The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

The moment the drop of jade liquid entered his mouth, it didn't have any dramatic medicinal power. Xu Changqing only felt a cool sensation spreading through his dantian.

Immediately afterwards, without Xu Changqing's deliberate prompting, the spiritual energy within his body began to circulate and digest on its own.

This feeling is wonderful.

In the past, when taking elixirs, there was always a burning sensation, and after taking them, one had to spend time tempering that fiery nature.

But this jade liquid nourishes things silently.

Xu Changqing closed his eyes and looked inward. He saw that his originally somewhat weak Azure Wood spiritual power had become more solid after a full cycle. Although his cultivation level did not break through immediately, his spiritual power had become more condensed.

"What a wonderful baby."

Xu Changqing carefully put away the broken jade bottle, and only then did he feel that the hard work of the past few days had been worthwhile.

……

The next morning.

Xu Changqing got up early and arrived at the training ground in high spirits.

Although it was just before dawn, the training ground was already bustling with activity.

Xu Xining's three younger brothers were practicing footwork on the plum blossom stakes as instructed by Xu Changqing.

Xu Xining moved with incredible speed, leaping and bounding up and down the stake, occasionally letting out a monkey-like cry, clearly adding to his own drama.

Not far away were several teenagers of the Xu Yan generation.

Xu Yanfeng held a magic knife reforged from a 'mountain-splitting knife' in his hand, and struggled against an ironwood stake.

"drink!"

With a roar, Xu Yanfeng's muscles bulged, and he slashed down with his sword, causing the ironwood stake to tremble.

Xu Changqing stood to the side with his hands behind his back, watching and occasionally offering a few words of advice.

"Don't just jump around, keep your lower body stable!"

"Boy, what are you hesitating for when you draw your sword!"

As he was giving instructions, he heard footsteps behind him.

Xu Changqing knew who it was without even turning around, sensing the oppressive atmosphere.

Wan Huaiyi, dressed in a loose black robe and still wearing the mask with blue faces and fangs, slowly walked over, carrying a sheathed longsword.

After a night of meditation, much of the deathly aura emanating from this person dissipated, and some of the arrogance of a sect disciple returned.

He stood on the sidelines for a while, and a soft hum came from behind his mask.

"All show and no substance."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for Xu Changqing to hear.

Xu Changqing wasn't annoyed and turned to look at him.

"Fellow Daoist Wan is a disciple of a superior sect. My humble clan in the countryside has no special heritage, so naturally I am not worthy of your attention."

Wan Huaiyi glanced at him but didn't respond.

He stayed at the Xu family's house for free, using their land to recuperate. Although Chief Xu was forced into this situation, Wan Huaiyi wasn't the type to like owing favors.

He felt particularly uneasy about owing a favor to a mere Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator.

"My injuries haven't healed yet, so I can't fight, but I still have the strength to give some pointers."

Wan Huaiyi spoke calmly, pointing to the group of Yan-generation youths who were gesturing wildly.

"Call these big ones over here, I'll pick a few that look good and train them for you for a few days."

Xu Changqing was taken aback, then overjoyed.

This is an inner elite of the Qinghe Sword Sect. Even if it is an injured and fallen phoenix, its feathers are thicker than the waist of the Xu family.

Such free advanced instructors are extremely rare.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Wan."

Xu Changqing didn't stand on ceremony. He walked to the center of the field and waved to the young men of the Yan generation.

"Come here, everyone."

The boys were practicing with great enthusiasm when Xu Yanfeng heard the clan leader's summons. He wiped the sweat from his face, grabbed his sword, and ran over, followed by four other boys of the same generation, all panting heavily.

"Chieftain, what is it?"

Xu Yanfeng asked casually, his eyes glancing curiously at the strange masked man next to Xu Changqing.

"This senior is Uncle Zhang, he's the instructor I invited... Please be respectful when you see him in the future."

Xu Changqing didn't explain much, but pointed to Wan Huaiyi.

The boys looked at each other, wondering what was going on, but since the clan leader had spoken, they dared not disobey and stammered, "Uncle Zhang."

Wan Huaiyi pointed to the open space over there.

"Come at me all at once, use your best skills."

Upon hearing this, the boys immediately felt slighted.

"Attack together? You said it!"

Xu Yanfeng had a fiery temper, and immediately roared and charged forward with his machete.

The remaining four or five teenagers were not to be outdone, and they either used their fists and feet or grabbed sticks, swarming around them.

Wan Huaiyi stood rooted to the spot, not moving an inch.

He only slightly turned his body when Xu Yanfeng's powerful slash was about to strike.

"Too slow."

He casually flicked the sheathed longsword in his hand.

"when!"

A crisp sound.

Xu Yanfeng felt a tremendous force coming from the hilt of the sword, his tiger's mouth went numb, the sword almost flew out of his hand, and he was pulled back a few steps by this force, almost falling over.

Immediately afterwards, Wan Huaiyi moved slightly and weaved through the crowd.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The sounds of sword sheaths striking flesh rose and fell in waves.

In no time at all.

Apart from Xu Yanfeng, who was still barely standing, the rest of the teenagers were all lying on the ground, clutching their wrists or calves and groaning in pain.

Wan Huaiyi sheathed his sword and stood there without even taking a breath.

His gaze swept over the group of disheveled teenagers on the ground, and finally, with a flick of his finger, landed on Xu Yanfeng, who was clutching his hand and wincing in pain.

"This one is barely passable."

"The rest of you, you can all leave now."

The boys on the ground were immediately displeased upon hearing this.

A tall, thin fourteen-year-old boy got up, humiliated, and shouted, "Why? I'm not convinced! I was just careless for a moment..."

"You disagree?"

Wan Huaiyi sneered, a faint aura of murderous intent emanating from his body.

The boy felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast, a chill ran through him, and the rest of his words were stuck in his throat.

"Go back, all of you."

Xu Changqing waved his hand.

After the boys left dejectedly, only Xu Yanfeng remained standing there, dumbfounded.

"You stand there for now."

Wan Huaiyi said something to Xu Yanfeng, then turned to look at Xu Changqing.

Let's talk in private.

The two walked down to the corridor.

Wan Huaiyi didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"Let the rest of them stay home and enjoy their retirement. Going to the mountain opening ceremony is just a waste of spirit stones."

Xu Changqing frowned slightly: "Although their aptitude is a bit lacking, they've all reached the Qi Sensing stage, and some are already at the first level of Qi Refining. Could it be that they can't even become menial disciples?"

"Do you really believe what's written on that notice?"

Wan Huaiyi chuckled, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery as he looked at Xu Changqing.

"Although the recruitment notice for this mountain opening ceremony states that applicants must be under sixteen years old and have suitable bone age, that's only for those truly talented independent cultivators."

"Although your Xu family is poor, you are still legitimately protected. For dependent families like yours, the standards are always different."

Wan Huaiyi held up two fingers.

"At the age of fourteen or fifteen, if one is a rogue cultivator who has just reached the first level of Qi Refining or even the initial stage of Qi Sensing, the sect might take him in as a handyman because of his clean background and strong potential."

"But if a scion of a noble family has family resources to support him from a young age and someone to teach him, and he is still only at the first level of Qi Refining by the age of fourteen or fifteen, he will still be in danger."

"Recruiting such people would not only waste food, but also easily bring bad habits from their families into the sect, leading to factionalism and disobedience."

"Therefore, for scions of noble families to join the sect, they must be at least at the second level of Qi Refining by this age."