Top Three

Su Bai spent half a day helping Wu Tian grasp the basics of the Radiant Qi Refining Technique.

Afterward, Su Bai parted ways with Wu Tian.

He returned to Courtyard 32 and immersed himself in cultivation.

Thus.

At noon three days later.

After finishing his midday meal, Su Bai cultivated in his room as usual.

With the help of the Spirit Rice Meal.

He naturally opened the final meridian within his body.

The process went extremely smoothly.

After all hundred meridians were open, Su Bai began formally circulating the first-layer formula of the Radiant Qi Refining Technique.

In an instant, all the meridians in his body resonated. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy around him no longer needed to gather through the Baihui Acupoint atop his head; it could enter his body through every pore.

His speed of absorbing Spiritual Energy increased greatly.

Su Bai controlled that Spiritual Energy according to the first-layer formula of the Radiant Qi Refining Technique, circulating it through a full cycle with his dantian as the endpoint.

After circulating it several times, when even his mind had begun to feel weary, Su Bai finally sensed, hazily, a drop of Spiritual Power forming in his dantian.

This drop of Spiritual Power seemed to be Spiritual Energy condensed dozens of times over, yet it existed in gaseous form.

Su Bai could easily control this drop of Spiritual Power and make it appear anywhere in his body in an instant.

Once this first drop of Spiritual Power formed, Su Bai noticed the changes in his body. With that drop as the center of attraction, the Radiant Qi Refining Technique began to circulate on its own.

Thus, even when Su Bai was not meditating or practicing his technique, his body could absorb the Spiritual Energy around him by itself for passive cultivation.

However, without the support of meditative focus, this passive cultivation was less than half as effective and could not fully replace normal cultivation.

"So this means I've officially stepped into Qi Refining Layer One." Su Bai opened his eyes in delight.

After this session of cultivation, the time outside had somehow reached the dawn of the following day.

Without realizing it, Su Bai had spent nearly an entire day condensing Spiritual Power this time.

"After advancing to Qi Refining Layer One, I can go to the Outer Sect Affairs Hall every month to collect Cultivation Spirit Pills."

I wonder how much help Cultivation Spirit Pills can bring to my cultivation? Su Bai was full of anticipation.

He pushed open his door and entered the courtyard.

The morning sun was about to rise. Zhou Chang and the others had already gathered in the courtyard, preparing for their morning cultivation.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Su. You made it to Qi Refining Layer One, didn't you?"

Zhou Chang cupped his hands in congratulations.

He possessed Qi Refining Stage Four cultivation and lived in the same courtyard, so he had sensed the subtle changes in the surrounding Spiritual Energy when Su Bai advanced to Qi Refining Layer One inside his room.

That was why he knew Su Bai had successfully advanced.

Su Bai returned the salute. "It was all thanks to Senior Brother Zhou's careful guidance."

"Haha, I merely fulfilled my duty. You cultivated so quickly entirely because of your own perseverance."

After hearing their exchange, Zhang Yanshen, Li Daniu, and Qian Er all cast envious looks their way.

No one had expected Su Bai to advance to Qi Refining Layer One so quickly.

They had entered the courtyard at roughly the same time and all possessed Three-Attribute Spirit Roots. Their hundred meridians had yet to open, while Su Bai had already condensed Spiritual Power.

This showed that Su Bai's comprehension, and especially his perseverance, far surpassed theirs.

Spurred on by Su Bai, the atmosphere of intense cultivation competition in Courtyard 32 grew even fiercer from that day onward.

Li Daniu even gave up his vegetable lunchboxes from then on. Like everyone else, he ate only spirit rice and devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivation every day.

Just over a dozen days later, they condensed Spiritual Power one after another and all reached Qi Refining Layer One.

After joining his fellow disciples for morning cultivation, Su Bai gulped down the delivered Spirit Rice Porridge and left the courtyard, heading straight for the Outer Sect Affairs Hall.

Other than on the days of the Recruitment Ceremony, the Outer Sect Affairs Hall was usually rather quiet.

Of the four Outer Sect Stewards, only the one responsible for Outer Disciple Missions was somewhat busy.

Without needing to queue, Su Bai found the Outer Sect Steward from before.

He was comfortably reclining in a lounge chair, basking in the morning sunlight with an air of utter leisure.

From Zhou Chang, Su Bai had learned that this white-haired Outer Sect Steward was also surnamed Su. He was already over eighty years old, and his cultivation had been stuck at Qi Refining Layer Seven for many years.

Even if he had decent luck going forward, he would at most break through to Qi Refining Layer Eight, with Qi Refining Layer Nine being his absolute limit.

With no hope left on the path of cultivation, he had come to serve as an Outer Sect Steward, a position that rather wasted one's cultivation time.

"Steward Su, I have successfully condensed Spiritual Power and advanced to Qi Refining Layer One. I have come to collect this month's Cultivation Spirit Pills." Su Bai handed over his Jade Talisman.

Steward Su accepted the Jade Talisman and infused it with Spiritual Power to read Su Bai's information.

A moment later, a trace of surprise appeared on his white-haired yet youthful face. "Three Spirit Root Talent, and you successfully advanced to Qi Refining Layer One in twenty-four days. Not bad."

"You are the third disciple of this batch to advance to Qi Refining Layer One."

"According to sect rules, the top three all receive additional rewards."

Oh? There's an additional reward? This unexpected delight came far too suddenly.

Su Bai raised his eyebrows slightly. "Steward Su, are you saying that two others advanced to Qi Refining Layer One faster than I did?"

Steward Su nodded. "Yes. But there is no need to belittle yourself. Those two are the only two among your batch with Dual Spirit Root Talent."

"For cultivators with Dual Spirit Root Talent to advance to Qi Refining Layer One faster than someone with Three Spirit Root Talent is perfectly normal."

So that was it—they were cultivators with Dual Spirit Root Talent. Su Bai nodded in understanding.

I should find out which courtyards those two live in and get acquainted with them first. Next year, once the cooldown for Immortal Talent Reflection has recovered—

I'll copy their Dual Attribute Spirit Roots and make them my own.

After fiddling around for a while, Steward Su tossed Su Bai an unremarkable cloth pouch.

Su Bai caught the pouch and asked, "Is this the legendary Storage Bag?"

Steward Su nodded. "Yes. Originally, you would only qualify for a Storage Bag after advancing to Qi Refining Stage Four, but I am giving it to you early now."

"Condense a thread of Spiritual Power into it, and you will be able to open the Storage Bag and store or retrieve items."

"There is an entire Pill Bottle containing ten Essence Replenishing Pills inside. That is your extra reward for advancing among the top three."

Su Bai tried infusing Spiritual Power into the Storage Bag and indeed saw the Pill Bottle.

"Thank you, Steward Su." Su Bai cupped his hands in thanks.

As he left the Outer Sect Affairs Hall, Su Bai ran into an acquaintance: Jiang Han, a disciple from the same courtyard.

That fellow had been elusive lately, even staying out overnight.

Today, Su Bai finally discovered why Jiang Han had not been returning at night. He had actually begun accepting Outer Disciple Missions at the Outer Sect Affairs Hall.

In addition to their daily cultivation, Jade Mist Sect Outer Disciples could also take on Outer Disciple Missions to earn pills or Spirit Stones and accelerate their cultivation.

However, Outer Disciple Missions had corresponding Qi Refining cultivation requirements.

For example, tending a section of medicinal fields in the Medicine Garden required at least Qi Refining Stage Four cultivation.

With Jiang Han's current cultivation, not yet even at Qi Refining Layer One, most missions he could accept were little different from the work done by Labor Disciples: dirty, exhausting jobs requiring no skill.

Few Outer Disciples were willing to lower themselves to accept such menial tasks.

Jiang Han nodded at Su Bai, then headed straight for Steward Su.

Su Bai faintly heard a regretful sigh from Steward Su's direction.

Despite having Four Spirit Root Talent, Jiang Han had successfully condensed Spiritual Power and advanced to Qi Refining Layer One only one day later than Su Bai.

That rate of advancement was already faster than every Three Spirit Root cultivator other than Su Bai.

This was likely the result of his accepting Outer Sect Missions to earn spirit pills for cultivation.

"He's another cultivation-competition genius like me, just racing on a different track."

After making that assessment, Su Bai returned to Courtyard 32 with the Storage Bag and the full bottle of Essence Replenishing Pills inside.