Chapter 32: Chen Xinglan

Although the Qi Replenishing Elixir was only a first-tier medicinal pill, and its recipe was written on the glass bottle, throughout the entire Immortal Sect, only cultivators from Jumang Dao Academy and Taiyi Medical Palace could master its refinement. The girl in the white nurse's uniform hadn't started college yet, similar to Chen Mobai, so it was unlikely she had extracted and prepared it herself.

Chen Mobai recalled his two purchases at that pharmacy. The girl had mentioned she had a master who was an alchemist. So, she must have been assisting, with her master refining the elixir and her handling the final bottling process, which Chen Mobai happened to witness. Chen Mobai made this guess in his mind.

He picked up the empty glass tube and put it into his backpack. Then, he took out his Needle Case. He had possessed this magical artifact for over a month. After learning it was controlled by magnetism, he spent his time in the school's cultivation room, apart from studying, exploring how to use it. His diligent efforts paid off; he had basically mastered the use of the Needle Case and its twelve flying needles.

A standard attack involved launching three needles simultaneously. In this state, very little spiritual energy was required to perfectly control the flying needles using the Needle Case's magnetism. Their speed could be adjusted, reaching a bullet-like velocity at their fastest. He had tested this, and at such speeds, the needles could easily pierce the floor tiles of the Water Mansion. Chen Mobai could control up to six needles simultaneously. He *could* control more, but not with ease; they would interfere with each other, causing a sharp drop in power.

However, the true power of this artifact set had never been tested in actual combat, so he didn't have a clear idea of its full capabilities. The Immortal Sect had long been peaceful. To test the power of magical artifacts, one had to go to specialized clubs, but these were all fee-based, and Chen Mobai wasn't willing to waste his merit points on them.

As he practiced with the Needle Case for a while and was about to put it away, Chen Mobai suddenly thought of something. He took out his phone again, typed "magnetism" into the auxiliary cultivation software, and sure enough, found several documents on controlling magnetism with spiritual energy, along with two demonstration videos. After spending two hours watching all the documents and videos, Chen Mobai gained significant insight. When he tried using the Needle Case again, he could now manipulate eight flying needles simultaneously. He felt that if he fully assimilated all the uploaded experiences of controlling magnetism, it would only be a matter of time before he could completely control all twelve flying needles.

Unfortunately, it was almost dawn on Geomancy Star, and Chen Mobai had to rush to class. "Sigh, now I feel like school is a bit of a drag on my cultivation progress." Chen Mobai suddenly understood why Yan Bingxuan had dropped out. Once one reached the late stage of Qi Condensation, the free cultivation rooms provided by the school became largely useless, and knowledge could be gradually acquired after entering university. After all, in the Immortal Sect, cultivation realm was paramount. If not for the college entrance examination, where representatives from the Dao Academies and Palaces set questions on spells, elixirs, artifacts, and formations to select students based on merit, those geniuses in the late stage of Qi Condensation probably wouldn't even attend school.

"I just wonder which area will be emphasized in this year's exam?" Everyone received the same college entrance examination paper, but the score was merely a basic threshold for admission to the various Dao Academies and Palaces. Only if one's college entrance exam score was sufficient and their cultivation realm met the minimum requirements could they choose to apply to a Dao Academy or Palace. Additionally, there were the academies' own entrance tests; last year, half of them focused on formations. Chen Mobai felt there was a very high probability that spellcraft would be tested this year. However, despite choosing spellcraft as his specialization, his scores were always mediocre, so even if it did come up, it probably wouldn't be of much help. "Sigh, I should first find a way to break through to the seventh layer of Qi Condensation." If he broke through to the late stage of Qi Condensation, even if his college entrance exam results were less than ideal, he should still be able to get into one of the lower-ranked of the ten major academies. That would bring honor to his family and make his parents happy for a long time.

After returning to his room, Chen Mobai pretended he had just woken up. After washing up, as he was about to leave for school, he suddenly noticed his father in the kitchen making breakfast. "Huh, Dad, are you on compensatory leave? Didn't you say the factory has been very busy lately?"

Chen Mobai's father, Chen Xinglan, was a middle-aged man with a square face, of average height and build. Although father and son didn't see each other often, their relationship was very close. "You're up early. I'm almost done here; go upstairs and call your mother." Chen Xinglan continued his movements, turning off the heat and bringing a pot of steamed mini buns with egg yolk filling to the dining table. "Coming, coming! No need to call," Tang Pancui came down from the second floor with a basket of clothes to be washed, her voice preceding her arrival.

"Son, how's your cultivation been lately?" At the dining table, the family of three, rarely gathered, happily ate breakfast together. Chen Xinglan casually asked about Chen Mobai's cultivation progress. The latter didn't hide anything, stating that he had already broken through to the sixth layer of Qi Condensation. "Oh, didn't you just advance to the fifth layer of Qi Condensation during the summer break? How did you break through again in just over a month?" Chen Xinglan had intended to use the question about his son's cultivation as an opening to share *his* good news, but he didn't expect Chen Mobai to give him good news first.

"It seems that after I went to offer incense at that temple in my hometown during the summer break, I had a sudden enlightenment. My understanding of the Five Elements Art suddenly deepened." Chen Mobai's words were half-true, half-false. However, saying this made him think that it might be necessary to visit his hometown again during the winter break. Since the turtle shell came from that temple, perhaps the abbot, who had an intense dispute with his mother over the merit from the first incense stick, was an extraordinary master.

"I told you, that temple is incredibly spiritual! Our village chief's son was almost stillborn..." Tang Pancui completely forgot her previous curses about the temple when Chen Mobai was hospitalized because of the turtle shell. She began to talk volubly about the legends she had heard about the temple in her childhood. Chen Xinglan had no desire to hear any of this. After a light cough to interrupt her, an aura of the ninth layer of Qi Condensation burst forth from his body.

"Dad, you've broken through!" Chen Mobai's face lit up with excitement.

Chen Xinglan's talent was slightly better than his son's, with his highest fire spiritual root reaching 34 points. However, he failed the college entrance exam and had to repeat a year before finally being admitted to the local Chixia Academy. Unfortunately, a single setback led to continuous delays. He spent ten full years at Chixia Academy, barely breaking through to the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, before he had to join the military and participate in developing new sea regions.

However, misfortune often comes with fortune; it was during the development of these sea regions that he met Tang Pancui. They fell in love and became husband and wife. After ten years of development, Chen Xinglan returned to Danxia City with Tang Pancui, and Chen Mobai was born the following year. It was the birth of his child that elevated Chen Xinglan's state of mind, allowing him to break through to the eighth layer of Qi Condensation. Now, with Chen Mobai at eighteen years old, he had finally reached the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. Next, he could begin preparing for Foundation Establishment.