Qiu Ming was never one to sit still; these days of tending the spirit medicine in the herb fields had really gotten him down.

He truly looked down on work this exhausting and tedious.

Xie Miaobo, however, was different. Clever by nature and with his own set of principles, he retorted, "The work in the sect might be tiring, but at least it’s stable."

"If you keep taking those high-risk missions, you might be fine once or twice, but sooner or later you’ll run into danger you can’t handle."

"You might succeed countless times, but one failure is all it takes to bury a Five-Star Star Acupoint genius like you."

Fu Xueping agreed wholeheartedly with Xie Miaobo’s words, hurriedly echoing, "Mr. Xie is absolutely right. Anyway, until I reach mid-stage Qi Cultivation, this junior sister isn’t stepping outside the sect gates."

"Cowards!" Qiu Ming couldn’t be bothered to argue with the two any longer. After cursing "cowards," he grabbed his star stones and headed back to his hut.

Fu Xueping and Xie Miaobo exchanged a helpless smile, then, after saying hello to Liou Yuan, each returned to their own lodgings.

Not long after.

Liou Yuan sensed the energy fluctuations of star stones spreading from each of the three huts.

Clearly, all three had already begun using the star stones to assist in their cultivation.

Liou Yuan watched all this calmly. As for the three getting six star stones, he felt nothing at all.

After all, they’d earned them through their own hard work.

The most important thing was, during the time they were out earning merit points—

Liou Yuan’s cultivation had already increased to four streams and eight wisps, and was now very close to the five streams needed for a breakthrough to Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer.

Liou Yuan calculated the time.

In another five days, it would be time for the Star Shift again.

"We’ve had the Evil Star in charge for two rounds in a row. Next time it should be the Auspicious Star. That’s when the Five Extremes Mountain array will be able to absorb star energy again."

"At that time, with the right timing and place, I can attempt a breakthrough."

"I’ll be the first among this group of disciples to break through to Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer."

A smile hung on Liou Yuan’s lips.

Just now, when the three of them each advocated for their own preferred future missions—

He had already used his Evil Eyes to check the cultivation level of Fu Xueping and Xie Miaobo; both were a notch below him.

He would definitely be the first among this batch of Xiaopei Mountain disciples to reach Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer.

Liou Yuan was right.

Five days later, the Evil Star Jiao passed and the Auspicious Star Kang replaced it.

On the fifth day of the Auspicious Star’s shift—which was one month and twelve days after Liou Yuan’s arrival at Five Extremes Mountain—

Liou Yuan, drawing on both the mountain’s star energy and the celestial Auspicious Star’s power, finally condensed his fiftieth wisp of spiritual power.

Now, five streams of spiritual power flowed inside Liou Yuan, merged together, and formed a spiritual power sphere the size of an eyeball at his dantian.

The instant that sphere of spiritual power took shape, the Five Mansions in Liou Yuan’s body resonated like drums.

His bones trembled with it, and as his joints rubbed, they produced a crisp crackling, like stir-frying soybeans.

Clearly, not only had Liou Yuan’s spiritual power broken through, but his physical body was also significantly strengthened at the moment of reaching Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer.

If he were to wrestle Qiu Ming again, he definitely wouldn’t lose by even half a point.

"Finally the Fourth Layer. Turns out, my cultivation speed is at least as fast as those Four-Star Star Acupoint disciples, if not faster!"

Liou Yuan rejoiced inwardly.

Just as he closed his eyes, consolidating his current realm—

The aura of Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer spread from his body, seeping into the outer sect disciple badge at his waist.

That black iron badge, engraved with Liou Yuan’s name, flashed with a dark light, then quickly calmed again.

At that moment, far away in the Inner Sect of the Fifth Peak, Fang Yu seemed to sense something.

He awoke from meditation, picked up the Jade Scroll that recorded the names of the newly admitted disciples that year.

With just a glance, Fang Yu’s expression stilled. He murmured softly, "Liou Yuan!"

"His cultivation speed is actually faster than Xie Miaobo and Fu Xueping, those two Four-Star Star Acupoint disciples."

"This kid is at LEAST a Four-Star Star Acupoint!"

Fang Yu was, after all, someone who had been recruiting disciples for more than twenty years.

He could roughly judge someone’s talent and potential from their training speed alone.

With a dry chuckle, he cursed half-jokingly: "I really don’t know what’s going on in Liou Zhen’s head. His own little brother is so talented, but insists on having him take the back door."

That said, after pondering for a moment, Fang Yu still left his cave dwelling, Jade Scroll with Liou Yuan’s name in hand, and waved to a handyman disciple waiting outside. "Take this Jade Scroll to the registration office, claim the reward for breaking through to Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, and deliver it to the new Xiaopei Peak disciple, Liou Yuan."

"Yes, sir!" The handyman disciple accepted with a respectful shout, and was just about to bow and take the Jade Scroll—

But Fang Yu’s motions paused.

His grip on the Jade Scroll wouldn’t loosen for a long moment.

The handyman disciple looked puzzled and gazed up at Fang Yu, only to see this highly sought-after Fifth Peak Inner Sect Disciple’s face filled with thought.

After a pause, Fang Yu waved again.

"No need. I’ll go myself tomorrow."

With that, Fang Yu shut the cave’s door, leaving behind a completely bewildered handyman disciple.

"Heh! Since Liou Zhen said he wants to train his little brother like a Shadow Eagle, why shouldn’t I lend a hand in making that true?"

"I’ll go myself tomorrow and give Liou Yuan a good bit of praise! Make sure all the right people see him."

"And give Xie Miaobo and Fu Xueping, those two little prodigies, a nudge so they don’t slack off."

"Truly, a plan to kill two birds with one stone."

From inside the cave came Fang Yu’s low chuckle.

Today, light rain, overcast skies.

The white snow drifting outside Five Extremes Mountain fell onto the Mountain Protection Array, where its power melted the snow into fine drizzle, sprinkling onto the slopes of the Fifth Peak.

And naturally, Xiaopei Mountain below the Fifth Peak was nourished by that rain as well.