Yun Ze walked out of the small courtyard, ensuring Chen Xiao was not following, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
No matter what, this hurdle had been passed.
Even if Chen Xiao guessed he knew something, he wouldn't personally kill him.
Judging by the different attitudes of Ji Kun and Chen Xiao, they likely didn't expect the immortal jade to still be with him. Otherwise, Chen Xiao wouldn't be here tonight; it would be Ji Kun.
Therefore, as long as he abided by the sect's rules and remained cautious, he would be fine.
The most important thing now was to consume all the Qi Forging Pills and then stand before everyone, declaring how many times his Qi Sea had multiplied!
Possessing treasures without the strength to protect them was a crime. As long as they couldn't profit from him, they wouldn't risk trouble to find him!
Yun Ze walked all the way towards the solitary peak, heading straight for the secluded cultivation rooms!
The solitary peak was so high that its summit was unseen.
The entire mountain, from its base, was wide and substantial, with twelve intertwined paths leading upwards.
The higher one climbed, the steeper and narrower the terrain became. From a distance, it resembled a blade thrusting out from the earth's core!
However, who could wield such a blade, nearly forty thousand zhang tall?
It was likely that even true immortals and gods would struggle to control it.
The path Yun Ze took did not lead to the mess hall but directly to the secluded cultivation rooms.
He encountered no senior disciples from his own cohort or previous ones. Upon reaching the secluded cultivation rooms, he saw an outer disciple in high-grade disciple attire sitting at a wooden table outside, head propped on his hand, dozing off.
Upon closer inspection, a sign hung on the table detailing the usage fees for the secluded cultivation rooms.
A secluded cultivation room cost ten spirit stones per day, ninety-nine spirit stones for ten days, and nine thousand spirit stones for a hundred days.
Yun Ze's mouth twitched.
Even though he knew the prices beforehand, he still found them exorbitant!
The spirit stones he had painstakingly accumulated over a long period would be mostly depleted in a hundred days here.
However, there was no alternative. He could only hope it was worth the cost.
He walked slowly to the table and tapped it, "Senior Brother, I'm here to cultivate."
"Hmm? Hmm."
The senior brother opened his drowsy eyes and glanced at Yun Ze. "Hmm, peak Qi Refining third level. You meet the requirements. How many days will you need?"
"Ten days for now."
"That will be one hundred spirit stones."
Yun Ze frowned. "Hmm? Senior Brother, the sign doesn't say..."
"Junior Brother, since you're new, let me explain."
The senior brother stretched and then flipped the sign on the table, pointing towards the rooms inside. "There are ninety-nine stone chambers within these secluded cultivation rooms. Although they are all for cultivation, their effects vary. If you don't pay this one spirit stone for administrative fees, you'll have to find a room yourself. If you do pay, I can accompany you inside and personally take you to a suitable chamber. The effect, naturally, will be different from ordinary cultivation rooms."
"Do you understand the principle behind it?"
One spirit stone for a slightly better cultivation room?
This was a deal worth making!
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."
Yun Ze's frown eased, a smile on his lips. He took out the one hundred spirit stones he had prepared and said, "Please lead the way, Senior Brother."
"Sensible!"
The senior brother casually waved his hand, pocketed the hundred spirit stones, and stood up, leading Yun Ze into the cave. "What is your name, Junior Brother?"
"Yun Ze. Yun from floating clouds, Ze from marsh."
"Yun Ze? Then I'll call you Junior Brother Yun from now on." The senior brother said as he led the way. "My name is Tie Shan."
"Senior Brother Tie."
"Mm."
Tie Shan led Yun Ze into the cave, bypassing several chambers before stopping in front of one. He swiped his jade token at the door, and a red number 'ten' appeared.
He pointed to a slot on the door. "This is a communication slot. Inside, there are writing materials. If you need anything during your cultivation, you can write a letter and leave it at the door. I will come twice a day, morning and evening, to help you purchase what you need. Don't worry, the fee isn't high; it's half a percent commission each time. If you need food, you can also find me. One spirit stone a day will get you three meals delivered."
So expensive!
The regular food at the mess hall was free, but here it cost one spirit stone!
This was too easy to earn!
But he supposed it made sense. How many people who could afford secluded cultivation rooms would begrudge this single spirit stone? Going to the mess hall would take time for the round trip!
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Yun Ze clasped his hands in return and then entered the cultivation room, not daring to waste any time. "Junior Brother has brought enough food, so you don't need to trouble yourself, Senior Brother."
*Bang*
The stone door closed. Tie Shan chuckled to himself and turned to walk out of the cave.
As he exited, he saw a woman and an old woman standing at the entrance.
This was... the legend!
Tie Shan quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands towards the old woman. "Senior Wei, are you here to cultivate?"
That didn't seem right. This person resided in a place with abundant spiritual energy; she shouldn't need to spend spirit stones to come here.
The old woman didn't answer but asked, "Did a young man just enter?"
"Yes."
Tie Shan answered truthfully. "That young man is named Yun Ze, a top-grade disciple of this cohort."
"How many days will he cultivate?"
"Ten days."
"Then she will also cultivate for ten days."
The old woman tossed one hundred spirit stones onto the wooden table.
"Yes."
Tie Shan respectfully replied and then produced a spirit stone from his robes, offering it to the old woman. "This is for the change."
"I want the cultivation room next to the young man's."
"Hmm?"
Tie Shan looked troubled. "Senior, this is against the rules..."
The old woman said no more, and another hundred spirit stones landed on the table.
Tie Shan's expression remained unchanged as he pocketed all the spirit stones.
"Please follow me, Junior Sister."
Wei Lanshu's face was frosty. She nodded and followed Tie Shan into the cave.
When the two arrived at the stone chamber next to Yun Ze's, the young woman seemed to sense something and her eyes lit up. Without waiting for Tie Shan to introduce it, she rushed directly into the chamber.
Seeing this, Tie Shan swallowed all the words he was about to say and could only silently swipe his jade token at the door.
But the moment he touched the stone door, a sharp energy pierced through and cut his hand!
Tie Shan quickly withdrew his hand, looking at the door in terror.
What kind of monster was this!
He quickly glanced at Yun Ze's chamber, fearing something had gone wrong. If this person died in the cultivation room, he would bear some responsibility. Even if someone wanted to kill Yun Ze, he would have to report it to the elders in time!
However... strangely, the sword energy that flowed freely within the cultivation rooms seemed unable to approach that particular chamber. The moment the sword energy touched the stone chamber, it vanished like a clay ox entering the sea.
Tie Shan stared, dumbfounded.
What kind of monsters were these new disciples this year! Fortunately, he wasn't in the same cohort; otherwise, he didn't know how badly he would have been bullied.
But it seemed he didn't need to report anything.
Forget it, back to sleep!
...
On one side of the solitary peak, on the path leading to the mess hall.
A group of outer disciples in mid-grade disciple attire were gathered, waiting. Each of them had at least Qi Refining sixth level cultivation, clearly not new disciples.
Among them, one disciple wore high-grade disciple attire and had Qi Refining eighth level cultivation. He was currently standing before the group.
"Does everyone know today's mission?"
"We know. Isn't it just to give the newcomers a taste of their place?"
One disciple replied, "But Senior Brother Xiao, isn't this a bit too grand a display?"
"Yes."
Another disciple also asked in confusion, "Last year, we only had one mid-grade disciple. This time... there are too many people."
"You don't understand!"
Senior Brother Xiao frowned. "There are two Sword Sons among this cohort. If there aren't enough people, how can we make them understand the importance of respecting their seniors?"
Upon hearing this, the others fell silent.
Two Sword Sons!
Two beings who had comprehended sword energy!
Even they, who had been in the sect for nearly a hundred years, were still stuck at the Qi Refining stage and hadn't touched the threshold of sword energy. Such existences naturally evoked immense envy.
"It's good that you understand."
Senior Brother Xiao's tone softened slightly. "In short, later you will only be responsible for attacking. I will handle the rest! The targets will be those two Sword Sons, understood?"
"But Senior Brother Xiao, what if they don't come?"
"Then we'll capture all their cohort!"
Senior Brother Xiao smiled. "If they appear, we'll trap them like fish in a barrel. If they don't appear... hehe, then they won't be able to stay in the sect either!"
The others immediately understood.
The sect regulations clearly stated that disciples could compete, have conflicts, fight, and even kill each other, but internal strife was strictly forbidden!
Senior disciples capturing junior disciples was considered training and fell within the scope of the rules. However, if the Sword Sons of this cohort failed to rescue their peers, it would be a violation of sect rules. Minor offenses would result in the forfeiture of stipends as a warning, while severe offenses could lead to expulsion from the sect!
"Senior Brother Xiao, someone's coming!"
"Good!"
Senior Brother Xiao responded, his hand resting on his sword. "Be careful, do not kill anyone! Otherwise, I cannot protect you!"
"Don't worry, Senior Brother, we know."