"Including Junior Brother Lei, there are now five newly initiated disciples who have successfully cultivated to the first level of Qi Refining. Among them, Junior Sister Ding Wanyan was the fastest, with good news arriving in a mere month," Tang Qian said with a touch of emotion, envy lingering in his eyes. "Clearly, Junior Sister Ding possesses not only excellent aptitude but also exceptional comprehension. I heard the Ancestor himself was immensely pleased and directly bestowed upon her a high-grade magic tool." Hearing the words 'high-grade magic tool,' Tang Qian felt a definite pang of longing.

Lei Dong certainly knew of Ding Wanyan. She was likely the female disciple among their group of twenty-odd new initiates with the best aptitude. In terms of overall talent ranking, she was probably around eleventh. But now, it seemed her performance far surpassed that expectation. Otherwise, the Old Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts wouldn't have shown such high praise.

Sure enough, just as Tang Qian finished speaking, a steady voice sounded from behind Lei Dong: "I heard that Senior Sister Ding's progress is not far behind that little girl ranked first; she's among the very first few of our large group to advance."

Lei Dong recognized Chen Ge's voice. Turning around, he saw Chen Ge smiling warmly as he offered congratulations: "I truly didn't misjudge Junior Brother Lei. You reached the first level of Qi Refining so quickly, only a few days behind your humble brother. It's truly cause for celebration, congratulations."

"Senior Brother Chen, congratulations to you too," Lei Dong replied with an equally beaming smile and a slight bow. After a pause, he asked, "May I ask if Brother Wei Hua has reached it yet?"

"Not quite, but it should be soon," Chen Ge responded with an air of composed serenity. "I saw him a few days ago; he was nearing the final sprint. If nothing unexpected happens, it will be within these next two or three days."

"That’s good then," Lei Dong expressed his pleasure. He genuinely hoped Wei Hua would reach the first level of Qi Refining soon. After all, the three of them shared a tacit understanding and alliance; being on equal footing would offer them greater mutual assistance. After another brief pause, he inquired, "So, the other two who reached the first level of Qi Refining should be Zuo Chao and Zhou Minghua, right?" The two names Lei Dong mentioned were naturally the top three ranked among the new disciples in the Myriad Ghost Grotto. Zuo Chao was that six or seven-year-old boy, and Zhou Minghua was about twelve or thirteen.

"Senior Brother Zuo is a heaven-sent prodigy, achieving the first level of Qi Refining in just two months," Chen Ge stated solemnly, though a trace of mockery touched his lips as he continued, "As for Junior Brother Zhou—tsk, tsk—I suspect he's still struggling to poke through that final membrane."

Lei Dong was startled. It was understandable why Chen Ge would mock him. The top three were personally guided by the Old Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts; not only did they avoid the trial-and-error the others faced, but their treatment regarding elixirs was undoubtedly first-rate. For Zhou Minghua still not to have broken through was simply laughable.

Just as Lei Dong was about to speak, an irritated cold snort drifted in from outside the door. Both men turned to see Zhou Minghua standing there, his expression clearly annoyed. Speak of the devil, and he appears.

Though Chen Ge was seasoned, he was still just a boy of fourteen or fifteen. Being caught mocking someone behind their back made his expression undeniably awkward and unnatural. Especially since Zhou Minghua looked full of vitality, his eyes sharp—clearly, he had also broken through to the first level of Qi Refining.

"Speaking ill of people behind their backs, Chen Ge, you are truly too petty. I am ashamed to be associated with you," Zhou Minghua, only twelve or thirteen and not someone with deep cunning, momentarily lost control. Flushed with anger and shame, he cursed Chen Ge before whirling around, intending to leave with a flourish of his sleeve.

Chen Ge opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word. It was Lei Dong who let out a cold laugh and called out, "Junior Brother Zhou, wait."

The words 'Junior Brother' seemed to strike a nerve. Zhou Minghua turned back, glaring furiously at Lei Dong, his eyes wide like those of an enraged bull.

"Where was Senior Brother Chen wrong in what he said about you? Yet you, you show no respect for your seniors, not only calling him by his given name but berating him to his face. While our Yin Sha Sect is a heretical sect, we still must respect our elders. The sect rules clearly state that disrespecting seniors requires sealing one's cultivation and receiving thirty strikes with the board in the Punishment Hall," Lei Dong declared with righteous indignation, speaking eloquently. "Hurry up and apologize to Senior Brother Chen!"

Zhou Minghua looked as if he wanted to pounce and teach Lei Dong a severe lesson, but the mention of sect rules and thirty strikes forced him to halt. After much hesitation, he suppressed his fury and painfully forced out the words, "I apologize, Senior Brother Chen." With that, he shot a venomous glare at Lei Dong and Chen Ge before swiftly fleeing.

After he left, Chen Ge let out a long sigh. "Junior Brother Lei, Zhou Minghua never offended you; why resort to such confrontation? This person has excellent aptitude and is a direct disciple of the Ancestor. His future prospects are vast."

"Senior Brother Chen, what are you saying?" Lei Dong replied with a serious face. "That Zhou Minghua showed utter disregard for his seniors. If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll think we're easy targets. Furthermore, since we've already offended him—and judging by his demeanor, he’s not magnanimous—why should I bother saving face for him?" Internally, however, he mused that he was a transmigrator who grew up in an era of explosive information; his mental age was far greater than theirs. While handling interpersonal matters calls for tact, achieving anything substantial requires a clear stance and defined alignment. Trying to appease everyone might avoid offending Zhou Minghua, but it would cause Chen Ge to harbor resentment. Even taking the ultimate stretch: if Zhou Minghua had an opportunity, wouldn't he cause trouble for Chen Ge? Would Lei Dong help then? If he didn't help, Zhou Minghua wouldn't take a liking to him. If he did help, he would still end up offending Zhou Minghua. It was better to choose a clear position from the outset; this would greatly increase Chen Ge's favor toward him, fostering a shared sense of camaraderie.

Lei Dong’s use of the word we caused Chen Ge to pause before a look of relieved gratitude spread across his face. "Junior Brother Lei speaks wisely; it was my oversight." His satisfaction with Lei Dong soared, making their burgeoning alliance feel much firmer. His demeanor towards Lei Dong grew warmer. He eagerly pulled Lei Dong over to consult with Tang Qian about learning spell techniques.

"Junior Brother Lei, our Yin Sha Sect has hundreds, if not thousands, of spells suitable for Qi Refining, but trying to master too many leads to shallow understanding. Generally, one must select spells suited to oneself and study them in depth," Chen Ge spoke eloquently. "Also, our Yin Sha Sect has a rule: new initiates are only permitted to learn one spell for free. To learn others, one must exchange them using Sect Contribution Points, which can only be earned by undertaking sect missions." He paused, allowing Lei Dong time to absorb this before continuing, "Therefore, choosing that first spell is exceptionally important."

"Senior Brother, what was your first spell?" Lei Dong asked, blinking. As for Sect Contribution Points, he had already understood their nature from the Jade Slip. It was a crucial metric; one could exchange points for spells, elixirs, magic tools, and the like, provided the required amount was available. However, these points weren't handed out freely; in short, they were earned by making beneficial contributions to the sect.

"Nether Fire Bomb," Chen Ge stated without reservation, sounding rather proud. "It is an extremely potent offensive spell. I spent several days and have finally managed to use it tentatively. Come to my cultivation chamber later, and I'll let you have a look."

...