After conversing with Jiang Xiaochuan for a time, Xu Changshou finally gleaned a measure of understanding regarding the lot of Miscellaneous Disciples.

"It is time to dine, Senior Brother Xu. Let us head to the Spirit Kitchen."

"Lead the way!"

Xu Changshou and Jiang Xiaochuan descended the stairs together.

Chuxiu Peak boasted its own Spirit Kitchen, situated squarely in the heart of the Miscellaneous Disciples' residential quarters.

Upon reaching the ground floor, Ye Shanhu and the others were nowhere to be seen; they had already departed for the dining halls.

Guided by Jiang Xiaochuan, the two stepped into the grand courtyard of the Spirit Kitchen. Before they even crossed the threshold, the rich, savory aroma of myriad dishes wafted out to greet them.

Xu Changshou's stomach gave a hollow, aching throb. Having traveled beneath the stars and morning dew with Zhang Zhengyuan for half a month, it had been a full fifteen days since he last caught the scent of a hot meal.

The Spirit Kitchen housed several massive dining halls, and the pair slipped into one at random.

Jiang Xiaochuan guided him to collect their wooden utensils, and they lined up for their rations.

The fare was unexpectedly lavish, balancing hearty meats with crisp greens. Each disciple was allotted four dishes, and the rice was entirely unrestricted.

When Xu Changshou scooped up a portion of rice, he paused in sheer astonishment. The grains here were plump, translucent, and radiant, easily exceeding ten times the size of any mortal crop.

"Try it, Senior Brother Xu. This is known as Dogtooth Rice. The taste is divine."

Xu Changshou inspected his bowl. The grains were indeed shaped like the fangs of a hound-an incredibly fitting moniker.

Shoveling a massive bite into his mouth, a vibrant, earthy fragrance erupted straight to the crown of his head. It was infinitely more succulent than the prized roast chicken from Landlord Wang's estate.

Just for a mouthful of this rice, selling my life to the Green Immortal Sect was a bargain.

He praised his fortune for landing within these walls. Had he remained in the mortal realm, when would a lowly cowherd ever taste such immortal delicacies?

"Senior Brother Xu, this is Yellow Goat Meat. The flavor is exceptionally fresh."

"Mmm, it truly is!"

A brand new world of culinary delight burst open upon Xu Changshou's tongue.

The meats of the Green Immortal Sect were profoundly nourishing. As the food settled in his belly, a surging warmth radiated through his limbs, brimming with vital essence.

Between bites, Xu Changshou feigned nonchalance, steering the conversation toward the matters of cultivation.

Since Jiang Xiaochuan's cultivation base was inferior to his own, Xu Changshou freely shared his insights on breaking through to the second layer of Qi Condensation without holding back.

In return, though Jiang Xiaochuan had only recently embarked on the Dao, he possessed a far broader worldly knowledge. He strongly advised Xu Changshou to procure Qi Gathering Pills to accelerate his progress.

Qi Gathering Pills were the most foundational elixir for cultivation. A single Spirit Stone could purchase one porcelain bottle, containing precisely ten pills.

Sated, they returned to the Gengzi Courtyard, just in time to spot Ye Shanhu emerging from the gates.

Trailing closely behind her were Shi Wantong, Lin Xian'er, Han Zong, Su Mo, Li Linhao, and the rest of their cohort.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Ye," Jiang Xiaochuan called out with a bright smile.

Ye Shanhu returned a gentle, affable smile. "Junior Brother Jiang, Junior Brother Xu. We are heading to the Duty Peak to purchase a few necessities. Would you care to join us?"

Jiang Xiaochuan chuckled. "Senior Brother Xu was just planning to buy some Qi Gathering Pills! Shall we tag along, Senior Brother Xu?"

"Indeed."

Xu Changshou gave a slight nod. "Let us all go together."

"White Jade Boat, manifest!"

Ye Shanhu tapped the Storage Bag at her waist, drawing forth a crystalline, translucent jade vessel. With a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed it into the air. The jade boat caught the wind and instantly expanded, stretching to a massive thirty to forty feet in length.

The vessel hummed, enveloped in a radiant, treasure-like halo. It was visibly superior to the crude, public transport skiffs provided by the sect.

Xu Changshou's heart seized at the sheer majesty of the artifact, yet his face remained a mask of placid calm.

He knew his roots were steeped in dirt. As a newcomer to the immortal gates, he constantly drilled one rule into his own mind: no matter what marvels or horrors he faced, he must never show his belly, lest he be looked down upon.

"Heavens, a White Jade Boat."

"Senior Sister Ye's wealth is truly unfathomable."

"What a majestic display!"

Gasps and envious murmurs rippled through the group. They all knew she hailed from the prestigious Wanbao Pavilion; to own a personal flying artifact at a mere fourth layer of Qi Condensation... comparing oneself to others would only lead to an early grave.

"Board the ship!"

Ye Shanhu bounded lightly onto the deck of the White Jade Boat, and Xu Changshou followed suit with the others.

Lin Xian'er stroked the jade hull with covetous reverence. "Senior Sister Ye, how many Spirit Stones does a treasure like this cost?"

Instantly, every pair of eyes on the deck locked onto Ye Shanhu.

They all desperately wished to fathom the price of such exorbitant luxury.

Han Zong sighed, his eyes green with envy. "Senior Sister Ye, just name the price so I can thoroughly crush my own delusions."

Ye Shanhu offered a modest smile. "It wasn't overly expensive. A mere five hundred Spirit Stones."

Lin Xian'er's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. "Five hundred Spirit Stones? And you call that not expensive?"

Han Zong flashed a bitter, self-deprecating grimace. "Well, consider my delusions officially crushed. I couldn't scrape together that kind of wealth in a lifetime of hard labor."

Li Linhao crossed his arms, his tone flat. "As expected of the Ye Clan from the Wanbao Pavilion. Deep pockets."

...

Xu Changshou swept his gaze across the deck. Aside from Li Linhao's feigned indifference, the rest were practically salivating with naked envy.

Inwardly, Xu Changshou was also burning with covetous desire. Yet, years of suffering brutal beatings under the hands of Landlord Wang's wife had beaten one supreme skill into his bones: hiding his true emotions.

She flies a five-hundred-stone vessel, and my entire net worth is a single, solitary Spirit Stone.

The chasm of wealth between the Miscellaneous Disciples was impossibly vast. But then again, my belly is full of Dogtooth Rice, and I am safely tucked within the Green Immortal Sect. What is the use in comparing myself to a young miss?

Processing these thoughts, Xu Changshou forcefully leveled his mind. He was a cowherd from the mud; just standing on this jade deck was a leap past the dragon's gate. He knew when to be content.

The scions of the minor clans, however, lacked his grounded pragmatism. Each of them practically vibrated with the fantasy of one day steering their own personal sky-ship.

Jiang Xiaochuan gulped, unable to hide his yearning. "Senior Sister Ye, does an artifact like this drain a heavy toll of spiritual energy to fly?"

"It is manageable," Ye Shanhu replied, nodding serenely. "A hundred miles only burns a single Spirit Stone fragment."

"Good heavens, the consumption is that immense?"

"Aiyo, even if I sold my blood to buy it, I'd bankrupt myself just trying to fly the damn thing!"

"Senior Sister Ye's pockets are truly bottomless."

The revelation of the boat's operating costs sent another wave of shock and dismay through the crowd.

Spirit Stone fragments were the irregular, jagged offcuts produced when carving standardized Spirit Stones.

It took one hundred such fragments to equate to the value of a single, flawless Spirit Stone.

Because Xu Changshou fundamentally lacked the context for what "spiritual consumption" meant, and barely grasped the purchasing power of a Spirit Stone, his face remained entirely devoid of shock.

Noting his utter lack of reaction, Ye Shanhu cast a subtle, appraising glance his way. To her eyes, his stoic demeanor suggested he was a hidden talent from an ancient, worldly clan-someone who had seen grander things.

Swoosh-

The White Jade Boat pierced the clouds, its ascent far swifter and infinitely smoother than the sect's lumbering ferries.

"Senior Sister Ye, looking across our entire Dongyu Cultivation World, who do you reckon stands at the absolute pinnacle?"

"If we are speaking strictly of cultivation bases within the Dongyu Immortal Forest, our Green Immortal Sect's Patriarch Xuanyang reigns supreme. He has already broken into the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm."

"Then Patriarch Xuanyang is undeniably the strongest!"

"It is not so simple. In terms of pure cultivation realm, Patriarch Xuanyang sits at the peak. However, he is a dedicated alchemist by trade. In a life-and-death struggle of magical arts, he may not be the deadliest."

"Then who is the king of combat? Is it Mo Qianji, the forefather of the Mo Clan at Fulong Ridge? Or Master Lu of the Wanchui Gate? What about the dual-cultivation masters, Long Yangzi and his wife Meilan of the Joyous Union Sect? Or perhaps Patriarch Wu Zou of the Wanxian Tower?"

"Each commands their own terrifying domain," Ye Shanhu admitted. "I cannot say for certain."

"Bah, we will find out for ourselves once we condense our own Nascent Souls!"

"Do you have any idea how treacherous the Great Dao of the Nascent Soul is?"

"I care not! I will absolutely forge my Nascent Soul Dao!"

Atop the deck of the White Jade Boat, the gaggle of young men and women boasted and bickered with the boundless arrogance of youth. They casually threw around terms like "Nascent Soul," as though their ascension to the patriarchate was preordained destiny.

Xu Changshou internally scoffed at their naive grandstanding. Yet, he listened closely, quietly mapping out the borders of the cultivation world from their idle chatter.

This sprawling, mystical domain was known as the Dongyu Cultivation World.

Five great powers held the region in a delicate, balanced deadlock: the Green Immortal Sect, the Mo Clan of Fulong Ridge, the Wanchui Gate, the Joyous Union Sect, and the Wanxian Tower.

So much for being the 'Number One Immortal Sect Under Heaven.' Xu Changshou realized with a cold, pragmatic clarity that Zhang Zhengyuan's grand boasts back then had been nothing more than cheap bait-a lie spun solely to lure a naive cowherd into the sect to secure a guide's bounty.