Chapter Ninety-Three: The Hall of Merit

A dull thud left a pit three feet deep, as though a knife had sliced through soft bean curd.

Ge Qian let out a long breath. All the suffering he had endured these past days had not been in vain; the power of the Tribulation Body Art was truly formidable.

Red Plum drifted over and said, “Brother Ge, the hardship you have borne is beyond anything I can imagine. If it were anyone else, I’m afraid they could never have endured it.”

“What is hardship if not a ladder to greatness? What does this count for? No pain, no gain. There is no free lunch in this world. For now, we should go meet the one who set this calamity in motion, Elder Cui Yun. But before that, I’ll go to the Merit Hall and collect my elder token. I should take what is mine first.”

A smile appeared on Ge Qian’s face, as though he did not put Cui Yun in his heart at all.

To him, all things one could not evade were karma. When the time came to settle accounts, it was time to settle them. No matter the outcome, what must come would come, and what must go could not be kept.

Therefore, meeting all things with an even heart was the best way. Only by not burdening oneself could one keep a clear mind.

Ge Qian left the alchemy chamber and arrived at the pavilion, stepping out in one stride.

Wang Beilele immediately rose from his chair and said respectfully, “Congratulations, Brother, on successfully refining your elixir.”

Yet inwardly he cursed: Refining what elixir? You’ve occupied the latrine for nearly three years without even taking a dump, and I’ve gone three years without a single bit of income because of you.

Ge Qian despised people who looked down on others and relied on borrowed power to bully the weak. With such people, there was no need for courtesy.

The pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator burst forth, and the entire pavilion seemed to tremble, as though it might crumble to pieces at any moment.

Under that pressure, Wang Beilele was like a bug pinned beneath an elephant’s foot. His limbs sprawled, his forehead pressed hard to the ground, and even his bones gave a crack as though they were splitting.

“Aaah! Brother, spare me! What have I done wrong?” Wang Beilele pleaded miserably.

Ge Qian gave a cold snort and withdrew the pressure. “Disrespect toward your elders deserves punishment. You dare call a Foundation Establishment cultivator ‘brother’?”

“Ah, oh heavens!” Wang Beilele scrambled up, then looked closely. The Ge Qian before him was unfathomable; he could not discern his realm at all. With a thud, he dropped to his knees.

He began bowing wildly, saying, “Senior, spare my life! I was blind, utterly blind! I did not see clearly. It was never my intention to offend you. Please, magnanimous elder, do not begrudge a vile little thing like me. Just take me as a puff of air and let me go.”

He regretted it beyond measure. Such a good chance to curry favor with a senior, and he had missed it. Damn it, truly damn it. But what overwhelmed him even more was shock: when this man had entered, he had been merely a Qi Gathering cultivator. In only three years, he had advanced to Foundation Establishment. Moreover, this pressure did not resemble that of a newly advanced cultivator at all. At the very least, he must be in the middle stage.

What was more, once one advanced to Foundation Establishment, one became an elder of the sect, noble in status and able to rise above the world in a single step. Against a Qi Gathering disciple, such an elder could strike first and explain later. How could he not be afraid? His legs were now weak as cotton, and his whole body was drenched in cold sweat.

Ge Qian merely disliked his conduct and gave him a slight lesson; he had no intention of truly dealing with him. “Enough. Get up. Just do your work properly.”

Wang Beilele felt as though he had been pardoned and hurriedly agreed again and again.

Ge Qian left Firewave Peak and stepped onto the Purple Wood Shuttle, heading straight for Star Peak and the Merit Hall.

The Merit Hall was grand and imposing, covering dozens of acres. Ancient pines stood in dense clusters, clear springs flowed, and the scenery was serene and pleasing.

A streak of purple light descended from the sky and landed before the hall gate. He put away the shuttle and walked forward.

Seeing that Ge Qian was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the two disciples guarding the gate, both at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Gathering, dared not be negligent and hurried over. “Senior, have you just advanced to Foundation Establishment?”

Ge Qian smiled faintly. “How do you know?”

“Senior may not know,” one of them said respectfully. “A cultivator as young as you who has already reached Foundation Establishment is exceedingly rare. Recently, including you, our Star Crest Sect has produced eleven newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

Ge Qian nodded. “Then tell me, who has advanced?”

The fair-skinned disciple hastily explained, “There are Bai Ruyu, Wang Yudong, Ying Xue, Ye Feng, Niu Meng, Xi Shui, Kang Yu, Ma Ke, Yu Qi, and Dou Wenchong. Among them, Senior Bai Ruyu and Senior Ying Xue have both successfully established their foundations. They are talents seen once in ten thousand years.”

These people’s advancement to Foundation Establishment was within his expectations; after all, they were all elite disciples of the sect. Bai Ruyu and Ying Xue, guided by his own instruction, had successfully formed their foundations.

After understanding the situation, Ge Qian asked, “I am to be promoted to elder. Where do I handle the procedures?”

“Junior disciple Zhang Gang at your service, Senior. Please come with me,” the fair-skinned cultivator said ingratiatingly.

Ge Qian reached out with one hand and produced two top-grade magical flying swords, obtained after slaying some unlucky cultivator in a secluded training ground, and tossed them to the two. “These two top-grade magical artifacts are of no use to me anymore. Consider them a reward.”

The two were so delighted they scarcely knew what to do with themselves. Top-grade magical artifacts were worth several thousand spirit stones, and such generosity was truly rare.

After putting away the artifacts, they became even more respectful, and Zhang Gang joyfully led the way.

The reason Ge Qian was so generous was that magical artifacts truly were no longer useful to him. Moreover, since he had advanced to Foundation Establishment, it was fitting to loosen his purse strings a little, adding joy to joy and letting good fortune follow one after another.

Entering the great hall, they went straight to the elder issuance room. The cultivator in charge there was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator at the great perfection threshold, short in stature and plain in appearance.

Seated in the issuance room, he gazed idly at the ceiling as if comprehending some arcane art, focused and meticulous.

Zhang Gang brought Ge Qian to the room and respectfully called inside, “Reporting to Elder: another cultivator has advanced to Foundation Establishment.”

From within came a lazy voice. “Have him come in.”

Ge Qian entered the room, and Zhang Gang did not dare linger. He obediently withdrew.

The issuing elder studied Ge Qian. His appearance was ordinary and his aura calm; at a glance, he had clearly just advanced. With a dignified tone, he asked, “What is your name?”

Ge Qian replied neither servile nor arrogant, “I am Ge Qian. I have just advanced to Foundation Establishment and have come especially to ask Elder Brother to inspect the matter, handle the procedures, and grant me a cave abode.”

The issuing elder was named Lu Buyu, and he had only recently been transferred here. Zhang Gang had revealed this to Ge Qian.

Lu Buyu frowned and looked Ge Qian up and down, his eyes turning as he said, “Now that you have advanced to Foundation Establishment, you are part of the sect’s backbone and worthy of cultivation. Likewise, your responsibilities are greater, and you must always think of the sect first. However, far too many people have advanced recently, so all the great peaks are out of available sites for carving a cave abode. I’ll make a note of you for now, and when a vacancy opens, I’ll notify you. If you are impatient and wish to begin carving one at once, you can first set one up in the outer perimeter. Here is the map; you may choose for yourself.”

Ge Qian immediately understood this as deliberate troublemaking. His mind raced, and an idea came to him. “Elder Brother, I happen to prefer tranquility. This is perfect for me.”

With that, he took the jade slip map. A sweep of divine sense immediately fixed on one location, as though he had not given it a moment’s thought.

Lu Buyu took back the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. A puzzled look appeared on his face. The spiritual energy density of the Chaotic Ridge was comparable to that of the great peaks, but its spiritual energy was impure, mixed with all manner of chaotic and disordered currents, making it utterly unsuitable for cultivation.

Of course he would not remind him. The Chaotic Ridge was better this way: remote, almost beyond the territory of Star Crest Sect, and visited by hardly anyone.

He thought to himself, You chose this yourself. Don’t blame anyone else.

Yet on the surface he smiled and said, “Since Junior Brother has made his choice, I will record it. This is your elder token. As for the specific duties you will be responsible for, go to the Mission Hall to collect them.”

Ge Qian had no intention of taking up tasks immediately. He only needed his identity confirmed. With status, matters would be easier in the future. Even an elder without an official post still enjoyed many privileges.

Taking the token, he immediately cupped his hands and took his leave.

Watching Ge Qian’s departing figure, Lu Buyu gave a chilly smile and stroked his chin, no one knowing what he was thinking.