Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 34 Visit

Before Li Shiming could visit Gu Jia, on the morning of the third day, Mo Yan sent an invitation card to him.

Seeing the name of Royal Tributor Gu Jia on the invitation card, Li Shiming promptly ordered Steward Zhang to open the central gate wide and hurried out to greet his guest.

"I have seen Brother Daoist!" Indeed, standing outside the gate was the very Gu Jia who had stopped his carriage that day, bowing in salutation.

Gu Jia came alone, still wearing the same plain, blue Daoist robe as before.

As for how Gu Jia found this place, Li Shiming was not surprised at all. Gu Jia, who could mobilize royal resources, could easily find someone in Central Capital, not to mention within the whole of Great Xia.

"Mr. Li, we meet again!" Gu Jia said with a smile, nodding his head.

Li Shiming welcomed Gu Jia into the hall and dismissed everyone else.

"Mr. Li, the investigation of you has been passed, and both the reasons for your cultivation and your background are well-documented!" Gu Jia began by telling Li Shiming this news as soon as they sat down.

The intelligence system of Great Xia was more comprehensive than Li Shiming had imagined. Every major and minor incident that happened in Nanling Prefecture would be reported and collected in Central Capital.

Gu Jia accessed several months of intelligence from Nanling Prefecture and was able to cross-reference the events that occurred with Li Shiming's account, verifying each detail one by one.

In particular, the ancestor of the Weiyuan Escort Agency was indeed a cultivator who returned to the secular world and left descendants, so it was not odd for the cultivation lineage to be passed down.

According to the intelligence, Chief Escort Wang of the Weiyuan Escort Agency had indeed been pursued by cultivators and had hidden in the garden of the Nanling Government Office, where Li Shiming fortunately obtained the hidden cultivation lineage.

Afterward, two fellow sect cultivators were on a mission together, one died and the other was injured, leaving Nanling Prefecture. This incident was also confirmed on the sect's side.

One could only say that Li Shiming's fate was extremely good; after gaining the Cultivation Method, he also obtained the resources for cultivation—Spirit Stones.

Gu Jia cared little about the cultivator lineage that Li Shiming had received; it was merely the inheritance of a Loose Cultivator.

Compared to the minor benefits of a Loose Cultivator's inheritance, he valued Li Shiming's future more.

"Brother Daoist, does this mean I can join Sky Sea Sect?" Li Shiming asked eagerly upon hearing the news.

"Haha, young friend, your background is clear, and coming from outside of sect influence, there's no problem joining the sect!" Gu Jia assured him definitively.

Li Shiming was overjoyed. If it wasn't for the Ascension Conference next autumn, he would not even want to attend the imperial examinations.

"Oh, this tea is quite special!" Gu Jia, noticing his excitement, took a sip of the tea and then expressed his surprise.

Being a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, he would not have esteemed Li Shiming's tea leaves, but the spirit water was produced by the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill". Had he been in a sect, he could have gotten better, but here in the secular world, this spirit water was considered very precious.

Stationed in Central Capital, the sect provided a monthly allotment of Spirit Stones, but he needed to return to the sect to purchase supplies periodically.

"Daoist brother has discerned it; this was created using the 'Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'!" Li Shiming didn't hide his spell, saying so with a smile.

Whether it was the fake Spiritual Tea or the spirit water used for brewing, once Gu Jia had investigated his background, he would guess the origin of these items.

It's better to admit it openly, which might even help his case for joining the sect.

"You've learned the 'Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'?" Gu Jia said with some surprise.

'The Spring Breeze and Rain Skill' wasn't a powerful spell, but it was special because it was an entry-level spell for Spirit Plant tamers.

His mind conjectured that the heritage of the Weiyuan Escort Agency's ancestor must have included a Spirit Plant tamer's lineage. It was not strange for him to think this way; he couldn't imagine that Li Shiming could have gotten a second inheritance in the secular world.

With this in mind, he had no more interest in the inheritance. Even if he received the Spirit Plant tamer's lineage, he would need the talent to grasp it.

"I had no choice; it took me quite some time to learn the 'Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'!" Li Shiming said, feigning helplessness.

"Young friend, once you're in the sect, you'll realize how important it is to master a Cultivation Technique. This will make your path to immortality a lot less difficult!" Gu Jia told him with a laugh.

He regarded Li Shiming's future even more highly. Once in the sect, Li Shiming's craftsmanship would ensure a more stable cultivation period compared to other cultivators at the same stage.

Only those who have experienced it understand how important stability is in the Cultivation World.

Gu Jia remembered many fellow sect members who had better talent and were stronger than him but ultimately became history while carrying out missions.

If it weren't for his craftsmanship, which reduced the need for dangerous missions, he wouldn't have survived this long.

"This is the address for participating in the Cultivator Market. The market opens thrice a month. With the Ascension Conference being held here next year, many cultivators will be coming to make a scene, and in the upcoming period, the number of cultivators attending the market will greatly increase. You might find some good items.

However, you must be careful at the market and keep your identity concealed!" Gu Jia took out a map and laid it in front of Li Shiming, advising him.

This was his way of investing; the market was one for early and middle-stage Qi Refining Loose Cultivators, which he frequented to observe.

Of course, as he was a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, it was extremely rare for anything in such a Loose Cultivator Market to interest him, though he would occasionally sell some of his unnecessary items there.

The Cultivators in the market were mostly early or middle-stage Qi Refining Loose Cultivators, and those at the Qi Refining Middle Stage were not numerous.

The market's existence was related to the stationed cultivators from Sky Sea Sect; it bore the sect's mark and the stationed cultivators could earn some extra income from it.

Items from sect cultivators were especially appealing, causing Loose Cultivators to visit this market and try their luck.

Gu Jia introduced Li Shiming to this market to help him get real Cultivation World experience. The market was relatively safe, perfectly suitable for early-stage Qi Refining Cultivators like Li Shiming.

"Daoist brother's generosity is boundless. I have nothing else to offer in thanks. Here is some water I have collected through the 'Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'. Since Daoist brother finds it satisfactory, please accept it!" Li Shiming put away the map and offered a large jar of prepared spirit water.

Initially, he planned to give away the fake Spiritual Tea as well, but he realized that Gu Jia didn't value the tea.

"I will humbly accept your offering!" Gu Jia didn't hesitate and gladly took the jar of spirit water.

The spirit water was not highly valued, but it was practical to Gu Jia, and Li Shiming's ability to offer spirit water was beyond his expectations.