Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Once Senior Brother Hong concluded his announcement, the disciples at the third layer of Qi Refining rushed forward to register, eager to secure their status as Outer Disciples.

Sun Kang gripped Han Yu’s shoulder, his voice lowered. “Junior Brother Han, rest assured. If I have the capacity later, I will do everything I can to help you reach the third layer quickly.”

Liu Lan stood beside him, her expression serious. “Junior Brother Han, after we leave, you must be extra vigilant. Do not let anyone bully you.”

She paused, looking him in the eye. “And focus on your cultivation. Join us in the Outer Sect as soon as possible. We will look out for each other there, just as we have here.”

Han Yu nodded calmly. “Actually, I am approaching the second layer of Qi Refining. Once I reach the third, I will come find you.”

Sun Kang and Liu Lan exchanged a look of genuine surprise.

They knew Han Yu possessed Four Spirit Roots—a mediocre aptitude at best. Yet, he had been in the sect for little more than a year and was already nearing the second layer. His speed was almost comparable to someone with Three Spirit Roots.

However, this was not the time for idle chatter. The two hurried to queue up, registering their names, cultivation bases, and Spirit Roots.

Right behind them stood the eccentric Lu Yun. When he registered his cultivation at the third layer of Qi Refining, a ripple of shock went through the crowd.

That clown?

Everyone found Lu Yun ridiculous and lazy, yet his cultivation speed hadn’t lagged behind at all. It suddenly made sense why the Stewards frequently punished him but never expelled him—he had talent to back up his odd behavior.

“Senior Brother Hong,” a newly registered disciple asked tentatively, “after I become an Outer Disciple, what happens to the spirit field I’ve been tending?”

“If you cannot bear to part with it, you are welcome to return and continue farming,” Senior Brother Hong replied indifferently.

“However, Outer Disciples have countless ways to earn merit and resources. We do not restrict you. But if you choose to toil like a Laborer Disciple for half a year just to earn a pittance and a few Minor Merits, it is a massive waste of time and energy.”

Hong sneered slightly. “If you wish to do something that foolish, the sect will not stop you. But if it delays your cultivation, the consequences are your own.”

The disciple came to a sudden realization. “Then… I certainly won’t tend the field anymore!”

“Good. Your fields will be handed over to the new disciples. Consider it a bargain for them.”

Hearing this, the disciples waiting for promotion shed their last regrets. Their faces were now flush with the excitement and hope of their new status.

Soon after, Senior Brother Hong led the group—including Sun Kang, Liu Lan, and Lu Yun—toward the Deacon’s Hall on the main peak for the official cultivation verification.

The remaining Laborer Disciples, those below the third layer, were left behind.

Some looked hopeful, realizing that reaching the third layer was a tangible path to escaping their plight. Others wore expressions of bitter distress, grumbling under their breath. For them, the arrival of Rogue Cultivators and the ninety percent harvest tax meant life had just become significantly harder.

Han Yu stood in the crowd, suddenly isolated. There were no longer any familiar faces around him.

He didn’t speak to anyone. After standing quietly for a moment, observing the scattered conversations, he turned and walked back to his stone hut.

“Junior Brother Han!”

That afternoon, a shout came from outside.

Han Yu went to the door to find Sun Kang and Liu Lan standing there. They had changed into the green robes of Outer Disciples, smiles plastered on their faces.

“Junior Brother Han, we are officially Outer Disciples now!”

Han Yu smiled and congratulated them, though he was slightly surprised to see them back so soon.

Sun Kang explained, “Our movement is much freer now. As long as we avoid the forbidden zones, we can go almost anywhere. We came back to say goodbye and move our belongings to our new quarters.”

Han Yu nodded and asked how things were in the Outer Sect.

At the mention of this, Sun Kang’s smile faded into a bitter grimace. He shook his head.

“Truth be told, it’s not the paradise we imagined. This Exceptional Promotion Order… clearly, the sect wants us to grow strong enough to fight immediately. We are being prepped for emergencies.”

“Because of the rush, the benefits can’t keep up.”

He tapped the square jade pendant hanging at his waist. “This is the Identity and Merit Jade, essential for accepting missions. But look at it—the craftsmanship for our batch is far cruder than what the original disciples have.”

“Also, normally, new Outer Disciples receive a flying Magical Artifact, like a Plantain Leaf. We got nothing. We have to earn merits to buy them ourselves later.”

“Even housing is tight. They are frantically building new huts, but for now, two or three of us have to squeeze into a single room…”

After venting his frustrations, Sun Kang took a breath. “But regardless, being an Outer Disciple is still better. Liu Lan and I can finally learn proper spells. Junior Brother Han, you must seize any chance you get to join us.”

Han Yu agreed, then walked them to the edge of the Spirit Field Department.

Just as they were about to part ways, Sun Kang stopped. His expression turned grave as he issued a warning.

“Tomorrow, the first batch of Rogue Cultivators will enter the sect. Listen to me: these people are selfish, ruthless, and dangerous. They are not like us. They likely have hidden tricks up their sleeves.”

He gestured to the fields around Han Yu’s hut.

“The problem is, the fields around you are empty. We just left, Zhang Shan is dead, and Li Quan fled. When they assign the Rogue Cultivators, they will definitely place them right next to you.”

“You must be careful. Do not let your guard down, do not let them bully you, and do not fall for their schemes. If you are ever backed into a corner, come find me or Junior Sister Liu. Do you understand?”

Han Yu felt a warmth in his chest at Sun Kang’s concern. He nodded seriously. “Senior Brother Sun, Senior Sister Liu, I understand. I will be careful.”

That night, the moonlight was cold and pale. The Spirit Field Department lay in silence.

Inside the stone hut, a large crow and a small crow descended from the rafters. Han Yu had just exchanged a few words with them when the large crow cawed a warning.

Someone is in the sky.

Han Yu moved to the window, peering through the slit. He saw a dark shadow riding a Magical Artifact, gliding stealthily toward the Stewards’ quarters.

The distance was too great to identify the person, but Han Yu filed the image away in his mind.

Of the three Senior Brothers managing the Spirit Field Department, at least one was untrustworthy. Perhaps more than one.

Early the next morning, Han Yu was inspecting his crops when Senior Brother Ji arrived, leading three people dressed in the gray robes of Laborer Disciples.

He pointed a man and a woman toward Liu Lan’s former plot. “You two, husband and wife, will cultivate these five acres.”

Then, he led a middle-aged man carrying a sword on his back—looking more like a martial artist from the mortal world than a farmer—to Sun Kang’s old field. “And you will take these five acres.”

After quickly rattling off the rules regarding the harvest quotas, Senior Brother Ji hurried away, clearly uninterested in lingering.

The husband and wife looked at the swordsman, and then all three turned their gazes toward Han Yu.

The middle-aged swordsman approached first, cupping his fists in a formal salute typical of martial artists. “Fellow Daoist, greetings.”

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist,” Han Yu returned the courtesy.

“I am Li Tonghai. May I ask your name?”

“Han Yu.”

“Ah, Fellow Daoist Han. I am new here and unfamiliar with the ways of a great sect like Wanchun Valley. I hope you might offer some guidance in the future.”

As Li Tonghai spoke, the couple also walked over. The man was strikingly handsome, introducing himself as Tian Qing. The woman was plain-looking and introduced herself as Hui Ling.

Han Yu exchanged pleasantries with them, explaining the basics of spirit rice cultivation and the rules of the department. He kept his tone polite but distant.

After a brief conversation, he returned to his stone hut.

Li Tonghai, Tian Qing, and Hui Ling. These three Rogue Cultivators were now his neighbors.

They were strangers. Han Yu knew nothing of their true cultivation levels or their moral character.

He only knew one thing: to survive the coming storm, he had to become stronger.

Day after day, he cultivated the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method openly, while secretly replicating essence blood to practice the Blood Refining Technique.

Han Yu was inching closer and closer to the third layer of Blood Refining.