A few days later, a loud boom echoed from the alchemy room where Bai Xiaochun was staying, and he walked out, frowning and troubled.
"I've just about mastered first-tier pills, but why are second-tier pills so difficult…" Bai Xiaochun sighed miserably. These past days, aside from cultivating, he had focused solely on alchemy. The herbs he had gathered were nearly depleted. He had planned to attempt refining second-tier spiritual pills, but the difficulty had greatly increased. Even with his meticulous and careful nature, he continued to fail.
Every attempt revealed many problems, and solving one only caused more to appear.
At that moment, he let out a deep sigh and walked out of the Alchemy Pavilion. Looking up, he was shocked to see quite a few people sitting cross-legged outside. These people were grouped in threes and fives, with some groups having more than ten people. Most of them were unfamiliar young women of graceful beauty.
With all shapes and figures represented, a group of beautiful women chirped and chattered. As soon as they saw Bai Xiaochun, their eyes lit up.
Each woman was accompanied by an elder, and when those elders saw Bai Xiaochun, they too lit up with joy. They quickly stood up, and the whole group rushed toward him.
"Stop—what are you all doing?" Bai Xiaochun was dumbfounded, unable to make sense of the situation, instinctively stepping back a few paces.
"Fellow Daoist Bai, I am Zhao Tianhai. Zhao Yiduo is my nephew. Haha, what a youthful hero you are—truly handsome and talented!"
"Fellow Daoist Bai, you are a dragon among men, valiant and extraordinary! Just looking at you feels like witnessing a Kunpeng soaring through the clouds, destined for greatness! Ahem, I am Sun Yunshan. These girls here are the daughters of the Sun Clan. Might you be in need of a few personal attendants?"
"Fellow Daoist Bai, I am Zhou Tian. The moment I saw you, I sensed heroic energy, as though I was witnessing the future overlord of the Eastern cultivation world! We're kindred spirits! Take a look at these girls—they are all the treasured pearls of the Zhou Clan…"
Countless voices clamored over one another. Bai Xiaochun's eyes went wide, and he stepped back again. After a while, he finally understood—*these people had come to offer him their daughters*…
He didn't know why. The girls were all quite beautiful, many of them aligning perfectly with his aesthetic preferences. Yet they were being handed over so freely—as if refusing would offend them—which made Bai Xiaochun extremely wary.
Still, being tactful by nature, he didn't let his thoughts show. He kept a pleasant smile as he exchanged pleasantries with the representatives of the cultivation clans and quickly found an excuse to slip away.
But before he could even return to his residence, more people blocked his path. Their words were nearly identical—offering daughters, resources, and countless benefits.
*"Did something major happen?! Could they have discovered I have a powerful immortal ancestor? Am I not just an ordinary mortal after all? Could it be… I, Bai Xiaochun, actually have some great hidden background?! Even I didn't know about it!"* Bai Xiaochun grew more and more alarmed, wild thoughts racing through his mind as he fled back home. But even there, another crowd of cultivators awaited him. Each one stared at him with longing eyes, as though *he only needed to nod* and they'd give him anything.
The women especially—all of them crowded around Bai Xiaochun, glaring at each other jealously, pushing and elbowing to get closer.
Bai Xiaochun felt his scalp tingle. He was surrounded on all sides, and no matter where he turned, he brushed against softness. He even felt his clothes being tugged. As panic rose in his heart, a cold snort echoed from afar.
It was Hou Xiaomei, eyes glaring and cheeks puffed with rage. She stomped forward, grabbed one of the girls, and yanked her away.
"Move aside! Move aside!"
"What are you all doing? This is Fragrant Cloud Mountain of the Spirit Stream Sect! You aunties—have you no shame?! Scram! And you—skinny as a string bean—what are you doing here? And you—fat like a sow—get lost!!" Hou Xiaomei shouted angrily as she shoved the women away.
Although petite, she seemed full of power. The girls refused to back down, and a shouting match broke out. Hou Xiaomei stood there with hands on her hips, sharp-tongued and fierce, attacking each girl's weak spot without mercy.
Bai Xiaochun seized the chance to escape back into his courtyard. Glancing down, he was horrified to find that his clothing had come loose.
*"Too scary!"* Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath, still feeling shaken. Looking toward the door, he saw Hou Xiaomei still holding the line—*one girl fighting off dozens*.
Eventually, the clan elders couldn't bear it anymore and began to call their people back. As they left, they respectfully cupped their fists toward Bai Xiaochun, promising to return another day.
Only at dusk did the area outside quiet down. Yet from a distance, he could still see cultivators sitting cross-legged, silently waiting.
These were powerful families with their own means, and no one dared drive them away.
Bai Xiaochun felt certain something huge had happened. With the crowd finally quiet, he pulled Hou Xiaomei into the courtyard.
She had been fierce moments ago, but as soon as Bai Xiaochun grabbed her arm, her face turned beet red. Her mind went blank, and she obediently followed him like a little lamb.
"L-little Brother Chun, there are people outside… w-what are you trying to do…" she whispered softly.
"Huh?" Bai Xiaochun was puzzled. Seeing her flustered state, he tapped her on the cheek. When she still didn't respond, he tapped her again.
"What's wrong with you?"
Hou Xiaomei snapped out of it, realized her misunderstanding, and stomped her foot in embarrassment. Flustered, she tossed a jade slip at him and fled.
Still confused, Bai Xiaochun looked at the slip. As he scanned it with spiritual power, his eyes widened. After reading carefully, he stood silently in the courtyard, deeply shaken.
*"Glory Family…"*
The jade slip was sent by Hou Yunfei via Hou Xiaomei. Some things were too awkward to say directly, so it fully explained the background and consequences of Bai Xiaochun's *Glory Disciple* status—and how desirable it was to cultivation families. It even hinted that the Hou Clan had high hopes that *his future offspring* would contain *half Hou Clan blood*.
Thinking of Hou Xiaomei's expression earlier, Bai Xiaochun stroked his smooth chin, his eyes lighting up. His attention wasn't on Hou Xiaomei—but rather, the enormous *benefits* this brought to him.
*"To think… I thought all those rewards were useless. I figured only being the sect leader's junior gave me any weight. But it turns out… this 'Glory Disciple' title that I barely paid attention to is revered beyond belief outside the sect!"* Bai Xiaochun licked his lips, heart racing.
*"I can pick any Dao companion… resources will pour in… immortality is within reach!"* He chuckled to himself, eyes glowing with excitement.
He had been worrying over the cost of second-tier pill refining—but now people were *lining up* to shower him with gifts.
*"If only I could accept them all…"* he murmured, then suddenly had an idea.
*"Wait a minute… why *can't I accept them all?"** With a cough, he returned to his room and stayed up the whole night planning.
At dawn, refreshed and energized, he opened the courtyard door. As expected, another group was already waiting.
"Fellow Daoist Bai…"
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Bai. I come at the command of my clan's patriarch…"
Voices filled the air. Bai Xiaochun lifted his chin and flicked his sleeves grandly.
"All right. One family at a time—come in, and we'll talk." With a smile, he casually picked a group. That clan's representative beamed with joy and entered with their girls.
Before long, they exited—his expression nervous and uncertain. The surrounding clans grew anxious and quickly messaged their families.
And so it continued—one family after another, until by the end of the day, Bai Xiaochun had met with *dozens* of cultivation clans.
He didn't accept a single girl—nor did he reject any. He simply said it was a huge decision and that he needed time to think. He refused every gift with the same line:
*"I, Bai Xiaochun, walk the righteous path. Since I haven't decided to form an alliance with your clan, it wouldn't be proper to accept gifts."*
The more he said this, the less any clan dared take their gifts back. Instead, they grew even more polite. Some even said, "Even if we don't become family, let us at least be friends," at which point Bai Xiaochun reluctantly accepted.
These clans weren't stupid—they saw through Bai Xiaochun's so-called "thinking." He was just stalling so he could *see all options* before choosing the best.
But they had expected this. What they truly feared was Bai Xiaochun having *no intention* of choosing a Dao companion at all.
So on the next day, even more families came. Some even offered their daughters not as wives, but as *concubines* or even *bed-warming maids. As long as Bai Xiaochun acknowledged the **bloodline*, that was enough.
The gift-giving became competitive. The flood of gifts left Bai Xiaochun stunned. Eventually, even when he tried to refuse, families would get offended, thinking he was insulting their clan.
"Fine, I'll accept… is that okay now?" he relented.
This continued for seven or eight days, until Bai Xiaochun got used to opening his door each morning to see a crowd.
But then… three days later…
When he opened the door at dawn, he froze.
*There was no one outside.*
It was completely empty. Looking far off, still no one.
Only a few multicolored phoenixes flew gracefully in the sky—Elder Zhou's beloved pets. At dawn, they often circled Fragrant Cloud Mountain, admired by disciples for their beauty.
Bai Xiaochun rubbed his eyes. Maybe he opened the door the wrong way? He tried again—still empty.
Only then did he realize—*something was wrong.*
"What's going on?" he muttered, then hurried out to find Hou Yunfei for answers.
"The sect leader issued a decree last night," Hou Yunfei explained. "He used his identity as your senior brother to inform all cultivation clans… that the sect has a rule: *no choosing Dao companions for a hundred years.* So… they had no choice but to leave."
Bai Xiaochun was stunned, feeling deeply aggrieved.
*"He's cut off my path to wealth and ruined my romantic future…"*
Hou Yunfei chuckled helplessly, then grew serious.
"Xiaochun, I heard from a friend on Green Peak Mountain that you had some conflict with Shangguan Tianyou? Qian Dajin doesn't matter—the sect accepted his punishment. But Shangguan Tianyou is not so simple!"
"What's so special about him? Is he older than us?" Bai Xiaochun replied casually. By now, he understood the sect's system well. There were strict rules to prevent murder between disciples, and while they encouraged mutual assistance, they also encouraged competition. The sect operated under a broad framework, with elders and enforcers, but the massive number of disciples—tens of thousands—meant the sect couldn't micromanage everything.
Fights and schemes between disciples were common, but punishments were harsh if someone crossed the line.
Bai Xiaochun had earned merit, possessed great skill in herbology and strong combat power. The sect valued him—but didn't treat him like royalty. If someone mocked or provoked him, the sect wouldn't instantly intervene. That applied to *everyone*—whether it was Bai Xiaochun or Shangguan Tianyou.
So Bai Xiaochun hadn't paid much attention to the arrogant Shangguan Tianyou, despite his fame and the fact that even inner disciples addressed him as "Young Master."
Hou Yunfei paused, then continued.
"Shangguan Tianyou has lofty ambitions. His goal is to enter the legendary *inheritance sequence. So he's deliberately suppressing his cultivation, waiting for the South-North Heaven's Chosen Trial while still at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. He wants to enter the inner sect **as the number one*, which will give him a better chance at the inheritance sequence. Otherwise, he could have already applied to become an inner disciple—most cultivators at the eighth level succeed."
"Everyone wants to join this inheritance sequence? Xu Baocai said Zhou Xinqi and Lu Tianlei are aiming for it too," Bai Xiaochun remarked in surprise.
"The inheritance sequence is equivalent in rank to your Glory Disciple title," Hou Yunfei explained. "But it's a completely *different system.* Spirit Stream Sect has *two systems*: one for managing the sect, the other for expanding its influence!"
"Qi Condensation level three and below is the servant tier. Up to level eight is the outer sect. At level eight, one can apply for inner sect trials. Passing means becoming an inner disciple."
"If you reach Foundation Establishment, you may become an elder or even a peak lord. If you reach the Gold Core stage within two sixty-year cycles, you become a Grand Elder—guardian and manager of the sect. *That's the first system.*"
"But the *second system… is the **inheritance sequence!*"
"There's only *one* way to enter: reaching Gold Core within two sixty-year cycles. From then on, you stand above ordinary disciples, becoming part of the sect's true foundation—its hope for future prestige and dominance. Winning the Heaven's Chosen Trial helps your chances."
"But reaching Gold Core in that time… is incredibly hard. From the last generation, only Elder Li Qinghou had a real chance. That's why the sect values him so highly." Hou Yunfei's eyes filled with admiration as he shared the inside knowledge known to cultivation clans.
Bai Xiaochun took a sharp breath. This was the first time he had heard of the inheritance sequence. The explanation gave him a much clearer understanding of the sect.
Even after leaving, he was still thinking:
*"Inheritance sequence?"*