The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

"Excellent?"

In this world of cultivation, what kind of fighting power can a mere child who has just sensed the Qi have?

It's simply a matter of who has a little more spiritual power and who has a stronger body.

But if it were a wealthy young master from some family, carrying a fine robe and holding a magic weapon that could cut through iron like mud, standing on the stage...

He doesn't feel pain when others hit him, but when he hits others, he leaves a hole in their skin with every blow.

Is this what you call "excellent"?

That's too loud.

The elders of the upper sect, upon seeing this, couldn't help but exclaim, "This child comes from a family with profound learning, and his background... no, his skills are extraordinary."

This rule is clearly a backdoor left for families with a strong foundation, allowing them to embellish their own incompetent members and legitimately slip them into the inner circle for professional advancement.

As for the Xu family, they are a destitute household that can barely afford to eat.

Xu Changqing tossed the letter onto the table with a soft thud.

"Uncle, let's not think about the inner sect matters anymore."

Xu Dayou was having a good dream when this bucket of cold water was poured on him, leaving him somewhat bewildered: "Clan leader, what... what if? Our Xining is a clever boy, maybe..."

"There's no 'what if'."

Xu Changqing interrupted him, emphasizing the words "battle of wits" with his finger.

"Others rely on their parents' connections, we rely on our own lives."

"If the Zhang family casually slips something through their fingers to their descendants, that's a top-grade magical artifact. What can we use to block it? Our heads?"

"If, just to save face, the child is crippled on stage, and their foundation is destroyed, then that would truly be the end of the Xu family's future."

Xu Dayou opened his mouth, the rosy glow on his face slowly faded, and finally turned into a dejected look as he plopped down in a chair.

"That makes sense...that's true too."

He sighed, took out his old pipe from his pocket, didn't light it, just held it in his mouth, smacking his lips.

"Then... shall we just ask for an outer sect position?"

"The outer gate is enough."

Xu Changqing remained calm as he poured himself a cup of tea.

"Once we enter the outer sect and become disciples of the sect, the Zhang family will have to think twice before they try to harm us."

"What we need to do now is not to think about how to show off, but how to keep these kids alive on the dueling stage and smoothly pass the test."

At this point, Xu Changqing put down his teacup and stood up.

"It's been a few days since the Qi was released; how are those three little ones doing now?"

When the topic of children came up, Xu Dayou regained some of his energy.

"I was just about to tell you that Xiwen and Xiyue are quite composed, sitting in the quiet room for half a day every day. It's just that Xining..."

A strange look appeared on Xu Dayou's face.

"This kid said that the 'Qi-Inducing Technique' was too boring and he couldn't sit still. He insisted that he could feel the Qi moving around under his butt. I think he just wanted to slack off and go out to play."

Upon hearing this, Xu Changqing raised an eyebrow.

Running around under its butt?

"Take me to see it."

……

In the backyard of the Xu family, in a quiet room.

This place was originally where the family elders secluded themselves for cultivation, but now it has been vacated for these three promising young talents whose spiritual roots have just been detected.

Before even entering the room, Xu Changqing heard a rustling sound coming from inside, like mice scratching at the wall.

He pushed open the door.

A faint medicinal fragrance wafted over.

On the three prayer mats, Xu Xiwen and Xu Xiyue had their eyes closed, their faces tense, and their hands forming mudras. Although their postures were still a bit stiff, their breathing was relatively steady.

Only the one in the middle.

Xu Xining sat cross-legged, but his legs seemed to have thorns, twisting to the left and then to the right.

His eyes were closed, and he was still muttering to himself. His features were almost squeezed together, and his forehead was covered in sweat.

"Ouch... why is this air so unruly..."

Xu Xining muttered under his breath, rubbing his bottom against the futon.

Xu Changqing stood at the door without saying a word, straining his eyes to look.

Since breaking through to the fifth level of Qi Refining, his senses have become much sharper.

A faint trace of spiritual energy fluctuation could be seen emanating from Xu Xining's body.

However, this spiritual energy did not flow smoothly; it surged and crashed through his meridians, and most of it eventually dissipated, with only a very small portion remaining in his body.

This kid wasn't lying.

He truly felt the energy!

Only a few days?

Including today, it's only been seven days!

Being able to sense Qi within seven days, even with four spiritual roots, shows a high level of comprehension.

However, this kid was too impatient and restless, which caused the spiritual energy to run rampant after entering his body, making him feel uncomfortable all over.

Xu Changqing stepped inside.

"Calm down and regulate your breathing."

Xu Xining opened his eyes, looking completely bewildered.

"Clan...Clan Chief?"

When Xu Xining saw Xu Changqing standing in front of him with a stern face, he immediately cowered and quickly crossed his legs, placing his hands properly on his knees.

"I...I didn't slack off! I just..."

"I know."

Xu Changqing walked behind him and placed a hand on his back.

"Don't speak, focus your energy in your dantian, and follow my spiritual power."

A gentle and mellow spiritual energy flowed slowly from Xu Changqing's palm into Xu Xining's body.

Xu Xining felt a heat on his back. The heat that had been roaming aimlessly in his body suddenly seemed to have found a leader and began to flow obediently along his meridians.

The unbearable itching sensation disappeared instantly, replaced by a warm and comfortable feeling.

One lap, two laps.

Xu Changqing withdrew his hand only after the faint spiritual energy had settled in Xu Xining's body.

Xu Xining opened her eyes, her eyes sparkling, and disregarding all decorum, excitedly shouted:

"Got it! Chieftain! I've caught that energy!"

Seeing his impatient look, Xu Changqing was both annoyed and amused, so he raised his hand and flicked him on the forehead.

"That's drawing qi into the body, what's being captured?"

"To be able to sense Qi in just five days, you've got some good fortune, kid."

Although Xu Changqing had a stern face, the admiration in his tone was unmistakable.

Xu Xiwen and Xu Xiyue, standing nearby, looked at Xu Xining with eyes full of envy.

Xu Changqing turned his head and looked at the other two somewhat disappointed children.

"There's no need to envy. The path of cultivation can be fast or slow, but the destination may not be the same. As long as you are willing to work hard, you will be able to overcome this hurdle sooner or later."

After calming the two children down, Xu Changqing turned to Xu Xining.

"Now that you have successfully sensed the Qi, you can't just keep practicing with brute force."

Xu Changqing pondered for a moment.

"Uncle Dayou, go and find 'Walking Through the Forest' and 'Crushing Mountain Force'."

Xu Dayou was taken aback: "These two books? They're all modified versions of ordinary martial arts, not exactly orthodox magic, are they?"

"Proper spells consume spiritual energy too quickly; their meager cultivation level can't sustain them."

"These two martial arts styles, one trains the legs and feet, emphasizing agile dodging, and the other trains explosive power, emphasizing close-range strikes."

"For low-level cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining, fancy spells are not as effective as punching their noses."

"Since we don't have money to buy ritual implements, we can only focus on physical training."