Chapter 472 - 208: Shen Family
As they spoke, the two of them arrived before an exquisite courtyard home.
The courtyard walls were not high, built from bluestone and covered in verdant vines, revealing a black-lacquered wooden door.
"Brother Chen, this is your residence on Xu Wang Mountain." Huang Changming smiled, pushed open the gate, and stepped aside to lead Chen Qing inside.
Upon entering, he saw a courtyard paved with bluestone slabs, swept so clean it was spotless.
The courtyard was square and spacious. To the left was a small fish pond where several koi leisurely swished their tails, the edge dotted with rugged, strangely shaped rocks.
To the right was a rockery meticulously constructed from white jade, with a clear spring trickling past its base, creating a pleasant, tinkling sound.
Beyond the courtyard was the main house, with its upturned eaves and interlocking brackets, its windows bright and its furniture spotless.
Behind the house, a small, well-tended garden was faintly visible, planted with some unidentifiable flowers and plants.
Chen Qing knew that Inner Sect Disciples were treated well, but he hadn’t expected it to be so lavish and luxurious. It was far more spacious and refined than his place back at the Wutai Sect.
Huang Changming, reading his expression, smiled and said, "The Sect has always been generous to its Inner Sect Disciples. By custom, you’d also be provided with maids, servants, stewards, cooks, and other attendants to handle daily chores and cleaning."
"However, considering that you and the other talents from the Hundred Sects have just arrived and may have different habits or a need for privacy, none have been assigned yet. If you need them, Brother Chen, you just have to say the word at the Steward Hall, and it will be arranged immediately."
Chen Qing cupped his fist. "I see. Thank you for the explanation, Junior Brother Huang. For now, I won’t be needing any."
He was used to cultivating alone and would find it inconvenient to have servants around.
"You’re too kind, Brother Chen. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Should you need anything, Brother Chen, you can find me in the Outer Sect at any time," Huang Changming said, offering a hint as he was leaving.
If Chen Qing truly rose to prominence in the future, this small bit of goodwill might prove immensely useful.
"Alright. Thank you," Chen Qing said again.
After seeing Huang Changming off, Chen Qing closed the gate and paced alone through his new home.
He first entered the main house. The furnishings were simple but of high quality. It was fully equipped with a Quiet Chamber, a bedroom, and a study.
He set down his simple luggage, but felt little sense of relaxation.
He took out the White Jade Token.
’One thousand Contribution Points. It seems like a lot, but it’s just a drop in the bucket,’ Chen Qing sighed inwardly.
The fixed monthly stipend of one hundred points would perhaps only be enough for some basic Cultivation Elixirs. Wanting to exchange them for Attribute Treasures, advanced Martial Arts, or even a Golden Feathered Eagle mount was nothing short of a fool’s dream.
After briefly tidying up and settling in, Chen Qing decided to head to Ten Thousand Laws Peak to investigate. His primary goal was to search for records related to the Sea of Will and that mysterious Purple Light.
Ten Thousand Laws Peak was not a single mountain, but a chain of several connected peaks, upon which stood a forest of halls and pavilions, presenting a magnificent sight.
The most conspicuous structures were the six towering, pagoda-like buildings in the central area—the Scripture Repositories.
The six Scripture Repositories soared into the clouds, their winged eaves outstretched. Each corresponded to a different category of texts: Martial Arts Techniques, Alchemy and Pharmacology, Artifact Forging and Weapon Smithing, Miscellaneous Records and Lore, and Cultivation Insights. The final, central one was called the Ten Thousand Laws Tower and was where the Peak Master of Ten Thousand Laws Peak resided.
Each Scripture Repository emanated a simple, ancient, and vast aura that inspired awe.
Chen Qing could clearly sense one or more auras, as deep as the sea, presiding within each Scripture Repository. He presumed these belonged to the Elders who guarded the repositories.
As for the Peak Master who ruled over Ten Thousand Laws Peak and managed all the texts, their strength and status were even harder to imagine.
The foundation of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect was truly unfathomable, judging by this place of scriptures alone.
He walked straight toward the Scripture Repository labeled ’Cultivation Insights’.
A stern-faced old Steward checked his Identity Token.
"The lower three floors are ten Contribution Points per hour. The upper three floors are fifty Contribution Points per hour. Any time less than an hour is billed as a full hour," the old Steward said flatly, glancing at Chen Qing.
"Fifty points an hour?" The corner of Chen Qing’s eye twitched. The price was truly steep.
But the information he was looking for likely involved high-level secrets, so he could only nod. "I understand."
After paying the fifty Contribution Points, Chen Qing stepped inside the tower.
The lower three floors were a bit more crowded with disciples, most of them browsing notes on Martial Arts Realm breakthroughs, True Qi refinement, and the like.
Chen Qing’s goal was clear. After a brief scan, he went straight up the stairs to the more expensive upper three floors.
The space on the upper three floors was noticeably more open. The bookshelves were sparser, and the environment was much quieter.
There were very few people here, only a scattered seven or eight individuals.
Most of them wore the attire of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect’s Inner Sect, and their auras were condensed and heavy—far beyond what an Outer Disciple could compare to.
’They’re at least Late-stage Astral Force, maybe even Perfection realm experts...’
Chen Qing judged inwardly that these people were likely making their final preparations to break through to the True Essence Realm.
In addition, there were one or two white-haired elders sitting alone on cushions in a corner, silently studying Jade Scrolls, their auras even more unfathomable.
Chen Qing focused his Heart and Spirit and began to search carefully among the bookshelves.
He was mainly looking for texts and insights related to Divine Sense and Intention.
He flipped through several ancient books and personal notes. Some of the explanations were very detailed, while others were more fragmented and vague.
He picked up a collection of insights titled *Glimpses into the Sea of Consciousness*, written by an author named "Wanderer Jingxu."
According to this "Wanderer Jingxu," the Sea of Will, also known as the "Sea of Consciousness," is the most mysterious domain of spiritual origin within the human body, holding boundless potential.
In truth, everyone is born with a Sea of Consciousness, but the vast majority of people can never sense it in their entire lifetime, let alone open it.