Ye Shanhu explained, "Since we are Miscellaneous Disciples, the Sect recruited us for one purpose: labor. Naturally, as Qi Condensation cultivators, the tasks required of us are those beyond the capabilities of mortals. However, until we reach the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, we are not even considered true Miscellaneous Disciples. Only then will we possess the capability to actually work."

"Mm."

Xu Changshou nodded in silent agreement. It was only at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation that a cultivator could manifest their Spiritual Qi externally. Only then were they considered true cultivators.

Prior to the seventh layer, they were little more than ordinary mortals blessed with extraordinary physical strength.

External release of Spiritual Qi was the absolute prerequisite to participate in the Sect's operations.

As they stood now, they lacked the qualifications to even serve as indentured servants.

Ye Shanhu continued, "The Sect has ordered us to re-evaluate our Spirit Roots. They will dictate our assigned duties."

"Duties are assigned based on our Spirit Roots?" Su Mo asked, his brow furrowing.

Ye Shanhu replied calmly, "Indeed. Three years from now, we will be distributed among the Seven Great Peaks to serve as Miscellaneous Disciples. The criteria for this distribution is, naturally, our Spirit Roots. For instance, if your Spirit Root possesses Water, Fire, and Wood attributes, then congratulations-you may be sent to Danxia Peak to serve as an alchemy apprentice. If you possess Gold, Fire, and Wind attributes, you will likely be thrown to Red Fire Peak as a bellows boy. If your affinities include the Dark attribute, then Fengdu Peak awaits."

Su Mo's scowl deepened. "I possess a Gold, Fire, and Wind Spirit Root. Does that mean I am destined for Red Fire Peak?"

Ye Shanhu nodded. "Precisely. Your fate is eighty percent sealed."

"Senior Sister Ye, what exactly does a bellows boy do?" Su Mo asked.

Ye Shanhu spread her hands. "A bellows boy operates the forge bellows for the artifact refiners."

"This..."

Su Mo's face turned visibly dark.

"Senior Sister Ye, do all Miscellaneous Disciples possess triple-attribute Spirit Roots?"

Xu Changshou was the one who voiced the question.

He possessed a Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root. With such an absurdly cluttered foundation, what cursed peak would he be banished to?

He kept his deepest anxieties locked away. When registering at the Duty Hall, Liu Chuansheng had officially recorded him as having a Five-Element attribute. If this re-evaluation exposed his true Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root, would he be expelled from the Sect entirely?

Ye Shanhu clarified, "We Miscellaneous Disciples generally harbor three or four mixed elements. Anyone blessed with a pure dual-attribute or single-attribute Spirit Root would have been immediately escorted to Spirit Elegance Peak."

Jiang Xiaochuan chimed in, "Senior Sister Ye, which of the Seven Great Peaks is the most desirable?"

"Taiyi Peak and Danxia Peak, without question," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Why?"

"Taiyi Peak is the sovereign summit. The elders there are the Sect's highest echelon; they cultivate in seclusion and rarely demand menial labor, making the duties there quite relaxed. Danxia Peak is populated by alchemists. Serving them is grueling, but occasionally, an apprentice is rewarded with a batch of defective Pills. For us Miscellaneous Disciples, such scraps are a monumental Fated Chance. Furthermore, those assigned to Danxia Peak will eventually learn the rudiments of alchemy. There is also the matter of Spiritual Qi. The Green Immortal Sect sits upon three primary Spiritual Veins. Taiyi Peak, Danxia Peak, and Spirit Elegance Peak each monopolize one. Therefore, cultivation naturally progresses faster on those summits."

Zhang Feixian beamed with sheer joy. "Excellent! I possess Water, Fire, and Wood. I can go to Danxia Peak!"

Jiang Xiaochuan pressed further, "And the worst peaks?"

Ye Shanhu pondered for a moment. "The most abysmal postings are Fengdu Peak and Green Ink Peak."

"Ah!"

Han Zong's face twisted in bitter despair. "Senior Sister Ye, my Spirit Root harbors the Dark attribute. Am I doomed to Fengdu Peak? What makes it so terrible?"

Ye Shanhu offered a sympathetic shrug. "Blame your rotten luck. Fengdu Peak specializes in the dark arts of corpse refinement. The primary duty of a Miscellaneous Disciple there is to dig graves and rob tombs to supply the refiners with fresh bodies."

"What?!"

Han Zong looked as though he might weep.

"Senior Sister Ye, what is wrong with Green Ink Peak?" Lin Xian'er asked.

"Green Ink Peak is dedicated to talisman crafting," Ye Shanhu explained. "Among the Six Arts of the Immortal Dao, it is considered the most useless. Talismans aid cultivators in combat and are roughly divided into three categories: attack, defense, and escape. During the Qi Condensation stage, disciples rely heavily on talismans because they lack the prowess to wield true Magical Artifacts. However, once a cultivator breaches Foundation Establishment, they acquire their own Magical Artifacts, rendering talismans entirely obsolete."

That makes perfect sense...

Xu Changshou nodded to himself. From what little he understood, talismans did seem like a dead end. Take the yellow fireball talisman Zhang Zhengyuan had gifted Landlord Wang. If a cultivator possessed a Fire attribute, they could casually hurl true fireballs by the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. A mere paper construct was pathetically redundant.

"Furthermore, Green Ink Peak is the only summit without a Golden Core ancestor holding the line," Ye Shanhu continued, detailing its bleak reality. "Not only are they devoid of a Golden Core master, they possess only a single Foundation Establishment cultivator. The density of Spiritual Qi at Green Ink Peak ranks dead last. It is the absolute worst place to end up."

"Senior Sister Ye, what kind of Spirit Root condemns a disciple to Green Ink Peak?"

Xu Changshou rubbed his temples. After hearing her brutal assessment, Green Ink Peak sounded like a graveyard for ambition.

"The more chaotic and mixed a person's Spirit Roots, the higher the likelihood of being dumped at Green Ink Peak."

"Why?" Xu Changshou's stomach plummeted. He held a Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root. Who could possibly be more chaotic than him?

Ye Shanhu laughed. "Because drafting talismans requires channeling a diverse array of elemental energies. Almost all ten foundational attributes are utilized. Naturally, the more chaotic the foundation, the better suited they are for the grunt work."

Xu Changshou's expression turned utterly ashen.

Ye Shanhu paused, surprised by his visceral reaction. "Junior Brother Xu, why are you so agitated? What is your Spirit Root?"

"Uh..."

Xu Changshou hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering, "I possess a Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root."

"What? A Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root?"

"Heavens, a foundation steeped in all five poisons!"

"Senior Brother Xu's 'talent' is truly... one of a kind."

Shock rippled through the gathered disciples.

Xu Changshou held his tongue. If I told them I actually harbored a Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root, their eyes might pop out of their skulls.

A wry smile curled Ye Shanhu's lips. "Junior Brother Xu, your luck is terrible. The strict baseline for Green Ink Peak is four attributes or more. I have also heard that talisman crafting is a purely output-oriented labor. It drains Spiritual Qi like a bottomless pit."

Xu Changshou forced a bitter smile. "Senior Sister Ye, is there any way I can avoid Green Ink Peak?"

Ye Shanhu chuckled softly. "Junior Brother Xu, do you truly believe we can defy the will of the Sect?"

"Uh..."

Xu Changshou had no retort. He was a lowly ant in the sect's hierarchy; defying their decree was tantamount to suicide.

Ye Shanhu covered her mouth, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Do not despair just yet, Junior Brother Xu. It is not entirely hopeless."

"There is a way?"

"It is quite simple. Two paths exist," Ye Shanhu held up two delicate fingers. "First, if you are acquainted with a Foundation Establishment grandmaster, you can entreat them to personally request your reassignment. Green Ink Peak's influence is pitifully weak; they would never dare challenge a Foundation Establishment master from a rival peak."

"Second, you grease the wheels. Bribe the administrators and smooth things over from top to bottom. Ultimately, the placement of a single Miscellaneous Disciple is too trivial for anyone to scrutinize."

"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Sister Ye."

Xu Changshou cupped his hands respectfully, but his heart tasted like ash.

Ye Shanhu's logic was flawless: either rely on powerful connections or cold, hard Spirit Stones.

He was utterly devoid of both.

The absolute pinnacle of wealth within his Storage Bag consisted of four meager Qi Gathering Pills and fifty jagged Spirit Stone fragments.

Offering such scraps as a bribe was an insult.

What Foundation Establishment grandmaster would even glance at a peasant cowherd, let alone accept his loose change?

Forget it. Slaving away over talismans is still a step up from shoveling dung as a cowherd.

Coming from the lowest rungs of mortal society had blessed Xu Changshou with one supreme advantage: an impenetrable, pragmatic mindset.

No matter how bleak the reality, he could instantly adapt his expectations to survive.