Immortal Cultivation: Starting as a Fortune Cultivator - Chapter 5

After the clan registry ceremony concluded, Ye Qingxuan and the others were led to a compound and assigned their living quarters.

The very next day, instructors arrived to teach them the foundational knowledge of cultivation.

The curriculum covered a wide range of topics: Ye family rules, cultivation realm divisions, spiritual roots, meridians and acupoints, cultivation taboos, scripture comprehension, cultivation techniques, and more.

On the first day of formal lessons, Ye Qingxuan learned about this world’s cultivation realms.

There were ten realms in total:
Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Cave Void, Empty Deep, Tribulation Transcendence, and Great Ascension!

In the following days, Ye Qingxuan realized he was already familiar with a small portion of the other taught material, having encountered it in the Ye Immortal City’s library.

Coupled with his now extraordinary memory and comprehension, he essentially mastered these basics after a single pass.

Consequently, his learning progress was astonishingly fast, far surpassing everyone else.

Fortunately, Mount Cloudveil also had its own library, preventing Ye Qingxuan from wasting his time.

The collection here wasn’t comparable to the one in Ye Immortal City; it contained much more knowledge directly related to cultivation.

No matter where you were, knowledge was indispensable.

If he wanted to go further, he needed to accumulate more knowledge.

Spiritual herbs, demonic beasts, natural treasures, alchemy, artifact forging, formations, talismans, and even spiritual plant cultivation, etc.

Although Ye Qingxuan might not necessarily choose these auxiliary paths later, there was no harm in learning about them in advance.

During these six months.

Ye Qingxuan was either studying or on his way to study.

In this period, many clansmen who initially didn’t know each other gradually mingled. They formed friendships and small social circles.

Even Ye Qingxuan, who was usually buried in his studies, became friends with Ye Qingxiao. Through him, Ye Qingxuan met a few other clansmen, though the friendships weren’t deep.

Six months of living and learning together also significantly boosted everyone’s sense of belonging to the Ye family.

Perhaps this was one of the intentions behind having them live and learn together for half a year?

Busy times always pass quickly. In the blink of an eye, the day of the assessment arrived.

“Qingxuan, when you get the reward for first place, you have to treat me!” Ye Qingxiao said boisterously on the way to the exam hall, throwing an arm around Ye Qingxuan’s shoulders.

Looking at the arm draped over him, Ye Qingxuan couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
“Alright, alright, alright! I’ll treat you to a big meal then!”

As he said this, Ye Qingxuan himself couldn’t help but swallow. The ingredients in this world, nourished by spiritual energy, were far more delicious than anything from his previous life.

Especially the meat of demonic beasts; it ignited not just the taste buds, but every cell in the body.

Unfortunately, demon beast meat was also a scarce resource. In the past six months, they had only eaten it a handful of times, but the memory was unforgettable.

For this assessment, while not a major event, the Ye family had prepared some small rewards.

The first-place scorer would receive a bottle of Qi Induction Pills and three hundred low-grade spirit stones.

Both the Qi Induction Pills and the spirit stones were crucial resources for the early stages of Qi Refining.

For those who have not yet embarked on the path of cultivation, its appeal is self-evident.

Although Ye Qingxuan usually kept a low profile, as one of his few friends, Ye Qingxiao was well aware of his learning ability and dedication. The guy practically lived in the library.

He was convinced first place belonged to Ye Qingxuan.

But not everyone was convinced.

Nearby, Ye Qingshuang, hearing Ye Qingxiao’s words, snorted coldly.
“Hmph, who says you’ll definitely get first place?”

Although her words were a retort to Ye Qingxiao, her glare was firmly fixed on Ye Qingxuan.

Ye Qingshuang was also a frequent visitor to the library.

After accidentally learning from Ye Qingxiao about Ye Qingxuan’s progress, she had started competing with him.

She ended up following Ye Qingxuan’s example, spending time in the library, effectively starting an internal competition.

Back and forth, the two became rivals of a sort, though Ye Qingshuang never admitted defeat.

Hearing her words and feeling her stare, Ye Qingxuan raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak. Instead, his eyes revealed unconcealed confidence as he walked towards the exam area.

He left behind a fuming Ye Qingshuang stomping her foot in place.

“Ye Qingxuan, just you wait! I will surpass you! Hmph!” she muttered through gritted teeth.

With a final cold snort, she too hurried towards the exam hall.

When Ye Qingxuan arrived, many were already present. On the raised platform at the front of the hall, he saw a familiar face!

The person overseeing their assessment was none other than Ye Yonglun, who had tested his spiritual root.

Seeing Ye Yonglun, Ye Qingxuan didn’t presumptuously go up to greet him. Instead, he obediently lined up with the others and waited.

Once everyone had arrived, the assessment began immediately.

The allotted time was one hour. For those who knew the material, it was more than enough; for those who didn’t, more time wouldn’t help.

Ye Qingxuan started answering as soon as he received the test paper, his progress smooth and uninterrupted.

The first half of the test covered material taught during the six months. The latter half contained extended topics.

The rule was: answering the taught section correctly guaranteed a pass.

But to rank high, one needed to answer the extended questions correctly.

There were over two hundred people in the examination room, and they were all mostly focused on answering the questions, not appearing to be stumped by the earlier questions.

Those capable of developing spiritual roots weren’t lacking in talent. As long as they had paid attention normally, these basic knowledge questions posed little difficulty.

Ye Qingxuan finished quickly; the questions were child’s play to him.

However, he had no intention of showing off by leaving early. He simply sat at his desk with his eyes closed, resting.

Time passed…
Soon, the assessment time was up.

“Alright, stop writing! Everyone, stand up and remain where you are!”

At Ye Yonglun’s command, everyone stopped writing and stood still without moving around.

Seeing everyone comply, Ye Yonglun nodded.

He then stood up, and his spiritual sense surged forth. All the exam papers floated into the air.

After the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Ye Yonglun retracted his spiritual sense. He glanced surprisingly at Ye Qingxuan before speaking calmly:

“For this assessment, total participants: two hundred and fifteen. Passed: two hundred and twelve. Failed: three.”

Hearing this, most in the hall, confident in their performance, remained unchanged. Only a few paled, afraid they were among the failures.

A couple directly wore bitter expressions, clearly knowing their own results.

Ignoring the shifting moods, Ye Yonglun continued coldly:
“The standard for passing wasn’t difficult. With a bit of usual effort and care during the exam, passing was easy.”

“If you can’t even manage that, I advise you not to set foot on the immortal path.”

As he spoke, the aura around Ye Yonglun grew colder, sending a chill through the hall.

After scanning the room, Ye Yonglun addressed everyone solemnly:
“The path of immortality offers no regrets. A single misstep can lead to eternal doom. I hope you remember this well and avoid making careless mistakes in the future.”

“Yes, thank you for your guidance, Uncle. We will remember it well.”

Hearing his admonition, everyone in the hall bowed in unison and responded.

Even Ye Qingxuan strongly agreed with Ye Yonglun’s words, silently engraving them in his heart.
Although I possess an eternal lifespan, the margin for error on the cultivation path is slim. Longevity alone cannot shield me from all disasters. Until I have sufficient strength, I must be cautious, cautious, and more cautious.

Seeing that his words had sunk in, Ye Yonglun’s expression softened slightly. He continued:

“Alright, the path ahead is yours to walk. I’ve said my piece.”

“Ye Qinglu, Ye Qingxi, Ye Qingcheng, step forward! From today, the three of you will study independently in the library. You may proceed to the next step only after you pass the assessment!”

As soon as he finished, two boys and one girl stepped out from the crowd, their faces flushed with shame.

They stepped forward and spoke in unison:

“Yes, Uncle!”

Then, red-faced, they left the examination hall.

After they departed, Ye Yonglun continued the announcements:
“First place in this assessment: Ye Qingxuan! Reward: ten Qi Induction Pills, three hundred low-grade spirit stones!”

“Second place: Ye Qingshuang! Reward: five Qi Induction Pills, two hundred low-grade spirit stones!”

“Third place: Ye Qingying! Reward: three Qi Induction Pills, one hundred low-grade spirit stones!”

“The rewards will be delivered to you tomorrow.”

“Alright, the assessment is over. Congratulations, you may now begin your cultivation journey. Tomorrow, someone will arrange for you to go to the Transmission Hall to select your cultivation techniques!”

With that, Ye Yonglun mounted his sword and flew away.

“Yay, finally! Hahaha!”

“I can’t wait to start cultivating!”

The moment Ye Yonglun left, the crowd erupted into cheers.

Hearing the excitement, Ye Qingxuan also couldn’t suppress a smile. He reined in his inner excitement, his eyes shining with anticipation.

An arm suddenly draped over his neck again. Ye Qingxuan looked resignedly at the familiar hand on his shoulder as the equally familiar voice sounded in his ear:

“Qingxuan, well done! Didn’t let me down! Come on, come on, treat me! Hahaha!”

Ye Qingxuan folded his arms, completely ignoring Ye Qingxiao’s words.

Yeah right, he thought, I haven’t even received the reward yet. What am I supposed to treat you with?

Just then, Ye Qingshuang pushed through the crowd and stormed up to Ye Qingxuan. She snatched his exam paper.

After looking it over, she slammed it back down onto the desk with a loud Smack!

Then she delivered her challenge:

“Ye Qingxuan, don’t get cocky! We’re aiming for immortality. What matters in the end is cultivation speed, not these trivialities.”

“Starting tomorrow with cultivation, I will surpass you! Hmph!”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and stormed off alone.

Ye Qingxuan stared after her, dumbfounded, then shook his head.
“Kids these days, so competitive! Not mature at all. I never agreed to compete with her.”

He wasn’t stupid. Ye Qingshuang had a triple spiritual root, while he only had a single. How could his cultivation speed possibly match hers?

Beside him, Ye Qingxiao, hearing Ye Qingxuan’s apparent surrender, immediately thumped his chest.
“Qingxuan, don’t worry! I’ll compete with Ye Qingshuang on cultivation speed for you!”

No sooner had he made this promise than he added:
“But Qingxuan, you can’t go back on your word. You promised me a big meal.”

Ye Qingxuan rolled his eyes in exasperation.
“Eat! Eat! Eat! Is that all you think about? I haven’t gotten my reward yet! What am I supposed to treat you with?”

Hearing this, Ye Qingxiao scratched his head awkwardly but mustered his courage to continue:
“That’s okay… we can eat tomorrow.”

Ye Qingxuan facepalmed, a cascade of imaginary black lines down his forehead. Just end me now.