"Gengzi Courtyard. This is the place."

Having confirmed the designation on the archway, Xu Changshou stepped inside.

Beyond the gates stood a two-story structure shaped like the outstretched wings of a wild goose, harboring five rooms on each level.

Covered corridors wrapped around both wings of the building, terminating in elegant stone pavilions at each corner.

The central courtyard was meticulously landscaped with vibrant flora, presenting a scene of pristine tranquility.

At that moment, eight or nine youths were gathered in one of the pavilions, chattering animatedly.

"Oh? Another newcomer."

"Number ten."

"Looks like our roster is finally full."

Spotting Xu Changshou, the group of boys and girls immediately swarmed over.

Suddenly confronted by a crowd of peers his own age, Xu Changshou was taken aback. He hadn't expected such a reception.

Sweeping his gaze over them, he noted the youngest appeared barely ten, while the eldest was no more than twelve.

Every single one of them was a Qi Condensation cultivator. The most formidable among them was a remarkably quiet girl radiating the aura of the fourth layer of Qi Condensation-a full layer above his own.

The rest ranged anywhere from the first to the third layer.

The Ten Daos Mantra contained a rudimentary utility technique known as the Qi Observation Art. It was incredibly simple to master; by channeling Spiritual Qi into one's pupils, a cultivator could peer into the cultivation base of others.

Xu Changshou had grasped the concept instantly, allowing him to clearly gauge the depths of everyone present.

Naturally, the Qi Observation Art was limited by boundaries. It only worked on targets within the same major realm. A Qi Condensation cultivator attempting to pry into the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment expert would see nothing but an impenetrable abyss.

"Senior Brother, are you assigned to room ten?"

A bright-eyed, clever-looking boy spoke up. His aura hovered at the first layer of Qi Condensation.

Xu Changshou nodded after a brief pause. "I am. Fellow Daoists, this poor Daoist is named Xu Changshou. I beg for your guidance."

Mimicking the practiced, lofty tone Zhang Zhengyuan used in the mortal realm, Xu Changshou offered a brief introduction.

The clever boy, possessing a naturally familiar demeanor, grinned brightly. "I am Jiang Xiaochuan, hailing from the Danyang Jiang Clan. Senior Brother Xu, allow me to introduce you. This is Senior Sister Ye Shanhu, of the Wanbao Pavilion Ye Clan."

As Jiang Xiaochuan spoke, he gestured respectfully toward the quiet girl at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation.

"Greetings, Junior Brother Xu," Ye Shanhu murmured, offering a slight, poised nod.

"Su Mo, from the Su Family Fort."

"Han Zong, of the Sanxing Mountain Han Clan."

"Zhang Feixian, from the Shulong Commandery Zhang Clan."

"Qian Yuanbao, of the Qian Family Manor."

"Shi Wantong, hailing from the Great Chu Kingdom's Shi Clan."

"Lin Xian'er, of the Yuezhou Ducal Estate."

"Li Linhao..."

The others stepped forward to introduce themselves, and Xu Changshou politely returned each greeting.

A cold stone of inferiority settled in Xu Changshou's gut. He quickly realized that, with the sole exception of Li Linhao, every single child here was the scion of a cultivation clan.

No wonder Zhang Zhengyuan and Liu Chuansheng had lamented that Foundation Establishment was a game rigged for those with deep backgrounds and vast resources.

It seemed this harsh reality extended all the way down to the lowest rungs. Although they wore the degrading title of 'Miscellaneous Disciple', anyone capable of securing a foothold in a super faction like the Green Immortal Sect was far from ordinary.

In the vast shadows cast by a colossal entity like the Green Immortal Sect, countless lesser cultivation clans thrived.

An ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator typically enjoyed a lifespan of around one hundred and fifty years. The Green Immortal Sect enforced a strict 'Centenary Retirement' mandate.

Upon reaching one hundred years of age without breaking through, a disciple was honorably discharged to the secular world.

Many returned to their mortal homelands, laying down roots, siring descendants, and grooming the next generation to funnel back into the Sect.

Others waited until their retirement to finally take a wife and begin a lineage. Over centuries, this cyclical process organically birthed a massive network of subordinate cultivation clans.

Xu Changshou had only breached these gates because of Zhang Zhengyuan's desperate greed. Had their paths not crossed by pure chance, he would have undoubtedly rotted away as a starving cowherd.

"Senior Brother Xu, which illustrious clan do you hail from?" Jiang Xiaochuan inquired eagerly.

Sigh.

Why must you poke the one sore spot I have?

Xu Changshou hesitated for a fraction of a second. "The Xu Clan of Laiyang Commandery.."

He had instinctively almost said 'Xu Family Village,' but violently swallowed the word 'Village' just before it escaped his lips.

The Xu Clan of Laiyang Commandery...

The group nodded politely, asking no further questions. The mortal realm was infested with minor clans as numerous as ants; it was perfectly normal to have never heard of them.

"Fellow Daoists, please excuse me. I must retire to my quarters and unpack."

Xu Changshou cupped his hands in a parting salute and headed for the stairs. Jiang Xiaochuan immediately tagged along like an eager puppy. "Senior Brother Xu, allow me to assist you!"

The building housed ten quarters in total. Rooms one through five occupied the ground floor, while six through ten lined the upper level.

Xu Changshou's assigned quarters, room ten, sat at the far eastern end of the second floor.

Every door was sealed by a localized restrictive Formation, requiring a matching identity token to bypass.

Cultivators were notoriously paranoid regarding their privacy. Thus, even the lowest Miscellaneous Disciples were afforded absolute sanctity within their own walls.

"Senior Brother Xu, may I enter your sanctum to assist with the cleaning?"

"You may."

Only upon receiving explicit permission did Jiang Xiaochuan cross the threshold.

Stepping inside, Xu Changshou swept his gaze across the room. It was furnished with a sturdy bed, a wooden cabinet, and a writing desk. Fresh bedding and basic toiletries were neatly arranged.

Xu Changshou nodded in quiet approval. Truly a Sect of immortals. Even the doghouses they give to menial laborers put Landlord Wang's master bedroom to shame.

Had he seen a room this fine a month ago, Xu Changshou would have wept tears of joy. Now, however, his heart remained entirely hollow.

In a single, grueling day, his entire worldview had been violently shattered and reformed.

He learned that immortals resided above the clouds. He learned that architecture could pierce the heavens. He learned that ships could sail the skies.

This relentless barrage of miracles was rapidly expanding his worldview, forging a calculating maturity far beyond his twelve years.

The room was immaculate, requiring no real effort. Xu Changshou lazily swept the floorboards, wiped down the desk, and pulled the fresh bedding from the cabinet.

Jiang Xiaochuan bustled around him, cheerfully offering unnecessary assistance.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you have my thanks."

"Don't mention it, don't mention it! I'm right next door in number nine. It is only right for neighbors to look out for each other."

Number nine?

Xu Changshou couldn't suppress his curiosity. "Junior Brother Jiang, when exactly did you arrive at the peak?"

Jiang Xiaochuan beamed. "I only got here yesterday."

"And the rest of them?"

"Senior Sister Ye and the others only arrived a few days prior."

"How did you all travel here?"

"Our clan elders personally escorted us, naturally.."

As they chatted, Xu Changshou gleaned a crucial piece of intelligence. Unlike him-a stray dog sold by a desperate fraud for three Spirit Stones-Jiang Xiaochuan and the others had entered through the Sect's official channels.

Every three years, the Green Immortal Sect opened its gates to recruit a new batch of Miscellaneous Disciples. Any youth who had reached their tenth year and successfully sensed Spiritual Qi could be sponsored for entry.

Xu Changshou frowned. "Junior Brother Jiang, if you hail from established clans, why enter the Sect at the absolute bottom as Miscellaneous Disciples?"

Jiang Xiaochuan let out a wry, self-deprecating laugh. "Senior Brother Xu, the Green Immortal Sect does not care how high your clan sits in the mortal dirt. Unless you possess heaven-defying talent, everyone starts at the bottom."

"Besides, I hardly qualify as a scion of a great house. The Danyang Jiang Clan is barely an insignificant force."

Xu Changshou pressed further. "What dictates the boundary between a minor house and a great clan?"

Jiang Xiaochuan puffed out his chest, eager to share his knowledge. "A minor clan is any family lacking a Foundation Establishment ancestor. To be recognized as a great clan, a house must possess at least one Foundation Establishment powerhouse to anchor their lineage."

"Naturally, the vast majority of our peers here hail from minor houses. However, there is one true phoenix among our flock."

"Who?"

"Senior Sister Ye Shanhu, of course."

Ye Shanhu..

"What makes her background so formidable?"

"Did you not hear my introduction? She is a direct descendant of the Wanbao Pavilion Ye Clan!"

"Wanbao Pavilion?"

"You... you've seriously never heard of the Wanbao Pavilion?"

"Er.."

Jiang Xiaochuan stared at him, utterly flabbergasted that anyone could be so profoundly ignorant.

Recovering from his shock, he quickly explained, "The Wanbao Pavilion is an absolute behemoth of commerce. Three centuries ago, the Ye Clan birthed a peerless genius named Ye Qingfeng. He was a supreme Pill Alchemist hailing from Danxia Peak, a mighty Golden Core ancestor! He single-handedly forged the Wanbao Pavilion into the empire it is today.."

So that's how it is..

Xu Changshou's eyes narrowed slightly. Ye Shanhu fit perfectly into the category Zhang Zhengyuan had so bitterly described: a "second-generation immortal."

She was a mere ten years old, two full years his junior, yet her cultivation base thoroughly eclipsed his.

Without a mountain of pills and a bottomless treasury backing her, how could a ten-year-old girl possibly cultivate at such a terrifying speed?

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