A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

The sound of bamboo chopsticks hitting the rim of the bowl was particularly clear in the quiet Shoujing Hall.

Zhang Xiaofan picked up a meat bun and took a bite.

The dough was over-proofed; it was too soft and lacked chewiness.

The minced meat was chopped too finely, and the ratio of lean to fat was incorrect. It was greasy and had too much spicy ginger mixed in.

He chewed twice, swallowed, and picked up the bowl of porridge to drink a mouthful.

The porridge was cooked well; the rice grains were fluffy and the consistency was just right.

It was just okay; the natural sweetness of the white rice was diluted by the steam from overcooking.

Like lukewarm water left overnight, it quenches thirst but doesn't really taste good.

He put down his bowl, realizing what was going on.

Back in my past life, when I was a programmer, the only comfort I found when working overtime until midnight was the little electric cooker I was tinkering with.

Tomato beef brisket, braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass... the cooking skills aren't exactly top-notch, but at least they're better than this meal.

I'll have to cook for myself from now on.

"Xiao Fan".

The sound came from the side of the main seat.

Tian Buyi picked up a piece of pickled vegetable, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

The pickled vegetables were cut coarsely, making a crunchy sound when you bit into them.

He raised his eyelids slightly and looked at Zhang Xiaofan:

"I've been a beginner for three months. Where are you in your training?"

The hall was quiet for a short while.

The senior students all had their heads down and were eating their rice, their movements so synchronized that it looked like they had rehearsed.

Song Daren's lips twitched, and he buried his face in the porridge bowl.

Tian Ling'er bit the tip of her chopsticks, her eyes darting around, looking at her father and then at Zhang Xiaofan.

Su Ru paused for a moment while scooping the porridge, then resumed her normal movements, only this time she scooped the porridge more gently.

Zhang Xiaofan put down his chopsticks.

"Reporting to Master," he said in a flat voice, "Jade Purity Realm, third level."

"Clatter".

The chopsticks in Tian Buyi's hand fell onto the table, rolled half a circle, and stopped at the edge of the bowl.

He stared at Zhang Xiaofan, his face expressionless, but his small eyes narrowed.

It scraped across Zhang Xiaofan's face like a knife scraping bone.

"How much?" Tian Buyi asked.

"The third floor," Zhang Xiaofan repeated.

Tian Buyi stared at him for three breaths.

Then he leaned back against the back of the bamboo chair.

The chair creaked softly. He raised his right hand and tapped the table with the knuckle of his index finger.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Every sound struck a chord in people's hearts.

"Xiao Fan," Tian Buyi began, his voice slow and deliberate, as if reciting some obscure incantation.

"Article 127 of the Qingyun Sect Rules: What is the punishment for deceiving one's teachers or elders and falsely reporting one's cultivation level?"

Zhang Xiaofan remained silent.

"One hundred strokes of the cane, and three years of facing the wall at the Cliff of Repentance."

Tian Buyi took over the conversation himself.

He leaned forward, elbows on the table, his round face appearing somewhat gloomy in the morning light.

"Now, say it again. What stage of cultivation are you at?"

The air was taut, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Su Ru put down the porridge spoon and said softly, "It's not easy, the child is still young..."

"Xiao?" Tian Buyi interrupted her, his eyes still fixed on Zhang Xiaofan.

"Young people should know what is important and what is not. For those who cultivate the Tao, the foundation lies in the word 'sincerity'."

If you don't even dare to speak the truth, what kind of path are you cultivating?

He paused, then added:

"Have the five major cycles been completed?"

Zhang Xiaofan met his gaze.

There was no fear, no panic, only a calm in those eyes.

It was as calm as a pool in late autumn, with no ripples on the surface, but something seemed to be slowly flowing underneath.

"It's done," he said.

"And that's not all. This disciple has indeed reached the third level of the Jade Purity Realm."

"you--"

Tian Buyi suddenly stood up, causing the bamboo chair to slide backward, its legs scraping the ground with a piercing creak.

He walked a few steps to Zhang Xiaofan, looking down at him, his shadow covering the boy's entire body.

"Give me your hand." Tian Buyi's voice was cold and hard.

Zhang Xiaofan extended his right hand.

Tian Buyi grabbed his wrist.

His fingers were short and thick, and his nails were neatly trimmed, but he had tremendous strength, like iron pliers.

A scorching heat surged from Tian Buyi's fingertips, forcefully rushing into Zhang Xiaofan's meridians.

To investigate.

It wasn't the gentle perception of Song Daren; it was an overbearing, scrutinizing intrusion.

The heat surged along the meridians, rushing straight to the dantian.

Then, it stopped.

Tian Buyi's face twitched slightly.

He sensed that energy.

It was bluish-green, solid as a piece of warm jade, and slowly rotated in the center of the young man's dantian.

The size and density of the aura, the spiritual pressure fluctuations it generates as it moves...

The third level of Jade Purity Realm.

A genuine three-layer product.

No, it's thicker and more refined than the usual three layers.

That mass of energy seemed to contain something heavier, something more ancient, like gold and stone that had been settled deep within the earth for millions of years.

Tian Buyi released his grip.

He took a step back, then another, until he reached the edge of the table, where his back hit the table's edge.

The table wobbled, and some rice porridge spilled out of the bowl, leaving a damp patch on the table.

He stared at Zhang Xiaofan, his eyes wide open, his lips trembling, but no sound came out.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Several senior brothers even held their breath.

Tian Ling'er covered her mouth, her eyes widening even more than Tian Buyi's.

Su Ru stood up, walked to Tian Buyi's side, and put her hand on his arm: "Buyi, you..."

"Holy shit!"

Tian Buyi suddenly blurted out a swear word.

The sound exploded, echoing throughout the Shoujing Hall.

The gloomy, stern expression on his face shattered like ice being smashed by a hammer.

Beneath the shattered ice, scalding, almost bursting ecstasy surged forth.

He suddenly took a step forward, grabbed Zhang Xiaofan's shoulders with both hands, and the force was so great that it could crush bones.

"Three floors! It really is three floors!"

Tian Buyi roared, spitting all over Zhang Xiaofan's face.

"Three months! Three months!"

He let go and paced back and forth in the hall.

His steps were hurried and heavy, making a thumping sound on the bamboo floor.

He looked up at the roof beams for a moment, then looked down at his own hands.

He was muttering to himself, his voice rising and falling:

"Three floors...three floors...three months..."

Suddenly stopped, turned around, and pointed at Zhang Xiaofan:

"You little brat! Did you eat some kind of magic pill?"

"Huh? Tell me! Did you sneak into the ancestral temple and steal the offerings?"

Zhang Xiaofan wiped the saliva off his face: "No."

"No?" Tian Buyi rushed up to him, his nose almost touching his.

"You think I'm stupid? You think you can reach three levels in three months without me?"

Do you know how long it took Lu Xueqi from Xiaozhu Peak, that genius that old woman Shuiyue always brags about, to reach the first level?

He held up one finger and poked it forcefully in the air.

"A month and a half! And that's it? That old hag Shuiyue practically has 'My apprentice is a genius' etched on her face, bragging to everyone she meets!"

Tian Buyi raised his voice even higher, "And you? You fucking reached three levels in three months! Three levels!"

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently.

His round face turned bright red, and the veins on his forehead bulged out.

Su Ru sighed and tugged at his sleeve: "It's not easy, watch your words."

"Words my ass!" Tian Buyi shook off her hand, but his voice was lower.

He stared at Zhang Xiaofan with the look in his eyes as if he were looking at some rare treasure. After staring for a long time, he suddenly grinned.

The smile was somewhat ferocious, but the light in his eyes was burning.

"Good...good lad..."

He murmured, reaching out to pat Zhang Xiaofan's shoulder, this time with much less force, "Good lad..."

Zhang Xiaofan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Master, you just...scolded me?"

"Insult you?" Tian Buyi was taken aback, then burst into laughter, the sound so loud it shook the rafters and sent dust falling.

"I'm happy! You understand what happiness is!"

"How many years has it been since Dazhu Peak produced anything like this...something like this..."

He got stuck, unable to find the right words for a moment.

"evildoer."

Su Ru continued softly. She looked at Zhang Xiaofan, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

There was surprise, relief, and a deep-seated sense of ease and relief.

"Little Bamboo Peak produced Lu Xueqi, and Senior Sister Shuiyue held her head high for five years. Now..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but she conveyed the meaning.

Tian Buyi nodded heavily and waved his hand:

"Yes! A prodigy! Our Great Bamboo Peak has produced a damn prodigy!"

After his initial euphoria subsided, he suddenly remembered something and frowned.

"Wait a minute." Tian Buyi looked at Song Daren.

"Da Ren, I only taught you the first and second levels of the cultivation method. The third level, did you teach me that?"

Song Daren quickly stood up: "This disciple wouldn't dare! The sect rules are paramount; without Master's permission, I would never dare to privately transmit the later cultivation methods!"

"Then this third floor—" Tian Buyi was interrupted by Zhang Xiaofan halfway through his sentence.

"It was my senior who taught me."

Zhang Xiaofan said that her voice was still flat.

"Master, have you forgotten? You saw long ago that your disciple had some talent, and privately instructed my senior sister..."

If the disciple progresses quickly in the first two levels, then the third level of cultivation method will be taught, depending on the situation.

Tian Buyi opened his mouth, but the words were stuck in his throat.

He figured it out a long time ago?

Did he give the order in private?

Does he... have one?

The hall was eerily quiet.

Tian Ling'er stared wide-eyed at Zhang Xiaofan, her mind blank—when did Father say that? How come I didn't know? What did I say?

Su Ru's gaze lingered on Zhang Xiaofan's face for a moment, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.

She didn't speak, but simply picked up her teacup and gently skimmed off the foam.

Tian Buyi's facial muscles twitched a few more times.

He now faces a choice.

Deny it? That would be admitting that you were blind to the potential of your apprentice and almost threw him away as scrap.

If word gets out, where will he, the chief of Dazhu Peak, put his face?

Admit it? That would be enough to save face.

With keen insight and foresight, he had already planned ahead, even considering the steps to be taught privately. This is the demeanor of a true master.

He straightened his back.

"Ahem." Tian Buyi cleared his throat, put his hands behind his back, and strolled back to the main seat to sit down.

The last trace of redness on his face quickly faded, replaced by a profound and inscrutable expression.

"Not bad." He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and did so with composure.

"As I had planned, Ling'er, you did a good job."

Tian Ling'er: "...Huh?"

"What do you mean, 'huh'?" Tian Buyi glared at her.

"How did I teach you on a daily basis? I taught you according to your aptitude and in a step-by-step manner."

Xiao Fan is exceptionally gifted, so he can't follow the usual rules. This is something you and I should keep to ourselves; there's no need to tell everyone.

Tian Ling'er: "...Oh."

She lowered her head, rummaged through the rice in her bowl, and mentally ranted:

Dad, you're so shameless! When did I ever...?

Wait a minute, junior brother's mind works so fast! That lie is so well told, it's watertight!

Su Ru put down her teacup, and her gaze toward Zhang Xiaofan deepened.

A prodigy with a calm and composed temperament, he is tactful in his dealings with others, knows when to advance and when to retreat, and is adaptable.

This child... is truly remarkable.

"Alright." Tian Buyi was in a great mood and found Zhang Xiaofan pleasing to the eye no matter what.

He beckoned, "Xiao Fan, come with me to the back hall."

"I will pass on to you today the key points of cultivation for levels four through nine of the Jade Purity Realm."

He stood up, walked over to Zhang Xiaofan, and patted him on the back:

"Study hard. In five years, when the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament is held, let's bring honor to our Great Bamboo Peak."

Zhang Xiaofan stood up: "Yes."

The two walked towards the back hall. As they passed Du Bishu, Zhang Xiaofan paused for a moment.

Du Bishu kept his head down, gripping the chopsticks tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white and blue.

He stared blankly at the half-cold porridge in the bowl, as if he had lost his soul.

I've been practicing for seventy-three years.

Jade Purity Realm, third level.

The junior apprentice has been in the program for three months and is on the third level.

Seventy-three years, three months.

"Sixth Brother," Su Ru called softly.

Du Bishu raised his head, his face expressionless, but something shattered in his eyes.

He put down his chopsticks, stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed deeply to Tian Buyi and Su Ru.

"Master, Mistress," he said hoarsely, "this disciple... wishes to leave the mountain."

Tian Buyi frowned: "Go down the mountain?"

"Yes." Du Bishu straightened up.

"I have been a disciple for over seventy years, but my cultivation has remained stagnant. I feel ashamed of my sect."

I heard these past few days that some rare iron has appeared in the East China Sea, which might be able to be used to forge magical artifacts.

This disciple wishes to descend the mountain to gain experience, seek opportunities, and... also see if I can break through this bottleneck.

The hall fell silent again.

Several of his fellow students put down their bowls and chopsticks and looked at him.

Lu Daxin opened his mouth as if to say something, but Wu Dayi stopped him.

Su Ru looked at Du Bishu for a long time, then nodded slightly:

"That's good. Go out and see the world."

Remember this: the foot of the mountain is different from the top; be careful in everything you do.

"Thank you, Master's wife."

Du Bishu bowed again, then turned and walked out.

As he reached the door, he glanced back.

Zhang Xiaofan followed Tian Buyi as they stepped through the threshold of the back hall.

The boy's back was thin, his Taoist robe was washed until it was white, but his back was straight.

Morning light shone through the crack in the door, illuminating half of his face, highlighting the clear lines of his profile and his calm gaze.

Du Bishu withdrew his gaze and stepped out of the door.

A mountain breeze blew in, carrying the fresh scent of bamboo leaves.

It also carries a deeper, somewhat rusty, metallic smell.

He walked down the steps one by one, his footsteps echoing hollowly on the stone steps.

The door to the back room was closed.