"Junior Brother Jiang, is there another matter you seek me for today?"

For reasons he could not quite articulate, Xu Changshou suddenly wished to limit his interactions with Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan nodded, his expression turning solemn. "It is like this. Senior Brother Li just broke through to the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. He wishes to invite everyone from our Gengzi Courtyard to a banquet."

"Senior Brother Li? Which Senior Brother Li?" Xu Changshou was momentarily stunned.

Jiang Xiaochuan laughed. "Who else could it be? Senior Brother Li Linhao."

"Li Linhao.. he.. broke through to the ninth layer of Qi Condensation?"

Xu Changshou was utterly shaken. He recalled vividly that Li Linhao and the rest of their cohort had broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Condensation at almost the exact same time.

His own cultivation speed had been relentless, suffering virtually no bottlenecks or delays.

Even so, the ninth layer of Qi Condensation remained a distant mirage.

Yet Li Linhao had actually breached that threshold, directly leaving him an entire minor realm behind.

"Senior Brother Xu, you likely do not comprehend the true weight of Senior Brother Li's background."

"What background?"

Jiang Xiaochuan lowered his voice. "Senior Brother Li is a privileged cultivation heir. His father is Li Yinglong, a former Inner Sect Disciple who is now a Foundation Establishment Almighty."

Xu Changshou was secretly astounded. "No wonder his cultivation soars with such speed. His foundation is truly monstrous."

Jiang Xiaochuan spoke with undisguised envy. "Senior Brother Li's pedigree does not stop there. The Patriarch of their Li clan-Li Linhao's own great-grandfather-is none other than Elder Li Tong of our Green Immortal Sect."

"Is that so!"

Xu Changshou was struck even harder by this revelation. He had heard the name Li Tong; the man was an Elder of Taiyi Peak, a genuine Golden Core Almighty.

He never could have imagined that Li Linhao-that quiet, unremarkable, honest fellow-was backed by such terrifying lineage.

Possessing such a monstrous background, his rapid breakthrough to the ninth layer of Qi Condensation made perfect, ruthless sense.

"And that is not all. I also heard that Senior Brother Li possesses peerless innate talent. He was internally designated as an Inner Sect Disciple from the moment he was born. The only reason he entered Chuxiu Peak alongside us was upon Elder Li Tong's strict orders, meant to temper Senior Brother Li's Dao heart."

Jiang Xiaochuan followed up with this even more explosive revelation.

"Inner Sect Disciple."

Xu Changshou found it impossible to articulate the complex knot in his chest.

Every Inner Sect Disciple was guaranteed a Foundation Establishment Pill.

This supreme treasure, a fated chance that cultivators would slaughter each other for, was Li Linhao's birthright.

The scions of illustrious clans truly tread an effortless path.

Xu Changshou felt the bitter sting of envy.

Forget it. Why harbor envy? My own path is not lacking.

Sooner or later, I shall seize a Foundation Establishment Pill with my own two hands.

"Junior Brother Li.. no, Senior Brother Li.. why is he inviting us to a banquet?" Xu Changshou asked.

Jiang Xiaochuan shook his head. "I am not entirely sure. Perhaps he wishes to reminisce about our days together on Chuxiu Peak."

"Perhaps."

Xu Changshou nodded silently.

In truth, he too harbored a certain nostalgia for those three years on Chuxiu Peak. They had been the most peaceful years of his mortal life, free from the crushing weight of survival and the endless struggle for resources.

But the Dao was ruthless, and cultivators were inevitably shaped by it.

Now, even if their old cohort gathered, the sheer disparity in their realms and ambitions would make it impossible to recapture that untainted innocence.

"Where is this banquet? And when does it commence?"

"At the Taiyi Pavilion."

"Understood. Inform Senior Brother Li that I shall arrive on time."

"Very well, Senior Brother Xu. I must take my leave to notify the others, so I will not linger."

"Farewell, Junior Brother Jiang."

..

Taiyi Pavilion was an opulent spirit restaurant situated at the foot of Taiyi Peak.

Rumors claimed the prices at the Pavilion were astronomical. A mere casual meal could easily devour several months of a standard Miscellaneous Disciple's Sect stipend.

Naturally, the exorbitant cost was justified. The Taiyi Pavilion offered an abundance of rare spirit beasts and exotic delicacies that the mundane Spirit Kitchens could never hope to procure.

Today happened to be his designated rest day.

Xu Changshou intended to upgrade his Storage Bag to one with greater internal capacity. Thus, he set off for the Affairs Peak first, planning to head to the Taiyi Pavilion afterward.

His current Storage Bag was the standard issue provided upon entering the Sect, possessing an internal space of a mere one square Zhang.

As his hoard of wealth and talismans grew increasingly massive, this meager spatial pocket was strained to its limits. An upgrade was an absolute necessity.

Having tread the paths of the Affairs Peak numerous times, Xu Changshou effortlessly navigated to the grand Trading Hall.

Within the bustling hall, an entire counter was dedicated exclusively to the exchange of Storage Bags.

Xu Changshou approached the counter. The steward in charge was an elder nearing his fiftieth year, his hair streaked with gray, radiating the dense aura of the eleventh layer of Qi Condensation.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. I seek to purchase a Storage Bag," Xu Changshou stated his intent plainly.

The elderly steward offered a polite smile. "Junior Brother, do you wish to exchange your current bag for a discount, or purchase one outright?"

"I can trade the old for the new?" Xu Changshou was pleasantly surprised.

"Indeed!"

The steward laughed. "If you surrender your old artifact, we shall appraise it and apply a discount toward your new purchase, generally recovering half its original value."

Xu Changshou retrieved his mundane Storage Bag. "This is the standard Sect issue. How many Spirit Stones can it offset?"

"This is a low-grade Storage Bag. A pristine one costs twelve Fragmented Spirit Stones. Depreciated, it will only offset six Fragmented Spirit Stones."

"Acceptable. Six it is. Process the exchange." Xu Changshou nodded. Once he secured a larger spatial pocket, this decrepit bag would be utterly useless. Scavenging six Fragmented Spirit Stones from it was a worthy trade.

The steward's expression turned professional. "Very well, I shall apply the deduction shortly. For disciples within the Qi Condensation realm, we offer three grades of Storage Bags. The low-grade possesses an internal space of one Zhang. The medium-grade holds ten Zhang. The high-grade expands to a vast one hundred Zhang. Which grade do you require?"

Xu Changshou considered his options. "What are their respective prices?"

The steward answered smoothly, "A low-grade Storage Bag is twelve Fragmented Spirit Stones. The medium-grade runs for one hundred and twenty Fragmented Spirit Stones. The high-grade demands twelve full Spirit Stones."

Xu Changshou nodded inwardly. The artifact he had relied upon this entire time was truly the absolute bottom tier.

Zhang Zhengyuan had once boasted his Storage Bag was the size of a spacious manor; it was undoubtedly a medium-grade artifact.

Ye Shanhu unquestionably wielded a high-grade Storage Bag. Her White Jade Flying Boat alone spanned over ten Zhang in length; only a high-grade spatial pocket could contain such a massive Spiritual artifact.

Which grade should I acquire?

Xu Changshou fell into deep thought..

The low-grade Storage Bag was absolutely out of the question. His choice lay strictly between the medium and high-grade options.

He deeply desired the vast capacity of the high-grade Storage Bag, yet the steep price gave him pause, plunging him into momentary hesitation.

"Junior Brother, have you reached a decision? Which grade shall you purchase?" the steward pressed gently.

Xu Changshou ground his teeth, finalizing his resolve. "I want the high-grade Storage Bag."

A high-grade Storage Bag..

Hearing this declaration, the elderly steward could not help but freeze. In his eyes, Xu Changshou was extremely young and hovered at merely the eighth layer of Qi Condensation; he was undoubtedly a recent initiate.

Among the newer disciples, exceedingly few possessed the ruthless capital to purchase a high-grade Storage Bag. Even the scions of minor clans would balk at such an exorbitant expense.

Such premium artifacts were exclusively the domain of wealthy privileged cultivation heirs and the direct descendants of major ancient families.

"Then make your selection."

The steward waved his sleeve, scattering five or six resplendent purple Storage Bags across the counter.

The hierarchical grades of Storage Bags were strictly color-coded.

Low-grade bags were woven in dull gray.

Medium-grade bags were steeped in deep black.

High-grade bags were dyed a rich, regal purple, radiating an unmistakable aura of luxury and status.

"Excellent. I shall take this one."

Xu Changshou selected a bag at random. With a sweep of his Divine Sense, he transferred the entirety of his possessions into the new spatial void, before tossing his old, depleted bag to the steward.

"Junior Brother, the high-grade Storage Bag is priced at twelve Spirit Stones. Subtracting the discount of six Fragmented Spirit Stones, your total comes to eleven Spirit Stones and ninety-four Fragmented Spirit Stones."

"Understood. My thanks, Senior Brother!"

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