Chapter 111: Chapter 109: Attaining the Innate Realm
Dragon Head Peak.
But this was not the Dragon Head Peak of old.
The former Dragon Head Peak of the Bright Void Sect had been situated in the heart of the Dazhou Capital Region, a nexus where countless Earth Veins converged.
Cultivating there yielded twice the results with half the effort.
The current Dragon Head Peak was located at the edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains, dense with miasma and thick with Evil Qi, a place rarely visited by the living.
A hall stood upon the mountain.
It was a solemn and majestic place.
Pei Jingque sat enthroned in the center of the great hall, her face filled with admiration as she looked at Zhu Ju, who stood tall before her.
"An Innate Qi Refiner in his early twenties..."
She sighed softly.
"If Master were still here, he would surely have helped you reforge your foundations and taught you the Celestial Spirit Heart Method, accepting you as his disciple."
"What a pity!"
Shen You had once said that the Celestial Spirit Technique and the Earth Evil Technique were of the same grade, both capable of building a Dao Foundation. That was true enough.
But being the same grade didn’t mean they were equal in all other aspects. The gap between the two Cultivation Techniques was as wide as the heavens and the earth.
Breaking Acupoints with the Celestial Spirit Technique was easier and faster. The resulting Innate True Essence was more potent, and the Cultivator’s strength was naturally greater.
A Cultivator who had broken one Acupoint with the Celestial Spirit Heart Method could easily crush someone who had broken two Acupoints with the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill.
As someone who had broken seven Acupoints, Pei Jingque was unmatched by any ordinary Cultivator who had broken all nine, unless she encountered a True Inheritance disciple from another Immortal Sect who also possessed a top-tier legacy.
"Senior Sister,"
Shen You cleared his throat, reminding her,
"Let’s get to the matter at hand."
"Right." Composing herself, Pei Jingque pushed aside her feelings and spoke slowly.
"Junior Brother Zhu, you are already somewhat aware of the Sect’s situation. It is currently in a state of disrepair, so we are keeping everything simple."
"From this day forward, you are an Inner Sect Disciple of the Dragon Head Lineage!"
’An Inner Sect Disciple?’
Zhu Ju’s head snapped up.
"That’s right!"
A smile appeared on Pei Jingque’s face.
"Theoretically, one must break four Acupoints and reach the Middle-Stage Innate Realm to become an Inner Sect Disciple. However, you have already reached the Innate Realm at just twenty years old. Breaking four Acupoints is merely a matter of time for you, so there is no need to follow the old procedures."
"As an Inner Sect Disciple, you will receive one Spirit Stone and two Primordial Essence Pills each month, along with a few other materials you can request."
She couldn’t help but sigh at this.
The Bright Void Sect had truly fallen, and Dragon Head Peak was a shadow of its former self. In the past, even Outer Sect Disciples received better treatment than this. Now, even Inner Sect Disciples had to tighten their belts.
Zhu Ju, however, was very satisfied. Twelve Spirit Stones a year meant he could acquire a Low-Level Spiritual Artifact in just a few years.
He immediately clasped his fist in his hand and bowed.
"Thank you, Senior Sister!"
Little did he know,
in the past, an Inner Sect Disciple of Dragon Head Peak would be rewarded with a Magical Artifact upon entry.
"Mm." Pei Jingque nodded. With a light wave of her fair hand, Innate True Essence and Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi converged in the air.
Over a thousand glittering characters materialized in the great hall.
This method of controlling Innate True Essence, while seemingly unremarkable, actually placed extremely high demands on a Cultivator.
It was impossible for anyone below the Late-Stage Innate Realm.
"As an Inner Sect Disciple, you may choose one of the Sect’s Secret Techniques to cultivate. You may select one from this list."
Zhu Ju focused his gaze. The Methods that appeared this time were different from the ones he had seen on the stone pillars at the foot of the mountain as an Outer Sect Disciple.
These were clearly Secret Techniques exclusive to Inner Sect Disciples.
His eyes swept across the characters, then suddenly froze.
Ghost God Limit!
A Saber Technique.
The description for this Saber Technique was extremely brief.
"A legacy of the Demon Heaven Six Paths Celestial Ghost Dao. Its forms are complex and difficult to learn. Those with insufficient Comprehension can easily injure themselves."
There was another note.
Extremely powerful!
"You’ve chosen the Ghost God Limit?" After Zhu Ju made his choice, Pei Jingque’s expression was a strange mix of surprise, wistfulness, and delight.
She paused for a moment before nodding lightly.
"This Saber Technique is incredibly powerful. It would be best if you can master it, but don’t be discouraged if you fail."
"You can come to me to exchange it for another."
She waved her hand, dismissing the characters, and retrieved a Jade Scroll from her Qiankun Bag, sending it over to him.
"Shen You will tell you the rest. For now, go choose a residence on the mountain and focus on your Cultivation for the next few years."
Every disciple who advanced to the Innate Realm was given a few years without any assigned duties to simply enjoy their benefits. This wasn’t unique to the Bright Void Sect; it was standard practice in other Immortal Sects as well.
"Yes."
Zhu Ju acknowledged, accepted the Jade Scroll, and retreated with a bow.
***
There are no roads in the mountains, but paths are formed when enough people walk them.
As his feet crunched rhythmically on the fallen leaves, Shen You walked ahead with his hands behind his back, explaining,
"The Bright Void Sect currently has seven Dao Foundation Cultivators: the Sect Leader, the Vice Sect Leader, an Elder, and the Vein Masters of the Celestial Sword and Flying Phoenix lineages, among others."
"As for the Dragon Head Lineage..."
"There is only Martial Uncle Fengg. And for certain reasons, his Realm is unstable, so he is often in seclusion to stabilize his Cultivation."
Following behind, Zhu Ju understood.
"In the great battle back then, Dragon Head Peak shed its blood for the Sect. As compensation, the other two lineages have ensured that most of the disciples recruited this time will cultivate the Earth Evil Technique," Shen You continued.
"Which makes them disciples of the Dragon Head Lineage."
Comprehension dawned on Zhu Ju.
’So that’s why. Ever since I started cultivating the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill, my identity as a disciple of the Dragon Head Lineage was set in stone.’
’The second batch of recruits, on the other hand... some of them didn’t choose the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill. They clearly have other plans.’
"Currently, our lineage has five Core Disciples and seventeen... no, eighteen Inner Sect Disciples." Shen You glanced at Zhu Ju, correcting the number, and went on,
"As for Outer Sect Disciples, there are nearly a hundred."
"The Sect is in a state of disrepair. This is a low point, but it’s also an opportunity."
"Many opportunities that were previously closed to Outer and Inner Sect Disciples are now available."
"For example..."
"That Saber Technique you chose."
"Senior Brother," Zhu Ju began, recalling the strange look in Pei Jingque’s eyes, "is the Ghost God Limit special?"
"It is." Shen You nodded.
"The Ghost God Limit was the Saber Technique cultivated by our Eldest Senior Brother. To us, he was like a second master."
’So that’s how it is!’
Zhu Ju understood completely.
"We’re here."
Shen You stopped and pointed ahead.
"You can choose any of those courtyards to live in. Each one has a Quiet Chamber for Cultivation."
Zhu Ju looked up.
Amidst the swirling miasma and lush greenery, a few courtyards were scattered throughout the mountain forest.
The closest were a hundred meters apart, while the furthest were several kilometers away.
"Senior Brother,"
he said, his expression odd,
"Why are they so spread out?"
"You’ve only just stepped into the Innate Realm. There are some things you don’t understand yet, but you will once you start cultivating," Shen You said, shaking his head.
"The higher one’s Cultivation, the less one likes having others nearby. Unless it’s a husband and wife whose auras are compatible, even one’s own children are not welcome."
"This is why Dao Foundation Cultivators often occupy an entire mountain peak by themselves, solitary in their pursuit of the Dao and immortality."
"I see..." Zhu Ju pointed to a corner.
"Is that one occupied?"
"No." Shen You started walking.
"Let’s go!"
"Junior Brother."
"These are troubled times, and the Dragon Head Lineage is not in control of its own fate. You... you must cultivate diligently."
He hesitated, then led Zhu Ju to the front of the courtyard and handed him a porcelain bottle.
"This is a Profound Evil Pill. It can help an Early-stage Innate Qi Refiner break through their Acupoints. Don’t be in a hurry to take it. It’s not too late to use it after you’ve opened your first Acupoint."
"After advancing to the Innate Realm, the first Acupoint is the easiest to open. Using an Elixir on it would be a waste."
"Remember this!"
"This Pill is extremely expensive. Be very careful with it."
*
*
*
The courtyard was located on the shady side of Dragon Head Peak and covered a large area.
Inside were a main building with three rooms, four side rooms, and seven or eight unfamiliar trees.
A spring, channeled down from the mountain peak, meandered into a pond in the courtyard. The design was quite elegant.
Standing in the middle of the courtyard, Zhu Ju sighed with emotion.
"I finally have a courtyard of my own!"
Well...
He actually had several courtyards.
And every single one of them was more luxurious than this place.
They were just in other worlds.
Quiet Chamber.
Zhu Ju sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. He took a deep breath and pulled out a dusty cloth bag.
A Qiankun Bag!
He had obtained it from Jiangg Ke, an Outer Sect Disciple of the Profound Clarity Sect.
Back then, Zhu Ju had used every means at his disposal to kill the heavily wounded and dying Jiangg Ke. He’d had this bag ever since but had never been able to open it.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to.
He simply couldn’t!
A Qiankun Bag was a type of Magical Artifact.
Once sealed, it required Innate True Essence to be opened.
He had held onto this item for so long, trying countless times to open it, but to no avail.
"I can finally open it."
Taking another deep breath, Zhu Ju slowly circulated the faint wisp of Innate True Essence in his body and channeled it into the mouth of the Qiankun Bag.
At a certain moment...
SNAP!
As if a buckle had been undone, the tightly bound drawstring suddenly loosened, and the mouth of the bag sprang open.
Everything inside was reflected in his perception.
The space wasn’t large.
Less than a square meter.
There weren’t many things inside, either.
But the sensation was marvelous, as if a new space had suddenly appeared in his mind.
Zhu Ju flipped his hand, and a grayish-brown Pill appeared in his palm. With another flick, the Pill vanished.
"Incredible!"
After playing with it a few more times, his interest faded, and he began to take inventory of the Qiankun Bag’s contents.
It had to be said that for someone who had lived seventy or eighty years as an Immortal Sect Disciple, Jiangg Ke had certainly accumulated a lot of good things.
There were twenty-three Spirit Stones alone.
And a few Spiritual Grains.
There was a single grayish-brown Pill, which, if he wasn’t mistaken, had to be the Corpse Yin Breaking Acupoint Pill.
"A Corpse Yin Breaking Acupoint Pill and a Profound Evil Pill."
Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed.
"With the help of these two Spirit Pills, breaking through three Acupoints should be a smooth process. By then, I’ll have truly stepped into the Cultivation Realm."
There were also some miscellaneous items.
After putting everything away, Zhu Ju closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
Since advancing to the Innate Realm, all the Acquired Internal Qi in his body had transformed into Innate True Essence. Stimulated by this Innate Qi, his Physical Body also began to reforge itself, and his Earth Evil True Body was advancing toward the Minor Success Realm.
Not only that,
the Innate Qi had also caused his Magic Realm to surge. His Profound Light burned like a torch, seemingly on the verge of opening his Forehead Ancestral Acupoint.
As he operated the Method, the Acupoints all over his body trembled.
The human body has Nine Acupoints: the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, the front orifice, and the rear orifice.
The eyes, ears, and nose each count as two Acupoints.
Depending on one’s Cultivation Technique and constitution, the first Acupoint to open after advancing to the Innate Realm will differ.
’The first Acupoint.’
’The right Eye Acupoint!’
As Zhu Ju silently circulated the Method, the first to respond was an Eye Acupoint.
’It’s true. The younger you are, the stronger the Acupoints respond, and the easier it is to break them open. The books don’t lie.’
According to the texts,
some Innate Qi Refiners could cultivate for over a month without even sensing the location of their Acupoints, yet Zhu Ju had sensed one on his very first try.
The two couldn’t be compared.
"A pity."
"It’s not the Mouth Acupoint."
Each of the Nine Acupoints had its own marvelous use. The Eye Acupoints could greatly enhance one’s vision, allowing one to see in the dark as if it were day and perceive things from over a li away.
The Ear Acupoints could greatly enhance one’s hearing, enabling one to hear previously inaudible sounds and perceive the slightest rustle of grass in the wind within a radius of a hundred zhang.
The Mouth Acupoint, however, was the most special.
This was because it was internally connected to the five viscera.
Once the Mouth Acupoint was opened, one could digest and absorb Elixirs and all kinds of food to the greatest possible extent.
It was an enormous aid to Cultivation!
Therefore, opening the Mouth Acupoint first was considered the best.
"Hmm?"
His brow twitched, and Zhu Ju slowly opened his eyes.
’No wonder Innate Qi Refiners dislike living next to others. Once you begin to cultivate, your aura merges with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. If someone else gets too close, you’re bound to be affected.’
’I suppose it’s the same reason a Dao Foundation Cultivator occupies an entire mountain alone.’
He shook his head, got up, and pushed open the door, only to see a bird circling the courtyard with a calling card in its beak.
"Cao Xiong?"
Zhu Ju took the card, his expression darkening slightly.
