Chapter Ninety-Four: Ninth Level of Qi Refinement

Tang Wan, who was on guard, was startled. She turned around to look at Jiang Yan, her expression filled with curiosity as she asked, “Senior brother, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Yan’s face was overflowing with joy. At last, he could finally examine attributes! According to the previous headmaster system, he could only see merit points and innate talent...

Among cultivators, being able to view another’s attributes required at least the peak of Foundation Establishment or the strength of a Core Formation expert. Only then could one discern a cultivator’s physical attributes. Of course, tools inscribed by talisman masters could also provide this function, but such items were extremely expensive—smaller sects simply couldn’t afford them. In the entire Linqing Prefecture, even including the Golden Flame Sect, there wasn’t a single tool for testing a cultivator’s physical attributes.

Accurately identifying a cultivator’s attributes was of utmost importance. If one cultivated a technique suited to their constitution, their chances of advancing, establishing a foundation, or even forming a core would be greatly increased. Naturally, one could still cultivate techniques mismatched to their constitution, but advancing would become much more difficult.

Being able to view a disciple’s attributes and teach according to their individual talents—this was something only the most powerful sects could manage. If Jiang Yan now possessed the ability to discern such attributes, and could thus bestow suitable techniques and spiritual artifacts according to each disciple’s nature, then Huashan would have a solid foundation for future growth.

Jiang Yan gazed at Tang Wan, who was watching him with gentle eyes, and summoned the transparent information interface.

Name: Tang Wan
Sect: Huashan
Position: First-generation disciple of Huashan
Cultivation: Seventh layer of Qi Refinement
Weapon: Greenwood Vine, Grade One High
Techniques: Greenwood Method, Grade One High; Greenwood Archery, Grade One High; Fire Condensation Method; Pill Division Technique
Merit Points:
Innate Talent: 112
Attribute: Wood

Tang Wan was a wood attribute cultivator. Jiang Yan had long suspected as much. After taking the Marrow-Easing Pill, Tang Wan had gravitated toward the spirit fields of Huashan, where wood spiritual energy was the densest. This was much like how Mu Yun and Nanmen Luo had gravitated toward earth and metal spiritual energies after their own improvements. When innate talent is enhanced, absorbing the corresponding spiritual energy becomes easier, so cultivators instinctively seek out the energy that matches their constitution. For those with average talent, the difference in absorption rate among the five elements is too slight to notice, so they must rely on external means to distinguish it.

The system had now verified that Tang Wan possessed a wood attribute constitution. Jiang Yan was delighted. With this new ability, he could avoid the embarrassment of misguiding disciples. Once back at Huashan, he would immediately check the constitutions of his leading disciples. If any were cultivating the wrong techniques, he would have them change course at once...

“Wan’er, you have a wood attribute constitution,” Jiang Yan said gently, his lips curved in a smile as he looked at Tang Wan.

A flush of joy rose on Tang Wan’s smooth forehead, her eyes narrowing into crescents. “Senior brother, you can see my physical attributes now?” She didn’t realize that, typically, only those at the peak of Foundation Establishment who had cultivated special techniques could view such things. For Tang Wan, it was simply a cause for happiness—nothing but joy in her heart.

Jiang Yan nodded in affirmation. Tang Wan’s absolute trust in him meant she wasn’t surprised at all by his ability to discern her constitution. Yet Jiang Yan was filled with curiosity—how had he suddenly gained this power?

With questions lingering in his mind, Jiang Yan opened his own transparent information interface.

Name: Jiang Yan
Sect: Huashan
Position: Sect Leader
Cultivation: Sixth layer of Qi Refinement
Weapon: Greenwood Vine, Grade One
Techniques: Greenwood Method, Grade One Middle; Greenwood Archery, Grade One High; Earth-Golden Light Technique, grade unknown
Merit Points:
Innate Talent: 118
Attribute: Wood

So that was it—he had advanced. Jiang Yan suddenly remembered that, at the edge of the battlefield, when he’d held Tang Wan and withstood the attacks of the Flesh-Brown Bear King, he’d faintly heard the system’s voice. But at the time, he’d been gritting his teeth just to endure and hadn’t paid attention to leveling up.

As for innate talent, Tang Wan had 112, Jiang Yan had 118—both were extraordinary. Considering both had taken the Marrow-Easing Pill, this was not surprising. The pill was potent, and both had taken it at the most opportune moment, allowing them to fully absorb its effects. It was only natural for their talent to cross the 110 threshold.

As for both being wood attribute, this too did not surprise Jiang Yan. After taking the Marrow-Easing Pill, both Mu and Nanmen had each felt a closeness to a specific spiritual energy. If Jiang Yan wasn’t wood attribute, it wouldn’t make sense for both Tang Wan and himself, who were stronger, to fail to sense any attribute other than wood.

Looking at Tang Wan’s gentle, smiling face, Jiang Yan couldn’t help but say, “Wan’er, you’ve advanced.”

Tang Wan’s eyes widened in astonishment, doubt filling her gaze as she glanced at Jiang Yan. She then crossed her legs and began circulating her spiritual power to check her current cultivation level.

After a long while, Tang Wan finally opened her tightly shut eyes. Her gaze shone brightly as she looked at Jiang Yan, who was still smiling at her, her tone filled with delight. “Senior brother, I really have advanced...”

After the joy of advancement faded, Jiang Yan’s gaze turned to the lone beast core remaining on the ground. He had already used the system to inspect it—it was a grade one low beast core. If it had remained so, he would have lost the grade one high Marrow-Easing Pill for good.

Beast Core: Flesh-Brown Bear
Grade: Grade One High
Attribute: Wood

The transparent interface listed the beast core’s details. “A grade one high Marrow-Easing Pill,” Jiang Yan breathed a long sigh of relief. At last, he had found this superior core—his efforts in searching through the shattered remains had not been in vain. Carefully, he used his spiritual power to pick it up and placed it in his treasure pouch.

…

Outside the Grand Hall of Huasheng Temple, before the Gate of Monster Hunt.

Xie Wenyuan stood before the abbot, Master Wuran, his brow twitching as he questioned, “You damned monk, tell me the truth—why don’t we have a single beast core left? Did they even lose the treasure pouch containing the Marrow-Easing Pill? Eh?”

“Amitabha,” intoned Master Wuran, palms pressed together at his chest as he bowed his smooth head, his tone filled with helplessness. “Sect Leader Xie, all your sect’s lamps have gone out. This means all your beast cores are lost. Though you obtained many mid-grade beast cores, soon after that last one was acquired, your treasure pouch was lost. This is all displayed by the rune lanterns, and is none of my concern.”

Xie Wenyuan shot a hateful glance at the young monk sitting cross-legged at the Gate of Monster Hunt, muttering, “A bald brat guarding the door—what rotten luck. If it weren’t for you, I’d have let Bai Tong go in. I’d like to see how those useless fools managed to lose the treasure pouch.”

His gaze swept over the small blue square lit in front of Huashan, and an expression of greed appeared on his face. “Huashan is a real oddity. These little sects, one after another, have gotten more beast cores than the great sects. Could they have stolen mine...?”

But then, remembering Huashan’s obscurity, Xie Wenyuan shook his head. Just a few months ago, it was a vassal sect—how could it have risen to such strength in so short a time? It must be a fluke, nothing more...

“Could there be a powerful monster on the battlefield?” he muttered to himself.

“Little monk Kongse, tell me: why did Golden Flame Sect lose all its beast cores at once? Was there some formidable monster on the battlefield?” Xie Wenyuan demanded, his anger barely contained.

“Amitabha,” came the young monk’s voice, blending softly with his chanting. “Sect Leader Xie, your sect has not followed the will of Heaven, caring only for plunder. Though your development has been astonishing this past century, the wheel of fate turns, blessings and misfortunes come hand in hand. Yesterday’s evil bears fruit today. One day, your Golden Flame Sect will meet a power greater still—and that will be your sect’s end. Today is but the beginning.”

The young monk’s expression was mild, his words gentle, as if he was merely discussing the everyday affairs of a family, not the annihilation of a major sect.

Xie Wenyuan’s face darkened as he glared at the young monk, but that was all he dared do. He knew all too well the strength of this little monk...

“This time, the battlefield is in the Spirit Herb Valley of the Yunlan Demon Realm. The most powerful being there is a grade two low Flesh-Brown Bear King, along with three grade one high beast kings. Your disciples must have encountered the Flesh-Brown Bear King,” the monk said quietly.

“Grade two low?” Xie Wenyuan’s face clouded. The last time, that grade two moon marten almost killed Xu Mingyuan, and Bai Tong lost its trail despite following it. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t bring down a grade two spirit beast. Now, faced with a grade two demon beast, Xie Wenyuan felt a growing unease, hoping his younger brother would be safe...