Time flew by, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.

Bai Zichen strolled through his garden. He had to admit, Peng Jinhua had done a fine job tending to the Exotic Flowers and Spirit Herbs.

They vied for attention in a dazzling, brocade-like display.

"I’ve been keeping an ear out for news from the Law Enforcement Hall, and something finally trickled out recently. Of the three disciples who falsely accused you, Young Master Bai, the one surnamed Kuang had his cultivation crippled and was expelled from the Sect. Quan Guanzhong and the other one were sentenced to ten years of hard labor as the lowest-ranking miners in the Spirit Stone Ore Vein. Deep in the ore vein, the Spiritual Qi is poor and chaotic, and they’ll have no time to cultivate while mining all day. By the time they get back, their lives will be essentially ruined."

Su Lie followed behind him, speaking cautiously.

"I heard that Senior Brother Xiong Baishan from the Inner Sect and several Stewards who are friendly with the Quan family pleaded for leniency, which is why the sentence was lightened. Otherwise, for providing false evidence, Quan Guanzhong would have been expelled from the Sect as well."

’Xiong Baishan... What a coincidence.’

Ever since the false accusation incident, Bai Zichen hadn’t bothered to go out and had no dealings with the other Inner Sect Disciples.

But this wasn’t the first time he had heard the name Xiong Baishan.

’Since he stepped forward to plead for Quan Guanzhong, then even if Xiong Baishan wasn’t the mastermind behind the false accusation, he must have been a key participant.’

"Also, I heard something else that was strange."

Su Lie considered his words for a moment before relaying the hard-to-verify piece of news.

"When Quan Guanzhong was being escorted to the ore vein, he was apparently cursing, ’That villain Mo Changfei has ruined me!’... The story came from a Law Enforcement Hall Steward who let it slip after drinking, so I don’t know if it’s true."

"Mo Changfei... He’s involved in this too?"

Bai Zichen flung a string of Wind Chime Flowers from his hand, and they made a pleasant ringing sound as they hit the ground.

’This whole frame-up started with a bang but ended with a whimper. Now it just seems like a joke.’

’But three Outer Sect Disciples were sacrificed in the process, so something must have gone wrong somewhere along the way.’

’There was no way Bai Zichen would believe that someone like Mo Changfei would help him.’

’He just didn’t know what accident had occurred to get Quan Guanzhong and the others screwed over instead.’

"By the way, the results of the Sect competition are out. That Mo Changfei placed third and was just granted Inner Sect Disciple status last month."

"Only third place in the Outer Sect? It seems this Eldest Young Master Mo’s skills aren’t nearly as sharp as his tongue... What about the other two?"

In the Qingfeng Sect, if a disciple failed to advance from the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect by the age of thirty, they would have to start taking on miscellaneous affairs. The Sect wouldn’t allow them to continue enjoying its resources without contributing.

’As the heir of the Fire Phoenix Mo Family’s direct lineage, Mo Changfei was bound to have first-class wealth and Magical Artifacts. It was only natural that he would secure a spot in the top three.’

"First place in the competition was Gan Guangde, but it’s a pity he’s already twenty-seven. After five years in the Inner Sect, he’ll be sent out to serve as a Steward. The runner-up was Tan Qin. She’s only nineteen, close in age to you and Mo Changfei, Young Master Bai. She will be a major competitor for a True Disciple position in the future."

The minimum requirement to become a True Disciple was to reach Late-Stage Qi Refining before the age of twenty-five.

After that, there was a comprehensive evaluation of one’s character, talent, combat ability, and other aspects.

Gan Guangde was already over twenty-five when he was promoted to Inner Sect Disciple, which was why Su Lie said he was only there to gain the status and had no chance of advancing further.

Seeing there was nothing else, Bai Zichen waved his hand, dismissing Su Lie.

’Those two aren’t qualified to be my rivals for the True Disciple position... It looks like no one from this batch of Inner Sect Disciples will make the cut. I guess I’ll have to give the senior brothers from the older generation a run for their money!’

Bai Zichen returned to his training room. With the Ink Bamboo Sword in hand, he swung a verdant Sword Light, cleaving two Mud Spirit Puppets in half.

The Magical Power radiating from his body revealed that he was already at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer!

After three months of seclusion and continuously consuming Qi Replenishing Pills, he had successfully cultivated to the Peak of Sixth-Layer Qi Refining.

After adjusting for a few days, he charged toward Late-Stage Qi Refining in one go.

At this threshold, a daunting hurdle for all low-level Qi Refining Cultivators, Bai Zichen finally felt a bottleneck for the first time.

If the step from the Qi Refining Fifth Layer to the Sixth Layer was like walking on level ground, then the barrier between Mid-Stage and Late-Stage Qi Refining was at least a foot-high step.

He was stuck for three days before he mastered the seventh layer of the Chang Chun Skill. The whistling Magical Power greedily absorbed the Spiritual Qi in his Cave Mansion.

His Magical Power had doubled completely.

In other words, Bai Zichen, who was about to turn seventeen, had already met the minimum standard for promotion to a True Disciple.

’My Spirit Body is so mysterious. When I have time, I need to go to the Transmission Hall and check the ancient records to see if there’s any mention of anything with a similar effect.’

Bai Zichen retracted the Ink Bamboo Sword with satisfaction. The power of his Sword Light had more than doubled.

Moreover, with his Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivation, his control over his Flying Sword was smoother and more fluid, making it less likely for him to reveal any openings when facing an enemy.

’I wonder if the Spirit Body helps with the great hurdle of Foundation Establishment... If it’s like a Celestial Spiritual Root, making Foundation Establishment just as easy to attain, that would be perfect!’

Bai Zichen knew very well that this Spirit Body of his, which even the Inheritance Stele could only vaguely detect, was ninety-nine percent responsible for his current cultivation.

Otherwise, he would probably still be in the Bai Clan Territory with a cultivation of the Qi Refining Fourth Layer at best.

He would be spending his days worrying about how to earn more Cultivation Resources, not fantasizing about future Foundation Establishment matters at such a young age.

Therefore, the true potential of this Spirit Body was directly related to his future on the Great Dao.

More immediately, it would directly affect how he should approach Foundation Establishment.

If its effect was equivalent to a Celestial Spiritual Root, requiring neither a Foundation Establishment Pill nor a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, then he could maintain a detached mindset and just focus on cultivating to Qi Refining Great Perfection.

But if it was similar to an Abnormal Spiritual Root, with a success rate for Foundation Establishment far higher than that of a Cultivator with an ordinary Spiritual Root but still not one hundred percent...

...then he would need to analyze the specific situation and decide whether to seek out a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object or to strive for perfection and go all out for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Bai Zichen sighed. He would worry about these troublesome matters later. He was still a good distance from Qi Refining Great Perfection, so he had plenty of time to plan slowly.

...

「White Jade Tower」

"This is Tier One Bitter Lotus Tea. Although its taste is bitter and hard to swallow, I enjoy the aftertaste. You should try some too."

Bai Zichen gestured for him to drink. Bitter Lotus Tea could restore depleted Power of Heart and Spirit, which was quite useful for him since he still occasionally practiced the Divine Casting Technique a couple of times.

That was why he had instructed Peng Jinhua to add this Spirit Tea to the monthly benefits he claimed from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall as an Inner Sect Disciple.

It was only a Tier One Spirit Tea, so the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall had no objections; after all, he wouldn’t use much in a month.

"Good tea!"

Lu Song held the teacup with both hands, took a small sip, and immediately put it back down. He perched on the edge of his chair, only occupying half the seat.

"I’ve come to visit you today, Senior Brother Bai, firstly to thank you for helping me out at the Market last time, and secondly because I have an opportunity I wish to share with you."

Bai Zichen wasn’t surprised that Lu Song had been able to find out his identity.

As an Inner Sect Disciple who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, he had caused a huge stir in the Outer Sect, to the point that someone had even tried to frame him.

Although someone had been pulling the strings from behind the scenes, it was clear that quite a few Outer Sect Disciples held a negative opinion of him.

"You and I knew each other before joining the Qingfeng Sect, so you could say we have some fate between us. There’s no need to mention such a small matter. As for the opportunity... Junior Brother Lu, you should keep it for yourself. Everyone has their own Karma Technique; how, how could I just take advantage of you out of thin air?"

A flash of impatience crossed Bai Zichen’s mind. A servant disciple showing up at his door to share an opportunity sounded unreliable no matter how he looked at it.

Besides, with the frame-up incident still fresh in his memory, he was warier of everyone. Who knew if this was another trap set by that person lurking in the shadows.