Wen Qingxue scrutinized Xu Xian for several moments. Instead of refusing as she had before, she asked, "Grand-Uncle, what are you planning to do?"
Xu Xian answered honestly, "I'm going to get a foundation establishment pill to break through."
Wen Qingxue gazed at Xu Xian quietly, her expression strange and her lips sealed.
Cold as frost and clear as moonlight—that was the only way to describe Wen Qingxue's gaze. It made Xu Xian feel a bit unsettled. He curled his lip and said, "Fine, forget it if it's too much trouble."
A gentleman shouldn't force someone's hand.
Seeing Xu Xian turn to leave, Wen Qingxue called out to stop him. "A foundation establishment pill doesn't cost money."
Xu Xian froze in his tracks. He turned back suddenly, looking at her with disbelief. "Huh... no money?"
Wen Qingxue nodded.
Xu Xian remained skeptical. "There's such a good deal?"
This didn't seem like the Wendao Sword Sect's style at all.
Wen Qingxue explained, "When a sect disciple reaches foundation establishment, they can go directly to the Elixir Hall to collect a foundation establishment pill. However, before going there, you need to visit the Mission Hall to get a certification and fill out an application. Once you've broken through, you pay off the debt by completing missions. One foundation establishment pill is equivalent to one Grade A mission, or three Grade B missions..."
Xu Xian's eyes lit up as he listened.
"That's actually an option?"
Wen Qingxue nodded. "Yes. Foundation establishment pills are very expensive; one costs ten thousand merit points. A standard Grade A mission only grants about three thousand merit points upon completion. Naturally, the sect wants its disciples to break through as quickly as possible, so they won't make things difficult. This system exists firstly to prevent waste, and secondly to motivate the disciples. Once a debt is recorded, it must be repaid. Of course, if you don't want to do missions, you can buy one with merit points, though it's more expensive that way..."
Xu Xian understood immediately. The Wendao Sword Sect governed five thousand miles of territory.
They were situated deep in the Northern Borders.
To the north was the North Sea.
To the east was the Great Desolation.
To the west was the Demon Abyss.
Aside from the south, they were surrounded by enemies on three sides, all occupied by alien races.
Although the Sword Ancestor had driven these races out years ago, as time passed, some would always sneak across the border to wreak havoc among mortals.
The Wendao Sword Sect, in its duty to eliminate demons and defend the Dao, naturally took the lead.
Within the sect, most Grade A and Grade B missions involved slaying demons, suppressing devils, or purging evil...
It was indeed a perfect fit.
"Alright, I've got it. Thanks, Wen. I'm off."
"Grand-Uncle."
"Something else?"
Wen Qingxue said softly, "Even though you can take the foundation establishment pill on credit, you still have to complete missions to pay it back. It's best if you stabilize your cultivation first. That way, you can minimize the number of failed attempts. If there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask me."
Xu Xian flashed a confident grin, showing his white teeth. "Don't worry. Do you know who your Grand-Uncle is? I'm a natural genius. One pill is all it'll take. Just watch, haha!"
Wen Qingxue knit her elegant brows slightly...
It sounded like a boast, yet she didn't refute him.
Though her Little Grand-Uncle often seemed unreliable, he was actually quite dependable, especially regarding his cultivation talent.
Ten months.
Body refining.
Qi refining.
And now, foundation establishment.
This speed was rare in the entire Wendao Sword Sect, even in Fanzhou. After all, throughout the entire process, he had never relied on external help—not even half a spirit stone. Even his meals were just spiritual porridge.
Had they not lived in the same courtyard and seen each other every day, she would have suspected Xu Xian was secretly taking pills to force his growth. Otherwise, how could he be so fast?
It wasn't until Xu Xian walked out of the courtyard that she retracted her gaze and lowered her eyes, whispering to herself.
"I hope so."
She returned to her room and closed the wooden door.
Sometimes, she really couldn't understand it. Her Little Grand-Uncle was clearly so hard-working and talented, so why were the Sect Master and Peak Master so strict with him, refusing to give him even a shred of resources?
In particular, they had chosen her to look after him.
And they had specifically instructed that unless Xu Xian asked, she was not to intervene in his cultivation.
Other disciples—even herself in the past—inevitably had masters guiding them and providing secret assistance during their cultivation. But for the Little Grand-Uncle...
He had nothing.
They had only provided him with a cultivation manual; he was truly self-taught.
To be honest, although the Little Grand-Uncle's realm was lower than hers and he was much younger, she truly admired him from the bottom of her heart.
She couldn't fathom the reasoning, but she accepted it. She assumed the Sect Master must have his own intentions.
Xu Xian left the house and randomly stopped a disciple.
"Grand-Uncle, what do you need?"
"Take me to the Mission Hall."
"Oh."
The disciple summoned a long sword. Xu Xian leaped onto it, standing with his hands behind his back.
"Let's go."
The disciple warned, "Grand-Uncle, my sword control is a bit... wild. Maybe you should hold onto me?"
Xu Xian glanced at the male disciple and ultimately refused, chuckling. "How wild can it be? Just go."
"Oh!"
A moment later...
In front of the Zhijian Peak Mission Hall, Xu Xian jumped off the sword. He gave the disciple a deep look, searing the boy's face into his memory.
It was indeed wild!
He had almost been sent to the afterlife!
"Young man, you need to practice your sword control more. This isn't safe."
"Hehe, I know, Grand-Uncle."
"Go on, get back to whatever you were doing."
The disciple said blankly, "Little Grand-Uncle, I'm not busy. I'll wait for you here. Aren't you going to the Elixir Hall in a bit?"
Xu Xian shuddered.
"There's really no need."
Leaving a word of thanks, he sprinted away.
The disciple scratched his head and said foolishly, "Little Grand-Uncle is surprisingly polite..."
With that, he flew off on his sword...
Three breaths later.
A loud curse echoed from outside Zhijian Peak.
"Crap! Aren't you looking where you're flying? You hit someone!"
Xu Xian happened to hear it. He looked back, heart still pounding with lingering fear.
"Tsk tsk, that kid... how is he so reckless?"
There was only one Mission Hall in the entire Wendao Sword Sect.
It was massive.
All missions were accepted and posted here.
Any disciple at the foundation establishment stage or above could accept external missions here.
There were two types of missions.
One was issued by the sect.
The other was issued by individuals within the sect. For the latter, the poster not only had to pay the reward but also a ten percent commission to the sect.
Missions were categorized by difficulty, with clear prices listed.
It was noon.
Disciples were coming and going in great numbers, some walking alone, others in small groups. It was very lively and peaceful.
Xu Xian didn't squeeze into the crowd. After asking around, he went directly to the foundation establishment pill collection counter to register.
In the Wendao Sword Sect, there weren't many new disciples.
They recruited once every five years, taking in only about a hundred people. Including those recruited individually by sect ancestors and elders, the annual average never exceeded fifty.
Therefore, any business related to new disciples was extremely quiet.
Right now, for instance.
When Xu Xian arrived, the female disciple handling the paperwork was fast asleep.
A girl snoring was indeed a rare sight.
He went through the process. After filling out the forms, under the enthusiastic farewell of the female disciple, Xu Xian walked out of the Mission Hall. Just as he was about to pick another lucky person to hitch a ride with, a snowy-white hand tapped his shoulder.
"Little Grand-Uncle!"
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