The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

The next morning, before the fog on the back mountain had completely dissipated, people from the side hall arrived again.

A young servant in blue robes arrived, standing at the foot of the stone steps outside. His sleeves were stained with a little medicine ash, indicating he had just run from the pharmacy. He wiped the sweat from his brow before bowing towards the house.

"Senior Brother Bai, Deacon Liang wants you to come over."

Inside the house, Bai Xuanxin finally withdrew his hand from in front of the wooden stake.

The training post he had modified, with its shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles all looking rather unrecognizable, stood askew by the window, its wooden joints and hemp rope still swaying slightly. Morning light streamed through the window, illuminating the web of his right hand and the knuckles, where thin calluses were newly formed, old wounds had not yet healed, and even the slightly reddened skin around the joints still carried warmth.

Bai Xuanxin simply responded and then took the gray robe and put it on.

He didn't ask what to do.

Last night's brief sparring session in the side hall and backyard, though seemingly just a few moves, actually revealed almost everything that needed to be observed. Today's replay is not about measuring, but about determining.

Whether this "fixed" decision should be made by moving forward half a step or by keeping it hanging on the outer door for a while longer depends on how the accounts are handled inside.

Bai Xuanxin fastened his belt and followed the servant in blue down the mountain.

It was still early, but the Seven Mysteries Sect was already bustling with activity. A group of disciples were carrying medicine trays that had been drying overnight into the storeroom in front of the pharmacy, while muffled shouts could be heard from the training ground. Further away at the outer gate, the disciples on guard duty were exchanging their shifts, their scabbards striking the railing with short, soft sounds.

Everything still looked like a typical morning at the Seven Mysteries Sect.

However, if you stand a little higher, you can see that the pace inside is even faster than before: the people carrying medicine are moving faster, there are more people guarding the road, and even the footsteps going in and out of the side hall seem more hurried than usual.

Bai Xuanxin watched the whole process, and her mind became more and more reassured.

With the Wild Wolf Gang exerting tight pressure, the inner circle naturally started by focusing on "people." Who could be promoted, who could be used, who could be moved in ahead of time, and who should continue to be left outside to slowly grind away—at this point, these things were no longer just rules, but matters of life and death.

The side hall was quieter than yesterday.

Deacon Liang remained seated behind the old long table inside, flipping through a booklet beside him, with two still-wet wolf-hair brushes in the brush washer. Instructor Li stood to the side, looking down at a roll of thin paper, but did not immediately look up upon hearing footsteps.

Bai Xuanxin entered and bowed respectfully.

"Disciple Bai Xuanxin greets Steward Liang and Instructor Li."

Deacon Liang closed the booklet and glanced at him.

This glance was light and devoid of emotion, as if examining a pre-made vessel that had already been weighed, wanting to make one last check for any hidden cracks.

"Stand closer," said Deacon Liang.

Bai Xuanxin took two steps forward as instructed.

Only then did Instructor Li put down the roll of paper in his hand and ask casually:

"Did you practice after you got back last night?"

Bai Xuanxin did not hesitate: "I'll practice it."

"What did you practice?"

"I've practiced all three: footwork, hand techniques, and internal energy cultivation."

After listening, Instructor Li offered no comment, only nodding as if the answer was expected. Deacon Liang, however, suddenly smiled, a very faint smile, almost imperceptible.

"He's the one who never takes a break."

After he finished speaking, he tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table before slowly continuing:

"I've remembered everything you've done lately. Escorting medicine, seeing blood, treating injuries, testing your skills at the training ground... Individually, they might not seem like much; but when put together, they're quite something."

"The organization doesn't lack people who follow the rules right now; what it lacks are people who can step up."

As soon as he said that, the room fell silent.

Bai Xuanxin remained expressionless, but he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the meaning of the second half of the sentence.

Sure enough, Deacon Liang flipped his hand, pulled out a thin sheet of paper from behind the book, and pushed it to the side of the table.

"From this day forward, you shall no longer hang miscellaneous books outside the gate."

"Modified and placed in the inner register of the side hall."

It wasn't a grand, official induction into the inner sect, nor did it immediately grant him a master-disciple relationship. But the mere mention of the words "inner register" completely separated him from ordinary outer sect disciples.

The outer door is a consumable item.

The inner volume contains the materials.

They are both disciples, but the difference between them is not small.

Deacon Liang continued:

"Let me make the rules clear to you first. Entering the inner register does not mean you are already a true core member of the sect. In the end, it just means that the sect thinks you have the potential to be tested and nurtured. If you can be tested, there will naturally be a future for you; if you can't, it's not impossible that you will have to go back."

He spoke in a flat and indifferent tone, without a trace of warmth.

But this is more like the Seven Mysteries Sect.

No empty formalities, no grand promises, let's get straight to the point. If you're truly useful, the sect will naturally provide you; if you only seem effective but crumble under pressure, then the words "inner book" are nothing more than an extra layer of paper.

Bai Xuanxin bowed his head and replied, "This disciple understands."

He answered this question very steadily.

Because he knew better than anyone that what he wanted was not a "pretty-sounding" title, but something he could actually obtain behind those two words.

Gongfa.

Medicine pool.

benefit.

A job.

There's also the chance to be personally observed by someone at a higher level.

These are the things that are valuable.

Seeing that he was calm, Deacon Liang pushed over several items that had been prepared on the table one by one.

The first item was a dark, heavy wooden plaque. The edges of the plaque were polished smooth, and it was extremely heavy in the hand. The front was engraved with a side hall mark, while the back was only pressed with a very small character "内" (nei, meaning inside). It was unassuming and understated, yet more solid than any fancy pattern.

The second item was a slender-necked blue bottle, sealed tightly with sealing wax. As soon as Bai Xuanxin got his hands on the bottle, he could smell that the medicinal aroma inside was quite strong. It wasn't just a simple blood-activating and circulation-promoting medicine, but rather the kind that nourishes muscles and bones, replenishes deficiencies, and stabilizes the foundation.

The third item was a manuscript.

Instructor Li raised his hand and pointed to the roll of paper:

"Take this back and look at it."

"This isn't for you to show off your skills; it's for you to first establish a firm foothold."

Bai Xuanxin unfolded the manuscript and saw that the handwriting was steady and firm. It did not contain any moves, but rather a very simple method of standing, sinking the shoulders, locking the hips, and harmonizing the spine. The words were simple, but the method was correct. It was obviously not the kind of superficial stuff made up by the outer sect for the sake of speed and power.

He glanced at it, and a thought struck him.

This is exactly what he lacks most right now.

His strengths used to lie in his eyesight, his hands, and his ability to gain an early advantage. Such skills were naturally very effective in winning people over; but if he wanted to truly elevate himself to a higher level, he ultimately needed a framework that could support all these techniques.

Seeing that he accepted it solemnly, Deacon Liang then said:

"From today onwards, you can go into the innermost layer of the medicinal pool. The pools that were previously used by the outer sect are no longer good for you; you'll just be soaking your bones in water. The medicine in the inner layer is stronger and penetrates deeper into the bones. If you can't handle it, say so as soon as possible, or you'll cause trouble by pushing yourself too hard."

Bai Xuanxin finally raised her head and glanced at Steward Liang.

This glance wasn't offensive, but it truly made me accept this feeling into my heart.

He knew that what the sect was giving him now was not some opportunity that fell from the sky, but a "bet" with a clear price tag.

Gambling is taking place inside the gate.

I'm betting he can hold his own.

And I, too, need this moment.

The game at Shenshou Valley was where he truly wanted to go.

Ultimately, all of Seven Mysteries Sect's upward climb was merely laying the groundwork for that one game.

Bai Xuanxin carefully put away the wooden plaque, the blue bottle, and the manuscript. The anxiety that had been floating in her heart was instead suppressed and calmed down by these physical objects.

Instructor Li suddenly spoke up:

"I saw your movements and counter-attacks yesterday."

"You have the spirit, and you're ruthless. But if you only use these things to charge forward, when you encounter someone who can truly overpower you, the first one to collapse won't be someone else, it will be yourself."

He spoke slowly, but his words were like nails, driven in with perfect precision.

"The reason the sect is giving you this little bit of medicine and techniques now is not so that you can keep practicing your tricks to be more fancy, but so that you can first straighten out your basic structure. Once your structure is straight, your insidious, fast, and ruthless techniques will have a place to land. If your structure is not straight, no matter how strange your moves are, they are just skin hanging on the outside."

After listening, Bai Xuanxin didn't experience the sudden shock she felt a few days ago when someone pointed out her weaknesses.

He had already thought about this principle quite thoroughly since he came out of the side hall and backyard yesterday.

What Instructor Li is saying now is simply to solidify this matter for him.

"I have noted it down."

Seeing that he had said everything he needed to say, Deacon Liang raised his hand to close the booklet, indicating that he could leave.

Just as Bai Xuanxin was about to bow and take her leave, Instructor Li seemed to suddenly remember something and added very casually:

"Don't go too far in the next few days."

"Someone wants to see you."

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere in the room changed slightly again.

Bai Xuanxin didn't look up to ask "Who is it?"

At this point, there's no need to ask anymore.

The scrolls in the side hall had just been hung up, and the medicine pool and root cultivation method had just been set up, when someone else wanted to see them—this "person" was definitely not Steward Liang, nor was it just an ordinary instructor. Most likely, it was someone from a higher level, beyond the front hall and back courtyard, whose line was finally about to truly fall upon them.

He simply bowed his head and replied, "Disciple understands."

Deacon Liang waved his hand.

Bai Xuanxin bowed and left the side hall.

The daylight outside was much brighter than when they arrived, and most of the morning mist had dissipated, making the figures on the stone steps of the front mountain, the corridor of the pharmacy, and the training ground gradually clearer. Some people were carrying medicine, some were practicing with their swords, and some were carrying wooden boxes out. The entire Seven Mysteries Sect was like an old and heavy cart, turning faster and faster under the invisible external pressure of the Wild Wolf Gang.

Bai Xuanxin stood at the entrance of the side hall, gently pressing her finger on the newly acquired wooden plaque at her waist.

The wooden sign was very small.

But it means that from this day forward, I am no longer just someone who stands outside the threshold watching the wind.

He can reach deeper pools of medicine more quickly.

It allows you to find the correct root method more quickly.

They can also be taken a look at more quickly by the truly influential people in the sect.

And all of these will ultimately lead to one place—

God Hand Valley.

Mo Juren.

The Soul of Music.

And whether I'll actually be able to cut into the flesh and make the incision that day.

A breeze blew from the other end of the mountain path, carrying a very faint medicinal scent.

Bai Xuanxin looked up and glanced in the direction of Shenshou Valley.

Separated by layers of rooftops and mountain trees, nothing could be seen. But precisely because nothing could be seen, the silence over there felt like a heavy iron weight, pressing down firmly on the ground. The more people were prevented from leaving the valley these past few days, the tighter the control was being maintained.

Time is really running out.

Bai Xuanxin withdrew her gaze, lingered no longer, and turned to walk along the stone steps towards the back of the mountain.

His steps were not fast, but they were more steady than when he came.

Because he knew that he had finally found a way to push his martial arts skills to a new level.

But this half-step, in a place like God's Hand Valley, is often enough to determine life or death.