Immortal Path Space

Chapter 166: Cave Mansion

The imposing Golden Scale Hall loomed as Wang Hong stepped inside, a profound sense of his own insignificance washing over him.

Seated high on the main hall throne was a cultivator, and Wang Hong was momentarily stunned. Wasn't the figure on the throne none other than his nominal master, Gu Qingyang?

"What's the matter? Can't even recognize your master?" Gu Qingyang spoke first.

"Disciple Wang Hong pays respects to Master!" Wang Hong quickly bowed.

"Why did it take you so long to reach Foundation Building?" Gu Qingyang was surprised. Among the disciples who entered the secret realm at the same time, Wang Hong had obtained the most Foundation Establishment Pills, and success in Foundation Building should have been a certainty.

"When I reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation, I encountered a bottleneck, so it delayed me for some time," Wang Hong explained.

"Oh, I see," Gu Qingyang didn't dwell on the matter.

"Now that you have successfully reached Foundation Building, let's take care of the registration formalities!" Gu Qingyang took out a scroll, opened it to a blank page, and said, "Take a drop of essence blood and hand over your Sect Token."

Wang Hong complied, presenting his Token and extracting a drop of essence blood, which he handed to Gu Qingyang.

Gu Qingyang took the essence blood and, utilizing his Spiritual Power, drew intricate runes in the air. After a few moments, he transferred the complex rune onto the blank page of the scroll, and an image of Wang Hong appeared vividly.

At this moment, Wang Hong felt a subtle connection between himself and the scroll, a sensation reminiscent of Blood Contracts he had signed before.

Summoning his courage, he asked, "Master, what treasure is this scroll?"

Gu Qingyang smiled and explained, "This is a magical treasure that can collect and sense the essence blood and Nascent Soul aura of cultivators. If a registered disciple faces an untimely death, the scroll will sense it, and the recorded image and information will vanish, returning to a blank page. As long as one doesn't betray the Sect or act against its interests, there are no adverse effects."

Wang Hong understood. It seemed like an advanced version of a Blood Contract, a means for the Sect to control its disciples. In a large Sect with numerous Qi Cultivation disciples, registration might seem wasteful, but for thousands of Foundation Building disciples, a measure of control was necessary.

Though he comprehended the necessity, Wang Hong couldn't shake off the discomfort. Even though he never harbored thoughts of betraying the Sect, the feeling of being constrained was unpleasant.

Gu Qingyang didn't dwell on this aspect, asserting that everyone had grown accustomed to it, and as long as loyalty prevailed, there would be no harm.

"Now that you've reached Foundation Building, the Sect's treatment will naturally improve," Gu Qingyang continued.

Foundation Building Disciples can receive two thousand Spirit Stones annually, with the requirement to complete at least one Sect mission per year on average. There are additional rewards for completing Sect missions, the specifics depending on the mission's difficulty.

As for Qi Cultivation Disciples, they receive ten Spirit Stones monthly and five Condensing Qi Pills.

While the Spirit Stone income for Foundation Building Disciples increases nearly twentyfold, the distribution of Pills is discontinued. With thousands of Foundation Building Disciples, each receiving one Pill, the surplus is used as rewards for various tasks, motivating disciples to strive for improvement.

"Furthermore, Foundation Building Disciples can choose a cave mansion. Each peak in the Sect has vacant cave mansions for selection. You can either pick one from these or explore and construct a new cave mansion. Once completed, make sure to register it here," Gu Qingyang explained.

Considering the rich Spirit Qi concentration, Wang Hong knew the older cave mansions, opened by predecessors over thousands of years, would already be occupied. Despite this, he preferred constructing his own cave mansion for a more comfortable residence.

Since he didn't absorb Spirit Qi through meditation and found it to be a waste of time due to his poor aptitude, Wang Hong planned to post a mission to hire other cultivators for construction.

"In response to Master, Disciple would like to construct one personally."

"Very well! If you choose to handle it yourself, find a suitable location. However, it's challenging to find a place with concentrated Spirit Qi on each peak, as previous disciples have already claimed them."

"Thank you, Master! I'd like to explore and find a suitable place!"

"Alright, these are for you. If there's nothing else, you may leave."

Gu Qingyang tossed a Storage Bag to Wang Hong, who accepted it with gratitude before leaving Golden Scale Hall.

Back at his residence, Wang Hong opened the Storage Bag to find a set of purple Daoist Robes, a Brass Token with his name on it, and two thousand Spirit Stonespresumably his income for the year.

He changed into the Daoist Robes and stored the Token safely; it would now serve as his identity token. The next step was to search for a location to construct his cave mansion.

Over the next few days, Wang Hong would wander aimlessly around the mountain top after his cultivation sessions, seeking a secluded and spacious place. Unfortunately, every spot with slightly dense Spirit Qi had already been claimed. 𝑓𝓻ℯ𝑒𝑤𝘦𝑏𝑛ℴ𝓋ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝓸𝓂

After more than ten days of fruitless searching, he reluctantly returned to Golden Scale Hall, seeking guidance from Gu Qingyang.

During his wandering, he did gain some insights. He learned of a cave mansion with more extensive grounds and denser Spirit Qi. In the end, he chose one spanning sixty acres, relatively secluded and rich in Spirit Qi.

Although the external appearance was somewhat dilapidated, the Spirit Qi inside was promising. What pleased him most was the forty acres of spirit fields accompanying the mansion.

Posting a mission at the Task Hall, Wang Hong hired Qi Cultivation cultivators to repair the cave mansion. The term "cave mansion" didn't necessarily mean residing in a mountain cave; it was a general term. Thanks to the generous contribution points and rewards he offered, several cultivators quickly accepted the mission, and the repairs were completed within a fortnight.

Before moving in, he employed the Qi Cultivation Disciples who repaired the house to help transplant the Three Yang Melon Seeds he had cultivated for years and the Spirit Jujube Tree in front of his previous residence. Though they were just plants, he couldn't bear to part with them.

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