The location of the Nine Profound Sect was named the Meteorite Mountain Range. Legend had it that a star from the heavens once fell here, attracting countless spiritual energies and forming a blessed land for immortals.
The entire Meteorite Mountain Range spanned over three thousand li, but the core area with truly concentrated spiritual energy was only about eight hundred li, belonging to the Nine Profound Sect's territory.
However, the actual location of their main sect, shrouded by a grand formation, was only about three hundred li in circumference.
It wasn't that the Nine Profound Sect was unwilling to encompass the entire eight hundred li of blessed land; it was simply that they couldn't support a formation of such vast scope.
Within the coverage of the grand formation, the most central area was where the nine core inheritances resided, surrounded by other miscellaneous inheritances, as well as the cave dwellings of various disciples and elders.
The gathering mentioned by Zhao Yuansong was to take place within a scenic bamboo sea between Thunder Marsh Peak and Withered Wood Peak.
"Within the Nine Profound Sect, outer disciples uniformly reside in the area to the right of the nine peaks. Only upon promotion to inner disciple status can they relocate to the nine peaks or other mountains."
On the way to the gathering, Zhao Yuansong introduced Ji Yuan to some of the Nine Profound Sect's affairs.
They were currently discussing matters concerning inner and outer disciples.
In the Nine Profound Sect, outer disciples were the most numerous, totaling three to four thousand. Apart from the hundreds with the highest talent who resided in a unified area, the remaining disciples were scattered across various peaks and branches, with the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall having the largest number.
"Although these individuals bear the title of outer disciples, most of them cannot step onto the path of cultivation and are therefore called handyman disciples."
Zhao Yuansong stated.
The status of handyman disciples was nominally the same as outer disciples, and their treatment within the sect was also identical. However, they were effectively divided into two types of people.
Most of these disciples were orphans, taken in by the Nine Profound Sect. A smaller portion were children from ordinary families, sent by their parents with the hope that they might one day embark on the path of cultivation.
For these individuals, the Nine Profound Sect also provided opportunities for cultivation, but whether they could successfully enter the spiritual path depended on their own fortune.
As for the true outer disciples, they were all confirmed to have cultivation potential by the sect's elders. They were not required to perform menial tasks to support themselves and were provided with abundant resources by the sect.
Once they achieved enlightenment and began their cultivation journey, they were guided by a system that had been refined over centuries. As their cultivation advanced, they could also seize opportunities to be promoted to inner disciples through the grand competition held every three years.
In contrast, handyman disciples had a much harder time. Their innate talent was generally poor, and even if they were fortunate enough to achieve enlightenment, they would likely remain stuck in the early stages of the first realm for their entire lives.
"Even if the path ahead is uncertain and there is little hope, they are willing to spend their lives in the mountains?"
Ji Yuan frowned slightly, not quite understanding the thoughts of those outer disciples.
In his opinion, it would be better to leave the mountain gate and live a good life in the secular world. With even the early stage cultivation of the first realm, they could at least ensure their families had enough to eat and wear.
"Having already glimpsed this world, who would willingly remain a common mortal?"
Li Junxian said softly.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan was also speechless. He asked himself, and he would not give up on his pursuit of cultivation to return to the mortal world as a common man.
Even if the great dao was out of reach, he would rather not be bound by birth, aging, sickness, and death, abandoning the wondrous sights he had glimpsed.
"We're here!"
Zhao Yuansong suddenly exclaimed.
Unbeknownst to them, the group had arrived outside a bamboo forest. An indescribable fresh scent wafted out as the sea of bamboo swayed, spreading in all directions.
Even before entering, Ji Yuan could feel that the spiritual energy within the bamboo forest was more concentrated than in other areas, and it contained abundant vitality.
Cultivating here would undoubtedly provide significant convenience, accumulating into a substantial foundation over the years.
However, in the Nine Profound Sect, one could not cultivate wherever they pleased. Arbitrarily drawing spiritual energy from various locations could at best affect the surrounding environment, and at worst, disrupt the geomantic fortune of a place.
This was the same principle in any sect.
After entering the bamboo forest and walking for about a quarter of an hour, a clearing appeared before them, furnished with many bamboo tables and chairs.
A dozen or so people had already gathered here, conversing in groups of three to five, their laughter echoing.
Upon seeing Zhao Yuansong, the outer disciples immediately ceased their conversations and surrounded him, their voices filled with congratulations.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan and Li Junxian exchanged a glance, then found a corner to sit down, picked up the spiritual wine prepared on the bamboo table, and began to sip it together.
"Brother Zhao was already the top of the outer disciples, with only a select few comparable to him. Now that he has broken through to the second realm, no one can contend with him."
Zheng Wanrong said softly.
If it were before, Zhao Yuansong, although the senior disciple of the outer sect, might not have been able to secure a spot for promotion to the inner sect with absolute certainty.
This was because there were still two or three individuals whose cultivation could rival his. If they were to fight to a mutual defeat, two spots for inner disciple promotion would be left vacant.
After all, among the outer disciples, it wasn't just about having higher cultivation that guaranteed promotion; it was about demonstrating one's strength and securing a high ranking in the grand competition.
However, with Zhao Yuansong's breakthrough to the second realm, unless other disciples also broke through, he would undoubtedly secure a spot for himself.
This naturally led many disciples to try and curry favor with him, or at least maintain a cordial relationship, rather than alienate him.
"I heard before that you two were also among the top ten outer disciples?"
Ji Yuan asked curiously.
This was something he had learned from his conversations with Jiang He.
Upon hearing this, Li Junxian gave a wry smile. "Although we made it into the top ten, it doesn't really matter."
The ranking of outer disciples was not directly related to cultivation. More accurately, it was the comprehensive assessment of the outer disciples by the outer sect elders that determined their ranking.
This included many factors, such as personal cultivation, the number of tasks completed, and various other circumstances.
If judged solely by combat power, many disciples not ranked in the top ten could easily defeat the two of them.
Of course, this was the situation before. Now, both of them had not only advanced a minor realm in cultivation but also acquired two magical artifacts.
Even if measured by combat power, the two of them were sufficient to rank within the top five, second only to Zhao Yuansong and two others.
"There are still people stronger than you?"
Ji Yuan's interest was piqued upon hearing this.
He knew that Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong, after a month of secluded cultivation, were both in the late stage of the Enlightenment realm and possessed two magical artifacts that suited them well. By all accounts, they should be formidable.
On their way here, Zhao Yuansong had mentioned that only outer disciples who cultivated to the late stage of the Enlightenment realm were qualified to proactively accept missions outside the mountain gate.
Without the ability to leave the mountain gate, it was difficult to accumulate enough wealth to purchase even a magical artifact with a single restriction.
"There are two individuals, and even if they haven't broken through to the second realm yet, they are likely not far from it."
Li Junxian said with a solemn expression.
One of them was named Lu Yuzhe, who was eighteen years old this year. He was originally an orphan found by the sect, and no special talent was detected. He had been a handyman disciple for many years.
Unexpectedly, at the age of fifteen, he suddenly achieved enlightenment, displaying astonishing comprehension. Any cultivation technique in his hands could be quickly mastered.
In three years, this person cultivated five different techniques, combining them to the point where he derived a trace of the essence of a Five Elements technique, imbuing his own vital energy with the properties of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Furthermore, under the techniques he independently comprehended, the five elements could generate a subtle connection, greatly increasing his power. With just an ordinary sword, he could defeat cultivators of the same realm who wielded magical artifacts.
As for the other individual, his name was Zheng Jiaxing, the son of a wealthy merchant from a third-tier county town in Feiyun Prefecture.
Upon entering the Nine Profound Sect, he displayed astonishing talent, achieving enlightenment in one year and reaching the late Enlightenment realm in three years. He was only nineteen years old now.
"Rumor has it that these two have been noticed by the elders of the Nine Peaks. Once they are promoted to inner disciples, they will be taken on as personal disciples."
Li Junxian said slowly, though there was no envy in his eyes.
Zheng Wanrong, who stood beside him, was also the same. Although she felt a sense of awe, she did not envy the circumstances of those two.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan could not help but admire them. With such a mindset, their future achievements would not be low, let alone their already extraordinary innate talent.
If not for this, they would not have been accepted into the Nine Profound Sect. After all, the standards for accepting disciples in such a first-rate sect were extremely high.
Moreover, the Nine Profound Sect itself had a profound heritage. If not for a portion of its destiny being lost, it would have long ago been promoted to a sect-level cultivation force.
Even an outer disciple from the Nine Profound Sect would be considered a genius and a prodigy worthy of focused training in some smaller sects.
"We've also heard about your situation. To condense a Golden Core within thirty years is indeed almost impossible."
Zheng Wanrong suddenly said. "However, within the Nine Profound Sect, there is indeed a slim chance."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's eyes flashed, and he turned to look at her, his expression filled with excitement.
It was no wonder he was so flustered, as the task of forming a Golden Core within thirty years could not be described as merely difficult.
After all, once one reached the third realm, they could soar into the sky on their weapons and roam freely amongst the clouds.
"Yesterday, when I emerged from secluded cultivation in the vital place, I overheard two elders discussing taking on an extremely dangerous mission. By earning enough merit and obtaining the sect's special permission, they could enter a forbidden area."
Under his fervent gaze, Zheng Wanrong recounted the information she had overheard.
As she spoke, a piece of intelligence collected by the Mingxin Pavilion immediately surfaced in Ji Yuan's mind.
The Nine Profound Sect had a total of seven vital places. Some focused on improving cultivation, while others concentrated on enhancing physical strength, possessing various unique abilities.
Beyond these, the sect also had a forbidden area, renowned throughout Lingyang Prefecture and even several surrounding prefectures.
And this forbidden area was named 'Meteorite'!
There were rumors that the Meteorite Mountain Range was formed by a falling star, thus becoming a blessed land. The Nine Profound Sect's Meteorite Forbidden Area further confirmed such legends.