Xu Ning sighed inwardly but played along. "Master, my na is Ye Yunhao."
Qi Ruifeng nodded, seemingly satisfied. Then he took out a worn cultivation manual and tossed it to Xu Ning. "Here, this is the Qi Refining Technique I'm passing on to you. Take a look and familiarize yourself with it."
Xu Ning was taken aback but reluctantly accepted it. He opened it casually, and then his eyes widened in shock.
This technique was... different. Upon closer inspection, Xu Ning couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "This is a legendary Spirit-level technique!"
Logically speaking, such a high-grade technique shouldn't be sothing that could easily appear in this spiritually depleted era!
Hearing Xu Ning's exclamation, Qi Ruifeng couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. Then, suspicion flickered in his eyes. "You've never cultivated before! How could you possibly tell the grade just by looking?"
Xu Ning covered quickly, "Master, I can feel it! The spiritual energy described in the manual feels completely different from what I imagine ordinary techniques would be like. It's a completely different feeling!"
Qi Ruifeng nodded, accepting the explanation. "That's right. Our Tiancheng Sect has a lineage dating back to ancient tis, so we have preserved many ancient cultivation thods."
Xu Ning's curiosity was genuinely piqued now. He couldn't help but ask, "Master, does the sect have any records about that ancient era? What was it like?"
Qi Ruifeng nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. "Yes, the records speak of a glorious ti. Ancient Qi Refining cultivators, known as Qi Refining masters, could move mountains and drain seas with their power. Their strength was comparable to that of modern Golden Core cultivators!"
Xu Ning was genuinely surprised this ti. "Strength comparable to Golden Core cultivators? Just at the Qi Refining stage?"
Qi Ruifeng nodded solemnly. "That's right. In ancient tis, spiritual energy was extrely abundant. Even the rain that fell was spiritual liquid, and spiritual herbs and minerals were everywhere for the taking."
He gestured around them at the sparse mountain. "It's nothing like it is now. A whole continent, vast and once teeming with life, now reduced to just a few scattered mountain ranges that still retain enough spiritual energy for cultivation."
Xu Ning asked the obvious question. "How did the world beco like this?"
Qi Ruifeng replied with a touch of lancholy, "Is that even a question? Over such an imnse period, countless powerful cultivators have transcended this realm or left for higher planes, taking their entire cultivation bases with them. What they took with them was an imnse amount of spiritual energy, permanently removed from this world."
Xu Ning nodded in understanding. Indeed, those who left were all powerful cultivators. Just consider a Nascent Soul stage cultivator—how much spiritual energy did it take to accumulate that level of power over centuries?
Once a Nascent Soul stage cultivator left, it was as if they permanently drained that accumulated spiritual energy from the world's cycle. Over millennia, as more and more spiritual energy was taken away in this manner, the overall spiritual energy naturally beca increasingly scarce.
Moreover, it was a vicious cycle with no way to break it. Because as the spiritual energy beca increasingly scarce, the pressure to leave for better spiritual environnts increased, and the number of cultivators seeking to transcend didn't decrease but rather increased. Everyone naturally yearned for better places with richer energy. This caused the cultivation world to decline faster and faster over the ages.
Xu Ning then asked the question that was truly on his mind. "Master, how many cultivation techniques has our sect actually passed down from ancient tis?"
This was naturally Xu Ning's biggest curiosity, as it concerned his ability to potentially upgrade his own cultivation techniques using these ancient thods as a foundation!
Qi Ruifeng shook his head regretfully. "Not many, I'm afraid. Just a few core cultivation techniques and so manuals, all of the legendary spirit level."
He then added a word of caution. "And disciple, I must remind you. In ancient tis, the spiritual energy was abundant, making it easy to cultivate such high-grade techniques. But it's different now. The higher the grade of the technique, the more resources and spiritual energy are needed to fuel its cultivation. Our Tiancheng Sect declined precisely because of this harsh reality. We couldn't sustain the resources needed."
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Xu Ning nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. So we must work hard to earn resources!"
If Xu Ning had been sowhat reluctant to join the Tiancheng Sect before, now, seeing the prospect of access to legendary techniques, he was truly interested.
After speaking, Xu Ning quickly got up to help Qi Ruifeng cut down trees for their sect headquarters.
In just two or three days of hard work, a simple but sturdy wooden house rose from the ground on the mountain peak.
Qi Ruifeng stood atop the wooden house, beaming with pride. "Disciple, this will be the main hall of our Tiancheng Sect from now on!"
Xu Ning looked at the modest structure, then asked a practical question. "Um, Master, does our sect have any sources of inco?"
Qi Ruifeng was taken aback. He subconsciously asked in return, "What are 'sources of inco'?"
Xu Ning paused, then explained patiently, "It's like this, Master. Does our sect have anything that can be exchanged for spirit stones? Any assets, products, or services? Without spirit stones, how can the sect develop, buy resources, or attract disciples?"
Qi Ruifeng's face fell. "Uh! Well, actually, we don't have any at the mont. But disciple, it's alright. When we have more disciples, they can go out and earn spirit stones through missions and trading, and then they can give a portion to the sect. That way, we'll have inco!"
Xu Ning pointed out the flaw in that plan. "But Master, with our sect in this state—a single wooden hut on an empty mountain—who would want to join us and essentially work as laborers for an unknown sect? We should find a way to earn so money first, develop the sect a bit, build so credibility, and then it will be easier to recruit disciples."
Qi Ruifeng thought for a mont and nodded slowly. "That's true. Hmm... how about this? Tomorrow I'll take you to rob so spirit stones from a passing cultivator!"
Xu Ning's eyes widened upon hearing this. He was truly impressed by his cheap master's questionable ethics. He quickly tried to dissuade him. "Master, this is absolutely unacceptable! That's banditry! It would ruin our reputation before we even begin!"
Qi Ruifeng looked confused. "You an... you want to go rob so spirit stones alone, and I'll just wait for you to return to the sect?"
Xu Ning: "..."
Sotis, he really wanted to call the sect managent authorities and have his own master arrested for suggesting such things.
After thinking for a mont, Xu Ning finally spoke. "How about this, Master. I'll cultivate so spirit fields and grow so spiritual herbs to sell at the market. That's a legitimate way to earn inco."
Qi Ruifeng nodded enthusiastically, relieved to have a plan. "That's feasible. From now on, you are the eldest disciple of the Tiancheng Sect, and also the Holy Son of the Tiancheng Sect. Your decision is the decision of the entire sect!"
Xu Ning really wanted to say, Who cares about being Holy Son of a sect with one wooden hut? But he held his tongue.
On the other hand, Xu Ning mused wryly, he might be the first person with mixed five elents spiritual roots to beco a Holy Son so soon after entering a sect. It was a dubious honor at best.
In the days that followed, Xu Ning carried a hoe and diligently cultivated the land beside the wooden hut every day.
He knew that with his hoe, which he had secretly upgraded to a legendary level, long-term cultivation of a piece of land would gradually turn it into a spirit field.
As for directly using his abilities to instantly upgrade the land, Xu Ning hadn't even considered it.
Firstly, creating a spirit field too quickly would attract too much unwanted attention. It was better to take it slow and appear natural.
A month later, Xu Ning finally finished cultivating a small spirit field and sowed so basic spiritual herb seeds.
Qi Ruifeng stared in disbelief. "Disciple, you really cultivated a spirit field? How did you manage that with just a hoe?"
Xu Ning explained casually, "Master, didn't you see how many withered plants and compost I usually brought over from the forest? I've been enriching the soil."
Qi Ruifeng nodded as if he understood, though he was still puzzled.
He thought life would continue peacefully on their little mountain. But then, one day, several cultivators descended upon the mountain peak, their auras unfriendly.
"Who built this mountain gate without authorization?" the leader demanded arrogantly as soon as he landed.
Xu Ning looked at his master after hearing this. "What's going on, Master?"
Qi Ruifeng whispered back, looking flustered. "Disciple, I forgot. Establishing a mountain gate requires official registration with the sect managent departnt. I was so busy building that I completely forgot. These people should be from that departnt."
Hearing this, Xu Ning rembered. Ancient mountain ranges like the Guchen Mountains did indeed have such a governing body, composed of representatives drawn from various established sects within the mountains.
"We're asking you a question!" the lead cultivator repeated, his tone sharp.
Qi Ruifeng quickly stepped forward, bowing apologetically. "Um, everyone, this was indeed my oversight. A mont of carelessness. I'll go and complete the registration formalities tomorrow, I promise!"
The other party narrowed their eyes suspiciously. "This is not in accordance with the rules. There are penalties for such violations."
Qi Ruifeng caught on quickly. "Elders, please be lenient. I understand there are procedures. I will definitely make ands and reward you handsoly for your understanding tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, the group of cultivators couldn't help but exchange aningful glances. Then the leader spoke, his tone slightly softer but still firm. "Well... I have been needing to purchase a certain pill for my cultivation for a long ti. It requires exactly three thousand low-grade spirit stones."
Upon hearing the exorbitant sum, Qi Ruifeng's mouth dropped open in shock. After a long pause, he hurriedly nodded, his face pale. "Okay, okay, I will present it to you with both hands tomorrow."
The other party nodded in satisfaction. "See that you keep your word. Otherwise, we will have to return and take more severe asures. We could even raze this illegally built mountain gate to the ground."
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