Chapter 4: The Grand Selection for the Inner Sect

Hearing Liu Xuanxian’s words, Lin Hao couldn’t help but feel speechless. Still, since he needed to complete the task assigned by the system, he was determined to win this inner sect selection no matter what. With a confident tone, he replied, “Don’t worry. Whether or not I have to marry your daughter in the end, I’m definitely going to pass this inner selection test.”

“Good, that’s the spirit!” Liu Xuanxian clapped his hands approvingly. Beside him, Liu Xiaoxi’s voice was icy as she interjected, “You talk like it’s a sure thing. Passing the test is nothing—let’s see if you have the ability to take first place in the selection.”

“Fine, no problem!” Lin Hao didn’t argue. Based on what Liu Xuanxian had said earlier, he’d already guessed what Elder Zhou was concerned about. Until he grew strong enough, he truly did intend to make use of their identities.

Liu Xiaoxi clearly hadn’t expected Lin Hao to respond that way. After staring at him in surprise for a moment, she let out a soft, cold snort, then turned and walked out of the room.

Watching her leave, Liu Xuanxian didn’t linger either. After exchanging a few casual words with Lin Hao, he hurried after her.

Only then, feeling his back soaked with sweat, did Lin Hao let out a wry smile and mutter under his breath, “So that’s the pressure of a Golden Core cultivator? Looks like I need to hurry and improve my strength!”

At present, Lin Hao’s cultivation remained at the tenth level of Qi Refining, while only three days remained before the Qingfeng Sect’s inner sect trial.

For an ordinary cultivator, breaking through to Foundation Establishment in just three days would be nearly impossible.

But Lin Hao was different. Almost as soon as he confirmed Liu Xuanxian and the others had left, he looked up and spoke softly, “Open system shop. Search for—Foundation Establishment Pill!”

No sooner had the words left his lips than a fiery red light flashed before his eyes. In an instant, a system shop filled with all manner of rare and extraordinary items appeared before him.

Lin Hao merely glanced around the shop, and his expression immediately burned with excitement. The various techniques, pills, and treasured artifacts displayed here would be fought over to the death outside, yet all he needed was enough quest points to exchange for them with ease.

That’s right, all he needed was enough points!

Clenching his fists slightly as he waited for the item list to update, Lin Hao firmed his resolve for his next step: he had to accumulate enough quest points to exchange for the magical treasures he wanted.

A soft chime sounded from the system. The mechanical voice followed: “Foundation Establishment Pill suitable for the host’s current stage has been found. Exchange requires 1,000 quest points. Exchange?”

“What? 1,000 quest points?” Lin Hao’s expression changed at once.

He recalled redeeming a pill before—the Xuanyuan Pill, which could raise his level by one minor rank beneath Foundation Establishment. That had only cost him 100 quest points.

“Looks like as my own level rises, the cost for items increases exponentially…”

Lin Hao couldn’t help but sigh softly, but even so, he immediately selected the option marked “Yes.” A pale blue glow shimmered, and a small wooden box containing the pill appeared before him.

Since he lived in a secluded spot, Lin Hao wasn’t worried about being disturbed. Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill and shut his eyes, beginning to refine and absorb its medicinal power.

A searing heat surged through him the moment the pill entered his body. Unlike the initial strengthening, this force rampaged within him, gathering and penetrating every part of his being, then breaking apart and dispersing through his limbs and bones.

This was Foundation Establishment. The pill’s purpose was to cleanse and temper the body, solidifying the roots for cultivation.

The medicinal power quickly began to seep in. Normally, even with a tenth-layer Qi Refining body as the foundation, few could withstand such agony.

But Lin Hao was different. With the system at his side—just as when Zhou Yichen had crippled his spiritual sea—he felt the pain acutely, but the system’s repairs soon left him feeling as though nothing had happened.

As time passed, a layer of black filth began to ooze from Lin Hao’s skin—the impurities within his body. Before Foundation Establishment, it was normal for one’s body to contain such impurities. Expelling them now meant he had successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Sure enough, as Lin Hao took a deep breath, the system’s notification sounded in his mind: “Congratulations, host, on reaching Foundation Establishment. Spiritual root enhancement level up, unlocking partial hidden attributes of your spiritual root.”

“Hidden attributes?” Lin Hao was momentarily stunned as he opened his eyes.

He’d known from the moment he received the system that his innate Fire Spiritual Root concealed hidden attributes. He just hadn’t expected them to unlock now.

Could this be an unexpected boon?

With the inner sect selection approaching, Lin Hao didn’t even bother to clean himself. He quickly opened his character status again. As he expected, a new option had appeared under the spiritual root section.

“Devour and Evolve? What kind of ability is this?”

Just as he had this thought, the system’s prompt sounded again: “This hidden attribute allows you to absorb elemental attacks not exceeding your own cultivation level, and convert the spiritual energy within them to enhance your spiritual root’s level.”

So that’s how it is!

Hearing this, Lin Hao’s expression shifted again. He’d wondered how to improve his spiritual root’s level ever since he learned it was possible. Now it seemed he simply hadn’t unlocked this hidden attribute before!

A fervent look appeared on Lin Hao’s face. He had originally only wanted to use the inner selection to win more sect resources, but now it seemed this competition might allow his strength to leap forward as well.

Three days later, the Qingfeng Sect’s inner sect selection officially began, and the entire sect’s outer disciples found themselves caught up in the excitement.

For ordinary disciples, entering the inner sect—with its greater resources and better cultivation conditions—could only be achieved through a fortuitous encounter, the favor of a senior, or this very selection.

Lin Hao was just as excited. Two days ago, he had already consolidated his Foundation Establishment cultivation. With the help of various pills from the system, he had honed his body anew after breaking through. If nothing unexpected happened, he was confident he could hold his own, even against opponents of higher rank.

As Lin Hao approached the mountain gate where the selection was to be held, two figures, one old and one young, stood within the inner sect, gazing in his direction.

“Father, do you really think that fellow can pass the inner sect selection? I noticed quite a few Foundation Establishment experts among the competitors…” The speaker was Liu Xiaoxi herself. Her face was grave, nothing like the cold indifference she’d shown when speaking with Lin Hao before.

Liu Xuanxian glanced at her and teased, “Haha, and you said you didn’t care about him. Looks to me like you already think of him as your future husband.”

“Father!” Liu Xiaoxi scowled in annoyance.

Liu Xuanxian chuckled, “Relax! Don’t underestimate him. From what I’ve seen, with his abilities, not even the other Foundation Establishment cultivators are likely his match…”

Meanwhile, at the base of the mountain gate, an elder’s eyes were filled with gloom.

He stared at the young man before him and frowned. “Yichen, have Chen Yufei and the others contacted you these past two days?”

“Chen Yufei?” Zhou Yichen glanced up, then smiled. “I’ve been busy preparing to take that Xuanyuan Pill these last couple of days. I haven’t had time to bother with those outer sect people.”

“Is that so?” The elder’s expression grew even darker. He continued, “By the way, what about Lin Hao? The two envoys from Heaven’s Gate will be observing the selection. If anything unexpected happens…”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already crippled his spiritual sea—he’s basically a dead man now!” Zhou Yichen’s face lit with excitement at the mention of Lin Hao. “Even if he somehow survived, with my current strength, killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant. You needn’t worry, Father.”

With that, Zhou Yichen ignored the elder’s cautious look and hurried off toward a group of cultivators in the distance.

Those cultivators were inner sect disciples. Though they wouldn’t be participating in the selection, they were responsible for overseeing it, so Zhou Yichen felt it necessary to ingratiate himself with them.

Yet as Zhou Yichen walked halfway there, one of the inner disciples happened to glance in his direction, then suddenly looked past him in surprise. “Hey, isn’t that Lin Hao we saw a couple of days ago?”