The Jade Token.

Li Ying's routine had changed. First, he went to learn alchemy from his master in the morning, where he would learn how to refine herbs and make pills. Then, he would practice 'Heavenly Lightning Slash' at noon. Finally, he would cultivate at night. He followed this routine for months.

A year had gone by since Li Ying became a disciple of the Bright Moon Sect. He was sitting in a lotus position, his eyes closed and his mind calm. His hair had grown long and unruly, covering his ears and reaching his neck.

Opening his eyes he sighed inwardly.

'Tsk. The spiritual qi in this sect is really poor. I have only reached the ninth layer of Qi Condensation in a year.' He recalled how he had broken through to Qi Condensation fifth layer in just a few days with purple grade qi.

The white grade qi limited his cultivation to that of a third grade aptitude cultivator. It was like someone was feeding him one or two grains of rice when he could already take mouth full. It was frustrating and depressing.

Li Ying took out the jade token from his pocket. He infused his qi into the token and asked, "Master, are you there?"

"What do you want?" Mu Xuanyin replied in a bored voice.

"I want to use my one-year request." Li Ying said.

"Oh, have you decided to go out?" She suddenly got excited.

"Yes." Li Ying said, nodding his head.

"What do you need then?" She asked.

"I want a storage device, not a treasure but the usual one would do." Li Ying said, modestly. He did not expect that she would give him a treasure.

"Li Ying! Do you think I am a stingy person?" Mu Xuanyin suddenly sounded angry.

"No, not at all master. You are the most graceful master the world has ever seen." Li Ying replied, as if he was really afraid.

"Hahaha. Li Ying, why are you so serious? Can't you see I am joking with you?" A playful sound came.

'How am I supposed to know if a moody person like you is joking or not?' Li Ying gritted his teeth.

"Alright, I will stop teasing you. The jade token I have given you already has the function of a storage device." Mu Xuanyin said sincerely.

"Oh, how do I use it?" Li Ying asked as he smiled.

"As you have used your request, I won't only tell you how to use it, I will help you fuse with the jade token. With that, you will be able to use all of its functions." Mu Xuanyin said, sounding generous.

Li Ying didn't stop smiling and said, "Thank you, master."

"See, I am not stingy at all." Mu Xuanyin sounded smug.

'Just how much praise do you need?' Li Ying thought, feeling annoyed. But he still replied with a smile, "Yes, master, you are the best. Now please tell me how to fuse with it."

"Alright, first open your palm." Mu Xuanyin said, sounding calm and instructive.

"I did, now what?" Li Ying said, opening his right palm with which he was holding the jade token. The jade token was a small and round piece of jade, with some carvings and symbols on it.

"Now imagine the jade token is an egg."

"Alright." Li Ying said, closing his eyes and focusing. He tried to imagine that the jade token in his hand was an egg.

"Now clench your fist and smash the egg."

It was weird but Li Ying still complied. He clenched his fist, feeling the jade token press against his palm.

"The egg's liquid is now contained in your fist, careful it is leaking from the gaps in your fingers." Mu Xuanyin said, sounding cautious and concerned.

Li Ying used his second hand to cover the gaps in his fingers.

"Now press it as if you are absorbing the liquid."

Li Ying clenched his fist more powerfully.

"Li Ying you gross bastard, what are you doing with a rotten egg in your hand? Hahahahaha!" Mu Xuanyin burst into laughter.

Li Ying was dumbfounded.

He frowned as he felt irritated inside. He had never been toyed with like this before but he still calmed down.

"Are you finished? Now tell me how to really do it." Li Ying did not sound respectful at all.

Mu Xuanyin who was still chuckling replied while holding back her laughter. "Oh it's simple, just put your drop of blood on it and it will recognize you as its master."

'Just like that.' Li Ying was dumbfounded.

He had avoided experimenting with the jade token before, as he thought it belonged to Mu Xuanyin. But the refining process turned out to be the most common one.

Li Ying bit his finger and squeezed out a drop of blood on the jade token.

The jade token suddenly started glowing with a bright light and floated upwards from his palm. It shook violently and turned into a thread of light green liquid.

The liquid slithered across Li Ying's right arm, leaving a trail of light behind. It penetrated his shoulder but it wasn't painful at all.

He quickly removed his black robe and looked at his shoulder. A tattoo of a coiling dragon had appeared. It was dark red and contrasted with his pale skin.

All the information of the functions of the jade token appeared in his mind, as if he had read a book.

"Amazing." He muttered.

"Of course." A smug voice replied.

Li Ying didn't need to hold the jade token to talk with Mu Xuanyin anymore. His divine sense had increased significantly.

He could also use the spatial storage, which had infinite capacity. Even Su Zhi, the elder of the Bright Moon Sect had a storage ring of only five cubic meters capacity.

Li Ying had just obtained the spatial storage and decided to use it right away.

On a small table, there was a book and some papers. They together formed the complete version of 'Heavenly Lightning Slash'.

He grabbed the book and the papers, and used his mind to use the jade token, sending them into his spatial storage. His hand felt a bit lighter as the book and the papers vanished from his view.

On the table, there was also a pile of dark yellow slips with weird patterns on them, resembling runes and symbols.

They were explosive talismans that he had crafted throughout the year. He had used a similar explosive talisman to fight the serpentail wolf in the Skyreach forest. But these talismans were not yet activated, and they were stronger than the previous one.

That activated talisman was a gift from his old friend, the Leader of the Silver Dragon Sect. It was already activated and was very dangerous, as it could blow up at any time. That's why Li Ying had only took one from him.

Li Ying picked up the stack of talismans, and put them inside his spatial storage.

Li Ying looked out of the window, and saw the sun rising in the sky. He got up from his bed and left the cabin heading for his Su Zhi's place.

…

"Master, I have a request." Li Ying said, standing in front of the cottage.

"Come inside." A kind voice came from inside the cottage.

Li Ying went inside the cottage, and saw a large alchemy pot in the middle of the room. It was a metal pot with a lid, and it had some runes and symbols on it.

There were few other furniture in the room, such as a table, a chair, and a shelf. The room was simple and clean, and it showed the master's preference for a minimalistic lifestyle.

"What is it, Li Ying?" Su Zhi asked, looking at Li Ying with a smile. He had both his hands on the alchemy pot and was controlling the fire and the qi inside it. He was making a batch of pills.

"Master, I have decided to go outside the sect. I want to find my previous master." Li Ying said, looking at Su Zhi with a serious and determined expression.

"Is that so? Wait till your senior brothers come back from the expedition and go with them." Su Zhi said, his voice turning even more kind, as if he was sympathizing with Li Ying.

Li Ying had deliberately picked this day to ask his master, because he knew that his senior brothers were not here.

They had gone on an expedition. They went three times a month, and they always came back victorious. They either killed some evil cultivators, who were the members of the Purple Snake Society or they gathered some information about them.

"No, master, I wish to go alone. Please allow it. I am not so naive anymore. I have learned about the real world from you and senior brothers. I wish to end this matter once and for all."

Once he grew hair, his facial expressions no longer looked naive, but weird.

"And where will you go?"

"Skyreach forest, where I last saw my master." Li Ying said, telling the truth, although it was just a coincidence.

"Alright, you can go." Su Zhi nodded, once he heard that Li Ying was going to the Skyreach forest, which was a safe place.

He threw out a token to Li Ying, and said, "Since you have refused to wear the inner disciple uniform, this will serve as your identity." 

The token was a small and round piece of metal, with some symbols on it. There was a word written on the token - 'alchemist'.

Li Ying caught the token, and bowed to Su Zhi, and said, "Thank you, master."

He left the yard.