In the days that followed, whenever Zhang Dapang and the others passed by Bai Xiaochun's hut, they would always glance at it cautiously. Ever since Bai Xiaochun had broken through to the *second level of Qi Condensation, and went out pretending to be a lonely expert, he had returned and resumed **his intense cultivation* in the hut.
Inside, Bai Xiaochun was *shirtless, drenched in sweat, gritting his teeth as he forced himself into the posture of the **third stance* of the Violet Qi Cauldron Control Art.
The spiritual meridians inside his body were no longer like a trickling stream but were transforming into a *small river*, flowing throughout his body. With every full circulation, cracking sounds could be heard coming from within.
His once chubby body had become visibly thinner—*even leaner than when he first arrived* at the kitchen house.
Yet despite the emaciation, *a hidden strength* could be sensed within him. His flesh seemed to quiver faintly, and if one listened closely, they could even hear *his heartbeat thudding loudly* through the quiet hut.
More and more *spiritual pressure* was building up in his body. This growing strength *felt addictive*, and it drove Bai Xiaochun to push even harder.
But after a few more days, his entire body was suddenly *struck with intense pain*—far more extreme than anything before. He had no choice but to pause his cultivation.
Panting, bloodshot eyes wide open, Bai Xiaochun could clearly feel his *body was on the brink of collapse. Although spiritual energy from the surroundings continued flowing in as he cultivated, it wasn't enough to **sustain his consumption rate*.
What's more, the extra meals from the kitchen house weren't guaranteed daily—they *depended on luck*.
Most outer sect disciples practiced the Violet Qi Cauldron Control Art *only once every few days. Even the diligent ones would only cultivate it **once a day*.
Yet Bai Xiaochun had been *training day and night without pause*.
> Even Zhang Dapang and the others were shocked. If the inner sect disciples found out, their *jaws would surely drop*.
But Bai Xiaochun still felt *unsafe*.
> "No good. I need to be even more secure," he muttered—true to his overly cautious nature.
So, he took out a *spirit grain that had been refined once*, a rare treasure he had kept hidden.
He cooked it in an ordinary pot. As the aroma and spiritual energy wafted out, Bai Xiaochun didn't hesitate—he *gulped it down in one big bite*.
The moment it entered his mouth, it *melted instantly, releasing an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy—far beyond what normal grains could provide*.
It burst through his body like a *raging flood*, and Bai Xiaochun immediately resumed his stance, breathing deeply and resuming his cultivation.
—
*Half a month later*, in the dead of night.
Bai Xiaochun's body suddenly trembled. His eyes snapped open—he was overjoyed:
*He had unknowingly broken through to the third level of Qi Condensation!*
He looked at his own body, ecstatic. The meridians within him had fully transformed into a *spiritual river*, flowing much faster than before.
With just a single thought, he could direct spiritual energy to *any part of his body instantly*.
> "Third level of Qi Condensation! That refined spirit grain really was extraordinary!"
He stood up, licking his lips. He considered refining another grain—but immediately noticed a faint pressure in his spiritual veins.
He remembered the warning in the bamboo scroll: after a breakthrough, the body needed time to adapt. It was *not wise to continue immediately*.
Suppressing his greedy impulse, he paced back and forth in his hut, full of ambition—until he suddenly paused.
Through the window, under the moonlight, he could just make out the *large tree outside the kitchen house*—
the same one that *Xu Baocai had stabbed through with his flying sword*.
> "No good. Xu Baocai's flying sword looked strange… Even at level three, it still might not be safe enough."
Frowning, he turned toward the *multi-colored wooden sword* lying nearby, then looked at the *turtle-patterned cauldron* in the room.
> "If I can refine the sword *a second time*, maybe it'll be more reliable…"
His mind made up, Bai Xiaochun fetched more *spiritual wood* from the kitchen house.
That night, he stood before the mysterious cauldron, lit the fire, watched as one of the engraved patterns on the cauldron glowed, and then tossed the *wooden sword* into it.
But this time, he waited… and waited…
*Nothing happened.*
Frowning, he looked at the cauldron's engravings, then at the spent ashes beneath it.
He silently walked out again and fetched more spiritual wood. But *no matter how many times* he tried, the sword remained unchanged.
> "These are all first-grade firewoods. Could it be the heat isn't enough…? Maybe I need a *second-grade fire*?"
Suddenly inspired, he left the hut again—and came back holding a *purple piece of wood*, very rare in the kitchen house.
He had found only *one piece*.
Lighting it beneath the cauldron, the flames rose in *two distinct colors—a clear sign of the **higher-grade flame*.
Immediately, the *second engraving* on the turtle-patterned cauldron *lit up. The flame below dimmed rapidly, as if its heat had been **sucked dry*.
Moments later, as the fire turned to ash, the *second engraving remained glowing*.
> "It worked!"
Bai Xiaochun's eyes lit up with excitement. He quickly threw the wooden sword in.
This time, *silver light burst forth, even brighter than before, and it lasted **several seconds longer* than the first refinement.
Just as it began to fade, that silver light suddenly *exploded*, surging straight toward Bai Xiaochun.
Caught off guard, his vision went blurry. A *bone-chilling cold* shot through his body.
He froze.
It felt as if something deep inside him was *forcibly pulled out*.
His face went pale, his vision swam, and he stumbled backward, barely staying conscious.
When he finally came to, the wooden sword had emerged from the cauldron.
It now gleamed with an *intense, piercing brilliance, and although its exterior still looked messy and colorful, the **inner wood grain had transformed*—and was faintly glowing beneath the paint.
—
At the same time, over *Southern Bank of the Spirit Stream Sect, a sudden **crash of thunder* rolled across the skies, like a cosmic dragon roaring.
Many cultivators looked up in shock—but the sound disappeared as quickly as it had come.
On the sword, a *second silver engraving* flashed briefly, then dimmed and vanished beneath the mismatched paint.
But Bai Xiaochun wasn't even looking at the sword—his face was still pale, body swaying unsteadily. He backed up, shook his head, then caught a glimpse of the *bronze mirror* on the wall.
He froze.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again. His face was still the same… but from the fringe of his hairline, *a single white hair* poked out.
And something else felt off… He *looked older*—just slightly, but enough to make his heart sink.
> "Lifespan…"
His voice trembled.
> "What it took from me… was my *lifespan*... I—"
He was devastated.
He came here to *seek eternal life, and now he'd lost a **year of it*!
> "What a loss… After living so carefully all my life, even I can miscalculate…" he sat down in despair, managing a bitter smile.
But slowly, his eyes grew puzzled. He looked at the cauldron again. Something felt *different*.
He could faintly *sense a connection—like the cauldron was **now part of him*.
Curious, he pointed at the cauldron.
With a flash of black light, the *cauldron instantly shrank* and flew into his fingertip, vanishing without a trace.
Bai Xiaochun leapt up in shock.
He looked at his finger, then at the empty floor where the cauldron had been.
> "What the…"
He pointed again.
With a bang, the cauldron *reappeared*.
He tested it several times, expressions shifting from stunned to delighted to conflicted—finally letting out a sigh.
> "It's nice I can absorb it now… but a *year of my life*? Still a total loss."
—
*The next afternoon, just as Bai Xiaochun was racking his brain on how to **recover his lost lifespan*, he suddenly sensed something.
His eyes shot open.
Outside the kitchen house, *seven or eight figures* were rapidly approaching.
Now that he had reached *Qi Condensation level 3*, his spiritual sense had become sharper—and he immediately recognized the leader.
It was *Xu Baocai*.
And his *hateful voice* echoed across the courtyard:
> "Bai Xiaochun! You've got senior brothers protecting you?
> Well, so do I.
> Today, our grudge ends!"