Xiao Chen Will Surely Fade into Obscurity

"Could it be that, like Lin Ping'an, you picked up some Jade Color Ginseng?"

Recalling the Low-Grade Wood Spiritual Root recorded in Xiao Chen's file, Manager Chen immediately thought of another lucky fellow.

After taking Purple Orchid Fungus at Qi Refining First Layer, Lin Ping'an of Branch 9 had happened to find a piece of Jade Color Ginseng last month.

Its medicinal properties had carried him straight to the 6th level of Qi Refining. His luck was enough to make anyone jealous.

But Manager Chen immediately dismissed his own guess. "No, that's not right. You've been in the sect recently and haven't gone down the mountain. You shouldn't have been able to find any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures."

For Outer Sect Disciples to go down the mountain, aside from performing tasks such as digging spirit mines, they needed to seek a manager's approval and file a report.

Xiao Chen had chosen to tend Spirit Fields. There were no Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures on this mountain for him to pick up.

Manager Chen asked softly, "Did you cultivate on your own and suddenly experience another Sudden Comprehension?"

Hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately nodded vigorously, indicating that Manager Chen had guessed correctly. That was exactly the reason.

Manager Chen strode quickly to Xiao Chen's side. Sensing the stable aura of his cultivation, he clicked his tongue in wonder.

He remembered this new disciple. Back then, Xiao Chen had chosen a Yellow-grade Technique.

At the time, he had mentally placed Xiao Chen in the category of those lacking in aptitude.

After all, any cultivator with a bit of ambition would choose the best technique possible, unless they truly knew their own limits.

Who could have imagined that this disciple was actually a hidden genius, directly achieving Sudden Comprehension with a Yellow-grade Technique?

He remembered that since Branch 2 had been established, the fastest record for breaking through to Qi Refining Fifth Layer had belonged to a Dual Spirit Roots genius cultivator from the Li Fire Zhang Family, who had taken seven months.

That genius cultivator had later sailed smoothly onward and successfully reached Foundation Establishment.

In Manager Chen's eyes, Xiao Chen had broken through to Qi Refining Fifth Layer in just half a year, more than a month faster than that Dual Spirit Roots cultivator.

Such speed was simply astonishing. Considering that he had a Low-grade Spirit Root, he could only have grasped some sort of cultivation secret.

He directly took hold of Xiao Chen's arm. "Come, stand up front with me and share your cultivation methods from the past half year with everyone."

Huh?

Xiao Chen froze for a moment. Me, share my methods?

But I don't have any methods.

"So, how exactly does one increase cultivation speed? Today, I'll tell everyone about, well, about methods for increasing cultivation speed..."

Without any preparation, Xiao Chen was pushed before everyone to give a speech. Gritting his teeth, he began patching things together.

He recalled several grand truths from his previous life and started telling inspirational stories.

Yet the senior and junior disciples below listened with great interest.

They had never encountered this sort of chicken soup for the soul before. Hearing it for the first time, they found it rather sensible.

"So we need to make the most of this 'Fragmented Time.' No wonder I often see Junior Brother Xiao meditating in the Spirit Fields."

"Before going to sleep every night, reflect on what you did that day—examine yourself thrice daily. Is this the gap between Senior Brother Xiao and me? I've truly learned something."

Jiang Sixuan watched Xiao Chen speak endlessly at the front, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Ever since leaving White Jade Teahouse that day, she had deliberately distanced herself from Xiao Chen. He had also cooperated well, never once taking the initiative to seek her out.

Though they were in the same Branch Academy, they had only met once at the previous Exchange Meeting.

Yet who would have thought that upon their second meeting, he would already have broken through to Qi Refining Fifth Layer?

It was simply unbelievable.

Jiang Sixuan possessed the rare Gold-Fire Dual Spiritual Root. Her clan had actually placed great expectations on her and given her considerable resource support.

Otherwise, even members of the Jiang Family would not casually spend Spirit Stones to channel spiritual energy into an unfamiliar cultivator.

But since joining Branch 2, she had never slackened in the slightest. She had even refused to waste time at the quarry, aside from personally signing in, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

Even so, she had only just touched the threshold of Qi Refining Fifth Layer. At the very least, she would need another month before she could hope to break through.

Yet Xiao Chen still had to tend five mu of Spirit Fields every day.

Why, then, could he break through so quickly?

Could it be because of that technique?

Jiang Sixuan immediately recalled the Yang Qi Breathing Technique that Xiao Chen had chosen.

She had been curious at the time. Xiao Chen clearly did not seem short of Spirit Stones, yet he had passed up a Mysterious-grade technique to choose a Yellow-grade Technique instead.

Could his choice back then have been for today's result? To raise his realm as quickly as possible?

Then what was his purpose in doing so?

After a brief moment of thought, Jiang Sixuan immediately arrived at an obvious conclusion—Outer Sect Trial!

In another month, the annual Outer Sect Trial would take place as scheduled.

The results of this trial would directly determine the identities of the Inner Sect Seeds within the Branch Academy.

Xiao Chen must have been trying to catch this trial and obtain additional resource subsidies. That was why he had deliberately chosen the Yellow-grade Technique, which was easiest to learn, to raise his Combat Power as quickly as possible.

That explained it!

Jiang Sixuan's eyes flickered. As she looked at Xiao Chen, her gaze gained a trace of respect and sympathy.

She had already figured out why he had done this!

Although Mysterious-grade techniques were stronger than Yellow-grade Techniques, the improvement brought by an additional Minor Realm far surpassed the difference between the techniques themselves.

The situation in Branch 2 was unusual. Last year, several senior brothers and sisters at the 6th level of Qi Refining had broken through to the 7th level of Qi Refining and entered the Inner Sect.

Now, apart from four senior brothers and three senior sisters, all the other disciples were merely at Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Relying on his realm advantage to get one step ahead of the new disciples, Xiao Chen would have a chance to compete with the senior brothers and charge into the top ten, obtaining a year of sect resource support in advance.

That way, during next year's Outer Sect Trial, he would still have a great chance of keeping his ranking with his unequal resources.

What an excellent plan—bold and desperate enough. It was just a pity.

A pity that this year's Outer Sect Trial had been reformed. Presumably, Senior Brother Xiao did not know.

For the past twenty-odd years, the sect had always selected Inner Sect Seeds through Arena Challenges among the disciples of each Branch Academy.

But this year was different. At the Jiang Family Gathering a few days ago, it had already been confirmed that Pseudo-Real Combat Selection would be held outside the sect this year, testing the disciples' Actual Combat abilities through battles against Spirit Beasts.

Although the exact method of the trial would not be announced to everyone until the day before it began, those who ought to know—such as the direct lineages of the Five Great Immortal Clans—already knew.

Jiang Sixuan had recently taken time to spar with the Spirit Beasts within her clan, and she had deeply realized that under such circumstances, a Yellow-grade Technique would inevitably suffer a severe disadvantage.

Therefore, Xiao Chen would definitely miscalculate this time.

Thinking of this, Jiang Sixuan felt somewhat fortunate. Luckily, she was part of the Jiang Family and did not need to gamble for a momentary opportunity, nor did she need to bear such risks.

Her gaze swept over Ye Fei. Should she hint to Junior Brother Ye and have him prepare early?

This was a fine opportunity to earn a favor. Based on her observations of Ye Fei over the past few months, he was actually a Wind-Fire Dual Spiritual Root genius with limitless future potential.

Moreover, after several interactions, his character seemed quite good. He was entirely worth winning over.

As for Xiao Chen, who had joined the Branch Academy alongside her?

Better forget it.

After failing this trial, Xiao Chen, who had chosen a Yellow-grade Technique, would surely fade into obscurity and become an unremarkable bottom-tier disciple from then on.

In the future, they would no longer walk the same road, so there would be no need to interact again.

Please keep reading!