Chapter 7: Alchemist Senior Brother

As for that individual, he is a disciple of the Tian Shu Academy, and his strength is quite formidable

Upon seeing this scene, Feng Ruo hurriedly walked in, and immediately a refreshing aura greeted him. This aura was quite peculiar; just a slight sensation of it made him feel extremely comfortable all over. Undoubtedly, this was the effect of the low-grade spiritual wood. With such abundant spiritual energy, even someone with mediocre talent like Feng Ruo would have no problem entering the initial stage of Qi Refinement.

In addition to the third-generation disciples, Qingyun Sect also has second-generation and first-generation disciples. The first-generation disciples refer to the members of Qingyun Sect who are of the same generation as the sect leader. When the current sect leader steps down, the second-generation disciples will automatically become first-generation disciples, and the third-generation disciples will likewise become second-generation disciples. At that time, it will be the moment when Qingyun Sect continues to recruit new disciples. Therefore, the age difference among each generation of disciples in Qingyun Sect will not be significant, and at most will not exceed ten years. The third-generation disciples will also become second-generation disciples, and at that time, it will be the moment when Qingyun Sect continues to recruit new disciples. Therefore, the age difference among each generation of disciples in Qingyun Sect will not be significant, and at most will not exceed ten years.

Gently knocking a few times on the courtyard door, Feng Ruo quietly waited, for that alchemist senior brother might be in the midst of refining elixirs, and naturally, this process should not be disturbed

After passing through several courtyards, Feng Ruo finally stopped in front of a courtyard covered by dense trees, which was the residence of that alchemist senior brother

However, this time, Feng Ruo did not wait outside the courtyard gate for long. With the flash of a spiritual talisman, the courtyard gate opened on its own without any wind.

The only thing that brought Feng Ruo some comfort was that the girl in the blue dress did not actually come to dine and dash over the past two days, which instead left him with a false alarm

The higher-ups of the Qingyun Sect do not seem to manage the third-generation disciples very strictly, at least this is what Feng Ruo believes. They need to cultivate fragrant spirit rice to fill their own stomachs, and they must also earn five-element stones to acquire various outfits and weapons. In short, they are much busier every day than Feng Ruo.

While I may envy others, I do not dare to hope that one day I could become an official disciple of the Qingyun Sect, as the requirements for accepting disciples are exceedingly strict. They only select children under the age of five, unless one is an exceptionally rare talent in cultivation, in which case they might be admitted as an exception

However, Feng Ruo also understood that the cultivation level of the girl in the blue dress had already reached the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. Although she had not yet attained the so-called realm of abstaining from grains, she did not rely too much on barbecued meat or anything of the sort. Especially since disciples of the Qingyun Sect had been accustomed to that dreadful rice cake since childhood, they might not be suited to enjoy gourmet food. Otherwise, as the unscrupulous merchant Qu and the *Tu* *Shu* said, how could the miserly Kong Fei, after hunting so many spirit beasts, not be seen eating barbecued meat?

The reason Ning Yuan assigned the task of collecting herbs to Feng Ruo is solely because he urgently needs these low-level spiritual herbs for a certain matter. In addition to Feng Ruo, several third-generation disciples of the Qingyun Sect have also taken on this task

Without the slightest pause, he passed through the courtyard planted with various mid- to high-grade spiritual herbs. Feng Ruo finally stopped outside the main hall, where two young men, both in their twenties, were engaged in lively conversation and laughter inside the hall.

"If only I could have an iron pot, I could cook some meat soup!" Feng Ruo muttered to himself. Thanks to the Qiankun bag, the meat of the black spirit raccoon could be preserved for a long time. For the past two days, he had been eating grilled meat at every meal. Unfortunately, aside from the first few meals that tasted relatively delicious, it became a bit of a headache to eat more, as there were no condiments at all, making it impossible to compare with the grilled meat of the mortal world.

At that moment, when Feng Ruo appeared, Yuan merely glanced at him and continued to leisurely savor his spiritual tea, showing no intention of speaking. It is understandable; as a cultivator, how could he engage in casual conversation with a mortal

Unfortunately, this thought can only exist in one's mind; such luxurious treatment is not something a mere servant like Feng Ruo can possess

In response to Senior Brother Ning, I have collected three hundred Blood Coagulation Herbs!" Feng Ruo quickly took out the three hundred Blood Coagulation Herbs.

Senior Brother Ning, however, was different. He carefully scrutinized Feng Ruo with a glance and smiled, saying: "Not bad! It has been a month since we last met, and your magical power has indeed improved a bit. How many spiritual herbs did you collect this time?"

"Three hundred?" However, a hint of disappointment appeared in Ning's eyes as he shook his head and said, "Feng Ruo, it is not that I am making things difficult for you, but your collection speed is too slow. My younger disciples can gather this amount in a single day, yet you have taken a month. If this continues, I will have no use for these low-level spiritual herbs! However, this task is indeed too difficult for you. Therefore, I will waive the debt of five spiritual stones. You need not continue collecting; living a stable life is also a good option. You may leave now!"

In addition to the incredibly mysterious formation, what particularly made Feng Ruoxian envious was that each of these courtyards was planted with a low-level spiritual tree. This tree could assist the courtyard's owner in absorbing the spiritual energy from the heavens and the earth, and with an ample supply of spiritual energy, the speed of cultivation would be unstoppable even if one wished to slow down.

Upon glancing at the two individuals in the main hall, Feng Ruo calmly lowered his head and saluted, saying: "Greetings, Senior Brother Ning, Senior Brother Duan"

Certainly, with Feng Ruo's strength, even if he wanted to disturb, he would not be able to. The courtyards allocated by the Qingyun Sect to the many third-generation disciples of the *Tu* Book are not ordinary courtyards, but rather protected by formations. Not to mention Feng Ruo, even some ordinary spirit beasts would be unable to breach them

Only after successfully advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage will one become a core disciple of the Qingyun Sect and enjoy certain benefits

Extinguishing the bonfire and finishing feeding the eighteen snow spirit silkworms, Feng Ruo then made his way towards the gate of Qingyun Sect. Over the past two days, he had once again ventured to the East Peak, finally gathering enough of the three hundred Blood凝草. After leaving a dozen or so Blood凝草 to attempt the refinement of the Hemostasis Powder, he planned to reduce his debts a little.

This Senior Brother Ning is named Ning Yuan. It is said that he is the foremost disciple of the third generation of the Tianji Academy of the Qingyun Sect, and his cultivation has reached the late stage of Qi Refinement. He usually has a cheerful demeanor, but if one thinks that he is merely amiable, they are bound to suffer a great loss

Alright! This situation isn't too bad after all!" Feng Ruo took a deep breath, smiled, and then turned to leave

It is precisely because of the meticulous selection during the admission of disciples that the cultivation speed of most third-generation disciples does not vary significantly. However, there are exceptions who stand out, such as the three notorious bullies mentioned by Kong Fei, who clearly surpass the others by a considerable margin

Surrounding those grand halls are the residences of the third generation disciples of the Qingyun Sect, where each person has a separate courtyard, equipped with alchemy rooms, quiet chambers, and so forth. The conditions here are a hundred times better than those of Feng Ruo. Fortunately, the Qingyun Sect has only over 300 disciples, with the third generation numbering merely around 150 to 160. Otherwise, the sect's mountain gate would have to be expanded.

This method of collecting fees from the gatekeepers will undoubtedly significantly increase their loyalty, as it is generally difficult for an ordinary person to betray an environment they have been intimately familiar with since childhood

One of these two individuals is indeed Feng Ruo's creditor, the alchemy expert Senior Brother Ning, while the other is also a third-generation disciple of the Qingyun Sect, named Duan Yuan

The main gate of the Qingyun Sect is situated at the summit of the main peak, and it is exceedingly spacious, comprising more than a dozen grand halls and several plazas. It is further divided into the Tianji Courtyard and the Tian Shu Courtyard. Characters such as the unscrupulous merchant Qu Yun and the petty individual Kong Fei belong to the third generation of disciples in the Tianji Courtyard. However, as a menial worker, Feng Ruo can only access certain peripheral areas, and thus is not very familiar with the conditions inside.

Thank you, Senior Brother Ning! Feng Ruo was momentarily taken aback, then calmly exited the courtyard. It was only after walking for a considerable distance that he turned back to glance at the series of courtyards. At that moment, he clearly realized the vast chasm that existed between him and the disciples of the Qingyun Sect. No matter how hard he tried, the outcome would merely be one of being ignored and pitied.