After the battle forum was over, Chen Jingzhai and the disciples returned to the peak.
Three days later, Daoxuan Peak held a grand and solemn ceremony to welcome the addition of Chen Jingzhai and give out prizes to all the disciples.
This ceremony meant more symbolically to Chen Jingzhai than in actuality.
After the ceremony, he would be the Master-Uncle recognized by everyone from top to bottom at Daoxuan Peak, someone who was really part of the peak.
Even if he were still the true heir of Hongluan Peak, he would need to accept more disciples in the future when he came out on his own.
At the very least, he would have to leave a part of his inheritance to Daoxuan Peak.
Conversely, Daoxuan Peak would fully support Chen Jingzhai, giving him the resources and respect that he needed.
The most obvious was the change in attitude from Nascent Zhenjuns down to the deacons. Their previous neutrality and formalities have now turned into a real closeness.
As for prizes, in addition to being allowed to enter the treasure trove to pick any item he desired, there was even a pair of eggs from the Sky Black Crane.
This was a pleasant surprise for Chen Jingzhai.
He had seen the power of the Sky Black Cranes firsthand and would never underestimate the value of these eggs.
As for the pressure that stemmed from animal husbandry, Chen Jingzhai could not feel it at all.
He was now rich in capital, and being a Grade 2 alchemist alone was making him feel very abundant.
Of course, he did not yet have the capability to be promoted to the Golden Core Plane.
That would require the accumulation of massive resources, which could not be achieved in a short time.
Li Yifei was ranked first at Daoxuan Peak.
Because Chen Jingzhai’s prize and ranking were not included, Li Yifei came out on top.
He could pick one of the three prizes from the peak. In addition to the formation, there were also magic treasures and elixirs.
Li Yifei chose the magic treasure, which was an Intermediate Grade 3 magic treasure.
Its specific power had yet to be seen, but still, it was the envy of all the other disciples.
The rest of the top seven were given formations and elixirs.
All of these items were in the Intermediate Foundation Plane. All the Grade 2 elixirs were the handiworks of Chen Jingzhai.
The elixirs were of high quality and very effective, and the recipients were quite satisfied.
The same held true for the rest of the disciples in the Beginning Foundation Plane.
The prizes they received were elixirs, all of them made by Chen Jingzhai.
Sage Hao was a very good housekeeper.
He had gotten a lot of elixirs from Chen Jingzhai, but he did not release them all at once.
Instead, he released the Grade 1 elixirs in large quantities, which caught the attention of the casual disciples.
Grade 2 elixirs were only given out as rewards for missions and exchanges.
These elixirs were very precious to the disciples in the Foundation Establishment Plane, and not everyone had access to them before.
By handing them out this time, it was more or less in line with everyone’s wishes.
After the ceremony, Chen Jingzhai returned to Tianyahai Pavilion.
Mrs. Yang had arrived before them and was drinking tea in the backyard.
Outside the courtyard was the cliff, with a sea of clouds tossing and turning in the distance. The landscape was something unusual and unique.
“Senior sister!” Chen Jingzhai called out with a smile.
“Sit down!” Mrs. Yang said, “Your performance was pretty good in the battle forum, but unfortunately, my husband is too stingy. I was going to give you a higher prize, but I did not expect my proposal to be rejected straight away by him.”
“I’m sorry the senior sister was put in a difficult situation,” Chen Jingzhai said after sitting down. “Actually, this prize is very fitting. After all, I am the Master-Uncle. So even though I am in the first place, I shouldn’t have such a big prize.”
It was already unseemly for him to appear at the battle forum with his status as the Master-Uncle.
It was a matter of course for him to win. If he lost, he would lose face. The situation was not the most unfavorable to him.
Now that he had emerged as number one from the battle forum, his mighty strength was acknowledged by everyone.
This directly changed his predicament, allowing him to keep his prestige as the Master-Uncle.
From now on, if any other disciple was to slander him, whether openly or in secret, Chen Jingzhai would no longer need to take action himself.
This was the reason why Chen Jingzhai insisted on participating in the battle forum.
“You have thought it over.” Mrs. Yang looked at her and sighed softly. “It’s a pity that neither Hongluan Peak nor Daoxuan Peak is the ideal place for you.”
“I don’t feel that way,” Chen Jingzhai replied but immediately changed the subject. “Does senior sister know how to incubate the Sky Black Cranes? What are some of the things I should pay attention to?”
“There is an incubation formation in the peak, which is somewhat time-consuming because you will have to stay for the entire duration while pumping in your own spiritual power to brand it.” Mrs. Yang continued, “I have already made the arrangements; seven days later, you can go find Hao Feng yourself.”
“Senior sister, you’ve been overly worried!” Chen Jingzhai said with emotion.
“You are my junior brother. Of course, I am worried,” Mrs. Yang said. “After the battle forum, you will leave the clan and head to Pulao Kingdom. So you need to prepare in advance.”
“How much time do I have to stay there?” Chen Jingzhai asked.
“About 400 days or so,” Mrs. Yang said. “This time, each peak has its own tasks. Changrong and Wangbei have already got off the mountain, and Li Yifei will be leaving in three months.”
“What about my mission?” Chen Jingzhai asked.
“You?” Mrs. Yang laughed at the notion. “Although you are the number one in the battle forum, you are not the eldest disciple in the clan. According to the rules, Kong Guang is the one, so Daoxuan Peak would not be giving you any mission.”
“No mission?” Chen Jingzhai was slightly stunned.
“No.” Mrs. Yang nodded affirmatively. “You are there to acquire hard skills, and you can support anyone you want, even if you decide to just stand on the sidelines and observe. You can do whatever you want.”
“This…” Chen Jingzhai was caught off guard by this revelation.
In order to get off the mountain, Chen Jingzhai had done a lot of mental preparation. He even discussed it with other disciples in advance to prepare for any possible missions. But now, all that work seemed to be much ado about nothing.
It sounded like a good thing, but why was Chen Jingzhai feeling so empty inside?
“If you wish, just keep an eye on the disciples from the peak,” Mrs. Yang said. “This is not a mission, however. But, since you are the Master-Uncle, you must act like one.”
“I understand!” Chen Jingzhai nodded. No matter what, this was a good thing.
Without the constraints of missions, he could accomplish many things and avoid potential embarrassments.
After all, he was the clan’s Little Master-Uncle. After getting off the mountain, he couldn’t very well support a certain position with a group of disciples. If he did, he might be the laughing stock of other clans. It was something he had no intention of experiencing.
Furthermore, the relationship between the branches within the Luo Sheng Sword School was very complicated as well.
All things aside, Jiang Liuyun, who was the leader of the last battle forum, had not yet broken through to the Golden Core Plane.
This time, he would definitely go to Pulao Kingdom. But, once there, who would the disciples listen to?
These things were arranged by the clan. Battles between disciples were often inevitable.
“Before you leave, make some more elixirs for the peak,” Mrs. Yang reminded him. “It is best to buy some medicinal materials and make Spirit Beast Elixirs, which are used especially for spirit beasts.”
Spirit Beast Elixirs were ranked Grade 1 and Grade 2. Grade 1 elixirs were used to enhance strength in cultivation, while Grade 2 elixirs were more precious and had the effect of opening the minds, which made them suitable for young demonic beasts.
Spirit Beast Elixirs could also be used as a substitute for sustenance. When the demonic beasts were young, what they ate was of great importance. It was not simple to raise the cubs of demonic beasts and transform them into spirit beasts.
“I see.” Chen Jingzhai nodded. “I will use up the materials I have on hand, and I will prepare a batch of medicinal pills in my possession, which can then be sold at a discount to the disciples who are going down the mountain.”
“That’s great!” Mrs. Yang nodded and smiled.
She was very satisfied with Chen Jingzhai. Although this junior brother was young, his aptitude was excellent, and he possessed great luck. More importantly, he was well-versed in interpersonal relationships and not just a cultivation idiot.
This was a relief for her. He was much more likable than that lassie, Su Qinghuang.
“Senior sister, is there anything I can do for you?” Chen Jingzhai asked.
“No.” Mrs. Yang shook her head. “I have long since cut off all ties with the mortal world, with no kin or other blood relatives to bind me. I belong to the mountain in this life.”
“Where’s Senior Sister Su?” Chen Jingzhai asked.
“Like me, she cut off all karmic ties when she first joined the clan,” Mrs. Yang said. “You should pay attention to this matter as well. Take advantage of this time to acquire hard skills and find a way to sever other karmic ties.”
“I understand!” Chen Jingzhai nodded.
Severing karmic ties was the most common thing for disciples of the clans.
Actually, a long time ago, this was meant to be a good thing.
The original intent was to prevent one’s own karma from affecting other blood relatives who remained in the mortal world.
But now, it was part of reining in the heart of the path.
Severing karmic ties was not as vile as one imagined. There was no need to kill one’s blood relatives.
The key depended on different ways and methods as well as one’s own heart.
Regarding this, Chen Jingzhai already had an idea.
He had some concerns before, but now, with no mission in his future, he had a lot of time on his hand.
He needed to think carefully about how to go about this business.
