"Master, I’ve practiced the Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques you taught me until I know them like the back of my hand... When can you teach me some more advanced swordsmanship?"

A young man of average height, with a round and slightly chubby face, smiled obsequiously at his master.

"Like the back of your hand? Then demonstrate it for me."

The green-robed man held a cup of Spirit Tea, and a chubby, round-headed Bear Beast lay at his feet.

"You got it!"

The round-faced youth’s spirits lifted. He drew his Ink Bamboo Sword, assumed a stance, and launched a fierce, direct strike at a granite boulder ten zhang away.

He felt his master’s almost tangible gaze fall upon his waist and realized that in his single-minded pursuit of speed, he had left a massive opening.

He hastily retracted the Sword Light, slashing back in front of himself to block an enemy that existed only in his imagination.

The green-robed man’s eyes flicked up, his gaze once again landing on a weak point where the Sword Light wavered.

The round-faced youth panicked. In his haste, he made a mistake, and his Sword Techniques lost their continuity.

The Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques was all about relentless forward momentum, seeking only the fastest and most direct way to strike an opponent.

The moment one hesitated, the swordsmanship’s primary weakness—its lack of adaptability—was laid bare.

The round-faced youth felt his master’s gaze land on four successive spots, each one a direction he had considered striking in his own mind.

He gripped his sword, at a complete loss for how to proceed.

"Go back and practice properly. Don’t be overambitious. Focus on raising your cultivation first. If an Inner Chamber Disciple of mine, Bai Zichen, can’t even reach Foundation Establishment, it would be a disgrace."

Bai Zichen set down his teacup. With the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror scanning his disciple’s body every few years, he knew the young man’s foundation was exceptionally solid; he hadn’t taken a single wrong step on his path.

He had already reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, making him a standout even among the Inner Sect Disciples.

This year, there was a high probability that he would pass the trials and become a True Disciple.

"I will heed your teachings, Master..."

Tong Huan was crestfallen, his head hung low. He had thought his swordsmanship was already quite good.

When he sparred with his peers, he won far more often than he lost.

He never expected that just a few glances from his master would be enough to expose his every flaw, preventing him from even executing the full set of techniques.

"Junior Martial Uncle Lu sent a message the day before yesterday. He’s returned from traveling the nearby prefectures and has chosen a post in the Law Enforcement Hall... He sent a letter specifically to thank you for your support, Master."

Tong Huan composed himself and spoke with his hands clasped respectfully.

Lu Song had been his instructor for most of his youth, and the two shared a deep bond. Naturally, he was overjoyed that Lu Song had reached Foundation Establishment.

To the outside world, Lu Song had only managed to reach Foundation Establishment by a stroke of luck at the age of sixty. His potential was long exhausted, and he had no future to speak of.

But Bai Zichen knew that Lu Song possessed the Seven Luminaries Spiritual Body and couldn’t be judged by his apparent age.

’Only two years into Foundation Establishment, and he’s already planning to take an official post...?’

Bai Zichen mulled it over for a moment before saying, "Write back to him for me. I’ll put in a word with Senior Brother Liang. Tell him to do his job well. The Law Enforcement Hall is unlike any other place; he must uphold justice and act with integrity, and not bring shame to the White Jade Tower."

Now that all of his personal Spirit Fields had been returned to the Sect, he no longer needed to support so many Spirit Plant Masters.

However, over the years, his reputation as a gifted teacher, skilled at guiding the next generation, had also begun to spread.

Among these disciples, many experienced an epiphany after receiving his guidance, allowing them to successfully break through to their next realm.

This resulted in many Elders frequently coming to his door, asking on behalf of others for Bai Zichen to lend his insight and assess their friends, relatives, or juniors.

They hoped he could clear the fog from their cultivation paths, allowing them to advance by leaps and bounds.

However, aside from a few Elders with whom he was close or to whom he owed a favor, he generally ignored all other requests.

But the more he refused, the more outlandish the rumors within the Sect grew.

They claimed that no matter how dull or talentless someone was, with Elder Bai’s guidance, they could be transformed from a rough stone into fine jade, as if brought back from the dead.

Several of his senior martial brothers had hinted, both directly and indirectly, about whether he might be interested in accepting a few more disciples.

Bai Zichen always just laughed it off, pretending he didn’t understand their underlying meaning.

’Every Inner Chamber Disciple is a responsibility, a karmic tie.’

’He had only made an exception and accepted Tong Huan because Elder Tong had presented him with the Dragon Tooth Rice Spirit Seed, which solved his Spirit Stone shortage for his cultivation.’

’If not for the income from growing and selling Spirit Rice over the past twenty years, how could the stipend from the Sect possibly have supported his massive expenditures on elixirs?’

’Not to mention his various other lavish expenses.’

’Unless he truly encountered a disciple whose aptitude and character were both of the highest caliber, he would not easily accept another student.’

"You lazy thing, you’ve been getting fatter and fatter these last few years..."

Bai Zichen felt something furry brush against his leg and gave it a gentle nudge with his foot.

"All these years and you’re still just barely a Tier One Peak Spiritual Beast. You’re a real disgrace to your bloodline."

Genggeng rolled back and forth on his feet contentedly. It rarely got to spend time with its master, who was almost always in secluded cultivation.

It let out soft cooing sounds, showing not a hint of a Tai Chi Bear’s ferocity.

Bai Zichen lifted Genggeng by the scruff of its neck, set it down beside him, and began stroking its fluffy fur.

’Blood God True Man fought both Nine Unions Daoist and the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect all by himself, and actually held his own... With that kind of power, he must have reached the very peak of the Core Formation Stage. He could probably trigger a Celestial Tribulation and attempt to reach the Nascent Soul Realm at any moment.’

Bai Zichen hadn’t taken a single step outside of Feiyue Lake in two years, but important news regarding changes large and small within the Sect, and across the entire Cultivation Realm of Liang Country, was always delivered to him promptly.

Some of this information he had arranged to be gathered deliberately.

Most of it, however, was sent voluntarily by factions seeking to curry favor with him.

Three months ago, after emerging from seclusion, Blood God True Man had sought out Nine Unions Daoist of the Righteous Alliance.

Despite both being at Core Formation Perfection, Nine Unions Daoist was completely dominated from start to finish by Blood God True Man, who had transformed himself into a veritable Blood Sea.

If the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect hadn’t arrived in time, Nine Unions Daoist might very well have found himself in a perilous situation.

Although Fang Tiancheng, the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, only possessed a Late-Stage Core Formation cultivation, with his Lifebound Spiritual Beast—a Tier Three Top Grade Gold-Devouring Earth Dragon Beast—and the aid of the Spirit Control Scripture, he was one of the strongest experts in the Liang Country’s Cultivation Realm below the Nascent Soul Realm. Even a Perfect Core Formation Cultivator was not necessarily his match.

Yet even with Fang Tiancheng joining the fray, the two of them only barely managed to fight Blood God True Man to a standstill.

Granted, Blood God True Man’s cultivation technique was profound and he excelled at fighting multiple opponents at once, but the outcome of the battle still sent shockwaves through the entire Cultivation Realm of Liang Country.

The morale of the Demon Path Cultivators soared, and they began hailing Blood God True Man as the second-strongest cultivator in all of Liang Country.

As for the first, that title naturally belonged to True Monarch Jiulian of the Holy Lotus Sect.

After the battle, Blood God True Man entered seclusion once more. Rumor had it that he had gained new insights and was attempting to comprehend the opportunity for the Nascent Soul transformation.

Conversely, news from the Righteous Alliance claimed that Blood God True Man had been severely injured by the combined might of Nine Unions Daoist and Fang Tiancheng, forcing him into seclusion to recover.

The conflicting reports were dizzying, but one thing was certain: the Blood Demon Sect’s momentum in unifying the Demon Path was now unstoppable.

The Ghost Spirit Sect, Joyful Union Sect, Corpse-Driving Sect, and Fragrance Sect all pledged allegiance to Blood God True Man. They mobilized their disciples, and their allied army seized a prefecture that belonged to the Righteous Alliance.

The entire process was like a whirlwind sweeping away the clouds. The Righteous Alliance offered little resistance and was forced to withdraw from a vast territory.

’This time, their target is Cien Temple. That sect also has a Core Formation True Man presiding over it... But with five sects joining forces and deploying a total of eight Core Formation True Men, sweeping through with overwhelming force, how could Cien Temple possibly stand a chance? If they were too slow to flee, I fear the entire sect, from top to bottom, would have been annihilated along with their temple.’

Watching the fate of Cien Temple unfold, Bai Zichen’s thoughts turned to his own Sect.

Cien Temple’s predicament was somewhat similar to the one the Qingfeng Sect had faced several years ago. The Qingfeng Sect had prevailed because it was united from top to bottom; it had a Core Formation True Man willing to detonate his own Golden Core for the Sect’s survival; it had allied brother sects who came to its aid; and it had Master Ge Cang, whose power was comparable to that of a Perfect Core Formation Cultivator.

This was the difference that led to Cien Temple losing its ancestral grounds, its members scattered and homeless, while the Qingfeng Sect’s Mountain Gate remained standing and its prestige untarnished.

’But now the war is completely orchestrated by the Blood Demon Sect. If they were to truly direct their allied army toward Black Mountain, it would be just as dangerous...’

Fortunately, the Demon Path Alliance Army was unlikely to change its primary target to Black Mountain until the conflict with the Righteous Alliance was definitively settled.

Time was definitely on Bai Zichen’s side. The more it was delayed, the more opportunity he would have to increase his strength to a point where he could alter the course of a war between sects.

Bai Zichen took the opportunity of instructing Tong Huan to unwind a little himself. He paused his cultivation and spent two days idly wandering around Feiyue Lake.

Come to think of it, since moving here, he had spent most of his time in secluded meditation. Aside from the area around his White Jade Tower and the Lake Heart Island, he had never properly explored the rest of the area.

He had someone casually find him a small skiff, lay down in it, and plucked a large lotus leaf to cover his face.

With no one at the oars, he drifted leisurely on the lake for an entire day.

Only when the sun began to set did he leap to his feet, struck by the idea of visiting the Cave Mansions of his martial siblings.

When he arrived at the Lake Heart Island, Zhou Suqing had just finished the Refinement of a drop of Ice-Fire Dragon Blood Wine.

Despite her higher cultivation, her speed at the Refinement of the Spirit Wine was actually slower than Bai Zichen’s.

The two made small talk for a while, mainly discussing the preparations necessary for Core Formation.

Zhou Suqing was already at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment. If she didn’t intend to follow the path of Master Ge Cang and Wei Dao by first engaging in a Pill Discussion to pursue a Perfect Core Formation, then she wasn’t far from reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection.

At this, Zhou Suqing gave a bitter smile. Among all the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Elders, her personal wealth was pitifully small.

Due to her weakness in combat, she rarely ventured outside the Sect, so naturally, she hadn’t had any fortuitous encounters or gains from her travels.

Her only source of Spirit Stones was her Elder’s stipend.

This was precisely why she had been the most excited one when they discovered the Earth Evil Yin Vein.

A single wisp of Profound Frost Gang Sha represented a considerable income for her.

Ancestor Yangg had regarded her as the heir to his legacy in the dao of arrays. What he had left Zhou Suqing were primarily ancient texts for Array Masters, along with several sets of Array Banners and Array Plates.

Although they were immensely valuable, she couldn’t possibly sell them to exchange for the resources she needed for Core Formation.

Forget comparing her preparations to Wei Dao’s; she was far from having enough Sect Contribution Points for even that single drop of Clear Spirit Jade Marrow in the Secret Vault.

"Fortunately, I’ve already mastered the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique. When the time comes, I can burn some of my lifespan to increase my chances by ten percent, which is equivalent to consuming a Core Formation Spiritual Object. Relying on what I’ve managed to accumulate, I might still have a hope of successfully reaching Core Formation."

Zhou Suqing quickly reined in her moment of vulnerability, her expression returning to that of the calm, imperturbable Elder of the Transmission Hall.

After leaving the Lake Heart Island, Bai Zichen went to visit Su Li, but the disciple guarding the entrance reported that Elder Su had left Feiyue Lake to travel two and a half years ago and had yet to return.

Bai Zichen returned in high spirits, the anxiety and loneliness that had built up during his seclusion swept clean away.

「Three more years passed in a flash.」

On this day, the White Jade Tower began drawing in the Spiritual Qi from miles around. The energy howled and spiraled, finally surging into the tower like a flock of a hundred birds returning to their forest.