Starting with 50 Spirit Stones and 2 Hours with My Senior Sister as Daoist Consort

Too bad Li Chuan didn’t have mist-piercing eyes—no matter how hard he stared, the fog stayed opaque.

The unseen always stirs the mind. It drove him nuts—tempted to chuck some spirit stones at the Sect Leader to clear it, just to peek at his cultivation tricks.

Seeing Li Chuan gawk at the Spirit Gathering Array, Zhao Dacheng, who’d brought him, said, “Every Yin-Yang Sect branch’s Sect Leader hall has a Spirit Gathering Array.”

“This one’s a top-grade Tier 4.”

“Unless it’s something major, Master usually doesn’t step out of it.”

Tier 4 matched Nascent Soul realm. The Minshan branch had hundreds of Core Formation cultivators, but the Sect Leader and elders were all Core Formation—Nascent Souls moved to richer-veined branches or the main sect.

So this top-grade Tier 4 array? God-tier in Minshan.

You could see it in Zhao Dacheng’s hungry eyes—he coveted that array bad.

Li Chuan nearly blurted, Why not ask your master to let you hop in? It’s not like it’s just one guy in there!

The array spanned about a four-person bed—squeeze a bit, and a dozen could fit, no sweat.

“Master, your disciple’s brought outer sect Junior Brother Li Chuan to pay respects,” Zhao Dacheng said, standing firm in the hall, bowing to the array.

Li Chuan mimicked him: “Outer sect disciple Li Chuan pays respects to the Sect Leader.”

They stood in the hall, but the array was dozens of meters off—shows how massive this place was.

A deep voice boomed from the array: “Li Chuan, you played a big part in the sect snagging that spirit vein. The Yin-Yang Sect always rewards and punishes fair.”

“Here’s your reward: one top-grade Tier 1 spirit weapon, plus 100 each of top-grade Tier 1 pills—Cultivation Base Pill, Spirit Gathering Pill, Qi Replenishing Pill, Bone Strengthening Pill, Vitality Pill, Vision Enhancing Pill, Light Body Pill, Body Fortifying Pill, Spirit Scent Pill, Fatigue Relief Pill, Heart Nourishing Pill, Vein Moistening Pill, Vein Clearing Pill, Organ Tempering Pill, and Spirit Yang Pill.”

Li Chuan listened, tallying in his head.

A hundred per pill didn’t sound huge, but with so many types, it added up—tens of thousands of spirit stones, easy.

No top-tier pills, probably ‘cause his body couldn’t handle them.

Cultivation pills weren’t “higher quality, better”—they had to match your realm.

Too strong too soon? Dan poison buildup’s the least of it—lose control of the potency, and you’re a popped balloon.

The sheer pill count showed how insane cultivation resource demands got.

Some—like Bone Strengthening, Vision Enhancing, Body Fortifying, or Light Body—weren’t must-haves.

But skip them, and tiny gaps in a fight ballooned.

Plus, crossing from Core Formation to Nascent Soul meant facing a lightning tribulation. No bone strength, body fortitude, vein care, or organ tempering? Good luck surviving that.

Even if you skimp early for quick breakthroughs due to tight resources, you’d have to catch up later.

That spirit weapon? Worth about 6,000 stones outside—pretty hefty.

The Yin-Yang Sect’s reward was lavish, but next to a spirit vein? A drop in the bucket.

“I see your body’s low on yang qi, drowning in yin. Keep that up, trouble’s coming. Go grab a Blazing Sun Incineration Technique—it pairs with your Yin-Yang Dawn Technique. They stem from the same Earth-tier method, won’t slow you down.”

Li Chuan bowed quick. “Thanks for the reward, Sect Leader!”

He hadn’t clocked the yin overload himself, but Sect Leader Ye Xiuwen’s nudge made him guess why.

“Your situation—you know it. If you hit Foundation, I’ll take you as my disciple.”

Li Chuan blinked—didn’t see that coming. “Sect Leader, don’t worry—I’ll make Foundation for sure!”

A Sect Leader’s disciple? He’d strut sideways in the sect.

He got Ye Xiuwen’s hesitation—his talent sucked. Thirty-plus years for third level Qi Refining? In a sect ranking, he’d be dead last, no contest.

But he had confidence.

First, his old techniques were trash, and good resources were out of reach—hence the crawl.

Second, beyond these rewards, his stone-earning game was strong. Crappy talent? Pile on pills and brute-force the realm.

“Hm, that’s some confidence. Go with Dacheng to claim your stuff.”

Silence followed—Li Chuan felt a pang of letdown.

He didn’t care much about seeing the Sect Leader—he wanted to know who else was in that array.

Damn his nosy streak.

Leaving the hall with Zhao Dacheng, he couldn’t hold back. “Senior Brother Chief Overseer, that Spirit Gathering Array in the Sect Leader’s hall—only he can use it?”

Subtle as a brick, huh.

Zhao Dacheng grinned. “Nah, not restricted. The Sect Leader controls it—whoever he lets in, gets in. Just, more people, weaker effect.”

“Oh, so the Sect Leader and his Dao companion cultivate in there?”

“Not always—sometimes elders or other Core Formation uncles join in.”

Li Chuan’s eyes lit up. “Senior Brother Chief Overseer, how do they cultivate in there? Dual cultivation? Real talk, I’ve never tried a Spirit Gathering Array!”

Zhao Dacheng laughed. “Not about the array, huh—you’re dying to know how they cultivate in there. One look at your yin qi, and I can guess what’s on your mind.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you—watch out for lust demons sprouting. Lose your Dao heart, and you’re on the demonic path, screwed for cultivation.”

Welp, lectured.

But Li Chuan wouldn’t quit. “So, Senior Brother—how do they cultivate in there?”

Zhao Dacheng’s mouth quirked. “How’d I know? Never been in. Every time I see Master, that array’s fogged up—can’t see squat.”

“Even if it’s what you’re imagining, so what?”

“At Master’s level—and the elders’—it’s all cultivation in their hearts. Not like you, still eyeballing stuff like a mortal.”

“Junior Brother, this is the Yin-Yang Sect. You’re in—ditch those old notions.”

“Look at our resources—outer sect’s still full of disciples stuck pre-Foundation, all ‘cause mortal baggage drags them down.”

“When they see through it, let it go—that’s when they break through.”

Li Chuan couldn’t resist. “Then, Senior Brother, bold question—have you let it go?”

“‘Course I have. If my heart wasn’t steady, Master wouldn’t have made me Chief Overseer.”

“Sweet! Senior Brother, you don’t know—I’m hooked on immortal bonds lately, but I’m stumped on partners. Who’s your Dao companion, Senior Sister-wise? Hook me up, I wanna—”

???

“Get lost…”