Finally, on Li Hang’s advice, Lin Xuan spent over two thousand contribution points to exchange for a large stash of pills and spiritual medicines as cultivation resources, then left satisfied.
The disciples watched Lin Xuan’s retreating figure, their faces brimming with envy.
Two thousand contribution points—even the former top outer disciple, Chen Yuze, might not have had that many on hand, let alone these ordinary disciples. Yet Lin Xuan had casually spent them, looking utterly indifferent.
The gap was too vast.
Was this what it meant to be a top-tier genius?
They were far from his level.
The disciples sighed inwardly.
Before long, Lin Xuan returned to his small courtyard and entered the cultivation chamber. Sitting cross-legged, he took out pills and spiritual medicines like Condensing Qi Pills and Water Origin Fruits, then began his secluded cultivation.
This time, he would break through to the Qi Transformation Realm and head straight to the inner sect. The outer sect was no longer worth lingering in.
Time flowed slowly.
Unbeknownst to him, four days passed.
Inside the cultivation chamber, a surging aura gradually spread, stirring up layers of air currents. Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a glint flashing within them as he gazed at the void before him:
“I’ve broken through to the first layer of the Qi Transformation Realm.”
Feeling the power in his body, which had multiplied severalfold, Lin Xuan nodded slightly.
He extended a finger and tapped.
Whoosh!
A sword qi shot out, leaving a long gash on the opposite wall.
“Qi leaving the body!”
Lin Xuan murmured, a smile appearing in his eyes.
This was the most distinct feature of the Qi Transformation Realm. With his current strength, even without activating his intent, a single strike would be enough to instantly kill Chen Yuze.
At the same time, he witnessed the terror of a Spirit-grade cultivation talent.
He had originally thought it would take at least ten days to half a month to break through to the Qi Transformation Realm. Yet it had only taken four days. He had broken through repeatedly, climbing from the fourth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm all the way to the first layer of the Qi Transformation Realm. This included several minor realms and one major realm.
Such a cultivation speed would likely scare anyone to death if spoken of. Among the over a thousand outer disciples in the Qi Gathering Realm, only Chen Yuze had broken through to the Qi Transformation Realm, and it had taken him over a year. No one else had done it in just a few days like him.
Moreover, right after breaking through, he had immediately stabilized his cultivation realm, his strength skyrocketing by a huge margin. It was utterly astonishing.
Lin Xuan now understood the benefits of a powerful talent.
“It seems I’ll need to focus on improving my talents from now on, especially my cultivation talent.”
Lin Xuan mused inwardly.
He continued scanning the attribute panel before him. There weren’t many changes. Aside from the cultivation level column, the only other one was the energy points column at the bottom.
“I’ve already accumulated 340,000 energy points. Not bad.”
Lin Xuan looked at the energy point count below the attribute panel, his smile deepening.
During the four days of seclusion, he had gained another 100,000 energy points—pretty good. Although his performance in the outer sect competition had indeed caused quite a stir, it would gradually subside over time. The energy point growth rate was fastest at the very beginning, then it would slow down until it completely stopped.
Lin Xuan estimated that the final total would max out at around 400,000 to 500,000 energy points. That would be enough for him to replicate many high-grade treasures. He was quite satisfied with that.
Then, Lin Xuan dismissed the attribute panel, stood up with the aura of the Qi Transformation Realm, and stretched lazily before leaving the cultivation chamber.
“Time to head to the inner sect.”
He spent a little time packing everything he needed to take from the small courtyard into his storage ring. Giving the courtyard one last glance, Lin Xuan sighed inwardly and strode toward the Outer Sect Hall.
He hadn’t expected to only live in the outer sect for a month before having to move to the inner sect due to his cultivation progress. At this rate, his cultivation speed and strength would only grow faster. He probably wouldn’t stay long in the inner sect, or even in Flowing Cloud Sect, Cangyuan Kingdom, or the entire Red Sun Domain.
Lin Xuan thought to himself.
But none of that mattered. Wasn’t the reason he came to this world to see more magnificent sights and experience things he never had in his past life? There was no reason to stay in one place forever.
With that, Lin Xuan calmed his mind.
Soon, he arrived at the Outer Sect Hall, which governed all outer sect affairs. Advancing to an inner disciple also required going through this hall.
Entering the hall, Lin Xuan scanned his surroundings. He noticed that while it wasn’t as bustling as the Gold Source Hall, the quality of the martial artists moving about was much higher. Even Qi Condensation Realm stewards and Opening Spirit Realm outer elders were not uncommon.
Unfortunately, the treasures these people carried weren’t worth wasting his energy points to replicate.
Lin Xuan shook his head and walked deeper inside. Approaching a counter, he cupped his hands and said:
“Steward Sun, disciple Lin Xuan has broken through to the Qi Transformation Realm and wishes to enter the inner sect. Please inform the elder.”
Every outer disciple’s promotion to the inner sect required an outer elder to handle the relevant procedures. After all, inner disciples were the cream of the crop, selected from one in a hundred outer disciples. Each had the potential to reach greater heights, with the lowest being a steward. Naturally, it warranted some attention.
Behind the counter, Steward Sun, who had been flipping through a book, nodded and said:
“Alright, I’ll notify the Second Elder...”
But halfway through, Steward Sun froze, his expression stunned:
“Did you say... your name is Lin Xuan...?”
“Yes, disciple is indeed Lin Xuan!”
Lin Xuan replied calmly.
“How is that possible...”
This time, Steward Sun could no longer stay composed and exclaimed in surprise.
The Outer Sect Hall was the most important place in the outer sect, with a solemn and quiet atmosphere. Steward Sun’s exclamation immediately spread through the hall, drawing almost everyone’s attention.
Following Steward Sun’s gaze, they all landed on Lin Xuan. Looking at his face and sensing his aura, the hall fell silent for a moment before erupting into chatter.
“Isn’t he the outer sect’s top disciple, Lin Xuan?”
“But his aura doesn’t seem like the Qi Gathering Realm, right?”
“That’s right, it’s the Qi Transformation Realm!”
“He just said he wants to advance to the inner sect.”
“How is that possible? Four days ago, during the outer sect competition, wasn’t he still in the Qi Gathering Realm? How could he already be in the Qi Transformation Realm?”
“This is too fake, isn’t it?”
“...”
The crowd murmured among themselves, their eyes fixed on Lin Xuan, filled with shock and disbelief.
The events of the outer sect competition a few days ago had already spread and were common knowledge. Through the stewards, managers, and the outer sect’s Grand Elder, they all knew that Lin Xuan’s cultivation at the time was at the fourth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm, considered mid-stage. Entering the sect for a month and going from the early stage of the Opening Aperture Realm to the mid-stage of the Qi Gathering Realm was already incredibly fast.
But they never expected Lin Xuan to break the limits again. Just four days after the outer sect competition, Lin Xuan had come to the Outer Sect Hall, ready to advance to the inner sect!