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

Along the way, the disciples chatted in twos and threes, discussing everything from the assessment they had just taken to their future life in the sect, and from the choice of cultivation methods to the choice of skills.

Some were full of confidence, some were worried, and some had calm expressions that revealed no emotion.

A long queue formed in front of the office.

When it was the turn of the three, each person received a set of outer disciple robes and an identity token.

Wang Ming examined the token from all angles, his eyes shining: "An outer disciple... finally I have a proper identity!"

Li Si packed his things away and turned to look at Lu Qingchen: "Next, shall we go to the Scripture Pavilion?"

"Um."

Lu Qingchen nodded, "Let's go choose a cultivation technique first."

......

The three of them left the office and walked along the bluestone path towards Mingfa Peak.

Immortal seedlings who have drawn in Qi will cultivate for a period of time at Mingfa Peak, where the Sutra Repository is also located.

Mingfa Peak is located opposite Yuxin Peak, and the two peaks are connected by a stone bridge.

After crossing the stone bridge, the concentration of spiritual energy suddenly increased, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of grass and trees.

On the white jade-paved plaza, disciples were practicing swordsmanship, their sword energy crisscrossing and their spiritual light flashing.

In the distance, lecture halls, alchemy rooms, and equipment rooms stand in rows, with cranes circling overhead and the fragrance of medicine wafting on the wind.

The new disciples looked around, their eyes filled with novelty and longing.

"This is Mingfa Peak..."

Wang Ming exclaimed, "The spiritual energy here is much stronger than at Yuxin Peak."

Li Si nodded, his gaze sweeping over the distant buildings, lost in thought.

As they were talking, several outstanding disciples walked out from the direction of the lecture hall.

The leader was a young man in white, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a face as handsome as jade. He was none other than Chu Yunfeng, a top-grade dual-elemental root of metal and fire, who had drawn qi into his body after only twenty days in the sect.

Beside him was Su Qingxue, who possessed the spiritual roots of water, wood, and earth, along with a pure spirit body. She had outstanding looks and a cool temperament.

Other prodigies included Zhao Tieshan and Lin Xiaoyu, each with a calm and composed demeanor, clearly demonstrating that their cultivation was far superior to their peers.

The new disciples immediately began to whisper among themselves.

"It's actually Chu Yunfeng... I heard he's almost reached the second level of Qi Refining."

"Su Qingxue is so beautiful...and so talented, she's truly a chosen one!"

"When will I be able to be like them...?"

Many people stared intently at Su Qingxue, while others' gazes lingered on Chu Yunfeng, filled with envy.

Lu Qingchen's gaze swept over the group, finally settling on Chu Yunfeng, lingering for a moment longer—after all, this was the one bound to the Dao Stele.

Seeing so many new faces, Chu Yunfeng remembered that today was the 100-day assessment period and realized that these were all candidates to become outer disciples through the Qi Induction process.

His gaze swept briefly over the crowd, but when it met Lu Qingchen's, it didn't linger at all, simply passing by.

As Chu Yunfeng and his group passed by the new disciples, the new disciples politely greeted them: "Hello, Senior Brother Chu!" "Hello, Senior Sister Su!"

Chu Yunfeng nodded slightly, Su Qingxue responded with a faint smile, and Zhao Tieshan and the others also responded one by one. Their attitude was neither enthusiastic nor cold, just the right amount of politeness.

Although they were all immortal seedlings who entered the sect in the same batch, the cultivation world has always respected the accomplished. It is not excessive for them to call each other "senior brother" and "senior sister" after only twenty days of entering the sect.

As he passed by Lu Qingchen, he vaguely heard Chu Yunfeng and Su Qingxue talking.

"I've been finding it more difficult to cultivate lately than before."

Chu Yunfeng's voice was not loud, and it carried a hint of confusion: "What used to take an hour to complete a full cycle now takes a little longer to achieve the same effect. The technique is the same, and the spiritual energy is not less, but it's just slower."

Su Qingxue turned her head to look at him: "Perhaps you've been cultivating too hastily? You've been working hard these past few days, it's time to take a break."

Zhao Tieshan chimed in, "I also think you're overthinking it. Cultivation always has its ups and downs; sometimes it's fast, sometimes it's slow. That's normal."

Chu Yunfeng pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "It's not fluctuation, it's... indescribable."

"It's as if something quietly took away a portion of my cultivation achievements when I wasn't paying attention."

Su Qingxue chuckled: "Divide your cultivation? What nonsense! You're being too sensitive. Go back and rest for a few days, and you'll be fine naturally."

The group walked away, chatting and laughing.

Lu Qingchen stood rooted to the spot, his heart pounding like a drum.

He knew it wasn't an illusion.

Five percent.

Although it wasn't much, it definitely affected Chu Yunfeng's cultivation.

The cultivation points that are transferred away each day are like a ladle of water being quietly scooped out of a bucket. It's not much, but over time, it will eventually make people notice something amiss.

He took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

At the same time, this incident also made him wary, and he realized he needed to keep his activities even more secret in the future.

As one's cultivation level increases, powerful cultivators will inevitably notice something amiss.

If he slips up and it's discovered that his slowed cultivation speed was due to him—he might not even know how he died.

......

The Mingfafeng Sutra Repository is a three-story blue stone building with two stone beasts standing at the entrance, their eyes gleaming as if they were alive.

On the way to the Sutra Repository, Li Si, Wang Ming, and Lu Qingchen discussed among themselves.

"I want to choose alchemy!"

Wang Ming exclaimed excitedly, "I've heard that alchemists are in high demand everywhere, and their pills sell for high prices, making them a quick way to earn spirit stones!"

Li Si glanced at him: "You don't even have a fire-attribute spiritual root, what kind of pills are you trying to refine?"

Wang Ming retorted, "Elixirs aren't solely made with fire; there are also water-based and wood-based refining methods! I've checked, and the water-based method is suitable for refining healing and detoxifying pills. My four spiritual roots include the water attribute, so it's perfect!"

Li Si shook his head: "I choose the path of formations. Although the initial investment for formation masters is large, the later stages are stable. You can live off a mountain-protecting formation for a lifetime."

The two looked at Lu Qingchen.

"I choose spiritual plants," Lu Qingchen said. "Elder Chen suggested it, and I also think it's suitable."

Wang Ming suddenly realized, "That's right, you have the Green Wood Spirit Body, farming is perfect for you!"

Li Si nodded: "Although the work of cultivating spirit plants is hard, it is stable. Moreover, the sect has always valued the cultivation of spirit plants, and the Spirit Plant Peak has a high status within the sect."

As the three talked, they arrived at the entrance of the Sutra Repository.

The Sutra Repository is a three-story blue stone building with two stone beasts standing at the entrance, their eyes gleaming as if they were alive.

The three entered the room, which was dimly lit. Rows of bookshelves were neatly arranged, filled with jade slips and ancient books. The air was filled with a faint scent of ink and fluctuations of spiritual energy.

Seven or eight disciples who had arrived earlier were already moving among the bookshelves. Some were reading the jade slips carefully, some were talking in hushed tones, and some were pacing back and forth with furrowed brows, clearly still struggling to decide what to choose.

The person on duty was a middle-aged female cultivator with a thin face and sharp eyes, and she had the cultivation level of the late Foundation Establishment stage.

She sat behind a small table by the door, holding a booklet in her hands, flipping through something.

Hearing footsteps, he didn't even look up, only saying indifferently, "New outer disciple? The cultivation techniques are on the first floor, and the skills are on the second floor. Each person is limited to choosing one cultivation technique and one skill. Once you've chosen, come here to register. You can take a copy with you."

Lu Qingchen hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said respectfully, "Senior, I am new here and do not know much about cultivation techniques. May I ask for your guidance?"

The middle-aged female cultivator then raised her head, glanced at him, her gaze lingering on him for a moment, and said indifferently, "There's not much to teach about Qi Refining stage techniques."

"Choose one that matches your spiritual root and works smoothly. As your cultivation level increases, you will naturally know what suits you, and it's not too late to change it then."

After saying that, he lowered his head and continued to flip through the booklet in his hand, ignoring it.