Time flew by, especially when one was immersed in comprehending a cultivation technique.
Jiang Man wracked his brains as he pondered the meridian diagram. Yet being unable to practice it directly prevented him from swiftly and accurately identifying the proper pathways. The process proved exceptionally arduous; his peerless talent seemed to have hit a wall.
A superior-grade technique was truly too difficult, and this was only an excerpt.
Truth be told, she had no need to be so cautious. Cultivating a superior-grade technique was out of the question anyway. Without registering in advance, one lacked the right to cultivate such a technique; doing so secretly was bound to be discovered sooner or later. Once one advanced, there was no hiding it. Only spells could simply be left unused, allowing one to conceal them to some extent.
Moonlight draped a silver veil over the earth beneath a sky full of stars. Three shichen quietly slipped away.
"Time is up," Wang Yan spoke abruptly.
At her words, the crowd finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Looking at the incomplete meridian diagram he had drawn, Jiang Man sighed inwardly. Despite expending so much mental effort, he still had not managed to complete it. His fundamentals were weak, and he knew far too little about this area. Furthermore, he could not deduce it based on his own bodily condition, which ran completely counter to where his talents lay. As for brushing up on all the foundational knowledge and mastering it thoroughly, that would take far too much time.
Wang Yan collected the five books, then looked toward Lin Minmin, who had introduced herself first. "You, come inside with me first."
The two stepped inside at once.
The remaining four waited quietly, wondering what Wang Yan was up to.
Before long, Lin Minmin came out, followed by Gao Feng, who appeared to be in his late twenties.
"What did she call you in for?" Yu Cheng asked.
"She only asked about my line of thought," Lin Minmin answered honestly.
Soon, Gao Feng emerged.
Then came Yu Cheng, followed by Fang Yong. Everyone went in and out quickly.
Jiang Man was the last, entering in the order of their introductions.
"Sit," Wang Yan said after he entered, looking down at the meridian diagram Jiang Man had drawn. "Tell me what you were thinking."
Jiang Man explained honestly. His deductions had all been based on the medium-grade Qi-Linking Method and the superior-grade Visualization Method. Naturally, he only stated the conclusions without mentioning the superior-grade Visualization Method.
Wang Yan nodded, then told Jiang Man to wait outside for her.
Once he stepped out, she closed Jiang Man's book and penned a seven on it.
"Barely passable, but... still ordinary. This level of comprehension is completely disproportionate to his cultivation speed.
"Logically speaking, he should understand much more.
"From the looks of it, either his talent lies purely in absorbing spiritual qi, or he secretly consumed a substantial amount of spirit source." Wang Yan tapped the desk, a hypothesis forming in her mind. "His reasoning incorporated concepts from a superior-grade Visualization Method, which means he has had contact with one. He must have participated in that previous trial.
"In that case, the possibility that he devoured a massive hoard of resources exists as well.
"He has talent, but not as extraordinary as it appears.
"Once he enters the sect, he likely won't go very far.
"If all he can do is simply absorb spiritual qi, how could he advance quickly once he moves past Qi-Linking?
"My expectations were too high.
"It seems there's no need to give him a hand.
"No matter how dazzling he appears in the Yunqian Division, his value is limited.
"Compared to the previous one, the gap is just too wide."
Having made up her mind, Wang Yan stood up and glanced at the desk.
Five books were lined up in order across the tabletop. The first was marked with a six, the second with a five, and the third with a six. The fifth—Jiang Man's—had a seven. But on the fourth, a bold nine stood out plainly.
Out in the courtyard, Jiang Man and the others finally saw Wang Yan emerge. With a faint smile, she said, "Thank you for waiting."
She sat down and looked at the group. "I have obtained what I wanted. Now it is your turn.
"Furthermore, in this round of meridian diagrams, Fang Yong's was more detailed, while Gao Feng's was somewhat crude.
"Therefore, Fang Yong may exchange for forty pills, Gao Feng for twenty, and the rest for thirty."
The announcement caused no visible stir. Jiang Man was rather surprised—were those whose quotas had been cut not upset?
"I only want fifteen," Gao Feng blurted out flatly.
Jiang Man was speechless.
He had forgotten: they were not wealthy.
Jiang Man soon noticed that the others generally asked for fifteen, eighteen, or twenty-one pills. When Fang Yong spoke up and said twenty, Jiang Man recognized a simple fact: he was wealthier than they were.
After a moment of thought, he looked toward Fang Yong and asked, "Do you plan to buy more later?"
If any quota remained, one could return to purchase more this month.
Fang Yong pondered for a moment. "At most ten more."
Hearing that, Jiang Man said at once, "Then buy thirty this time."
The implication was obvious: help him buy ten extra.
Fang Yong paused. "I want one pill."
Jiang Man did not mince words. "Deal."
Jiang Man then chose to take thirty pills. Combined with the ten from Fang Yong, that made forty in total, costing twelve thousand spirit source. He had nearly a thousand left over, but sadly could buy no more.
"Where did you get so much spirit source?" Fang Yong asked curiously.
The others were equally astonished.
"Borrowed it. Care to lend me some? Once I enter the sect, I'll pay back thirty-three hundred for every three thousand," Jiang Man said, looking at Fang Yong.
Fang Yong ignored him, and the others kept silent as well.
Wang Yan merely laughed it off. Although Jiang Man was indeed capable of entering the sect, there was no need to take a risk of three thousand spirit source. Right now, they all sat around the same table, but once they entered the sect, they would be worlds apart.
After handing over the pills, she dismissed them.
On the road back, Jiang Man stowed thirty-nine pills, letting out a sigh of relief. There was hope for the Qi-Linking ninth layer after all. While it was still not enough, the goal had drawn closer, lifting a heavy weight from his chest.
After a long silence, Fang Yong asked, "When you went inside, did she offer you anything?"
Rather surprised, Jiang Man shook his head. "No."
Fang Yong said nothing more.
Seeing this, Jiang Man did not press further. Fang Yong had likely caught her eye. It was probably similar to the contracts offered by the various families, only with more freedom. As for why she had not taken an interest in him, Jiang Man believed the answer was simple: her vision was too narrow.
Of course, it was not her fault. Even the evil god, the old yellow ox, had failed to grasp just how terrifying his talent truly was.
Bidding farewell to Fang Yong, Jiang Man returned to the stable and resumed his cultivation.
He cultivated relentlessly, tossing Spirit Gathering Pills into his mouth every day. Three days later, his eighth gourd finally accumulated ten percent of its capacity. Seven days later, twenty percent. Fifteen days later, forty percent.
On the first of May, the price of pills outside surged to six hundred and ten spirit source. Most people in the Yunqian Division could no longer afford them. Those who had allied with the great families faced no such trouble, instead taking pills and cultivating without pause.
The dark circles beneath little fatty's eyes had deepened, and he had grown visibly leaner. Jiang Man urged him to keep at it. A scion of wealth like little fatty needed to endure hardship; otherwise, Jiang Man would feel uneasy inside.
Yet Jiang Man had no intention of resting either, driving everyone in Qingyun Pavilion to cultivate nonstop.
By the end-of-month assessment, all of Qingyun Pavilion had improved noticeably, though many students appeared somewhat haggard. A few instructors even urged them to rest. But how could they? The others were not resting.
Jiang Man scored ninety on the assessment, once again claiming first place in Qingyun Pavilion.
This time, the other pavilions were all paying close attention to Jiang Man's score—only to discover that he had tied with Cheng Moyang of Tianyuan Pavilion.
Chapter 81