Inside the Hundred-Refinement Sect compound, Yaoguang completed another round of cultivation. He glanced at the empty bottle and exhaled.

"The Heavenly Being Pills are all gone." As he spoke, he cast a glance toward a spot not far away. He could faintly feel something—or someone—observing him from that direction. Initially, he had found it somewhat surprising. However, after some thought, he realized it wasn't strange that they would secretly watch him and investigate his background. Flying sword technology was used for both civil and sect applications, and the Flying Sword Department had been the primary backer behind the Immortal Shadow series. He had appeared suddenly and immediately cut the spiritual energy consumption of the Immortal Shadow 60, so it was normal for them to want to know more. Still...

It’s been half a month... Why haven't I heard from Lin Sen yet? Whether they use my proposal or not, they should at least give me a definitive answer, or better yet, send some funds first. Thirty spirit stones would suffice, so I can buy another bottle of Heavenly Being Pills and continue my cultivation. He grumbled inwardly as he ended his session.

After some consideration, Yaoguang decided to go and ask in person. Waiting around indefinitely was not a viable option. If a mere Lin Sen of the Longxiang Imperial Academy really intended to swallow his contributions, he wouldn't hesitate to kill, loot, and defect to the Star Sea Sect.

However, the coordinates of the Star Gate for the Artifact-Nurturing World were fixed within the Nine Cauldrons Sect. The information and cultural environment in which he had been immersed while in the Artifact-Nurturing World was more compatible with the Nine Cauldrons Sect, which had inherited the legacy of the Artifact Sect. Even if he went to the Star Sea Sect, it would likely take a considerable amount of time to integrate.

As soon as he stepped out the door, Yaoguang saw a dozen people gathered together, offering fist-and-palm salutes to congratulate a disciple. "Congratulations!"

"You’ve successfully refined qi into psyche and developed your psychic consciousness? Now you can apply for a position at the Energy Department."

"The Energy Department is a true guaranteed career. You’ll be set for life."

Yaoguang listened for a moment and understood what was happening.

Not only did the Energy Department offer high salaries and excellent benefits, but once you joined, you were essentially safe from being fired. It was the lifelong pursuit for all low-to-mid-level cultivators. Of course, if one became a high-tier cultivator, their status would naturally transcend that of an Energy Department employee. Those with a sub-profession could test for a professorship at the academies, while those without could seek jobs within the Nine Cauldrons Sect itself.

Suddenly, a disciple shouted, "Eldest Senior Sister is here!"

At those words, the celebrating disciples scattered instantly. However, as an eighth-realm body refinement martial artist, Huang Yunqi’s hearing was incredibly sharp. She had clearly overheard their celebration, and her expression turned quite sour.

Yang Kaitai, who was walking with her, saw this and snorted coldly. "As members of the Hundred-Refinement Sect, they don't think about becoming high-tier cultivators, star lords, or even establishing a Dao Foundation. Instead, they focus solely on refining qi into psyche and gloat over qualifying for the Energy Department. It’s truly self-deprecating."

"Enough. They’re just a bunch of outer sect disciples, the kind of people who pay for lessons. Why bother with them? If they want to learn, let them; if not, ignore them. As long as we collect the fees, it's fine," Huang Yunqi said with a cold face.

"True. For a true disciple, the most important trait is loyalty, being steadfastly loyal to the sect. Only then can we trust them and put our full effort into nurturing them. Without loyalty, no matter how well they train, it has nothing to do with us." Yang Kaitai nodded in agreement.

Yaoguang felt no resonance with their words. In fact, he found Zong Lian, the sect master of the Hundred-Refinement Sect, somewhat pitiable.

After all these years, the Hundred-Refinement Sect had not only failed to produce a single decent cultivator, but the disciples under its banner each had their own agendas. Instead of building the sect’s reputation and credibility, they only thought about using the Hundred-Refinement Sect as a vehicle to make money.

They were truly "talented" in their own way. But then, another thought occurred to him. If the Nine Cauldrons Sect was like a top-tier global conglomerate, the Hundred-Refinement Sect was at best a small company. Employees of a large conglomerate would naturally be loyal, tying their interests to the company's success. But people in a small company were usually preoccupied with internal power struggles and making a quick buck. If a small company tried to talk to people about grand blueprints or changing the world, those people would just see it as empty promises and treat it with disdain.

"Forget it. The reason Ji Pingtian and the others can tolerate these people is that they have already found their place as the middle-class serving society. But since I can't stand this style and still want to live at the Hundred-Refinement Sect... I'm just looking for trouble. I might as well move out and find some peace of mind." Yaoguang mused.

High-tier cultivators, even in the most competitive body cultivation, belonged to the elite tier in any sect. Regardless of the work they did, they were guaranteed a comfortable life.

He originally wanted to find Zong Yan and Ji Pingchuan, but considering they were busy studying for the academy recruitment exams, he decided not to disturb them. Instead, he left the Hundred-Refinement Sect alone.

Walking down the street, looking at the neon lights and the sword light occasionally streaking across the sky, Yaoguang felt a sense of trance. He hadn't expected that after over a month in Cangwu, he still hadn't managed to find a path forward.

"Sacred Lord... Yaoguang..." a somewhat surprised voice called out.

Yaoguang looked over and saw Xie Yi'er waiting by a transit stop, looking at him with some surprise.

"Oh? It’s been a while. How are Xie Yushu and the others?" Yaoguang asked.

"We’re doing well. We’ve managed to contact a family that was previously on good terms with the Xie family, and they are willing to give us some help..." Xie Yi'er said, looking at the solitary Yaoguang. "Sacred Lord Yaoguang... You are..."

When that title came out, a young girl also waiting at the transit stop couldn't help but laugh. Immediately realizing it was rude, she waved her hands frantically. "I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you. I just suddenly thought of something funny."

Yaoguang gave her a speechless look and then turned back to Xie Yi'er. "Just call me Yaoguang."

"Mhmm."

"Have you started preparing for the Nine Cauldrons Sect exams?"

"Yes."

"Then work hard," Yaoguang said.

"Sacred Lor—If you were to take the exam, I imagine becoming an official disciple would be a trivial matter for you," Xie Yi'er said sincerely.

Those words once again piqued the curiosity of the girl and the people nearby. An official disciple was a title of significant weight.

"We’ll see," Yaoguang replied, without committing to anything.

Suddenly, a sword light descended. It was a refined man in his thirties. The man was clearly a sword cultivator, as he arrived by riding his sword. Beneath his feet was a Flowing Immortal Type 8 flying sword. This model was not particularly fast, but it was aesthetically pleasing, flew steadily, came with a built-in wind shield, and had low spiritual energy consumption. Its overall performance was significantly higher than that of the Immortal Shadow 50, yet it was priced more affordably.

"Senior Brother Murong," Xie Yi'er greeted him hastily as he landed.

"Junior Sister Xie, sorry to keep you waiting," the man replied warmly. He then looked at Yaoguang, who had been chatting with her. "And this is..."

"This is the lord of Xiayu's sacred land we mentioned to you before... Yaoguang..." Xie Yi'er explained.

However, Senior Brother Murong showed no enthusiasm. He merely gave Yaoguang a polite nod before turning back to Xie Yi'er. "Alright, let's go."

"Mhmm," Xie Yi'er responded, stepped onto the flying sword, and waved goodbye to Yaoguang. Yaoguang nodded slightly in return. Soon, as the man took flight, the two entered the high-altitude guidance orbit and vanished from Yaoguang’s sight.

Yaoguang turned around to continue on his way, but the young girl followed him, her face full of curiosity. "Hello, Senior Brother! My name is Ran Xiaoyu. Let's exchange contact information."

"Senior Brother?" Yaoguang glanced at her.

"I’m a registered disciple of the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Once you join, won't we be fellow disciples?" Ran Xiaoyu asked curiously. "Was that your ex-girlfriend? You two didn't seem to act like it. What's the inside story? Can you tell me, Senior Brother?"

Yaoguang ignored her and kept walking.

"Senior Brother—" Ran Xiaoyu was about to say more when a hovering vehicle, about eight meters long and resembling a small bus, pulled up beside Yaoguang.

Lin Sen leaned out the window with a wide smile. "Yaoguang, I have a friend who wants to chat with you. Why don't you hop in?"

Yaoguang had been planning to look for him anyway, so he nodded. "Sure."

He quickly boarded through the door Lin Sen opened. Once inside, Yaoguang realized that while the vehicle wasn't as flashy as a flying sword, the interior was quite luxurious. It was equipped with a refrigerator, projection equipment, and automatic scenic windows; the layout resembled a small conference room.

However, these were just trivial details. The truly important thing was that three more people were sitting inside. Yaoguang recognized one of them from his images: Qin Yadong, a special-level professor and director of the Energy Institute at Longxiang Imperial Academy.

As for the other two... One exerted a faint pressure on his psychic mind. The other appeared harmless, but Yaoguang sensed a Life Force Field so powerful it was far beyond his ability to shake. It seemed to seal his entire essence, qi, and psyche, making it impossible for others to sense anything from him.

It was important to note that Yaoguang’s current realm was effectively that of a star lord. Though his cultivation level had not yet caught up, his vision was in no way inferior to any star lord. For this person to make him feel this way...

"One primordial psyche expert, one star lord..." Yaoguang looked at Lin Sen. "Professor Lin, I suspect this invitation is for more than just a simple chat."

"Mr. Yaoguang, we truly do just want to have a brief talk with you. There’s no other motive," the cultivator at the Primordial Psyche Realm said with a smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhang Jianlin, an elder of the Nine Heavens Domain branch of the Nine Cauldrons Sect. This is my good friend Qin Yi, the deputy hall master of the branch's Warfare Hall. We’ve taken the liberty of inviting you because we want to hear your views on our Nine Cauldrons Sect."

"My views on the Nine Cauldrons Sect?" Yaoguang was slightly taken aback.

"Yes. I know you’ve just come from outside the great world, but you’ve lived here for over a month now. We’d like to hear your thoughts on any shortcomings or issues with the Nine Cauldrons Sect, so we can see where we might improve," Zhang Jianlin said with a smile.

This attitude made Yaoguang feel a sense of strangeness. A great cultivator of the Psyche Dao at the Primordial Psyche Realm and a great cultivator of the Martial Dao at the Star Lord Realm, speaking to a high-tier cultivator with such a tone... Was this appropriate?