Bai Zihan didn’t think much about what Bai Xinyue thought.
He has already achieved his objective, which was to check whether Bai Xinyue was a Heaven’s Chosen or not.
Turns out, she was a bigger threat than he had anticipated.
Making her into an ally wasn’t easily achievable—unlike Lin Xuan, Bai Xinyue already had a deep grudge against him.
Treating her well?
That would just make him look like a hypocrite with some hidden agenda. Even if he tried, there was no way it would change Bai Xinyue’s heart.
So, the only way for him to avoid the fate of being killed by Bai Xinyue… was to get stronger.
Bai Zihan returned to his residence without a word, his steps steady, the frigid wind swirling around him as if reluctant to let him go.
He sat down cross-legged within the quiet of his room, the Qi around him already humming to life.
He closed his eyes.
The world fell away.
All that remained was his breath and the steady pulse of his cultivation method—Myriad Breathing Technique.
******
Meanwhile, the sect was buzzing with even more rumors about Bai Zihan.
“Did you hear? Bai Zihan got his ass handed to him by Senior Brother Fang!”
“No way, that guy? Someone already taught him a lesson?”
“I heard he ran away, practically crying.”
“I also heard he kidnapped a handyman and has been torturing him.”
“Disgusting. Just because he’s from the Bai Clan, he thinks he can do anything.”
…
The source of the rumors? None other than Shen Liang, who had been relentlessly fanning the flames.
It didn’t matter whether Lin Xuan was actually tortured or not.
As long as it sounded believable, Shen Liang made sure it looked like Bai Zihan really did it.
There was no guilt or remorse in what he was doing.
He believed it was justice—justice for what he couldn’t do back at the Bai Clan, where he’d been falsely accused.
The little rat was moving fast, making sure that every corner of the Heaven Sword Sect whispered tales of Bai Zihan’s cowardice and cruelty.
With the help of his lackeys, it seemed like he’d made sure everyone in the sect had heard about Bai Zihan’s so-called “atrocities.”
Even Lin Xuan, who openly tried to shut the rumors down, found himself met with pity and skeptical stares.
“I told you, that’s not what happened!”
Lin Xuan said, jaw tight as he tried to resolve whatever misunderstanding the other disciples had about him being mistreated by Bai Zihan.
“Of course, of course!”
One of them said, all fake politeness.
“We don’t want Bai Zihan to know that you’re not helping him. But don’t worry—we know the truth.”
“Don’t worry, Lin Xuan. It won’t be too long before you’re saved from the claws of that evil bastard.”
No matter how much Lin Xuan tried to explain, it was pointless. Those disciples weren’t interested in the truth.
They refused to believe him even when the truth was before them.
They were already convinced that he was under Bai Zihan’s threat and only pretending to support him.
They thought they were clever, thought they could “see through” his act.
In reality?
They couldn’t see shit.
Just a bunch of self-righteous clowns convinced they were geniuses.
******
During the past weeks when the rumors was spreading like wildfire, Bai Zihan hadn’t said much about it.
Hadn’t even denied the nonsense.
He just kept to himself, training like none of it mattered.
Lin Xuan had gone to Bai Zihan to talk about it, but Bai Zihan didn’t seem interested—he told him to ignore it.
But how could he?
When the person who changed his life was being falsely accused, dragged through the mud—using his name, no less.
But after trying for a while, Lin Xuan realized it was useless.
Those people only liked to hear what they wanted to hear.
So, Lin Xuan wanted Bai Zihan to speak up for himself—shut down the rumors, clear the air, and show everyone the truth.
He believed that, with Bai Zihan’s permission and his own drastic improvement, proving those rumors wrong would be a piece of cake.
As for the one about Bai Zihan getting beaten up by Fang Jinyan… Lin Xuan wasn’t sure if it was true or not.
But judging from how Bai Zihan carried himself, the whole “begging for help and running away” part?
Yeah, that sounded like complete bullshit. Definitely the kind of lie cooked up by someone who hated his guts.
And yet, Bai Zihan didn’t care. Didn’t even flinch. He just told Lin Xuan to focus on his cultivation and ignore the noise.
Maybe the master has some kind of plan…
That’s what Lin Xuan thought when he saw how calm and nonchalant Bai Zihan remained.
Maybe he already has a solution.
*****
“Perhaps I should listent to what Master says and focus on my cultivation. It’s time for the Heaven Sword Sect’s disciple assessment test.”
It was one of the most grueling trials in the entire cultivation world—something that crushed the ambitions of tens of thousands people every year.
Not just because it was difficult, but because it was designed to be.
A meat grinder for dreams. A crucible that only the absolute best could crawl out of alive—and changed.
There were three stages to the test, each more brutal than the last.
The first stage tested your comprehension of cultivation fundamentals—your ability to circulate Qi, align your meridians, and absorb Qi from your surroundings.
It didn’t just test your talent—it also depended heavily on your cultivation technique.
A lot of people failed right there. Including Lin Xuan himself.
Not because he lacked talent, but because his previous cultivation method was trash.
His meridians were weak and his pills were low-quality, full of impurities.
That test had always been his wall.
But now?
With Bai Zihan giving him an Earth-grade cultivation technique and high-quality pills, Lin Xuan’s body was completely different.
The rate at which he could absorb Qi now was at least ten times higher than before.
He believed that this time, he could easily pass the first test.
***
The second stage was worse.
The combat trial.
A massive open arena hidden deep inside the sect’s trial grounds.
You’d be dropped into a formation array and forced to fight spirit beasts, golems… or other applicants.
Sometimes, all three at once. No rules. No mercy.
It was pure chaos. A trial that reduced the number of participants by ninety percent.
If you were unlucky?
You might end up facing someone way out of your league. Game over!
This part of the test was meant to weed out those so-called geniuses from prestigious clans—pampered with high-quality pills and resources, but with zero real combat experience.
It also served to gauge your proficiency in actual fighting techniques, which was just as important as raw cultivation talent.
The final stage? The Dao Resonance Mirror.
It wasn’t difficult but the pass rate was very low.
A mirror forged from the bones of a dead god and imbued with ancient heavenly will.
It didn’t just reflect your image—it reflected your worth. Your potential. Your fate.
If the mirror rejected you?
That was it.
No matter how well you’d done in the first two stages, if your Dao didn’t resonate—even faintly—you were out.
That’s why the pass rate was less than 0.01%.
Out of the hundreds of thousands who tried each year, only a tiny handful were chosen as Outer Disciples.
This was exactly why the Heaven Sword Sect stood at the top of the Desolate Heaven Empire—because they only accepted the absolute best of the best.
Lin Xuan had tried before. Twice!
And failed.
But now?
Now things were different.
“I’ve reached Core Condensation in just a month…”
Lin Xuan muttered as he sat cross-legged on a stone platform outside Bai Zihan’s residence.
The early morning light shone on his skin, flickering with the faint glow of Qi cycling through his meridians.
He could feel the power humming inside him.
The transformation in his body, the clarity in his mind—it was like night and day compared to before.
All thanks to Bai Zihan.
The guy didn’t even ask for gratitude.
Just handed him a rare Earth-grade cultivation technique, gave him pills worth more than his life, and told him to use them well.
Lin Xuan had done exactly that.
“Becoming an Outer Disciple will be easy!”
He smirked, cracking his knuckles.
He didn’t care about the rumors anymore. Let those fools whisper.
He was done chasing explanations.
All that mattered now was power.
And passing the assessment test would be the first step.
He looked toward Bai Zihan’s residence, eyes gleaming.
And maybe one day… he’d stand beside that man—not as a follower, but as an equal.
“Just wait,” he muttered, fire burning in his chest.
“This time… I’ll make it.”
Then he’d be able to help Bai Zihan more—and let the entire sect know that he, Lin Xuan, made the right choice in following Bai Zihan.
That he wasn’t mistreated.
That the rumors were nothing but lies.
If you morons won’t listen, then go ahead—see for yourselves just how stupid you really are!