Having reached Foundation Establishment. It was time for me to start exploring alchemy in my farming space and utilizing my alchemy talent.
But there was just a slight issue. Finding a trustworthy master who would invest in my growth as an alchemist. As it wasn't like I was going to show off my Inner World, which could grow herbs en masse.
That was the perfect way for a rival sect or a bunch of demons to gank me even if the Justice Hall in this Sect was fuck nuts about keeping the Sect's cultivators from killing one another.
Still, though now that I WAS a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I was able to get a bunch more goodies from the sect!
So I quickly moved from my apartment as I went to report to the elder working at the Mission Hall to get my Sect subsidies increased as well as to have my disciple rank increased to match my cultivation level.
I quickly got to the massive mission hall and I idly looked at the various mission boards as I walked through. Seeing missions that took place outside of the Sect in the cities like Shanghai to patrol the city for demons.
Or likewise to go after demon beasts in the wilds, and most importantly. Dungeon clearance missions that were recruiting members.
'Hmm... I really need to get into a dungeon. I need more materials for alchemy, and spirit stones to buy alchemy recipes as I need a foundation.' I mused to myself as I made my way to the Hall Elder who was in charge of evaluating disciples like myself who reached new realms.
And the Five Elements Sword Sect. Even just this Wood Mountain Branch had tens of thousands of disciples if not more. So there was actually a line to do this reporting.
So I got nice and comfortable in the line, and after twenty minutes of patiently waiting, I reached the old male elder, who said calmly. "Name, disciple tag, and let me see your hand to check your bone age."
I held out my hand as he took my disciple tag and with a hum, he snapped the tag, making my face twitch before he took another one out. This one was made out of what looked like silver instead of my previous tag made of bronze, before he pressed the tag into my palm along with pinching said palm as I felt his qi scan the bones in my hands.
Then he pulled back and said dully before pausing. "Jake Bariss, disciple of Wood Mountain Branch, no Master or clan Affiliation, entry at third level of Qi Refining a month ago, current level... Heavenly First Foundation Pillar!?"
His eyes snapped up at me in horror even as my face twitched at his voice raising as I could hear the people behind me whispering along with the people in the distance with stronger cultivation having their eye's snap to me as well.
'Whelp... Fuck.' I thought helplessly before I nodded and said with a helpless grin. "Uhh, that's correct. Excuse me then Elder." I said giving a shallow bow before I quickly left the line with my new disciple tag that marked me as a True Disciple of the sect.
Which meant that I truly was a disciple of the sect and had it's nominal protection. As in... Should I scream in a major city that I belonged to the Five Elements Sword Sect, and was still killed?
Elders of the Sect or lesser Sects who paid tribute to my sect would avenge me... Oh fucking joy honestly.
Still, it came with an allowance of spirit stones to help my cultivation, even if it wasn't actually much in the way of spirit stones.
"Hmm... Let's look through the missions." I muttered to myself before I shrugged and went towards the low-ranking dungeon quests.
And it didn't take me long to realize why the Sect treasured the tiny dungeons they collected and pulled into the Sect. Because the missions that requested disciples of the Sect to go kill the dungeon core boss, all made dungeons out to take longer to clear with more monsters and resources, the higher 'ranked' the dungeon was.
"So dungeons come in five ranks... Which match the realms of mortal cultivation anyway, with fifth and first-ranked dungeons being the rarest." I mused to myself, and honestly, it made sense.
First-ranked dungeons matched Qi Refining dungeons, and MOST of them were just second-ranked dungeons that were sealed or just didn't form right with the will of the planet, giving up on them for some reason.
And fifth-ranked dungeons... They were Earth Immortal-ranked dungeons, and the details of them were infamous. But actual information on them were rather sparse as Gaia, the World's Will created the fifth-ranked dungeons to recycle the souls of those who failed their tribulations.
Those fifth ranked dungeons were also being called the 'Gateway to Heaven.' As any new immortal who cleared said dungeon would be blessed with the right to freely leave and return to Earth when they went out to conquer other worlds and planes... Supposedly anyway.
But a fifth-ranked dungeon was years away from me at this point. So I quickly refocused on the low-ranked second rank dungeons that were filled with Qi refining and lower-level Foundation Establishment monsters and demons.
Because that was obviously my power level, as I didn't have anyone at this point I could trust to go into a dungeon along with me.
A little while later, I wore a light smile as I found something good for me! [Shanghai Wood, and Insect oriented dungeon. The dungeon must be completely cleared of monsters within, 90% value of herbs, and alchemical reagents are to be remanded to the sect. Warning! The dungeon is filled with highly poisonous insects as a whole.]
'With my alchemical body, I am already immune to most poisons and such. So this dungeon although still dangerous, I don't need to worry about a random little sting crippling me.' I mused thoughtfully as I took the mission.
And it was clear that this mission was also a bit old and unwanted with how the reward for clearing the mission officially from the sect had been bumped up twice at this point.
So with the mission plaque in hand I went over to one of the mission assignment disciples who gave me a flat look before saying.
"First mission huh? Remember bro, if someone betrays you on a mission. As a true disciple, your comrades WILL be soul searched even if only at a surface to level to see if they betrayed you for treasure or whatever. Taking a dungeon clearing misson on your own is just stupid."
My face twitched as I said helplessly. "I am... Uhh just taking the mission so it won't be stolen. I will meet up with some friends to do it together."
He just rolled his eyes, knowing all too well that I was speaking a whole lot of bullshit. But I didn't have any 'friends' in the sect yet. I had been busy trying to gain power.
Then a shout of annoyance rang out. "Who took my hometown mission in Shanghai!? I literally only walked away for a moment!?"
I looked over and my face twitched at seeing a silver-haired 'jade beauty' with a deep blue, almost purple fortune halo ring above her head.
Instantly, I locked onto her future fortune and my vision was filled with the 'dream/path of fortune' she bore.
The first thing I saw was the Shanghai mission's dungeon I just took. The Five Elements Gu Dungeon. Where she, Dao Xuer being her name went in with three other sister disciples, she was tied to with her master.
It was a brutal dungeon experience as they all used ice techniques but the dungeon's five fold paths, especially in the fire and earth zones, heavily restricted their abilities with one of her sister disciples dying in the fire path when a bug shot at extreme speeds through her chest and out her back like an arrow.
And it was only as they all fought together against the giant mantis 'boss' creature at the end of the dungeon that her opportunity was unveiled. Using the arm blades of the mantis, there was a hidden level to the dungeon that led to a crippled Golden Core, Ant Queen that the mantis boss had crippled and was using to make food for it to grow stronger.
So that it could break out of the dungeon and be free of the dungeon's restraint to it's cultivation as it was locked to only mid foundation level. When in reality if the dungeon didn't restrict it's power, it would have been at mid Golden Core!
The oppurtunity lied inside of the golden core Ant Queen, as using the gem on its head. You could command any insects or gu. So long as their cultivation was below your own when it was refined!
And it was only through the sacrifice of the rest of her sister disciples that Dao Xuer was able to kill the Calamity Ant Queen and take its head gem, which allowed her to control the leftover ants and... A scary and powerful Gu that also lived on the hidden floor.
My vision went back to normal, with me shaking my head with a harsh blink as I readjusted to being in control of my body again.
I held up my hand and said calmly. "I took the five-element dungeon in Shanghai," I spoke with my qi, carrying my voice specifically over to her even as I walked over to one of the meeting tables on the side with the silver-haired beauty stomping after me.
And as I expected...
She quickly said in annoyance. "I may not have claimed the mission first. But I already made a verbal claim of it! My master and I would appreciate you let this mission go!"
To which I still raised an eyebrow and said quietly. "You? You are a fresh foundation establishment cultivator. Not even a Heavenly Foundation cultivator, either. You planning on taking a dozen of your fellow disciples into the dungeon with similar ranks of cultivation?"
Her face pinched before she snorted. "Heavenly foundation? What nonsense is that?! But it's none of your business who I take with me anyway. So, are you going to give me the mission or not as I need the sect credits."
Like fucking hell, I was going to give up an almost purple chance of opportunity obviously.
As beyond that Gu Calamity Gem. There were the Ice Hearts Twin Gu kings. Which were a pair of Ice and Water Gu worms that, when refined into your body. Allowed you to automatically cultivate ice and water qi, automatically as the Gu lived within you!
Although the ice gu itself wasn't that valuable to me. The water Gu was VERY valuable to me, as it would allow me to cultivate high tier amounts of water qi to feed my Wood spirit root without struggling to find a Water cultivation method that matched my low-immortal Wood and Fire grade cultivation technique!
Still I gave 'Dao Xuer' a dark look of annoyance as I said flatly. "I wasn't here to hear that claim. And even if I was, I took the mission while you ran off to do whatever you were doing."
I shook my head even as her fair face flushed in anger as I said more reasonably. "Now, I am looking for samples of the herbs in the dungeon, mostly. And I am also a strong fighter as well as immune to the poisons the insects use due to alchemy exposure."
Her face lost much of its scowl as I finished off calmly. "I simply ask for twenty-five percent of the spirit stones left in the dungeon run. That is more than fair."
Her face pinched as I had left her plenty of face instead of saying something like I would sell the mission to her... If I could do that. I woudn't be surprised if it wasn't illegal in some way in the sect.
She finally spoke and said almost sullenly. "Very well. My name is Dao Xuner, disciple of Inner Sect Elder Qian Yunju. I will be bringing... Three of my fellow disciples from my lineage on this mission!"
A huff left her even as I raised an eyebrow, and I asked with some amusement to how... Emotionally, this jade beauty seemed to be. "When will you and your sisters be ready then?"
"I, we will be ready tomorrow. At noon." She stood up with her bountiful breasts in that tight fitting robe, bouncing as she went to stride away, before she paused and snapped at me with a strict. "Don't you dare be late here tomorrow!"
And as she strode away like I offended her somehow. I coudn't help but muse within. "She may be a bit of a bitch... But that ass though. And hey, who knows. Maybe I can get lucky seducing the jade beauty or her sisters by keeping them alive.' I thought rolling my eyes as I got up and got moving as well.
Even though I had spent the last several hours practicing. I still wanted to spend a couple more hours training my new Foundation spells I got access to.