Li Huo Market, in a private room on the second floor of Baiyu Studio.
Jiang Sixuan met with her third brother, Jiang Cungang, ahead of time.
"That's not surprising. Half a year ago, that Lin Ping'an fellow just got lucky, found a Purple Orchid, and managed a breakthrough. It was nothing but a stroke of dumb luck."
"Third Brother, but he was able to fish out nearly two hundred Spirit Stones. Could he have some hidden background?"
"Eighth Sister, you've been reading too many fantasy stories. The world isn't filled with that many hidden powers. As for whether Xiao Chen is rich or poor, I'll find out in a bit when I test him with the Qi Nourishing Pills."
"Alright. Third Brother, why didn't Sixth Sister come with you?"
"Sixth Sister was promoted to the Outer Sect a year and a half ago, and she finally broke through to the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage the day before yesterday. She went home to share the good news first, so she'll be here later."
"That's so fast!"
Jiang Sixuan's eyes widened, and she felt a surge of pressure.
The Direct Lineage of the Jiang Family didn't need to involve themselves in mundane affairs. They were provided for by the family, allowing them to focus solely on their cultivation.
However, to advance more than twice as fast as an ordinary Cultivator, one still had to put in the hard work and train diligently.
Ideally, they should break through to the late Qi Refining Stage before the age of twenty-two to become an Inner Sect Disciple and enjoy more of the Sect's benefits.
Starting from having their Spiritual Root tested at age twelve, they had to cross from the first to the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage within ten years, meaning they had to achieve a breakthrough every two years on average.
"Third Brother, Eighth Sister, I'm here. And what a coincidence—on my way, I ran into the steward from the Miscellaneous Peak and managed to find out the specific ages of Xiao Chen and Ye Fei."
"Really? That's great! Sixth Sister, hurry and tell us."
"That Ye Fei is only eighteen. He started his training late but cultivates quickly, so he's definitely a good prospect with a high chance of breaking through to the late Qi Refining Stage. As for Xiao Chen, he's already twenty-one."
Although the Li Huo Sect had no explicit rule, the vast majority of Inner Sect Disciples had already broken through to the late Qi Refining Stage before the age of twenty-two.
Only a sliver of a chance was left for a few talented disciples who had their Spiritual Root tested too late, as well as the descendants of several Elders.
Upon hearing Xiao Chen's age, Jiang Cungang immediately wrote him off.
Unless, within two years, he could miraculously break through three consecutive Realms from the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage to the seventh.
Otherwise, he would lose all possibility of further advancement.
'Would something like that happen to a guy who was slacking off in his cultivation?'
'Impossible. Absolutely impossible!'
Jiang Sixuan frowned as well.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. "Miss Jiang, the guests have all been shown to the tea hall."
The waiter's knock at the door broke Jiang Sixuan out of her thoughts.
Besides Ye Fei and Xiao Chen, Jiang Sixuan had also invited several of her friends tonight, making it look like a simple celebratory banquet.
Everyone exchanged pleasantries, introduced one another, and took their seats.
After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, Jiang Cungang waved his hand, and a Jade Box materialized on the table.
"Everyone here today is my little sister's friend. As her older brother, I've prepared a small gift to thank you all for looking after Sixuan."
As he spoke, he opened the Jade Box, revealing bottles of Spirit Pills inside. "Here are some Qi Nourishing Pills. They can help Cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage better regulate their Magical Power."
Jiang Sixuan took the Jade Box and began handing them out. "My third brother is an Alchemist, so there's no need to be polite."
The Cultivators present were all familiar with Qi Nourishing Pills.
It was a very famous and classic Elixir. After taking one, a single day of cultivation was equivalent to three normal days. Taking them continuously was like gaining a threefold cultivation speed.
But a bottle of ten cost five Spirit Stones, a price that ordinary disciples simply couldn't afford.
Even with Jiang Cungang being an Alchemist, this was an exceptionally valuable gift.
But this was precisely Jiang Cungang's goal. By observing their reactions to the Qi Nourishing Pills, he could judge their financial standing.
Ye Fei remained nonchalant. He had joined the Alchemy Hall with the goal of learning Alchemy, and it wouldn't be long before he could refine Qi Nourishing Pills himself.
When Xiao Chen received the Elixir, he showed just the right amount of delight on his face—an expression he had decided on before arriving.
First, Jiang Sixuan had given him Spirit Stones, and now she was giving him an Elixir. Her intention to befriend and recruit him was completely undisguised.
However, after careful consideration, Xiao Chen had no desire to get entangled in the struggles between Sect families just for some cultivation resources.
Right now, he just wanted to focus on cultivating and obtaining more Augments.
So he deliberately appeared delighted and overwhelmed, a reaction meant to show that he was just an ordinary Cultivator with no investment value.
Besides, getting a free batch of Qi Nourishing Pills was genuinely something to be happy about.
Jiang Cungang observed all of this, which indirectly confirmed his suspicions.
What followed was ordinary small talk. After a pleasant time was had by all and the guests were seen off, the three Jiang Family siblings returned to the private room.
Jiang Sixuan spent a moment Cultivating to dissipate the effects of the alcohol. "Third Brother, what are the results?"
"That Ye Fei is quite impressive. My Black Jade Plate detected that he's also carrying a Middle Grade Magical Artifact. His background must be extraordinary. He's worth keeping an eye on."
Jiang Cungang stroked the Jade Plate in his hand, his tone shifting. "As for Xiao Chen, it's now certain. He just got lucky. He has no background and no potential."
For some reason, Jiang Sixuan still felt a little doubtful.
Having witnessed Xiao Chen's breakthrough firsthand, her intuition told her that he wasn't so simple. "Sixth Sister, what do you think?"
"Third Brother is right," her sixth sister, Jiang Ruyue, agreed. "At the dinner table just now, Xiao Chen showed no worldliness, nor did he display any etiquette."
"He also lacks knowledge about the major powers near the Li Huo Sect. It's obvious he's a commoner from some small village or town."
"Eighth Sister, you should pay more attention to Ye Fei in the future and try to win him over as an ally. Spend the rest of your time cultivating diligently and strive to enter the Inner Sect as soon as possible."
"Your talent and looks are both better than mine. When the time comes, pick a young prodigy from the Inner Sect to marry. In the future, you could very well become the wife of someone in the Sect's upper echelons."
Jiang Sixuan nodded. "Yes, I understand."
The Jiang Family had always encouraged its children to form marriage alliances with Inner Sect Disciples of the Sect, a concept that had been instilled in them since they were young.
Through this strategy, the number of Jiang Clan members within the Li Huo Sect grew year after year, soon catching up to the other four Cultivation Clans. The outside world even referred to them as the Five Great Immortal Races.
Jiang Sixuan cleared her thoughts and decided to prioritize her cultivation, striving to break through to the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage within a year, and the sixth level within three years.
In her remaining free time, she would do as her sixth sister suggested: maintain contact with Ye Fei and see if any pleasant surprises came of it.
As for Xiao Chen, she would just consider it a casual, friendly connection.
Influenced by Jiang Cungang's assessment, she now also felt that Xiao Chen was probably just a lucky, ordinary Cultivator who would soon fade into obscurity and wasn't worth paying much attention to.
But for some reason, after making this decision, she had the faint feeling that she was missing out on some great opportunity.