My Beasts Grind Proficiency For Me

Money talks. After paying with a bottle of Foundation Establishment Stage Elixirs, Yang Jing was indeed led to the Cave Mansion with the most abundant Spiritual Qi in the entire Celestial Star Institute.

The green-robed Cultivator retrieved a Copper Order from the Chief Steward’s office.

"Senior, this is the Token for the Cave Mansion’s Array. After Refining it, you’ll be able to control the various Restrictions within the Cave Mansion. The Sect also has a Marketplace, so if you wish to purchase anything, you can go there. Since the tradition of the Nine Marvels Competition began, no visiting Cultivator has ever been secretly harmed within the Sect. You can rest assured."

Yang Jing nodded and accepted the Token.

Even though the green-robed Cultivator said so, he had no plans to go out and wander around before the Nine Marvels Competition.

With his current Cultivation, ordinary Spiritual Objects could hardly increase his Magical Power in the slightest, so there was no point in visiting the Nine Marvels Sect’s Marketplace. Moreover, life was unpredictable, and nothing was ever one hundred percent certain.

After he Refined the Token, he used his own understanding of Array Formation to alter some of the Array’s settings. This way, even if the person who originally set up the Array were to come, they wouldn’t be able to bypass his senses and sneak inside.

After taking care of the Array, he took out his four Magical Treasures, placing the Profound Celestial Furnace in the Alchemy Room, hanging the Celestial Waterfall Sword from a rafter, the Five Fire Gourd in the Quiet Chamber, and the Demon-Catching Tripod directly in the courtyard.

These locations were all key nodes of the Array. With these four Magical Treasures anchoring them, not even a Nascent Soul Cultivator could break through the Array in a short time.

After handling all of this, Yang Jing spent all his remaining time cultivating the Nine Yang Body and Refining his Magical Treasures.

Previously, in his focus to advance the Tai Shi Five Elements True Talisman Scripture, he hadn’t spent much energy on Refining his Magical Treasures. As a result, the Five Fire Gourd’s power hadn’t increased much since it was first forged. The Celestial Waterfall Sword and the Demon-Catching Tripod had improved, but that was due to their innate abilities to draw in Star Power and Refine Celestial Demons.

Now that he had the leisure, Yang Jing naturally prepared to properly Refine the Five Fire Gourd.

This Magical Treasure, forged using a Divine Prohibition, was the most powerful offensive weapon among the many Yang Jing had created. He simply had other powerful techniques of his own, so he rarely used it.

Although he remained in closed-door cultivation, Yang Jing did not give up on gathering information about the outside world. Every so often, he would summon the two Flying Cranes and the green-robed Cultivator to ask for news about the Nine Marvels Competition.

The Flying Cranes and the green-robed Cultivator were among the lowest-ranking members of the Nine Marvels Sect. Because they were always busy with trivial matters, they were surprisingly well-informed.

They knew who was arrogant and overbearing, looking down on everyone, and who seemed approachable but, in reality, held Demons and Low Tier Cultivators like them in utter contempt.

This was especially true for the two Flying Cranes.

In the Central Continent Inland, most Demons had either been subjugated or slain, or had only just awakened a hazy consciousness. As a result, these noble-born Golden Core Cultivators paid little mind to the two Flying Cranes.

Aside from some confidential matters, they made no effort to hide their discussions from the two Flying Cranes.

In his early years, Yang Jing had Refined a large batch of Elixirs that were particularly effective for Demons. These were no longer of much use to his disciples, but they worked wonders for bribing these Flying Cranes, whose foundations were shallow and whose Cultivation had been artificially boosted.

Because he could see the Flying Cranes’ Affinity levels, he wasn’t the least bit worried about being betrayed.

Soon, by exploiting the blind spots in the perspectives of the Golden Core Cultivators from the Central Continent, he gathered a wealth of information.

As expected, the Cultivators participating in the Nine Marvels Competition were busy forming cliques. After all, even someone with extraordinary Talent would struggle to Refine much of the Nine Marvelous Creation Qi alone.

Even if someone managed to snatch a good amount of Nine Marvelous Creation Qi by relying on their own Power, they would only incite the collective wrath of the others and find themselves under siege.

One had to understand that Refining the Nine Marvelous Creation Qi could not be disturbed. Furthermore, it could only be Refined within that specific Small Realm. If taken outside, it would dissipate within a few breaths, turning back into a surge of pure Spiritual Qi and returning to the world.

After all, the Nine Marvelous Creation Qi was coalesced by the Divine Techniques of the Nine Marvels Tripod. If it strayed too far from the tripod, it naturally could not be sustained.

If they formed alliances to compete against other Golden Core groups, the strongest member could Refine the Qi first. Their Power would increase significantly, greatly boosting the group’s chances of seizing even more Nine Marvelous Creation Qi.

Eventually, even those with the least Power could get the leftovers. Even if they didn’t get a share of the Nine Marvelous Creation Qi, they could still be rewarded with Magical Treasures and Spirit Pills.

Although the ancestors of these Sects and Noble Families had produced Divinity Transformation experts, and may have even been among the top Major Sects and Noble Families of the Central Continent, they had long since fallen into decline and were struggling to carry on.

They endured countless hardships to participate in the Nine Marvels Competition, all for the minuscule chance of one day breaking through to Divinity Transformation and restoring their former glory.

The Nine Marvels Competition, after one stepped into the Nine Marvels Sect, turned from competition into cooperation.

When the Sect Leader had given Yang Jing the opportunity for the Nine Marvels Competition, he had included a list of Sects they had cooperated with in the past, suggesting he could choose to ally with them upon arriving at the Nine Marvels Sect.

But with his Power, Yang Jing naturally had no desire to eat others’ leftovers.

Given his origins from the Western Continent, even if he were to reveal some of his Power, the Central Continent Cultivators would discount it by half in their minds.

Since that was the case, he might as well go it alone. He had no companions, but with his Magical Treasures to aid him, Yang Jing wasn’t afraid in the slightest. His last-minute effort to Refine his Magical Treasures was in preparation for just this scenario.

But as the saying goes, the tree wishes for stillness, but the wind will not cease. While he thought this way, the other participating Golden Core Cultivators had different ideas.

The list of Cultivators who had already arrived at the Celestial Star Institute could not be hidden from those with an interest in it.

The two Golden Core Cultivators from the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, being the only people from the Western Continent in the Nine Marvels Competition, had long been viewed as prime cannon fodder by the Cultivators from the Central Continent.

Since Yang Jing had yet to choose a group to ally with, some of the weaker bands of Cultivators began to see him as someone they could recruit and order around.

He was still in the Quiet Chamber Refining his Celestial Waterfall Sword when a Token suddenly shot in from outside the Array, hovering and bobbing in the courtyard in an extremely eye-catching manner.

Yang Jing sighed helplessly. Thanks to the intelligence from his Flying Cranes, he already knew who was behind this Token.

Before entering the Small Realm, he didn’t want to reveal too much of his Power and make others wary. He had no choice but to feign the fearful and ignorant demeanor of an uncultured rustic as he walked out of the Grand Array.

He saw a young Cultivator dressed in a Treasure Robe, his face radiating wealth and nobility. The young man stood outside the Array, a look of impatience on his face.

"May I ask why you’ve come looking for me, fellow Daoist?"

Yang Jing asked.

Seeing Yang Jing exude the lingering scent of poverty so common among Western Continent Cultivators, the wealthy young man breathed an inward sigh of relief. ’Good, at least he isn’t one of those stubborn barbarians who are as poor as they are unyielding.’

"Young Master Yi of the Central Continent’s Yi Family has united with several others to participate in the Nine Marvels Competition. He saw that you were being ignored and, taking pity on you, has decided to offer you a chance. If you can make some contributions in the Nine Marvels Small Realm, you might even earn yourself a Magical Treasure or a Spirit Pill or two."

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