Steadily Upgrading Everything!
Chapter 52: Inner Sect lifestyle

Chapter 52: Inner Sect lifestyle

After finishing the last sip of his cloud-fogged tea, John let out a deep sigh of satisfaction.

He got up, pushed back his chair, and walked over to the counter, placing a few spirit stones into the payment tray.

The waiter gave him a respectful nod and a practiced smile before hurrying to attend to another table.

As John stepped out of the Fragrant Cloud Pavilion, the warm scents of roasted meat still clinging to his robe, the familiar voices of his friends reached his ears.

"Ha! I told you it’d be on the second floor!" Riara’s voice rang with amusement.

"No, I said the second floor. You argued it was in the back corner!" Caros shot back with mock annoyance.

The two came into view, walking side by side with light grins on their faces.

Their blue sect robes fluttered gently in the breeze, and their relaxed expressions told John they’d also had a productive time inside the Depository Hall.

John approached them with a calm smile and nodded. "You guys done?"

"Yep!" Riara beamed, skipping a little as she reached him. "So... what did you pick?"

John tilted his head slightly. "A kicking technique and a pill formula for concealment."

"Oooh." Riara’s eyes gleamed for a second, but before she could compliment him, her pride got the better of her. "Hmph... I knew a peasant like you could only think that much. Look what I picked." She puffed out her chest and pulled a scroll from her robe with a flourish. "A Grade Five Skin Supple Pill formula!"

John blinked.

Caros froze mid-step. His brows twitched. "A... Skin Supple Pill?" He looked at her, dumbfounded. "You mocked us... and then picked a beauty pill?"

"It’s not just for beauty!" Riara huffed. "This pill improves skin texture, increases resistance to cold and flame, and makes the body more appealing in spiritual compatibility, bumpkins like you wouldn’t understand its market value! In a few years, I’ll be the richest outer sect disciple."

Caros rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that while rubbing lotion all day."

Riara stuck her tongue out at him childishly, and the two bickered like siblings.

John chuckled and turned to Caros. "And what about you?"

Caros grinned, visibly proud. "A Bone Boiling Pill formula. Helps strengthen bone density and marrow circulation. And a movement skill to improve my teleportation. Can’t have you two hogging all the speed."

John nodded, impressed.

He appreciated that Caros didn’t reveal too much about the movement technique.

Keeping trump cards hidden was smart. "Nice. Sounds solid."

With their banter done and their prizes in hand, the three shared a quick nod and parted ways for the evening.

John returned to his cottage, his pace relaxed, but his mind focused.

After entering, he set down his scrolls on the study table and lit a soft spirit lamp nearby.

The warm glow bathed the small room in golden light.

He took out the first scroll, Lightning Bull Kicks, and unfurled it carefully.

The diagram inside showed a series of postures, each connected by crackling arcs of lightning.

The technique focused on channeling one’s Qi to the legs in rapid bursts, allowing the user to leap, dash, and strike with explosive force.

As mastery grew, it even allowed brief bursts of lightning to trail each movement.

"My speed’s already decent, but if I master this..." John muttered. "I might just become the fastest in my realm."

He studied the scroll for about an hour, committing as much as he could to memory before setting it aside.

Then, stretching out his legs and arms, he leaned back and summoned his panel.

---

[System Panel]

Name: John Coral

Age: 25

Cultivation: Spirit Seed Realm (1357 / 3200)

Upgrade Slot: Soul Piercing Gaze (Level 4) (720 / 1600)

(One point per eight minutes)

Skills:

• Meditation (Level 6 – Max)

• Breathing (Level 5 – Max)

• Spatial Awareness (Level 5)

• Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 10 – Max)

• Double Face Lizard Technique (Level 7 – Max)

• Basic Flame Control (Level 3)

• Alchemy (Level 5)

• Twelve Circle Slashes (Level 4)

• Soul Piercing Gaze (Level 4)

• Lightening Bull Kicks (Level 0)

---

John stared at the panel, pleased with the progress.

"Just a little more... and Soul Piercing Gaze will hit level five. And Lightening Bull Kicks has appeared on the panel, after Soul Piercing Gaze reaches level five I will upgrade Lightening Bull Kicks." He thought and nodded.

Next he read through the Breath of thousand peatels pill formula. "I need my alchemy to at least be at level seven before I can even understand this." He sighed and placed the formula back in his Spatial Bag.

Next, John turned his attention to the sect mission protocols.

Ever since arriving at Blue Cauldron Sect, he’d come to understand that the Outer Sect had strict rules in place to ensure its disciples remained active and useful.

According to those rules, every Outer Sect disciple was required to complete one easy-level mission and one hard-level mission every three months.

Failing to do so would incur penalties, from deduction of resources to loss of cultivation rights and restricted access to important sect facilities.

John had no intention of falling behind.

He furrowed his brows. "Let me check the mission board. If I finish my tasks early, I can focus fully on cultivation without interruptions."

Stretching his arms, he stood up and exited his peaceful cottage.

The sky above the sect was bright and clear, and a light wind carried the scent of spirit herbs from nearby gardens.

After a short walk along the stone-paved path, John reached the Mission Hall, a towering circular building lined with glowing talismans and guarded by two formation beasts carved from jade.

Inside, the hall bustled with disciples. Some were studying the mission boards seriously, others were forming teams and discussing strategies in hushed tones.

The air buzzed with the collective ambition of hundreds.

John’s eyes swept across the sprawling boards which were divided into sections:

Easy.

Hard.

Hellish.

Demonic.

God-Level...

John smirked. "God-Level, huh? That’s definitely not for Outer Sect disciples."

Focusing on the "Hard" section, he scanned the postings carefully.

Some involved hunting spirit beasts, others asked for escorting important figures or delivering alchemical ingredients through dangerous terrain.

Most missions weren’t a good match for his current skills, or would take too long.

"I need something that lets me use my strengths, preferably something related to Spatial Sense or physical stamina."

Just as he was starting to lose hope, his eyes landed on a parchment with simple handwriting:

---

Hard Mission - Solo Eligible

Title: Need an expert miner for urgent resource retrieval.

Objective: Mine one kilogram of Xithril ore.

Requirements: Must be at least Spirit Seed Realm. Prior experience with mining preferred.

Reward: 20 Middle Grade Spirit Stones.

Mission Level: Hard

Posted by: Disciples of Metal Cauldron Peak on behalf of their Peakmaster.

---

John’s lips curled into a confident smile.

"Mining, huh? This takes me back... I spent weeks digging stone when I first transmigrated. With my upgraded Toad Breathing and Spatial Awareness, this should be a breeze."

Without hesitation, he pulled the poster from the board and walked to the Mission Reception Desk, where a white-bearded elder in a faded blue robe lazily flipped through a book.

John bowed respectfully and handed the parchment forward.

The elder glanced up, then scanned the paper. "Ah... the Xithril one. Haven’t had many takers. Not glamorous enough for most kids these days."

He reached into a drawer and handed John a shimmering mission token engraved with the crest of the Metal Cauldron Peak, a cauldron ringed with flame and stone.

"This is an Inter-Sect mission. That peak specializes in defense-type pills, used during heavenly tribulations or to temporarily enhance defensive Qi. The mission comes directly from their Peakmaster."

John’s interest deepened.

The Metal Cauldron Peak was not only one of the Inner Sect’s Twelve Peaks, but it also ranked second in terms of influence and contribution to the sect.

Their work in refining defensive pills was critical for the sect’s elite warriors and elders, especially during dangerous breakthroughs.

"Address yourself at the Metal Cauldron Peak tomorrow morning. Don’t be late. And don’t cause trouble," the elder said with a dismissive wave, returning to his book.

John gave a polite bow and left the hall, mission token secure in his spatial bag.

The moment he returned to his cottage, he sat down and entered a meditative state, cultivating until the sun set behind the mountain range.

---

The next morning, John rose early, washed, and donned his robe.

With the mission token in hand, he made his way to the Teleportation Hall, a grand plaza filled with glowing spirit arrays.

The Blue Cauldron Sect was simply massive, it covered the entirety of a mountain range, and the Inner Peaks were scattered across valleys, ridges, and even floating islands.

It would take days to walk between them, hence the teleportation portals were a necessity.

After placing the token into the teleportation array marked "Metal Cauldron Peak," a flash of blue light enveloped him.

Zzzhhmmm!

He then reached the Metal Cauldron Peak.

Moments later, John found himself standing before the Metal Cauldron Peak’s entry terrace, and his jaw dropped.

Before him stood a massive compound nestled into a rocky plateau, its buildings forged from polished blackstone and glowing gold metal.

Spirit arrays shimmered faintly in the walls, and three glowing spirit towers rose into the sky, crackling with defensive formations.

A large pool of silver-blue water stretched in front of the estate, reflecting the light of dawn like liquid stars.

Surrounding the compound was a lush garden filled with rare herbs and metal-rich spirit plants growing straight out of the stone.

At the center of it all stood a three-story residence with cascading spirit curtains around its balconies, like a mansion blessed by divine energy.

"So this... this is the Inner Sect lifestyle?" John muttered, stunned.

Compared to his own cottage, which, while nice, was humble, the inner sect mansion looked like a fortress made for nobles.

The air here was dense with refined Qi, and every breath felt more nourishing.

John took a few respectful steps forward. A disciple in dark robes approached him.

"You’re the one who took the Xithril mission?"

John nodded and held out the token.