While dealing with both internal and external threats, the Cyan Yuan Sect continued to recruit new disciples, the vast majority of whom were Servant Disciples.
The goal was to select those with outstanding aptitude from this pool. Those who distinguished themselves not only possessed considerable talent but also guaranteed loyalty, making them excellent candidates to truly become part of the Cyan Yuan Sect.
The Sect also recruited disciples from its Affiliated Forces who had already comprehended Power. In exchange for serving the Cyan Yuan Sect, they would receive greater protection.
During this period, Yang Chan saw many new faces in the Medicine Hall. They all carried an air of arrogance, but it quickly vanished after they crossed hands with the senior Official Disciples.
Back in their small towns, these individuals were considered geniuses, rare experts. But within the Cyan Yuan Sect, they were nothing special. The strength they were so confident in meant little here.
The Official Disciples of the Cyan Yuan Sect all had exceptionally solid foundations, as they were a gathering of the most outstanding individuals from all across Qing State.
Some Official Disciples had also risen from the ranks of the numerous Servant Disciples, proving themselves exceptional in all respects. For those cultivating the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, the less time it took to comprehend the Wild Ox Force, the more outstanding their talent was considered, and the more the Cyan Yuan Sect valued them. Such individuals were deemed extremely gifted and had the potential to become Direct Disciples—the very future of the Sect.
As for those selected from the other Affiliated Forces, there were also strict requirements regarding their cultivated Fist Techniques. Anyone who didn't meet the standards was simply rejected.
Having passed through multiple layers of trials to become Official Disciples, they were naturally far stronger than the so-called geniuses from smaller territories. After all, they had to compete even among a pool of geniuses.
Yang Chan simply watched it all like a play. He noted that the same Fist Technique had already evolved in various directions within the Cyan Yuan Sect. Furthermore, the monthly sparring matches forced the Cyan Yuan Sect Disciples to reflect and summarize their experiences, naturally leading to greater insights.
He hadn't witnessed any new disciple rise up dramatically, suppress all his peers, defy the Sect Elders, and then storm off after dropping a clichéd threat about how fortunes turn every thirty years. Otherwise, he would have already fled the Cyan Yuan Sect.
'When that kind of protagonist shows up—the kind filled with bitter hatred who brings disaster everywhere they go—it usually ends with no one left standing. The entire Sect would be wiped out.'
'If a character like that ever appeared, I could only follow Han PaoPao's example.'
The Pharmacist training in the Medicine Hall hadn't been canceled, merely postponed for a while. This didn't affect Yang Chan, but Li Junhao, Shu Yu, and the others had complicated expressions. They had all been hoping to use this opportunity to become Pharmacists.
If they became a Pharmacist for the Cyan Yuan Sect now, they would surely obtain far more Cultivation Resources, enough to advance their Cultivation to the External Refining realm.
Lately, the others had been looking at Yang Chan strangely. After the question Xu Gaocen had posed last time, they had gone to the Medicine Hall Collection Pavilion and even consulted other Pharmacists. In the end, they confirmed that Yang Chan's answer had been the most accurate.
If Yang Chan's subsequent answers hadn't been so unsatisfactory to Xu Gaocen, he might have been directly granted a spot in the Pharmacist training.
Thus, their feelings were complicated. The postponement of the training meant they had a better chance, but it also cemented Yang Chan as a major rival in their eyes.
The reason was Yang Chan's answer to Pharmacist Xu's question.
Whether Yang Chan had guessed the answer or just happened to have read about it in a book didn't matter. What mattered was that his progress was terrifyingly fast, making him a formidable rival.
Yang Chan naturally noticed the change in their attitudes and began interacting with them far less, and that included Shu Yu.
Yang Chan didn't mind. In fact, he was glad. As his Pharmacist Ability and personal strength continued to grow, these people could no longer offer him any real help.
Less interaction, on the other hand, would help him avoid potential trouble.
In the Medicine Hall, Yang Chan diligently continued his work as a Pharmacist's Assistant, waiting for the Solanum nigrum to be delivered.
"I heard Sect Leader Liu Xuan himself has gone to war, to suppress Lingyu Palace, Taiyu Valley, and the Nanhua Sword Sect."
"I hear Sect Leader Liu has always been trying to break through to the Grandmaster Realm. I wonder if he's finally succeeded."
"The fact that the Sect Leader is taking action personally probably means he broke through. He's going to suppress the three sects directly and bolster the Cyan Yuan Sect's might."
The news that Sect Leader Liu Xuan had personally led his men down the mountain had spread throughout the Cyan Yuan Sect.
'Is this because of the letter that came back from the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty's Capital City?'
The thought surfaced in Yang Chan's mind, though he couldn't be sure.
Not long after the Cyan Yuan Sect had sent a letter to the Imperial City, a reply had arrived. Shortly thereafter, Sect Leader Liu Xuan led his men away from the Sect.
Yang Chan had also heard the news of Liu Xuan's departure while in the Medicine Hall.
Yang Chan didn't know if Liu Xuan had broken through to the Grandmaster Realm, but for him to personally lead an expedition at this time meant he must be somewhat confident in his ability to control the situation. Alternatively, it could be due to a message from the Imperial City.
Overall, however, the advantage still lay with the Cyan Yuan Sect.
After losing an Elder, the Cyan Yuan Sect had retaliated against Lingyu Palace, Taiyu Valley, and the Nanhua Sword Sect. They had already killed six experts at the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level from the three sects—two from each.
This was the Cyan Yuan Sect's way of doing things.
When dealing with hostile forces, their policy was to repay every slight several times over.
The Cyan Yuan Sect lost one Elder of the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level, so the factions responsible had to suffer an even greater, more miserable loss.
The death of two Inner Masters was a huge blow to each of the three powers, as experts of that level were anything but easy to cultivate.
It wasn't just a matter of Cultivation Resources; it depended even more on one's cultivation talent. Without sufficient talent, breaking through was nearly impossible.
Thus, the three sects had begun to ally. On its own, not one of them was a match for the Cyan Yuan Sect; they could even face complete annihilation.
Such was the might of the strongest sect in Qing State.
Now, with the Cyan Yuan Sect Leader taking action personally, he intended to settle the matter once and for all.
In this year of great drought, disasters were incessant, and various internal conflicts were already plaguing Qing State. Sect Leader Liu Xuan's decision to act now might also have been a move to stabilize the state's overall situation.
Yang Chan had his suspicions but didn't know the precise answer. Overall, though, this was good news.
If the Cyan Yuan Sect could suppress Lingyu Palace, Taiyu Valley, and the Nanhua Sword Sect, the chaos would finally end. For Yang Chan, this was a welcome development.
Although he had benefited from these chaotic times, he still preferred peace and quiet. Being able to stay safely within the Cyan Yuan Sect for over a hundred years would be ideal.
By then, he would surely be an existence with few rivals in the entire Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, and his safety would be far more secure.
'Sect Leader Liu Xuan, you have to eliminate the people from Lingyu Palace, Taiyu Valley, and the Nanhua Sword Sect completely. Don't leave any talented young disciples alive, otherwise we'll get one of those cliché revenge plots later.'
Yang Chan prayed silently.
He hadn't seen any protagonist-level characters within the Cyan Yuan Sect, and he certainly didn't want to meet one outside of it.
Becoming a background character in their story would be a disaster.
'The Solanum nigrum should be delivered tomorrow. Finally, I can put all these accumulated Potential Points to good use.'
Yang Chan thought to himself.
He planned to use these Potential Points to increase his strength, so of course, he hadn't spent them on anything else.