Qi Refining is divided into nine layers, with two rounds of spiritual refinement marking key bottlenecks.
Breaking through to the mid-stage counts as one, and breaking through to the late-stage counts as another. For those with Wasted Spiritual Roots, it is nearly impossible to reach mid-stage Qi Refining in their lifetime. The reason lies precisely in this.
It is extremely difficult to refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and even harder to condense and improve its quality. This process largely depends on one's spiritual roots, hence the term Wasted Spiritual Roots.
On the other hand, for those with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, the speed and quality of spiritual energy absorption and refinement are both superior. They encounter no bottlenecks before reaching the Core Formation stage. This is all thanks to the excellence of their spiritual roots.
Magical power progresses from strands to “Dao,” then from Dao to “streams.”
During Foundation Establishment, there are three barriers. Steward Duan had once said that the barrier of blood and qi is the first, the spiritual energy barrier is the second, and the cultivator must undergo a third round of spiritual refinement.
This transforms streams of spiritual energy into the liquid form of “True Essence,” fundamentally different from spiritual energy. Foundation Establishment cultivators can fly and easily crush Qi Refining cultivators, even those at the peak.
Raw power is a major factor.
Mastery of superior cultivation techniques can also improve one's chances of passing this stage. But for Wang Yu, this is still far away. He doesn’t have enough information yet.
Aside from his stark white hair, he had somewhat returned to the appearance of a handsome young man.
The days without needing to submit spirit sand also meant he didn’t need to worry about his cultivation speed. Soon, he would become an outer sect disciple. A few abnormalities could be completely ignored.
The only thing Wang Yu found disappointing was that the Idle Slot didn’t show any changes. This confirmed his earlier guess.
Only upon breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining—that is, the shift from early to mid-stage would there be any noticeable change. He would wait and see then.
There was no rush to replace the Idle Slot contents.
He planned to experiment with different cultivation methods to see how the Idle Slot would reflect his progress.
That day, class resumed as usual.
Steward Duan personally came to instruct. After the standard two-hour lecture, he did not immediately dismiss them.
“Wang Yu.”
“This humble one is here.”
He had always maintained a strict and respectful demeanor. Even though he had anticipated what was to come, he showed no sign of overstepping.
“True Disciple Su recognizes your hard work and sacrifice for the sect, having contributed much spirit sand in exchange for life essence. The payment for your ‘redemption fee’ is now complete. You are hereby promoted to outer sect disciple of Cold Blood Peak.”
“Wang Yu accepts the decree.”
This announcement instantly stirred the bluestone square into a noisy uproar. Whether elderly or new arrivals, from the moment they had become spirit slaves of the Blood Reversal Sect, this was the first time they had personally witnessed someone being promoted to outer sect disciple.
Some of the older ones, unable to contain their bitterness, muttered sourly:
“So what if he advanced? Look at that aged face, who knows how much of his life he’s already burned away?”
“They say the competition among outer sect disciples is even fiercer. How can a mere spirit slave compete with cultivators who have at least Three Spiritual Roots?”
“True Disciple Su handpicked him. Isn’t that enough? Let alone the outer sect, even the inner sect doesn’t compare to the status of a true disciple. That connection alone will help him survive in the outer sect.”
“That’s true.”
After venting their envy, there were also rational minds who analyzed the situation. They saw hope in Wang Yu’s promotion—the light of escaping their identity as spirit slaves seemed closer than ever.
Especially among the newly arrived batch, whose spirits had not yet been fully crushed.
Seeing the spirit slaves so full of morale, Steward Duan was very pleased with the outcome. Letting Wang Yu actually taste the rewards was a great help to his future efforts in unifying the group.
“Come with me.”
“Yes.”
There was nothing much to pack in Stone House No.83.
The clothes on Wang Yu’s body were still the same set he had worn when he was first captured. They were long worn and frayed. Though he frequently cleansed them with spiritual energy, the fabric was far too ordinary. He looked just like a poor scholar.
Steward Duan led the way, first taking him to a refined pavilion beside the plaza, where he handed over the standard items for outer sect disciples one by one, explaining each in passing.
"This is your disciple token, also called a Blood Token. Drip a single drop of blood into it and it will bind to you. Just wear it at your waist."
Blood?
Wang Yu instinctively felt some resistance.
He was extremely cautious when it came to his bodily tissues. Last time, he had destroyed a mangled severed arm himself, just to prevent anyone from using his flesh and blood for anything.
He did not fear the present, but was wary of the future.
He had never believed that he would remain stuck in the mere stage of Qi Refining.
But since it was a required procedure, there was no way around it. According to Steward Duan’s explanation, after forcing out a drop of blood from his fingertip and merging it into the token, the black token with a blood-jade inlay at its center automatically appeared at his waist. A black leather strap extended from both sides of the token and fastened itself securely.
The blood-jade briefly revealed the character “Han” (Cold), then disappeared, replaced by the number zero.
"This is the disciple token of Cold Blood Peak. From today onward, it serves as proof of your identity. Do not lose it. If it’s ever lost, you’ll need to get a replacement at the Logistics Hall.
"The number shown on it is your sect Contribution Points. Access to the Scripture Pavilion’s techniques and arts, the resources of Cold Blood Peak, special facilities, and so on all require spending contribution points.
"Contribution Points, as the name implies, are earned by contributing to the sect. The most straightforward way to obtain them is by accepting tasks from the Mission Hall.
"Right now, you are holding a Black Blood Disciple Token, used by outer sect disciples across all nine peaks of the Blood Reversal Sect. Purple Blood Tokens are for inner sect disciples, and Red Blood Tokens are for core disciples.
"The tokens used by stewards, elders, and hall masters belong to another system. Whether you will learn about those in the future depends on your fate.
"To be promoted to inner sect disciple, the minimum requirement is late-stage Qi Refining, along with a total accumulated Contribution Point count exceeding ten thousand. Used points still count toward the total.
"Alternatively, a recommendation by an elder or a core disciple can also earn you inner sect status. Understood?"
Wang Yu nodded quickly to show that he understood.
Next came the other standard equipment for outer sect disciples.
"A Low-Grade Storage Pouch..."
"A Rank-one Flying Artifact: Black Silk."
"A one-time opportunity to redeem a technique for free from the Cold Blood Peak’s Scripture Pavilion, limited to Rank-one techniques."
"A one-time exchange token valued at one thousand Contribution Points."
This final item was a special reward personally granted to Wang Yu by Core Disciple Su. It could be used to redeem techniques, cultivation pills, or training skills, so long as the total value was under one thousand Contribution Points.
As for the value of Contribution Points, Wang Yu still lacked a clear understanding.
There was one more item—a standard-issue outer sect disciple robe, primarily black in color, with red inner lining and collar. Embroidered on it was a depiction of the nine peaks of the Blood Reversal Sect, outlined in gold thread and quite beautiful in appearance.
It bore only a basic cleansing spirit-pattern, qualifying it as a quasi-spiritual robe, ungraded.
The sheer number of baseline benefits for outer sect disciples left Wang Yu speechless.
After handing everything over, Steward Duan finally said, "That’s about all that needs to be explained. The rest of the minor details, you’ll learn yourself. Now I’ll take you to the outer sect disciples’ residential area."
"Alright."
Having officially become a sect disciple, Wang Yu’s residence was moved to the cluster of buildings he had seen when he first arrived—located at the base of the nine peaks.