After the old man and the young one established their familial bond, their relationship advanced by leaps and bounds, as if a final barrier between them had been broken.
Jiang Yi stepped forward, stooping slightly to support Yang Xun by the arm.
"The mountain path is slippery. Please be careful, sir."
As a proper Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, even at over eighty years of age, Yang Xun's vitality showed no signs of decay. There was no way he'd be unsteady on his feet.
But Jiang Yi knew full well that this was exactly the kind of treatment the old man appreciated.
Likely due to the grief of losing his son, Marshal Yang cherished the simple, domestic bliss of being surrounded by children and grandchildren.
"Every spring, the Inner Peak sets aside a few candidate slots."
Even though Yang Xun could rip a tiger apart with his bare hands, he was more than happy to let Jiang Yi fuss over him.
He deliberately slowed his pace and spoke unhurriedly.
"Any Qianji Sect Cultivator under the age of twenty who has reached the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer may apply."
Jiang Yi was surprised. He had never heard that the Inner Peak recruited Disciples from the Outer Sect.
Even an old hand like He the Venerable seemed to be in the dark about this.
Yang Xun chuckled.
"In the Yanfu Vast Land of today, anyone can practice Cultivation and Daoism is taught everywhere. There's no shortage of talent."
"The Qianji Sect offers these positions for two reasons. First, the sect's Marketplaces need someone to preside over them."
"Second, several of the sect's enterprises, such as the 'Hundred Beasts Cave,' 'Luohun Gorge,' and 'Heart-Stealing Forest,' also require manpower."
"On top of that, a few Disciples are lost each year, one way or another, which opens up spots."
"But it would be too much of a fuss to hold a grand recruitment ceremony every year like the lesser sects do. It's just not necessary."
"So, the slots are handed down to the Marshals of the Outer Sect's various peaks."
"A common Mortal Servant would never hear about it, so how would they know?"
'So it's all done through internal recommendations!'
Jiang Yi had a sudden realization. It meant that each of the Marshals from the Outer Sect Four Peaks could nominate one person as a candidate.
The Disciples who entered the Inner Peak each year were chosen from the "talents" these Marshals had their eyes on.
"Here on Red Flame Peak, Old Tang is a lecher and Old Zhou is greedy. Plenty of people are constantly trying to curry favor with them, so their nomination slots are probably already taken."
"That's why I need you to reach the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer before spring, no matter what."
Yang Xun spoke with sincere gravity. He had decided to take Jiang Yi under his wing and invest in him not just because the boy was a sweet-talker and clever.
In a few more years, he would have to step down. He could either return to his hometown to be cared for by his clan, or be relegated to a Marketplace to live out his remaining days.
The Demon Dao Dharma Lineage always believed in "using everything to its fullest potential."
Those who were no longer useful were mercilessly used up.
Yang Xun had seen this happen time and again over the years, and it never sat well with him.
Thus, he wanted to secure a better path for his own future.
Jiang Yi said, his voice firm as iron:
"I will not disappoint you, Grandpa."
Hearing Jiang Yi call him "Grandpa," a wave of satisfaction washed over Yang Xun. He forced himself to appear calm and simply nodded lightly.
The two continued to chat as they walked, soon arriving in front of a large mansion.
The Little Daoist Child at the gate saw Marshal Jiang and his master looking for all the world like a doting grandfather and his grandson, and his jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Master, Marshal Jiang..."
"Child, from now on, you will call him 'Young Master'."
The Little Daoist Child was even more flabbergasted by Yang Xun's order.
He thought to himself:
'How did Marshal Jiang get the Master wrapped around his little finger so completely!'
They crossed the threshold and stepped into the front hall.
Yang Xun told the Little Daoist Child to brew some hot tea, then said slowly,
"As for the Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique you cultivate, I only reached the stage of Great Success, never Perfection."
"The Daoist Scriptures say, 'Skill Divides into Three.'"
"But to be precise, before Small Success, there is the entry-level."
"And after Great Success, there is Perfection."
"At the Small Success stage of this technique, the Fire Attribute converges into a fine radiance, thin as an ox hair, able to pierce heart and bone."
"At the Mid-Stage, the fire holds Spiritual Energy and can manifest a hundred forms. It moves with your thoughts, its transformations unpredictable."
"After Great Success, the internal and external merge. The True Qi becomes inextinguishable. It can burn the body without consuming it, and it cannot be doused by water..."
Jiang Yi listened intently. From his vast experience of sitting through executive speeches, he knew the most important part was yet to come.
And sure enough.
Yang Xun paused. His eyes flickered to the side, taking in Jiang Yi's focused expression, before he continued slowly,
"You grasped the essence of the text on your own, without a teacher. That proves you have a real talent for Refining Techniques."
"I won't say more on the basics. I have a notebook here. It contains the insights I've gathered from studying day and night. You can use it to shore up any weaknesses in your understanding."
With that, he produced a thin booklet from within his robes.
"Thank you, Grandpa."
Jiang Yi accepted it with both hands, his gratitude genuine.
When he first got the *Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique*, he had tried to master it on his own. Only after failing did he turn to the Celestial Book for help.
That experience taught him something crucial about the path of Cultivation.
A Dharma Gate is hard to find, but its Essentials are even harder to obtain.
Having the technique without the key principles is like a blind man trying to describe an elephant.
You can't find the way in; you can only wander around the periphery.
"Furthermore, if you wish to make greater progress with the Fire Manipulation Technique, I have a Secret Technique that can assist you."
Yang Xun was no miser. Since Jiang Yi was so perceptive and had forged this positive bond with him, he didn't mind sharing some of his best treasures.
Jiang Yi caught his drift immediately, rising to bow.
"Grandpa, please help me achieve my ambitions."
He was an expert at handling "father-figure" bosses; he knew exactly how to appear obedient and understanding.
"This technique was a gift from Elder Sui. It's called the Water and Fire Swamp Body Refining Skill. It's an Eighth Grade skill, which is quite rare."
A nostalgic look flickered in Yang Xun's eyes, suggesting his connection with this "Elder Sui" ran deep.
An Eighth Grade Spell!
'Jiang Yi's heart surged. A Ninth Grade Fire Manipulation Technique had allowed him to treat cultivators like Zhang Chao and Dong Ba as nothing more than clay pigeons.'
'If I master an Eighth Grade technique, won't I be unstoppable?'
"As the saying goes: 'Refining by water nourishes and gives birth to Essence; refining by fire illuminates and gives birth to spirit.'"
"The Fire Manipulation Technique also touches upon this. In it, water represents Yin Essence, and fire represents Yang Spirit."
"The gist of this Spell is to use ancient rituals to construct a Pool of Fire and Water. One then enters it naked to refine the spirit and temper the body."
"Once you succeed, you can mend your foundations and enhance your Primordial Qi."
"It saves you a hundred days of bitter Cultivation and strengthens the Fire Attribute throughout your entire body."
'Exactly what I need! It's a godsend!'
Jiang Yi was ecstatic. He felt like a corporate drone who'd just been promised a promotion, ready to work six months of overtime on the spot.
Luckily, he retained a shred of sanity and asked,
"Grandpa, this Pool of Fire and Water... I imagine it's not easy to build."
Yang Xun nodded, his expression full of approval.
'This boy is indeed promising material. He didn't let an Eighth Grade Body Refining Skill go to his head.'
"Rituals are a legacy of the Immortal Dao, and they've always been expensive."
"For the water pool, you'll need eight pieces of Top-Grade Cold Jade to contain the Evil Yin Qi, three measures of Rootless Spirit Water, half a pound of hundred-year Stalactites... For the Fire Swamp, nine pounds of Vermilion, and one Yang Flame Object..."
Yang Xun held nothing back, listing each item in detail.
Jiang Yi's face fell as he listened. 'How many talisman coins would all that cost?'
"Putting everything else aside, just the Top-Grade Cold Jade and the Yang Flame Object were both Spiritual Objects. Their prices would start in the tens of thousands."
"A rough estimate to get everything together would be eighty or ninety thousand coins."
No wonder Yang Xun had asked if he had two hundred thousand talisman coins to fund his own Cultivation.
"Grandpa, I'm afraid I won't be able to afford this Water and Fire Body Refining."
Jiang Yi feigned a bitter smile and lowered his head.
'Now to wait for Yang Xun's next move.'
'You could usually judge a leader by one simple thing.'
'Do they just make empty promises, or do they actually deliver after getting your hopes up?'
'And by Jiang Yi's estimation, Yang Xun was one of the good ones.'
"You little rascal, are you trying to test me?! If I'm the one who brought up Water and Fire Body Refining, then of course I've already made arrangements. Did you really think I'd make you pay for it?"
Yang Xun chided him with a laugh.
"Grandpa, I will engrave this kindness upon my very soul and never forget it for the rest of my life."
Jiang Yi bowed again in thanks. Although he had been calculating in his efforts to get close to Yang Xun, his gratitude was real.
Having navigated the cutthroat world of his past life, he knew just how rare it was to find a "boss" who would genuinely invest in your growth.
"There's no need for such formalities, Ah Yi."
With the shift to a more intimate name, Yang Xun's gaze grew even gentler.
"If you're truly a Dao Material, you would have distinguished yourself sooner or later, even without my help."
Jiang Yi remained impeccably respectful. 'One must be consistent in one's attitude towards leadership.'
He stayed and chatted with the old man for a while longer, learning more about the Qianji Sect, before finally taking his leave from the Marshal's mansion atop Red Flame Peak.
'Should I move somewhere quieter and more spacious? After all, I'm not short five hundred or a thousand talisman coins anymore.'
Back in his shack in the work camp, Jiang Yi's thoughts began to wander. The Qi Mechanism in this Big Mixed Courtyard was turbid—hardly a suitable place for Cultivation.
'I'll wait. A tile-roofed house isn't much better than this shack. If I'm going to move, it should be into a Cave Mansion!'
Jiang Yi quickly pushed the thought aside and began to take serious stock of his "gains."
The results were a pleasant surprise!
'Huh, so that bastard Zhang Chao had saved up the most—a full fifty thousand talisman coins! No wonder he looked at me like he wanted to breathe fire. Ten years of hard work, all gone in one fell swoop!'
The corners of Jiang Yi's mouth curled up. 'Robbery really is the fastest way to get rich.'
'If I had to earn this through honest work, I wonder how many years it would've taken.'
'Now, with just a flick of the wrist, my purse is full.'
Dong Ba, on the other hand, had very little left. Rumor was the man was a chronic lecher who spent his talisman coins on prostitutes the moment he was paid.
'All together, it's just over sixty thousand. First, I'll pay back Sister Qin. Then I'll take out thirty thousand as a gift of filial piety for Marshal Yang... My new Grandpa might be generous, but I still need to show my appreciation.'
Jiang Yi knew full well that thirty thousand talisman coins was a small amount for a Marshal, but the gesture from his "grandson" would be priceless.
'The Pool of Fire and Water, for refining body and spirit... I feel like it won't just help me break through to the Fourth Layer. It might even get me to the Fifth!'
After counting the "gifts" from Zhang Chao and Dong Ba, his thoughts turned back to the Eighth Grade Body Refining Skill Yang Xun had mentioned.
On the path of Cultivation, a solid foundation was everything.
'Before, I didn't have the resources. Now that I finally have an opportunity, of course I'm going to take full advantage of it!'
His eyes flashed, and the golden paper materialized.
[I beg the Celestial Book, show me the optimal Cultivation plan for my current situation!]
'With Zhang Chao and Dong Ba out of the way, no one else on Red Flame Peak will dare to cause trouble for me.'
'I can finally follow the Celestial Book's guidance and cultivate in peace!'
Jiang Yi heaved a long sigh of relief, then resumed his seated meditation, practicing his Breathing to temper his Fire Attribute.
He would wait for the Celestial Book to answer his plea.