"Don't tell me you're like Lin Ping'an and just happened to find a Jade Ginseng?"
Steward Chen recalled the low-grade Wood Spirit Root recorded in Xiao Chen's file and immediately thought of that other lucky fellow.
Lin Ping'an of the Ninth Division, after consuming a Purple Orchid at the first level of Qi Refining, had also happened to find a Jade Ginseng just last month.
He had relied on its medicinal properties to shoot straight to the sixth level of Qi Refining. His luck was enviable.
But then, Steward Chen immediately dismissed his own guess. "No, that's not right. You've been within the sect this whole time and haven't gone down the mountain. You shouldn't have been able to find any Treasures of Heaven and Earth."
If Outer Disciples wanted to leave the mountain for any reason other than a mission, like mining Spirit Ore, they needed to report to and get approval from a steward.
Xiao Chen had chosen to tend the Spirit Fields, and there were certainly no Treasures of Heaven and Earth for him to stumble upon up on this mountain.
Steward Chen asked in a low voice, "Did you have a sudden epiphany during your personal cultivation?"
Hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately nodded vigorously, indicating that Steward Chen's guess was correct and that was exactly the reason.
Steward Chen quickly walked over to Xiao Chen's side. Sensing the stable aura of his Cultivation, he clicked his tongue in amazement.
He remembered that this new disciple had chosen a Yellow Level Cultivation Technique back then.
At the time, he had mentally filed Xiao Chen under the "insufficient aptitude" category.
After all, any Cultivator with a bit of ambition would do their utmost to choose a better Cultivation Technique, unless they were truly self-aware of their own limitations.
'I never would have thought this disciple was actually a hidden genius who could achieve an epiphany with a mere Yellow Level Cultivation Technique.'
He recalled that since the founding of the Second Division, the fastest record for breaking through to the fifth level of Qi Refining was held by a genius Cultivator with a Dual Spirit Root from the Li Huo Zhang Family, who had taken seven months.
That genius Cultivator had gone on to have a smooth journey, successfully reaching Foundation Establishment.
In Steward Chen's view, Xiao Chen had only taken half a year to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining, over a month faster than that Dual Spirit Root prodigy.
This speed was simply astonishing. Considering he had a low-grade Spiritual Root, the only explanation was that he had grasped some sort of cultivation secret.
He grabbed Xiao Chen's arm directly. "Come, stand up front with me and share your cultivation methods from the past six months with everyone."
Huh?
Xiao Chen froze. 'Me? Share my methods?'
'But I don't have any methods!'
"Uh, so, about increasing your cultivation speed... Today, I'm here to talk to you all about... about this method for increasing cultivation speed..."
Pushed in front of everyone to give a speech with no preparation, Xiao Chen steeled himself and began to cobble together whatever he could think of.
He recalled a few platitudes from his past life and started telling inspirational stories.
The junior and senior brothers in the audience, however, were listening with great interest.
They had never been exposed to this kind of "chicken soup for the soul" before, and upon first hearing it, they found it quite reasonable.
"So that's it! You have to seize 'fragmented time.' No wonder I always see Junior Brother Xiao meditating in the Spirit Fields."
"'Reflect on what you've done today before you go to sleep every night. I daily examine myself on three points.' Is this the difference between me and Xiao? I've really learned something today."
...
Watching Xiao Chen talk endlessly up front, Jiang Sixuan felt a little displeased.
Ever since leaving Baiyu Studio that day, she had deliberately distanced herself from Xiao Chen, and he had been quite cooperative, never once seeking her out.
Even though they were in the same division, they had only seen each other once at the last exchange meeting.
'And yet, I never imagined that by only our second meeting, he would have already broken through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.'
'It's simply... unbelievable.'
Jiang Sixuan possessed a rare Gold-Fire Dual Spirit Root. Her clan actually held high expectations for her, providing her with a great deal of resources and support.
Otherwise, even Jiang Clan Members wouldn't be willing to casually use Spirit Stones to transfer Spiritual Qi to an unfamiliar Cultivator.
And yet, she knew that since joining the Second Division, she hadn't slacked off in the slightest. She had been so focused on cultivating that she hadn't wasted any time going to the Quarry, aside from having to sign in personally.
Even so, she had only just touched the cusp of the fifth level of Qi Refining and would need at least another month before she had any hope of breaking through.
But Xiao Chen clearly had to manage five acres of Spirit Fields every day.
'So why was he able to break through so quickly?'
'Could it be because of that Cultivation Technique?'
Jiang Sixuan suddenly recalled the that Xiao Chen had chosen.
She had been curious at the time. He clearly didn't seem to be short on Spirit Stones, yet he had passed up on a Profound Level Cultivation Technique to choose a Yellow Level one.
'Could it be that his choice back then was all for this outcome today? To rapidly advance his Realm?'
'What was his purpose in doing so?'
After a moment of thought, Jiang Sixuan immediately arrived at a perfectly logical conclusion—the Outer Sect trial!
In one more month, the annual Outer Sect trial would be held as scheduled.
The results of this trial would directly determine who in the division would become an Inner Sect candidate.
Xiao Chen must have deliberately chosen the easiest Yellow Level Cultivation Technique to master in order to raise his Combat Power as quickly as possible, all so he could make it in time for this trial and obtain the extra resource subsidies.
'That explains everything!'
Jiang Sixuan's eyes flickered, and a trace of both admiration and pity appeared in her gaze as she looked at Xiao Chen.
'I've figured out his motives!'
Although a Profound Level Cultivation Technique was stronger than a Yellow Level one, the boost from being an entire Minor Realm higher far outweighed the difference between the techniques themselves.
The situation in the Second Division was unique. Last year, several senior brothers and sisters at the sixth level of Qi Refining had broken through to the seventh and been promoted to the Inner Sect.
Now, apart from four senior brothers and three senior sisters, the rest of the disciples were only at the fifth level of Qi Refining.
By relying on his Realm advantage to get a step ahead of the other new disciples, Xiao Chen would have a chance to compete with the senior brothers, fight for a spot in the top ten, and secure a year's worth of the sect's resource support in advance.
That way, by the time of next year's Outer Sect trial, he would have a very good chance of keeping his rank by leveraging those unequal resources.
'What a brilliant scheme. Bold enough, and ruthless enough. It's just a shame.'
'A shame that the Outer Sect trial format has changed this year. Xiao probably doesn't know.'
For the past twenty-plus years, the sect had always selected its Inner Sect candidates through arena-style challenges among the disciples within the divisions.
But this year was different. A few days ago, at a Jiang Family meeting, it was confirmed that this year's selection would be a simulated combat trial held outside the sect, testing the disciples' practical combat skills by having them fight Spirit Beasts.
Although the specific details of the trial wouldn't be announced to everyone until the day before it began, those who were meant to know—such as the Direct Lineages of the Five Great Immortal Races—already did.
Jiang Sixuan herself had recently taken the time to spar with Spirit Beasts within her family's grounds, and she had come to a profound realization: under these conditions, a Yellow Level Cultivation Technique would be at a massive disadvantage.
Therefore, Xiao Chen had absolutely made a strategic blunder this time.
At this thought, Jiang Sixuan felt a wave of relief. Thankfully, being a member of the Jiang Family, she didn't need to gamble on fleeting opportunities, nor did she have to bear such risks.
Her gaze swept over to Ye Fei. 'Should I give Junior Brother Ye a hint so he can prepare early?'
This was a perfect opportunity to make him owe her a favor. Based on her observations of Ye Fei over the past few months, he was actually a genius with a Wind-Fire Dual Spirit Root and had limitless future potential.
Moreover, from their few interactions, his character seemed quite good as well. He was completely worth winning over.
'As for Xiao Chen, who joined the division with us?'
'Best to just forget about him.'
After failing this trial, Xiao Chen, having chosen a Yellow Level Cultivation Technique, was bound to fade into mediocrity and become just another unremarkable, low-level disciple.
'From now on, we will walk different paths. There's no need for any further contact.'