The night was deep, and the village was silent, the stillness broken only by the occasional bark of a dog.
Carrying his bag, Chu Bai walked under the moonlight and gently pushed open the somewhat loose gate to his family’s courtyard.
Looking up, he saw a dim, yellow light filtering through the worn-out window of the main house, just as he’d expected. Two silhouettes were cast upon the paper window screen. They seemed to be conversing in low voices, or perhaps just waiting in silence.
The moment the courtyard gate creaked, the house door was thrown open.
"Is our eldest home?" Li Qing’s voice was laced with an urgency and a joy she couldn’t suppress.
"Mom, it’s me."
Chu Bai hurried forward. In the light spilling from the house, he saw that his parents were still fully dressed. They clearly hadn’t gone to bed.
"As long as you’re back, that’s all that matters." Chu Xianglin had a patched jacket draped over his shoulders, his hand still clutching an extinguished dry pipe. Seeing his son unharmed and in high spirits, the deep lines on his face finally softened, and the weight on his heart was lifted.
"You must be hungry. There’s still food warming in the pot," Li Qing said, her eyes full of affection as she took Chu Bai’s hand and led him inside.
"Mom, don’t worry about it. I brought back something good to eat."
Smiling, Chu Bai took out an oil-paper package that he had been keeping tucked inside his robes.
A tantalizing aroma of meat wafted from the package—the work of a proper restaurant, after all.
He placed the oil-paper package on the table and carefully tore it open.
Inside was a roast chicken, its skin golden-brown and crispy, its meat tender. There was also a plate of thinly sliced marinated beef. The rich aroma seemed to have hooks, pulling you in by the nose.
"It smells so good..."
A sleepy mumble came from the inner room.
A moment later, Little Manx and her younger brother stumbled out, rubbing their drowsy eyes. The delicious smell had woken them.
When they saw the meat on the table, their eyes went wide, and all traces of sleepiness vanished.
"Big Brother!" Little Manx cheered and threw herself into Chu Bai’s arms.
"Come on, eat up. It’s still warm."
Smiling, Chu Bai tore off a chicken leg and gave it to Little Manx, then tore off the other for his brother. A sense of deep satisfaction washed over him as he watched the two little ones wolfing down their food.
In that moment, all the exhaustion and all the peril he had faced felt worthwhile.
The family gathered around the lamp, enjoying their late-night meal.
Chu Bai gave them a brief account of the exams over the past few days.
Of course, he left out the pain of his blocked meridians from the first trial, and he didn’t mention the terrifying Illusion Realm of the Heart Inquiry Pass. He only told them the good parts.
"Of course he is. Our boy is the best." Li Qing didn’t understand terms like "Class A" or "Heart Inquiry," but she understood the praise from the examiners, and she could see the confidence on her son’s face.
Chu Xianglin sat to one side, puffing on his dry pipe. Through the curling smoke, his weather-beaten face was filled with pride.
He knew his son was now someone even more impressive than the masters in the County who rode around in sedan chairs. The Chu Family’s fortunes were truly about to change.
...
After seeing his family off to bed, Chu Bai returned to his small but familiar room.
He sat cross-legged on the hard plank bed without lighting a lamp.
Moonlight spilled through the window, coating the floor like a thin layer of frost.
Chu Bai let out a long breath, sinking his consciousness deep within his body.
Within his Dantian Qi Sea, a wisp of azure Purifying Power swam like an obedient fish, slowly circulating along the pathways of the Small Qi Gathering Technique.
After being tempered by the high-intensity exams of the past few days, especially with the elevation of his mental state following the Heart Inquiry Pass, this wisp of Magical Power seemed to have grown more refined. It exuded a sense of smooth, pure clarity as it continuously nourished his meridians and internal organs.
’From Energy Introduction to Qi Cultivation... it really is a leap to a new level of existence.’
Chu Bai closed his eyes. Even without looking, he could clearly perceive dew condensing on the blades of grass outside and hear the breathing of a cricket in the corner. To his heightened senses, the world around him had become intensely vivid and clear.
With a thought, the familiar, light-blue panel materialized in his mind.
With his breakthrough in Realm, the data displayed on it had changed dramatically.
[Name: Chu Bai]
[Realm: Qi Cultivation First Layer (5/100)]
[Cultivation Technique: Small Qi Gathering Technique (Mastery 1/500)]
[Skill: Spirit Water Needle (Skilled 9/200)]
[Fate Chart:]
[Non-stop Rushing, Unceasing Labor (Activated)]
[Nourishing and Exquisite, Rapid Thinking (Activated)]
[Seven Kills Fate (Inactive)]
Chu Bai studied the new panel, silently taking stock.
’First, the Realm section.’
’It’s been over a month since my breakthrough. While I’ve been honing my Magic Techniques, I’ve managed not to let my Realm stagnate. Still, the difficulty of advancing has increased significantly.’
’Next, the Cultivation Technique.’
He had brutally ground his Small Qi Gathering Technique up to the Mastery Realm, which had made the Energy Introduction stage incredibly smooth for him.
’Now that I’m in the Qi Cultivation Stage, I should technically switch to a new Cultivation Technique.’
Chu Bai understood this well. ’However, the Small Qi Gathering Technique is very versatile. It just lacks specialization. While its absorption efficiency isn’t optimal, I haven’t decided on a cultivation path yet, so I can stick with it for now.’
’Then there’s my Skill.’
’My Spirit Water Needle is my trump card. It’s at the Skilled level right now, which is quite powerful and sufficient for the time being.’
’But the problem of relying on a single technique remains.’
’If I run into an opponent with extremely strong defenses or get trapped in close-quarters combat, I’ll be at a huge disadvantage. I need to learn new Magic Techniques to cover my weaknesses in defense and control.’
’Finally, my Fate Chart.’
’Non-stop Rushing is still working its magic, guaranteeing that I make progress as long as I train, allowing me to ignore those despair-inducing Small Realm bottlenecks. This is my greatest advantage.’
’Nourishing and Exquisite, on the other hand, has turned my body into a bottomless pit.’
’As my Realm increases, my energy requirements are skyrocketing.’
’Ordinary grains are no longer enough to satisfy my needs. Even regular meat falls short.’
’I need Spiritual Food, or high-energy Flesh and Blood, like that mutated fish I encountered.’
As for the grayed-out Seven Kills Fate, there hadn’t been an opportunity to activate it, so Chu Bai decided to ignore it for now.
’The Qi Cultivation Stage means high consumption and high demand.’
Chu Bai summarized his thoughts. ’However, once I consolidate my strength, there will be many more ways to acquire Cultivation Resources.’
He certainly wouldn’t need to go back to his sparring job at the Zhao Mansion.
Although he had no savings, he wasn’t desperate for silver taels anymore. Besides, if he really wanted to earn money, there would be no shortage of opportunities.
He was at a different stage now, which naturally meant he had different things to consider.
Before he reached the Qi Cultivation Stage, the extra income from that sparring job had been crucial. Without the nourishment from all that meat, it was uncertain whether he could have achieved his current level of cultivation.
But now that the Daoist School examination was over, he needed to consider how to establish a firm foothold in the Qi Cultivation Stage.
Having organized his thoughts, Chu Bai felt his mind settle.
’Enough thinking. Time to cultivate!’
He closed his eyes and began a full Circulation, seizing every second to consolidate his hard-won Cultivation.
Outside, the rooster’s crow heralded the dawn as the eastern sky turned a fish-belly white.
Having spent another night in cultivation, Chu Bai didn’t feel tired at all. Instead, he felt a sense of anticipation.
’Today is the day they post the results.’

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