Chapter 476 - 242: Pessimism from the Outside? Second Slot Unlocked! Breakthrough to the Fifth Layer

At this point, Bao Da downed a mouthful of tea in frustration.

"You have no idea how arrogant that Liu Yunfei is now. I heard he’s already reached the fifth layer of the *Myriad Phenomena Infinite Dao*! Oh, and Long Yu’er has reached the fifth layer too! Those two are absolute freaks. I don’t know how they cultivate!"

Jiang Che’s expression remained calm when he heard this.

’Reaching the fifth layer in two months is indeed fast.’

’But in my opinion, I can surpass them whenever I want.’

Seeing Jiang Che’s nonchalant expression, Bao Da couldn’t help but sigh again.

"Sigh, everyone was so friendly when we first arrived. Look at us now... That Lin Xiao and Su Xiaoxiao are just too snobby. The moment they saw you, Brother Jiang... ahem, making slightly slower progress, they rushed to draw a line in the sand."

"It’s only human nature."

Jiang Che smiled, not minding at all. "It’s human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. If our paths diverge, we shouldn’t plot together. Just let them be."

Bao Da stared at Jiang Che for a moment, then suddenly reached into his robes, pulled out a thread-bound notebook, and handed it to him.

"Brother Jiang, this is for you."

"What’s this?" Jiang Che was a little confused.

"These are some of my notes and insights from cultivating the *Myriad Phenomena Infinite Dao* over the past two months, along with some of my reflections from when I broke through to the third layer."

Bao Da scratched his head and chuckled in embarrassment. "My aptitude is average, nothing compared to Liu Yunfei and the others, but I haven’t been slacking these past two months. At least I managed to grind my way to the third layer."

"I know you might have hit a bottleneck recently, Brother Jiang, still stuck on the first layer. But this Cultivation Technique is genuinely difficult; it’s normal to be a bit slow at the start. Take these notes and have a look. Maybe they’ll give you some inspiration."

Jiang Che was taken aback. Looking at the densely filled notebook, a warm feeling surged through his heart.

He had no need for something like this. His Realm and comprehension far surpassed Bao Da’s.

But the sentiment, in the midst of this cold, competitive Sect, was exceptionally precious.

"Brother Bao..."

"Take it!" Bao Da forcefully shoved the notebook into Jiang Che’s hands and said nonchalantly, "We’re buddies! Besides, during the Celestial Strategy Guard selection, you were so dazzling. I still remember it vividly! I believe you’re just a dragon trapped in shallow waters for now. You’ll catch up sooner or later! I’m waiting to ride your coattails in the future!"

Jiang Che took a deep breath, put away the notebook with great solemnity, and cupped his fists at Bao Da.

"Thank you, Brother Bao! I will remember this favor."

"Hey, don’t mention it." Bao Da waved his hand, then his expression grew sentimental as if he had remembered something.

"Speaking of which, among our batch, while Liu Yunfei and the others are progressing quickly, the true Demon Fiends are those other two."

Jiang Che’s heart stirred. "You mean..."

"Xiong Tong and Nalan Ruoshui!"

A trace of awe appeared in Bao Da’s eyes. "According to the latest news, Xiong Tong has been noticed by a Venerable from the Prajna Zen Sect and taken as a Direct Disciple! I heard that as long as he passes the assessment, he’s a shoo-in for True Inheritance in the future!"

"Same with Nalan Ruoshui. News from the Haotian Sword Sect says she was taken as a Direct Disciple by a Sword Dao Great Power, and her status is revered."

"Those two are the real Demon Fiends! They’ve only been at the Entry Level for two months, and they’ve already reached a point we might not achieve even after decades of struggle!"

Jiang Che nodded. The Talent of those two was indeed terrifying; it wasn’t surprising they received such treatment.

"And then there are the Direct Disciples from our Sect who were nurtured from a young age..."

Bao Da shook his head with a bitter smile, a deep sense of helplessness on his face. "I heard that in that batch, several have already broken through the fifth layer. The most monstrous one among them, I think his name is Ye Guyun, has supposedly broken through to the Sixth Layer! He’s already met the one-year assessment standard!"

"Is he even human? The pressure of being in the same Sect as these monsters is just too much!"

Bao Da sighed, stood up, and brushed the dust off his clothes.

"Alright, enough talk. I need to go cultivate too. If I don’t work harder, forget catching up to them—I’m afraid I’ll even lose the right to stay in the Inner Sect!"

He patted Jiang Che’s shoulder and encouraged him again.

"Brother Jiang, you work hard too! I believe in you!"

With that, Bao Da turned and went back to his own west-wing room, his retreating figure radiating a sense of urgency.

The courtyard fell silent once more.

Jiang Che sat by the stone table, his fingers gently stroking the notebook Bao Da had given him.

’The Sixth Layer, huh...’

He smiled, unconcerned.

’As long as I meet the standard by the deadline, I’ll naturally get into the Inner Sect. My ranking doesn’t mean much.’

’Besides, once I start cultivating with my full strength, my progress won’t necessarily be slower than others.’

Then, he submerged his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness.

He could feel that after devouring a massive amount of Talent, the [True Nine Li Commander]...

...was finally...

...about to overflow!

’Soon...’

’Very soon...’

...

One day, the sky was clear and the air was fresh.

Outside the main gates of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Sect, a travel-worn old man arrived.

Xu Qingshan looked up at the majestic mountains before him, and at the pavilions and towers shrouded in clouds and mist on the peaks.

His eyes showed both shock and a trace of longing.

’So this is the kind of place Che’er is cultivating in...’

Then, with an excited heart, he presented a visitor’s card at the mountain gate and stated his identity.

Fortunately, although the Cangyun Sect was small, it was, after all, one of the Righteous Alliance Allies.

Plus, Jiang Che was a registered Inner Sect Reserve Disciple, so the Mountain Guard Disciple didn’t give him any trouble and directed him to Chuyang Peak.

Along the way, Xu Qingshan watched the disciples passing by, each with an extraordinary aura, and felt increasingly emotional.

Arriving at Chuyang Peak, he stopped a young disciple dressed in green robes and asked politely with cupped fists:

"Excuse me, young friend. Do you happen to know a disciple named Jiang Che? He came in through this year’s Celestial Strategy Guard selection."