“You, you, you… this is just too much… let me calm down, calm down.”
Huh?
Jiang Wan’er, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, dashed out of the wooden hut, leaving behind a sentence that left Limuqun utterly baffled.
The room fell into silence, and Limuqun finally could indulge in a thorough session of ascetic cultivation.
With the aid of the pills, his cultivation steadily improved, and he was now facing the bottleneck at the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Just one more step, and he could break through to mid Foundation Establishment.
But Limuqun didn’t rush the breakthrough.
He knew that crossing this final step required a vast influx of Vital Energy, like an endless ravine needing to be filled.
The pills Jiang Wan’er had sent were long gone, swallowed down recklessly, and looking at his now empty Storage Bag, he felt both heartache and anxiety.
Without pills, his cultivation speed plummeted.
No matter how hard Limuqun tried, it was like a tiny bird trying to fill the sea.
He could only turn to the Sword Manual instead, but after several days of practice, just as he was beginning to grasp the basics, Jiang Wan’er was still nowhere to be seen.
Junior Sister Jiang, where are you?
Junior Sister Jiang, please rise!
He glanced around but saw no sign of her.
Instead, he sensed frequent mysterious fluctuations of Vital Energy recently around Congealed Fat Peak.
What’s that old hag Luozhilan scheming again?
Never mind—it’s probably nothing good.
A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.
He couldn’t just waste time here; he had to find a way to get some pills.
After all, the ancient cultivation saying went: no matter how bitter the cultivation, never be without pills.
After much thought, Limuqun finally came up with an idea.
He might as well take on some bounties from the Outer Sect and earn some extra resources!
Just like most cultivation novels of the past life, the Cloud Expanse Sect emphasized performance management and task assessments.
Outer Sect disciples, to gain more cultivation resources, must accept various bounty tasks, earn Contribution Points, and exchange them for Immortal Path provisions.
Upon promotion to the Inner Sect, the sect operated under the Amiba Model—self-sufficient branches where the sect only oversaw overall management, no longer micromanaging resource allocation.
This was actually a good thing.
Inner Sect disciples cultivated under Masters; the leftovers sifted through by the great pill masters of the Purple Mansion and Golden Core were enough to feed the lower cultivators for a long time.
Thus, generally, after entering the Inner Sect, no one competed with Outer Sect disciples for bounties and scarce resources.
After all, they were all part of the same sect—not some Demon Sect Initial Saint. Everyone bowed their heads and kept peace.
Running around fishing in the pond every day for resources would eventually tarnish their Immortal Lord’s reputation.
But Limuqun didn’t care about any of that.
He wanted to fish in that very pond.
Immortal Lord or not.
A dying man doesn’t care whether water is pure or not…
In short, I, Limuqun, will snatch the chances from you lower cultivators and take my fellow disciples’ stipends.
As a founding disciple of Congealed Fat Peak, snatching your opportunities means I bear the karmic consequences for you. Taking your stipends is a lesson in advance.
The Rivers and Lakes are perilous; one must be vigilant!
With this thought, Limuqun felt his blood surge and his immortal foundation stirring.
Is this not how my Lesser Yang True Nature should be?
Every day, like a dog following an ill-tempered shrew, it’s no way to teach the Outer Sect juniors.
If you want to scold me, go scold the Pill Fragrance Immortal Fairy Luozhilan first!
Without hesitation, he summoned his Vital Energy and soared with the wind.
Cloud Expanse Sect, Outer Sect, Reward Hall.
Mysterious Void Master hurriedly donned his Dao robe, pushed away his concubine clinging to him, and rushed into the hall.
At this moment, the Reward Hall was in chaos, crowded with male and female Outer Sect disciples, pressing so tightly the hall was impassable.
Mysterious Void Master struggled through the crowd to the hall’s interior.
Just as he prepared to loudly reprimand the Practice Hall disciples for their mess, he suddenly noticed a tall figure sitting cross-legged before the bounty board, meditating.
His own Practice Hall disciple was pacing nervously nearby, neither persuading nor retreating, awkwardly stuck.
Whose disciple dares to make trouble in the Reward Hall?
Fury boiled within him, ready to give this reckless youth a severe lesson.
But unexpectedly, before he could speak, the young man opened his eyes and said to the Practice Hall disciple beside him, “Look, here comes the one in charge.”
He stood, flipping a Jade Token from his hand.
“Limuqun, disciple of Congealed Fat Peak, pays respects to Elder Mysterious Void Master.”
Congealed Fat Peak? Limuqun?
The elder froze. As a senior elder in the sect, he was naturally familiar with Congealed Fat Peak and recalled several memories of the youth before him.
Young and early in Foundation Establishment, destined for the Dao, specially selected to be transferred to the Inner Sect.
Such a figure should never have caused trouble at the Reward Hall.
Moreover, the sect leader of Congealed Fat Peak, Luozhilan, was renowned for her tranquil cultivation and avoidance of worldly affairs.
How did her disciple become so unruly?
And does he lack common sense? This isn’t a bounty collection, so why is he exposing himself and making such a scene as if afraid no one knows?
I suppose Congealed Fat Peak’s reputation is too good!
“Ahem.”
He cleared his throat and waved his hand, dispersing the gathered Outer Sect disciples.
“So it’s nephew Limuqun. Since your promotion to the Inner Sect, visits have been rare. Pray tell, what brings you to my Reward Hall today?”
Addressing himself as “elder” served two purposes: to assert seniority and to build rapport.
“Uncle Elder Mysterious Void, I am not here to cause trouble,” Limuqun sighed, putting on a sorrowful expression.
“I simply wanted to take a few tasks to contribute to the sect, but your Practice Hall disciple was quite unreasonable and obstructed me repeatedly.”
“I had no choice but to meditate here, waiting for you to come and discern the truth.”
His look of grievance was so convincing that if not for his harsh words, Mysterious Void Master might have believed he was the victim.
Yet an Inner Sect disciple coming to the Outer Sect for bounties, claiming it was to help the sect—it was shameless beyond measure!
Mysterious Void Master raised his head and saw Limuqun’s sincere face, utterly without embarrassment.
No wonder Inner Sect disciples have such thick skin; I could learn a thing or two from him.
He stepped forward, secretly withdrawing a bottle of pills from his Storage Ring and slipped it into Limuqun’s sleeve.
“Uncle Elder, you must not do this.”
Limuqun protested, pushing the pills deeper into his sleeve.
“Ah, my neglect, nephew. Consider it an apology. What harm is there?”
The elder’s eye twitched with unspeakable frustration as he whispered, “Nephew, most tasks on the bounty board are designed for Outer Sect disciples in Fetal Respiration and Qi Cultivation stages to train. There’s no precedent for Inner Sect disciples taking these tasks.”
“Perhaps I shall consult the Headmaster and create a set of tasks for Inner Sect disciples. You can return another day, yes?”
He spoke earnestly, invoking the Headmaster’s authority, expecting Limuqun to accept the pills and leave.
But Limuqun shook his head vigorously and declared righteously, “Uncle Elder Mysterious Void, you are gravely mistaken!”
Mistaken?
Mysterious Void Master was utterly speechless as he watched Limuqun sweep every task off the bounty board—from Qi Cultivation to Fetal Respiration—even those meant for Mortal Servants—into his Storage Bag.
“The lower the cultivation, the greater the danger facing the Demon Sect.”
“As senior cultivators, how can we lose the compassion to understand lower disciples and care for our juniors?”
“I will report to the Headmaster! I will report to the Headmaster!” Mysterious Void Master finally lost his patience and dashed out of the Reward Hall on his wind.
Limuqun stood in the hall and bowed slightly to Mysterious Void Master’s retreating figure, loudly proclaiming, “Uncle Elder, this is all taught by my Master, please do not blame me.”
A slight smile played at his lips. As always—
If you want to scold me, go scold the Pill Fragrance Immortal Fairy Luozhilan first!