After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

He remembered this disciple—fifty days ago, he had completed the Qi Cultivation stage and just entered the Yi Jin Jing stage. He was a low-grade Five Elemental Root, with such poor aptitude that he didn't even bother to look at him a second time.

Only thirty days have passed, and he has already completed forty percent of the Marrow Cleansing?

Elder Chen looked again at Lu Qingchen, who stood respectfully below the stage, and after a moment of silence, slowly spoke: "Lu Qingchen."

"At fifty days, you will have completed your cultivation and begun to understand the principles of Yi Jin Jing."

"Thirty days have passed, and you have made such progress. Your foundation has been honed quite well, and you have even achieved minor success in marrow cleansing... It seems that you have put in a lot of hard work and used some methods. Tell me about them."

All eyes were on Lu Qingchen, more curious than shocked.

Li Si and Wang Ming stared intently at him, and Sun Han also raised his head.

Lu Qingchen bowed and said sincerely, "Reporting to the elder, a few days ago I took on a miscellaneous task of tending the medicine garden at the Hall of Merit, and received some spirit stones as payment. I used all of them to purchase Marrow Essence Pills to assist in marrow cleansing, and Qi-Boosting Soup to replenish the energy consumed during cultivation."

"Apart from completing necessary homework and chores each day, I spend the rest of my time studying and practicing the Yi Jin Xi Sui Zhuang Gong, and I dare not slack off in the slightest."

"Perhaps I was lucky enough to buy some high-quality pills, and my body was able to tolerate them. In addition, I tried to be careful with every step of my cultivation and dared not be reckless, so my foundation is still quite solid."

His explanation was simple and unpretentious, attributing his progress to "hard work in exchange for resources + purchasing suitable elixirs + relentless cultivation + steady progress" and a little "luck".

This is precisely the path most likely to be achieved by disciples at the lower levels. Although few succeed, it is not without precedent.

Elder Chen nodded slightly after hearing this, his face expressionless: "Hmm, he knows how to earn resources through labor to make up for himself, his cultivation is steady and not reckless, and his temperament is acceptable."

He didn't press further, but jotted down in his notebook: "By the way, not bad, you may leave."

"Thank you, Elder!"

Lu Qingchen bowed and withdrew, feeling countless gazes focused on him, some surprised, some envious, some jealous, and some inquisitive.

Back in the queue of qualified candidates, Li Si and Wang Ming looked at him with extremely complex expressions.

They never expected that their usually quiet and seemingly slow-moving roommate would catch up so quickly and quietly!

"Qingchen," Li Si spoke first, his tone less casual and more serious, "How...how did you do that?"

Wang Ming also came closer, looking him up and down as if he were seeing him for the first time: "That's right, you just started learning the Yi Jin Jing not long ago, and now you've already completed the Xi Sui Jing? Do you have some kind of secret technique?"

Lu Qingchen wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression unchanged: "There's no secret technique. I just took on a mission from the Hall of Merit and earned some spirit stones to buy Marrow Essence Pills."

"As you all know, I was previously stuck on insufficient essence, but with the replenishment of pills, my progress naturally improved."

"In addition, my foundation is quite solid, so the Marrow Cleansing step was actually smoother than the Tendon Changing step."

Li Si and Wang Ming exchanged a glance, both believing and doubting.

Since Lu Qingchen was unwilling to say more, they didn't press him for details.

"Alright, congratulations anyway." Li Si patted him on the shoulder, his tone sincere.

Wang Ming nodded with a smile, but there was an indescribable feeling in his smile.

He has four spiritual roots at a middle grade, and his marrow cleansing is only 32% complete. Lu Qingchen has five spiritual roots at a low grade, and his marrow cleansing is already 40% complete.

Li Sisi has a superior spiritual root and has completed 68% of the marrow cleansing process, so he's quite stable.

The three of them stood together, and the difference in their abilities and the mismatch in their progress left him with indescribable feelings.

The assessment continues, and names are called out one by one, bringing joy to some and sorrow to others.

Lu Qingchen's gaze fell on Sun Han in the waiting area. He stood there with his head down, twisting the hem of his clothes with his hands, like a withered blade of grass bent by the wind.

During a break in the assessment, Lu Qingchen quietly walked over.

"Sun Han".

Sun Han raised his head, his eyes slightly red, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Brother Qingchen..."

Don't overthink it.

Lu Qingchen patted him on the shoulder, "No matter what the outcome, don't give up on cultivation. There is still a way out of Zhiyi Peak. I heard that as long as you work hard enough, you still have a chance to come back."

"Your abilities are not much worse than mine. What I can do, you can do too."

Sun Han stared at him blankly, her eyes reddening even more, but she nodded forcefully.

Lu Qingchen didn't say anything more and turned back to the queue.

That's all he can do; the rest is up to Sun Han himself.

......

Finally, the assessment concluded.

Thirty disciples were taken away on the spot, including Sun Han.

When the disciple called his name, his body swayed, but he did not fall down.

He took a deep breath and slowly followed the group out.

As he passed by Lu Qingchen, he didn't turn around, but paused briefly before continuing forward.

Back in the room where only the three of them remained, the atmosphere was eerily silent.

Li Si sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at Sun Han's empty bed.

Wang Ming leaned against the window, gazing at the darkening sky outside, without uttering a word.

Sun Han's quilt was still neatly folded, and under his pillow was a handwritten copy of "Yi Jin Xi Sui Zhuang Gong" with frayed edges, which he had copied word by word, saying that "reading it a few more times will help me remember it."

Lu Qingchen walked to his bedside and sat down without saying a word.

He knew that once he embarked on the path of cultivation, the elimination process would never stop.

Today it's Sun Han, but who could it be tomorrow? Li Si? Wang Ming? Or even... if I let my guard down, it could be me.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Li Si went out.

When he returned, his face looked ashen, as if he had swallowed a fly.

"I've found out."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his voice hoarse, "Sun Han didn't leave the sect; he went to the mine."

It was as if all sound had been sucked out of the side room.

The mine—that was the hardest and dirtiest place on Zhiyi Peak. People worked for seven hours a day, never seeing the sun, and the spiritual energy was so thin that it was almost imperceptible.

My monthly salary is only fifty spirit pearls, not even enough to buy half a dose of the cheapest Qi-boosting soup.

Of the menial laborers who went to the mines, eight out of ten couldn't last three years, and the remaining two were worn down and left with nothing but empty shells.

"The mine..." Wang Ming murmured, his face pale.

Li Si didn't say anything more, he just clenched his fists.

Wang Ming slammed his fist on the table, his eyes red as he growled, "Why?! Sun Han works harder than anyone else. He gets up before dawn every day to practice his skills, and he's still studying at night when we're all asleep. Why does he have to go to the mine?!"

"It's because his spiritual root is not good."

Li Si smiled bitterly, his smile more painful than a grimace. "That's how the cultivation world is. Talent determines everything. For people like us, being able to stay at Yuxin Peak is already a stroke of luck."

He paused, then didn't say anything more, only let out a long sigh.

Wang Ming sat on the edge of the bed, head down.

Lu Qingchen stood by the window, gazing at the hazy mountain shadows in the distance, his hands slowly clenching in his sleeves.

Sun Han's smile, the martial arts manual Sun Han copied, the hand Sun Han patted on his shoulder when he said "Try again"... all these scenes flashed before my eyes.