Hearing Liu Hongfeng’s title, Li Sheng’s face lit up as he checked the panel.

Host: Li Sheng

Title: Master of Qingling Sect

Sect: Qingling Sect + (Conditions Met for Promotion)

Sect Points: 0

Cultivation Level: Seventh-tier Bone Refining Realm

Martial Arts: Turtle-Snake Body Refining Technique (Complete), Thunder Tiger Breathing Technique (Complete)

Talent for Cultivation: Superior (National Talent)

Comprehension: Superior (National Talent)

Skills: None

Training Arena: +

Transmission Hall: +

Library (Martial Arts Simulation):

Spirit Spring Pool: +

Alchemical Room (Potion Synthesis):

Spiritual Vein: Low-tier (Talent +2, Comprehension +2, Physical Improvement - Strong)

Protective Array: Second-tier (Restoration)

"Finally, I can be promoted!" Li Sheng suppressed the urge to advance immediately.

The system had indicated that each promotion would earn him five sect points, and the stronger the sect, the more points gained after promotion.

"Next, my junior sister and I need to push hard for the sixth tier, ideally before the competition in the capital..."

"Senior Brother."

Seeing Li Sheng in a daze, Bai Ye tugged at his arm.

"Master Liu, please rise... uh, no, I mean, Senior Liu..."

As Li Sheng’s titles became increasingly absurd, Liu Hongfeng chuckled helplessly.

"Master, I’m only twenty-nine. I can’t bear the title of ‘Senior’."

"Twenty-nine? That’s only six years older than him..."

Li Sheng scratched his head; it was hard to gauge a woman's age at this stage.

She could easily pass for twenty-five or thirty-five; the effects of martial arts did resist aging.

"Then I’ll call you Sister from now on; you’re the second elder of my Qingling Sect."

Liu Hongfeng nodded, taking a seat at the table while they ate and chatted.

Meanwhile, several dozen miles away in the Evil Wolf Valley, the atmosphere was tense.

Evil Wolf Valley had three factions: the Evil Wolf lineage, the Killing Wolf lineage, and the Wolf King lineage.

Each faction had a sixth-tier Bone Refining warrior, with the leader of the Wolf King lineage already at full mastery.

In the main hall, three golden thrones were occupied by sixth-tier warriors, surrounded by their subordinates.

A cold voice rang out from the center throne.

"So, you’re telling me not only did that woman from the Flower Sect survive, but the third and fourth from the Evil Wolf lineage fell as well?"

The kneeling figures trembled, lowering their heads even more.

"Evil Wolf, speak."

"Big Brother, that woman had long been infused with demonic energy and took a stab from me—she should be dead for sure. The third and fourth rushed in to claim credit and..."

"Describe the one who killed the third and fourth; how dare he meddle in the affairs of Evil Wolf Valley!"

One of those kneeling hurriedly replied,

"Returning to the Wolf King, that man is in his twenties, came from Qingling Sect, and is incredibly strong with strange movement techniques—he killed both of our leaders in just a few moments."

"Exactly, the fourth leader said he had sixth-tier strength; if it weren’t for the Flower Sect Master’s worsening injuries, he would have turned to leave, and we might not have escaped."

Another added.

"Qingling Sect, early twenties, sixth-tier?" The Wolf King muttered to himself.

"That’s nonsense!"

"The Master of Qingling Sect has long fallen, and the three seventh-tier elders have withdrawn from the sect, leaving behind only a ninth-tier waste to take the blame. Are you suggesting that waste has somehow advanced to sixth-tier in just a few days?"

The right-hand man of the Killing Wolf lineage berated, convinced these men were fabricating stories out of fear.

"What we say is true!"

Seeing the sincerity in the kneeling men’s expressions, the Wolf King pressed his right hand down.

"If that’s the case, we should pay a visit; I want to see what this Qingling Sect is all about."

"Big Brother, we’re protected by the alliance; we might..." one of the Evil Wolves hesitated.

"What's the problem? We can easily take one of those three withdrawing elders as a front to deal with the alliance," the Wolf King dismissed, unconcerned.

"Big Brother is wise; I’ll send someone to investigate right away."

...

In Qingshan City, at an inn, Feng Luyi stood by the window with a serious expression, recalling the reports from the disciples earlier.

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"Sixth-tier Bone Refining Realm... how is that possible?"

"Unless he’s been hiding his strength all these years!"

The more he thought, the more convinced he became; earlier assumptions about the Master’s inheritance had been discarded.

A sixth-tier warrior, let alone an inheritance, could hardly be cultivated by resurrecting the Master in such a short time.

That fool, Xiong Zhuang, was probably already dead.

Remembering how he had plotted to make Li Sheng take the blame, a chill crept into Feng Luyi’s heart.

The disdainful attitude they had displayed would likely seem ridiculous to Li Sheng.

"However, if Li Sheng has such strength, why didn’t he keep them alive? Instead, why did he inherit the worthless Qingling Sect?"

Feng Luyi pondered, feeling increasingly puzzled. He decided to seek out Junior Sister Lu for a chat.

This was not only to avoid retribution but also to clarify matters; after all, the two-star sect, Fengjiang Valley, had shown interest in this location, indicating there were things he didn’t know.

With this in mind, Feng Luyi leaped out the window without informing the other disciples.

...

Back at Qingling Sect, in the courtyard.

"Sister Liu, how is your injury recovering?" Li Sheng set down his chopsticks and took a sip of tea.

Feeling the gray energy within her, Liu Hongfeng felt a twinge of worry.

Her true energy had actually fused with the demonic energy; not only did she feel fine, but she seemed stronger.

She was on the verge of reaching sixth-tier mastery but chose to conceal the reason for now.

"Rest assured, Master; the effects of the top-tier pill are astonishing. My injuries have healed significantly, and by tomorrow night, I should be fully recovered."

"That’s good."

After eating and drinking their fill, Li Sheng instructed a woman to take Liu Hongfeng and Bai Ye to their previous quarters where Lu Qinghong and her daughter stayed.

"Junior Sister, there’s about half a month until the competition in the capital. During this time, you need to train diligently; it would be best to break through to sixth-tier before the competition."

"Half a month from seventh-tier to sixth-tier?" Bai Ye instinctively thought it was impossible.

But remembering the effects of the top-tier pills, her doubts faded away.

"Senior Brother, it might take two top-tier pills to have a chance at a breakthrough in such a short time," Bai Ye calculated softly.

"Don’t worry about the pills; we’ve offended the Evil Wolf Valley, and with the potential threat of Lu Qinghong and her daughter joining Fengjiang Valley, we cannot relax for a moment."

"I will work hard!" Bai Ye’s eyes shone with determination, feeling her senior brother was even more impressive in her eyes.

Seeing his junior sister leave, Li Sheng smiled slightly.

"Good, her mindset is set; she won’t slack off now."

"As for Sister Liu, there are no materials for sixth-tier pills at the moment. She’ll have to train with ninth-tier martial arts for now. Since the top-tier pill has already been revealed, there's no need to hide it."

"However, we must maintain a readiness for battle; we cannot let our guard down; this balance is something he needs to manage."

With these thoughts in mind, Li Sheng returned to his room, changed his bedding, and fell into a deep sleep.

Perhaps due to the significant energy expenditure during the rescue, Li Sheng slept especially soundly.

When he next opened his eyes, it was already midday the following day, just in time for the number of usages to reset.

Li Sheng hurried to the Library to exhaust his quota.

Once refreshed, he synthesized more potions.

Then he went to the Alchemical Room to refine a top-tier Bone Refining Pill.

Moments later, Li Sheng called a disciple to deliver a jade bottle to Bai Ye in the Spirit Gathering Room.

After a busy flurry of activity, Li Sheng finally had some downtime.

Instead of practicing seventh-tier martial arts, he strolled around the sect.

He played with Tuan Tuan, fed the Qinglin fish, and chatted with the old turtle, enjoying himself immensely.

Li Sheng’s actions weren’t out of laziness; rather, he had advanced too quickly.

In just a few days, he moved from ninth-tier to eighth-tier, then from eighth-tier to seventh-tier. Without taking time to settle down, it would hinder his future cultivation.

Just as he was enjoying his leisurely stroll, Feng Luyi arrived at Fengjiang Valley.