Qi Refiner, Job Advancement!

There was indeed no need for Lecturer Song Zhou to say more. The instant they heard the division into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Branches, Dong Hao and the others understood at once. Jiang Xuan was no exception.

Is this the difference between an elite academy and an ordinary university? No, it is far more than that. The Upper and Lower Branches are not merely places to study Daoist arts; they also represent authority and status within the sect. By the standards of my previous life, this is the difference between a prosperous imperial capital and an impoverished backwater—worlds apart.

As expected of a sect that revered the principle that the Great Dao must be fought for. This struggle truly permeated every aspect of life.

The vast gulf in status, along with the utterly different prospects ahead, made even Qin Feng—who had been certain he would enter the Inner Sect—tense his fingers slightly, anxiety rising in his heart.

In the cold eyes of Xie Hanyan, another prodigy of Star Daoist Academy, a sharp gleam of determination suddenly flashed.

Seeing the changes in their expressions, Song Zhou nodded in satisfaction. He had laid out these stakes today precisely to knock some sense into these youths and stir within them the resolve to smash their cauldrons and sink their boats in pursuit of victory.

"Good. It seems you all understand that you have no right to slack off."

"Now, let me tell you about Star Daoist Academy's past results. Over the past ten years, among the nine students admitted into the Inner Sect each year, most entered the Lower Branch. At most, one entered the Middle Branch each year."

"As for the Upper Branch..." Song Zhou's piercing gaze swept across the more than forty students before him, his expression solemn. "In these ten years, Star Daoist Academy has had only one person successfully enter it."

"Huh?!"

"One person?"

"Are the Upper Branch's requirements really that high?"

"Th-this... who could possibly manage that?"

The moment Song Zhou's words fell, the training ground exploded into an uproar, buzzing discussions rising and falling in waves.

Ten years, nearly forty thousand students, and only one Upper Branch disciple. That probability was so low it was nearly despairing, and it struck everyone present senseless. The fighting spirit on many faces instantly drained away, leaving behind only dejection.

Even Qin Feng, usually so proud and arrogant, turned pale. He did not think himself the one chosen by heaven among tens of thousands.

Naturally, this dispirited state was not what Song Zhou wished to see. But since he had dared to lay out this brutal reality today, he naturally already had a solution prepared.

"All right, there is no need to be so dejected." Song Zhou raised a hand and pressed down the discussions, his tone carrying a measure of certainty. "I cannot control what lecturers from previous years did. But I sincerely hope that someone among you can enter the Upper Branch. For you, it is an opportunity to defy fate and change your destiny; for me, it is also an achievement. Therefore, I will do everything in my power to give you a helping hand."

"Go all out without restraint. So long as you show the potential to enter the Upper Branch, aside from the cultivation resources uniformly distributed by the Divine Firmament Sect, I will personally pay out of my own pocket to provide you with more. I will also spend the favors I have accumulated over many years to invite seniors best suited to your Dao Path to personally guide your cultivation."

This resounding promise was like a spark falling into parched fields, instantly rekindling a measure of hope in everyone's hearts.

Seeing their fighting spirit reignite, Song Zhou immediately struck while the iron was hot and distributed the reward resources allocated by the academy. This reward was far more generous than any of them had anticipated.

Foremost among them were Spirit Stones and medicinal pills. As a student who had received an outstanding rating in the final assessment, Jiang Xuan received a total of one hundred and eight Lower-Grade Spirit Stones and fifteen Origin-Replenishing Pills.

Beyond these basic rewards, there was also a special privilege. "You may enter the sect's Scripture Repository and choose either a Mystic Tier spell art or a Mystic Tier sword art to cultivate."

Song Zhou's voice rang out again, carrying a note of warning. "Ordinarily, in the early stages of cultivation, you should focus single-mindedly on tempering your spiritual power and stabilizing your Dao Foundation. You should not distract yourselves with other pursuits. But that is the standard for ordinary disciples. Inner Disciples are the jade pillars holding up the thousand peaks and hundred branches of the Divine Firmament Sect. They are the future inheritors of each branch's Dao lineage."

"Such disciples hold exalted status, and naturally must shoulder the hopes of every peak and branch. If you wish to enter the Inner Sect, then besides tempering your cultivation, you must also master spell arts and divine abilities at the fastest possible speed."

At this point, his voice abruptly rose, booming over the training ground like a great bell. "Remember this: though the Divine Firmament Sect has a thousand peaks and a hundred branches, no peak and no branch will ever accept the mediocre!"

"Only prodigies are worthy of entering the Inner Sect!"

Beyond Spirit Stones, pills, and cultivation methods, there was another exclusive benefit. Lecturer Song Zhou announced that for the coming month, Jiang Xuan and the others could seek him out at any time with questions regarding cultivation. He would hold nothing back and teach them everything he knew.

Every one of these benefits had been within Jiang Xuan's expectations and fully matched the weight of an outstanding rating, leaving him quite satisfied.

But just as Jiang Xuan was inwardly pleased with every arrangement, the final benefit Song Zhou mentioned made him freeze, bewilderment rising in his heart.

"This final benefit is that, during this month, you may take my handwritten letters of recommendation to the sect's various peaks and serve as Outer Disciples for a period of time."

"Huh?!"

"What does that mean?"

"Didn't we work so hard precisely so that we would not become Outer Disciples when entering the Divine Firmament Sect?"

These words stunned Jiang Xuan. But before he could ask, Dong Hao at his side quietly signaled to him with his eyes, indicating that he would explain the details after the meeting. Jiang Xuan understood at once and nodded, suppressing the question in his heart without another word.

On the platform, Song Zhou went on to mention several other miscellaneous benefits, such as more spacious single-person dormitories at the academy and cultivation seats in the front rows of the lecture hall. After explaining them one by one, he finally swept a heavy gaze over the entire audience and left them with his most important warning.

"Remember: the Hundred-Day Grand Examination is your greatest opportunity. After this, although you may still switch peaks and branches within the Divine Firmament Sect, the difficulty will increase a thousandfold, even a hundredfold!"

"Do not leave yourselves with regrets!"

Once those words fell, no further urging was needed. Jiang Xuan and the others all grew grave, and many were already itching to return to their residences and enter seclusion for cultivation at once.

After the gathering ended, Jiang Xuan was immediately pulled aside by Dong Hao, who spoke in a low voice about the details of this "Outer Disciple training."

"Going to the various peaks with letters of recommendation now is completely different from truly entering the Outer Sect later. Once you enter the Outer Sect for real, you become someone's menial servant, doing all the rough and tiring work. But if we go now, to put it plainly, we are just there to make ourselves familiar faces. Out of respect for Lecturer Song, the various peaks will not make us do any heavy work. The entire process will mainly be observation and inspection."

At this point, Dong Hao stepped half a pace closer and lowered his voice even further, until nearly only the two of them could hear. "More importantly, during the Hundred-Day Grand Examination, the elders and chief seats of every peak and branch will personally attend. They say they are there to observe the battles, but in truth, they are selecting people for their own branches. If we can enter a peak in advance and leave a favorable impression before those elders and core disciples, then during the grand examination, our chances of being chosen and accepted under their tutelage will increase severalfold at the very least!"

Jiang Xuan understood instantly upon hearing this and deeply agreed. Yet precisely because of that, which peak to train at became the most crucial choice before them. One wrong step could mean missing out on a heaven-sent opportunity.

Dong Hao naturally understood the key to this as well. He immediately made the decision and took the matter upon himself. "Brother Jiang, do not rush to choose yet. My family has some connections within the sect. I will first investigate the details, preferences, and recent momentum of every peak and branch. Once I have it all mapped out, we can discuss together which peak is best suited for our training."

"Good. Then I will trouble you, Brother Dong," Jiang Xuan readily agreed.

Thus, after collecting all his rewards and reaching an agreement with Dong Hao and the others, Jiang Xuan parted ways with them and headed alone toward his residence in Bamboo Forest Town.

But the moment he reached the mouth of an alley in Bamboo Forest Town, Jiang Xuan abruptly halted.

From far away, he could already hear waves of commotion coming from outside his home.

"Auntie Yuerong, I told you long ago that Jiang Xuan had been extraordinary since he was little! He was bound to achieve great things someday!"

"Isn't that so? Truly, a tiger father has no dog son!"

"Sister Yuerong, do you think you could make an exception and let my little Hao study by your Jiang Xuan's side for a while? Even if he can only help with little tasks, that would be fine!"

Jiang Xuan had been kept behind by Song Zhou, but the others from Star Daoist Academy had not. As those ordinary students returned home, news that Jiang Xuan had received an outstanding rating spread throughout Bamboo Forest Town in an instant, as though it had grown wings.

For this tiny town, earning an outstanding rating at the academy was no different from placing one's name on the golden list and passing the imperial examination as a successful scholar in the feudal era of Jiang Xuan's previous life. It was a momentous joy that could genuinely allow a family to leap across social classes and vault through the dragon gate.

For that reason, once the neighbors learned the news, some came hoping to curry favor while others hoped their children could bask in his reflected light and receive a few words of guidance. They crowded in a dark mass outside Jiang Xuan's home, surrounding his mother, Shen Yuerong, and filling the air with congratulations and flattery.

Shen Yuerong, trapped in the center of the crowd, was utterly stunned.

She had never dreamed that her son would receive an outstanding rating at the academy.

"Isn't that a result only the young masters and young ladies of sect Aristocratic Clans can obtain?"

"Xuan? An outstanding rating? How could that be possible?"

At that moment, Shen Yuerong's heart was full of disbelief. Yet the genuine congratulations ringing in her ears and the neighbors before her, all wearing ingratiating smiles, could not be false in the slightest. The immense surprise struck her so hard that she felt dizzy and disoriented, as if she were in a dream.

It was under such circumstances that Jiang Xuan returned from outside.

The instant his figure appeared at the alley entrance, someone with sharp eyes spotted him. At once, someone shouted loudly, "Jiang Xuan is back!"

Crash—

That shout caused all the noise to halt for an instant. Then every neighbor turned their heads in unison, their gazes falling upon Jiang Xuan. Immediately afterward, they surged toward him in a swarm.

Even Jiang Xuan, who had gone through the academy's assessment, felt his heart skip at such a scene.

"Supreme star upon the platform, respond without cease; drive away evil and bind phantoms, preserve life and protect the body..."

Almost instinctively, Jiang Xuan silently recited the Heart-Purification Divine Incantation in his heart.

Hum—

As the divine incantation ended, an aura of tranquil Transcendent Purity instantly spread from Jiang Xuan's body. That serene and clear temperament was like a pure spring flowing past. Even the noisy air around him seemed to quiet somewhat. The neighbors rushing toward him likewise felt the restlessness in their hearts suddenly disperse. Looking at the youth before them, they felt that he carried an untainted Dao rhythm, one that calmed the mind and soothed the spirit, and they unconsciously stopped in their tracks.

Just as Jiang Xuan let out a breath of relief, thinking the situation would finally settle down—

The next second, as if boiling oil had been poured over flames, even more feverish and excited cries erupted.

"Jiang Xuan! Do you need a wife? My daughter has been clever and sensible since childhood, and she is quite pretty too. She would be a perfect match for you!"

"Get lost! Does your daughter deserve Jiang Xuan?!" Someone shoved another person aside and crowded forward with a smile piled high on his face. "Young Friend Jiang Xuan—no, Lord Jiang Xuan! You cultivate at the academy. Do you lack someone to serve tea, pour water, and attend to your daily needs? My son has been nimble and hardworking since childhood. He can do any job, and I guarantee he will be utterly loyal!"

In truth, before coming here, many of these neighbors offering congratulations had seemed harmonious on the surface, but their hearts were filled with jealousy and sour resentment. They had thought Jiang Xuan had merely stepped in dog shit and gotten lucky enough to receive an outstanding rating.

But the Transcendent Purity and Dao rhythm Jiang Xuan had displayed with that single glance, capable of cleansing one's heart, could not possibly be faked.

Stirred by this, the trace of bitterness and disbelief hidden in their hearts vanished like smoke in thin air.

"This ability to calm people's hearts... no wonder he received an outstanding rating. He truly carries the Great Dao within him!"

"The Jiang Clan has truly produced a hidden dragon!"

Having completely confirmed Jiang Xuan's ability, their enthusiasm multiplied several times over, and they pressed around him even more tightly.

Of course, they were so fervent because they were certain Jiang Xuan would recruit a group of followers.

Whether in his previous life or in this cultivation world, outstanding powerhouses were never lacking in supporters. Liu Bang, the Han Gaozu of Jiang Xuan's previous life, rose from humble origins with a group of old brothers from Pei County at his side. In this world, Aristocratic Clan disciples like Dong Hao, Su Linyin, and Zeng Jun had already begun secretly recruiting trusted subordinates.

The use of these followers went far beyond helping them compete for Inner Disciple positions. Once they truly entered the Inner Sect and occupied high positions, they would contend for Dao lineages, resources, and authority, gradually expanding their own power.

Yet a person's energy was ultimately limited.

As Inner Disciples, their foremost duty would always be cultivation, the ascent toward the summit of the Great Dao. But cultivation alone was far from enough—if they wanted to travel faster and more steadily upon the path of cultivation, they had to seize more cultivation resources and investigate more secret opportunities. All of this required people to do the work.

To put it more darkly, when they went out to train in the future and encountered a life-or-death crisis, bringing followers along would give them countless additional paths of retreat.

They did not need to run faster than danger. They only needed to run faster than their own people. They might not even need to run at all; if trained properly, those loyal followers would willingly stay behind to cover their retreat, trading their lives for a sliver of survival.

For all these reasons, trusted followers possessed irreplaceable importance to cultivators.

And these neighbors' desire to send their children to Jiang Xuan as followers did not stem from some inborn servility. On the contrary, attaching themselves to a prodigy with limitless prospects was an exceptionally good path for ordinary people of mediocre talent.

Relying on themselves alone, they would most likely remain trapped in Bamboo Forest Town for their entire lives, guarding their little patch of land and struggling through their days, with little hope of ever rising above it. But if they followed a prodigy, everything would be different.

A prodigy who wished to expand his influence and gather resources would inevitably place loyal people of his own in critical and lucrative positions. Through that connection, these followers could obtain bright prospects that others could beg for and never receive.

Not to mention that even if only scraps from the Spirit Stones and resources passing through their hands leaked down to them, it would be enough to ensure their family lived free from want.

This was a matter in which both sides benefited, and it was a norm long carved into the bones of this cultivation world.

But following a powerhouse had never been easy.

Take Zhou Lin at Su Linyin's side. Not only was her own talent respectable, but her father was also the steward of Bamboo Forest Town. Only with that background did she qualify to remain at Su Linyin's side. Even Jiang Xuan himself had obtained an opportunity only because his father had paid a blood tax to the Su Household back then. That was why, when he had initially given up this path, so many people had criticized him for being immature and excessively willful.

But now, Jiang Xuan's talent had received the academy's recognition, and his future was immeasurable. He also happened not to have gathered any trusted followers around him yet. It was no wonder these neighbors were acting so frantically.

"Do not push. Everyone, stop pushing..."

Surrounded by the crowd's fervent blockade, Jiang Xuan had to expend the strength of nine oxen and two tigers before he finally managed to break free, slipping into his home and hiding in his bedroom.

"Whew... that was insane. It was several times more exhausting than when I condensed my Spirit Pivot Aperture Opening."

After tightly locking the doors and windows, Jiang Xuan leaned against the door and let out a long breath.

At the same time, the neighbors' lavish praise and flattery did not give rise to even a shred of arrogance in him, nor did it make him consider recruiting a group of subordinates.

My path of cultivation has only just begun. Right now, I possess some potential but lack the strength to match it. At a time like this, drawing too much attention is absolutely not a good thing.

Besides, I promised Dong Hao that, in repayment for the resources he gave me before, I would bring him into the Inner Sect with me. That will not be easy.

Fortunately, since Jiang Xuan had dared to set such a goal, he naturally had the confidence to back it up.

"System, open my status interface."

"Hum—!"

As Jiang Xuan murmured softly in his heart, a light hum sounded. A translucent light screen, like a game interface, instantly appeared before his eyes.

[Player: Jiang Xuan]

[Age: Fourteen]

[Talent: Spirit Root (Mystic · Mid-Grade) (Blue)]

[Cultivation: Spirit Pivot Aperture Opening · Early Stage (Thirty-Six Apertures)]

[Main Profession: Clear-Heart Sword Disciple (2/5), (Blank)]

[Auxiliary Profession: Daoist Acolyte (3/3), (Blank)]

[Techniques: Nine-Breath Qi-Absorption Method (Realm 1: Beginner, 279/300) (Blue), One Qi Sword Art (Realm 2: Proficient, 1405/4000) (Blue)]

These were all of Jiang Xuan's current attributes. Among them, both the Daoist Acolyte profession and the Clear-Heart Sword Disciple profession could be expanded to view their detailed professional skills.

But at this moment, after opening the status panel, Jiang Xuan's gaze did not fall upon either of the two professions he had already acquired. Instead, he stared fixedly at the blank slot in the Main Profession section.

And with almost no hesitation, Jiang Xuan issued a command with his thoughts.

"Advance to Qi Refiner!"