My Beasts Grind Proficiency For Me-Chapter 113 - 18: The Jade Treasure 8-Course Feast
Kang Guang Tower’s Spiritual Food was a delicacy unparalleled in Huangyuan Marketplace, especially the Eight Treasures Jade Cuisine. Whenever the ingredients for a full course of the Eight Treasures Jade Cuisine were gathered, it would be pre-booked by the Foundation Establishment Clans and the Marketplace’s stewards and scribes.
Ordinary Cultivators had only heard of the Eight Treasures Jade Cuisine by name and rarely had a chance to see it.
It was only because Yang Jing and the others had a special status today—having become Outer Disciples of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect—that Kang Guang Tower had specially reserved this course of the Eight Treasures Jade Cuisine as a gesture of goodwill.
Amidst the pleasant sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, dancers in long, wide-sleeved dresses moved gracefully. As they danced, clouds of mist rose between their steps, making them look just like Nine Heavens Fairies.
With Ren Xingzhou setting the mood, the atmosphere at the banquet was extremely lively. The Cultivators present were, after all, still just youths under the age of twenty-five. Through his mediation, the originally tense relationships began to ease.
"At every sect induction ceremony, our Three Border Kingdoms always have the fewest people—no more than one hundred and fifty even at our peak. For two hundred years, not a single Cultivator from our three kingdoms has successfully reached Core Formation within the Five Elements True Spirit Sect. You should know, even the Cai Kingdom’s Royal Family produced a Core Formation True Cultivator twenty years ago."
Ren Xingzhou said, raising his wine glass:
"I only hope that a fellow daoist among us can succeed in Core Formation and finally boost the morale of the Cultivators from our three kingdoms."
The three kingdoms of Chen, Cai, and Wei had always been somewhat marginalized in the Western Province, and Cultivators from these lands were subtly ostracized. Most of those present were disciples of Foundation Establishment Clans, so of course, they were aware of this.
Ren Xingzhou’s words stirred their blood, and they even began to sing loudly along with the Music Ensemble’s tune, drinking freely.
Yang Jing sat calmly in his seat, focusing on his food. He picked up a slice of Golden Shavings and Jade Slices and chewed it. This dish required slicing paper-thin fillets, as thin as a cicada’s wing, from a still-living golden line perch. The fillets were then mixed with a marinade made from various Aquatic Spirit Plants. Because the golden line perch possessed powerful life force, the sliced fillets would still squirm in one’s mouth, bringing with them a strange, icy-cool sensation.
The taste was sweet and exquisite, with a lingering aftertaste.
He believed Ren Xingzhou’s words came from the heart. In the future, when the Three Border Kingdoms fell, countless Foundation Establishment Clans would flee in disarray, abandoning tens of millions of mortals and Independent Cultivators to the Demons. Very few clans were willing to stay behind and organize the Independent Cultivators and mortals to resist the Demons.
At that time, Ren Xingzhou was already an esteemed Golden Core master and held an important position within the Five Elements True Spirit Sect. He could have easily remained safely in the rear, yet he volunteered to go to the front lines and organize the resistance against the Demons.
’Most of these disciples from the Foundation Establishment Clans are nothing more than insects, but a few outstanding individuals can still emerge from their ranks.’
Ren Xingzhou drank the Spirit Wine in his cup and sat down next to Yang Jing.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, you’ve already comprehended Refining Sword into Gang, and you seem to have a good relationship with a True Disciple of the Taixu Sword Sect. Why didn’t you go to the Taixu Sword Sect?"
Yang Jing picked up another piece of the jade slices and savored it.
"My aptitude with a Five Elements Spirit Root is somewhat mediocre. Even if I used my comprehension of Refining Sword into Gang to enter the Taixu Sword Sect’s Inner Sect, I would, at best, barely manage to reach Foundation Establishment. Only by joining the Five Elements True Spirit Sect do I have any hope of Core Formation."
Limited by their own aptitude and resources, sixty percent of Foundation Establishment Cultivators would remain stuck in the Early Stage Foundation Establishment for their entire lives. Some with exceptionally poor aptitude and shallow foundations would even be trapped at the First Layer of Foundation Establishment.
Ren Xingzhou’s eyes lit up.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, are you aiming to comprehend the Five Elements Wheel?"
The higher one’s Cultivation, the fewer Elixirs there are that can advance it, and the more important one’s Spirit Root aptitude becomes. For those with a Five Elements Spirit Root but no Upper Grade Spirit Root among them, reaching Core Formation is extremely difficult.
Among Yang Jing’s Five Elements Spirit Root, even his best, the Metal Element Spirit Root, was only Middle Grade.
But as long as one comprehended the Five Elements Wheel, the Five Elements True Spirit Sect’s Cultivation Technique was said to be the fastest for advancing within the same Realm. Even when cultivating to higher Realms, one wouldn’t be left too far behind by geniuses with superior Spirit Roots. This was why, among the Six Great Sects, the Five Elements True Spirit Sect had the most Golden Core masters with mediocre Spirit Roots.
According to Yang Jing’s estimations, if he had joined the Taixu Sword Sect, his chances of advancing to the Golden Core Realm would be at least thirty percent lower, and that was even factoring in the aptitude boost from Cocoon Formation and Embryonic Development.
If it were anyone else, hearing Yang Jing’s plan, they would have dismissed him as an arrogant fool. Some Cultivators were already preparing to mock him, but after remembering Yang Jing’s incomparably sharp Sword Gang, they chose to hold their tongues.
Ren Xingzhou, however, applauded Yang Jing’s great ambition. He poured himself a cup of Spirit Wine and drank it in one go.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, what a grand ambition!"
Yang Jing could tell at a glance that his words were sincere. ’With such charisma, it’s no wonder he’ll be able to turn the tide against impossible odds and support a collapsing pillar in the future.’
The banquet finally came to an end, with plates and cups scattered in disarray.
Yang Jing feigned a drunken stupor, swaying unsteadily as he left Kang Guang Tower. Just as he was walking out of Huangyuan Marketplace, a figure suddenly darted out from the side of the road, blocking his path.
"Zhang Yanhao?"
Zhang Yanhao’s face was flushed red. He bowed deeply in a grand salute.
"Senior Brother Yang, I spoke out of turn earlier and offended you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
As a member of a branch of the Chen Family, he knew that now that Yang Jing had comprehended Refining Sword into Gang, it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to enter the Inner Sect of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect. Furthermore, observing Yang Jing at the banquet, he saw that although Yang Jing was born a mere Independent Cultivator, he remained composed amidst praise and peril, possessed an extraordinary demeanor, and was not the least bit swayed by the beautiful dancers. ’He’s clearly no mere fish in a pond; with the right opportunity, he’ll transform into a dragon.’
Zhang Yanhao came from a Foundation Establishment Great Clan and naturally understood the ways of the world. He knew that their current conflict was just a small friction. If he didn’t resolve it quickly, once Yang Jing entered the Inner Sect in the future, it would be all too easy for Yang Jing to deal with him. Having seen plenty of people in his clan who fawned on their superiors and bullied their subordinates, he knew exactly what to do. That was why he had hurriedly left the banquet as soon as it ended.
He had been waiting here for a long time, all to apologize to Yang Jing.
Yang Jing’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t expected Zhang Yanhao to go to such lengths just to apologize to him. Despite being older than him, Zhang Yanhao had even called him "Senior Brother." ’The spinelessness of these clan disciples is even greater than I imagined.’
"Junior Brother Zhang, we both hail from Huangyuan Marketplace. Is the bond between fellow townsmen not enough to overcome such a minor friction?"
If it were anyone else, Zhang Yanhao would have suspected them of feigning civility. But the man before him was Yang Jing, a Sword Cultivator. He completely believed that his words were sincere.
Watching Zhang Yanhao’s retreating back as he left with a sigh of relief, Yang Jing turned to look behind him.
"It’s over now. Fellow Daoist Ren, you can come out."
From around the corner behind him, a somewhat embarrassed Ren Xingzhou walked out.
"During the banquet, I saw him leave in a hurry and thought he meant to cause trouble for you, Fellow Daoist Yang. So, I quietly followed, thinking I could lend a hand if needed. I didn’t expect that I, Xingzhou, was judging a gentleman by my own petty standards. I was overthinking things."
"I am already aware that Fellow Daoist Ren’s heart is as clear as a sunny day after rain."
Yang Jing chuckled, then left, his sword at his side.
’Getting to know an extraordinary man like Fellow Daoist Yang Jing might be the greatest reward of my journey.’
Watching his back, a thought arose in Ren Xingzhou’s mind.
