Next, Elder Chen began his analysis. "You may not have heard of it, but a theory about providential luck was once popular in the cultivation world."
"Some people are born blessed by the heavens and favored by fate. They are called the Heaven's Chosen Ones."
"The concept of providential luck is ethereal and unpredictable, like clouds hiding the sun or the ever-changing flow of water. Generally, it's not something you need to worry about."
"However, your situation seems very much like you've been blessed with providential luck, which would explain why everything has been going so smoothly for you recently."
Xiao Chen breathed a quiet sigh of relief. 'So that's what he's talking about. For a second there, I thought he'd discovered my Augments.'
Steward Chen's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Could Xiao Chen be a Heaven's Chosen One?"
Elder Chen waved his hand. "Not quite. His situation clearly doesn't meet the criteria. In my view, he likely just has a small measure of providential luck on his side."
"Compared to a Heaven's Chosen One, it's like a single grain in a vast ocean. But it's not to be underestimated. If you use it well, you have a good chance of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future."
Upon hearing this, Steward Chen broke into a smile.
In a place like Li State, just reaching Foundation Establishment was an incredible achievement.
When traveling abroad, most Loose Cultivators had to respectfully address such individuals as "Great Foundation Establishment Cultivator."
In some of the smaller Cultivation Clans, the most powerful member was merely an ancestor at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.
Xiao Chen, however, remained quite calm. His immediate goal was simply to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining as quickly as possible and obtain a new Augment.
As for the future, Foundation Establishment was just the beginning. His goal was Crossing Tribulation and Becoming Immortal, to attain eternal life.
'A Cultivator who doesn't want to become an Immortal isn't a good Cultivator.'
Elder Chen had been observing Xiao Chen's expression the whole time. Seeing his composure, he nodded slightly.
'Not bad. To hear such wonderful news—that he has a good chance at Foundation Establishment—and yet remain so composed. He's a promising talent.'
He swept a hand over his waist and produced a luminous pearl. "In my opinion, you'll very likely overcome the minor bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining and ascend to the Inner Sect within two years."
"At that time, you will inevitably have to go out on missions, representing the Sect to uphold the Righteous Dao and eliminate demons and devils."
"As it happens, I have a Golden Light Pearl here. I'll give it to you in advance. It should prove to be a great help to you then."
Steward Chen shot Xiao Chen a look. "What are you waiting for? Thank the Elder! I heard you haven't acquired any Magical Artifacts since you joined the Sect. This pearl is perfect for you."
Only after Xiao Chen expressed his thanks and accepted it did the Elder add a word of advice. "A Magical Artifact like the Golden Light Pearl needs to be nourished with one's own Qi. Carry it with you often from now on, and you'll find it doubly effective when you use it."
Many Magical Artifacts had this property. When kept with a Cultivator for a long time, their Qi would attune, making the artifact much easier to handle and control.
This was the very reason why those disciples from the great families had all uniformly chosen the Three-star Coordination Skill.
Although some of them had other channels to obtain the Heart Method for the Three-star Coordination Skill, doing so was ultimately taboo. It was better to choose it openly like this.
Then, Elder Chen produced a peach blossom. "I heard from Zhi'an that you've had successive breakthroughs over the past six months. Such rapid advancement will inevitably lead to an unstable aura, which will be detrimental to your future cultivation."
"I have a Purple Peach Blossom here that I'll give to you as well. This flower has the effect of strengthening one's essence and consolidating one's foundation, perfect for solidifying your cultivation base."
Steward Chen chimed in to add, "There are no special requirements for consuming the Purple Peach Blossom, but there's one thing you must do: as soon as you ingest it, immediately begin cultivating to circulate and absorb its medicinal properties."
"It would be best to set aside at least four hours for cultivating, to avoid any waste."
Xiao Chen accepted it with both hands. "Thank you for your concern, Elder. I will take your kindness to heart."
"Mm." Elder Chen nodded in satisfaction once again. "Also, you must maintain a level head. Guard against arrogance and impetuousness."
"I have seen many talented disciples whose cultivation far surpassed their peers at a young age. Many even reached the Great Perfection of the ninth level of Qi Refining before they turned thirty."
"But some of them, in such situations, grow complacent and arrogant, looking down on everyone else. They end up trapped by a bottleneck, accomplishing nothing and wasting their natural talent."
"You must not be like them. If you're going to emulate someone, look to outstanding role models like Song Zhongwen and Jiang Cungang."
Seeing the blank look on Xiao Chen's face, Elder Chen slapped his thigh. "Look at me, I completely forgot you're not from a Cultivation Clan."
"Jiang Cungang is the third son of the Jiang Family's main lineage. When he joined the Outer Sect, it took him only two and a half years to successfully break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining."
"He's now at the eighth level of Qi Refining and was taken a liking to by Elder Jiang of the Alchemy Hall, who accepted him as a True Disciple. The year before last, he officially became a Tier One Alchemist and took up a post within the Sect."
"Song Zhongwen is the eldest son of the Song Family's sixth branch. He was even faster, taking only two years to ascend to the Inner Sect."
"Now, he's at the ninth level of Qi Refining and was favored by Elder Song of the Marketplace, who took him as a True Disciple. He left to travel three years ago in search of an opportunity for a breakthrough, which is why you haven't heard of him."
Hearing about an Elder Jiang here and an Elder Song there, Xiao Chen had a strong suspicion. 'Is this really not just a case of them showing favoritism to their own family members?'
But now wasn't the time to dwell on such thoughts. "I will remember, Elder. In the future, I will certainly look to these two senior brothers as examples and strive to ascend to the Inner Sect as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Elder Chen smiled warmly. "Very good, very good."
"When you broke through to the fifth level of Qi Refining, Zhi'an mentioned you to me. I told him back then that I was very optimistic about your long-term prospects, and now it seems I was right."
Steward Chen's eyes widened from the side. 'Is that what you said back then? You clearly said he had no value to cultivate.'
But he had to help smooth things over. "That's right. Third Uncle saw your potential back then. You must cultivate diligently from now on and not let down his expectations."
Xiao Chen immediately declared, "I will be strict with myself and focus on my studies, striving to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining as soon as possible."
After the three of them exchanged a bit more small talk, Steward Chen proactively took his leave with Xiao Chen.
As the two of them left the garden, Steward Chen waved his hand and produced a small jade vial. "I don't really have anything great on hand to give you, so take this bottle of Qi Gathering Pills."
Qi Gathering Pills were twice as potent as Qi Nourishing Pills and were also a well-known elixir for aiding cultivation.
"Thank you for your guidance, Steward. I..."
Before Xiao Chen could finish, Steward Chen raised a hand to cut him off. "There's no need for formalities between us. Just remember the Elder's pointers."
"Alright, I have some business to attend to nearby. You can head back on your own."
Xiao Chen watched Steward Chen head toward the summit. "Alright. Take care, Steward."
He then followed the path back to the Second Division and returned to his small house.
Over the half a month or so surrounding the trial, his net worth had multiplied dozens of times, and he had acquired quite a few things as well.
Now that he finally had some free time, he could take stock of everything.
Besides Spirit Stones, he had obtained a suspected Inner Core, a storage box, a Stealth Cloak, and a copy of the Stargazing and Qi Observation Skill during the trial.
And just now, he had received the Golden Light Pearl, the Purple Peach Blossom, and the Qi Gathering Pills. His robes were practically overflowing.
At times like this, Xiao Chen always found himself wishing he could ascend to the Inner Sect sooner and receive the Storage Bag issued by the Sect.
Now, with the Purple Peach Blossom and Qi Gathering Pills to aid his cultivation, he figured it wouldn't be long now.
But before that, there was something he had to do as soon as possible—research and identify the Inner Core.
This was his top priority after returning to the Sect.
If he could confirm that it was a genuine Inner Core, then it would be, without a doubt, his most valuable gain from the entire trial.
A Spirit Beast's Inner Core could play a crucial role, whether for breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining or for attempting to reach Foundation Establishment.
Of course, all of this was predicated on it being a real Inner Core and not just a beautiful misunderstanding.
Normally, such important information could only be found by consulting the Grand Scripture Pavilion on the main peak. Outer Disciples had no such authority and couldn't get access at all.
Fortunately, over the past three years, Xiao Chen had discovered a small loophole he could exploit.