Chapter 102: THE REWARD PAVILION(1)

Li Yan lowered his gaze toward the blackened area around his waist before finally telling Fu Hanzheng what had happened. Since his master had already seen the injury, there was little point trying to conceal the matter any longer, so he honestly explained that he had fought with another outer sect disciple and received the injury during the fight.

Fu Hanzheng’s expression darkened after hearing this. He looked at the injury again before turning his attention to Li Yan, and although he was clearly displeased, he did not make a huge issue out of it. Disputes between disciples were not uncommon within the sect, but that did not mean disciples could fight wherever they pleased.

"You are not allowed to have unauthorized fights within the sect. If you want to settle a dispute with another disciple, there is an arena for that purpose. As long as both sides follow the rules, you can fight there to your heart’s content without worrying about receiving punishment from the sect."

Li Yan nodded as he listened. He had not thought much about the matter when he fought Mo Lang, but Fu Hanzheng’s words made the purpose of the arena clear. With so many cultivators gathered within the sect, conflicts were bound to happen, so the sect had provided a proper place for disciples to resolve their grievances through combat.

Fu Hanzheng sighed when he saw that Li Yan understood. He was still unhappy that his disciple had gotten injured, but there was no reason to keep scolding him over something that had already happened. What mattered now was treating the injury before it became a larger problem.

"Sit down first. Your injury needs to be dealt with before you continue training."

Li Yan obediently sat down while Fu Hanzheng examined his waist. His master placed a hand over the injured area, and a stream of spiritual energy entered his body. The warm energy circulated through his meridians, easing the discomfort that had remained since the fight. Li Yan could feel the difference almost immediately, and the pain that had bothered him whenever he moved gradually weakened.

After dealing with the injury, Fu Hanzheng took out a small jade bottle and poured a single pill into his palm. The pill had a faint luster, and spiritual energy seemed to gather around it. Li Yan immediately recognized that it was not one of the remedies he had been learning to make in the Apothecary Department.

"Take this spiritual pill. It will clear the other symptoms caused by the injury. The bruise will remain for a while, but the discomfort and other effects should disappear."

Li Yan accepted the spiritual pill and swallowed it without hesitation. A warm current spread through his body, followed by a comfortable sensation that reached his limbs and meridians. The weakness he had felt since the fight gradually disappeared, and even his breathing became much easier.

He could not help but look at the jade bottle in Fu Hanzheng’s hand. "Master, is this the effect of a spiritual pill?"

Fu Hanzheng nodded. "The effect depends on the pill itself as well as the cultivation of the person who forms it. With my current cultivation, I can refine a spiritual pill with a much stronger effect than one formed by a cultivator with a lower cultivation. That is why this pill can clear the other symptoms so quickly."

Li Yan’s interest immediately shifted toward pill formation. He had been learning how to make remedies, but the effect of a spiritual pill was on an entirely different level. If he could learn how to form pills himself, it would give him another means of improving his cultivation and strength.

"Master, I want to learn how to form pills."

Fu Hanzheng looked at him before giving a small nod. "You can learn, but you are not ready yet. To access the Pill Formation Quadrant, your Martial Qi cultivation must first reach the third stage. Only then will you have enough spiritual energy to begin learning proper pill formation."

Li Yan quietly took note of the requirement. Reaching the third stage was another milestone he needed to accomplish. His goal had always been to become the strongest, and although the road ahead was still long, every improvement in his cultivation brought him closer to that goal.

"There is something else you need to do while you are working toward it," Fu Hanzheng continued. "You need to complete a weekly mission. Go to the Rewards Pavilion and choose one of the missions available to you. After completing the mission, you will receive points according to the task. You need some fighting experience."

Li Yan became curious. "What can the points be used for?"

"The points can be exchanged for cultivation resources, spiritual pills, scrolls, manuals, and other items provided by the sect. The Rewards Pavilion also contains the available missions, so you can choose the ones you are capable of completing and earn more points through them. The elders should have addressed this immediately after you were given accommodations. It also means, they have yet to share the monthly elixirs, I will discuss with Elder Mo about this "

Li Yan nodded as he listened. The system was simple enough. He could complete missions to earn points, then exchange those points for resources that could help him cultivate. It also gave him something to work toward outside his ordinary lessons.

"If you want to know more about the rules, go there yourself and take a look. The Rewards Pavilion has everything you need to know."

Fu Hanzheng then continued, "You also have one year to prepare for the inner sect assessment. I do not want you to remain an outer sect disciple for more than a year. When the next assessment arrives, you will participate and advance to the inner sect."

Li Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the deadline. Becoming an inner sect disciple was not his ultimate goal, but it was another milestone along the path he had chosen. The inner sect would naturally provide him with more opportunities, and if he wanted to become the strongest, he could not remain satisfied with his current position.

Fu Hanzheng did not stop there. "Your lessons will not be limited to the Apothecary Department. You will also need to attend classes in other departments. Your sword techniques need some improvement, so I want you to attend a lecture at the Sword Techniques Department once. You should at least understand the fundamentals before you begin practicing on your own."

Li Yan immediately became interested when he heard about sword techniques.

"After attending the lecture, I will give you a sword techniques manual. You can use it to practice afterward, and when you need a place to train, you can go to the training hall. If you diligently attend the lecture and practice according to the manual, I will give you your first sword."

Li Yan’s eyes brightened at the mention of a sword. Before he could say anything, Xiaoxiao’s voice suddenly sounded inside his mind.

"Why are you getting excited over your first sword? You have a mythical space filled with treasures. Don’t tell me there isn’t at least one high-level sword inside that space."

Li Yan’s expression remained unchanged as he listened to her. Xiaoxiao was right. He had almost forgotten that the mythical space contained countless treasures, and it was entirely possible that there was already a sword inside that would be far better than anything an ordinary outer sect disciple could obtain.

"Master, when do I start?"

"Not today," Fu Hanzheng replied. "Your body has just recovered, so do not go to the training hall today. Go to the Rewards Pavilion and take a look around. Afterward, return to your residence and rest. You can come back tomorrow."

Li Yan agreed and thanked his master before leaving the residence. His body felt much better after taking the spiritual pill, but he did not argue with Fu Hanzheng’s decision. There was no harm in resting for one day, especially when he had just been given several things to work toward.

As Li Yan walked toward the Rewards Pavilion, he went over everything Fu Hanzheng had told him. He needed to reach the third stage of his martial skill cultivation to access the Pill Formation Quadrant, complete a weekly mission to earn points, learn sword techniques, and participate in the inner sect assessment within a year. These were only milestones, but each one would help him become stronger, and that was what mattered most to him.

The Rewards Pavilion was already busy when Li Yan arrived. Several disciples stood around the counters, while others examined the mission boards and discussed the tasks available to them. Li Yan stepped inside and looked around, trying to understand how the pavilion worked before approaching one of the counters.

Before he could take another step, a familiar figure entered from the opposite side.

Li Yan immediately recognized Li Wei.

His older brother had apparently just returned from a mission, and a mission token was still in his hand. He walked toward the exchange counter with the confidence of an inner sect disciple before noticing Li Yan standing nearby.

Li Wei’s gaze fell on the outer sect robe Li Yan was wearing, and his expression immediately changed. He looked at Li Yan from head to toe before letting out a scoff.

"What is an outer sect rat like you doing in the Rewards Pavilion?"