Chen Ping did not look at anyone else again. Silently, he turned and walked out of the hall with steady steps.

Passing through that strange, mist-shrouded grassland, he returned to the cold, long corridor.

The Manager followed behind him, silent the entire way.

Back in the dimly lit side hall of the Servant Peak, Li Yingyong closed the stone door behind him that led to the strange grassland.

He walked over and sat down behind the wooden desk, then looked up at Chen Ping standing before it.

“My name is Li Yingyong, an Outer Disciple of the Sect.”

His tone had returned to its previous official, business-like manner, devoid of any discernible emotion.

“Since a Spirit Root has been detected, regardless of its quality, according to Sect rules, you have automatically shed your servant status and have been entered into the Sect’s disciple registry as a Registered Disciple.”

He pulled open a drawer, took out several items, and placed them on the table.

A thin, thread-bound booklet with a yellowed cover, bearing the three characters Evergreen Art.

A rough small cloth pouch from which faint clinking sounds emanated.

A plain white small porcelain vial.

“These are items issued by the Sect to Registered Disciples.”

Li Yingyong pointed them out one by one.

“The Evergreen Art, a basic Cultivation technique. Inside the pouch are two Low-grade Spirit Stones, your annual stipend as a Registered Disciple. Inside the porcelain vial is one Marrow Cleansing Pill to help you initially cleanse impurities from your body. However, you must reach the 1st Level of Qi Condensation before using it. Otherwise… your body will explode!”

Chen Ping listened carefully.

His gaze swept over the items on the table.

This was his starting point on The Immortal Path.

“Your supervisory duties in the Hundred Herb Garden will be retained for now.”

Li Yingyong’s tone shifted, carrying a hint of warning.

“But being a Registered Disciple does not guarantee security. Sect rules state: If one fails to reach the 1st Level of Qi Condensation within one year, they are deemed to have no hope on The Immortal Path. Their disciple status will be revoked, and they will be expelled from the Sect. If one fails to break through to the 3rd Level of Qi Condensation within five years, they will also be expelled.”

He looked at Chen Ping, his eyes devoid of warmth.

“The Immortal Path is arduous, and innate talent is fundamental. You’d best take care.”

“I understand.”

Chen Ping’s voice remained steady, showing no trace of being affected by his “Waste Spirit Root.”

He stepped forward, carefully collected the Evergreen Art, the Spirit Stone pouch, and the Marrow Cleansing Pill vial from the table, and stored them securely on his person.

“You may go.”

Li Yingyong waved his hand, indicating he could leave.

Chen Ping bowed respectfully, then turned and walked out of the side hall.

The heavy hall door closed behind him.

Inside the hall, Li Yingyong’s official demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a layer of gloomy suspicion and a flicker of greed.

A servant with no background obtained five Spirit Stones in four months? There must be something unusual about this.

“Someone come in.”

He called out in a low voice.

A young Registered Disciple wearing an identical bluish-gray robe pushed the door open and entered, bowing respectfully.

“Senior Brother Li.”

“Investigate.”

Li Yingyong’s voice was very low, carrying an unquestionable command.

“Investigate that person named Chen Ping, former servant of the Hundred Herb Garden, now a Registered Disciple. I want to know all about his background: what he did in the mortal world, who his family members are, who he contacted and what he did during these four months in the Hundred Herb Garden… Any irregularities must be reported clearly to me!”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

The Registered Disciple felt a chill in his heart but dared not ask questions. He immediately accepted the order and left.

Li Yingyong leaned back in his chair, his eyes flickering.

In the world of Cultivation, The Strong Eat the Weak. Opportunities are fleeting.

If one doesn’t have them oneself… then find a way to take them from others.

This Chen Ping must be hiding secrets.

When Chen Ping returned to the Hundred Herb Garden, it was just past noon.

The garden was filled with the familiar scent of medicinal herbs mixed with earth.

Without disturbing anyone, as usual, he first made a round of inspection in his assigned herb field area. The herbs were growing well; his subordinate servants were all diligently working.

Everything was just as he had left it.

After finishing his inspection, he quickly returned to his stone hut. He closed the door and bolted it shut, isolating himself from the outside world.

Sitting down on that simple wooden bed, he took a deep breath before retrieving that Evergreen Art from his chest.

The pages were yellowed and felt slightly rough to the touch.

He opened the cover and began reading carefully, word by word.

The beginning of the booklet did not directly explain Cultivation methods but briefly described what “Cultivation” is.

[The Immortal Path is vast and elusive; one seeks Dao for Immortality. Absorbing heaven and earth’s Qi to refine oneself—this is a Cultivator. Realm divisions: Qi Condensation is the beginning; establishing a foundation for Dao; Violet Palace nurtures spirit… The road ahead is long; only those with great perseverance and great fortune may glimpse its path.]

Chen Ping’s gaze lingered on the words “Qi Condensation,” “Foundation Establishment,” and “Violet Palace” for a moment.

His heart yearned for it.

Unfortunately, this Evergreen Art only contained content up to the Qi Condensation stage. It was clearly stated later that subsequent techniques required exchange using Sect Contribution Points.

Indeed, within Sects, interests reign supreme. Being able to distribute free techniques was already an act of mercy from this Sect.

“Sect Contribution Points…”

Chen Ping silently noted this down. This was another Sect rule he needed to understand.

He skipped these overviews and directly flipped to the part about the Drawing Qi into the Body cultivation method.

The text wasn’t obscure but required repeated contemplation to grasp fully.

The core essence was simple: Calm the mind and focus the spirit; perceive the “Qi” drifting between heaven and earth around oneself; use intent to guide it through bodily acupoints into one’s body; circulate it along specific pathways—the Meridians—and finally gather it into the lower abdomen Dantian for personal use.

This process is called “Drawing Qi into the Body.”

Only by successfully Drawing Qi into the Body and condensing the first stable wisp of controllable Qi within the Dantian can one truly step onto The Immortal Path.

Chen Ping closed the booklet and sat cross-legged on the bed according to the posture described in the book—five centers facing the sky, palms and soles of the feet upward. He tried to eliminate distracting thoughts, quieting his mind to sense that elusive, intangible “Qi.”

The stone hut fell silent; the only sound was his long, slow breathing.

Time passed bit by bit. The sun set, the moon rose, and the room plunged into darkness.

Chen Ping sat rigidly the entire night.

His legs had long since gone numb and stiff, and his mind was exhausted from prolonged concentration.

Yet, besides the hut’s coldness and his own breathing and heartbeat, he sensed nothing.

No cool, warm tingling sensations described in the book, let alone the so-called Qi light spots.

Drawing Qi into the Body—he had no clue whatsoever.

The next morning, at dawn, Chen Ping moved his stiff body and walked out of the stone hut.

Since the closed-door approach didn’t work, he would adapt and ask an experienced person for guidance.

Not rushing to the herb fields, he instead found Bai Zhi inspecting herbs in a quiet corner of the garden.

“Manager Bai.”

Chen Ping approached, his voice calm.

Bai Zhi looked up, saw him, and nodded in greeting. Her gaze returned to the herbs.

“I went to the Deacon Hall yesterday,” Chen Ping said directly. “I tested for a Spirit Root!”

Bai Zhi’s movements paused. She looked up again, her clear, beautiful eyes flashing with obvious surprise.

“You? Have a Spirit Root?”

She clearly hadn’t expected this quiet, diligent Manager of the Hundred Herb Garden to possess a Spirit Root.

“Yes,” Chen Ping admitted.

He didn’t conceal his tone; it was flat, like talking about someone else’s business.

“Congratulations on becoming a Registered Disciple.”

Bai Zhi congratulated him sincerely. The people she cared about were few, but Chen Ping, who could make delicious desserts and snacks, counted as one.

“Thank you,” Chen Ping replied faintly, then shifted the topic. “Manager Bai, I have a question to ask! I tried Drawing Qi into the Body the entire night but gained nothing. I wonder, Manager Bai, back then… how did you Draw Qi into the Body? Any… tips?”