Chapter 56 - 23: Job Advancement: Qi Cultivator

Chapter 56: Chapter 23: Job Advancement: Qi Cultivator

"Remember, the Hundred-Day Exam is your most important opportunity. After this, you can still switch peaks within the Shenxiao Sect, but it will be hundreds, even thousands of times more difficult!"

"Don’t leave yourselves with any regrets!"

His words were all it took. Jiang Xuan and the others all grew solemn. Many were already itching to go, wishing they could return to their rooms and immediately enter secluded cultivation.

After they were dismissed, Dong Hao immediately pulled Jiang Xuan aside and began to whisper the inside story of the "Outer Disciple training experience."

"Going to the peaks now with these letters of recommendation is a completely different beast from actually joining the Outer Sect later. The latter means you’ll be treated like a servant, doing all the menial, exhausting chores. But for us, going now... to put it bluntly, it’s just to make our faces known. Out of respect for Lecturer Song, none of the peaks will give us any real work. It will be all about observing and getting a feel for the place."

At this point, Dong Hao leaned half a step closer, his voice dropping so low that only the two of them could hear. "What’s more crucial," he said, "is that during the Hundred-Day Exam, the Elders and leaders from every peak will personally attend. On the surface, they’re there to observe, but in reality, they’re scouting new talent for their own factions. If we can get into a peak beforehand and make a good impression on those Elders and Core Disciples, our chances of being chosen during the exam will increase several times over, at least!"

It all clicked for Jiang Xuan, and he couldn’t agree more. But that was exactly why the choice of which peak to visit for this experience was now the most critical decision he faced. A single misstep could cost him a heaven-sent opportunity.

Dong Hao, who was well aware of the stakes, immediately took charge. "Brother Jiang, don’t rush into a decision. My family has some connections within the Sect. Let me do some digging first. I’ll find out the details of each peak—their specialties, their preferences, and their momentum over the past few years. Once I have a clear picture, we can decide together which peak is the best fit for us."

"Alright. I’ll be counting on you, then, Brother Dong," Jiang Xuan readily agreed.

And so, after collecting his rewards and settling things with Dong Hao, Jiang Xuan parted ways with the others and headed home alone to Cui Bamboo Town.

But as he reached the entrance to his street in Cui Bamboo Town, Jiang Xuan stopped in his tracks.

Even from a distance, he could hear a clamor of voices rising and falling from in front of his house.

"Aunt Yuerong, I’ve been saying it for years! That boy of yours, Jiang Xuan, was always extraordinary. I knew he’d have a great future!"

"Ain’t that the truth! Like father, like son!"

"Yuerong, my dear, do you think you could work something out? Let my little Hao study under your Jiang Xuan for a while? He could just help out, do anything at all!"

Jiang Xuan had been held back by Song Zhou, but the others from the Chen Daoist School had not. As the regular disciples returned home, the news of Jiang Xuan’s "excellent" evaluation grew wings and in an instant, it had spread throughout all of Cui Bamboo Town.

For a small town like this, earning an "excellent" rating from the Daoist School was the equivalent of passing the highest imperial examinations in the old days. It was a monumental event, the kind of good fortune that could allow a family to transcend its social class—a true case of a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

This was precisely why the neighbors, as soon as they heard the news, had swarmed Jiang Xuan’s front door. Some hoped to curry favor, while others wished their own children could bask in his reflected glory and receive a word or two of guidance. They crowded around Jiang Xuan’s mother, Shen Yuerong, showering her with congratulations and flattery.

Shen Yuerong, surrounded by the crowd, was in a complete daze.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined her son could actually earn an "excellent" rating from the Daoist School.

’Isn’t... isn’t that something only the young masters and mistresses from the great Sect Families are supposed to achieve?’

’Xiaoxuan? An "excellent" rating? How is that possible?’

Shen Yuerong was utterly incredulous. Yet, the earnest congratulations ringing in her ears and the fawning neighbors before her eyes were undeniably real. The sheer shock of it all made her feel dizzy, as if she were trapped in a dream.

It was into this very scene that Jiang Xuan returned.

The moment his figure appeared at the end of the street, someone with sharp eyes spotted him and yelled, "Jiang Xuan’s back!"

WHOOSH—

The shout brought the noisy crowd to a standstill for a fraction of a second. Then, as one, all the neighbors turned their heads, their eyes locking onto Jiang Xuan. Immediately after, they surged toward him like a swarm of bees.

Even for someone like Jiang Xuan, who had just endured the trials of the Daoist School, the sight made his heart skip a beat.

’Supreme Star, responding without cease; Exorcism and Binding Charm, Life and Body Protection...’

Almost instinctively, Jiang Xuan began to silently recite the Purifying Heart Divine Spell.

HUMMM—

As he finished reciting the Divine Spell, a serene, otherworldly aura instantly radiated from him. This tranquil, clear presence washed over the area like a cool spring, seeming to quiet even the boisterous air. The neighbors who had been surging forward felt the agitation in their hearts suddenly vanish. Gazing at the young man before them, they sensed an otherworldly Dao Rhyme about him, something untouched by the mortal world that brought them an inexplicable Peace of Mind. Involuntarily, they all came to a halt.

Just as Jiang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the situation had finally been brought under control—

The next second, it was like adding fuel to the fire. An even more frenzied and excited wave of shouts erupted:

"Jiang Xuan! Are you looking for a wife? My daughter’s smart, sensible, and pretty, too! She’d be a perfect match for you!"

"Get out of the way! As if your daughter is good enough for Jiang Xuan!" Someone shoved the person next to them and squeezed forward, their face plastered with a sycophantic grin. "Young friend Jiang Xuan—oh, no, Lord Jiang Xuan! While you’re cultivating at the Daoist School, you must need someone to serve you tea and attend to your daily needs, right? My son is nimble and quick. He can do any kind of work, and I guarantee he’ll be absolutely loyal!"