“By the way, I heard that the spiritual vein at Lingzhi Terrace also suddenly revived yesterday!”

“Could it be related to Elder Foster’s altar?”

“If there was a way to restore Lingzhi Terrace, why didn’t they do it earlier?”

“Maybe it was just a lucky accident…”

Someone nearby nudged Jason Reed’s elbow: “Senior Brother Reed, did you hear? Not only did the spiritual vein at Lingzhi Terrace revive, but a brand new pure golden lingzhi mushroom also sprouted!”

“A pure golden lingzhi?”

Jason Reed turned his head to look over.

“Yes!”

The young Daoist nodded vigorously: “I heard that this time, because the spiritual vein that had been blocked and dried up for many years was suddenly revitalized, the spiritual energy reversed, and after reaching rock bottom, things turned for the better. That’s why, right at the start of the revival, a pure golden lingzhi mushroom appeared. Whether there will be more in the future, it’s hard to say for now.

According to old legends, before Lingzhi Terrace was destroyed in the early years, a purple-gold lingzhi mushroom once grew there, which was even higher in grade than the pure golden one!

But for Lingzhi Terrace to revive this time is already a great joy, and to have a new pure golden lingzhi is a double blessing. We can’t ask for too much.”

Jason Reed: “…Makes sense.”

“I heard about this too, but I also heard something else.” Another young Daoist nearby suddenly said, “That newly sprouted pure golden lingzhi was picked by a senior brother from our Daoist Academy!”

Everyone around was shocked: “Really?”

That young Daoist gestured as he spoke: “It’s true! It was a senior brother from the Eighth Branch. I remember his name was… Ethan Brooks, yes, it was Ethan Brooks!”

Rumor had it that the young Daoist Ethan Brooks from the Eighth Branch of the Daoist Academy didn’t go to Elder Foster’s cave to join the excitement that day.

As a result, when the spiritual vein revived, Ethan Brooks just happened to be by Lingzhi Terrace and got lucky, picking the newly sprouted pure golden lingzhi.

He saved his own life, but Senior Brother Bolton, who was gravely injured and barely hanging on, was both envious and jealous:

“It’s not fair! We got hurt by the altar explosion, and he got such a huge benefit!”

Jason Reed: “…That’s right.”

Someone said sourly, “How can such a spiritual treasure be picked privately? Isn’t the estate supposed to collect it?”

The Daoist across from him shrugged: “I heard the estate announced that the revival of Lingzhi Terrace and the birth of the golden lingzhi was a stroke of unexpected fortune from the heavens, so whoever came across it was just lucky, and they wouldn’t pursue it. Besides… it seems Ethan Brooks ate the pure golden lingzhi on the spot!”

Everyone: “That brat really hit the jackpot!”

Jason Reed cleared his throat: “It’s getting late. Senior Brother Bolton and the others are still injured and need to rest.”

“Senior Brother Reed is right.” The crowd finally began to disperse.

Jason Reed left the infirmary and walked along the road, deep in thought.

Elder Foster pulled off a big move, reviving the long-damaged Lingzhi Terrace—was it really just an unexpected incident?

That kid named Ethan Brooks—was his timing really just that perfect, to catch such a coincidence?

But if he had known in advance that Elder Foster was going to pull off such a stunt, why would he go to Lingzhi Terrace instead of heading to Elder Foster’s cave to look for the purple-gold lingzhi’s light?

In terms of quality, the purple-gold lingzhi is even higher than the pure golden one.

Leaving aside luck, just the difference between a fifth-grade and a sixth-grade opportunity is right there.

With the revival of Lingzhi Terrace, it was originally possible for a top-quality purple-gold lingzhi to form.

But fortune and misfortune are intertwined, with both gains and losses.

Affected by the Azure Thunder, although Lingzhi Terrace revived, the essence of the purple-gold lingzhi had just formed when it was shattered again by the exploding thunder.

So, only a second-tier pure golden lingzhi formed at the original site of Lingzhi Terrace.

The essence of the purple-gold lingzhi turned into light and shadow, tangled with the thunder, and as the radiance burst forth, it flew to the outskirts, landing back near Elder Foster’s cave.

At first, as it tangled with the Azure Thunder, the two forces canceled each other out.

The Azure Thunder masked the spiritual energy of the lingzhi essence.

The lingzhi essence neutralized the violence of the thunder.

When the Azure Thunder gradually dissipated and the purple-gold lingzhi essence was about to reappear and be sensed by others, it just so happened that Jason Reed picked it up.

Jason Reed shook his head, calmed his mind, and diligently completed his Daoist Academy assignments as usual.

That night, back in his own small courtyard, he followed his own pace—neither hurried nor impatient—cultivating quietly.

The essence of the purple-gold lingzhi continuously transformed into spiritual energy, nourishing Jason Reed’s body and helping him progress.

In this way, some more time passed.

True qi roared within Jason Reed’s body, surging like a great river, and soon opened up a seventh qi sea.

The seventh level of Qi Refinement was achieved!

“Hmm, not bad, not bad.”

The next morning, the instructor looked at Jason Reed and nodded in satisfaction: “Your progress is faster than I expected.”

He had felt regret before.

This young man named Jason Reed had a good temperament and willpower, and was somewhat spiritually perceptive, but unfortunately, his natural talent and foundation were average.

Not terrible, but at best, just ordinary.

But this was the Celestial Master’s Estate, the ancestral holy land of the Daoist Talisman School, where geniuses and prodigies gathered without a doubt.

This instructor himself was a true disciple of the Celestial Master’s Estate.

Talents that others could only dream of were nothing special here.

And Jason Reed had started late.

Many of the young Daoists who had been in the academy for several years were only fourteen or fifteen years old.

When Jason Reed entered, he was already eighteen.