yòu shī bài le ！
又失败了！
Another failure!
liáng jiǔ ， lín xuān yì zhí mò rán bù yǔ ， biǎo qíng shàng suī kàn bù chū xǐ nù ， rán ér shǒu què wò dé jǐn jǐn de ， zhǐ jiǎ shēn shēn de zhā rù ròu zhōng ， zuǐ chún yě bèi yǎo pò 。
良久，林轩一直默然不语，表情上虽看不出喜怒，然而手却握得紧紧的，指甲深深的扎入肉中，嘴唇也被咬破。
After a long while, Lin Xuan remained silent, his expression showing no emotion. His fingers were tightly clenched into fists, digging deep into the flesh and breaking his lips.
dàn zhè yàng de zhuàng kuàng bìng méi yǒu chí xù duō jiǔ ， jǐ fēn zhōng hòu ， lín xuān shēn shēn xī le kǒu qì ， yī yán bù fā de chóng xīn zuò le xià qù ， jì xù nǔ lì ……
但这样的状况并没有持续多久，几分钟后，林轩深深吸了口气，一言不发的重新坐了下去，继续努力……
But this state didn't last long. A few minutes later, Lin Xuan took a deep breath and sat down silently again, continuing to strive...
qīng chén ， zhāo yáng chū shēng ， xīn yī tiān de kāi shǐ 。
清晨，朝阳初升，新一天的开始。
Morning dawned as the sun rose, marking the start of a new day.
fēi yún diàn qì shì huī hóng ， miàn jī gǎn de shàng dì qiú de tǐ yù chǎng le ， shì piāo yún gǔ zuì zhòng yào de jiàn zhù ， měi yuè chū yī ， líng dòng qī de dì zǐ jiāng zài zhè ér jù jí ， lǐng qǔ xiū liàn suǒ xū 。
飞云殿气势恢宏，面积赶得上地球的体育场了，是飘云谷最重要的建筑，每月初一，灵动期的弟子将在这儿聚集，领取修炼所需。
The Flying Cloud Pavilion was grand in its scale, covering an area equivalent to a stadium on Earth. It was the most important building in Drifting Cloud Valley. On the first day of each month, Disciple candidates at the Spirit Flowing stage would gather here to receive their cultivation supplies.
jǐn guǎn yòu xiū xíng le dà bàn yè ， zhǐ shuì le bú dào sān gè xiǎo shí ， lín xuān hái shì zhǔn shí lái dào le fēi yún diàn ， kuān chǎng de dà tīng zhōng ， zhè ér yǐng yǐng chuò chuò yǐ jīng zhàn yǒu bǎi yú rén ， dōu shì líng dòng qī dì zǐ ， bù guò měi yí gè de gōng lì dōu bǐ lín xuān shēn ， tā de dào lái yǐn qǐ le fēn fēn yì lùn ， bù shí yǒu lěng yán lěng yǔ huà pò kōng qì ， chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ 。
尽管又修行了大半夜，只睡了不到三个小时，林轩还是准时来到了飞云殿，宽敞的大厅中，这儿影影绰绰已经站有百余人，都是灵动期弟子，不过每一个的功力都比林轩深，他的到来引起了纷纷议论，不时有冷言冷语划破空气，传入耳朵里。
Despite having trained for hours into the night and only getting about three hours of sleep, Lin Xuan arrived punctually at the Flying Cloud Pavilion. The spacious hall was already filled with over a hundred people, all Disciples at the Spirit Flowing stage. Each had deeper power than Lin Xuan, causing whispers to break the silence as they turned their attention on him.
“ kàn jiàn le ma ， nà xiǎo zi jiù shì méi yǒu líng gēn ， hái wàng tú xiū xiān de fán rén 。”
“看见了吗，那小子就是没有灵根，还妄图修仙的凡人。”
"Look at that boy. He's rootless and still dares to dream of cultivation."
“ hēng ， zhǎng dé yě bù zěn me yàng ， zhè yàng de rén dài zài mén pài lǐ ， jiǎn zhí làng fèi dān yào 。”
“哼，长得也不怎么样，这样的人待在门派里，简直浪费丹药。”
"Hmph, he doesn't even look good. Keeping such a person in our sect is a waste of medicinal pills."
“ shuí shuō bú shì ne ， tīng shuō tā hěn nǔ lì ， kě méi yǒu líng gēn de pǔ tōng rén ， zěn me néng yǔ zán men xiāng bǐ ， sān nián de shí jiān ， hái jǐn jǐn tíng liú zài líng dòng qī dì yī céng 。”
“谁说不是呢，听说他很努力，可没有灵根的普通人，怎么能与咱们相比，三年的时间，还仅仅停留在灵动期第一层。”
"Indeed. They say he works hard, but without a spiritual root, how can an ordinary mortal compare? After three years, he's still stuck at the first level of Spirit Flowing."
“ bù zhī tiān gāo dì hòu ， tā yǐ wéi zì jǐ ， néng gòu dǎ pò xiū zhēn jiè wàn nián bù biàn de tiě lǜ ， fán rén xiū zhēn ， zhù dìng bú huì yǒu shén me chéng jiù 。”
“不知天高地厚，他以为自己，能够打破修真界万年不变的铁律，凡人修真，注定不会有什么成就。”
"He has no idea what he's up against. He thinks he can break the unchanging laws of cultivation—mortals cannot achieve anything in this realm."
jī fěng bái yǎn ， lín xuān què shén sè bù biàn ， jiù dāng shì fēng gǒu zài kuáng fèi yì bān ， mò mò de lái dào duì wǔ de hòu miàn 。
讥讽白眼，林轩却神色不变，就当是疯狗在狂吠一般，默默的来到队伍的后面。
Mocking glares were directed his way, but Lin Xuan remained unperturbed, as if indifferent to the barking dogs around him. He silently took his place at the back of the line.
yī zhèn gǔ piáo de zhōng shēng xiǎng le qǐ lái ， zhòng dì zǐ lián máng tíng zhǐ le yì lùn ， pái duì zhàn hǎo ， yí gè lǎo zhě dài zhe tóng zi zǒu jìn dà diàn ， měi yí gè tóng zi de shǒu lǐ dōu tuō zhe yí gè yuán pán ， shàng miàn yòng hóng bù fù gài ， què yī rán yǒu zhèn zhèn lìng rén shén qīng qì shuǎng de xiāng wèi sàn fà chū lái 。
一阵古朴的钟声响了起来，众弟子连忙停止了议论，排队站好，一个老者带着童子走进大殿，每一个童子的手里都托着一个圆盘，上面用红布覆盖，却依然有阵阵令人神清气爽的香味散发出来。
A resonant bell rang out, and the disciples quickly stopped their chatter, lining up neatly. An elder with a young attendant entered the hall. Each child held a round tray covered in red cloth, emanating a refreshing fragrance.
“ mǎ shī shū ！” zhòng dì zǐ gōng shēn xíng lǐ 。
“马师叔！”众弟子躬身行礼。
"Senior Master Ma!" The disciples bowed respectfully.
“ ń 。” nà lǎo zhě jù ào de yǎng zhe tóu ， tā gōng lì bù gāo ， jǐn jǐn shì zhù jī qián qī de xiū wèi ér yǐ ， bù guò què zhǎng guǎn zhe mén pài de yào fáng ， kě yǐ shuō wèi gāo quán zhòng 。
“嗯。”那老者倨傲的仰着头，他功力不高，仅仅是筑基前期的修为而已，不过却掌管着门派的药房，可以说位高权重。
"Mmm." The elder's head was held high in arrogance. Though his cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, he managed the sect’s apothecary and wielded considerable power.
xiū zhēn chú le zī zhì yǔ běn shēn de nǔ lì ， dān yào yě bì bù kě shǎo ， shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō fēi cháng zhòng yào ， xiū liàn de shí hòu rú guǒ yǒu zú gòu de dān yào fú shí ， jìn jìng huì kuài shàng xǔ duō ， kě yǐ shuō shì yī tiáo jié jìng ， rán ér liàn zhì dān yào de cái liào ， dōu shì yī xiē zhēn guì de qí huā yì cǎo ， suǒ yǐ mén pài zhǐ néng wèi dì zǐ men tí gōng hěn shǎo de dān yào 。
修真除了资质与本身的努力，丹药也必不可少，甚至可以说非常重要，修炼的时候如果有足够的丹药服食，进境会快上许多，可以说是一条捷径，然而炼制丹药的材料，都是一些珍贵的奇花异草，所以门派只能为弟子们提供很少的丹药。
Cultivation required not just talent and effort but also medicinal pills, which were crucial for rapid progress. With enough medicinal pills during practice, one could advance much faster—almost a shortcut. However, the materials needed to create these pills were rare and precious herbs, so the sect could only provide limited quantities of them.
àn zhào guī jǔ ， líng dòng qī de dì zǐ měi yuè kě yǐ lǐng qǔ liǎng méi xǐ suǐ dān 。
按照规矩，灵动期的弟子每月可以领取两枚洗髓丹。
According to the rules, Disciples at the Spirit Flowing stage received two Essence Cleansing Pills each month.
xǐ suǐ dān ， gù míng sī yì ， néng gòu yì jīng xǐ suǐ ， huà jiě tǐ nèi zhuó qì ， bìng qiě cuī shēng yì diǎn diǎn de líng lì ， dāng rán ， gēn jù měi gè rén zī zhì dì bù tóng ， cuī shēng chū lái de líng lì de liàng yě yǒu hěn dà chā yì ， cǐ dān zhǐ duì líng dòng qī de dì zǐ yǒu xiào 。
洗髓丹，顾名思义，能够易经洗髓，化解体内浊气，并且催生一点点的灵力，当然，根据每个人资质的不同，催生出来的灵力的量也有很大差异，此丹只对灵动期的弟子有效。
Essence Cleansing Pills, as their name suggests, cleansed one's meridians and refined the body’s impurities, generating a small amount of spiritual energy. The quantity varied based on individual talent. These pills were only effective for Disciples at the Spirit Flowing stage.
kāi xiāng táng ， bài guò zǔ shī ， zhòng dì zǐ liè duì shàng qián ， cóng lǎo zhě de shǒu lǐ lǐng qǔ dān yào ， měi gè rén de liǎn shàng dōu lù chū zhēn xī yǔ xǐ yuè de biǎo qíng 。
开香堂，拜过祖师，众弟子列队上前，从老者的手里领取丹药，每个人的脸上都露出珍惜与喜悦的表情。
The incense hall was followed by a ritual to honor the ancestors, after which the disciples lined up to receive their medicinal pills from the elder. Each disciple's face lit up with gratitude and joy.
hěn kuài lún dào le lín xuān ， mǎ zhǎng lǎo kàn le tā yī yǎn ， liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī qīng miè de biǎo qíng ， cóng yuán pán shàng qǔ guò yí gè yù píng ， cóng lǐ miàn dào chū liǎng méi dān yào ， pāo zài le tā de miàn qián 。
很快轮到了林轩，马长老看了他一眼，脸上露出一丝轻蔑的表情，从圆盘上取过一个玉瓶，从里面倒出两枚丹药，抛在了他的面前。
Soon it was Lin Xuan’s turn. Senior Master Ma glanced at him, his expression tinged with contempt. He took an jade bottle from the tray, poured out two pills, and tossed them in front of Lin Xuan.
“ xiè shī shū 。” lín xuān huà yīn wèi luò ， yǎn jiǎo tū rán tiào le yī xià ， kàn zhuó shǒu lǐ de liǎng méi yào wán ， zhè shì …… fèi dān ？
“谢师叔。”林轩话音未落，眼角突然跳了一下，看着手里的两枚药丸，这是……废丹？
"Thank you, senior master." Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xuan's eye twitched. Looking at the two pills in his hand, these... were they dud pills?
xiū xiān yī tú ， bāo luó wàn xiàng ， gōng fǎ 、 zhì qì 、 liàn dān 、 huà fú ， bù yī ér zú ， měi yī xiàng dōu bāo hán ruò dà de xué wèn 。
修仙一途，包罗万象，功法、制器、炼丹、画符，不一而足，每一项都包含偌大的学问。
Cultivation encompassed a myriad of fields—methods, tools, alchemy, and talisman-making. Each required extensive knowledge.
bǐ rú shuō liàn dān ， chú le gè zhǒng zhēn guì cái liào ， qí huā yì cǎo ， hái xū yào sān wèi zhēn huǒ lái liàn zhì ， tóng shí huǒ hòu ， fǔ liào de jì liàng ， kāi lú shí jiān ， bǎo dǐng cái liào ， dōu guān xì zhe liàn dān de chéng gōng lǜ 。
比如说炼丹，除了各种珍贵材料，奇花异草，还需要三味真火来炼制，同时火候，辅料的剂量，开炉时间，宝鼎材料，都关系着炼丹的成功率。
For example, alchemy involved not only precious materials like rare herbs but also three types of true fire for refining. The timing, dosage of auxiliary ingredients, the opening time, and the material of the cauldron all influenced the success rate.
jí shǐ shì jīng yàn fēng fù de liàn dān dà shī ， yě jīng cháng yǒu shī shǒu zhī shí ， jiāng yī dǐng tiān cái dì bǎo ， liàn zhì chéng méi yǒu yòng chǔ de fèi dān 。
即使是经验丰富的炼丹大师，也经常有失手之时，将一鼎天材地宝，炼制成没有用处的废丹。
Even experienced alchemists often failed, turning divine treasures into useless dud pills.
fèi dān ， shì zhǐ zá zhì hán liàng guò duō ， nà yàng de dān yào ， chī le bù jǐn duì xiū wèi méi yǒu yì chù ， fǎn ér huì sǔn hài shēn tǐ ， tōng cháng dōu zhǐ yǒu rěn tòng diū diào 。
废丹，是指杂质含量过多，那样的丹药，吃了不仅对修为没有益处，反而会损害身体，通常都只有忍痛丢掉。
Dud pills contained excessive impurities; ingesting them could harm one's cultivation instead of benefiting it. They were typically discarded with regret.
suī rán xiàng piāo yún gǔ zhè yàng de xiǎo pài ， fēn fā gěi dì zǐ men de dān yào ， yě jǐn jǐn shì xià pǐn ， dàn xià pǐn yě bì jìng shì yǒu yòng de líng yào ， ér zhè fèi dān ……
虽然像飘云谷这样的小派，分发给弟子们的丹药，也仅仅是下品，但下品也毕竟是有用的灵药，而这废丹……
Although such small sects like Drifting Cloud Valley only distributed low-grade medicinal pills to their disciples, even these had some value for cultivation. But these dud pills...
duì fāng míng xiǎn yǒu yì wéi nán zì jǐ ， lín xuān xīn zhōng shǎn guò yī lǚ yīn mái ， biǎo miàn shàng què sī háo bù dòng shēng sè ， zhè xìng mǎ de wèi gāo quán zhòng ， dé zuì shì hěn bù míng zhì de 。
对方明显有意为难自己，林轩心中闪过一缕阴霾，表面上却丝毫不动声色，这姓马的位高权重，得罪是很不明智的。
Clearly, the elder was trying to make things difficult for him. A dark cloud passed through Lin Xuan’s mind, but he remained calm on the surface. It would be unwise to offend such a powerful figure.
“ shī shū nín ná cuò le ， zhè liǎng lì fèi dān ， zěn néng fú yòng ？”
“师叔您拿错了，这两粒废丹，怎能服用？”
"These pills are incorrect; how can I take dud pills?"
“ yǒu shén me bù kě yǐ ？” mǎ zhǎng lǎo de yǎn zhōng de miè shì xiǎn lù wú yí ， yí gè bèi hū shì de dī jiē dì zǐ ér yǐ ， tā yǎng le yǎng tóu ， jù ào de dào ：“ zěn me ， bù mǎn yì ？”
“有什么不可以？”马长老的眼中的蔑视显露无疑，一个被忽视的低阶弟子而已，他仰了仰头，倨傲的道：“怎么，不满意？”
"Why not?" Senior Master Ma's disdain was evident in his eyes. "A lowly disciple like you is nothing. Look up."
“ fǎn zhèng yǐ nǐ de zī zhì ， fú yòng líng dān yě shì làng fèi ér yǐ ， fèi dān shuō bù dìng hái zhèng hǎo hé shì ， zhè yàng ba ， shī shū wǒ yě bú shì bù jiǎng qíng lǐ ， jiù duō gěi nǐ jǐ píng 。”
“反正以你的资质，服用灵丹也是浪费而已，废丹说不定还正好合适，这样吧，师叔我也不是不讲情理，就多给你几瓶。”
"Fine, your talent means these pills will just waste away anyway. Maybe the duds are perfect for you. Here, senior master, I’ll give you a few extra bottles."
shuō zhe cóng pán zi lǐ qǔ guò liǎng gè yù píng ， pāo dào le lín xuān shǒu lǐ 。
说着从盘子里取过两个玉瓶，抛到了林轩手里。
He took two more jade bottles from the tray and tossed them to Lin Xuan.
“ bié de dì zǐ yī rén zhǐ yǒu liǎng méi xǐ suǐ dān ， wǒ gěi nǐ liǎng píng ， zěn me yàng ， shī shū gòu yōu dài nǐ ba ！”
“别的弟子一人只有两枚洗髓丹，我给你两瓶，怎么样，师叔够优待你吧！”
"Each disciple only gets two Essence Cleansing Pills, but I’m giving you two bottles. How’s that? Senior Master, am I being generous?"
“ xiè shī shū ！”
“谢师叔！”
"Thank you, senior master!"
chū hū mǎ zhǎng lǎo de yì liào ， lín xuān liǎn shàng de bù mǎn wán quán xiāo shī le ， jiē guò dān yào gōng jìng de xíng le yī lǐ ， tuì le xià qù 。
出乎马长老的意料，林轩脸上的不满完全消失了，接过丹药恭敬的行了一礼，退了下去。
To his surprise, Lin Xuan's displeasure vanished as he respectfully bowed and stepped back.
“ zěn me huì ne ？” mǎ zhǎng lǎo fǎn ér mǎn liǎn jīng è ， dāi dāi de shuō bù chū huà lái le 。
“怎么会呢？”马长老反而满脸惊愕，呆呆的说不出话来了。
"Why would he do that?" Senior Master Ma was taken aback, speechless with shock.
fèi dān ， jiǎn dān de shuō ， jiù shì lā jī ， fú yòng le gēn běn duì xiū xíng yǒu hài wú yì ， bié shuō liǎng píng ， jiù suàn ná zài duō yě yī qián bù zhí ， lín xuān zěn me huì ……
废丹，简单的说，就是垃圾，服用了根本对修行有害无益，别说两瓶，就算拿再多也一钱不值，林轩怎么会……
Dud pills were simply garbage; ingesting them could harm one’s cultivation. Even if given two bottles, they had no value. Why...
wán quán shì chū hū yì liào de fǎn yìng ， yuán běn mǎ zhǎng lǎo yǐ wéi zì jǐ zhè yàng bù gōng píng de duì dài tā ， lín xuān huì dà chǎo dà nào ， rán hòu zì jǐ jiù kě yǐ jiè tí fā huī ， zhì tā bù jìng zhǎng bèi de zuì míng ， jiāng lín xuān zhú chū shī mén 。
完全是出乎意料的反应，原本马长老以为自己这样不公平的对待他，林轩会大吵大闹，然后自己就可以借题发挥，治他不敬长辈的罪名，将林轩逐出师门。
Lin Xuan’s reaction was completely unexpected. Initially, Senior Master Ma thought Lin Xuan would protest loudly and use the situation to his advantage, allowing him to punish Lin Xuan for disrespecting elders by expelling him from the sect.
zhè dào bú shì mǎ zhǎng lǎo yǔ lín xuān yǒu chóu ， ér shì zhè jiā huo tiān shēng shì lì ， kàn bù qǐ méi yǒu líng gēn de fán rén ， jué de ràng lín xuān liú zài mén pài lǐ gēn běn jiù shì diū liǎn ， suǒ yǐ cái chǔ xīn jī lǜ ， xiǎng yào jiāng tā gǎn chū qù 。
这倒不是马长老与林轩有仇，而是这家伙天生势利，看不起没有灵根的凡人，觉得让林轩留在门派里根本就是丢脸，所以才处心积虑，想要将他赶出去。
This wasn’t personal; he simply despised rootless mortals like Lin Xuan, considering it a disgrace to keep such a person in the sect. He had schemed to get rid of Lin Xuan.
jì huà bù néng shuō tiān yī wú fèng ， dàn hái shì hěn zhōu mì ， àn zhào mén guī ， dī jiē dì zǐ kě yǐ lǐng qǔ xǐ suǐ dān ， tā què gù yì diāo nàn ， yòng fèi dān dài tì ， zhè yàng bù gōng píng de dài yù ， bié shuō lín xuān yí gè shí jǐ suì de shào nián ， jiù suàn shì yuè lì fēng fù de lǎo hú lí ， yě bù yí dìng rěn nài dé zhù ， zhǐ yào tā fā zuò ， jiù kě yǐ jiè tí fā huī le 。
计划不能说天衣无缝，但还是很周密，按照门规，低阶弟子可以领取洗髓丹，他却故意刁难，用废丹代替，这样不公平的待遇，别说林轩一个十几岁的少年，就算是阅历丰富的老狐狸，也不一定忍耐得住，只要他发作，就可以借题发挥了。
The plan was far from perfect but well thought out. According to sect rules, lowly disciples could receive Essence Cleansing Pills, yet he deliberately made things difficult by giving dud pills instead. Such unfair treatment would have driven even an experienced old fox to react, providing him with the pretext to expel Lin Xuan.
rán ér rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn ， lín xuān suī rán méi yǒu líng gēn ， zhǐ shì pǔ tōng rén ， dàn tóu nǎo kě bù bèn ， shèn zhì hěn cōng míng ， xìng gé yòu jiān rèn ， néng rěn rén zhī suǒ bù néng rěn ， shuō huà zuò shì xiàng lái shì sān sī ér hòu xíng ， bù chōng dòng ， mǎ zhǎng lǎo gěi fèi dān ， tā què shí fèn nù ， dàn què hěn hǎo de jiāng zhè zhǒng qíng xù yǐn cáng qǐ lái le 。
然而人算不如天算，林轩虽然没有灵根，只是普通人，但头脑可不笨，甚至很聪明，性格又坚韧，能忍人之所不能忍，说话做事向来是三思而后行，不冲动，马长老给废丹，他确实愤怒，但却很好的将这种情绪隐藏起来了。
However, human plans often fail against divine providence. Although Lin Xuan lacked a spiritual root and was just an ordinary mortal, his mind wasn’t dull; he was quite clever and resilient, able to endure what others couldn’t. He always thought before acting, never impulsively reacting. Despite being angry at the dud pills, he managed to hide his emotions.
cóng mǎ zhǎng lǎo qīng miè de yǎn shén zhōng ， lín xuān hái kàn jiàn le yī sī xì xuè ， yǒu yīn móu ， tā lì kè dé chū liǎo jié lùn ， suī rán bù zhī dào jù tǐ shì shén me yīn móu ， yě bù zhī dào tā wèi shén me yào zhēn duì wú yuān wú chóu de zì jǐ ， dàn zhè xiē kě yǐ yǐ hòu zài diào chá ， dāng wù zhī jí shì bù luò rù xiàn jǐng zhōng 。
从马长老轻蔑的眼神中，林轩还看见了一丝戏谑，有阴谋，他立刻得出了结论，虽然不知道具体是什么阴谋，也不知道他为什么要针对无冤无仇的自己，但这些可以以后再调查，当务之急是不落入陷阱中。
From Senior Master Ma’s contemptuous gaze, Lin Xuan saw a hint of mockery. There was a plot, and he immediately deduced it. Though unsure of its specifics or why it targeted him, he would investigate later. For now, he needed to avoid falling into the trap.
yú shì lín xuān bù jǐn méi yǒu fā huǒ ， fǎn ér shén sè rú cháng de jiē guò le fèi dān ， chéng gōng duǒ guò le yī cì pò hài ， mǎ zhǎng lǎo de jì huà shī bài ， xiàn hài lín xuān bù chéng ， zì jǐ fǎn ér qì dé shuō bù chū huà lái 。
于是林轩不仅没有发火，反而神色如常的接过了废丹，成功躲过了一次迫害，马长老的计划失败，陷害林轩不成，自己反而气得说不出话来。
Thus, not only did Lin Xuan remain calm as he accepted the dud pills, but he successfully dodged another attempt on his part. Senior Master Ma’s plan failed; he couldn’t harm Lin Xuan and instead left him speechless with anger.
Another failure!
After a long while, Lin Xuan remained silent, his expression showing no emotion. His fingers were tightly clenched into fists, digging deep into the flesh and breaking his lips.
But this state didn't last long. A few minutes later, Lin Xuan took a deep breath and sat down silently again, continuing to strive...
---
Morning dawned as the sun rose, marking the start of a new day.
The Flying Cloud Pavilion was grand in its scale, covering an area equivalent to a stadium on Earth. It was the most important building in Drifting Cloud Valley. On the first day of each month, Disciple candidates at the Spirit Flowing stage would gather here to receive their cultivation supplies.
Despite having trained for hours into the night and only getting about three hours of sleep, Lin Xuan arrived punctually at the Flying Cloud Pavilion. The spacious hall was already filled with over a hundred people, all Disciples at the Spirit Flowing stage. Each had deeper power than Lin Xuan, causing whispers to break the silence as they turned their attention on him.
"Look at that boy. He's rootless and still dares to dream of cultivation."
"Hmph, he doesn't even look good. Keeping such a person in our sect is a waste of medicinal pills."
"Indeed. They say he works hard, but without a spiritual root, how can an ordinary mortal compare? After three years, he's still stuck at the first level of Spirit Flowing."
"He has no idea what he's up against. He thinks he can break the unchanging laws of cultivation—mortals cannot achieve anything in this realm."
...
Mocking glares were directed his way, but Lin Xuan remained unperturbed, as if indifferent to the barking dogs around him. He silently took his place at the back of the line.
A resonant bell rang out, and the disciples quickly stopped their chatter, lining up neatly. An elder with a young attendant entered the hall. Each child held a round tray covered in red cloth, emanating a refreshing fragrance.
"Senior Master Ma!" The disciples bowed respectfully.
"Mmm." The elder's head was held high in arrogance. Though his cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, he managed the sect’s apothecary and wielded considerable power.
Cultivation required not just talent and effort but also medicinal pills, which were crucial for rapid progress. With enough medicinal pills during practice, one could advance much faster—almost a shortcut. However, the materials needed to create these pills were rare and precious herbs, so the sect could only provide limited quantities of them.
According to the rules, Disciples at the Spirit Flowing stage received two Essence Cleansing Pills each month.
Essence Cleansing Pills, as their name suggests, cleansed one's meridians and refined the body’s impurities, generating a small amount of spiritual energy. The quantity varied based on individual talent. These pills were only effective for Disciples at the Spirit Flowing stage.
The incense hall was followed by a ritual to honor the ancestors, after which the disciples lined up to receive their medicinal pills from the elder. Each disciple's face lit up with gratitude and joy.
Soon it was Lin Xuan’s turn. Senior Master Ma glanced at him, his expression tinged with contempt. He took an jade bottle from the tray, poured out two pills, and tossed them in front of Lin Xuan.
"Thank you, senior master." Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xuan's eye twitched. Looking at the two pills in his hand, these... were they dud pills?
Cultivation encompassed a myriad of fields—methods, tools, alchemy, and talisman-making. Each required extensive knowledge.
For example, alchemy involved not only precious materials like rare herbs but also three types of true fire for refining. The timing, dosage of auxiliary ingredients, the opening time, and the material of the cauldron all influenced the success rate.
Even experienced alchemists often failed, turning divine treasures into useless dud pills.
Dud pills contained excessive impurities; ingesting them could harm one's cultivation instead of benefiting it. They were typically discarded with regret.
Although such small sects like Drifting Cloud Valley only distributed low-grade medicinal pills to their disciples, even these had some value for cultivation. But these dud pills...
Clearly, the elder was trying to make things difficult for him. A dark cloud passed through Lin Xuan’s mind, but he remained calm on the surface. It would be unwise to offend such a powerful figure.
"These pills are incorrect; how can I take dud pills?"
"Why not?" Senior Master Ma's disdain was evident in his eyes. "A lowly disciple like you is nothing. Look up."
"Fine, your talent means these pills will just waste away anyway. Maybe the duds are perfect for you. Here, senior master, I’ll give you a few extra bottles."
He took two more jade bottles from the tray and tossed them to Lin Xuan.
"Each disciple only gets two Essence Cleansing Pills, but I’m giving you two bottles. How’s that? Senior Master, am I being generous?"
"Thank you, senior master!"
To his surprise, Lin Xuan's displeasure vanished as he respectfully bowed and stepped back.
"Why would he do that?" Senior Master Ma was taken aback, speechless with shock.
Dud pills were simply garbage; ingesting them could harm one’s cultivation. Even if given two bottles, they had no value. Why...
Lin Xuan’s reaction was completely unexpected. Initially, Senior Master Ma thought Lin Xuan would protest loudly and use the situation to his advantage, allowing him to punish Lin Xuan for disrespecting elders by expelling him from the sect.
This wasn’t personal; he simply despised rootless mortals like Lin Xuan, considering it a disgrace to keep such a person in the sect. He had schemed to get rid of Lin Xuan.
The plan was far from perfect but well thought out. According to sect rules, lowly disciples could receive Essence Cleansing Pills, yet he deliberately made things difficult by giving dud pills instead. Such unfair treatment would have driven even an experienced old fox to react, providing him with the pretext to expel Lin Xuan.
However, human plans often fail against divine providence. Although Lin Xuan lacked a spiritual root and was just an ordinary mortal, his mind wasn’t dull; he was quite clever and resilient, able to endure what others couldn’t. He always thought before acting, never impulsively reacting. Despite being angry at the dud pills, he managed to hide his emotions.
From Senior Master Ma’s contemptuous gaze, Lin Xuan saw a hint of mockery. There was a plot, and he immediately deduced it. Though unsure of its specifics or why it targeted him, he would investigate later. For now, he needed to avoid falling into the trap.
Thus, not only did Lin Xuan remain calm as he accepted the dud pills, but he successfully dodged another attempt on his part. Senior Master Ma’s plan failed; he couldn’t harm Lin Xuan and instead left him speechless with anger.