[This day, you caught a few wild rabbits from the island, skewered them, and used the exclusive barbecue techniques you learned from the Barbecue Star in the Starry Domains to roast the rabbit meat.]

[Some contestants on the island caught the scent of the roasting meat and came over, drooling uncontrollably.]

["Holy shit, that smells amazing!"]

["Not only does the Holy Land not provide resources, but the meals we get every day are just plain fare. My taste buds are going numb!"]

["I'd kill for a bite..."]

[Someone stepped forward and asked if you could share some of that rabbit since you had so much, just to give everyone a little treat.]

[Without even looking up, you said.]

["One thousand Spirit Crystals, or equivalent resources, per bite."]

[The crowd erupted on the spot.]

["Are you robbing us? One thousand Spirit Crystals? And that's only for ONE bite?!"]

["Isn't he that Chen Dong guy? That 'individual trainee' or whatever?"]

["Oh... a Rogue Cultivator with no backing, huh. Heh, you'd better be smart and withdraw yourself. You won't make it past the second round."]

[Some hot-headed guy, realizing you had no background and figuring he didn't need to fear offending you, lunged forward to snatch the rabbit.]

["Let me have a bite!"]

[The one who moved was a bald young man, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a burly build.]

[His hand grabbed at empty air and almost landed in the fire.]

[You stayed seated, extending one hand with flames shooting from your palm as you continued roasting.]

[The bald guy refused to believe it and tried again.]

[He missed again.]

[Although the prodigies present were young and hot-tempered, they were far from ignorant.]

[They realized they couldn't even see your movements clearly.]

[You appeared to barely move and hadn't fought back, but no matter how much the bald guy tried to grab it, the rabbit meat remained firmly in your grasp.]

["He's an expert!"]

["He broke through from Soul Tempering to Golden Body in two years, crossing from the Early Martial Path to the intermediate stage. He's no pushover."]

["As expected, anyone brave enough to come to the selection knows their own limits. We underestimated him."]

[Just then, someone in the crowd raised a hand and spoke.]

["I'll pay one hundred thousand Spirit Crystals for one roasted rabbit!"]

[Your eyebrow shot up, and you couldn't help but look at this benefactor.]

[It was a handsome young man in a golden robe, dripping with jewels and oozing luxury.]

["Are you joking, sir?"]

["Absolutely not joking! But I also have some questions I'd like to ask you. Paid consultation, of course!"]

[As long as money was involved, what more was there to say?]

[You handed him two roasted rabbits.]

["Eat up. Buy one, get one free. And I haven't had the honor of asking your name."]

["I'm Wang Mingbai. Coincidentally, like you, my ancestors were from the Five Regions, but the whole family later moved overseas to the Chaotic Crystal Sea."]

[You overheard people discussing him.]

["The Wang Clan of the Chaotic Crystal Sea! The wealthiest family in the human world! They say if all the Spirit Crystals in the world were piled into one stone, the Wang Clan would own eight-tenths of it!"]

["What can you do? Only the Wang Clan knows how to harvest Spirit Crystals from the ocean floor. The vast seas, especially the Chaotic Crystal Sea, are basically their crystal warehouse."]

["No wonder he's so generous. One hundred thousand Spirit Crystals for a roasted rabbit."]

[Once you clearly understood Wang Mingbai's background, you suddenly found him even more handsome. His entire face radiated the glow of wealth.]

[Wang Mingbai devoured the rabbit, repeatedly praising how delicious your roasted rabbit was.]

[The others watched, swallowing hard.]

[Was it really that good? It didn't seem so unreasonable to pay one thousand Spirit Crystals for a bite anymore.]

["Brother Wang, what did you want to ask?"]

["You only have High-Grade Bone Structure... Oh, I don't mean to look down on you at all. Talent is a gift from the heavens, good or bad. There are plenty of people in this world without any Innate Talent at all. I just want to know how you managed to maintain your ranking with only High-Grade Bone Structure. To be honest, I have Earth-Grade Bone Structure, and for the past two years, I've only been floating around rank sixty. If this keeps up, I'm done for..."]

[As he spoke, Wang Mingbai handed you a Storage Ring, filled with Spirit Crystals far exceeding one hundred thousand.]

[You thought he looked even more handsome now.]

["I just want to ask: do you have a special constitution? If not, how are you advancing so quickly through natural cultivation?"]

[What a question.]

[Was I supposed to tell him I was already at the Martial King Realm?]

[You started rambling vaguely.]

["With the wealth and foundation of the Wang Clan of the Chaotic Crystal Sea, even if Brother Wang fails to become a Saint, it wouldn't matter much, right? Why spend a fortune for advice?"]

[Wang Mingbai scratched his head sheepishly.]

["I don't want to join the Holy Land just to become some Saint. I want to get closer to the goddess in my heart..."]

[Your gossipy instincts burned fiercely.]

[And so did those of the other contestants who had been drawn in by the smell of roasted rabbit.]

["Oh? Which woman from the Free and Unfettered Holy Land has caught the eye of a diamond bachelor like Brother Wang?"]

[Wang Mingbai blushed all the way to his ears. Just thinking about his goddess made it hard for him to suppress his smile.]

["I haven't even succeeded in my pursuit yet, so I won't mention her name. I don't want to cause her any trouble."]

[Jeers and cheers erupted around them.]

["I just think that if I had a higher status in the Holy Land, I'd be more worthy of her."]

[That was incredibly sincere.]

[You earnestly grasped Wang Mingbai's hands.]

["Brother, you have to work hard. Whoever you're pursuing, I support you!"]

[Wang Mingbai's eyes turned clear and bright, looking at you with deep emotion.]

["Even the elders of my clan say I'm too caught up in romance and neglecting my duties. I never expected Brother Chen to understand me!"]

["I understand. I understand it all too well."]

[Next, you took Wang Mingbai to a secluded spot and earnestly shared your cultivation insights with him.]

[Of course, you didn't have any real insights. You made it all up on the spot.]

[But since he paid, you at least had to give him some emotional value for his money.]

[After listening, Wang Mingbai seemed to gain some realization, repeatedly saying he needed to go train.]

[You earnestly grasped his hands again.]

["Brother Wang, have confidence! You're the best, understand? Remember, a man without a dream is no different from a salted fish."]

[Wang Mingbai was deeply moved.]

["I truly regret not meeting Brother Chen sooner!"]

[Eleventh year. Thirty years old.]

[The first stage of the Saint Selection Ceremony concluded.]

[You made it into the second stage with a rank of forty-one.]

[The second stage test: actual combat.]

[Contestants of the same cultivation realm would battle one-on-one on the dueling platform at the summit of Cloud Comfort Mountain.]

[Only twenty slots were available to pass this stage.]

[The elders of the various contestants arrived once again, surrounding Cloud Comfort Mountain to watch the spectacle.]

[Those prodigies ranked below fifty, watching you—who looked slightly shabby—walk up the mountain on foot again, couldn't hide their resentment.]

["He only has High-Grade Bone Structure and still passed? I didn't! Damn it! There must be a conspiracy!"]

["Maybe this kid is some illegitimate child of a Holy Land higher-up. He must have pulled strings to get through!"]

["If he has no connections, he's definitely losing in the second round!"]

["Exactly. A poor kid from the Five Regions probably doesn't even have a decent Spirit Artifact. What actual combat ability could he possibly have?"]