Chapter 2: The Three-Year Deadline Has Arrived

Chapter 2: The Three-Year Deadline Has Arrived

"Tomorrow marks exactly three years", Xiao Chen murmured, counting down the days. This time, it should finally come to pass.

The three years had been measured precisely from the day he acquired the Hex, not a single day short.

1,095 days—every one accounted for.

He’d originally thought he’d succeed in breaking through on New Year’s Day. That’s why on the morning of the Lunar New Year, Xiao Chen had rushed to the lecture hall early, settling cross-legged onto the lotus cushion in the very front row.

It genuinely startled Wu Lao Tou.

The old man even opened the window to check if the sun had risen in the east today. Otherwise, why would Xiao Chen—who always cut it close and slouched in the back row—suddenly become so proactive?

At first, Wu Lao Tou had assumed he’d "seen the light", feeling a flicker of pride. After all, with his silver hair and years of experience, his greatest joy now lay in teaching and guiding these young disciples.

But the next day, Xiao Chen was back to cutting it close, reclaiming his familiar spot in the back-left corner.

Over the past three years, whether old or new disciples, everyone had naturally left that seat vacant for him.

Everything returned to normal, as if that New Year’s Day incident had been a mere anomaly.

For a moment, Wu Lao Tou even felt disoriented, as though his memories had blurred.

What followed was anger—frustration at Xiao Chen’s wasted potential.

He barked an order, making Xiao Chen stand outside the hall.

To his surprise, Xiao Chen practically skipped outside, looking oddly relieved.

Wu Lao Tou slammed the desk in fury: "Rot, absolutely rotten to the core!"

But it didn’t matter. All of this was just an illusion of the past.

The world’s misunderstandings were no more than a breeze brushing his face—Xiao Chen simply smiled them away.

Once the three-year deadline arrived, he would transform overnight, becoming the sect’s pillar from a rotten log.

With mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivation, he’d ascend to become an outer sect disciple.

As far as he knew, among the two hundred or so disciples who’d joined at the same time, most were still stuck at Qi Condensation Layer Three.

Only a few came from cultivation families with resources, and one lucky fellow—Lin Ping An—had stumbled upon a spirit fruit, breaking through thanks to that fortune.

This meant that as soon as Xiao Chen joined the outer sect, he’d already outpace ninety percent of the inner sect disciples, becoming a rare elite.

Of course, there was one pressing matter to handle first.

He needed to lay a slight foundation for his breakthrough—a reason.

After all, he couldn’t just sleep in the sect one day and suddenly break through. That would be too bizarre.

If it drew the attention of some idle sect elder, it might bring disaster.

So the next morning, Xiao Chen arrived early at the lecture hall again, sitting front and center on the lotus cushion.

This choice wasn’t random.

Fifty years ago, a disciple who’d joined just six months earlier had suddenly attained enlightenment on this very cushion, leaping directly into late-stage Qi Condensation.

Xiao Chen planned to stage his own "enlightenment", paying homage to that senior.

Before long, Wu Lao Tou arrived fashionably late, immediately spotting Xiao Chen in the front row.

After a moment of shock, he bowed slightly, voice dripping with sarcasm: "What’s the occasion today? You’ve graced us with the front row?"

Xiao Chen’s expression turned solemn: "Master, I’ve realized my past negligence in wasting time. From today onward, I vow to reform and strive forward."

"Oh."

Wu Lao Tou nodded calmly, returning to the lectern: "Today, we’ll continue yesterday’s lesson on mana allocation."

"Xiao Chen, explain the common mana allocation methods."

This question didn’t faze Xiao Chen. After all, these courses recycled every six months—he’d heard them five times already.

"Master, the common methods are the two-defense-one-offense and the one-defense-one-offense-one-reserve patterns."

Wu Lao Tou pressed further: "And how do you allocate yours?"

...

At the Qi Condensation stage, cultivators gained one mana channel per minor breakthrough. By Layer Three, they’d have three channels. From there until Layer Nine, each minor breakthrough added three channels.

Mana quantity was critical—whether casting spells, activating artifacts, or channeling talismans, all required mana.

Xiao Chen naturally had only one channel, allowing just a single use of the minor Cloud Rain Spell.

There was no "allocation" to speak of.

Wu Lao Tou’s question was clearly a trap.

Cursed! His mana had first formed at the third watch of the Chen hour—now it was only the first watch.

Three years, not a moment less.

Still stuck in the Decayed Wood Realm, how could he answer?

"Wah!"

A sudden gasp erupted from the back.

Xiao Chen turned to see a handsome youth seated, eyes closed, surrounded by swirling spiritual energy—clearly breaking through the minor bottleneck of early Qi Condensation.

Dressed in a black robe, his face like polished jade, it was none other than Ye Fei, this year’s prodigy disciple who’d already gained fame as a peak inner sect talent.

As spiritual energy gathered, his aura surged, breaking into Qi Condensation Layer Four.

At that moment, a strange wind swept through the lecture hall, circling Ye Fei three times before vanishing.

"Whoa!" Xiao Chen inhaled sharply. Another enlightenment?

Wasn’t Ye Fei’s younger brother just promoted to Layer Three seven days ago, becoming the top new disciple?

Now he’d broken through again—truly extraordinary talent.

"Quick! All of you, meditate and cultivate, using this chance to sense the shifting energies!"

Wu Lao Tou hurriedly urged the disciples to practice.

Witnessing a peer’s breakthrough could greatly aid one’s own cultivation.

Xiao Chen immediately sat cross-legged, eyes closed, face devout, faking enlightenment.

Perfect opportunity—maybe his own breakthrough would seem more natural now.

Yet moments later, a crisp female voice rang out.

"I see."

Then another surge of energy erupted.

Xiao Chen opened his eyes to see a red-robed girl smiling, holding a spirit stone, her body radiating waves of heat.

Several nearby disciples were forced backward by the scorching pressure.

"It’s her—Jiang Si Xuan, the Heiress of the Jiang Clan!"

"They say the Jiang family’s inherited fire-technique is ruthless. Just from her aura, it’s already several times stronger than the basic breathing method."

Wu Lao Tou stroked his sparse beard, nodding with satisfaction: "Good, good, good!"

Xiao Chen blinked. Another one?

What was going on? Had her three-year deadline also ended today?

Just then, time quietly reached the third watch of the Chen hour—the three-year deadline had arrived.

Inside Xiao Chen’s dantian, his sole mana channel suddenly seemed to gain sentience.

It began flowing through his body along the basic breathing technique’s path.

Since he was leaping directly from Qi Condensation Layer One to Layer Four, Xiao Chen broke through three layers in just ten breaths, his aura surging three times.

A small spiritual energy vortex formed around him, drawing in surrounding heavenly energy to fill his dantian.

The commotion dwarfed the previous two breakthroughs, instantly drawing every gaze.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end