Amidst the gasps of shock, Su Bai walked out of the stone chamber and appeared before everyone.
At first glance, there didn’t seem to be much change in him. His white hair and long white beard still made him look like an old man. But now, his body radiated waves of spiritual power, clearly proving that he had become a true cultivator—not just an old menial laborer anymore.
“He really… succeeded!”
“Impossible, absolutely impossible!”
“Sixty years of cultivation, finally erupting in success. He actually did it!”
“This is unbelievable. It’s practically a legend!”
Normally, even if a mortal broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, or an outer sect disciple advanced to the inner sect, it wouldn’t have caused this kind of stir. But Su Bai’s story of bitter cultivation for sixty years moved everyone.
In the Azure Cloud Sect, there were plenty of old menial laborers like Su Bai, but most of them either muddled through their days or had completely given up on cultivation. The only one who had persevered to this day—was Su Bai!
“Senior, you truly made it out.” Ziyun smiled gently and stepped forward, taking out a wine gourd she had prepared. It was spiritual wine she had brewed herself. Though not top-quality, it was at least a token of her sincerity.
Su Bai accepted the gourd and nodded with a beaming smile. Now that he had made his breakthrough, his mood was bright. On such a meaningful day, to have someone offer him a drink brought him genuine joy.
“Sister Ziyun actually gave him a jug of wine!”
“No way, could she actually be interested in that old menial laborer?”
Many disciples couldn’t accept it. Among the Azure Cloud Sect’s outer disciples, there were plenty of men who had wanted to pursue Ziyun. But since she’d only just arrived, they hadn’t even had time to make a move.
Now Ziyun was openly showing favor to an obscure old laborer. Even if Su Bai had broken through and become an outer sect disciple, it still made the others burn with jealousy.
“You old geezer, good thing you’re not dead. I was already preparing to collect your corpse,” Lin Xiaoyue said with a snort. Then she pulled out a set of clothing from her storage pouch.
It was an outer sect disciple’s robe, but woven with threads of gold and silver, giving it not only a more luxurious appearance but also some defensive properties.
Many people recognized it instantly. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
“That’s a low-grade treasure robe!”
“Even though it’s only low-grade, it’s still an actual magical artifact!”
“Does Senior Sister Lin treat her subordinates this well? I want to be her dog!”
“Correction—I want to be her subordinate!”
The outer sect disciples were all envious.
“Hehe, Senior Sister Lin, I’ll gladly accept it. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of what you asked and make sure you’re satisfied!” Su Bai took the robe and thought to himself—if he found a chance to give this robe away, perhaps he could trigger a return of an even better treasure.
Though he had become a cultivator, his skillset was still mainly offensive. He lacked proper defense. But now, with two Daughters of Fortune at his side, he could simply pass the robe from one hand to another. If he gave it to Ziyun, its value might multiply.
Su Bai had already made up his mind.
Now that he was a cultivator, and not just any outer disciple—he had laid his foundation using a Heaven-grade technique: the Azure Dragon Technique! Unlike others who cultivated the Azure Cloud Technique, Su Bai’s path tempered both his mana and his body.
Even though his realm was only at the 1st stage of the Qi Refining Realm like many other outer disciples, his physique was several times stronger than theirs. With his current strength, he could easily lift heavy boulders. Even taking a hit from a low-grade flying sword head-on might not be impossible.
But Su Bai was cautious by nature. He chose not to display his true power, still keeping up the appearance of a frail, old man.
After leaving the training hall, Su Bai went straight to report to the outer sect elder to receive his outer sect disciple token.
Elder Qin of the outer sect was already quite old. Out of respect, the disciples all referred to him as Grandpa Qin.
Inside the room, Elder Qin was sitting leisurely in a high-backed chair, reading ancient texts.
He had held his post for a long time. Though his position didn’t grant him as many benefits as the inner sect elders, when it came to leisure and peace, no one could compare. Plus, his role wasn’t without perks.
Clever new disciples often came to pay respects to him right after joining the Azure Cloud Sect—because he controlled the distribution of missions for the outer sect.
Some missions were easy and rewarding. Others were difficult, time-consuming, and paid very little.
With just one word from Elder Qin, a new disciple’s next few years could be either comfortable or miserable.
“Su Bai? That name sounds familiar…” Elder Qin recalled there had been a menial laborer named Su Bai who had been in the sect for over sixty years and had never broken through the Qi Refining Realm.
Elder Qin didn’t think much of it, assuming it must be someone with the same name. He never imagined Su Bai had actually advanced.
Soon after, Su Bai hobbled in with a cane.
Just from appearances, one would assume Su Bai was the sect elder, and Elder Qin was the new recruit.
Though Elder Qin was quite old, thanks to his high cultivation, he still looked like a middle-aged man. Seeing Su Bai stumbling in, Elder Qin was afraid the old man might fall and pin blame on him.
“Disciple Su Bai greets Elder Qin,” Su Bai said shakily as he bowed, holding a small bundle in his hands.
When Elder Qin saw what Su Bai had brought, a smile instantly appeared on his face.
As the saying goes, one does not slap a smiling face. Since this guest brought a gift, he was a customer.
Even as an elder, Elder Qin personally poured Su Bai a cup of tea.
Su Bai didn’t hold back. He took the cup with trembling hands, blew gently on it, and took a sip.
“Elder Qin’s tea is truly extraordinary,” Su Bai said as he sipped. “Looks like plenty of people show their respect around here.”
“The spiritual energy in your tea is vibrant. Just one cup, and I already feel refreshed.”
He muttered on as he drank.
Elder Qin’s thoughts were spinning. Who are you trying to expose? I’m Elder Qin, not some corrupt official. You’re here to ask for help, or to accuse me of bribery?
But before Elder Qin could respond, Su Bai untied the bundle in his hands. The dazzling glow from inside made Elder Qin’s heart skip a beat.