The Path to Immortality Begins as a Sect's Menial Servant

Evening.

“Brother An, you’re finally here!” Wang Dazhu and Zhao Xianchuan were already at the Moon Lake pavilion, spirit wine ready.

“How’d it go, Brother An? Did you pass the exam?” they asked, concerned.

“Yeah, just scraped through. Got into the Talisman Hall,” Li An said.

“Awesome! I made it into the Tool Forging Hall!” Wang Dazhu beamed. “They give eight spirit stones a month! Plus, Brother Yu said I’ll start with blacksmithing, and in three years, he’ll teach me crafting!”

His eyes sparkled with hope.

Wang Dazhu was doing well. At the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, now in the Tool Forging Hall with better rations than Li An, he had a shot at becoming a tool crafter.

For an ordinary person, he was thriving in the sect.

Li An noticed Zhao Xianchuan’s upbeat mood. “Brother Zhao, you passed too?”

“Nope.” Zhao Xianchuan smiled. “I went to the Medicine Hall.”

The Medicine Hall, an outer sect branch, handled gathering spiritual herbs. It was better than fringe halls like Spirit Plant Mountain, but with only six stones a month and limited growth, it paled compared to the top three halls.

Sensing Li An’s curiosity, Zhao Xianchuan explained, “Three days ago, my family sent word. My uncle was killed by a demonic cultivator. Now… my father’s the clan head.”

Li An understood.

The Zhao clan, a Foundation Establishment-level family, gained power with Zhao Xianchuan’s father as head, boosting his sect's support.

A tragedy for the clan, but a boon for Zhao Xianchuan.

“Brother Zhao, if I recall, your family’s near Qingyang Market?” Li An asked. Qingyang Market, one of the Clear Sun Sect’s three major markets, was a key wealth source.

“Yeah, close to Qingyang Market. My father wrote that it’s been rough there lately. Demonic cultivators are ambushing and robbing. The sect’s cultivators have acted multiple times but haven’t stopped it…” Zhao Xianchuan said.

Li An nodded. The Clear Sun Sect, Hundred Beasts Sect, and Divine Sword Sect were still fighting over the Mid Grade Spirit Mine, and now demonic cultivators were stirring trouble. The world outside was chaotic.

But with Master Clear Sun in his prime, the sect should be stable for two or three centuries.

Still a safe place to lay low.

“Senior Sister Xu Qiuhui made it to the inner sect. Now Chen Cheng became eldest brother, and Mu Qingwan became second sister…” Wang Dazhu shared other updates. “Mu Qingwan’s at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining. Her Mid Grade Yellow Tier Spirit Root is unreal…”

“Rumor is, they might become cultivation partners.”

His eyes were full of envy.

Li An knew Mu Qingwan’s progress was unusually fast, likely boosted by Chen Cheng, her inner sect connection.

“Come, drink!” Zhao Xianchuan raised his cup glumly.

…

The next day, Li An and the new Talisman Hall disciples attended a lecture in the main hall.

Elder Guo Xiao didn’t teach. The first class on talisman basics was led by head disciple Sun Lin, the second on crafting essentials by Tan Qingxue.

Sun Lin, nearing middle age at over 40, was a High Grade First Rank Talisman Maker. Burly, in the black robe of an official disciple, he seemed approachable, winning over many new disciples.

Tan Qingxue, lively outside, was serious while teaching.

Li An noticed Sun Lin’s lessons were broad and vague, while Tan Qingxue’s were detailed, offering practical tips. Newbies might not grasp their value, though.

“Class is over. Per Talisman Hall rules, for your first three months, a senior brother or sister will guide you one-on-one. If you have a preferred mentor, talk to them to confirm. But choosing one deducts two spirit stones from your monthly ration, paid to your mentor,” Sun Lin said with a smile.

“Brother Sun Lin, we choose you!” the seven new disciples said in unison.

Tan Qingxue’s face shifted slightly.

She and Sun Lin competed within the hall. Recruiting new disciples was key, but had Sun Lin pulled strings ahead?

“Feng Lin!” she thought, annoyed, realizing he’d set this up.

Li An frowned. The seven had clearly been nudged by Feng Lin… but not him?

Poor folks got no respect…

“Alright, settled.” Sun Lin smiled. “Follow me. I’ll share some extra tips on talisman crafting.”

Only Li An remained in the hall.

“You picking me?” Tan Qingxue asked, distracted.

“Yeah.” Li An nodded.

He’d rather choose no one—his talisman experience didn’t need teaching, and two stones felt wasteful!

But Sun Lin had sidelined him, and rejecting Tan Qingxue would make surviving in the Talisman Hall tough.

Plus, from Xu Qiuhui’s perspective, Tan Qingxue was the only choice.

“Fine,” Tan Qingxue said. “Zhiruo, guide him for these three months.”

She waved to another female disciple.

Cao Zhiruo, Tan Qingxue’s trusted aide, was decently attractive, though not on Tan Qingxue’s level. She nodded reluctantly.

…

Mid-month, new disciples received a low-grade talisman brush and 20 sheets of low-grade paper.

Li An was thrilled. The hall’s brush was slightly better than his, worth at least eight stones.

His exchange hall brush was nearly worn out.

Cao Zhiruo visited a few times, earnestly teaching talisman basics. Li An acted attentive but slow to grasp, so she lost interest and stopped checking on him.

After half a month, Li An got a basic grasp of the Talisman Hall’s dynamics.

Elder Guo Xiao, a Second Rank Talisman Maker at early Foundation Establishment, led the hall.

His disciples, Sun Lin and Tan Qingxue, followed.

Sun Lin, at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, was slightly stronger; Tan Qingxue was at the Sixth. Both were High Grade First Rank Talisman Master.

Elder Guo, old and nearing the end of his lifespan, set a test to choose the next hall leader.

Whoever found a Second Grade Lifespan Pill within three years would inherit his Second Rank talisman techniques—securing the hall leader role.

A Second Grade Lifespan Pill, extending a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s life by 50 years, was a strategic sect resource, only exchangeable for contribution points, not spirit stones.

One required 10,000 points!

Recruiting hall disciples was a key strategy to gather points.

Besides crafting talismans for fixed points, buying points from others was crucial.

Roughly, one spirit stone equaled ten points, but buying cost more.

Not everyone sold, as points were vital for promotions and core resources.

To hit 10,000 points, you’d need 2,000–3,000 stones—a fortune!

Li An estimated that without extra support, Tan Qingxue and Sun Lin couldn’t gather enough in three years through their own efforts.

Even as High Grade First Rank Talisman Master, they crafted limited talismans monthly, earning about 100 fixed points, plus 20–30 from bought stones.

Reaching 10,000 would take six years.

Elder Guo’s test was a sly move, using his position to exploit disciples for his own longevity while picking a successor.

Pretty ruthless!

…

Li An had no interest in the hall’s rivalries or drawing attention.

He kept a low profile, crafting at an average level among new disciples. He met monthly talisman quotas, earning some extra points but not many, selling them to Cao Zhiruo, Tan Qingxue’s confidante.

This gave him about 11–12 stones monthly from rations and extras, but cultivation and paper cost around seven stones.

…

A year passed in a blink.

“Fifty-three stones.”

One day, Li An counted his savings, thinking, “The Art of Nurturing Life and Forging Immortality is too slow. Reaching the peak of the Third Layer of Qi Refining will take at least two more years.”

“Water Arrow Technique and Light Step Technique are maxed out. Next, I should train in body technique!”

His mental strength, boosted by the Super Sense Technique, outshone peers. He had Water Arrow Technique and “Flying Dagger Technique” for offense, and Light Step Technique for movement.

His only weakness was his frail body.

If someone got close, he’d be at a disadvantage.

“The body is the soul’s root. Last life, I neglected it. This life, I’ll build a strong foundation now.”

“The best body technique I know is the Iron Tree Technique!”

Iron Tree Technique, a Mid Grade Yellow Tier method, tempered skin, flesh, and bones.

But it required materials like iron sand for training and healing salves for recovery.

All needed spirit stones.

Now… he had just enough.

That day, he left the Talisman Hall for the market.

…

(Chapter End)