At this moment, he had essentially leapt three grades in a row from a mid-tier physique, directly skipping over upper-mid and high grade, and become a spiritual body... Jason Reed lifted his head once more.

He sat down cross-legged right there, embraced his core, and silently circulated his profound arts.

The vast spiritual energy from the outside world was absorbed into his body at an unprecedented speed.

Then, at a speed so fast it was almost negligible, he refined it into his own true qi.

Previously, he had relied on the essence of the Purple-Gold Ganoderma to work miracles, brute-forcing his way through with sheer quantity.

Now, although the essence of the Purple-Gold Ganoderma was gone, the obstacles and bottlenecks he used to encounter during cultivation had also vanished.

"Refining bones and washing marrow" was not enough to describe it.

This was truly a rebirth.

The grand ordination ceremony at the beginning of next year was no longer a hopeless endeavor.

Jason Reed took a deep breath, slowly finished his cultivation, stood up from the ground, and thanked the purple-robed Daoist nun before him.

Emily Grant: "Just as you said before, it was your own fortune that brought about this encounter."

Jason Reed nodded and looked back toward Mount Longhu.

If he had chosen to go to the Talisman and Ink Workshop back then, he would have been caught up in the great brawl sparked by Ethan Brooks.

With the conflict between the Li family and the outsiders erupting, the innocent would suffer in the chaos.

Even if he didn't get involved, he might have been put in confinement along with the others.

Emily Grant could have fished Jason Reed out on her way back to the mountain.

But the Tianyuan Clear Dew would have been lost.

Because Emily Grant, passing by Qingyun Marsh, would have stopped there first to use the Tianyuan Clear Dew for disaster relief and plague prevention, and only then returned to the mountain.

For such a spiritual treasure, in this situation, she would have used it all at once, not caring whether it was wasted or not.

If Jason Reed had chosen the "fish swimming in shallow waters" middle-tier lot to play it safe, he would have avoided imprisonment, but also missed out on the Tianyuan Clear Dew.

Only by drawing the best lot and coming to the Qingyun Marsh riverbank would Jason Reed meet Emily Grant before she used the Tianyuan Clear Dew, allowing her to notice that he possessed the essence of the Purple-Gold Ganoderma and the Dragon Horse Scale. Only then would she split the Tianyuan Clear Dew in two—one part for disaster relief, the other to help him achieve rebirth.

Thus, a third-grade fortune, supremely auspicious.

The path of the eagle soaring in the sky had become the hidden dragon in the abyss, about to soar to the heavens.

Chapter 11: The Twelfth Layer of Qi Refinement, Perfected!

This time, both the essence of the Purple-Gold Ganoderma and the Tianyuan Clear Dew were completely used up, but it was an absolute windfall.

The Dragon Horse Scale, however, remained in Jason Reed's possession, though its brilliance was temporarily dimmed.

Still, Jason Reed could sense that this treasure was not fundamentally damaged; it just needed a little time to recover its vitality.

"Your work here is done. I'm heading back to the mountain," Emily Grant said to Jason Reed, giving him a brief instruction. She did not speak to the other disciples of the Celestial Master Mansion, but stepped onto a pitch-black thundercloud and disappeared into the sky.

Jason Reed composed himself and went to inform Master Clark and his fellow disciple.

The two true disciples of the Celestial Master Mansion seemed unfazed by this, and aside from thanking Emily Grant for stopping to help, they said little else.

However, Jason Reed could clearly see a hint of worry in Master Clark's eyes, as if he feared that a promising, healthy young talent might be led astray by that senior sister...

After that, Jason Reed did not rush to return to the mountain.

He calmed his mind and continued to help with disaster relief and plague prevention at the Qingyun Marsh riverbank.

It wasn't until a few days later, when a new group of Daoist children arrived to take over the duties, that Jason Reed and the first group who had come to Qingyun Marsh handed over their tasks and said their goodbyes.

"Are Junior Brother Brooks and the others still in confinement?"

Back at the Daoist Children's Courtyard at the foot of Mount Longhu, Jason Reed, David Bolton, and the others heard the latest gossip.

"They're all still in solitary reflection. The young masters and ladies from the First Branch are as well, and visits are forbidden."

A young Daoist child replied, "It seems the mansion is determined to crack down on recent misconduct. Not a single person who participated in the brawl at the Talisman and Ink Workshop was let off."

David Bolton slapped his thigh. "This Junior Brother Brooks has stirred up an even bigger storm—he's really the man of the hour this year!"

The other Daoist children all nodded. "Yeah, ever since Senior Sister Harris stopped coming to the Daoist Children's Courtyard as often, Senior Brother Brooks has been the most talked-about figure."

David Bolton: "But Senior Sister Harris is still way stronger. Still, the trouble Ethan Brooks has caused is no small matter either."

The Celestial Master Mansion is a sacred Daoist site; even in the Daoist Children's Courtyard at the foot of the mountain, there may be hidden talents.

But whether it's a stereotype or reality, most of the so-called young geniuses are recognized as problem children—always the center of attention.

Talents emerge in every generation.

Today, it's Ethan Brooks's turn.

Jason Reed: "Some people are just innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire."

Beside him, David Bolton gave a wry smile.

He had gone with Jason Reed to the Qingyun Marsh riverbank, seemingly avoiding the chaos at the Talisman and Ink Workshop.

But back then, Jason Reed had arrived late at the Steward Hall, leaving only those two assignments to choose from.

He, on the other hand, had gone early, only to watch as all the easy jobs were taken by others, and finally waited for Jason Reed to arrive.

Otherwise, whether it was Qingyun Marsh or the Talisman and Ink Workshop, David Bolton wouldn't have had to go to either.

Of the two lousy assignments, Qingyun Marsh wasn't the worst, but it was still tough—long hours, harsh conditions, and it delayed his own cultivation.

Because of Emily Grant, no one else at Qingyun Marsh knew about Jason Reed's transformation.

So at this moment, David Bolton once again questioned his life: