novelraw Chapter 25: If This Doesn't Work, I'll Have to Become an Evil Cultivator
Chapter 25: If This Doesn't Work, I'll Have to Become an Evil Cultivator
Spirit Gathering Hall.
"Good score, I told you that training here would definitely yield achievements.
"I never expected it to be fulfilled so quickly.
"Our Spirit Gathering Hall is the best at training people, and we reward based on performance.
"With your score, that's fifty spirit sources guaranteed for lighting five pearls beads, with each additional pearl counting as seven spirit sources. If you work hard, you can probably light seven or eight pearls.
"That would be around seventy per day, two thousand spirit sources per month—much higher than ordinary people."
Manager Miao looked at Jiang Man with a smile.
Jiang Man calculated in his mind—lighting two more pearls would be fifty plus fourteen, only sixty-four.
Still less than what Luo Xuan paid for sparring.
At that moment, he understood why Song Qing was so determined to become a close guard.What the other side offered was simply too much.
He wondered if Song Qing would actually end up going there.
After a pause, Jiang Man said, "Does Manager plan to motivate others today? When I first came I was only at the first level of Qi Refinement, now I'm at the third level of Qi Refinement—I can serve as an example.
All thanks to the Spirit Gathering Hall's training."
Hearing this, Manager Miao looked at Jiang Man with surprise and said, "Double?"
Jiang Man nodded seriously: "Double."
Finally, Jiang Man pretended to grit his teeth and lit eight pearl beads.
Total seventy-one spirit sources.
He went on stage to express gratitude for the Spirit Gathering Hall's doubled training rewards.
One hundred forty-two spirit sources.
It was a highly profitable day.
As for whether others believed it or not.
Jiang Man felt that any normal person who came here wouldn't believe this place could actually train people.
Even if someone truly believed it, they would only persevere for a while longer, working extra hard until their studies ended at the three floors and six pavilions, then return to their village.
Bringing back a large amount of spirit sources.
Living a slightly better life than ordinary farmers.
Most people here were essentially those who had cut off their own path to immortal cultivation.
With damaged foundations, what future did they have?
Unless, like him, their Qi Refinement Method reached the ninth layer, allowing them to retain some spiritual energy and control the damage to their foundations.
But once here, their cultivation could no longer advance.
Fortunately, he had recently focused on improving the Blood Qi Method, so he wasn't worried about his cultivation progress.
In the following days, Jiang Man didn't engage in other activities.
Cultivating during the day, earning spirit sources at night.
Buying beast meat whenever he accumulated three hundred.
Continuing to improve the Blood Qi Method.
However, during this period, Jiang Man noticed Song Qing's mood seemed off. When he asked about it, the other person just shook his head and sighed repeatedly.
Not saying a single word about it.
But it indeed looked like he had suffered a significant setback.
Luo Xuan also seemed to regard him with an unpleasant expression.
Jiang Man thought of the handkerchief.
Probably the other party was fishing, but unfortunately the fish didn't bite—instead Song Qing took the bait.
Jiang Man felt helpless—now both the first and second ranked students had issues with him.
He needed to avoid them as much as possible.
Otherwise it would delay his cultivation.
Half a month later.
Jiang Man had earned one thousand spirit sources, all spent on beast meat.
His free time was entirely devoted to cultivating blood qi.
However, even with the ninth layer Blood Qi Method, his cultivation speed wasn't that fast—he had only barely opened the third blood gourd.
His body had indeed become much tougher.
The Six Harmonies Palm in his hands now had greater power.
The Divine Movement Steps had also become much faster.
Indeed, improvements in both cultivation and blood qi could affect the power of techniques.
Early October.
Teachers from various small courtyards began emphasizing rules to everyone, urging focused cultivation without reckless behavior.
Even the entire Cloud Front Division started cleaning and decorating various areas.
Even Jiang Man's stable was repaired, and he was told to clean it thoroughly.
Everyone was puzzled, but under the authority of the teachers and Cloud Front Division, they could only comply.
Three days later.
News finally spread that people from the Mist Cloud Sect were coming.
Reportedly to conduct some inspections.
Another three days later.
More news emerged that strong experts from the sect would inspect the three floors and six pavilions, covering all three main courtyards—front, middle, and back.
If noticed favorably, one could rapidly rise to success.
Instantly, everyone's cultivation became more diligent.
Although they felt it unlikely to be them, what if?
Everything feared that one "what if" possibility.
What if they were chosen.
That would change their destiny.
Jiang Man heard this with some surprise.
But he knew the sect people weren't coming for inspections, but happened to be visiting for other reasons.
The benefit they brought to Cloud Front Division was three mortal-grade superior techniques.
It seemed Teacher Zhao hadn't lied, though he hadn't received any news yet.
He could only continue waiting.
If this path didn't work out, he would truly have to leave Lucky Cloud City far behind and become an evil cultivator.
October 14th.
Jiang Man finished absorbing the newly purchased beast meat and breathed a sigh of relief.
The third blood gourd was full.
He could start improving his cultivation now.
But with only one month left, this would likely require many Qi Condensing Pills.
His current spirit source earning speed wasn't fast.
At most he could buy six pills per month, and six would be far from enough.
"Brother Jiang, what are you doing?" Little Fatty came to Jiang Man's side and asked curiously, "Thinking about tomorrow's matters?"
Then he whispered, "Brother Jiang, confident about breaking into the top fifteen tomorrow?"
Jiang Man turned to look at Little Fatty who was eating dried meat, thought for a moment, and felt that continuing like this would definitely prevent him from successfully advancing to the sixth level of Qi Refinement.
He needed to change his thinking.
Earning spirit sources was really too slow.
For short-term needs, he shouldn't earn—he should borrow.
"Little Fatty, I heard you get quite a few spirit sources every month?" Jiang Man asked.
Naturally he hadn't actually heard this—he just made it up casually.
Little Fatty looked surprised, then shook his head: "No, that's all rumors. My family doesn't give me spirit sources."
Jiang Man was surprised: "Not even a single one?"
"Not even a single one." Little Fatty said firmly.
This indeed surprised Jiang Man—looked like this approach wouldn't work.
Then he could only turn to Teacher Zhao, hoping the other could help.
But before Jiang Man could start cultivating, Little Fatty said, "They all give me Qi Condensing Pills—six per month. I still have ten left now. Does Brother Jiang want some?"
Jiang Man looked astonished—six pills per month, half a month had passed, how did he end up with four extra?
"Can't finish them all." Little Fatty spread his hands helplessly, "I can't absorb this many. Actually, a lot of medicinal efficacy gets wasted with each pill."
If the Qi Refinement Method level wasn't sufficient, this situation would indeed occur.
After brief consideration, Jiang Man decided to borrow six pills.
Combined with the twenty-one hundred spirit sources he had earned, that made thirteen Qi Condensing Pills total.
Plus continuous effort with his ninth layer Qi Refinement Method.
He could barely reach the sixth level of Qi Refinement.
As long as he opened the sixth gourd, that would be the sixth level of Qi Refinement.
It might be a bit lacking, but the qualification would be sufficient.
After giving Jiang Man six Qi Condensing Pills, Little Fatty whispered, "Do you want to borrow the Spirit Gathering Hall opportunity?"
"The Spirit Gathering Hall opportunity?" Jiang Man knew about the Spirit Gathering Hall and understood some people could enter to cultivate.
Starting at one thousand spirit sources.
The amount for one thousand spirit sources equaled one ordinary Qi Condensing Pill's worth.
The only difference was that the spiritual energy in the Spirit Gathering Hall was easier to absorb.
Extremely friendly for those with lower-level Qi Refinement Methods.
"With so many resources, how are you only at the second level of Qi Refinement?" Jiang Man found it hard to believe.
"Before I didn't work hard and didn't have this many resources. Now that I've been promoted along with Brother Jiang, I have more resources, but the requirements are higher too." After a pause, Little Fatty immediately added, "So Brother Jiang, you need to cultivate properly and strive to improve your ranking even more."
Jiang Man was stunned—what did this have to do with his own improvement?