“I’m fine. Next time, don’t rush to buy herbs. If you see suitable spirit herb seeds, keep an eye out.”

“Seeds? Why?”

“My Listening Bamboo Pavilion has a small medicinal plot. The spiritual energy there is pretty good. If you buy seeds and plant them here, you won’t have to worry about basic alchemy materials later.”

“Really? (excited expression) That’s great, Brother! I’ll check the Exchange Market tomorrow!”

“Mm. Take it slow. Focus on cultivation. If anything comes up, find me anytime.”

“Got it! Brother, don’t overwork yourself either! (obedient expression)”

Just a few simple exchanges, yet they steadied Xiao Che’s heart.

Knowing his sister was safe was comfort enough.

He suppressed the faint stirrings brought on by his sudden “fame.”

Closing all interfaces, his eyes settled into calm clarity.

He rose and walked toward the bedroom.

The bed was spacious, layered with freshly laid cloud-silk brocade quilts—soft and cool to the touch, carrying the clean scent of sun-dried fabric.

He lay down fully clothed. The tension that had gripped his mind for days finally loosened, and he sank into deep, dreamless sleep.

…

The next day.

Before dawn had fully broken—

The token began vibrating rhythmically, pulling him from sleep.

A concise message surfaced in his mind:

“At the third quarter of the Chen hour, gather at the Tianshu Court’s Dao Inquiry Hall. The seven freshmen of this cohort must meet for the first time. Do not be late.”

Xiao Che opened his eyes, the last traces of sleep gone instantly.

Third quarter of Chen hour… not much time.

He flipped out of bed smoothly.

After a quick wash, he changed into a clean white disciple robe and strapped the Flowing Fire sword to his back.

Pushing open the doors of the Listening Bamboo Pavilion, cool morning air mixed with the scent of bamboo leaves greeted him.

He inhaled deeply. His gaze had already sharpened.

…

White Deer Academy.

Tianshu Court.

Dao Inquiry Hall.

The hall was ancient and spacious. Morning light streamed through high windows, casting beams across the polished obsidian floor.

Six figures were already present, standing apart from one another. Their auras were steady or sharp—not ordinary.

The moment Xiao Che stepped inside, the hall fell silent.

Five gazes landed on him simultaneously—scrutiny, curiosity, probing… and a trace of rejection.

The only exception was the black-clad youth standing alone by the leftmost window.

He held a sheathless heavy sword in his arms and stared at the drifting clouds outside, seemingly indifferent to everything.

Feng Mohan.

Xiao Che recognized him instantly.

That solitary sword intent—like a sheer cliff face—could not be concealed.

“Heh. Finally decided to show up.”

A somewhat arrogant voice rang out.

The speaker was a handsome young man in brocade robes, idly toying with a white jade token. His eyes swept over Xiao Che, lingering especially on the unremarkable Flowing Fire sword on his back. A hint of amusement curved his lips.

“Allow me to introduce myself. Lin Xuan, Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment.”

His tone was casual, yet laced with innate superiority.

“I presume this is our cohort’s ‘only’ True Inheritance disciple—Junior Brother Xiao Che?”

He emphasized the word “only.”

The atmosphere subtly stiffened. The other four did not speak, but their stances were telling.

Xiao Che’s expression did not change. He met Lin Xuan’s gaze calmly.

“Cangyun Prefecture. Xiao Che.”

Four simple words.

“I heard you made quite the splash on the spirit network yesterday.”

On the other side, a pretty girl in a goose-yellow dress giggled, though her eyes were sharp.

“Even Senior Sister Bai Ling personally backed you up. Quite the face you have.”

Her words sounded innocent but carried barbs beneath.

Lin Xuan continued playing with his jade token and glanced sideways at Xiao Che.

“The six of us all underwent layer upon layer of selection to earn our Tianshu Token. I wonder—this Junior Brother holding a purple-gold True Inheritance Token—what hidden trial did you pass? What extraordinary mission did you complete?”

Xiao Che calmly took out his purple-gold token and set it on the table.

“I passed no trial.”

He looked at Lin Xuan, his tone坦然 to the point of arrogance.

“Vice Dean Bai personally delivered it to me. He said my path wasn’t in those checkpoints.”

Silence fell across the hall.

That sentence confirmed “privilege”—and declared the boldest claim of all.

“Xiao Che.”

A cold voice sliced through the air like a blade.

Feng Mohan had turned around at some point.

His star-like eyes locked directly onto Xiao Che.

The heavy sword in his arms gave a low hum.

“In Tianshu Court, we speak with strength. If your sword does not match the name ‘True Inheritance’—”

He paused before uttering the final words:

“I will sever it.”

The moment he finished, sword intent leaked out slightly. The temperature in the hall seemed to drop.

One could hear a pin drop.

Yet Xiao Che, facing that pressing sword intent, suddenly smiled.

“Sever my sword?”

He shook his head.

“Boring. Let’s make it worthwhile. One thousand spirit stones. A wager.”

His gaze swept over Feng Mohan, then Lin Xuan and the others.

“Any of you. Any format—tower climbing, arena duel, even ranking in the half-year evaluation…”

He paused, a different glint entering his smile.

“You too. Dare or not?”

Come on. In his previous life, he’d been the king of grind culture. Why lose without maximizing odds? If they wanted to fight, he’d at least make the stakes worth it.

The hall fell utterly silent.

One thousand spirit stones was no small amount for freshmen.

The wager was both outrageous and frighteningly practical.

Feng Mohan’s eyes narrowed slightly. Clearly, this was not the reaction he had expected.

Within his cold scrutiny, a trace of something else appeared for the first time.

Lin Xuan and the others were equally stunned.

This wasn’t right. Shouldn’t he have flared up, drawn his sword, and charged?

At that moment, a soft, melodious voice drifted in from outside, breaking the frozen air.

“Oh my, looks like I arrived at just the right time?”

Everyone turned.

Bai Ling stood at the doorway, dressed in a flowing white gown like drifting clouds. The hem moved without wind, setting off her jade-like skin and delicate features.

The usual gentle charm had transformed into dignified immortal grace. Simply standing there, she naturally became the center of the hall.

Her eyes swept once, taking in the entire situation.

“All present? Good.”

She walked to the front seat, lips curving slightly.

“My name is Bai Ling.”

Her voice was clear as she looked over the seven students.

“I am the teaching assistant for this cohort. If you have cultivation questions or administrative matters, you may come to me.”

Aside from Xiao Che and Feng Mohan, the other five grew visibly more respectful. They clearly understood her identity as the Vice Dean’s granddaughter and cupped their fists together.

“Teaching Assistant Bai.”

Bai Ling nodded slightly.

“Since you’ve entered Tianshu Court, you are fellow disciples. Let’s introduce ourselves.”

She turned to Xiao Che.

“Why don’t you start?”

Xiao Che nodded, voice calm.

“Cangyun Prefecture. Xiao Che. Supreme-grade Fire Spirit Root. Pure Yang Dao Body. Foundation Establishment First Layer.”

The moment the words fell, the hall’s atmosphere tightened.

Several gazes locked onto him instantly.

A Supreme-grade Fire Spirit Root was already rare. Add the Pure Yang Dao Body—ranked eighteenth on the Divine Physique Rankings—

Even with their pride, their hearts could not help but grow solemn.

Such talent… terrifying beyond measure.

So this was the weight of a “Super Grade A” evaluation?