Jason Reed and some of the uninjured people immediately began treating the wounded.

　　They started clearing from the area near the cave residence, gradually expanding outward, searching to see if any fellow disciples had been thrown far away by the explosion.

　　Jason Reed searched in the mountains for a while, treated two injured young Daoist attendants, sent them back to a flat area for placement, and then continued searching.

　　Searching further, he found no one, but behind a pile of rocks, he discovered a faint glimmer of light.

　　Jason Reed's heart stirred, and he moved closer to investigate.

　　That faint light was a wisp of purple-gold radiance intertwined with a thread of green light.

　　The green light seemed to be lightning, and because it was intertwined with the purple-gold radiance, it surprisingly lingered for a long time without dissipating.

　　But as it was consumed, the green lightning gradually faded, leaving only the purple-gold flash, and soon a rich spiritual energy began to burst forth from it.

　　Jason Reed reached out and lightly tapped it.

　　The purple-gold radiance in midair suddenly wove itself into an illusory lingzhi mushroom.

　　In the next moment, the illusory lingzhi's light and shadow merged into Jason Reed's body.

　　Only abundant spiritual energy and a faint fragrance remained in the air, making one feel refreshed and clear-minded.

　　Without any need for special nurturing or refining, Jason Reed could already feel his own meridians flowing smoothly, and the true qi in his dantian was more active than before.

　　He calmed his mind and left the area for now.

　　With the proper Celestial Master Mansion true disciples present to coordinate and handle the situation, the turmoil gradually subsided.

　　As long as they weren't injured, the young Daoist attendants even attended their evening classes as usual that day.

　　Of course, that didn't stop people from discussing things in private.

　　Jason Reed remained calm and returned to his own residence after evening class.

　　The Celestial Master Mansion is unlike other places; it does not encourage disciples to seek comfort, but it is also not stingy with places for quiet cultivation.

　　Even Daoist attendants each have their own separate residence, but they must live alone—no family or servants are allowed to stay with them.

　　In his quiet room, Jason Reed sat cross-legged in silence, quietly practicing breathing and circulating his qi.

　　Looking inward, he was surprised to see threads of golden light emerging from his limbs and bones.

　　As Jason Reed circulated his qi, these golden lights, originally scattered throughout his meridians and acupoints, gathered once more in his dantian.

　　The illusory purple-gold lingzhi mushroom appeared again.

Chapter 3: Continuous Advancement in Cultivation

　　Jason Reed quietly circulated his qi, and there were a total of five qi seas in his body, all vibrating at once.

　　The illusory purple-gold lingzhi swayed along with them.

　　A great amount of spiritual energy was continuously refined and absorbed by Jason Reed, transforming into true qi within his qi seas.

　　The small bottleneck from before was easily broken through this time, much faster than expected.

　　A sixth qi sea was newly formed!

　　Jason Reed opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

　　His cultivation level had advanced, rising from the fifth layer of Qi Refining to the sixth.

　　As far as Jason Reed knew, in the current world of cultivation, the practice is customarily divided into nine major realms, also called the Nine Heavens.

　　Depending on the sect's tradition and cultivation methods, the specific characteristics of each realm may differ, but overall, everyone divides them into the Nine Heavens.

　　For example, the Daoist Dan Ding sect customarily names the Nine Heavens, from lowest to highest, as Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Cauldron, Golden Core, Nurturing, Dao Embryo, Nascent Soul, Infant Transformation, and Great Ascension.

　　The Celestial Master Mansion, where Jason Reed resides, is the ancestral home of the Daoist Talisman tradition. In this lineage, the Nine Heavens, from lowest to highest, are Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Ritual Altar, Origin Talisman, Dao Palace, Dao Seal, Tongtian, Divine Court, and Great Ascension.

　　Some major realms are further divided into sub-levels, with varying numbers.

　　For example, the initial first heaven, Qi Refining, is divided into twelve sub-levels, called the Twelve-Story Tower.

　　The second heaven, Foundation Establishment, is divided into four sub-levels: Initial, Middle, High, and Perfect.

　　And so on, with many variations.

　　After all, the Celestial Master Mansion is the sacred ancestral home of the Daoist Talisman tradition, so even the most basic foundational methods have their unique features.

　　Although Jason Reed had only recently started his cultivation, he had already reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

　　However, recently he felt that his cultivation progress was gradually slowing down.

　　On one hand, the higher the cultivation level, the more difficult it becomes, and it often takes more time.

　　On the other hand, the spiritual resources he used for cultivation were relatively limited.

　　Although the Celestial Master Mansion is wealthy and powerful, in most cases, only after a Daoist attendant participates in the ordination ceremony to become a Daoist priest and a true disciple of the Mansion will resources be supplied in abundance.

　　Fortunately, for now, this purple-gold lingzhi was like a special blessing for Jason Reed.

　　"But this is just a single resource. Once I participate in the ordination and become an official true disciple, the benefits in all aspects—methods, land, wealth, and companions—will be fully upgraded."

　　Jason Reed slowly finished his practice: "I still need to work hard to participate in the ordination as soon as possible, leave the Daoist Attendant Courtyard at the foot of the mountain, and go to the main mansion on the mountain."

　　The illusory purple-gold lingzhi in his dantian once again dispersed into threads of golden light, spreading throughout his limbs and bones.

　　But whenever needed, it could be gathered again, though it remained well hidden most of the time.

　　A mid-upper lot, fifth-grade fortune... Jason Reed nodded slowly.

　　I wonder what the sixth-grade fortune of the mid-level lot at the Lingzhi Platform is?

　　The next day, he attended morning class as usual.

　　After morning class, the few who had survived unscathed, including Jason Reed, were allowed to visit their injured acquaintances.

　　"Junior Brother Reed, you didn't go to Elder Foster's cave residence for the selection, so you actually avoided disaster!" a Daoist attendant exclaimed repeatedly.

　　After a night, all sorts of rumors began to circulate in the Daoist Attendant Courtyard: