"Junior Gu, you briefly mentioned something about the High-rank Talent Tester Stone shattering. Is that correct?"
Elder Gu nodded. "Yes, that stupid thing was likely broken to begin with, but don't worry, I settled this matter with the Spirit Stone Technicians. It shouldn't happen again."
"How perplexing…"
"Is it?"
Elder Gu wasn't following.
Rising from his seat, Ancestor Yong waved his robes in expert fashion. "What we discussed here today must not be shared with another person," he ordered. "This matter is one that I've personally taken an interest in, and I shall not tolerate any outside interference."
"Of course, Ancestor Yong," Elder Gu replied respectfully, even though he wasn't quite sure what the big secret was. "Nobody except for me and two others from the older generation even know of your existence; nothing you do will be leaked because there are no eyes on either you or me. And I'd never betray the foundations of the Sect like that."
"Good," Ancestor Yong said while in the process of vanishing. "You have served this Sect well. If you're able to break through to the Half-step Golden Core Realm before your lifespan runs out, I'll take the loss and gift you a Golden Core Condensing Pill that'll help you ascend."
"!!!"
"Thank you very much for your generosity, Ancestor!"
Elder Gu kneeled in reverence, fist firmly placed against the ground.
"I shall not let your expectations go to waste!"
Ancestor Yong gave one last nod of contentment before fully vanishing.
While flying through the night skies without the assistance of flight devices, his thoughts swirled.
'That boy is definitely hiding something, but with potential like his, it matters very little. I should go and give him a helping hand when I have the chance and his suspicions are lowered.'
Ancestor Yong could, at a glance, determine Xue Ren to be quite the wary person. If he went in there and accidentally spooked him, ill will could very well fester and grow within his heart.
This needed to be avoided if at all possible.
— Half a year later —
Xue Ren was now 14 years old.
It was on a day similar to any other that he felt a breakthrough coming. This came as quite the surprise to him, for his original guesstimates—while factoring in his 'special' training regimen—was at least 10 months.
"Even though I've not yet passed even 20% proficiency for my 'Fireball Sniper' Skill, it would appear that was the major leading factor behind my spike in cultivation speed," said Xue Ren. "Once I get it to 100%, I assume my cultivation speed will become several times faster than what it is now."
But regardless of what would happen in the future, a breakthrough was imminent, and he was not going to lose out on the most opportune moment for advancement. So without further ado:
WAAA!
Large amounts of atmospheric Spiritual Energy gathered and spiraled around Xue Ren. It washed over his outsides and insides, giving the final touches to an already accumulated cultivation base.
After roughly half an hour of this, it finally came time for the climax of the breakthrough—the most painful part according to cultivators all around the world.
However…
*Ding!*
[You have successfully broken through to the 2nd Layer of Qi Condensation!]
"...Oh…"
Yet another simple and mostly painless breakthrough!
"If that is what cultivators these days consider to be painful, then they really need to start growing a pair before beginning their cultivation journeys."
Even refining the fire energy from his self-absorption cultivation was dozens of times more painful than whatever the slight bug bite he just experienced amounted to!
"This is good, but it's still but one single step of many that I'll need to take if I want to catch up to the geniuses that were born with silver spoons in their mouths." Xue Ren continued sitting in meditation, solidifying his cultivation base. "Rome wasn't built in a day. I have to remain patient and steadfast."
Some days later, after fully solidifying his cultivation, he descended the mountain he was on. However, surprise flashed through his pupils when he saw a decrepit old man fishing at a pond.
Approaching this old man wearing a traveler's hat, Xue Ren raised his voice. "Who might you be, Senior? As far as I'm aware, rarely anyone comes out to these parts, let alone fishes here."
Without turning around, the decrepit old man said, "I am but a mere relic of the past, wading the waters that attempt to swoop us all up in the current. You, however, are brimming with youth."
"Tell me," he asked. "If I had a method for you to become even stronger than you are, would you take it?"
Xue Ren's eyes narrowed, as this situation was more than a little suspicious.
An old man just so happened to be fishing where he normally trained. Furthermore, the old man wanted to offer him a way to gain strength. Anyone would find this whole ordeal sketchy.
Even so…
"I'll answer you properly if and when you tell me what it is," said Xue Ren, his yearning for power blind to tricks and schemes.
The decrepit old man paused for the briefest of moments before revealing a wide smirk.
"I feel that this 'Ancient Gold Body Refining' Technique and you have a string of fate connecting you to each other," he said as he extended a hand holding a golden-black tome. "If destiny permits it, then I hope to witness you achieve great things in the future, young man."
Xue Ren looked down at the tome in his hands, its cover giving off an indescribable feeling. When he looked back up, however, the decrepit old man had mysteriously vanished.