"You're not wrong." After contemplating, Meng Wentian chose to address Chen An's question directly. "The reason you haven't been promoted to an inner disciple is indeed because Elder Yun objected. After some discussion, we decided you'll remain an outer disciple. In the future, your promotion will depend on your potential."
Even though Chen An had already anticipated this response, a slight frown crossed his face upon hearing Meng Wentian's words.
He had spent a month preparing, risked his life, and defeated Yun Xiao, only to find that a single sentence from Yun Hentian thwarted all his efforts.
Such a situation would frustrate anyone.
It was clear that between Chen An and Yun Hentian, Meng Wentian had chosen to side with the latter for the sake of maintaining sect stability. This was a matter of political balance, a sacrifice made out of necessity.
As for Chen An, he was just collateral damage. Who cared what he thought?
Chen An kept his composure remarkably well. Had it been anyone else, they might have already decided to defect from the Lingfu Sect.
The biggest problem was that remaining an outer disciple left him vulnerable to the machinations of Elder Gu. Returning to the outer sect meant walking into certain death. This sense of powerlessness gnawed at him, leaving him restless and irritable.
For a brief moment, Chen An considered revealing Elder Gu's deeds to Meng Wentian, hoping to secure his safety.
But he ultimately held back.
He couldn't gamble on whom Meng Wentian would believe. If he lost the bet, it would mean instant death. After all, in the previous decision, Meng Wentian had already deemed him expendable. There was no guarantee he wouldn't make the same choice again.
Furthermore, there was something unsettlingly similar between Meng Wentian and Elder Gu—both appeared approachable and serene, with an air of ethereal detachment. This odd parallel made Chen An deeply wary.
Since remaining an outer disciple was unavoidable, and fleeing the Lingfu Sect wasn't an option, Chen An shifted his focus. Rather than dwell on his inability to enter the inner sect, he began pondering what he could gain from this apparent political sacrifice.
"I appreciate your honesty, Sect Master. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
After a moment of silence, Chen An opted to retreat tactically. This move, as calculated as it was, proved effective.
"Wait," Meng Wentian called out, motioning for Chen An to stay.
He regarded Chen An with an enigmatic smile as if he had seen through the younger man's maneuver.
"I know you're dissatisfied with being relegated to an outer disciple, but I'm pleased to see that you value the bigger picture. As such, I'll make an exception and offer you some… compensation."
"Compensation?"
Though Chen An had anticipated this moment—Meng Wentian wouldn't summon him without reason—he still didn't know what form this compensation might take.
"I noticed that during your fight with Yun Xiao, you used spirit-gathering talismans and spirit stones to temporarily raise your cultivation to the mid-stage of Qi Condensation. But after the battle, your cultivation fell back to the early stage.
"This isn't the first time this has happened to you, is it?" Meng Wentian smirked. "Wouldn't you like to solve this problem and become a proper cultivator?"
Meng Wentian's words struck a nerve.
He had perfectly pinpointed Chen An's deepest concern.
Chen An had managed to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Condensation five times, only to repeatedly fall back. This lingering issue had haunted him, filling him with dread that he might never progress further, let alone reach higher realms.
This concern outweighed even the threat posed by Elder Gu.
If Chen An had never stepped onto the path of cultivation, he might have resigned himself to an ordinary life with only a twinge of regret. But having tasted the power of cultivation, he was now consumed by an insatiable desire to grow stronger.
"As someone with inferior spiritual roots, your aptitude is abysmal," Meng Wentian continued. "Frankly, I don't understand how you even managed to embark on the path of cultivation. Still, every cultivator has their secrets, and I won't pry. But I can offer you a solution."
Meng Wentian's casual yet precise analysis directly addressed the crux of Chen An's problem.
"Your lack of aptitude prevents you from stabilizing your breakthroughs. The only solution is to enhance your potential using external means."
"Enhance my potential… externally?" The suggestion stunned Chen An. Wasn't one's aptitude innate? How could it be improved?
Meng Wentian answered confidently, "It's possible, though externally enhanced aptitude differs significantly from what is naturally endowed. A discerning eye will always notice the difference. But even so, it's enough for you to stabilize your cultivation and make proper progress."
Meng Wentian's words filled Chen An with excitement. He immediately pressed for more details.
"The solution is simple: **Marrow Cleansing Pills**."
"A second-tier pill?" Chen An's excitement dimmed slightly at the realization. Such pills required a Foundation Establishment-level alchemist to refine.
"Exactly. Only a Foundation Establishment alchemist can craft them. Moreover, they must specialize in alchemy. Lingfu Sect doesn't have anyone capable of refining Marrow Cleansing Pills."
"To obtain this pill, you'll need to seek out a skilled alchemist yourself. Eight hundred miles north of here lies Qixia City, home to a renowned alchemist known as the *Pill King*. Convincing him to help would give you at least a 30% chance of success."
Meng Wentian continued, "That said, the ingredients required for a Marrow Cleansing Pill are exorbitantly expensive. Some of them may even be beyond your imagination. Preparing them on your own would likely take you over a hundred years.
"So, I'll prepare the materials for you—but on one condition: you must obtain the key ingredient yourself."
"What is this key ingredient, Sect Master?" Chen An asked without hesitation, willing to do anything for the chance to stabilize his cultivation.
"To refine the Marrow Cleansing Pill, you'll need the inner core of a second-tier spirit beast. The stronger the beast, the better the core, and the higher the chances of successfully crafting the pill.
"So, tell me, Chen An, do you think you can acquire such an inner core?"