Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

"Jiang Shi, five spiritual roots? As expected of a piece of trash sent up from the miscellaneous courtyard. Is such garbage talent worthy of joining our Qingyun Sect?"

In the outer sect's steward's hall, a middle-aged cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining was angrily hurling insults at Jiang Shi.

"Sir, this is the personal disciple of Manager Lin of the Miscellaneous Courtyard. He has now cultivated to the fourth level of Qi Refining."

Li Ze chimed in, offering his help.

He had also been harassed by this steward when he entered the outer sect, but it wasn't as serious as this.

"A Qi Refining Stage 4 cultivator with five spiritual roots?!" A surprised voice came from the side.

A cultivator dressed in a blue Taoist robe rushed in.

None of the people present could clearly see his movements.

"Senior Brother Lu! What brings you here?" Deacon Lu was startled when he saw the newcomer and quickly stood up.

This person was none other than Lu Chuanxing, the head of the Hall of Affairs and a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

Lu Chuanxing is one of the thirty-six Foundation Establishment cultivators of Qingyun Sect.

Thirty-three of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators in the inner sect.

There are only three Foundation Establishment cultivators in the entire outer sect, who are in charge of the Hall of Affairs, the Hall of Transmission of Skills, and the Hall of Dharma Protection, respectively.

"You are the cultivator with the aptitude of five spiritual roots."

Lu Chuanxing looked intently at Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi instantly felt as if the other party had seen through him completely.

"As expected, he possesses the aptitude of five spiritual roots, but his body exudes a dry, medicinal aura. I see, he must have consumed quite a few pills; no wonder he was able to break through to the fourth level of the Qi Refining stage."

"Although he has the aptitude of five spiritual roots, his foundation has been overdrawn due to the excessive consumption of pills. Unless he continues to consume pills, he will be unable to break through any further in the future."

"Even if you can continue to take pills, you will only ever be a Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivator in this lifetime."

Lu Chuanxing made a decisive statement with great confidence, leaving no room for others to refute his words.

"Senior Brother Lu, should we throw him out? Send him back to the lower courtyard?" Deacon Lu walked over, glaring fiercely at Jiang Shi.

In his eyes, Jiang Shi, who came from a mixed-race family and had the aptitude of five spiritual roots, was not worthy of staying here at all.

Even outer disciples who were originally handymen often faced difficulties when they came to take on tasks.

"Whose son is he, the son of the manager of this courtyard?" Lu Chuanxing asked casually.

In his view, Jiang Shi must be the son of the manager of the courtyard, otherwise he would not have been able to use a large number of pills to break through his cultivation level.

If it's someone you know well, you can just give them face and let it go.

"My lord, Jiang Shi is Steward Lin's personal disciple. You are a magnanimous man, so please allow him to join the outer sect."

Upon hearing Lu Chuanxing's words, Li Ze immediately pulled Jiang Shi to kneel down and begged.

"So he's his disciple. Well then, let him become a disciple."

Upon hearing that Jiang Shi was a disciple of Steward Lin, Lu Chuanxing instructed Steward Lu not to make things difficult for him anymore.

Back then, Manager Lin and Lu Chuanxing were in the same batch of outer disciples.

However, Steward Lin was from a fallen aristocratic family, while he was the protégé of the Lu family.

Given the friendship from back then, and considering he was just an outer disciple, it was just an arrangement.

After saying that, Lu Chuanxing vanished in a flash.

"Alright, since Senior Brother Lu has given the order, you may join the sect. This is your identity token." Deacon Lu took out a small stone tablet and used his spiritual power to carve a few lines on it, leaving the character "Jiang" on it.

He then casually tossed it to Jiang Shi, signaling Jiang Shi to get out of his way and not get in his way.

Jiang Shi and Li Ze were also unwilling to stay in this deacon hall and suffer the cold stares of others.

They walked out quickly, neither of them daring to utter a word along the way.

Led by Li Ze, they arrived at a large courtyard.

This is the residence that Senior Sister Lin fought for. It consists of two large courtyards, and all the residents are disciples of Steward Lin.

"Senior Brother Li, thank you so much for earlier."

Once inside the courtyard, Jiang Shi dared not speak, lest the young masters from those aristocratic families overhear and the two of them suffer again.

"Sigh, those aristocratic scions don't treat us like human beings, so we menial disciples should definitely unite," Li Ze said.

Of course, this was also because he didn't know that Lu Chuanxing was a Foundation Establishment cultivator; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to plead for him even if he had a hundred lives.

"Junior Brother Li is right. We, the menial disciples, must unite as one." Zhou Yuan walked out of a room.

He also lives in this courtyard.

"Senior Brother Zhou." Jiang Shi and Li Ze bowed to Zhou Yuan.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you've also arrived at the outer sect. Now we're even stronger."

Led by Lin Yanyi, this group of people united among the outer disciples, at least they wouldn't be easily disciplined by those aristocratic scions.

Although Lin Yanyi's cultivation level is not top-notch, her combat ability is among the best of all the outer disciples.

In the past, any scions of powerful families who had bullied them were all confronted and defeated by Lin Yanyi.

From then on, Lin Yanyi's reputation soared, and her apprentices, including Manager Lin, became even more united.

"I'll treat you to a welcome-back dinner tonight," Zhou Yuan said with a smile.

When the senior brothers returned in the evening, everyone set up a feast in the courtyard.

For cultivators in the Qi Refining stage who have not yet abstained from grains, eating some mortal food is fine.

Once they reach the Foundation Establishment stage, those great cultivators, in order to distinguish truth from falsehood and cultivate true qi, will no longer touch worldly food.

The fellow disciples drank and chatted happily. In the Qingyun Sect, which was often looked down upon, this was the last pure land.

After a few rounds of drinks, a white figure walked over.

All the fellow disciples stood up and respectfully called out:

"Senior Sister Lin."

"Sit down, everyone." Lin Yanyi's voice was still as cold as ever, but Jiang Shi had heard these senior brothers talk so much about what Lin Yanyi had done for everyone.

By this time, his first impression of Lin Yanyi had changed.

"Senior Sister Lin, another new junior brother has joined the outer sect today. It's Jiang Shi, who was here at the last gathering."

Zhou Yuan stepped closer and introduced Lin Yanyi.

"Senior Sister Lin." Jiang Shi also followed Zhou Yuan over immediately.

"Hmm." Lin Yanyi uttered only one word, then stared at Jiang Shi, scrutinizing him.

Jiang Shi felt a little uncomfortable watching this.

"Senior Sister Lin..." Jiang Shi wanted to ask Lin Yanyi why she was looking at him.

But before she could finish speaking, Lin Yanyi left.

Jiang Shi stared at Lin Yanyi's retreating figure, utterly bewildered.

"She really is like her father; both are riddle makers," Jiang Shi thought to himself.

"Don't overthink it, that's just Lin Shijie's personality. She's cold on the outside but warm on the inside, she's a very good person, you'll know once you get to know her better," Zhou Yuan said, patting Jiang Shi on the shoulder.

"Come on, let's keep drinking."

Zhou Yuan pulled Jiang Shi back into the drinking party, where they continued to toast and drink with their fellow students.

Outside, Lin Yanyi secretly watched Jiang Shi, her mind filled with many thoughts.

"What exactly is Father plotting? What does the Five Elemental Roots talent truly represent?"

"What makes this river stone so extraordinary?"

Jiang Shi, unaware of Lin Yanyi's spying, waited until his senior brothers left before choosing an empty room to stay in.

Jiang Shi didn't rest immediately after finishing his drink.

He sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate. Cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind.