Again, failure!

For a long time, Wei remained silent, his expression inscrutable. His hands were clenched tightly, fingernails digging into his flesh, lips bitten until they bled.

But this state didn't last long. A few minutes later, Wei took a deep breath, sat down quietly, and resumed his efforts…

...

At dawn, with the rising sun marking a new day, the majestic Fei Yun Hall, as large as a sports stadium on Earth, stood as the most important structure in Piao Yun Valley. Here, on the first day of each month, disciples in the Ling Dong phase would gather to receive the essentials for their cultivation.

Despite practicing most of the night and sleeping less than three hours, Wei arrived on time at Fei Yun Hall. The spacious hall already had over a hundred figures - all Ling Dong phase disciples, each more advanced than Wei. His arrival sparked whispers and cold taunts that sliced through the air.

“See that boy? He's the one without a spiritual root, still dreaming of cultivation.”

“Hmph, not much to look at. People like him are just wasting our elixirs.”

“Indeed. I heard he’s hardworking, but what's the use without a spiritual root? Stuck in the first level of Ling Dong phase for three years.”

“Delusional, thinking he could break the unchanging laws of the cultivation world. A mortal's pursuit of cultivation is doomed to failure.”

...

Amidst the sneers and disdain, Wei remained unaffected, like ignoring the barking of mad dogs, and quietly moved to the back of the line.

A series of ancient bell tones rang out, silencing the crowd. Disciples quickly lined up as an elder, followed by children, entered the hall. Each child held a tray covered with red cloth, emanating a refreshing fragrance.

“Elder Ma!” The disciples bowed in respect.

“Hmm.” The elder, not highly skilled in cultivation and only at the preliminary stage of foundation building, yet powerful due to his control over the sect's pharmacy, acknowledged them arrogantly.

In cultivation, besides innate talent and personal effort, elixirs play a crucial role. With sufficient elixirs, one's progress could be significantly accelerated. However, due to the scarcity of materials required to make these elixirs, the sect could provide only a limited supply to its disciples.

As per the rules, each Ling Dong phase disciple was entitled to receive two Marrow Cleansing Pills monthly. These pills, as the name suggests, could purify the marrow, clear internal impurities, and stimulate a small amount of spiritual energy. However, the effect varied greatly depending on the individual's talent and were only effective for those in the Ling Dong phase.

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After a ceremonial tribute to the ancestors, the disciples lined up to receive their elixirs, each showing a look of treasured joy on their faces.

Soon it was Wei's turn. Elder Ma looked at him with a hint of contempt, picked up a jade bottle, poured out two pills, and threw them in front of Wei.

“Thank you, Elder,” Wei said, but then he twitched slightly. Looking at the pills in his hand, he realized... they were duds?

In the path of cultivation, there are many aspects like martial arts, artifact crafting, pill concocting, and talisman drawing, each a profound field of study.

Pill concocting, for instance, requires rare ingredients and the Three Flavors True Fire for refining. The success rate depends on factors like fire control, dosage of auxiliary materials, timing, and the quality of the cauldron.

Even experienced alchemists occasionally fail, turning precious materials into useless duds. These duds, with their high impurity content, are not only useless for cultivation but also harmful to the body.

Although a minor sect like Piao Yun Valley only distributed low-grade elixirs, these were still useful. But these duds...

Clearly, Elder Ma was deliberately making things difficult for Wei. A dark thought crossed Wei's mind, but he maintained his composure. Offending the influential Elder Ma was unwise.

“Elder, you've made a mistake. How can I consume these dud pills?”

“What's wrong with them?” The contempt in Elder Ma's eyes was unmistakable. “A low-level disciple like you, even consuming genuine elixirs is a waste. Dud pills might actually be more suitable. Here, I'll be generous and give you a few more bottles.”

He took two more bottles from the tray and tossed them to to Wei's hands.

"Other disciples receive only two Marrow Cleansing Pills, but I'm giving you two bottles. How's that for favoritism, nephew?" Elder Ma said.

"Thank you, Elder!" Wei replied, his displeasure vanishing as he respectfully accepted the pills and withdrew.

"How can this be?" Elder Ma was taken aback, speechless with astonishment.

Dud pills, in simple terms, are worthless, harmful rather than beneficial to cultivation. Not just two bottles, even more would be useless. How could Wei...

This reaction was entirely unexpected. Elder Ma thought his unfair treatment would provoke Wei into a tantrum, giving him an excuse to punish Wei for disrespecting an elder and expel him from the sect.

It wasn't personal animosity between Elder Ma and Wei, but Ma's disdain for those without spiritual roots. He thought Wei's presence in the sect was a disgrace and had plotted to drive him away.

The plan was meticulous, though not flawless. According to the sect rules, lower-ranking disciples were entitled to Marrow Cleansing Pills, but Ma deliberately replaced them with duds. Such unfair treatment would test anyone's patience, let alone a teenager like Wei. A reaction from Wei would have provided the perfect pretext for Elder Ma.

But fate had other plans. Wei might lack a spiritual root and be just an ordinary person, but he was neither foolish nor impulsive. He was smart, resilient, and always thoughtful in his actions. Angered by the dud pills, he managed to conceal his emotions effectively.

Wei sensed mockery and a plot in Elder Ma's contemptuous gaze. He couldn't fathom the exact scheme or why he was targeted, but he knew the immediate priority was to avoid falling into the trap.

Thus, Wei didn't react angrily but calmly accepted the dud pills, thwarting Elder Ma's attempt to persecute him. Elder Ma's plan to frame Wei backfired, leaving him speechless and infuriated.