The moon hung bright amid sparse stars as Chen Yang made his way back to the medicine garden under the cover of night.
It was already late into the night. The medicine garden lay perfectly still, with only a few nocturnal insects chirping softly among the grass.
Out of habit, he made a round through the medicine garden, checking that the delicate spirit herbs were all in good condition.
The medicinal plants bathed in moonlight shimmered with a faint glow, releasing wisps of Spiritual Energy into the air.
Just as he bent down to inspect a stalk of Moonlight Herb, footsteps sounded behind him.
Steward Wang came walking over with a lantern in hand, his chubby face carrying a hint of weariness.
"Still busy this late?" Steward Wang gave Chen Yang a once-over, then let out a soft sound of surprise. "You little... you've broken through to the second level of the Qi Refinement Realm?"
Chen Yang's heart gave a start. He quickly suppressed his aura and replied respectfully, "Just a lucky breakthrough."
Steward Wang narrowed his eyes and circled around Chen Yang, clicking his tongue in admiration. "Not bad, not bad at all. Now that you've reached the second level of the Qi Refinement Realm, you're eligible to participate in the Outer Sect Disciple trials."
He went on to explain in detail that the Verdant Wood Sect had a rule: any Menial Disciple who reached the second level of the Qi Refinement Realm was qualified to participate in the quarterly Outer Sect Disciple trials.
Those who passed the trials could shed their laborer status and become full-fledged outer disciples, gaining access to better cultivation resources and cultivation technique instruction.
"However..." Steward Wang's tone shifted. "Entering the trials requires paying one low-grade spirit stone as a fee. That's no small sum for a Menial Disciple — it's roughly a full month's income."
He patted Chen Yang on the shoulder, his voice carrying a note of approval.
"You've done well in the medicine garden these past several months. The medicinal plants you've tended have all been growing splendidly. If you can pass the trials, it'll be quite the achievement."
Chen Yang felt a stir in his heart.
Becoming an outer disciple had always been his goal — not only would it grant him access to better cultivation resources, but it would also free him from his laborer status and put an end to being pushed around.
Steward Wang seemed to read his thoughts and lowered his voice.
"Still, I should warn you. Senior Sister Zhao and her three Senior Brothers are not people you can afford to offend right now. Even if you become an outer disciple, you need to know when to keep a low profile."
Chen Yang nodded in agreement.
Steward Wang was a shrewd man, but he had never made things difficult for Chen Yang. On the contrary, he often offered guidance — a genuinely good person, rare to come by.
After Steward Wang left, Chen Yang continued his work in the medicine garden.
It was not until nearly midnight that he finally returned to his small room.
He shut the door behind him and eagerly took out the treasures he had received from Shen Hongmei.
First was the jade gourd. He carefully removed the stopper, and immediately a rich, fragrant scent of Pills filled the entire room.
Inside, neatly arranged, were over a hundred Spirit Origin Pills, each one radiating a soft, gentle halo.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Though Chen Yang knew nothing of alchemy, his experience hunting demon beasts in the back mountains over the past two months had given him a thorough understanding of the value of various demon cores.
The Spiritual Energy contained within these Spirit Origin Pills was extraordinarily pure — far superior to any demon core he had ever consumed.
If brought to the market, each one would fetch a handsome price.
"This silver-haired senior truly is my benefactor," Chen Yang thought, a wave of gratitude washing over him.
He then took out the Storage Bag.
Following the method Shen Hongmei had demonstrated, he channeled a thread of spiritual energy into the bag and immediately sensed a vast space within.
The space was as large as several rooms — roughly equivalent to one acre of medicine fields!
Chen Yang was stunned.
He had never seen such a wondrous Magical Artifact — one that could compress such an enormous space into a small cloth pouch.
This was something he had never even dared to dream of before.
As he was exploring the Storage Bag, he suddenly noticed two items tucked away in a corner.
With a thought, a book and a Flying Sword appeared in his hands.
The book was an ancient-looking cultivation technique manual. On its cover were written the words "Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art."
Chen Yang flipped through it briefly and was immediately astonished.
This cultivation technique was incomparably more profound than the menial cultivation technique he had practiced before — even the Jade Ripple Art that Zhao Yanran had displayed today was far inferior to the intricacy of the technique now in his hands.
He then examined the Flying Sword. Its blade gleamed with a cold, piercing light, and carved into the hilt was an elegant character: "Mei."
A faint, lingering fragrance clung to the hilt, as though it had been held in someone's hand so often that it had absorbed the scent of its owner.
Chen Yang found the fragrance strangely familiar — it was the same scent that had clung to the silver-haired senior.
"I wonder what that senior's name is," Chen Yang murmured to himself. "She only said to seek her at Spirit Sword Peak if I ever ran into trouble. I'll have to find a way to ask around tomorrow."
He carefully put the treasures away, then solemnly took out the clay bowl.
It was time to try duplicating these newly acquired treasures.
First, the Spirit Origin Pills.
Chen Yang set the clay bowl on the table, poured in clean water, and waited as the water gradually began to shimmer with spirit light.
He then placed one Spirit Origin Pill into the bowl.
The spirit liquid was swiftly absorbed by the Pill, and after a short while, two identical Spirit Origin Pills appeared in the bowl.
Chen Yang did the math — duplicating one Spirit Origin Pill required four hours' worth of accumulated spirit liquid, equivalent in value to several low-grade spirit stones.
The cost far exceeded what had been needed to duplicate a Pure Origin Pill before, but the Spirit Origin Pill itself was worth many times more.
"This clay bowl truly is remarkable," Chen Yang thought, becoming ever more convinced that this treasure he had stumbled upon was no ordinary thing.
Not only could it duplicate the lowest-grade Pills, it could perfectly duplicate even precious Spirit Origin Pills — it simply required paying the corresponding price.
He then turned his attention to the Storage Bag.
He tried placing the Storage Bag into the bowl — and sure enough, it could be duplicated too!
It would likewise consume a great deal of spirit liquid as the price.
Chen Yang's heart surged with wild joy. This meant that in the future, he might be able to duplicate even more precious Magical Artifacts.
Finally, he picked up the Flying Sword.
Its blade radiated a sharp, icy gleam — clearly of exceptional quality.
Chen Yang gave it a few experimental swings, and the blade sliced through the air with a faint hum.
He had wanted to duplicate it immediately, but he recalled a lesson from past experience: if the spirit liquid ran out halfway through duplication, the entire effort would be wasted.
With dawn approaching, Chen Yang decided to set aside duplicating the Flying Sword for now.
The most pressing matter was to earn some spirit stones, combine them with the spirit liquid converted by the clay bowl, and once enough had accumulated, duplicate it in one go.
He carefully stored all the treasures away and began planning his next steps.
Entering the Outer Sect Disciple trials required one low-grade spirit stone — but it wasn't just the spirit stone; there were other preparations to make as well, and right now he was completely penniless.
It seemed he would have to find a way to earn some spirit stones.
Outside the window, the first rays of morning light were already filtering through the lattice into the room.
Chen Yang took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with unwavering resolve.
With these treasures to aid him, he was confident he would soon stand out in the Outer Sect Disciple trials.
And that mysterious silver-haired senior... Chen Yang touched his bitten lip, a complex expression crossing his face.
This senior acted in such an inscrutable manner, yet had given him such invaluable help — she was truly impossible to figure out.
But for now, the most important thing was to seize the time and begin cultivating the "Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art," preparing himself for the upcoming Outer Sect Disciple trials.
Chen Yang sat down cross-legged and began circulating his spiritual energy according to the newly acquired cultivation technique.