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Chapter 8: Xiao Chen Will Surely Fade into Obscurity
Chapter 8: Xiao Chen Will Surely Fade into Obscurity
"Did you also stumble upon a jade-hued ginseng like Lin Ping An?"
Steward Chen recalled the records mentioning Xiao Chen's low-grade wood spirit root and immediately thought of another fortunate disciple. Lin Ping An from the Ninth Branch Academy had previously consumed purple orchid essence at the early stage of Qi Condensation. Last month, he’d coincidentally discovered a jade-hued ginseng, propelling him directly to the sixth layer of Foundation Building. His luck was enviable.
But Steward Chen quickly dismissed his own guess. "No, you’ve been confined to the sect grounds recently. You wouldn’t have had the chance to find rare treasures." Outer sect disciples needed formal approval from a manager to leave the mountain unless they were assigned tasks like mining spirit stones. Xiao Chen had chosen to work in the spirit fields—there were no heavenly treasures waiting for him here.
Steward Chen asked softly, "Did you suddenly awaken your cultivation on your own?"
Xiao Chen nodded vigorously, confirming Steward Chen’s assumption.
Steward Chen stepped closer, sensing Xiao Chen’s stable cultivation aura, and murmured in astonishment. He remembered this new disciple had initially chosen a yellow-tier cultivation manual. At the time, Steward Chen had categorized him as lacking talent. After all, ambitious cultivators would strive for better manuals unless they were painfully aware of their limitations.
Yet here he was—a hidden genius who’d broken through to the fifth layer of Qi Condensation using nothing but a yellow-tier manual. Steward Chen recalled that the fastest breakthrough in the Second Sub-Academy’s history had been achieved by a prodigy from the Li Huo Zhang family, who possessed dual spirit roots and reached this stage in seven months. That genius had smoothly advanced to Foundation Building.
In Steward Chen’s eyes, Xiao Chen had surpassed even that record, achieving the breakthrough in just six months—over a month faster than the dual spirit-root prodigy. This speed was staggering. Considering Xiao Chen’s inferior spirit root, he must have uncovered some secret cultivation technique.
Grasping Xiao Chen’s arm, Steward Chen declared, "Come, stand here and share your cultivation methods with everyone!"
Xiao Chen hesitated. Share methods? He hadn’t prepared anything!
"This, uh, improving cultivation speed... Today, I’ll explain how to boost your cultivation efficiency..."
Thrust into the spotlight, Xiao Chen improvised, cobbling together grand theories from his past life. The senior sect brothers listened intently, captivated by this novel approach. They’d never encountered such motivational rhetoric before.
"No wonder I always saw Xiao Senior Sect Brother meditating in the spirit fields—so he’s been utilizing fragmented time!"
"Reflecting on your daily actions before sleep—this must be the key to self-improvement. This is what sets me apart from Xiao Chen. Truly enlightening!"
Jiang Si Xuan watched Xiao Chen’s impassioned speech, her heart tightening. Since their parting at the White Jade Restaurant, she’d deliberately distanced herself. Xiao Chen hadn’t reached out either. Though they belonged to the same sub-academy, they’d only crossed paths once at a previous gathering.
Yet now, he’d already broken through to the fifth layer of Qi Condensation. Unbelievable.
Jiang Si Xuan possessed a rare dual metal-fire spirit root, and her clan had invested heavily in her cultivation. Even so, she’d only recently reached the threshold of the fifth layer, needing at least another month to breakthrough. Xiao Chen, meanwhile, managed this while tending five acres of spirit fields daily.
Could it be the cultivation manual?
She recalled the Yang Qi Tuna Method he’d chosen. At the time, she’d wondered why he’d selected a yellow-tier manual when he didn’t seem short on spirit stones. Could this have been his plan all along—to accelerate his cultivation swiftly?
Her mind raced. The annual outer sect trial was approaching. Success meant promotion to Inner Disciple Seed and increased resources. To compete, Xiao Chen must have chosen the easiest-to-master yellow-tier manual, prioritizing speed over long-term gains.
It made sense. The sub-academy’s hierarchy had shifted this year. With several senior disciples advancing to Foundation Building, the competition for top rankings among new disciples was fierce. A fifth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator like Xiao Chen could rival seniors and secure a top ten position, gaining a year’s worth of resources. This would give him an edge in next year’s trials.
Brilliant yet reckless. But she knew something he didn’t—the trial’s format had changed. This year, the sect would test disciples through pseudo-realistic combat against spirit beasts, not the traditional arena challenges. Yellow-tier manuals, focused on foundational cultivation, would struggle against the practical demands of beast-fighting.
Her gaze shifted to Ye Fei. Should she warn him? Ye Fei, a wind-fire dual spirit-root genius, was worth cultivating as an ally. But Xiao Chen?
After this trial, Xiao Chen’s gamble on a yellow-tier manual would surely backfire. He’d fade into obscurity, just another forgotten outer sect disciple.
(End of Chapter)
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