A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 198 Prize
The setting sun cast long shadows across the arena, and the last golden rays swept across Situ Qingyue's thunder sword, causing the thunder seal on the sword's spine to slowly lose its luster.

Lan Gu, acting as the referee, announced across the square: "Today's arena battles are over! Fellow Daoists whose names have been called, please wait a moment. The rest of you, please leave the mountain gate."

The clamor receded like the tide, but its lingering effects remained.

Those independent cultivators who didn't have rental rooms could only leave reluctantly, while those who did have rental rooms in the Five Elements Sect and the scions of small and medium-sized aristocratic families gathered in twos and threes with a sense of superiority, clutching dried spiritual fruits from Hou Haikun's restaurant, and discussing the day's battles with great enthusiasm.

Some slapped their thighs, saying that Situ Qingyue's "Clear Moon Slash" was the most thrilling when it shattered the cloud shadows; others reminisced about how calmly Zhou Yueniang blocked the poisoned thorn with her golden sword; still others pulled their companions aside to speculate about what those left behind would gain...

Not to mention them, even Luo San and Wang Kui were having mixed feelings.

Giving them too much is inappropriate; to be honest, they didn't get anything good in return.

But giving too little isn't appropriate either; if we give too little, not as many people will come next time.

But what exactly will they give?

……

Inside the city gate tower of the outer branch square of Qingmu Peak, the candlelight flickered, casting shadows on six faces, some tense and some expectant.

Among the six who remained was the Western Regions Red Robe Guest. Although he was defeated by Situ Qingyue today, he amazed everyone with his twelve curved blade shadows in the subsequent challenge.

Situ Qingyue and the other three did not engage in continuous battles. Each of them would encounter three opponents they deemed worthy of their attention each day before they could stop.

The rest is left to the new applicants.

The man in the red robe attacked first and then defended, displaying great skill and ranking first.

There's also Huang Ling from the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. Although her "Bone-Corroding Dew" was suppressed by Zhou Yueniang, it revealed her remarkable talent for controlling poison, which made other cultivators quite wary.

Then there are the local rogue cultivators of the Northern Spiritual Domain, each with their own trump card. Although they have not defeated the top experts, they have fought each other to a standstill.

The six people stood in the hall, their eyes unconsciously glancing at the table.

Luo San, Wang Kui, and the others stayed at the door. The two of them stood on tiptoe and peered inside, their necks craning like geese. They guessed at every possible reward in their minds: Was it the "Green Wood Longevity Technique"? Or a magic weapon secretly made by the Five Elements Sect?

Li Weizhou looked at the six people with a gentle gaze and said, "Today, everyone's performance, whether it was a victory or a defeat, has shown some true character and real ability. Although the Five Elements Sect is not a top sect, it respects those who are capable and willing to fight, and of course, it keeps its word."

He raised his hand to signal, and Qi Erniang behind him brought over a sandalwood tray lined with bright yellow silk, on which were placed six pills the size of longan.

The pill was pale blue, with fine light patterns flowing across its surface. When you got close, you could smell a refreshing herbal fragrance mixed with faint spiritual energy fluctuations, like the mountain air when the snow melted in early spring.

"This is the 'Qingyuan Pill'."

Li Weizhou picked up a pill, which glowed faintly at his fingertips. He said, "I won't say more. Each of you should eat one first. If you're not satisfied with this prize, you can bring it up again."

The man in red robes couldn't help but ask, "Sect Leader Li, is there... any particular reason for this?"

Li Weizhou smiled, put the pills back on the tray, and said, "There's no point in saying more. Each of you should take one and see how it feels. That's all for now. Come back and talk in half an hour."

……

Half an hour later.

Li Weizhou didn't know what the six men had been thinking during that half hour, but when they came back to him, he felt as if he were seeing six loyal dogs.

Seeing this, he smiled and said, "No need to thank me, you deserve it."

"Sect Leader, we have waited..."

The four rogue cultivators from the Northern Spiritual Domain were about to offer their services when Li Weizhou waved his hand and said, "That's all for today. You can go back now."

Without giving the six people time to react, he waved his hand and pushed the six experts at the Spirit Origin Realm outside the mountain gate.

After the six people stood still outside the mountain gate, they looked at each other in bewilderment.

They already knew Li Weizhou was highly skilled, but they didn't expect him to be this powerful.

Even with the power of the formation, it still possesses unpredictable abilities.

"Old Monster Xu, you're out?!"

"Zhao Ang, what award did you win? Was it the 'Green Wood Longevity Technique'?"

"They definitely won't give out the complete copy, otherwise if they distribute it, no one will come next time."

"Old Qin, you didn't join the Five Elements Sect, but instead teamed up with Wang Kui and the others to run errands?"

The cultivators who had been waiting outside the mountain gate were all very surprised to see the six people suddenly appear, and they hurriedly surrounded them.

Some people recognized the four independent cultivators from the Northern Spiritual Domain and greeted them, asking them questions.

Some were simply enjoying the excitement, while others had ulterior motives.

All six were seasoned veterans, and by now they probably understood Li Weizhou's intentions.

They would never be satisfied with just one pill, but this one pill has already made them feel... reborn!
In fact, everyone has a pretty good idea of ​​their own talents and how far they can go in the future.

When natural talent is limited, one cannot break through the limit simply by hard work and diligence.

For example, they are considered top experts within the Spirit Origin Realm, but they know that their potential has been exhausted and they have no hope of becoming Spirit Gods.

The Qingyuan Pill they ate today gave them a clear direction.

Is this just one direction?

No, this is cultivation, this is lifespan, this is... the path to immortality!
They must seize this opportunity.

Xu Sanqian stood under the moon, the mountain breeze ruffling his worn Taoist robe. As he stroked his beard, his knuckles gleamed with a faint glow.

Surrounded by a dense crowd of cultivators, he gazed only towards the Five Elements Peak and sighed deeply, “A hundred years of cultivation is like sailing a boat in the fog. Only today, after this encounter, do I realize that heaven and earth have their own clear light, and the mind is naturally clear.”

These words caused everyone to exchange bewildered glances. An experienced cultivator, familiar with the situation, pressed on, "Fellow Daoist Xu, what makes you say this? Could it be that Sect Leader Li has bestowed upon you a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure?"

Xu Sanqian glanced at the frost on the bluestone, his fingertips lightly tapping the old jade pendant at his waist. The pendant faintly emitted a warm light, saying, "It is neither a treasure nor a magic method, yet it surpasses even treasures and magic methods. In the past, when I circulated my energy, I always felt that my dantian was like a blocked channel. After today, it is as if a clear spring is flowing through the stone, gently flowing on its own. As for what exactly it is..."

He smiled slightly, pausing for a moment, and said, "You will know when you are on the list in the future." Zhao Ang's hand on the sword hilt trembled slightly, and the spirit bead on the sword tassel spun spontaneously, emitting a soft, clear chime. He looked at the faint bluish glow on his palm and said in a deep voice, "I have cultivated the incomplete Ice Spirit Technique for three hundred years, and the cold poison corrodes my meridians like a bone-deep sore. Tonight, after taking one pill, I suddenly felt as if a warm sun was blowing through my bones. Sect Leader Li is benevolent and righteous, and the Five Elements Sect is magnanimous. From now on, I, Zhao Ang, will follow Sect Leader Li's lead without question."

He paused, then looked up toward Qingmu Peak, his gaze intense, and said, "Although Sect Leader Li is unwilling to accept us as outer disciples to do menial tasks, I will never give up. Such an opportunity is hard to find even if one travels across a thousand mountains."

After that, he turned around and left.

The man in red robes untied the gourd from his waist, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. The wine dripped down his stubble, each drop carrying a wisp of shimmering light. He abruptly slung the gourd back to his waist, and his black iron scimitar gleamed as it was drawn. The blade, reflecting the moonlight, shone even brighter than usual. He chuckled and said, "Two hundred years of honing my skills in the Western Regions, yet I always felt something was missing. Who would have thought my opportunity would lie here?" With that, he sheathed the scimitar, its clear, resonant sound like a dragon's roar. He laughed loudly, "On the first day of next month, I will surely climb this peak again. Enough said, I'm going to rent a place to stay."

Huang Ling and the others said similar things before drifting away.

The crowd gradually quieted down, with only the soft rustling of bamboo leaves in the mountain breeze.

"Good heavens, the Five Elements Sect, what a grand gesture!"

"But what do you think the Five Elements Sect is doing this for?"

Among the crowd were some clever people who chuckled and said, "What for? Look at these six, especially Old Xu and his three companions. They're practically begging to kneel down and become his dogs. Unfortunately, he won't take them. But I think he's playing the long game, fishing for a big fish. Only the strongest are qualified to be someone's errand boy. This person is extraordinary. The Five Elements Sect is extraordinary too!"

……

Inside the Aoki Hall.

The palace door was half-closed, and the evening breeze swept through the hall, carrying with it the crisp scent of the dragon-patterned bamboo outside.

The six dragon-patterned bamboos were planted on both sides of the palace steps. The bamboos were as thick as barrels, and the patterns on their skins resembled coiled dragons. When the moonlight fell on them, the dragon-scale-like protrusions shimmered with a faint golden light.

When the wind blows, the bamboo leaves rustle against each other, making a soft "rustling" sound, which sounds like a dragon's low murmur.

Li Weizhou sat behind the jade table in the hall, where a censer of incense burned. The smoke rose in wisps, condensing into tiny leaf shapes in the air and lingering for a long time.

Master's wife, Tian Ru, was wiping an ancient sword hanging on the wall with spiritual spring water. The scabbard was carved from a hundred-year-old green wood root, and the patterns of the five elements could be faintly seen on it.

Tian Ru hung the ancient sword back on the wall, its tassel drooping down, perfectly overlapping with the bamboo shadows outside the hall. Seeing Li Weizhou looking at the bamboo outside, she smiled and said, "This dragon-patterned bamboo was planted by our ancestor himself and has been nurtured for over two thousand years, which is why the wood spirit of Qingmu Peak is so abundant today."

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "I got all of this for free."

Tian Ru shook her head and said, "What's so cheap about it? If your family hadn't come up from the lower realm, who knows what would be happening to the sect now. Wei Zhou, the Qingyuan Pill you refined is truly remarkable. I won't even ask how you refined it; your whole family is extraordinary. But aren't you afraid of attracting attention by showing it off now? I have a feeling that this Qingyuan Pill might even have some effect on Immortal Spirit Realm cultivators. If a powerful Immortal Spirit Realm expert really comes from Central Continent, how will you handle it?"

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "Master's wife, if you hadn't tasted one yourself, would you believe that our Five Elements Sect could refine such a pill? I think that not to mention Immortal Spirit True Monarch, even ordinary sect disciples look down on rogue cultivators. As for rogue cultivators, or small and medium-sized sects and families, those big sects in Central Continent probably just think that poor ghosts have never seen the world and treat any stump as a treasure."

Tian Ru shook her head and said, "Yes, they will never believe it... But why are you doing this? Is it just to give Yue Niang and the others some experience? There's no need to make such a big fuss, is there?"

The price is also quite high.

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "A single thread cannot make a line, and a lone tree cannot make a forest. Master's wife, I originally wanted to stay in the Five Elements Sect and live a peaceful life. But I found that the Spirit Realm is much more dangerous and complicated than I thought. But our sect is too short-handed, and if something happens, we have to go out in person. So I plan to build several layers of protective walls around it."

Tian Ru said, "What if they eat their fill and then leave?"

Li Weizhou explained, "The Qingyuan Pill has no other function than to continuously improve one's constitution, without end. Once you take one, it's hard to forget it. It's fine for cultivators like us who don't have any hidden injuries or major flaws in our cultivation techniques, but almost every rogue cultivator has hidden injuries. Moreover, many of their cultivation techniques have significant flaws. For them, the Qingyuan Pill is not only a remedy to improve their constitution but also a life-saving medicine. But let alone one or two pills, even a hundred or eighty might not be enough to completely repair the hidden ailments they've accumulated over the past hundred years. So, this isn't us plotting against them; it's a mutually beneficial arrangement. They're right about one thing: meeting us is the greatest opportunity of their lives."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ru felt relieved and smiled, "Actually, I shouldn't worry. Your experiences in the lower realm are far richer than mine. Although I've witnessed many conspiracies and fierce battles, both internal and external, I've rarely actually managed affairs properly, unlike you. But I am still afraid because you always cause such a big commotion, always on a grand scale. However, I think I'm slowly getting used to it... Alright, go ahead and do your work. I've been rambling on for so long, delaying the important matter."

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "There's no important matter here. Yue Niang and Situ are both in seclusion. They have benefited greatly from these three days of arena battles. As more and more disciples from Zhongzhou become stronger, they will benefit even more."

Tian Ru asked, "You're giving Qingyuan Pills to those people too?"

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "How could that be... Even the rogue cultivators of Zhongzhou are not qualified to take it. Besides, if necessary, we can also have Baicaotang bring out Ice Heart Pills to fool them. Don't worry, Master's wife."

Tian Ru couldn't sit still any longer. She hurriedly walked out, laughing, "I told you not to ramble, but you're rambling again. Oh dear, you really are getting old; people talk more as they get older..."

Li Weizhou chuckled, "My master's wife looks no more than eighteen!"

Tian Ru turned around and glared at him before leaving.

……

1,800 miles away from the Five Elements Sect, lies Qinglan Valley.

The Shangguan family.

The study was quiet.

The patriarch, Shangguan Yuan, was staring intently at a map of the Northern Spirit Domain, his gaze fixed on the location of the Five Elements Sect, and he did not look away for a long time.

"Father, do you really want Qing'er to go to the Five Elements Sect?"

The girl in green beside her bit her lip. What was most eye-catching about her was the jade bracelet on her wrist, which was now shimmering with a faint spiritual light of thunder.

Shangguan Yuan turned around, his gaze falling on his daughter, and said softly, "Qing'er, your lightning spiritual root is very strong, but you are naturally weak and unable to cultivate. I have tried many methods, but none of them have been effective. As you grow older, the lightning power in your body becomes stronger and stronger, and your body is about to be unable to bear it. Although the lightning bracelet can absorb some lightning power, it is becoming more and more strained..."

The girl in green looked dejected and said, "But Father, even the Xuanlei Sword Sect has no way to help..."

Shangguan Yuan glanced at the ancient pine tree in the courtyard outside the window and said, "Now it seems that Madam Situ's thunder magic is no less than that of the Xuanlei Sword Sect. That is our last hope, father and daughter. There is no need to say anything more. Even if it means going bankrupt, your father will make you become Madam Situ's disciple."

Conversations like those between the Shangguan family occurred throughout the Northern Spirit Realm tonight.

Countless disciples from small and medium-sized families and sects are hoping for a chance to break through their limits...

Upon hearing the news, Liu Zong didn't really care too much.

Because any truly promising talents would have already been taken under their wing.

Do the independent cultivators outside not want to join the Six Sects?

No, it's because they're not qualified.

These people were recruited by the Five Elements Sect, so it's not a big deal...

In a sense, it's not wrong.

However, it depends on who controls these people and how they are used...

……

(End of this chapter)