Though she didn't understand, Jiang Xiaoyu eventually joined her brother in following Zhong Ming to a secluded place.
Then, before Jiang Yue could ask, Zhong Ming spoke first.
"Jiang, getting rated A Class is a toss-up for you, I imagine."
Jiang Yue gave a bitter smile at this. "Zhong, you think too highly of me. In truth, I only have about a thirty percent chance."
He paused, then explained the reason. "As disciples from a Cultivation Family, it's true we have Spirit Stones and Elixir Pills. But every elixir has its poison. To avoid a buildup of Erysipelas that would damage our foundation, we have to strictly limit the number of Elixir Pills we consume daily."
"Furthermore, there's an inspection during the rating. If they find your foundation is damaged or you have too much Erysipelas buildup, your rating will be lowered, even if you've met the requirements for A Class."
"I see."
This answer helped Zhong Ming understand why some disciples from prominent families, despite having plenty of Spirit Stones, couldn't even achieve a B-level Rating.
Clearly, the restrictions on Elixir Pills were significant. Longxi Peak looked down on those who advanced solely by relying on them.
Thinking this, Zhong Ming had a deeper understanding of just how important the information he held was to the family disciples—especially the ambitious ones who were just one step away from their goal.
With that in mind, Zhong Ming cut to the chase. "Jiang, the reason you're so warm toward me is that you've sensed I comprehended something from the Mountain Stream Flowing Map. You also believe that knowledge can help you, speed up your Cultivation, and improve your chances of getting an A Class rating."
"...That is indeed part of the reason."
Having gained some understanding of Zhong Ming's character, Jiang Yue didn't try to hide it, admitting it frankly.
Seeing this, Zhong Ming stopped beating around the bush.
"I did indeed comprehend something."
At these words, Jiang Yue's pupils shrank, and his hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into tight fists.
He was naturally tense. Achieving an A Class rating was extremely important to him.
It wasn't just a matter of security, nor was it only about receiving Longxi Peak's dedicated resources.
As someone born into a Cultivation Family, what Jiang Yue cared about most right now was his family's support.
And as a major family, the Jiang Family had more than one outstanding disciple. They certainly wouldn't pour all their resources into him alone.
The more outstanding a disciple was, the greater the support they would receive from the family.
Without a doubt, the support he'd receive from the Jiang Family would be different for an A Class rating versus a B Class rating.
'If I get an A Class rating, I'll be in the first echelon of the family and have a better chance to compete for the position of Patriarch. With a B Class, I'd only be in the second echelon, and the highest I could ever achieve is elder…'
Thinking of the various benefits that came with being in the first echelon made Jiang Yue's heart pound with anxiety.
To draw a parallel, Jiang Yue's current state of mind was akin to that of students and their parents during the all-important college entrance exams.
At such a critical moment, they would grasp desperately at any opportunity to add a few more points to their score.
To score just a few extra points, students in a world like that were willing to pay tens of thousands.
The Jiang Yue of today... was no different.
He was tense, but Zhong Ming's expression was quite calm. "I don't intend to hide what I've comprehended. If you can afford the price, I don't mind sharing the key points with you."
Zhong Ming, it turned out, intended to sell his insights for some Spirit Stones. He would then use those Spirit Stones to buy Elixir Pills, improve his cultivation efficiency, and advance his level sooner.
Hearing that he needed to pay, Jiang Yue wasn't the least bit angry. In fact, his face lit up with joy.
For him, at this moment, money was no object. What he feared was Zhong Ming selfishly hoarding his knowledge.
Fortunately, Zhong Ming had no intention of suppressing potential rivals.
'I'd rather spend the effort improving myself. As long as I advance faster than others, I'll never have to fear them becoming powerful.'
...
Jiang Yue: "What do you want, and how much?"
"I want Elixir Pills." After a moment of thought, Zhong Ming stated his price. "At least one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones' worth of Elixir Pills. Two types: one to relieve meridian fatigue, and one to increase cultivation."
"Done."
Without any intention of bargaining, and without even going back to fetch them, Jiang Yue directly handed Zhong Ming the Elixir Pills he himself was using.
"This is the Primordial Spirit Pill, and this is Earth Marrow Milk. The former increases cultivation, while the latter protects and nourishes the meridians."
"These are the two main types of Elixir Pills I use. The value of these two bottles is 240 Spirit Stones."
Zhong Ming: "...I don't have any Spirit Stones to give you change."
"No need." Jiang Yue smiled. "Consider it the price of making a friend."
This made Zhong Ming laugh as well.
"In that case, you've got yourself a friend."
Having said this, Zhong Ming accepted the Elixir Pills and shared the secret he had uncovered with Jiang Yue.
"Through a stroke of luck, I saw a Flood Dragon in the Mountain Stream Flowing Map... So, my guess is that the core of our Longxi Breathing Technique isn't the spring or the stream, but the dragon."
"A dragon of earthly veins, formed by the combination of mountains and streams."
Considering Jiang Yue had given him more than he'd expected, Zhong Ming voluntarily added, "You can cultivate with me this afternoon. I'll show you the flow of the mountains and streams that I've found."
With that said, Zhong Ming, who had other things to attend to, quickly departed.
After he was gone, a bright light sparked in Jiang Yue's eyes.
'The core of Longxi Peak is the dragon, not the stream... Yes, that must be it. Longxi Peak isn't at the bottom of the Seven Profound Sect. A sect like ours couldn't possibly use a mere stream as its core visualization object. That's too petty. But if it's a dragon, then it all makes sense.'
He had figured some things out, but Jiang Xiaoyu had not.
By now, she had a slightly better understanding of why her brother valued Zhong Ming so highly—the True Intent was crucial. If Zhong Ming had truly comprehended the True Intent of the Mountain Stream Flowing Map, then they did indeed need to treat him with great care.
However, she still had her worries.
"Brother, how can you be so sure that what Zhong Ming said is true?"
This question made Jiang Yue laugh.
"As a Major Sect, Longxi Peak's visualization object couldn't possibly be a stream..."
After repeating his earlier thoughts, Jiang Yue's gaze deepened as he added:
"Besides, Zhong Ming wouldn't dare lie to me."
"If he were some mediocre person who hadn't comprehended anything and dared to deceive me like this, it would be easy for me to make him pay the price."
"And if he truly did comprehend something from the Mountain Stream Flowing Map, he must be very intelligent. A person like that would have even less reason to lie to me... There's no need for him to be wary of me."
Speaking to this point, Jiang Yue revealed a flash of the brilliance befitting a prodigy:
"I am pursuing an A Class rating. Zhong Ming's best possible result is a B-level Rating. As such, we are not competitors."
Jiang Yue held Zhong Ming in high regard, but even so, he believed that with a third-class Spiritual Root, the best Zhong Ming could hope for in the hundred-day assessment was a B Class.
This wasn't some baseless guess on Jiang Yue's part. It was a conclusion he had reached after carefully considering all the circumstances.
And this conclusion... did have some merit.
Even Zhong Ming, now that he had the Elixir Pills, wasn't very confident he could raise his rating to A Class.
It wasn't that he thought little of himself, but that advancing in seven days was just too tight a deadline.
'My efficiency at absorbing Spiritual Qi is still too low.'
'And even though I have Elixir Pills now, the Erysipelas will still affect me, so I daren't take too many in one day.'
Despite these thoughts, Zhong Ming's expression didn't sour.
After taking a drop of Earth Marrow Spirit Liquid, letting its thick, warm aura spread and relieve the fatigue in his meridians, Zhong Ming turned and headed toward his destination.
Five minutes later, a stone tower appeared before Zhong Ming. Above the tower's main gate, the large characters for "Longxi Peak Scripture Pavilion" were clearly displayed.
Gazing at the Scripture Pavilion, Zhong Ming's eyes burned with a certain fervor.
'My hope of advancing to the early stage of Qi Cultivation in seven days and earning an A Class rating... it all lies in here!'