Lu Mingxin had approached at some unknown moment, his clear eyes shimmering with a wise, discerning light.

Xiao Che “gasped” for air and let out a dry chuckle.

“Senior Lu must be joking. What timing… it was pure luck. Just a stroke of good fortune.”

Inside, however, he added a silent thought: *Sharp eyes. Don’t look so closely next time.*

With that, his gaze shifted, immediately spotting the exploding hair in the crowd.

Xuan Buyan wore a bitter expression as he sluggishly pulled out a bulging bag of spirit stones and handed it to Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing took the bag, her small face flushed with excitement as she hugged it tightly to her chest.

Xuan Buyan grumbled under his breath. “A loss, a total loss… I’ve lost big on this one…”

But Xiao Che saw it clearly. When the fellow lowered his head, a fleeting glint of satisfaction flashed through those shifty little eyes.

Xiao Che understood perfectly.

This sleazy guy had definitely made a killing.

However, that had nothing to do with him.

Seeing Xiao Qing run back with her eyes sparkling, clutching a bag containing a full five thousand spirit stones, Xiao Che felt that everything had been worth it.

“Brother! Here!” Xiao Qing tried to stuff the bag into his arms.

Xiao Che took it and gave it a heft.

*Good heavens, it’s heavy.*

His startup capital had increased tenfold in an instant. It felt wonderful.

“Let’s go.”

He tucked the spirit stones away, feeling the stinging pain in his left arm grow lighter. “Brother’s treating… uh, I’ll treat you to a fine spiritual meal.”

He almost forgot he only had fifteen Academy currency points left. He couldn’t afford the second floor.

“Mhm!” Xiao Qing nodded vigorously, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

The surrounding crowd gradually dispersed, though the chatter didn’t stop.

On the Heavenly Pride Ranking stone tablet, the name at the ninety-fifth position had quietly changed.

Xiao Che had officially entered the rankings.

He felt a slight vibration from his jade token.

*Challenge victory. The Academy currency increased by 200. Current balance: 215 points.*

This haul was a massive profit.

After bidding everyone farewell, the siblings chatted and laughed as they walked toward the free section on the first floor of the dining hall. After a simple but warm spiritual meal, Xiao Che escorted Xiao Qing back to the Divination Court.

Before parting, Xiao Qing pulled out two small paper packets and handed them over like she was presenting a treasure, smiling brightly.

“Brother, here! These are Red Blood Ginseng and Dew-Condensing Grass seeds! Didn’t you mention last time that the Listening Bamboo Pavilion has a medicinal garden and asked me to keep an eye out? I spent a long time picking these; they’re the most suitable for refining Qi Condensation Pills.”

She looked up at him with a face that practically screamed, *I remembered, hurry up and praise me.*

Xiao Che smiled and ruffled her hair.

“Good. I’ll plant them as soon as I get back.”

After seeing Xiao Qing to the gates of the Divination Court and watching her figure disappear, Xiao Che finally returned to Listening Bamboo Pavilion.

Back in his courtyard, he scattered the spiritual herb seeds in the medicinal garden and channeled a bit of spiritual spring water to give them a soak.

The rest would be left to time and this patch of spiritual soil.

“It’s my first time tending to these things. Whether you live or die depends on your own luck,” he muttered, clapping his hands together.

He would have to pay close attention to tomorrow afternoon’s *Introduction to the Dao of Alchemy* class.

…

The next day.

Xiao Che repeated his previous performance, forcing Chen Ling, ranked eighty-sixth in the Sword Court, off the martial arts platform.

With this victory, following the rules of the Heavenly Pride Ranking, he took the rank in the eighties, which netted him four hundred Academy currency points.

Although Xuan Buyan had lowered the odds to 8-to-1, it still cost the man a significant amount of spirit stones.

“My spirit stones!”

Seeing Xuan Buyan’s pained expression and thinking back to that ridiculous forum post, Xiao Che felt excellent.

He leaned “weakly” on his sword as he took the new bag of spirit stones from his sister.

It felt heavy in his hand.

Forty thousand low-grade spirit stones.

He had finally gathered enough spirit stones to complete his cultivation manual.

Playing the pig to eat the tiger was truly a simple and unpretentious joy.

Xiao Che felt delighted.

“Brother! We won forty thousand!”

Xiao Qing leaned against his arm, her eyes shining like stars and her face flushed red with excitement.

“Let’s go. I’ll walk you back to the Divination Court.”

Xiao Che ruffled his sister’s hair.

On the way, Xiao Che separated ten thousand spirit stones from the bag, put them into a new pouch, and stuffed it into Xiao Qing’s hand.

“Here, yours.”

Xiao Qing froze.

“Brother! I don’t want it! You need it for your own cultivation!”

“Take it when I tell you to take it.”

Xiao Che’s tone was firm.

“But… but that’s too much!”

Xiao Qing grew anxious and tried to push the bag back. “I’m only at the 3rd layer of Qi Condensation. One or two thousand would last me a very, very long time.”

“Be good.”

Xiao Che held her hand down. “Wealth should not be flaunted. Ten thousand is a bit much. Keep it safe and don’t let anyone know.”

“No, no, no!”

Xiao Qing’s head shook like a rattle, her attitude surprisingly stubborn. “I only want two thousand! Not a single stone more! If you keep doing this, I… I won’t help you place bets anymore!”

She looked up at him, her eyes slightly red from the stress of the argument.

Seeing her stubborn look, Xiao Che’s heart softened.

He fell silent for a moment.

“Fine.”

He took the bag back, removed half, and stuffed it back into her arms. “Five thousand. No more arguing. If you push back again, I’ll be angry.”

Xiao Qing hugged the bag. Feeling the weight was much lighter, her heart felt more at ease, and she broke into a smile through her tears.

“Mhm! Thank you, Brother!”

She carefully tucked the spirit stone bag into her storage ring and even patted it, looking like a little miser.

Xiao Che watched her, finding it both funny and heartwarming.

This girl.

…

Noon.

Tianshu Peak.

Listening Bamboo Pavilion.

Quiet Room.

Xiao Che sat cross-legged, his mind sinking into that hazy Sumeru space. In the center, the Purple Jade Book floated quietly, with ten strands of Primordial Qi flowing slowly like swimming dragons.

Not far away, the azure cocoon shimmered with a clear light.

The Empress of the Azure Lotus was still slumbering.

He focused his mind, his intent touching the Heavenly Book.

*Complete and deduce “Seven Star Steps,” tailoring it to the Pure Yang Golden Body and a Peak Grade Fire Spirit Root.*

The pages turned without wind, and a brilliant purple light erupted.

An entirely new technique was deeply imprinted into his soul.

*Sun-Chasing Seven Star Steps.*

“It’s done!”

Xiao Che’s consciousness returned, and he opened his eyes. A flash of red-gold starlight seemed to pass through his pupils.

The profound mysteries of the new technique flowed through his mind.

The most direct change was the spiritual power pathways.

*Sun-Chasing Seven Star Steps* connected thirty-six meridians, reaching the limit of a Mysterious Class technique, with most of them concentrated in the waist and legs.

The spiritual power driven by a Peak Grade Fire Spirit Root was like surging subterranean fire, granting the steps incredible speed and explosiveness.

But the true essence lay in its operational intent.

When the movement technique was activated, Pure Yang Qi flowed according to the positions of the Big Dipper’s seven stars, replacing the original version’s stellar power. With every step onto a star position, a layer of scorching, heavy “Momentum” would condense outside his body.

One must realize that most cultivators could only catch a glimpse of how to use “Momentum” after reaching the Core Formation realm.

Furthermore, this Momentum could be stacked layer by layer with his steps.

At first, it was like a heatwave hitting one’s face. After three steps, it made the opponent irritable. After five steps, they would feel sluggish. After the full cycle of seven steps, it was as if a magnificent sun was hanging in the sky, creating continuous spiritual pressure and mental oppression.

This meant that he didn’t even need to draw his sword. Just by moving with his footwork, he could continuously accumulate pressure and weaken his opponent.

Even better was the conversion between “Momentum” and “Power.”

The fully accumulated Momentum could be converted into the next burst of speed, making him as fast as a spark of starlight. Or, it could be condensed at the soles of his feet; with one step, Pure Yang force would erupt through the ground, striking the enemy when they least expected it.

This wasn’t just a simple movement technique. This was clearly a specialized combat method tailored perfectly for him, merging movement, accumulation, oppression, and ambush.

It felt like taking a high-performance sports car and swapping in the top-tier engine and tires.

“Accumulate Momentum with steps, release Momentum with the sword…”

He savored the true intent of the technique.

The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.

Just then, the true disciple token in his robe vibrated slightly.

A friend request popped up, accompanied by a message:

“Brother, add me, urgent! You’ve ruined me!”

Sender: Xuan Buyan (Divination Court).

***

NOTES

Session Glossary Updates (Memorized):

– 逐日七星踏 = Sun-Chasing Seven Star Steps

– 卜院 = Divination Court

– 勢 = Momentum (Shi)

Footnotes:

TN1: Momentum (勢 – Shi): A conceptual force in cultivation representing the “aura” or “pressure” a combatant exerts.

Translator’s Note: Frenadro Steph, here. Xiao Che has successfully transitioned from a debt-ridden student to a wealthy “underdog” while upgrading his movement technique to a level that usually requires Core Formation insights. Xuan Buyan’s desperate message suggests the bookie might have finally been outplayed at his own game.

Ink Hub, Frenadro Steph, your translator. Enjoy, and drop feedback; it sharpens the blade.