The Rich Cultivator

Chapter 754. One Chapter before Speedrun

After leaving the corpse market behind, Tyler followed the directions he had received and continued deeper into the sect. The Dark Forest Society was far larger than it initially appeared. What he had seen near the entrance was merely the outermost area. After walking for nearly ten miles along winding stone roads and passing several settlements occupied by disciples and servant cultivators, he finally arrived at the Outer Manor, also known as the Outer Sect.

The Outer Manor was quite different from the gloomy atmosphere of the surrounding areas. A massive eastern-style manor stood before him, complete with high walls, elegant pavilions, and neatly arranged courtyards. The place looked more like the residence of a wealthy noble family than part of a sect famous for corpse cultivation. Disciples entered and exited continuously while servant cultivators hurried about carrying documents and supplies. Compared to the corpse markets outside, this place felt much more organized.

After presenting his registration scroll, Tyler was led into a spacious hall. The interior was surprisingly refined. Expensive wooden furniture filled the room, paintings hung from the walls, and several servants moved quietly through the hall. Tyler had expected something far more sinister considering the sect’s reputation.

Before long, an elderly man entered from a side door. Two healthy-looking servants followed closely behind him. Unlike the corpse cultivators Tyler had encountered so far, these servants appeared completely ordinary. They wore clean clothing, their complexions were healthy, and they showed none of the strange characteristics common among Dark Forest Society members.

The elderly man stopped in the center of the hall and calmly examined Tyler.

"This old man is Shangguan Feng, the overall manager of the Outer Manor and the person responsible for the affairs of all outer disciples."

One of the servants stepped forward and accepted Tyler’s scroll. After handing it over, Shangguan Feng merely glanced at it before nodding.

"Tyler White."

His voice was calm but carried authority.

"Welcome to the Outer Manor."

He then took out a small token and handed it to Tyler. The front was engraved with a single character representing "Outer."

"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you may come to this old man."

Tyler accepted the token and cupped his hands.

"Many thanks, Manager Shangguan, for your guidance."

"That is simply this old man’s duty."

Shangguan Feng nodded slightly before preparing to call for a servant. However, his gaze suddenly returned to the information recorded on Tyler’s scroll.

"Hm."

His brows furrowed slightly.

"The information here states that you have no family and no friends."

Tyler was somewhat puzzled by the question but still nodded.

"That’s correct."

Shangguan Feng studied him for a moment before nodding again.

"I see."

He didn’t explain further.

Instead, he waved his hand.

"You may go."

A servant immediately stepped forward.

"Please follow me, Junior Brother."

Tyler thanked the manager once more before following the servant outside.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Feng remained standing in the hall while quietly watching Tyler’s departing figure. The expression on his face became thoughtful.

"Interesting."

One of the servants beside him looked confused.

"Manager, is there something special about him?"

Shangguan Feng shook his head.

"I don’t know yet."

He said nothing further. But inside he smirked, ’Hahaha... Only by saying something like Interesting, I don’t know yet. Everyone will feel mysterious about me. Like I actually saw something about him that others can’t.’

The manager just acting ’tuff’.

Outside the manor, Tyler followed the servant disciple through several winding pathways. Along the way, the servant patiently explained the rules and structure of the Outer Manor.

"Although you’ve successfully joined the Dark Forest Society, you’re not considered a true outer disciple yet."

Tyler listened carefully.

The servant continued, "All new recruits begin as probationary outer disciples. Within three years, you must successfully absorb spiritual qi and enter the First Level of Qi Refining. Only then will you officially become an outer disciple."

"And if I fail?" Tyler asked.

The servant shrugged.

"Most people leave."

After a brief pause, he added, "Some stay behind and become servant disciples."

Tyler glanced at him.

The servant smiled awkwardly.

Clearly, he belonged to the second category.

They continued walking while the servant explained various aspects of sect life.

"Our sect doesn’t place much value on mortal wealth. Silver and gold are useful when dealing with mortals, but cultivators don’t care about such things. If you want cultivation resources, spiritual medicines, talismans, techniques, or magical artifacts, you’ll need spirit stones."

Tyler nodded.

That was fairly standard among cultivation worlds.

"Within the sect, contribution points are even more important than spirit stones. Most items can only be exchanged using contribution points."

The servant suddenly lowered his voice and smiled.

"Of course, if you happen to possess enough spirit stones, some senior brothers and even certain elders may become surprisingly friendly."

His meaning was obvious.

Tyler understood immediately.

Every organization had its own form of bribery. Cultivation sects were no exception.

After walking for some time, they finally arrived at the lodging area.

The Outer Manor disciples did not live in luxurious residences. Instead, numerous caves had been carved into a nearby mountainside. Large stone doors sealed most of the entrances. Spiritual energy drifted faintly through the area, making the mountain noticeably more comfortable than the places Tyler had previously visited.

The servant pointed toward the mountain.

"Choose any vacant cave and it will belong to you."

Tyler examined the rows of caves stretching along the mountainside.

Compared to sleeping in a crowded dormitory, having an entire cave to himself wasn’t a bad arrangement.

The servant then continued offering advice.

"You should visit the Scripture Pavilion as soon as possible and select a cultivation technique. Since your primary attribute is Yin Wood, choose something compatible with your spiritual roots. Don’t randomly pick a cultivation art just because it sounds impressive."

Tyler nodded.

That was useful advice.

The servant seemed pleased by his attitude.

"Oh, one more thing. The token Manager Shangguan gave you already contains ten contribution points. Consider it your starting allowance."

Tyler lowered his head and looked at the token in his hand.

Ten contribution points.

It wasn’t much, but it was better than starting from zero.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

As he spoke, Tyler quietly handed over two silver coins.

The servant’s eyes immediately brightened.

Although silver held little value among cultivators, that didn’t mean it was useless. Many servant disciples frequently visited nearby mortal towns. Spending a few silver coins on food, entertainment, or wine was still enjoyable.

The servant casually accepted the coins and his smile became noticeably warmer.

"Junior Brother is too polite."

His attitude immediately became much friendlier.

"If you encounter any problems, feel free to find me. As long as it’s within my abilities, I’ll certainly help."

Tyler naturally understood how this worked.

Money might not solve everything.

But it solved many things.

The servant wasn’t worried about becoming indebted over such a small favor. In his eyes, Tyler was simply another newcomer trying his luck. Every year countless people joined the sect with dreams of becoming immortal cultivators. Most failed before reaching Qi Refining.

Many eventually became servant disciples. Others quietly left. Very few actually succeeded. The servant had witnessed it many times before.

Just as he prepared to leave, Tyler suddenly asked another question.

"Senior Brother, is there a way to obtain spirit stones?"

The servant laughed.

"There are many ways."

He pointed toward a distant building.

"But the best way is The Mission Hall."

"One should complete sect tasks and you’ll earn contribution points. Once you have enough contribution points, you can exchange them for spirit stones."

The answer sounded simple.

The faint amusement hidden within the servant’s tone made Tyler understand the reality.

Obtaining spirit stones clearly wasn’t easy.

Especially for newcomers.

The servant had probably seen many ambitious recruits ask the exact same question before.

After all, if spirit stones were truly that easy to obtain, nobody would spend years struggling at the bottom of the sect hierarchy.

Still, Tyler wasn’t discouraged.

He watched the departing servant and then looked down at the token in his hand.

The first thing he needed now was a cultivation technique. Only after stepping onto the path of cultivation could he begin making plans for the future.

With that thought in mind, Tyler chose an empty cave and walked toward it, preparing to settle down before visiting the Scripture Pavilion.

The servant disciple couldn’t help but sneer as he left.

"He really thinks spirit stones are that easy to obtain?"

In his experience, most newcomers were full of ambition during their first few days. They all believed they would quickly rise through the ranks, earn contribution points, and obtain cultivation resources. Reality was usually much harsher. Even after stepping into the Qi Refining Realm, many outer disciples spent years struggling for a few spirit stones.

"Five years would already be considered fast," he muttered.

However, five days later, the same servant disciple happened to pass by Tyler’s cave. The moment he looked inside, his footsteps froze. His eyes widened and his jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Tyler was casually sitting there, tossing several spirit stones between his fingers as though they were ordinary pebbles.