Bai Zichen reclined on a long bench crafted from Turtle Shell Bamboo, his body sinking into its curved frame. He held a cup of Spirit Tea, a hint of exhaustion etched on his face.

On the bamboo table before him sat an incense burner, its faint smoke curling upward, carrying a scent that soothed the mind.

’This Tier Two Top Grade Silver Needle Tea really works well. Too bad the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall is running low on stock...’

For the past three months, Bai Zichen had been engrossed in cultivating the Five Crystal Glaze Body. His practice consisted of a two-step cycle: visualizing the Five Crystal Divine Iron, then condensing it into form within his Sea of Consciousness.

Whenever his Divine Sense was depleted, he would fall into a deep sleep to slowly recover.

Based on his experience with the Divine Casting Technique, he knew Spirit Tea helped restore Divine Sense. Thus, he had made a special trip to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to procure the best Tier Two Spirit Tea and a few blocks of agarwood to help calm his mind.

The Red Leaf Fang Family was famous for its Spirit Tea. In Red Leaf Valley, they grew three Silver Needle Tea Trees, all Tier Two Top Grade, which produced about twenty catties of Silver Needle Tea each year.

After setting aside a small portion for themselves, they sent the vast majority of the Silver Needle Tea to the Qingfeng Sect in exchange for cultivation resources.

The Qingfeng Sect had once taken cuttings from the Silver Needle Tea Trees and grafted them onto other Spirit Tea Trees, but despite considerable effort, they only managed to grow Tier Two Low Grade versions.

Bai Zichen had tried both types of Silver Needle Tea. While the taste was similar, the sect-grown version was at least thirty percent less effective at restoring Divine Sense.

The total supply of Silver Needle Tea from the Red Leaf Fang Family was already limited. After the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall set aside shares for several tea-loving Elders, there wasn’t much left.

The fact that Bai Zichen managed to get two catties of Silver Needle Tea was only because the Hall Steward of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall had done him a favor.

’If it comes to it, I’ll have to switch to the Tier Two Low Grade Silver Needle Tea. A weaker effect is still better than nothing.’

After three months of arduous cultivation that blurred day and night, Bai Zichen had finally made some progress. Now, he saw the Five Crystal Divine Iron with his eyes closed, and even when they were open, everything seemed to take its shape.

When visualizing the original image of the Five Crystal Divine Iron, his Divine Sense no longer depleted after a few mere breaths, and the image no longer vanished. He could even magnify it a hundred times, expanding the minuscule, rice-grain-sized divine iron to the size of a clay pot, making it far clearer to inspect.

Meanwhile, the condensed Five Crystal Divine Iron still couldn’t be maintained for long. However, it now possessed the true essence befitting a Tier Five Spiritual Material, rather than being a mere physical resemblance.

The moment he manifested a grain of the Five Crystal Divine Iron in his Sea of Consciousness, he felt an immense weight pressing down, and his entire being shuddered.

According to the annotations on the scroll in his hand, one of his predecessors had taken a full three years to reach a similar stage.

A Sound Transmission Flying Book shot over, circled once above Moon-Locking Pool, and landed precisely inside the bamboo house.

This Sound Transmission Flying Book technique required the user to be at the Foundation Establishment Stage. It also had many limitations: it could only be sent to a fixed location, its maximum range was a hundred li, and it could be intercepted along the way.

However, for communicating between acquaintances within the sect, it was quite convenient. It saved one from making a special trip for matters that could be explained in just a few words.

"Nephew Bai, come find me at the Artifact Refining Hall when you have a moment. Next year is the once-a-decade opening of the Inheritance Stele. The Ancestor has decreed that this time, spots in the group will be given to the Cultivation Families newly relocated to Black Mountain, so we need to increase the number of team leaders."

"I will lead on behalf of the Elders, and a True Disciple will be appointed as my deputy. I’ve already nominated you to the Elder Council, and no one has voiced any objections."

"Serving as deputy for this trip comes with two hundred Sect Contribution points. If you are interested, Nephew Bai, remember to come find me before next month to finalize things."

Bai Zichen opened the Sound Transmission Flying Book. It was, indeed, the voice of Elder Peng Chong.

’Is it already time for the Inheritance Stele to open again...?’

Bai Zichen spaced out for a moment. The memory of how he had triggered a phenomenon at the Five Mountains Temple and received two inheritances, one overt and one covert, was still fresh in his mind. He never thought the event would come around for a second time so quickly.

Back then, he had fought for a spot as a disciple of the Bai Family. Now, less than ten years later, he had become a True Disciple of the Qingfeng Sect and was even being asked to serve as the deputy leader of the group.

Such was the magic of time.

Bai Zichen summoned Peng Jinhua and sent him to the Artifact Refining Hall to schedule a visit with Peng Chong.

A mission like this was really just about having a True Disciple make an appearance—a chance to show the newly relocated Cultivation Families the strength of the Qingfeng Sect’s top disciples.

Two hundred Sect Contribution points, practically a giveaway.

It would only take a few days anyway, so he might as well make the trip. He was also curious to see if any of the younger disciples would manage to obtain an extraordinary inheritance this time around.

...

「One hundred days later.」

Within Bai Zichen’s Sea of Consciousness, a rice-grain-sized Five Crystal Divine Iron floated, remaining perfectly stable without scattering even after he relaxed his focus, just as if a real piece of the Tier Five Spiritual Material existed there.

’I’ve... succeeded...’

Bai Zichen could hardly believe it. In attempt after attempt, the Five Crystal Divine Iron he condensed in his Divine Sense would always collapse on its own for one reason or another.

After so many failures, he began to empathize with the predecessors who had also failed time and again.

You either mastered the first step, or you didn’t. There was no rhyme or reason to it, no special trick to be found.

Even the memoirs of the cultivators who had succeeded were little more than superficial platitudes, because none of them could articulate a concrete, replicable path to success.

But today, upon achieving initial resonance with the Five Crystal Divine Iron, Bai Zichen felt an inexplicable certainty: he had succeeded.

It was a good thing he finally succeeded. If he hadn’t, he would have started to doubt his own Spirit Body, wondering if it had lost its special advantage when it came to the Five Crystal Glaze Body.

His entire Sea of Consciousness grew heavy, and this sensation rapidly spread throughout his body.

’As long as the Five Crystal Divine Iron is condensed in the Sea of Consciousness and initial resonance is achieved, the cultivator’s body is constantly being tempered... Of course, if I can use the supplementary methods of a normal Body Refining Cultivator, the time it takes to truly master the first layer can be shortened even further.’

Bai Zichen clenched his fist. In just that short time, he felt as if he had gained several dozen catties in weight.

His arms surged with immense power, and he had gained at least a thousand catties of raw physical strength.

He felt a tautness in his skin, and the faint, flickering traces of Five-Colored Spiritual Light became more solid and resilient.

With some effort, Bai Zichen dug two bottles of Blood Circulation Pills out of his storage pouch. He had exchanged for them back in the clan years ago and had kept them on his person ever since, unused.

Having just mastered the entry-level of the Five Crystal Glaze Body’s first layer, it was the perfect time to use Body Refining Elixirs to shorten his cultivation period.

Upon swallowing the bean-sized Blood Circulation Pill, Bai Zichen immediately felt a current of heat surge within him. It carried a volatile, almost feral energy that spread to every corner of his body, causing him to heat up all over.

A normal Body Refining Cultivator at this stage would leverage the elixir’s medicinal power to make their qi and blood surge, then use corresponding techniques to stimulate and temper their body, growing stronger little by little.

But things were different with the Five Crystal Glaze Body; he had no idea what to do.

All he could do was observe that, under the stimulation of the Blood Circulation Pill, the rate at which his physical body strengthened had quickened ever so slightly.

Seeing that the Blood Circulation Pills were effective, the moment the medicinal power of the first one dissipated, Bai Zichen took a second, ensuring his body was continuously occupied with the refinement process.

Several days later, Bai Zichen finally grew accustomed to the state of being in the first layer of cultivation for the Five Crystal Glaze Body.

He was also finally able to shift his focus back to his main Cultivation Technique, allowing his surging Magical Power to once again increase at a steady pace.