The Shift in Status, Everyone's Respect!

To ease the depletion of his qi and blood, Jiang Xuan had the idea of taking up the Kitchen Apprentice profession.

However, though he had already made up his mind, upon closer inspection, he discovered that he still could not directly take up the profession.

[Kitchen Apprentice Employment Requirements

①: Slice and dice one hundred portions of vegetables; the finished product must be as thin as cicada wings. (Not achieved)

②: Control the stove fire thirty times; must precisely master high, medium, and low heat. (Ordinary fire is acceptable) (Not achieved)

③: Season soups thirty times; must produce at least three soups rated as "delicious." (Not achieved)

④: Personally complete at least thirty full meals. (Ordinary grains and vegetables are sufficient; no spiritual ingredients required) (Not achieved)]

"Knife work, heat control, seasoning... none of those are difficult. When Dong Hao treats us to a meal tomorrow, I should be able to borrow the restaurant kitchen and finish them all at once."

He had first cultivated for an entire day, then taken up the Qi Refiner profession he had long dreamed of, and finally mapped out his future path of cultivation. After all that busyness, Jiang Xuan was already mentally exhausted.

Seeing this, he did not continue working. Instead, he simply lay down on his bed and rested with his eyes closed.

Previously, rest had been nothing more than rest for him. But now—

"Exhale, inhale..."

With every breath, wisps of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy were drawn into his nose and mouth. Following the rhythm of his breathing, they circulated through his body and were slowly refined.

It all came so naturally that, before he knew it, Jiang Xuan had forgotten all about breathing exercises and fallen into a deep sleep.

He slept peacefully, but the stir caused by his Excellent rating continued to spread through the night.

In Bamboo Forest Town, the Zhou Household's lights remained lit throughout the night. On the spiritual peak occupied by the Su Household, hushed conversations also echoed for a long while.

The next day, Jiang Xuan woke while the sky was only beginning to brighten.

After waking, he did as he always had. He carefully wiped down his desk and lit a stick of incense before the calligraphy painting bearing the words "Heaven and Earth" on the wall.

Once he had finished the entire routine, the familiar system notification did not sound. Only then did Jiang Xuan come to his senses—his Daoist Acolyte profession had already reached full level, and there was no room left for improvement.

"So I won't need to do these things anymore..."

The thought flashed through his mind, yet his movements did not become the least bit perfunctory. He remained as meticulous as ever. It was both a habit carved into his bones over many years, gratitude toward the Daoist Acolyte profession that had once helped him break through his predicament, and an expression of his devout sincerity toward the Great Dao in his heart.

What made Jiang Xuan pause was that just after he had finished these trivial tasks, a burst of conversation came from the entrance to his courtyard.

"Aunt Shen, we came to visit you..."

"Those people came again?"

Thinking that neighbors and old acquaintances had once again come to pull strings and foist people upon him, Jiang Xuan walked out with a slight frown.

But the moment he stepped out of the hall, he realized these visitors were no ordinary neighbors. Zhou Lin's entire family had come, and walking at the very front was someone Jiang Xuan knew—Su Linyin.

Because his mother, Shen Yuerong, had once been a servant, she still carried a measure of ingrained respect and ingratiation in her words and actions when facing Su Linyin.

Fortunately, he truly was somewhat different now. In the past, Su Linyin had calmly accepted Jiang Xuan's mother's deference. This time, however, she affectionately hooked her arm through Shen Yuerong's and gently called her, "Aunt Shen."

"Strength truly is the foundation of standing firm."

Jiang Xuan stood beneath the corridor, silently reflecting. Yet when he saw his mother become flustered and overwhelmed by Su Linyin's sudden closeness, he could not help shaking his head inwardly. He needed to find an opportunity to help his mother change that mindset.

"Ah Xuan, you're up."

As he pondered this, Zhou Lin, Liu Hui, and the others spotted him and warmly greeted him.

"Yes. Uncle Zhou, Aunt Liu, sorry for making you come all this way."

Jiang Xuan gave Liu Hui and her husband a slight nod, his attitude gentle. No matter what, they were his mother's old friends, and they had lent a helping hand several times when his household was at its hardest. He had always remembered that kindness.

But when he turned to Su Linyin, Jiang Xuan's expression cooled, leaving only calm and detached distance.

"May I ask what guidance Miss Su has come to offer today?"

"There is something I would like to discuss with you, Jiang Xuan."

"...All right." For the sake of his mother and Liu Hui, Jiang Xuan ultimately nodded.

In the end, it was not just the two of them who went together. Zhou Lin followed as well. She had been trained exceptionally well and always observed a servant's proper place, forever half a step behind Su Linyin and treating her as superior. She remained silent throughout. Only when her gaze fell upon the calm-faced Jiang Xuan did some indescribably complicated emotions surge in her eyes.

Yet Jiang Xuan had no mind to notice her expression at that moment.

When they reached an open patch of ground outside the courtyard, Su Linyin stopped first. She gave Jiang Xuan a slight bow and solemnly apologized. "Pan Yue spoke rudely yesterday. I failed to discipline him properly, so I offer my apologies to Brother Jiang."

"It is nothing. I did not take it to heart."

His calm yet distant tone made it clear to Su Linyin that Jiang Xuan was not as unconcerned as he claimed. But seeing that he was unwilling to say more about it, she could not press the matter further.

Fortunately, before coming here, she had already received her mother's instruction and knew what her key bargaining chip was. She did not linger on the matter and went straight to the point. "Brother Jiang, do you know that Dong Hao values you so highly only because he wants to use you as a ladder and borrow your strength to enter the inner sect?"

"I know."

His flat, direct reply made Su Linyin pause slightly. But she soon composed herself and continued, "Then do you know that the second round of assessment uses a points system? There are only ten Inner Disciple slots to begin with, and the competition is already fierce. If you share your points with Dong Hao, then you yourself will have no chance of receiving an Excellent rating in the second round."

Jiang Xuan had naturally considered this point. That was precisely why he had thought of taking up the Kitchen Apprentice profession. Once he later changed professions to Gourmet, he could cultivate freely through spiritual food and rapidly increase his strength.

"As long as my strength is sufficient, even if I must support Dong Hao with one hand, I can still stand among the top ten."

Of course, Jiang Xuan would not reveal his thoughts to others. Hearing Su Linyin's words, he merely said indifferently, "My talent is mediocre, and I have no background to rely on. Even if I do not share points with Dong Hao, I am afraid I still cannot squeeze into the top ten."

His words made Su Linyin's delicate brows furrow, but she quickly said with a serious expression, "Brother Jiang, you are being too modest. In my eyes, not only are you no worse than us, you are even far superior to us in many ways."

"We have resources from our Lineages and received advance instruction in the mysteries of Dao arts. That is why we opened thirty-six acupoints in merely three to five days."

"But you had neither resources nor anyone to rely on, yet you forcibly caught up to our pace. That is the best proof of your astonishing talent."

"Both my mother and I believe that you have the strength to obtain an Excellent rating and enter the inner sect."

"Our Su Household has always felt guilty over what happened to Uncle Jiang back then, and we are willing to help you in this matter." At this point, she did not hide anything and frankly added, "Of course, we also have some selfish motives."

"My mother hopes that after you enter the inner sect, you and I can support one another and keep watch over each other."

"..." Jiang Xuan said, "You overestimate me."

Jiang Xuan did not believe her words.

In his eyes, Su Linyin was no different from Dong Hao. Both wanted to borrow his strength and use him to raise themselves into the inner sect.

But Dong Hao had genuinely helped him before. In fact, half of his Excellent rating had been lifted up by Dong Hao. Jiang Xuan had to acknowledge that favor and could not easily refuse him.

But Su Linyin had not helped Jiang Xuan in any way. Naturally, he would not waste his points for nothing and make wedding clothes for someone else merely because of a few pretty words.

"I think my current cultivation pace is just fine."

Leaving behind those words, Jiang Xuan cupped his hands in farewell, turned, and departed.

What surprised Jiang Xuan was that Su Linyin showed no anger at his blunt refusal and departure. Instead, she waved at his back with great interest and called out, "Take care, Brother Jiang. I still hope you will seriously consider my proposal."

Her calm, unhurried attitude was beyond Jiang Xuan's expectations. But given their relationship, he could not exactly turn back and ask more.

Still, he could not ask, but Zhou Lin, who had been standing beside them, had no such reservations. Looking at Jiang Xuan's departing figure, the conflicted Zhou Lin unconsciously asked, "Miss, Jiang Xuan refused. What should we do next?"

Su Linyin said, "We do not need to do anything."

"Huh?"

Zhou Lin's astonished expression made Su Linyin smile knowingly. At the same time, her thoughts could not help drifting back to the conversation she had had with her mother, Su Wanyi, the previous night.

When she had learned yesterday that Jiang Xuan had received an Excellent rating, she had been filled with shock, and the strange look on her face had been impossible to hide. The moment she returned home, her mother, Su Wanyi, noticed her loss of composure.

Upon hearing of Jiang Xuan's achievements, Su Wanyi slightly raised her brows, somewhat surprised. "It seems I underestimated that little fellow."

But unlike Su Linyin's unsettled state of mind, Su Wanyi had laid out an entire plan in an instant. Today's visit and invitation had merely been the first step of that plan.

At the time, she had also been unable to resist asking her mother, just as Zhou Lin was asking now, what they should do if their invitation was rejected.

"We do not need to do anything." At the time, Su Wanyi had leaned leisurely against the railing in black palace robes. "In the past, when he repeatedly refused the Su Household's recruitment, I thought he bore resentment toward us. Now it seems that he simply believes himself gifted and possesses pride in his bones, which is why he refuses to live beneath others."

"With such a lofty and solitary temperament, and having just received an Excellent rating while basking in unparalleled glory, he will never accept an outcome where he helps Dong Hao enter the inner sect while he himself fails."

"If we had not extended today's invitation, he would have had no path to choose and perhaps could only pinch his nose and accept it."

"But we have given him a way out. The closer the second assessment draws, the more anxious he will become."

"All we need to do now is wait..." Su Wanyi casually plucked several flowers from beside the pond and scattered them into the water. Watching the petals drift with the current, she spoke blandly. "Of course, while waiting, we should also build more rapport with him and let him see our sincerity. Leave those matters to me. You need not worry about them. Just cultivate in peace."

Thinking of this, Su Linyin's cheeks grew faintly hot, and a trace of complexity flashed through her eyes.

After hearing her mother's plan that day, her thoughts had been in turmoil, and she could not help asking one more question. "Mother, this plan is certainly good, but what if... what if Jiang Xuan still enters the top ten in the second assessment through his own abilities?"

"Your heart is in chaos." Su Wanyi merely glanced at her and spoke calmly. "If your heart were calm, you would know that a lone youth ranked fortieth last time could never break into the top ten. And if he succeeds, then we must change our mindset. At that time, you may consider him..."

Shaking her head, Su Linyin stopped thinking about what came next. Instead, she said with certainty and a hint of determination, "My plan will certainly succeed. Jiang Xuan cannot escape from the palm of my hand."

After a pause, Su Linyin looked at Zhou Lin again. "If I remember correctly, you and Jiang Xuan were childhood playmates?"

"Yes."

"Then visit the Jiang Household more often during this period. Build some rapport with him and his mother."

"Yes, Miss."

Naturally, Jiang Xuan knew nothing of what had happened outside the courtyard.

After greeting his mother, Liu Hui, and Zhou Lie upon returning to the courtyard, Jiang Xuan headed straight for the training ground.

Unlike his former obscurity, however, the moment Jiang Xuan appeared on the streets of Bamboo Forest Town that day, countless people along the way warmly cupped their hands and greeted him.

Quite a few youths his age were even pushed forward by their fathers. With bashful faces, they came up and respectfully saluted him.

There were even many people who unconsciously followed behind him—they all wished to borrow Jiang Xuan's name and seek a measure of protection.

When he reached the academy, Jiang Xuan felt an even more earth-shaking change.

When those three thousand-plus fellow students looked at him, there was no longer a trace of provocation or mockery in their eyes.

He even saw nearly a hundred students imitating his previous routine: cleansing their bodies, hands, and mouths with water before cultivation.

"..."

The sight left Jiang Xuan somewhat torn between laughter and tears, but he also discovered that he could no longer sit in the rear corner as he had before.

Several people had gathered around his original seat. They were not trying to seize it; rather, they looked as though they wished to follow him.

"But I do not need that many followers, and I cannot afford to support them either."

Unwilling to be disturbed by such attention any longer, and because of Dong Hao's invitation, Jiang Xuan went directly to the front.

Upon reaching the front rows, Jiang Xuan felt even more clearly how his status within this small group had changed.

In the past, Mu Yuan and Wu Chen had both carried some hostility toward him—they had both wanted to become Dong Hao's most valued follower.

But now, without Jiang Xuan needing to do anything, Mu Yuan and Wu Chen wore respectful expressions.

Dong Hao, meanwhile, treated him as someone of the same standing. It was as though, in this group, only the two of them were masters while everyone else was a servant.

What happened next made that even more vividly clear.

There were no shortage of people in this world who possessed mediocre talent and humble backgrounds yet harbored the ambition to rise. However, top disciples of Aristocratic Clans like Dong Hao and Su Linyin set extremely high thresholds when recruiting subordinates.

Thus, many people settled for the next best thing and attached themselves to those in their second tier, such as the former Jiang Xuan, as well as Mu Yuan, Wu Chen, Fu He, and the others.

Even Mu Yuan and Fu He, who came from Aristocratic Clans but were not top-tier in talent, had maidservants and Daoist Acolytes around them. Yet in Dong Hao's highly ranked little group, their servants had no qualifications to enter.

The former Jiang Xuan had been the same. Whenever he came to the front, Cheng Xiu, who had attached himself to Jiang Xuan, could only remain in the back and watch eagerly.

But today, when Jiang Xuan took his seat, Cheng Xiu actually had the qualifications to find a place not far from Jiang Xuan's side and sit down.

Even though his seat was farther back than Mu Yuan's and the others', and even though Cheng Xiu was far inferior to everyone in cultivation, background, and strength, he had ultimately been allowed to sit among them.

In this strictly hierarchical world, having servants in attendance was a symbol of status—and the best proof that Jiang Xuan had already entered the same stratum as Dong Hao.

Yet Jiang Xuan did not feel the slightest pride because of it.

"My current status is not stable at all. If the second assessment..."

Before he could finish his thoughts, Jiang Xuan froze. At that moment, he suddenly understood why Su Linyin had remained so calm after being rejected that morning, and why she had not tried to persuade him further.

"She was certain that after experiencing my current status, I would be unwilling to fall back into the dust."

It had to be said that the Su mother and daughter had indeed guessed one thing correctly—Jiang Xuan truly could not bear such a fall from the clouds.

It was not because he enjoyed being welcomed and flattered. Rather, the values and character formed in his previous life made him unwilling to bow and scrape before others, and even less willing to endure their contemptuous gazes.

But within the Divine Firmament Sect, only by becoming an Inner Disciple could one avoid being looked down upon.

Thinking this, Jiang Xuan looked to his side. At that very moment, Su Linyin also glanced in his direction, and their gazes collided across the distance.

Her eyes remained filled with calm certainty. Jiang Xuan's gaze, meanwhile, was as deep as a pool, leaving only a composed calm that revealed nothing.

"You guessed one thing correctly, but you also got one thing wrong... I do not need to turn back, and I do not need to depend on anyone. Even with only myself, I can still hold onto my current status!"