The sect's assembly hall.
Nearly everyone who could attend had gathered.
San Dong, her face filled with admiration and anticipation, leaned close to Qinghe, who kept asking questions with lively curiosity.
Xie Lingyu sat quietly, head lowered as she sipped tea in silence.
Li Yingling, relaxed and unhurried, savored her tea with an air of ease, her gaze drifting toward her master beside her—her expression seemed to say, "Cultivation? Isn’t that just a trivial matter?"
Since the commotion of Li Yingling’s breakthrough had been quite noticeable, both Li Xingtian and Lin Luoyu, still diligently training, had sensed the overwhelming surge of spiritual energy. They promptly halted their cultivation and gathered early.
Li Yingling set down her teacup and turned her attention to Li Xingtian, speaking with earnest concern:
"Junior Brother, cultivation is about balancing work and rest. Overexertion only slows your progress."
Li Xingtian met his senior sister’s gaze. For some reason, he felt there was no encouragement for a junior in her eyes—only a silent remark: "Bro, even with all this effort, you’re still lagging behind."
"My talent pales in comparison to Senior Sister’s. Naturally, I can’t keep up," Li Xingtian replied calmly.
This wasn’t entirely just to humor her.
After all, he had even consumed pills refined by their master to boost his cultivation—yet he still couldn’t surpass his senior sister.
All he could do was sigh and acknowledge that among geniuses, there were still greater geniuses.
Cui Hao, sensing his own Foundation Establishment cultivation, quickly chimed in:
"Senior Sister is right. Cultivation is about harmony with the Dao—comprehension is crucial. There’s no need to rush."
Li Yingling glanced at him. "You’re different. If you don’t work harder, San Dong will soon surpass you."
Cui Hao froze, then turned to look at San Dong beside him.
San Dong met his gaze head-on.
Cui Hao’s eyes flickered with disbelief, while San Dong’s shone with confidence—bolstered by Li Yingling’s approval, she was certain she could overtake him.
Li Yingling then looked proudly back at her master—surely, having such a prodigious disciple must bring him great pride?
Yet… she noticed her master’s gaze seemed hesitant, as if looking at her but also through her.
A shiver ran down her spine. She lowered her voice. "Master? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing."
Chu Xingchen’s focus returned, his eyes fixed on the system prompt above Li Yingling’s head: [Upgradable Trait].
This was likely the reward for her breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.
This time, however, there had been no direct boost to his own cultivation.
But Chu Xingchen understood—upgrading a trait was already an extraordinary reward, bordering on excessive.
Li Yingling’s golden trait, [Cultivation Prodigy], was already staggering in its effects. If it were elevated further…
[Target: Li Yingling]
[Cultivation: Early-stage Nascent Soul]
[Golden Trait: Cultivation Prodigy]
[Purple Trait: Great Fortune] [Upgradable]
[Blue Trait: Beauty] [Upgradable]
[Blue Trait: Quick Wit] [Upgradable]
[White Trait: Confidence] [Upgradable]
[Recommended Upgrade: Great Fortune]
Chu Xingchen’s excitement dimmed slightly—the golden trait wasn’t eligible for upgrading.
Still, apart from her initial traits, his eldest disciple had gained two new ones.
The [Quick Wit] trait was no surprise—under his guidance, Li Yingling had naturally honed her sharpness as the senior sister.
But the [Confidence] trait filled Chu Xingchen with genuine warmth.
He still remembered Li Yingling’s days in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. Back then, having seen little of the world and met few cultivators, she often doubted her own talent.
Especially during the period when Li Xingtian, fueled by blood qi, surged ahead in cultivation and overtook her.
Unfamiliar with blood qi, Li Yingling had questioned her own abilities for a time. Back then, she took cultivation seriously—practicing relentlessly, matching even Li Xingtian’s fervor.
And Li Xingtian was a true fanatic—either on the path of training or immersed in cultivation rituals.
Now, that once-doubtful girl had grown into someone who truly believed she stood equal to anyone.
To Chu Xingchen, the birth of the [Confidence] trait was far more meaningful than [Quick Wit].
This was the Li Yingling he had hoped to nurture.
Her strength wasn’t borrowed from him—it was entirely her own.
A sincere smile touched Chu Xingchen’s lips, though he held off on upgrading any traits for now. With heartfelt pride, he said:
"Congratulations, my eldest disciple, on reaching the Nascent Soul realm. You’ve become a pillar of our sect."
Watching the girl he once knew grow step by step into the person before him now—it truly brought joy from the depths of his heart.
Li Yingling grinned playfully. "Pillar? I’m at least the towering tree of the sect—the guardian tree!"
"Then what does that make me?" Chu Xingchen feigned displeasure.
Li Yingling answered without hesitation, as if it were instinct: "Hmm… probably the sun?"
The moment the words left her lips, before Chu Xingchen could react, she cringed at her own sappiness and quickly stood up, announcing cheerfully:
"To celebrate my breakthrough to Nascent Soul and reward my hard work, the 97th Sect Gathering starts sign-ups tonight! Anyone interested, come find me!"
Chen Baiqing smiled and raised her hand immediately.
Cui Hao and the excited Qinghe followed suit.
Qinghe didn’t just raise her hand—she eagerly suggested, "Can we play the illusion version of Monopoly tonight? We only played it once at Zhuji Peak! Qinghe’s been wanting to try it again!"
Li Yingling glanced at the gluttonous flood dragon and agreed without hesitation:
"Of course! I’ll be the referee tonight!"
Everyone present was practically family—even Bai Xuanling would have joined without a second thought. Soon, nearly all hands in the hall were raised.
Only Chu Xingchen and Xie Lingyu abstained.
Xie Lingyu had initially intended to join. Though being surpassed in cultivation by Chu Xingchen’s disciples wasn’t exactly glorious, it didn’t mean she wasn’t happy for Li Yingling.
Li Yingling might often be teased by Chu Xingchen as a "leaky winter coat," but her warmth was undeniable.
Xie Lingyu had always known—Li Yingling was a good kid at heart.
But… Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow at her and struck up a conversation, clearly intending to delay her.
Xie Lingyu guessed he might be planning a surprise for Li Yingling, so she didn’t raise her hand, merely engaging in casual chatter with him.
Chu Xingchen had always been like this—outwardly uncooperative, yet secretly having everything prepared all along.
However, it seemed a certain head disciple had also mastered someone’s essence.
Li Yingling turned around, her face brimming with amusement:
"Master, Uncle Xie Lingyu, don’t think you can skip out just because you didn’t raise your hands."
"This is the grand gathering of the sect—you both have to attend."