Supported by Liu Xinyu, Lu Li took the opportunity to stand up, though the sudden touch of softness against his arm made him pause slightly. Uttering a quick 'thank you,' he hurriedly withdrew his arm.
Liu Xinyu stood to the side, her face flushed, and remained silent.
Lu Li rolled his shoulders and flexed his joints, releasing a series of crisp cracks before he slowly grew accustomed to his body again. Looking closely, he realized that Liu Xinyu now carried a faint, ethereal spiritual aura, a stark contrast to her demeanor when she had first joined the sect.
To avoid the awkwardness, Lu Li took the initiative and asked, "Where is the fatty?"
"The fatty?" Liu Xinyu blinked, then realization dawned on her. "He is warming himself by the fire in his room."
"Warming himself?"
Lu Li glanced at Liu Xinyu's attire, then quickly walked to the door. A blast of frigid air instantly brushed against his face. Staring out at the vast, snow-white expanse, Lu Li felt a momentary daze. "Another winter has come."
Before he knew it, nearly five years had passed since he entered the Qingyang Sect.
He had grown from a naive thirteen-year-old child into a seventeen-year-old young man. Once this coming March passed, he would be eighteen. If he were still in the mortal realm, he would probably already have a child of one or two years old.
There truly were no years in cultivation; time flowed on like water.
"What is the Deacon thinking about?" Liu Xinyu stood beside Lu Li and asked softly.
Her voice was gentle and very pleasant to the ear.
"Nothing, just lamenting the passage of time." Lu Li shook his head. "Also, you do not need to call me Deacon anymore. You can call me Senior Brother Lu, or simply Lu Li. Furthermore, thank you for delivering my meals during this time. They were delicious."
This was the honest truth. The meals Liu Xinyu brought seemed carefully selected, completely unlike that simpleton Chen Zhong, who only knew how to pile mountains of meat onto his plate until he nearly threw up.
"It is only what Xinyu ought to do. Dea... Big Brother Lu need not thank me."
Lu Li nodded, stepped out of the room, and arrived at Chen Zhong's door. Seeing Chen Zhong's thick, bare arms, he could not help but tease, "Fatty, are your poor bones burning up? Why are you wearing so little?"
"B-Boss!" Chen Zhong jumped in shock, instantly leaping to his feet and rushing toward Lu Li. "Boss, you are crazy! You actually stayed in Secluded Cultivation for so long!"
"I was just eager to break through." Lu Li patted Chen Zhong's shoulder, then sat down by the fire.
"L-Big Brother Lu." Su Chen looked at Lu Li timidly and called out.
"If it isn't the big-headed kid. You are doing quite well, actually opening twenty acupoints in just over a year," Lu Li said, somewhat surprised.
"I, I..."
"Hahahaha... Boss, stop teasing him. He is just like a woman, too thin-skinned..."
"I-I am not thin-skinned. I just... do not like to talk much."
"..."
The room was very warm, and the group gathered around, chatting and laughing. At first, Su Chen was somewhat reserved, but as Chen Zhong and Lu Li took turns teasing him, he relaxed and began recounting interesting tales of the children in his home village.
Lu Li and Chen Zhong naturally empathized with such matters, feeling a deep sense of familiarity.
Perhaps triggered by some sad memories of her own, Liu Xinyu's mood sank. She stood up, took her leave, and returned to her room.
Night fell.
Lu Li did not cultivate. Sleeping during the snowy winter was incredibly comfortable. He lay in bed, slowly flipping through a copy of the Alchemy Manual, continuously simulating the pill-refining process in his mind.
Over the past year, he had focused solely on raising his realm. Although he had successfully manifested his third Meridian and even opened five of its acupoints-firmly reaching the Novice stage of the Third Layer of Qi Refining-he had not practiced a single other skill. He truly did not know whether this was a gain or a loss.
After reading for a while, Lu Li tucked the notes away and began pondering his future path.
Since he was now at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, he could sign up for the formal disciple entry assessment. However, this also meant he would have to surrender his status as a Miscellaneous Disciple, effectively losing the monthly cut of over ten thousand contribution points from the Miscellaneous Hall.
It seemed he needed to speak with Wen Hong to see if this position could be passed down to Chen Zhong.
Chen Zhong had also broken through to the Second Layer of Qi Refining. Although he had only just reached it, with his strength, taking over this position would be absolutely no problem.
As he turned the thoughts over in his head, Lu Li fell into a deep slumber.
Early the next morning, Lu Li prepared to head out and find Wen Hong, only to see Liu Xinyu standing at the courtyard gate, glancing around as if waiting for him. Lu Li walked up to her. "Junior Sister Liu, what are you doing here?"
"I-I am waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?"
"En. I want to sign up for the entry assessment with you."
Lu Li paused. Sweeping his Divine Sense over her, he discovered that she had actually reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining as well. Thus, he nodded, "Then let's go."
Applying for the entry assessment similarly required finding Wen Hong to register, after which the application would be sent to the Elder Hall for review.
When they found Wen Hong, the man was leaning by a fire, leisurely sipping small cups of wine. He was living quite a comfortable life, making Lu Li stare with open envy.
When Wen Hong heard that Lu Li wanted to participate in the assessment, his expression became exceptionally colorful. He was both shocked and reluctant to see him go. Lu Li had only been here for four or five years, yet he had actually reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining. This cultivation speed was simply terrifying.
Of course, someone like Liu Xinyu-who was already a half-step into the third layer to begin with-did not count.
After sighing heavily for a while, he finally said, "The entry assessment must be reported to the Elder Hall for review. If two Elders approve it, you can participate in the trial. Once the trial is completed, you will be issued a formal disciple token, and you will also earn the chance to select a cultivation method from the second floor of the Technique Pavilion."
"Additionally, ordinary disciples receive a Reward of ten True Essence Pills every month."
"For a regular disciple, this is a massive profit. But for you... it is a bit of a bad deal."
Lu Li smiled bitterly. "I have no choice either. I cannot stay in the Miscellaneous Valley for the rest of my life. Besides, I want to go to the second floor of the Technique Pavilion to choose a cultivation method, and I need a formal disciple identity to do that, do I not?"
"Ah, it is up to you. But even though you are leaving, I still must ask you about this Deputy Deacon position. Do you have a suitable candidate in mind?"
Lu Li smiled. "I do not even need to say it, do I? Chen Zhong is even more Proficient at this line of work than I am."
Wen Hong laughed. "I knew you would bring him up. Fine! Then it is decided. Chen Zhong will replace you. But that kid has a bit of a fiery temper. You must explain things clearly to him so he does not cause any trouble for me."
"Rest assured, I will speak with him."
"Very well. The two of you can head back first. I will report this matter to the higher-ups. If nothing unexpected happens, someone will take you to the Outer Affairs Hall within three days for an examination. Once your cultivation is verified, your names will be formally submitted."
"An examination?"
"Just an examination of your cultivation base. It is merely a formality; anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance."
"Oh, I heard that each trial requires at least ten people to open. What about this time?"
"You two are quite lucky. Nine people have already signed up before you. Counting the two of you, it is more than enough to open the secret realm." At this point, Wen Hong paused for a moment before continuing:
"As someone who has been through this before, your older brother here wants to remind you: it is not so peaceful inside the secret realm. After you enter, grab your mission item and leave immediately. Absolutely do not risk your life fighting over those baseless things."
"What baseless things?"
"I do not know the specifics either. It seems to be something left behind by the sect's founding ancestor, Perfected Qingyang..."