Jiang Man had asked Xiaopang about cleaning the old courtyard.
It was true.
Every courtyard had to send someone to clean it.
And in the Sixth Courtyard, the first and second-ranked disciples could assign cleaning duties to those at the bottom of the rankings.
This time, Fang Yong had assigned the person ranked last for two consecutive months to clean the old courtyard.
There was nothing wrong with such an assignment.
It used to be a rotation, but now, to motivate everyone, making the last-place person do the work was reasonable and fair.
Or perhaps, this was how it should have always been.
Of course, he could refuse to do it.
But during the competition for qualification spots, breaking the rules could easily lead to punishment.
The most direct consequence would be losing his eligibility to compete for a spot.
Jiang Man understood which was more important.
Although he was being targeted by Fang Yong, this was much better than a direct confrontation.
He would endure it for now.
'There's no need to start more trouble. I've only just begun my Cultivation; I'm no match for him.'
With that in mind, he went to clean the old courtyard.
It was just a shame that he would miss his lessons.
Fortunately, he only had to clean for three days.
The old courtyard had once been part of the Three Floors and Six Pavilions, but it had been abandoned after certain incidents.
Still, people cleaned it regularly.
No one knew why, but there were rumors.
They said a certain master was hiding there, and if a cleaner was chosen...
...they would receive that master's guidance.
This rumor was why many people volunteered to clean, and it made others more willing to do the chore.
Everyone hoped they would be the special one.
Jiang Man swept here and there with a broom.
The layout was similar to the Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
He was responsible for the backyard of the old Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
It was a rustic courtyard, overgrown with weeds, where fallen leaves danced in the wind.
Jiang Man sighed and got to work.
But whenever he came across a stone stele or an ancient painting, he would touch it.
Then, he would commune with the Celestial Mirror Hundred Books.
And he would start receiving records from the book.
Without exception, they were all on the last page.
[Not worthy of mention]
[A filthy object]
[Trash is not worthy]
It wasn't until Jiang Man reached the main hall of the inner courtyard that he spotted a plaque hanging high on a crossbeam.
The two words "Cyan Cloud" were written on it.
Even Jiang Man, who knew nothing of calligraphy, could sense there was something extraordinary about it.
Without further hesitation, he moved something over, climbed up, and tried touching it.
Immediately, the pages of the Celestial Mirror Hundred Books began to turn.
Jiang Man grew excited.
'This can't be another "not worthy of mention," can it?'
But to his disappointment, the Celestial Mirror Hundred Books still stopped on the final page.
Fortunately, the text was no longer "not worthy of mention."
Lines of text began to appear.
[Calligraphy born from immense conviction, containing the writer's beautiful wish. A hope that someone from a poor and desolate land might forge a path, rise straight to the clouds, and create more opportunities for those who follow. The calligraphy, made into a plaque, holds the Cyan Cloud Technique, a Cultivation Skill recognized by the Sect. Only those who have known poverty can sense the extraordinary nature of the calligraphy. The wish is remarkable, worthy of mention, but not worthy of being recorded.]
'Just worthy of mention?'
Jiang Man realized the bar for being "worthy of mention" was truly high.
'But the plaque contains a Cultivation Skill, the Cyan Cloud Technique?'
That was a pleasant surprise.
Jiang Man then began to inspect it closely and, sure enough, found a hidden compartment in the corner of the plaque.
With a thrilled heart, he slowly opened the compartment.
Then he froze.
It was empty.
The so-called Cyan Cloud Technique had long since vanished into thin air.
Sighing, Jiang Man felt he had wasted his excitement.
But on second thought, it made sense.
This plaque had been here for a very long time. All sorts of people had come and gone, and there was surely no shortage of those from poor backgrounds.
So, someone must have already sensed that this place was special and even climbed up to check.
Especially since the hidden compartment wasn't that well concealed. It would have been strange if it *hadn't* been found.
'Easy opportunities don't wait for me, and I can't seem to grasp the difficult ones either.'
'It seems it will be difficult to rely on fortunate encounters to break out of my current situation.'
'I can only rely on my Talent to part the clouds and see the sun.'
After that, Jiang Man could only focus on his cleaning, occasionally touching a few more items.
But after the seventh time, his head started to ache when he tried again.
'It seems I can't just commune with the Celestial Mirror Hundred Books whenever I want.'
His Talent had its limits.
'These were just a few words. If there were more, wouldn't I get a headache even sooner?'
At noon, Jiang Man finished cleaning.
The first thing he did upon returning to his courtyard was find Xiaopang.
He asked what was taught that morning.
"They taught a Palm Skill, the Six Harmonies Palm. But it doesn't matter whether you were there or not. At most, they'd let you listen, but they wouldn't actually give you the Cultivation Skill. You can't secretly learn it, either." Xiaopang paused and said seriously, "But those who are strong enough definitely have to learn it. Whether it's for the qualification competition or the fight for a spot in the Sect, you can't avoid fighting in the end.
So you have to take this stuff seriously.
Those were Mr. Fu's exact words.
But most people are just sparring partners. Only the first and second-ranked disciples get this kind of opportunity."
Hearing this, Jiang Man understood that some things could only be obtained once his Cultivation reached a certain level. He decided to ask something useful:
"Who are first and second?"
"Luo Xuan is first, Fang Yong is second." Xiaopang thought for a moment before saying, "They're both from wealthy families, so it's natural they have such achievements.
The Luo Family is a major family in Luoyun City.
As the young lady of the Luo Family, Luo Xuan has always held the top spot in the Sixth Courtyard.
Fang Yong is no slouch either. I heard he has a family legacy and is extremely strong. He almost became number one a few times.
He just fell short by a single move.
His family must be impressive, but his resources probably aren't as good as Luo Xuan's."
Jiang Man already knew that these two held the top two spots. He brought it up to ask his next question: "What are their Cultivation levels?"
"Cultivation levels?" Xiaopang recalled. "That's hard to say for sure, but I know their scores. Luo Xuan has sixty-two points, and Fang Yong has sixty.
Once you're over sixty points, your Cultivation is at least the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, and at most, it should be the Qi Refining Seventh Layer."
Instantly, Jiang Man thought of his own score of 0. Ordinary people got 0 points.
'But these people's Cultivation is actually so high.'
It seemed you couldn't just fight whenever you wanted in the Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
It was probably related to the competition for qualification spots.
Otherwise, if Fang Yong were to attack him, it would be very difficult for him to continue improving.
"How many points do you have?" Jiang Man asked Xiaopang curiously.
Xiaopang didn't answer, just said proudly, "A score you'll never be able to catch up to."
Jiang Man was puzzled.
'How many points could the second-to-last person have?'
'Ten-something?'
'Or less than ten?'
Afterward, Jiang Man asked how the scores were calculated.
"Usually, it's based on your Cultivation level. That's the biggest component.
Of course, that includes the level of your Qi Refining Skill, Qi Blood Technique, and Visualization Skill. The higher the level, the higher the score," Xiaopang explained.
After getting a general idea, Jiang Man realized that surpassing the top two in three months would not be easy.
If he didn't surpass them, he wouldn't get a spot.
The two paths were worlds apart.
With this in mind, he began to circulate his Outer Cultivation Method.
'First, a hundred reps to warm up, then I'll raise my Cultivation as fast as possible.'
Before next month's re-ranking, he had to reach a sufficient level.
A single, massive leap forward would make them less hostile.
If he improved slowly, he was afraid everyone would come and pick on him.
But when Xiaopang saw Jiang Man start his Cultivation, his head began to ache.