"I agree."

Nie Shanshan deeply agreed. "Master, Junior Brother Chen’s progress is so miraculously fast... I find it hard to believe there isn’t someone guiding him from the shadows. Could it be... Master Li, secretly sparing no effort to cultivate him?"

Nie Shanshan had always been curious about that mysterious and low-key Qingmu Courtyard Master.

’How could a man who barely handles any responsibilities hold the position of Dean for decades?’

"Li Baichuan?"

Chu Jinyun shook her head, her tone firm. "Him? I think not. These days, he likely only thinks of himself. He has no time to spare for others, let alone pour his efforts into cultivating a disciple."

"What do you mean by that, Master?" Nie Shanshan asked, confused.

Chu Jinyun walked to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down, gesturing for Nie Shanshan to sit as well.

Her gaze drifted to the calm surface of the distant lake as she spoke slowly. "When I joined the Sect, Li Baichuan was already the Qingmu Courtyard Master. Though he looked old even then, he was nowhere near as listless and moribund as he is today. Come to think of it, he’s quite a bit older than the Sect Leader. He must be over ninety by now... No matter how profound his Cultivation or how well-preserved his body, his lifespan is reaching its limit. I imagine he only has a few years left. Why do you think he spends all his days in seclusion, engrossed only in his Pill Furnace and the Yellow Emperor’s Skill? It’s for nothing more than... prolonging his life."

’So that’s why!’

A realization dawned on Nie Shanshan.

’No wonder Master Li is so indifferent to the Sect’s affairs.’

’Any time he fights, whether it’s a spar or a real battle, there’s always a risk.’

’If he were to suffer a hidden injury, it would only make a bad situation worse. It could even directly cut short the few years he has left!’

She recalled Li Baichuan’s withered appearance; it all made perfect sense now.

"Li Baichuan already looked like this when I first entered the Inner Courtyard."

Chu Jinyun recalled, "I remember he once went on a Sect mission to the Sinking Flood Dragon Abyss with two of my martial uncles. They ran into a powerful foe. In the end... one of the martial uncles was killed and the other was gravely injured. Only he returned completely unscathed."

"You mean... Master Li is that powerful?" Nie Shanshan asked, astonished.

The Sinking Flood Dragon Abyss is a forbidden zone on par with the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp—exceptionally treacherous. Just escaping with your life is a feat in itself.

"He’s strong, of course, but not as astonishingly so as you might think."

Chu Jinyun’s voice held an unreadable tone. "His greatest talent is his caution. Or, to put it another way... he’s a fast runner. Twenty years ago, old and new grievances between our Wutai Sect and the Chaoyang Sect of Celestial Balance Prefecture erupted into a brutal conflict. The casualties on both sides were immense. They even issued kill-on-sight orders in the Jianghu—any disciple from the opposing sect found in their territory was to be executed without mercy."

"The entire Fenghua Path was in an uproar. Then, the Sect Leader of the Chaoyang Sect—a grandmaster of the Outer Astral Realm—personally led his Sect’s elites and stormed the gates of our Wutai Sect!"

Nie Shanshan held her breath. She had only ever heard fragments of this story from her elders and knew it marked an incredibly painful period in the Sect’s history.

Chu Jinyun continued, "In that war, both sides suffered devastating losses. But Li Baichuan... he never fought their top masters head-on. He only targeted the relatively weaker young prodigies of the Chaoyang Sect. With his cunning and experience, he actually succeeded, killing several of their best from the younger generation. That, of course, utterly enraged the Chaoyang Sect Leader!"

"In a towering rage, the Chaoyang Sect Leader personally set out to hunt down Li Baichuan! Everyone thought he was a dead man for sure. But guess what happened?"

A complicated look crossed Chu Jinyun’s face. "He actually got away! Despite being hunted by an Outer Astral expert at full tilt, he managed to escape back to the Sect by using his knowledge of the terrain and some... um, special life-preserving techniques. Afterward, various parties mediated a truce between the two sects, but the hatred ran too deep. To this day, the undercurrents are still there, and we have no dealings with one another. The older generation of the Chaoyang Sect still grits their teeth and seethes with bone-deep hatred at the mere mention of Li Baichuan’s name."

"Back then, people in the Jianghu even gave him a mocking nickname—"

Chu Jinyun paused, then uttered two words. "Li Paopao!"

"Li... Li Paopao?!"

Nie Shanshan was utterly stunned. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth, her eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

’She never would have imagined that the reclusive, seemingly unfathomable Qingmu Courtyard Master had such a reputation in the Jianghu.’

"That’s right. ’Li Paopao.’"

Chu Jinyun gave a wry smile. "His talent for self-preservation has truly reached the Peak of Perfection. He’s barely taken a step outside Dingbo Lake since. Besides the issue of his dwindling lifespan, I’m sure he’s also wary of the Chaoyang Sect seeking revenge. After all, he’s at the top of their kill list."

Chu Jinyun’s expression sobered, her gaze turning serious and deep as she focused again on Nie Shanshan. "Shanshan, I’m telling you this so you understand that Li Baichuan has his own problems to deal with. He could never be Chen Qing’s true backer."

"Chen Qing’s accomplishments are due to his own talent, his disposition, and... perhaps some other hidden fortuitous encounter. But regardless, you *must* compete for this drop of Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk! It’s not just a peerless resource for improving your Root Bone and aptitude; it’s also a golden opportunity!"

Her tone was resolute. "If you can overcome all rivals in this competition, especially by demonstrating the potential to stand against Xiao Bieli, you will leave an indelible impression on the Sect’s upper echelons, particularly the Sect Leader. Your standing in their eyes will increase immensely!"

"This will lay a critical foundation for your future bid for the position of Sect Leader! Once you become a candidate, or even end up leading the Sect, all the resources of the Wutai Sect will be yours to command! Whether it’s the Earth Core Milk and Treasure Medicine in the Sect’s treasury, or future rewards from the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect—like the Astral Condensing Pill, a divine item for breaking through the Astral Force bottleneck—they will all be prioritized for you! The sheer number of benefits and the profound, long-term impact of this are self-evident!"

Hearing her master’s powerful words, Nie Shanshan nodded firmly. "Don’t worry, Master! I understand!"

....