Night deepened, and stars began to twinkle one by one.
The stone pot gurgled gently, sending up a fragrant steam. Zhang Song licked his lips. "About done?"
"Yep," Gu An flared his nostrils, feeling his stomach grumble in agreement.
They carried the stone pot and bamboo tube to the table and sat down.
Opening the stone pot, the spicy aroma mingled with the scent of fresh meat. The broth was milky white. Splitting the bamboo tube revealed the roast spirit chicken, its fragrance filling the air.
Zhang Song tilted the bamboo wine jar, letting pale green liquid drizzle into a ceramic bowl like spring rain. The wine column hit the bottom of the bowl, tiny bubbles climbing upwards. A sweet aroma rose along with it.
The liquid settled in layers: sedimented fruit at the bottom, clear wine in the middle, and a jade-like glow from the fresh bamboo at the top. Though slightly murky, it exuded spiritual energy.
Gu An sniffed uncertainly. "This… is spirit wine, right? Your grandpa didn't grab the wrong stuff? You didn't just sneak it?"
"Of course not! This is a first-rank, low-grade dragon fruit wine. If I got caught, they'd break my legs!" Zhang Song grinned.
Gu An guessed correctly—this jug of wine probably cost five or six spirit stones. Zhang Song's grandfather wouldn't be so generous otherwise; after all, he had more than one grandson to support. This was likely the last big gift.
Seeing Gu An's gaze flicker, Zhang Song teased, "My grandpa also gave me a First-Rank Mid-Grade Lihuo Sword and thirty spirit stones. Your boy's rich now too."
Gu An shook his head. True, Zhang Song had a much higher starting point—no need to overthink it.Still, thinking of [Spirit Source Feedback], his mood lifted again.
"Drink up," Zhang Song said, noticing Gu An's shifting expression.
"To the future," Gu An replied, raising his bowl.
The wine touched his lips—clear and sweet, with mid-notes of fruit and a subtle bamboo aroma, finishing with the warm hint of honey. It felt as though he were standing in a rain-washed bamboo grove—pure and invigorating.
A faint ripple of spiritual energy flowed through him, slightly boosting his cultivation.
Halfway through, their conversation turned to the future.
"I plan to join the Demon Hunting Team. Take contracts hunting monsters and collecting medicinal herbs—spirit stones come faster that way."
"Not bragging, but with my dual cultivation body and the Lihuo Sword, I'd be prized in any hunting squad. Small demons? Easy pickings."
"Then I'll gather spirit stones like it's nothing, break through to Foundation Establishment in one go, and become a Foundation Elder."
"After that, a True Immortal might recognize me, push me to Gold Core, and I'll succeed in one try. That's when I become a Gold Core True Immortal."
"Once I'm a Gold Core True Immortal, Qingyuan Sect? Flat out under my feet."
Gu An listened to Zhang Song's wild boasting and didn't mind—he smiled and raised his cup.
"To the future Gold Core True Immortal."
He drained the cup in one gulp.
Truth be told, Zhang Song wasn't entirely bluffing. Joining the Demon Hunting Team was risky, but the rewards were fast—spirit stones and opportunities were abundant. Qingyuan Mountains, a branch of the Yunwu Range, were rich in resources. A practical choice, and the path to Zhang Song's Foundation breakthrough was much less distant.
Gu An took another sip, feeling slightly tipsy, cheeks flushed. "My combat ability isn't great. I should find a sect-run enterprise to manage. Preferably a spirit beast farm—I've been raising Rainbow-Feather Chickens for three years, so I know a bit."
"Easy. Half a month later, my grandpa's on duty at the General Affairs Hall. You go check it out. He knows all the ins and outs."
"Alright, then I won't hold back—will go for a polite visit."
Zhang Song waved casually. "Hey, no need for all that. He already likes you."
Gu An tapped the cup edge lightly, feeling touched, and raised his wine again before downing it.
Half a month passed like a blink.
In a quiet room, a young man slowly withdrew his spiritual power; the blue glow faded. This was Gu An.
Since drinking with Zhang Song, he had spent the days practicing spells—Zhang Song had left the next day to join the Demon Hunting Team. With no other tasks, Gu An focused on mastering his three spells.
Now, he could cast all three smoothly—ready for combat.
In the past two weeks, he had absorbed thirteen wisps of spiritual energy. Extremely pure and easy to refine, they had pushed his cultivation forward significantly. He estimated that with eighty more, he could reach Fifth Layer of Qi Refining.
Outside, only about thirty Rainbow-Feather Chickens remained—not enough for more feedback. And [Spirit Source Feedback] required creatures he raised himself. Since he'd only been raising these chickens for a year, Qingyun Tower delaying their slaughter wouldn't count toward him.
"Time to open a source of energy—need to hurry."
Gu An had been unable to fully exploit his golden finger for over half a month. Today happened to be Zhang Song's grandfather's duty day—perfect for him to check for opportunities.
Why that day in particular? Because the most profitable assignments never went to outsiders. Steward Liu occasionally got to eat a spirit chicken, and other spirit farm managers had their perks too—this wasn't a one-off.
The Qingyuan Sect required a fixed number of spirit beasts to be turned in, not overly generous—but with a little ingenuity, he could keep some surplus.
With that in mind, Gu An quickly prepared and headed out.
The General Affairs Hall wasn't far from Xiaoqian Peak, located between five outer disciple peaks and one inner disciple peak. Many Qingyuan Sect buildings were here, including the Scripture Pavilion he had visited before.
The peak itself was called Qingyun Peak.
The sect had a third-rank spiritual vein, covering nine peaks: six disciple peaks, Qingyun Peak, Qingyuan Peak(housing the sect's main hall and core protective formation), and Chuyun Peak for Foundation and Gold Core elders.
Beyond these nine peaks were scattered veins—mountains, valleys, and other sect enterprises—providing a steady stream of resources.
Gu An activated his Lightness Technique and sped toward Qingyun Peak.
Upon arrival at the General Affairs Hall, morning mist still lingered. The wooden hall gleamed with spiritual light.
Thin blue smoke rose from the bronze incense burner. Several disciples were already receiving assignments.
A long jade table faced the entrance. A slightly plump, kind-faced old man in a blue robe sat behind it, with two young senior disciples on either side. Several jade slips were neatly arranged before them.
The elder's fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, the jade counter clinking crisply with each touch.
Gu An stepped forward and bowed. "Manager Zhang, disciple Gu An is here to receive an assignment."
The elder glanced up. "Hmm… Your last task had some issues. Come with me to the Quiet Room for a detailed discussion."
"Yu Feng, Murong Lin, keep an eye on things," he added, then rose and led Gu An inside.