Chapter 9: Lin Miaoxuan and Another Cultivator with Tenfold Potential

Fang Baiyu's face alternated between pale and flushed; he realized, to his chagrin, that he had indeed rolled away in disgrace. He consoled himself quickly, letting Cao Xuan bask in his triumph for now. In half a year, he would see who ended up beaten so badly as to flee with neither dignity nor composure.

At that moment, Fang Baiyu felt a burning desire to cultivate, stronger than ever before.

…

After Fang Baiyu departed, Cao Xuan lost interest in reviewing the tasks. Over the years, he had come to understand: the missions available to low-level cultivators were simple but poorly rewarded. Mid-level cultivators could compete for high-reward tasks, often assisting senior cultivators, but those tasks were fiercely contested. High-level cultivators could undertake difficult tasks alone, with both high rewards and high risks.

But none of these methods were as convenient as his "investment returns."

He scanned the hall. Though there were many female cultivators, most offered only one or two times the return rate, leaving Cao Xuan entirely uninterested in "investing."

As he stared absentmindedly at his status panel, a delighted voice suddenly sounded behind him, "Senior Brother Cao, is it really you!"

He turned to see two female cultivators in simple azure dresses, one pure and gentle, the other cold and aloof.

The pure one was naturally Lin Miaoxuan, Cao Xuan's first investment target.

She pouted, "Senior brother, you promised to keep in touch! It's been over a month, and you haven't sent me a message!"

During their last trip to the Green Mountain Market, Cao Xuan had met Lin Miaoxuan and received a communication talisman from her. Yet, despite the expectancy in her eyes, he hadn't reciprocated with a talisman—not because he disliked her, but because he was genuinely "poor." Such items, useless for cultivation, were never on his shopping list.

Thus Lin Miaoxuan had waited passively for Cao Xuan to contact her, but her hopes remained unmet after a month.

Beside her stood Lin Miaoxuan’s roommate and confidante, Chen Qianru. Watching Lin Miaoxuan’s delighted expression, Chen Qianru’s eyes brimmed with suspicion.

This Senior Brother Cao Xuan before them wore the same insignia-less robe as they did: merely a candidate for the outer sect, his appearance plain and unremarkable.

‘No cultivation, no good looks—could he be wealthy?’

Chen Qianru pondered briefly, then chuckled inwardly.

Wealth in the cultivation world? Did anyone realize just how scarce cultivation resources were?

Unless one belonged to the second generation of cultivators, ordinary people and wealth rarely went hand in hand.

Perhaps it was because, in their youth, everyone lacked resources, making cultivators as miserly as squirrels—hoarding everything.

Even the most powerful Foundation Establishment elders in the sect kept a mountain of Qi Refining pills, tightly guarded and never given away lightly.

As the two approached Cao Xuan, Chen Qianru merely nodded slightly, unlike Lin Miaoxuan’s excitement.

Today was the last day of the month. Those at the sect’s task hall were either reviewing next month’s assignments or handing in their final tasks at the cutoff—Chen Qianru was there for the latter.

Since she was unfamiliar with Cao Xuan, after nodding, she approached the counter, "Hello, I am here to submit my assignment from Green Mountain Spirit Medicine Valley. Here are the seven days’ worth of herbs required."

She reluctantly produced a storage pouch, filled with the medicinal herbs she'd gathered over seven days.

This pouch was not something a third-layer Qi Refining cultivator like herself could normally possess. It was a temporary loan, courtesy of the elder overseeing the sect’s assignments.

Hearing her roommate submitting her task, Lin Miaoxuan blushed slightly. Thanks to the pills Cao Xuan had given her, she had slacked off and skipped assignments for a month.

But she quickly composed herself, smiling at Cao Xuan, "Senior brother, thanks to your pills, I’ve broken through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining."

She released her aura slightly; like Cao Xuan, she was now at the early fourth layer.

Unlike Cao Xuan, Lin Miaoxuan was not extravagant. She used the Qi Gathering Pills and Condensing Powder separately: only six out of ten pills, and three out of five bottles. Though not used together, the steady supply let her savor the thrill of swift cultivation.

Seeing Lin Miaoxuan’s fourth-layer cultivation, Cao Xuan was astonished.

So this is the power of a six-tempered spiritual root!

She was only two temperings ahead, yet her cultivation efficiency was leagues beyond his.

He had consumed over twenty Qi Gathering Pills and ten bottles of Condensing Powder to reach his current level.

"Indeed, it seems Junior Sister Lin has been diligent in her cultivation. I’m gratified that my modest offering could help you."

Cao Xuan assumed Lin Miaoxuan had used all the pills.

But Lin Miaoxuan’s eyes lit up. All she heard was, "that modest offering!"

Ten Qi Gathering Pills and five bottles of Condensing Powder, yet it was only a modest offering—how wealthy must this senior brother be!

Chen Qianru returned just in time to overhear this, and her expression grew knowing.

So that’s why Miaoxuan hadn’t done any assignments this month—someone gave her pills to support her cultivation.

At that moment, she didn’t know the term "simp," but her look at Cao Xuan was full of disdain.

In her eyes, Cao Xuan, with no insignia, not even an official outer sect disciple, gave away valuable resources for a woman—what future could he possibly have?

Didn’t he know that in Qingyun Sect, as a candidate for the outer sect, his place was far from secure?

Once expelled by the sect, who would remember him?

Just then, Lin Miaoxuan said, "It’s a pity that the formal assessment to join the outer sect isn’t for another half year…"

She hadn’t finished speaking when Chen Qianru asked in surprise, "Miaoxuan, you’re at the fourth layer of Qi Refining?"

So the aura she had sensed earlier belonged to her own friend.

Lin Miaoxuan replied, "Yes, yes. Thanks to Senior Brother’s pills, I spent the month in closed cultivation and finally broke through."

In that moment, Chen Qianru, though unaware of exactly how many pills Cao Xuan had given, made a quick estimate and guessed close enough.

She looked at Cao Xuan with even more contempt—how foolish must he be?

Suddenly, she said, "Isn’t there a sect rule? If two or more people break through to the fourth layer, they can apply for early assessment at the Hall of Transmission."

"As long as your cultivation meets the standard, you can become official outer sect disciples ahead of schedule."

"You and this senior brother are both at the fourth layer, so you could apply together."

Chen Qianru squinted, waiting for Cao Xuan to scratch his head and say, "Ah, but I’m not at the fourth layer yet."

That way, he would regret having given away his precious pills.

Lin Miaoxuan exclaimed, "There’s such a rule? I never knew!"

Chen Qianru shrugged, "I overheard it last time while taking a task at the Hall of Transmission. It must be at least two people; otherwise, they wouldn’t bother giving you an assessment."

Lin Miaoxuan glanced hesitantly at Cao Xuan, unsure of his cultivation.

Cao Xuan, equally surprised, nodded and revealed his fourth-layer aura.

Lin Miaoxuan’s eyes sparkled, "Wonderful!"

Chen Qianru, meanwhile, was incredulous.

Wait—this guy, a so-called simp, actually broke through to the fourth layer?

In that instant, she realized that Cao Xuan might be one of those cultivation geniuses.

Rumor had it that some inner sect prodigies advanced rapidly, their speed rivaling normal cultivators even without pills.

Chen Qianru suddenly understood—Lin Miaoxuan was aiming to attach herself to a "future inner sect disciple."

In Qingyun Sect, there were only two kinds of inner disciples: geniuses who reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining at a young age, and those who got there over time.

The latter had no real potential, likely remaining at the seventh layer their entire lives, using their status to support their mortal families.

The former, however, might reach the ninth layer, even break through to Foundation Establishment. With luck, they could become a personal disciple of a sect elder or, failing that, a Foundation Establishment guardian.

At that moment, recalling their discussions about Dao companions, Chen Qianru eyed Cao Xuan differently.

Inner disciples were out of reach, and among their candidate peers, none stood out as particularly promising.

‘That Miaoxuan, pretending to be pure, secretly found an inner sect candidate behind my back!’

‘She even managed to charm him into gifting pills!’

For a moment, Chen Qianru felt a surge of impulse—she wanted to compete.

Currently at the peak of the third layer, she was not far from the fourth. She and Senior Brother Cao were on the same path.

If she didn’t seize the opportunity now, who knew if she’d ever meet such a promising Dao companion again?

With that, Chen Qianru flicked her hair and smiled, "Perfect! I know the location—I can take Senior Brother Cao there."

Lin Miaoxuan felt a sudden pang. Watching the usually aloof Chen Qianru smile, she sensed something amiss.

Cao Xuan nodded. Though his pills were sufficient, joining the outer sect early was advantageous, allowing him to study the six arts of cultivation and martial techniques ahead of time.

Fang Baiyu, this is just your bad luck. Who would have thought there was a shortcut to join the outer sect early—prepare for your misfortune.

By then, with improved cultivation and martial skills, he would easily outclass Fang Baiyu. If not, he’d rather leap off Green Mountain himself.

Just then, he realized he hadn’t checked Chen Qianru’s profile. He opened his status panel.

【Name: Chen Qianru】
【Spiritual Root Attribute: Six-tempered Spiritual Root】
【Return Rate: 10x】

Cao Xuan’s eyes brightened. Oh, another tenfold return—rare indeed.

He had thought he wouldn’t find such high returns in Qingyun Sect.

Truth be told, he had scanned many female cultivators in the task hall. One "muscular" woman had a seven-tempered root, but only a measly threefold return.

Cao Xuan understood: aptitude mattered, but so did appearance.

Finding another tenfold return meant that, if Lin Miaoxuan was ever unavailable, he could invest in Chen Qianru.

After all, low-level cultivator assignments were safe but time-consuming.

Like the Spirit Medicine Valley task Chen Qianru just completed—it required seven days in the valley, harvesting herbs at various times.

Some tasks took even longer, with return trips stretching to ten days or more.

That’s why, once he had pills, neither Cao Xuan nor Lin Miaoxuan wanted to do tasks. Closed cultivation was preferable—who wants to be constantly "on business trips?"

…

When the three arrived at the Hall of Transmission, they met the duty guardian and quickly completed the assessment.

"Here are your outer sect robes and identity tokens. You may now enter the Scripture Pavilion to select appropriate techniques, and you are granted one private consultation per month."

Cao Xuan and Lin Miaoxuan nodded. As candidate disciples, they had only attended the monthly public lectures at the Hall of Transmission, which covered the basic "Green Wood Technique."

After a year, once one mastered it, attendance dropped off entirely.

But as official outer sect disciples, they could consult the guardian privately—a half-master, so to speak.

After they left, the guardian looked puzzled.

Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators could already memorize everything at a glance, and as a Foundation Establishment elder, he remembered well that he had advised Cao Xuan to quit a month ago.

He muttered, "Hmm? Wasn’t he only at the early third layer a month ago? How did he break through to the fourth layer so quickly?"

"Did I misjudge him? Is he a young genius?"

He knew Cao Xuan’s four-tempered root and the talent for early third-layer cultivation.

But as with the earlier system-drawn ‘Affinity with Grass and Wood’ talent, in the cultivation world, there were talents beyond spiritual roots.

There were pill-making talents, artifact forging talents, talisman crafting talents, and so on.

While cultivation talent directly enhanced progress, these other talents could also provide resources.

If one had artifact forging or talisman crafting talent, one could earn spirit stones by taking assignments or selling products at the Green Mountain Market.

The guardian thought for a moment, then shook his head.

A mere fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator was not worth the attention of a Foundation Establishment master.

…

When the two changed into the outer sect blue robes with cloud patterns, their entire demeanor transformed.

Now, when Chen Qianru looked at Cao Xuan, she no longer saw him as plain and unremarkable; instead, he exuded a subtle charisma.

As for Lin Miaoxuan, she felt a touch of envy.

Clearly, she could have broken through first, but only managed it thanks to her "simp" senior brother’s pills.

Relying on someone else’s pills for a breakthrough—what skill was that?

Arriving at the Scripture Pavilion, Cao Xuan and Lin Miaoxuan, using their identity tokens, proceeded to the second floor.

Chen Qianru, meanwhile, could only linger on the first floor, idly flipping through foundational texts such as "The History of Qingyun Sect," "Chronicles of Yunzhou," and "Tales of Green Mountain"—introductory knowledge for newcomers to the cultivation world.

On the second floor, many outer sect disciples browsed techniques, including one familiar figure.

Fang Baiyu, seeing newcomers ascend, was instantly attracted by Lin Miaoxuan’s purity.

But soon, he spotted an unexpected face.

"Well, fancy meeting you again so soon!" Cao Xuan said, a playful smile on his lips.