The following dawn.

It was the first day of the rest period, and the designated time to submit Sect duties.

He had already reached an understanding with Li Daotu exempting him from Sect duties. However, to avoid wagging tongues, Li Daotu had Li Ling'er deliver half a year's worth of duty talismans to him.

Whenever the time came to submit duties, he merely had to go through the motions to maintain appearances.

"Junior Brother Xu, it is time to hand in our duties."

Yang Bailao's voice echoed from beyond the courtyard gates.

In the past, he had always traveled to the hand-in with Yang Bailao. Counting the days, two full months had slipped by since his last submission.

"Senior Brother Yang, wait a moment. I am coming!"

Xu Changshou briefly straightened his robes, then pushed open the wooden doors and stepped outside.

"Junior Brother Xu, do not keep Uncle-Master Li waiting.. Eh? Junior Brother Xu, you, you, you have actually broken through to the tenth layer of Qi Condensation."

Yang Bailao stared with widened eyes, his aged face twisting in sheer disbelief at the revelation of Xu Changshou's cultivation realm.

Yang Bailao was already past fifty mortal years and remained hopelessly stalled at the tenth layer. How old was Xu Changshou? Barely past twenty.

The plight of Green Ink Peak was no secret. Drafting talismans drained both time and Spiritual Qi, slowing cultivation to a torturous crawl compared to the other peaks.

Yet, why was Xu Changshou, anchored to the same cursed peak, advancing with such monstrous speed? Not even the Miscellaneous Disciples of Danxia Peak could boast such a terrifying pace.

How under the heavens had he achieved this?

Xu Changshou offered a humble smile. "Mere luck. A while ago, Uncle-Master Li sent me out to temper my Dao heart. By a stroke of Fated Chance, I comprehended the Bottleneck impeding the tenth layer of Qi Condensation. The moment I returned and entered Secluded Cultivation, the chains shattered."

"Uh.."

Yang Bailao choked on his words, his voice thick with envy. "No wonder Uncle-Master Li ordered you to escort the Exceptional Spirit Root. He must have recognized your extraordinary aptitude long ago. Junior Brother Xu, you are an absolute genius."

"Senior Brother Yang heaps too much praise upon me!"

Xu Changshou smiled wryly. A genius? In all his grinding years of survival, this was the first time anyone had pinned that exalted title upon him.

"Junior Brother Xu!"

Yang Bailao smiled bitterly. "I fear it will not be long before I am forced to address you as Senior Brother."

In the brutal hierarchy of the Sect, strength dictated status; it was only a matter of time before Xu Changshou eclipsed him entirely.

"Let us make haste, Senior Brother Yang. Best not keep Uncle-Master Li waiting."

"Let us go!"

The two quickened their pace toward Li Daotu's dojo.

Just before stepping onto Li Daotu's grounds, Xu Changshou's mind stirred, subtly shifting the aura of his soul.

This was a calculated scheme. He blended his soul signature into a fractured chimera-half Xu Changshou, half Li Xiaoming.

With each future visit, he would meticulously peel away a layer of Li Xiaoming's aura. By the time only his own soul signature remained, the transition would be seamless, leaving no room for suspicion.

This would weave a perfect illusion for the Patriarch.

Li Daotu would naturally assume Li Xiaoming was actively disguising himself as Xu Changshou, refining the facade until it became flawless.

Just as expected, the moment Li Daotu laid eyes upon Xu Changshou, the High Elder furrowed his brows in profound contemplation. Then, as if grasping a hidden truth, his features smoothed out into calm acceptance.

"Disciple Yang Bailao greets Uncle-Master Li."

"Disciple Xu Changshou greets Uncle-Master Li."

The two bowed in unison.

"Dispense with the formalities."

"Big Brother Changshou, you are finally here! I missed you terribly!"

Li Ling'er bounded over like a sprightly deer, clinging to Xu Changshou's arm and shaking it affectionately.

A rare glimmer of warmth softened Xu Changshou's eyes as he patted her head.

Sweeping her with his Divine Sense, Xu Changshou stifled a gasp of shock. Barely half a month had passed, yet her aura already pulsed at the third layer of Qi Condensation. Two minor realms, bridged in a fortnight!

Observing this display, Li Daotu allowed a thin smile to grace his lips. He harbored no objections to Li Ling'er's clinging affection; on the contrary, it only cemented his belief in the illusion.

After all, blood called to blood. They were, in his eyes, grandfather and granddaughter..

Once the duties were accounted for, Li Daotu spoke. "Two months from now, Li Ling'er's apprenticeship ceremony will commence. It shall be hosted upon this very peak. See to it that both of you arrive early to assist."

"Yes, Uncle-Master!"

Li Ling'er was formally taking a master?

A flicker of surprise danced across Xu Changshou's pupils.

Given her heaven-defying aptitude, she was destined to be claimed by a monstrous entity within the Sect. But who possessed the qualifications?

"Big Brother Changshou, come on! Let us go play."

"Alright."

"Where are we venturing today?"

"Today, I am taking you to Duty Peak."

"Duty Peak? Wonderful! Let us hurry!"

Departing the oppressive atmosphere of Li Daotu's dojo, Xu Changshou guided Li Ling'er toward Duty Peak.

Since it was the official day of rest, Li Ling'er had been granted a brief reprieve from her rigorous cultivation.

Xu Changshou intended to procure Spirit Gathering Pills. Following Ye Shanhu's advice that the Duty Peak supplied the purest pills, he had set his sights there.

A crisp wind howled through the heavens as pristine white clouds parted before them.

The flying spirit boat carved a steady path through the sea of mist.

Xu Changshou stood at the prow, his gaze piercing the distant peaks, while Li Ling'er leaned over the railing, cheering at the sweeping vistas.

The vessel was empty save for the two of them.

"Ling'er, Uncle-Master Li mentioned your upcoming apprenticeship ceremony. Do you know whose tutelage you will be placed under?" Xu Changshou asked abruptly.

Li Ling'er nodded, beaming brightly. "I know! My master is Leng Mei of Taiyi Peak."

"Hiss.."

Xu Changshou sucked in a sharp breath of frigid air.

Leng Mei of Taiyi Peak. Rumors hailed her as the most monstrous talent the Green Immortal Sect had nurtured in centuries.

She stepped onto the Dao at ten, breached Foundation Establishment at eighteen, and forged her Golden Core by her hundredth year.

She was the fiercely favored personal disciple of Patriarch Xuan Yang. For Li Ling'er to be taken under her wing was a heaven-shaking Fated Chance. Even the desolate Green Ink Peak would bask in her reflected glory.

That such an untouchable Almighty would deign to accept Li Ling'er.. only now did Xu Changshou truly comprehend the terrifying weight of her Exceptional Spirit Root.

"Ling'er, you must rein in your playful nature. Anchor your Dao heart and focus entirely upon your cultivation."

Xu Changshou delivered the warning with utmost solemnity.

To squander such heaven-defying talent on idle games would be a sin against the heavens.

"I know!" Li Ling'er nodded obediently.

Before long, the flying boat descended upon the bustling docks of Duty Peak.

As they disembarked, a swarm of Miscellaneous Disciples shuffled past them to board. Their faces were haggard, eyes hollowed and numb from the soul-crushing grind of mortality.

Xu Changshou guided Li Ling'er through the throngs, arriving before the grand trading hall of Duty Peak.

They approached the pavilion dedicated to Spirit Pills.

The disciple guarding the counter was none other than Liu Rushi.

From afar, Xu Changshou swept his gaze over her. Whether it was her mortal curves, her features, or her bearing-in his current eyes, she possessed an utterly unremarkable, mundane facade.

The naive illusions of his youth had long since burned away. Hardened by bloodshed and the ruthless pursuit of the Dao, his mortal desires had been wholly eclipsed by his soaring ambitions.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Liu."

Xu Changshou approached with a polite smile.

"Fellow Daoist, do we know each other?"

Liu Rushi blinked in surprise. The young cultivator standing before her radiated an unfamiliar aura; she could not recall crossing paths with him.

Once a mortal stepped into Qi Condensation, their spiritual senses sharpened their memories to a razor's edge. Faces and auras were rarely forgotten.

However, during their last encounter, Xu Changshou had been nothing but a scrawny urchin. Having shed his mortal frailties for the grace of a cultivator, her ignorance was to be expected.

"Has Senior Sister Liu forgotten so quickly? I am Xu Changshou. I once attended your Dao lectures as a child."

"Ah, Junior Brother Xu. The memory returns. Nine years ago, you purchased five Qi Gathering Pills from my hands."

At his prompt, the fog of time lifted from her eyes.

"Wait.. that cannot be right. Nine years ago, you were barely scraping the third layer of Qi Condensation. How has your cultivation advanced so violently?"

Sweeping her gaze over him, shock rippled through Liu Rushi's calm demeanor.

"I stumbled upon a few Fated Chances," Xu Changshou replied smoothly, deflecting her probe with a flawless smile.

"I see. What Spirit Pills does Junior Brother Xu require today?"