Joe Di was thoroughly satisfied. In the Origin Range’s Herb Valley, he had spent two full days gathering Divine Spirit Herbs. Although two days wasn’t enough to cover much ground, his Ninth World was already filled with all kinds of Divine Spirit Herbs. Moreover, from grade one to grade four, he had amassed large piles of each kind.
There were quite a few grade five and six Divine Spirit Herbs as well. Grade seven was extremely rare—Joe Di hadn’t obtained a single one, but he didn’t mind. Grade seven Divine Spirit Herbs were still a bit too advanced for him; he had no use for them at present.
Just as three days passed, a wave of dizziness struck, and Joe Di found himself outside the Origin Range.
"Are you Joe Di? The outer disciple representing Origin Dao Sect in the Dao River Pill Competition?" As soon as Joe Di appeared, the steward at the gate fired off two questions in quick succession.
Joe Di nodded, "That's right. I am Joe Di."
The steward’s smile grew warmer. "Ah, if I’d known you helped our Origin Dao Sect achieve a top fifty ranking, I would have reminded you not to use your Herb Garden Entry Token just yet."
Joe Di understood his meaning: his current cultivation level was too low, so entering the Origin Dao Herb Garden wouldn’t yield much. If he waited until his cultivation improved, his harvest would be far greater.
The steward was well-intentioned, and Joe Di thanked him nonetheless.
Just as Joe Di was about to leave, the steward suddenly said, "Valley Master Ann Tu left a message. If you’ve returned, you should go see her right away."
Joe Di guessed she was summoning him regarding the core disciple quota. Although he didn’t care much about the status, Ann Tu Ning’s intentions were still kind.
Core disciple or not, as long as he didn’t take a master, no one should discover his Ninth World. Besides, becoming a core disciple of Origin Dao Sect meant he’d have a reliable backer. Even if Jaden Dai found out about him, he probably wouldn’t dare act recklessly.
After accepting the sect’s core disciple status, Joe Di couldn’t be bothered to visit the Outer Sect Mountain and headed straight for Springvale Division.
Upon arriving at Springvale Division, Joe Di discovered that all the disciples here were female. As he hesitated at the entrance, he saw a man and a woman walk out together, both smiling.
Since male disciples could enter, Joe Di no longer hesitated—especially since he’d been summoned by Ann Tu Ning.
But just as Joe Di stepped into Springvale Division, before he could cross the formation gate, two women blocked his way. "Springvale Division is for women only. Who are you to barge in?"
"Isn’t that a male disciple?" Joe Di pointed at the man.
The two women laughed, looking at Joe Di with some disdain. "That’s Senior Ronan Shao, a core disciple of the sect. Do you think you compare to Senior Ronan?"
Joe Di frowned slightly but remained polite. "Valley Master Ann Tu summoned me. Please inform her that Joe Di has arrived."
"What’s the matter?" At that moment, the man and woman reached the formation gate. The woman was the one who spoke.