44: Chapter 44 is getting more and more annoying.

The Utility Disciple courtyard inexplicably became restless.

Senior Brothers in other dormitories couldn't help but shout, "He must have eaten something wrong and is hallucinating."

Nangong Yi glared with disdain. "Hmph, what's the use of bragging? You'll only be here for a year anyway."

Xia Shaoxin was caught off guard. He didn't expect that on the day jade bamboo spirit leaves were distributed, this brat would suddenly start spouting off—had he eaten something wrong?

Xia Shaoxin's nine roommates were all laughing at his bragging.

He had been able to complete a cycle months ago, but since he was always Cultivating outside, his roommates didn't know.

Deacon Qin Wen was clearly influenced by the others. He said to Xia Shaoxin with a stern face, "When it comes to Cultivation, one must be realistic. If you can do it, you can; if you can't, you can't. It was so difficult for you to learn the Introductory Cultivation Method; it's impossible for you to have progressed to full-body circulation so quickly."

Receiving Deacon Qin Wen's approval, Cai Ke, Nangong Yi, and the others became even more unbridled, wildly spouting insults.

Xia Shaoxin had originally just wanted to Cultivate quietly, but he couldn't take it anymore. He said to Deacon Qin Wen, "If you don't believe me, Deacon, I can demonstrate my Cultivation right here!"

Deacon Qin Wen was very busy and had no interest.

Xia Shaoxin walked under a large tree in the courtyard, ate the jade bamboo spirit leaf, and then, in front of dozens of people, began to practice his Cultivation Technique.

Everyone watched him intently, sensing extremely faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi in the surroundings.

Looking at Xia Shaoxin's face again, it was slightly bloated.

This was the phenomenon of "bloating" caused by Spiritual Qi circulating within the body.

Deacon Qin Wen said in surprise, "He actually did it. Not bad, that's rare."

The roommates looked at each other in dismay, and Cai Ke's expression was particularly ugly.

"So his Cultivation outside every day actually had some effect."

"I can't tell; this bumpkin actually managed to Cultivate until he looks somewhat decent."

Unfriendly words kept reaching his ears.

Xia Shaoxin calmly went through the entire routine, finished his session, stood up, and cupped his hands toward Deacon Qin Wen with a calm expression. "Deacon Qin Wen, how was my performance?"

Deacon Qin Wen nodded slightly. "It's passable. However, you had such a hard time learning the Introductory Cultivation Method. Your Aptitude is extremely poor; you were originally a Mortal who was completely incapable of Cultivation."

"To be able to complete a cycle in less than a year—such talent is considered average. Why is there such a strange situation?"

Deacon Qin Wen fell into deep thought.

The assessment of "average talent" made Xia Shaoxin's roommates feel extremely uncomfortable.

Nangong Yi's face grew long, and he said loudly, "Deacon Qin Wen, he only completed a cycle. Who among us can't do that?"

Deacon Qin Wen chuckled and said, "He is different from you all. You started as children, while he is just an overage Utility Disciple."

It was meant as a casual remark.

But Nangong Yi's face turned black instantly. He didn't dare look at Deacon Qin Wen, kept his head low, and shrank back a step.

Seeing Nangong Yi's expression, Xia Shaoxin finally savored the meaning.

Deacon Qin Wen's words, while praising Xia Shaoxin, had actually stepped on Nangong Yi.

No, actually, he had stepped on everyone in the Utility Disciple courtyard.

Xia Shaoxin asked Nangong Yi seriously, "Senior Brother, how long did it take you to complete a cycle?"

Nangong Yi snapped his eyes up, glared viciously, and said nothing.

An Inner Sect Disciple who had come with Deacon Qin Wen to distribute the jade bamboo spirit leaves smiled and said, "He was playful since he was a child. He entered the mountain at six or seven and learned very quickly. He mastered the Introductory Cultivation Method in three days and was considered to have superior Aptitude at the time, but it wasn't until he was ten that he could complete a cycle."

This Inner Sect Disciple had entered the mountain in the same year as Nangong Yi and knew everything about him.

Saying this now, there was probably some small grudge from childhood.

Nangong Yi looked as if he had been struck by a club. He said sheepishly, "It's been so many years, yet Senior Brother Liao still remembers things from childhood. Truly, our brotherhood is deep..."

The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward.

In the Utility Disciple courtyard, there were four large dormitories housing forty Utility Disciples, more than half of whom had been demoted from the Outer Sect.

Being precocious in childhood doesn't guarantee success in adulthood.

Back then, they were all naive children who rang the three sky sound bells and stepped into the mountain gate carrying the expectations of their entire Family.

They had no difficulty learning the Introductory Cultivation Method, because the Wordless Stele was not meant to make things difficult for them.

They had thought they would soar into the sky from then on, but they didn't expect that their life's fortunes would only begin to diverge after learning the Introductory Cultivation Method.

A small number of people entered the Qi Refining Realm early, became Inner Sect Disciples, and ascended to the inner sanctum.

Most people, no matter when they managed to guide the Spiritual Qi to circulate throughout their bodies, got stuck at the very last step and could not retain a single wisp of True Qi.

After turning eighteen, they were demoted to Utility Disciples for free. Their youthful arrogance had all turned into bitter, rainy storms.

This Senior Brother Liao's words caused many people to break down.

Xia Shaoxin did not have this psychological burden and stood openly in the middle of the courtyard.

But in Nangong Yi's eyes, this was blatant mockery.

Feeling the extreme oppression in the courtyard, Deacon Qin Wen waved his sleeve and said sternly, "Cultivation is not a sprint. It's not that fast stays fast, and slow stays slow."

"Some people are extremely fast at the beginning but lack strength later, while others are the opposite."

"Every checkpoint is important. Once you cross it, you can gallop for a while, and then you encounter the next checkpoint. Who isn't like that?"

He had intended to comfort everyone, but inexplicably thought of himself.

Deacon Qin Wen was stuck at the third level of the Lower Stage of Qi Refining, unable to cross the chasm to the Middle Stage of Qi Refining. The glory of his entire life would eventually come to nothing.

Grief welled up from within. He ended his speech and left with the two Inner Sect Disciples to go to the next Utility Disciple courtyard.

The Utility Disciples of Nanxiang Courtyard, with dejected expressions, returned to their rooms one after another to consume the jade bamboo spirit leaves, attempting to assault their lifeless Dantian.

Xia Shaoxin had eaten one authentic spirit leaf and could still eat a high-imitation one.

He couldn't be bothered to go outside after eating just one, so he sat on his bed, quietly took out another one to eat, and diligently practiced his Cultivation Technique, completing a cycle.

He did not know that at this moment, anger was gathering in the dormitory.

Using the Cultivation Technique to circulate Spiritual Qi would make a person very exhausted.

The Spiritual Qi contained in the spirit leaf was even greater, so one would be even more exhausted.

Everyone usually consumed the jade bamboo spirit leaf in their best state and then hurried to rest.

This Xia Shaoxin fellow had clearly just consumed a spirit leaf; he should be physically exhausted, lying on the bed, and not disturbing everyone.

Why did he still have to pretend to Cultivate?

In the eyes of his roommates, this was an open provocation.

Xia Shaoxin really didn't know that his earnest Cultivation actions actually made others feel so uncomfortable.

...

The next day, Cai Ke secretly said to Nangong Yi, "Senior Brother, I can't take it anymore."

Nangong Yi knew what he was talking about and sighed. "Endure for two more months. When his one-year term as a Utility Disciple is up, he will naturally get lost, and he won't be an eyesore in front of us anymore."

"But why do I feel like I can't even endure until tomorrow!"

"What do you want to do? I advise you not to mess around. This is the Chiyan Sect, not some dark and windy corner of the Jianghu."

Cai Ke whispered, "We cultivators are relatively vulnerable when Cultivating. If one were to suddenly interfere while the Qi is circulating through the meridians..."

Nangong Yi quickly covered Cai Ke's mouth. "Don't say any more."

He hurried away.

After a while, Nangong Yi suddenly came to Cai Ke and whispered in his ear, "He likes to hide from us to Cultivate alone. Surely no one would ever know, right?"

Cai Ke revealed a knowing smile.