The End of the Immortal Path

"Zhao Tiankuo." True Master Tai Hua casually dropped the name, then vanished on the spot.

Chong Guang and the others exchanged a look.

’So True Master Tai Hua had seen through everything all along?’

’Then was there a problem with the Old Yellow Ox?’

For now, they could only place it under simple restrictions. They couldn’t let their guard down.

Even though True Master Tai Hua hadn’t mentioned it, they couldn’t just assume the ox was completely fine.

The others who needed to be locked up would be locked up, and those who needed investigating would be investigated. They absolutely couldn’t be careless.

—

「The next day.」

「October 5th.」

While Jiang Man was studying the Thirty-Six Array Patterns of the Hall, he suddenly remembered that he still owed Meng Qiewei the Spiritual Source for renting the Mountain and Sea Array Pattern.

Five Spiritual Sources a day.

He had started borrowing it around the third month, so now he had to pay for seven months.

Jiang Man did a rough calculation. It was only a thousand.

That wasn’t even enough to cover the interest he owed Old Chang and the others.

’It’s been a while since I’ve seen them. Once I’m out, I’ll have to go pay back some of the interest.’

’Besides, I should have been promoted to the Fourth Courtyard by now.’

At twenty-four, he was no longer considered young in the Outer Sect.

But his Cultivation was still unmatched in the Outer Sect.

’The problem is, I’ve always been number one. No matter how invincible I am, I can’t unlock any new achievements.’

Only by entering the Inner Sect could he continue to compete for rankings.

And become a new legend.

CREAK!

The cell door opened. Ren Qian stood there with a smile.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother. You’re free to go."

Jiang Man let out a silent sigh of relief.

He had spoken up yesterday, but the final decision still rested in the hands of the person in charge.

He didn’t have the authority to issue direct orders.

So, he had been worried about whether he would be released smoothly.

"Are there any restrictions?" Jiang Man asked.

Although he was innocent, Old Huang was still problematic, posing a certain hidden risk.

It was inevitable that he would face some restrictions.

"There are," Ren Qian said softly, leading the way. "First, the promotion channels are now under strict control. It’s not explicitly forbidden, but the process will be several times stricter than before, mainly concerning the approved channels."

Jiang Man understood. It meant he couldn’t use any gray areas, like when he had helped Chang Qiweng with the Promotion Skill.

’But I don’t use those gray-area methods anyway. I rely entirely on my own Talent.’

’It’s not much of a restriction for me.’

’No matter how strict they make it, I won’t be affected.’

"Second, all Cultivation resources must be obtained through official Sect channels. Elixirs, Magical Treasures, and Cultivation Skills cannot be traded privately," Ren Qian said.

"What about selling?" Jiang Man pressed.

"There are no restrictions on that, but it’s best to sell to the Sect’s recycling depot. The Law Enforcement Hall also buys things," Ren Qian said with a smile.

’Buying Elixirs from my master is also an official Sect channel, so strictly speaking, this isn’t a major restriction either.’

"Furthermore, every single one of your transactions will be monitored. To put it simply, they must be reported," Ren Qian said.

"Every single one?" Jiang Man was stunned.

Ren Qian nodded. "Every single one."

Jiang Man: "..."

He was glad he didn’t have a peculiar hobby of rescuing Fairies. Otherwise, what would he do?

"What about leaving the Sect?" Jiang Man asked.

"Regular departures are also restricted. However, Sect-dispatched missions and major competition Secret Realms do not need to be reported," Ren Qian said.

Both of those require direct orders from the Sect, so the rules are more lenient.

"What about my personal freedom?" Jiang Man asked.

"There are no restrictions on that for now," Ren Qian replied.

Jiang Man nodded. That was manageable, then.

"These restrictions won’t last too long," Ren Qian said reassuringly. "They’ll be gradually relaxed after three to five years and should be completely lifted in about ten, as long as you show no abnormalities during that time, Junior Brother."

A decade was a long time for Jiang Man. By then, he would have certainly made a name for himself in the Inner Sect.

Becoming a Primordial Spirit Great Power would be a simple matter.

"Additionally, the restrictions on your ox are much more severe." Ren Qian led Jiang Man out of the prison and onto the familiar bluestone path, continuing, "Your ox has been enlightened. It can now speak human language."

"Is that a blessing in disguise?" Jiang Man asked.

"More or less. However, it was never registered, so it needs to be processed again now. Since it’s not a Sect Disciple, you’ll have to hand over a thousand Spiritual Sources every month," Ren Qian said.

Jiang Man was taken aback. "It’s considered my Spirit Pet, right?"

"It is, but its origins are problematic, so it can’t be treated as a normal case. Also, since it just gained sentience, you’ll need to pay a year’s worth of guidance fees. Someone from the Law Enforcement Hall will check on it weekly to prevent it from going astray. It can be disastrous if a newly sentient being isn’t guided properly. You’re not getting a bad deal, Junior Brother. If the guidance fails, you’ll be compensated double," Ren Qian explained.

After a pause, Ren Qian continued, "Alternatively, you could leave it with the Law Enforcement Hall for a year. You wouldn’t have to pay the Spiritual Source fee then.

"It’s already a subject of our attention, so it can stay there for free.

"It won’t have a bad life there. The food is definitely better than what it would get outside.

"Aside from having no freedom, it won’t be mistreated in any other way."

Jiang Man: "..."

’I’ll pay!’

’Let it enjoy a life of luxury in there? No way.’

In the end, Jiang Man handed over seven Primordial Spirit Shaoyang Pills.

He was running low on Spiritual Source, so he had to pay with Elixirs.

After that, Ren Qian informed him of a few more points to be aware of.

The main thing was that the Old Yellow Ox was still under suspicion, so its freedom was extremely restricted.

First, it was not allowed to leave Cloud Mist Peak without authorization. If it needed to leave for special reasons, it had to be reported in advance.

Second, any abnormal behavior must also be reported.

Third, the Law Enforcement Hall would summon them once every two or three years to check for any unusual auras.

This third restriction applied to both man and ox.

That was more or less everything.

Ren Qian then had Jiang Man wait a moment while he sent for the Old Yellow Ox.

In just a moment, a yellow ox with a glossy coat and a sturdy build was led before him.

Jiang Man was stunned by the sight.

He himself had gotten so thin, yet Old Huang had become visibly more robust.

’Indeed, that Spiritual Source fee was worth it!’

’I absolutely should have bailed it out.’

"Well, I won’t see you out, Junior Brother. That’s the gist of it. If you occasionally feel like you’re being watched, don’t worry too much. It’s most likely the Law Enforcement Hall conducting an investigation." As he spoke, Ren Qian suddenly seemed to think of something and added, "Junior Brother, you must have placed first in the Immortal Mansion this time, right?"