Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, the trees in the mountain range surrounding Xuanyue Sect had grown thick, and the air had become hot. After finishing his tasks for the day in the mine, Lin Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Walking out of the mine with his good friend, the chubby Wang Fu, Lin Hao gazed at the setting sun and murmured, “I can't believe it's almost been five months since I joined Xuanyue Sect.”

“Ah! Not good! Boss, I only have a few days left as a new outer disciple,” Wang Fu suddenly said with a change of expression. According to the sect's rules, newly joined outer disciples could only stay in the Newcomer area for half a year.

Having arrived a month earlier than Lin Hao, Wang Fu realized that in just three days, he would be forced to leave this place and move to the Elder Disciple area, where the workload was much heavier.

“These five months have been comfortable, thanks to you, Boss. Leaving the Newcomer area is harder than dying,” Wang Fu continued with a sad face.

“Wang Fu, in the Elder Disciple area, your cultivation has already reached the late stage of Qi Refining Stage One, you should be fine there,” Lin Hao patted his shoulder.

“Boss, Qi Refining Stage One won’t be enough to survive there. I need to reach Qi Refining Stage Two to avoid being bullied,” Wang Fu lamented, recalling the ruthless characters in the Elder Disciple area. He felt a wave of dread at the thought of leaving his comfortable life behind.

“Come on, Wang Fu, give me a smile. Don't be scared. If you can't avoid it, then face it bravely,” Lin Hao joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Once you’re in the Elder area for a while and reach Qi Refining Stage Two, you’ll be one of the stronger disciples. Life is about looking forward!”

A few days later, Wang Fu left reluctantly, heading to the Elder Disciple area. His departure left Lin Hao feeling a little melancholic. Among all the people in Xuanyue Sect, Wang Fu was the only one he considered a friend. Now that Wang Fu was gone, there was no one left to chat and joke with.

The next day, after Wang Fu left, a new bed became available, and a new outer disciple was assigned to the room.

“Senior Brother Lin Hao, I’m Li Feilong, twelve years old, with three attribute fire-wood spirit roots. I just joined Xuanyue Sect today. I’ve heard much about you, Senior Brother Lin. Please take care of me,” the new disciple said with respect after moving in.

Lin Hao was slightly surprised. The boy appeared to be over six feet tall, and although his face looked young, he seemed much older than twelve.

“How did you know my name?” Lin Hao asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Senior Brother Lin, I come from a cultivation family in Zhao Country. I have some connections in Xuanyue Sect,” Li Feilong explained, cupping his hands. “I asked an outer disciple, Senior Brother Zuo, and he told me about you.”

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Lin Hao was slightly stunned. The boy came from a cultivation family and already had connections in the sect. He was in a much better position than Lin Hao, who had no roots.

“Senior Brother Lin, I have a request,” Li Feilong said after a pause.

“What is it?” Lin Hao asked, curious.

“I’ve heard you’re the strongest in the tenth team of the Newcomer area, and you mine quickly,” Li Feilong continued. “I would like to ask Senior Brother Lin to help me mine for a month.”

“You want me to mine for you?” Lin Hao frowned. Was this boy trying to use his family background to pressure him?

“No, it’s not that simple,” Li Feilong quickly explained, seeing Lin Hao’s expression darken. “Senior Brother Lin, you’ll be moving to the Elder Disciple area in a little over a month, right? If you help me mine for a month, I will give you a low-grade spirit stone as payment.”

At the mention of a "spirit stone," Lin Hao felt a surge of excitement. He had heard of spirit stones and their importance in array formations, weapon refining, and cultivation. They were essential in the cultivation world and served as universal currency.

Lin Hao was at the peak of Qi Refining Stage One and was close to breaking through. If he had a low-grade spirit stone, he might be able to break through before leaving the Newcomer area.

“Deal. I’ll mine for you for a month,” Lin Hao said after thinking for a moment, his expression softening.

Li Feilong smiled and handed Lin Hao a glowing crystal stone. “This is a low-grade spirit stone.”

“This is a spirit stone!” Lin Hao was thrilled as he took the stone, feeling a wave of pure spiritual energy emanating from it. He could tell that with this spirit stone, his cultivation speed would increase significantly, and he would likely break through in the coming month.

“Junior Brother Li, why would you give up such a valuable spirit stone instead of mining it yourself?” Lin Hao asked, curious.

“Because in my Li family, it’s not just me who joined Xuanyue Sect,” Li Feilong replied. “In our family, whoever cultivates fastest and becomes an outer disciple first will receive more family resources. So, I need to focus entirely on cultivation and don’t want to waste time on mining.”

Lin Hao couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. Having a family background like that made cultivation much easier than for someone like him, who had no roots.

“Junior Brother Li, since I’ve accepted your spirit stone, I’ll take care of your mining tasks,” Lin Hao promised with a grin.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Lin,” Li Feilong said, smiling. With his family as support, he wasn’t worried that Lin Hao would fail to do his part.

The two chatted for a while longer before they each went about their training.

In the following days, Lin Hao worked tirelessly in the mine. With his current strength, it wasn’t difficult for him to mine double the amount of spirit iron. At night, he absorbed the energy from the low-grade spirit stone.

With the help of the Wan Gu Changsheng Tower, Lin Hao absorbed the energy without any loss. The energy from one spirit stone was equivalent to the energy two people would gain from two low-grade spirit stones.

As time passed, there was only a short time left before Lin Hao would leave the Newcomer area.

On a summer night, the chirping of insects filled the air.

Inside his wooden house, Lin Hao sat cross-legged, eyes closed, using the Five Elements Longevity Technique to circulate spiritual energy through his meridians.

Having absorbed all the energy from the low-grade spirit stone Li Feilong gave him, Lin Hao felt that his internal spiritual energy was at least 20% stronger than it was a month ago.

As he continued his practice, Lin Hao instinctively prepared to start the next cycle. Suddenly, he felt a sensation of a barrier breaking within his body, followed by a wave of comfort.

After more than twenty days of hard work, Lin Hao finally broke through from the peak of Qi Refining Stage One to Qi Refining Stage Two.