn't amount to much on Beimang Ridge. How can they give him over a hundred thousand talisman money to squander?"
Qi Wei whispered,
"I've had a few drinks with him and sounded him out. He doesn't have much money left himself, but he has a 'good sister' who's very skilled at acquiring it."
A look of dawning comprehension filled Zhou Guang's eyes, and he sneered.
"That Zhou Can from Sewing Peak must be starved for affection, worshiping Luo Qian'er like she's some kind of treasure!"
He glanced down at Qi Wei again, a satisfied look on his face.
"You handled this well! Go tell Luo Tong that one hundred fifty thousand talisman money isn't enough for a Nourishing Essence Pill. Tell him to raise two hundred thousand!
My bottom line is two hundred thousand! Whatever else you can squeeze out of him is yours! Consider it a reward!"
Qi Wei was ecstatic and hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude.
'And to think Zhou Can and I share the same surname. The fool's been completely bewitched by that little hussy!'
Zhou Guang said with a smug grin,
"I hear Sewing Peak is the most profitable branch in the Outer Sect! But no matter how vast a fortune is, it'll be drained dry keeping a woman. He might as well be lining my pockets instead!"
...
...
On his second visit to Guanlan Peak, Jiang Yi was much more familiar with his surroundings. He strode confidently into Heshui Cave.
"The Quiet Chamber you requested has been swept clean, sir. Once you are inside, we will hang a sign and post a guard to ensure you are not disturbed in the slightest."
The owner of Heshui Cave was a man in his fifties. His hair was white, but his eyes were sharp and he was full of vigor—also a Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer.
"Thank you."
Jiang Yi paid the fee in talisman money and accepted the wooden token.
He had learned from Yang Xun that anyone who could do business with Inner Sect Disciples and those from the Village Clan Direct Lineage on Guanlan Peak had an extraordinary background.
They were either a relative-in-law of an Elder or a clansman of a Senior Brother; otherwise, it would be impossible to secure a place to open a shop here.
According to Marshal Yang, Elder Xu, who was responsible for teaching techniques and giving lectures, had invested in Heshui Cave. Knowing this, many Inner Peak Disciples came here to give him their business.
'In this sect, business opportunities are everywhere, and everything comes down to connections.'
Jiang Yi suppressed his stray thoughts, hung the token on the door, and stepped into the Quiet Chamber.
The room was ten feet square, furnished with a simple cot and a meditation cushion. Beside them stood a Copper Crane Holding Lamp. The crane itself was three feet tall, its long neck elegantly curved, its beak supporting a lotus-shaped lamp dish.
The dish was filled with congealed oil, with half an inch of wick exposed at its center.
'This Quiet Chamber costs two thousand talisman money for twelve hours. Most of that cost must be for this candle.'
Jiang Yi lit it. A thin wisp of smoke began to drift slowly from the crane's beak.
The smoke was peculiar. It didn't disperse immediately, but rose straight up for three feet like a serpent before slowly diffusing through the air.
It carried a faint, cool fragrance, like the scent of aged cypress wood mixed with ice and snow.
'You get what you pay for.'
With just a single, light sniff, Jiang Yi felt his Heart Spirit become unprecedentedly clear and steady, making it incredibly easy to enter a state of deep meditative Breathing.
Seeing that the mind-calming candle was truly effective, he removed his outer robe, shoes, and socks, and sat cross-legged on the cot.
The Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer was about Refining the Internal Organs. The goal was to achieve a state of inner and outer unity, completely transforming the mortal body into a perfect cauldron for containing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism.
An ungraded Cultivation Technique like the True Meridian Qi Flowing Technique didn't contain any of the secrets or key methods for breaking through to this layer.
Fortunately, Jiang Yi had already obtained the Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique, which detailed the method for breaking through this barrier.
'Innate is the True Fire within, in the furnace it blazes an eternal red. Burning the five organs and six bowels, forging them into a mass of Primordial Essence...'
He mulled over the profound meaning of every word parsed by the Celestial Book and naturally began his Cultivation. Pushed by this process, his True Qi became a gurgling, hot current that spread throughout his body, filling him with a pleasant, toasty warmth from the inside out.
His muscles and bones ground together, his qi and blood surged, and inch by inch, clusters of Fire Attribute Radiance gathered, illuminating his dim and hazy internal organs.
'This is a work of patient refinement. I must temper and polish them bit by bit, until my internal organs work in perfect, flawless harmony.
Twelve hours is more than enough!'