Book 1- The Start of Cultivation Chapter 10: Life As An Outer Sect Disciple.

Approaching one of the counters where a disciple in black robes stood—the words "Outer Sword" on his robes—Fang Ma said, "Hello there. These are new recruits from the Long Clan. Register them as outer sect disciples."

"Yes, Senior Brother Fang Ma," the disciple behind the counter replied with a bow.

"Well, good luck from here on out," Fang Ma said with a cheerful wave before leaving.

The disciple behind the counter looked at them and said, "Since you came with the recommendation from the Long Family, you don't have to take the entrance trial to join the sect. I need your name, age, place of origin, cultivation realm, and your aptitude. If you don't know your aptitude, you can perform the test now."

Long Shang stepped forward confidently. "Name: Long Shang. Age: seventeen. Place of Origin: Dragon Fort City, Long Clan. Cultivation Realm: Fifth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. Aptitude: Low Earth Tier."

He finished with a smug smile on his face.

"Now, I just need you to drip a drop of blood onto the token, and the process will be complete," the disciple instructed.

Long Shang made a small cut on his finger and let a few drops of blood fall onto the token. The token glowed briefly before returning to its normal state. The token was crafted from what appeared to be gray jade encased in metal, bearing the word "Sword" on one side and "Outer" on the other.

Next, Long Xia stepped forward. "Name: Long Xia. Age: sixteen. Place of Origin: Dragon Fort City, Long Clan. Cultivation Realm: Fourth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. Aptitude: High Human Tier."

He repeated the same procedure as Long Shang and got his token.

Then Long Zhong stepped forward. "Name: Long Zhong. Age: sixteen. Place of Origin: Dragon Fort City, Long Clan. Cultivation Realm: Fourth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. Aptitude: High Human Tier."

He, too, followed the same process.

Before Xue San could move, Lan Shui stepped forward. "Name: Lan Shui. Age: fifteen. Place of Origin: Dragon Fort City, Lan Clan. Cultivation Realm: Sixth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. Aptitude: High Earth Tier."

The disciple behind the counter was surprised by Lan Shui's age, cultivation level, and aptitude. He knew that people like her were destined to leave the outer sect sooner or later, so his posture involuntarily straightened up a bit.

"Here is your token, Junior Sister. If there's anything you need in the future, you can always find me here at the Minor Dragon Hall," he said, offering a polite smile.

"Thank you," Lan Shui replied with a nod.

Finally, it was Xue San's turn. As he stepped forward, he could already see the jeering smiles on the faces of the Long Clan trio.

"Name: Xue San. Age: fourteen. Place of Origin: Silverberry Village. Cultivation Realm: None. Aptitude: Low Human Tier."

Xue San's cheeks burned with embarrassment, especially following right after Lan Shui's.

The disciple behind the counter gave Xue San a peculiar look. It wasn't unheard of for cultivator clans to send people who weren't part of their clan to the sect—individuals with no cultivation but exceptional aptitude—to train them and eventually marry them into their clan. But this? A boy with Low Human Tier talent recommended by a cultivator clan was something he'd never encountered.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother," said Long Shang with a mocking tone. "He's our clan's charity case. Hahaha!" The other two laughed along with him.

Xue San clenched his fists, growing tired of the constant taunts from these three.

"What happens now?" Lan Shui asked, stopping the Long Clan trio laughter.

"While Outer Sect disciples are not obligated to undertake any missions or perform specific tasks, failing to make any progress within a year will result in the loss of your status. We will find you accommodations," the disciple explained. "In the Soaring Sword Sect, males and females don't share quarters, so we'll need to arrange a place for Junior Sister Lan Shui. As for the rest of you, since you come from the same..." he hesitated slightly, "...the same place, you will all stay together at house number 1169. All the houses in the outer sect have four rooms, a kitchen, a small yard, and all the other necessities. Junior Sister Lan Shui, you will stay at house number 1250; there are already two other junior sisters there. Someone will come by to deliver your uniforms and a bottle of pills later. All new disciples get three Low-Grade Qi Replenishing Pills when they join the sect, after that you will receive two pills a month.

. Also, the contribution points have already been added to your tokens."

Xue San's face paled when he heard he would be staying with the Long Clan trio, but they, on the other hand, had wide grins on their faces.

Seeing this, the disciple behind the counter sighed and said, "Also, take note that fights between fellow disciples are strictly forbidden. Any life-threatening injuries can result in your expulsion from the sect and the crippling of your cultivation. Killing a fellow disciple can even implicate your clans."

Hearing him, the Long Clan trio's smiles stiffened a bit; one could see the nefarious thoughts they had about Xue San diminish somewhat.

"The residences are on the east side; you can go on your own now."

Exiting the Minor Dragon Hall, they all walked in silence. There were many people coming and going along the way, but none of them questioned what they were doing there. After some time, they reached the housing area of the outer sect disciples.

They still had to walk for a while to get to their respective residences.

When they arrived at residence number 1169, Lan Shui turned to them and said, "I hope you don't embarrass the young lady and behave yourselves, or else..." She finished with a tinge of coldness in her voice.

"Junior Sister Lan Shui, don't worry. We won't do anything to embarrass our Long Clan and our young miss," said Long Shang while throwing a disdainful glance at Xue San.

"Very well," she said, then turned and left for her residence.

"The sect rules may save you from being killed or crippled, but don't think life will be easy from now on, you trash. Let's get in," said Long Shang.

They all went inside the residence. Xue San followed them, stepping through the front door. But just as he entered, Long Shang spun around and delivered a vicious kick to his abdomen. Xue San was sent flying out of the residence, pain exploding in his stomach as if he'd been struck by a boulder.

"Dogs should sleep outside. While we are here, you're not allowed to take a single step inside," Long Shang sneered. He then slammed the door shut, leaving Xue San on his knees, clutching his stomach and fighting the urge to vomit.

Not really knowing how to proceed, he just waited there for his uniform and pills. He still had a lot of questions about the sect, so he hoped to get some answers.

After waiting for about two hours, Xue San saw Fatty Fang Ma approaching, his usual smile stretching across his round face.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the person who came with our new core disciple," Fang Ma said.

"Senior Brother Fang Ma," Xue San bowed. He was relieved to see someone familiar, and Fang Ma's easygoing demeanor was a welcome sight.

"So, what are you doing here?" Fang Ma asked.

"I was waiting for the person who was going to deliver the robes and pills, I had a few more questions to ask," Xue San replied.

"Oh, then go ahead and ask," Fang Ma encouraged.

"You see..." Xue San hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I don't actually know how to cultivate, and I was wondering if you could help me."

"Well, that's pretty easy. The sect offers public lessons on cultivation once a week for free. They're conducted by an outer sect elder at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Any questions you have about cultivation can usually be answered by the elder, even if you use a cultivation technique provided by your clan. There are also specialized lessons, but you'll need to spend contribution points to attend those. And finally, there is the Public Library, a vast repository housing an vast collection of books—from historical chronicles to poetry. However, I do not recommend visiting it at this time. Although it offers a wealth of information, spending your limited points there is not worthwhile. Beyond general knowledge, there is little of practical value to be discovered. Instead, attending public lessons would be a more advantageous use of your resources."

"What if... what if I don't have a cultivation technique?" Xue San asked, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"Oh, that's very easy. All new outer sect disciples can go to the Scripture Pavilion and choose one cultivation technique. You can also pick a martial art. If you want to learn more, you'll need to use contribution points to exchange for it. You can earn merit points by completing sect missions; most disciples usually take some easy missions like patrolling or tending spiritual gardens, but you can look through them later and pick what suits you."

"Thank you very much, Senior Brother. Could you please tell me where the Scripture Pavilion is?"

"Sure, but if you wait a little, I can take you there."

"Yes, please," Xue San said gratefully.

After delivering the pills and uniforms to the Long Clan trio, Fang Ma led Xue San to the Scripture Pavilion.

The Scripture Pavilion was a towering edifice that exuded an aura of ancient wisdom and formidable power. Constructed from dark jade and reinforced with spiritual arrays, the pavilion was both a library and a fortress, safeguarding the sect's most precious cultivation methods and martial arts techniques.

Xue San noticed that the door to the Scripture Pavilion was wide open with no one standing guard. "Senior Brother, why is there no one guarding the entrance?" he asked.

"Hahaha, Junior Brother, if you think that just because you don't see anyone, there's no one guarding this place, you're mistaken. If you tried to steal something here, you would die without even knowing how." Then he turned to the pavilion and said, "Right, Uncle?"

"Hmph, Fang Ma, you fatty, why aren't you training instead of wasting your time?" Xue San heard a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Uncle, that's not very nice to say. How can you call your favorite nephew a fatty?" Fang Ma said, a carefree smile playing on his lips.

"Hmph! You waste of space and talent! Why are you here?" his uncle snapped.

"I am escorting this junior brother so that he may pick a cultivation method and a martial arts technique," Fang Ma replied calmly.

Xue San felt a wave of cold wind pass through him, then he heard Fang Ma uncle's voice again. "You can go inside and pick a cultivation method and one martial arts technique that costs up to 100 contribution points," the elder said. "If you want more, you can use contribution points or valuable resources such as pills to exchange for them. If you reach the third stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, you may return and ascend to the next floor to choose another martial arts technique that costs up to 200 contribution points. Understood?"

"Yes, thank you, Senior," Xue San said, clasping his hands and bowing respectfully. "Senior Brother, I will go inside now. Thank you for everything."

"Sure, no problem," Fang Ma responded with his usual easy smile.

As Xue San entered the Scripture Pavilion, Fang Ma heard his uncle's voice again. "Don't bother with him. I just checked; his talent is abysmal, and he doesn't even come from a great clan."

"I know," Fang Ma replied softly. "I just wanted to give him a helping hand. He looked so pitiful and cute."

"Ah, you brat and your weird tastes. Just take the goddamn inner sect test and move to the inner area."

"But I still want to play some more, Uncle."

"You damn fatty, scram before I beat you half to death. You are the disgrace of our family."

Inside the Scripture Pavilion, Xue San was awestruck by the endless rows of shelves laden with scrolls and manuals of martial arts techniques. However, he noticed there were only three cultivation methods on the entire floor.

He decided to examine the cultivation methods first.

The first was the Heaven and Earth Sutra, a profound cultivation method tailored specifically for practitioners at the Qi Condensation Realm. Revered for its ability to harmonize the practitioner's internal energy with the fundamental forces of Heaven and Earth, this method allowed cultivators to accelerate their cultivation and establish a solid foundation for higher realms.

Next, Xue San picked up the Soaring Sword Technique, a prestigious and formidable cultivation method—the legacy of the Soaring Sword Sect. This portion of the method was for practitioners in the Qi Cultivation Stage. It seamlessly integrated swordsmanship with Qi manipulation, enabling cultivators to harmonize their inner energy with their swords, thus achieving unparalleled agility, precision, and power. The technique was divided into four parts.

The last book he examined was titled QI Compression Method. On the first page, a warning caught his eye:

Warning to those who choose this cultivation method: This is only a part of a technique found by one of the sect elders after he explored some ancient ruins. Using this method makes it impossible to switch to other methods afterward, and it cannot be used beyond the Qi Condensation Stage. Many have tried and failed to advance, some even losing their lives due to Qi deviation. The only way to progress further is to find the missing parts.

The Qi Compression Method taught practitioners to condense mna into a denser, more potent form within their dantian. Even those with poorer aptitudes could make significant progress using this cultivation method. It required focused visualization and breath control to compress the spiritual energy, increasing its intensity. Precise control and visualization were essential.

Xue San was about to return the book to the shelf deciding to take the Soaring Sword Technique when Long Huo's scornful words echoed in his mind: "You have low-tier Human Talent. With this kind of trash aptitude, you'll be lucky to reach even the middle stage of the Qi Condensation Realm—that's it."

Though Long Huo's words were harsh, Xue San knew that, given his own talent, there was truth in them.

Determination steeled within him. He decided to take his chance with the Qi Compression Method.

Turning his attention to the martial arts techniques, he sifted through titles like The Shadow Steps Technique, The Lightning Sword, The War God Body, etc. Each had an impressive name, but Xue San sought a well-rounded technique. The better ones were too expensive for him. After more than an hour of searching, he found what he was looking for: the "Hundred Phantom Hands"

"Perfect," he whispered.

The principle behind the technique was that a cultivator extended their Qi outward to form numerous ethereal hands, allowing interaction with the environment beyond physical reach. With these phantom hands, the cultivator could perform multiple actions simultaneously—blocking attacks from different directions while launching counterattacks. The technique required immense concentration and mastery over one's energy, enabling precise control over each hand independently.

"The only problem is the price," Xue San muttered. He was allowed to pick a martial arts technique worth 100 contribution points, but the Hundred Phantom Hands was valued at 200 contribution points.

"Senior, can I get this technique and offer poor-quality Qi Condensation Pills in exchange for the contribution points I'm missing?" he asked, hope tinging his voice.

"One poor-quality Qi Condensation Pills pill is worth 50 contribution points," came the curt reply from somewhere.

"Then I will use two poor-quality Qi Condensation Pills and take this Hundred Phantom Hands. I also chose the Qi Compression Method as my cultivation method." Xue San took out the bottle containing the pills, took two out, and held them out. He watched in amazement as the two pills floated from his hand and vanished. Moments later, two books appeared before him.

"Take these copies and leave," the elder's voice echoed.

"Thank you, Senior!" Xue San said earnestly, bowing deeply.

Clutching the precious manuals, Xue San left the Scripture Pavilion, a newfound determination burning within him.