Yu Xian headed straight to the side hall of the Weapon Forging Workshop to trade materials, his gaze pausing slightly.

At the distant counter, it wasn't Xu Haoming handling the transactions but a young man instead.

Thinking for a moment, Yu Xian still walked over and asked curiously, "Senior Brother, do you know why Senior Brother Xu isn't here today?"

"Oh, Senior Brother Xu went into seclusion five days ago to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Are you Yu Xian?"

The young man looked at Yu Xian, smiling as he said, "Before going into seclusion, Senior Brother Xu instructed us to treat you well if you came by."

"Seclusion to break through to Foundation Establishment..."

Yu Xian's expression remained unchanged, but he was surprised inside.

It's only been a few days, and that guy is about to break through? Once he reaches Foundation Establishment, it would be a world of difference.

Yu Xian naturally didn't know how much his Scorching Sun Essence Jade and so many Scorching Sun Essence Stones had helped Xu Haoming.

He hoped Xu Haoming would succeed. Although he wasn't a good person, at least he was a reliable trading partner for now.

Nodding, Yu Xian said, "I am Yu Xian. Senior Brother, I want to exchange for Spirit Stones."

"No need to call me Senior Brother, just call me Li Youmao."

Li Youmao quickly waved his hand, his eyes gleaming as he asked, "How many Scorching Sun Essence Stones do you have, Junior Brother?"

Clearly, Xu Haoming had already informed him that Yu Xian was quite wealthy.

Every time Yu Xian came to exchange, as a middleman, he could earn quite a bit, so his attitude was naturally very good.

Yu Xian didn't take advantage of the situation and called him by name.

This young man named Li Youmao looked about twenty-one or twenty-two, much older than himself, so calling him Senior Brother wasn't wrong.

He took out a storage pouch and said, "I have a total of one hundred Scorching Sun Essence Stones. Senior Brother, give me your storage pouch, and I'll transfer them to you."

"One hundred!?"

Li Youmao exclaimed on the spot, quickly covering his mouth, looking at Yu Xian with excitement as he nodded, "Good, good."

This wasn't just a small fortune; it was a massive one...

With one hundred Scorching Sun Essence Stones, he could easily earn nearly two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones in return!

And that's with leaving half the profits for Senior Brother Xu!

This single transaction earned him ten days' worth of Spirit Stones!

His hands trembled slightly as he handed over the storage pouch. After Yu Xian transferred the Scorching Sun Essence Stones, Li Youmao quickly took it back, and with just one glance, his entire face lit up with joy.

"Good... good... Junior Brother, please wait a moment, I'll get the Spirit Stones for you right away!"

Li Youmao quickly transferred the Scorching Sun Essence Stones and placed twelve hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones inside, handing them to Yu Xian, "Junior Brother, please check the quantity."

Yu Xian took a look, confirmed the quantity was correct, and transferred them to his own storage pouch, smiling, "Perfect."

Li Youmao smiled, "Junior Brother, if you have more Scorching Sun Essence Ore in the future, just come to me! We can negotiate the price! After all, once Senior Brother Xu succeeds in reaching Foundation Establishment, he'll be an Inner Sect Senior Brother and won't be here anymore."

"Sure, sure."

Yu Xian nodded with a smile and turned to leave.

After leaving the Hundred Mines Workshop, Yu Xian went straight to the Alchemy Workshop.

With twelve hundred Spirit Stones, he kept two hundred for cultivation.

He exchanged a thousand for two Earth Spirit Pills, then left the Alchemy Workshop, planning to return.

But just as he stepped out of the Alchemy Workshop, a loud and resonant voice echoed.

"The Grand Elder has decreed that the Inner Sect only accepting Foundation Establishment cultivators is too harsh! It hinders the Sect's development! To give Outer Sect disciples a chance and ensure those with talent and potential are not overlooked, starting this year, six additional disciples will be selected annually for Inner Sect training!"

The voice was loud, resonating all around, driven by a Late Foundation Establishment cultivation!

"What!?"

"What does this mean!?"

"Training... does this mean Outer Sect disciples at the Qi Condensation stage can also enter the Inner Sect!?"

"Selecting six more people, there are tens of thousands in the Outer Sect, truly one in ten thousand!"

As the voice rang out, the surroundings erupted into noise, countless disciples were shocked, their eyes gleaming!

No need to say how difficult Foundation Establishment is.

And now, with the Inner Sect accepting six more disciples each year, it means six more opportunities!

Any Outer Sect disciple would be extremely excited!

Especially those who have been stuck at Perfected Qi Condensation for years, they were thrilled to the extreme!

The loud voice continued.

"In four months, the Six Outer Workshops, with over forty-six thousand disciples, will begin the selection simultaneously, choosing the strongest six to enter the Inner Sect for training!"

The echoes lingered in the sky.

Throughout the Outer Sect, any disciple who heard this voice was almost in an uproar!

They talked among themselves, excitement beyond words!

But Yu Xian's expression remained calm. Although he was somewhat longing in his heart, he clearly knew that he was only at mid-Qi Condensation, and couldn't compare with those at Late Qi Condensation or even Perfected Qi Condensation!

His previous ambush on Zhao Mulin and attack on Old Third Zhang were both unexpected.

If it were a proper selection, a fair duel, Yu Xian wouldn't stand a chance.

Yu Xian had known since he was young that things he couldn't obtain shouldn't be fantasized about, otherwise, it would only bring trouble, or even cost him dearly!

So he shook his head and returned to the Mining Area.

It's not that he couldn't participate in the selection, but at the very least, he needed to reach Perfected Qi Condensation!

Soon, the disciples in the Mining Area also gradually learned of this news.

Without exception, including Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng, everyone was excited!

Four months wasn't long, and most of the disciples stopped mining, using all their savings to exchange for Spirit Stones and elixirs, then entered a state of intense cultivation.

A few who continued working only mined for another month before stopping as well, starting intense cultivation, trying to become stronger in these few months.

Only Yu Xian continued to accumulate Scorching Sun Essence Ore, exchanging it for Spirit Stones, then for Earth Spirit Pills, and continued mining, repeating the cycle.

Unknowingly, a month passed.

Dingzi No. 17 Mine Cave had been completely mined into an abandoned mine by Yu Xian. Even with the guidance of the Jade Pendant, he often couldn't find a single piece in a day.

So at the end of the month, Yu Xian voluntarily went to the steward's dwelling.

"Steward, disciple Yu Xian is here to offer the monthly tribute of ores."

A surprised voice came from inside the dwelling, and then the door opened.

Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng stood inside, looking at Yu Xian with shock, "What did you say? You're here to offer the monthly tribute of ores? You've already mined two pieces?"

"Yes."

Yu Xian smiled, "I was lucky and mined three pieces. I'm here today to offer two for the monthly tribute and to present one to the two stewards, hoping you can help me change to a different mine cave."

"You mined three pieces?"

Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng exchanged a glance, disbelief in their eyes.

They had assigned him to the No. 17 Mine Cave, which was essentially an abandoned mine.

But he mined three pieces in a month?

Even a normal mine wouldn't yield that much!

To read the uncut version, go to [pawread.com].

This kid...

Yu Xian smiled, "Yes, three pieces."

Saying this, he took out three Scorching Sun Essence Stones and handed them over, "Two for the monthly tribute, and one as a gift to the two stewards!"

Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng looked at each other.

Senior Brother Huang had said... to make this kid leave!

But now he's paid the monthly tribute, how can they make him leave?

And if he doesn't leave, it will be them who have to leave...

Liu Xue suddenly smiled, taking the three Scorching Sun Essence Stones, "Lucky, very lucky. As for changing the mine cave, no problem."

Sun Bingcheng also smiled, "Yes, yes, you go back first, we'll discuss which mine cave to assign to you."

"Thank you, stewards."

Yu Xian nodded, turned around, and walked away, his smile fading, his expression calm.

These two stewards probably didn't have good intentions.

Are they planning to kill again?

But unless necessary, Yu Xian really didn't want to kill.

He exhaled slightly, suppressing the coldness in his eyes, and returned to his dwelling.

Inside the steward's dwelling, Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng fell into deep thought.

How to make Yu Xian leave was indeed a problem.

"What should we do?"

Sun Bingcheng spoke first, his eyes cold, "Why not end it once and for all?"

"End it once and for all? Do you know how Old Third Zhang died?"

Liu Xue rolled his eyes, shaking his head, "I even suspect that Zhao Mulin's disappearance was that kid's doing!"

"Impossible, right? That kid? Didn't Senior Brother Huang say he hadn't even reached Qi Condensation?"

Sun Bingcheng was full of surprise.

"He's only at Perfected Qi Condensation, what can he see?"

Liu Xue shook his head, solemnly, "Anyway, we can't underestimate that kid, or we'll regret it!"

"Then what do you suggest? If we don't do anything, when Senior Brother Huang comes and sees that kid still here, we'll be the ones to leave."

Sun Bingcheng spread his hands, directly throwing the problem to Liu Xue.

"There is a way."

Liu Xue revealed a cold smile, "We can't touch him, but we can let someone who can!"

"Someone who can?"

Sun Bingcheng looked puzzled.

"Do you remember the demonic beast we discovered a year ago while exploring the mine source?" Liu Xue's eyes gleamed coldly.

"Ah, you mean?"

Sun Bingcheng's eyes lit up, clapping his hands in delight, "Ha, brilliant! That Blazing Flame Wolf isn't something to mess with, even a Late Qi Condensation cultivator would die if they encountered it. Last time, if we hadn't been cautious and discovered it early, we would have become wolf dung."

Liu Xue was full of pride, sneering, "Let's send that kid to that mining mountain. Once he steps into the Blazing Flame Wolf's territory, he won't escape!"

"Great idea, really great!"

Sun Bingcheng nodded repeatedly, giving a thumbs up, laughing, "You must have been well-read before cultivation, your brain works well!"

"Of course, better than a pig butcher like you, right?"

"Hahaha!"

Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng laughed heartily, their voices echoing in the dwelling.

The ripples in the Qi Sea, like a clear pond, never stopped.

The Low-Grade Wood Spiritual Root continuously compressed Spiritual Qi, transforming it into liquid, dripping into the clear pond.

The Qi Sea, originally one zhang, was now one zhang and two feet.

The clear pond was deeper, the Spiritual Qi more concentrated.

When the Spiritual Qi became as dense as mercury, Yu Xian would reach Late Qi Condensation.

In a month, Yu Xian consumed five Earth Spirit Pills and more than a dozen bottles of Minor Spirit Pills like a wealthy man, and his cultivation advanced rapidly.

In just a month, his Qi Sea expanded by another two feet, the Spiritual Qi condensed and thickened, and his cultivation was almost at the peak of mid-Qi Condensation.

However, taking so many pills quickly had its consequences...

His body developed a resistance to the pills!

Now, he had to take four or five Minor Spirit Pills in succession to achieve the effect of one pill before.

Even Earth Spirit Pills required two in succession to slightly expand the Qi Sea and enrich the Spiritual Qi.

This change made Yu Xian smile wryly.

It seemed that for his cultivation to grow rapidly again, he needed to consume more expensive, potent, and powerful elixirs.

But those elixirs were very expensive...

Even with the Jade Pendant's guidance for mining, mining was exhausting!

Those elixirs costing one or two thousand, even several thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones each, were beyond Yu Xian's reach.

"I should learn alchemy when I have time... Collecting raw materials is much cheaper..."

As the sky brightened, cultivation finished.

Yu Xian opened his eyes, muttering to himself, then his gaze flashed, looking outside.

Footsteps approached from a distance.

After reaching mid-Qi Condensation, Yu Xian's senses were much sharper, able to detect footsteps and breathing from dozens of meters away!

Knock, knock, knock.

Moments later, a knock sounded.

Liu Xue's voice, filled with laughter, came, "Yu Xian? Are you cultivating? Or resting?"

"Oh, is it the steward?"

The door opened, Yu Xian's face full of joy, "Steward, are you here to let me change mine caves?"

"Ah, hahaha, you're so smart."

Liu Xue laughed dryly, nodding, "I am here to change your mine cave, but think about it, all the surrounding mine caves are occupied. If you mine there, what will others mine? They would definitely have objections."

"Then, what do you mean, steward?"

Yu Xian showed a puzzled expression.

Liu Xue said seriously, "So, I've decided to send you to the newest, yet-to-be-explored mining mountain!"

"A new mining mountain, tsk tsk, rich in resources, you can easily mine a fortune, mining dozens of pieces in a month, isn't that hitting the jackpot!?"

Sun Bingcheng stood by, looking at Yu Xian with a face that said he was getting a huge advantage, his voice full of temptation.

"A new mining mountain..."

Yu Xian remained silent, seemingly contemplating.

"If you don't want to go, then forget it. I only offered this benefit because I saw you were sensible and knew how to show respect!"

Liu Xue quickly said, giving Sun Bingcheng a look.

Sun Bingcheng immediately raised his voice, "Hey, Old Liu, if he doesn't want to, then forget it. Let's find someone else; there are plenty of people willing to go to the new mining mountain and open a new mine cave."

"Forget it, let's go."

Liu Xue sighed, shaking his head, turning to leave.

"Wait, stewards, I'll go!"

At this moment, a voice came.

Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng both showed smiles of success.

They turned back, looking at Yu Xian.

Yu Xian's expression was calm, looking at them, nodding, "I'm willing to go."