"Brother Su, we should head over to chop some trees now," Wang Shanhu said.

After leaving the garment workshop, Wang Shanhu led Su Xuan toward the back mountain of the Floating Cloud Sect.

He repeated what he had said earlier, insisting that Su Xuan didn't need to chop trees himself. After all, it would be a real shame to get that luxurious outfit dirty.

Chopping trees was part of the preparations for defending against the Spirit-Taming Sect's attack. All the felled trees would be turned into defensive fortifications.

"Greetings, Brother Su!"

Upon reaching the back mountain, more than a dozen servant disciples were already busy at work, and they all greeted Su Xuan when they saw him.

Su Xuan acknowledged them with a nod and then surveyed the landscape of the back mountain.

The back mountain was covered in lush, dense trees. Its terrain was treacherous and featured a sheer, knife-like cliff that served as a natural barrier protecting the rear of the Floating Cloud Sect.

"Brother Su, you can sit here. It's nice to bask in the sun," Wang Shanhu said, finding a flat rock. He wiped it clean and gestured for Su Xuan to sit.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Amidst the relentless sound of chopping axes, Su Xuan sat on the rock and casually asked Wang Shanhu, "Brother, when you were the boss, you didn't have to chop trees yourself, did you?"

Pleased to be called 'brother' by Su Xuan, Wang Shanhu scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly. "That was all in the past. I need to perform well now, so I don't embarrass you, Brother Su."

With that, Wang Shanhu picked up an axe and started felling a tree, sending wood chips flying.

Su Xuan nodded as he watched Wang Shanhu swing his axe like a downpour. Cultivators really were well-suited for this kind of labor; their efficiency rivaled that of a logging machine.

As for Qi, Su Xuan could sense it emanating from Wang Shanhu. Although invisible, the force gave the impression of a tangible presence, much like the leaking auras depicted in comics.

Su Xuan shifted his legs and sat cross-legged on the rock, beginning to practice the introductory heart method of the Floating Cloud Sect.

Thanks to the system's incredible learning ability, he could circulate the heart method through his body with a mere thought.

In the blink of an eye, his pores opened up. A mysterious energy from the environment began to seep through them, circulating endlessly within his body.

Wang Shanhu snuck a peek at Su Xuan, his eyes widening slightly. Brother Su entered a meditative state so quickly! He could see that Su Xuan was cultivating, yet what puzzled him was that he couldn't detect any flow of Qi from him. He hadn't sensed any the previous night either, even when Su Xuan was beating him up. It was as if Su Xuan wasn't a cultivator at all!

Su Xuan seemed to be relying purely on his physical strength!

Is Brother Su a Body Cultivator? Wang Shanhu couldn't help but wonder.

However, Wang Shanhu didn't know that Su Xuan had already mastered the introductory heart method to its absolute limit. No one else in the world was as proficient as him. He could now prevent any Qi from leaking out unconsciously, his control over it as effortless as moving his own limbs.

Furthermore, he was unaware that Su Xuan wasn't even focused on cultivating. His mind was actually preoccupied with the sect's current situation, wondering what had happened to Qi Li and Lu Dongshan.

The morning mist on the mountain gradually dissipated under the warmth of the sun. The back mountain of the Floating Cloud Sect was soon bathed in brilliant light, the view pristine and clear. Birds occasionally soared through the sky, completing the heavenly landscape.

WHOOSH!

After a while, Su Xuan exhaled sharply and stretched his body. In that short time, the heart method had already circulated through more than a hundred cycles, a speed dozens of times faster than an average person's. It was purely a matter of practice.

"Brother Su, you must be tired. Have some water," Wang Shanhu said, considerately walking over with a waterskin as soon as Su Xuan came out of his meditative state.

Su Xuan took the waterskin and had a sip. The water was sweet and cool. Cultivation seemed to have sped up his metabolism, as he was indeed thirsty.

Suddenly, a neatly dressed young man strode over and began shouting at the laboring disciples. "All of you, get to work! The Spirit-Taming Sect could attack again tonight! The trees you cut will save lives!"

Seeing the youth, the disciples immediately lowered their heads and worked even harder.

"Brother Su, quick, look busy!" Seeing the man, Wang Shanhu hastily took the waterskin from Su Xuan, shoved an axe into his hands, and whispered, "That's Cai Hui, an Inner Sect Disciple! He's in charge of supervising us!"

"Hey, you two!"

But Cai Hui had already spotted them. He strode over and pointed a finger in their faces. "What do you think you're doing? Whispering over here? Are you aware that slacking off is a punishable offense?"

"We know, we know," Wang Shanhu said, bowing and scraping in apology. He tugged on Su Xuan's arm, trying to pull him back to work.

"Huh?" Cai Hui's gaze fixed on Su Xuan with surprise. "And what's with your clothes? Are you even a member of our sect?"

"Yes, yes, he is," Wang Shanhu quickly answered for him. "Brother Su only joined last night and hasn't received his uniform yet. We went to the garment workshop this morning, but they didn't have his registration information. It seems he has to wait..."

"Shut up and get back to your own work!" Cai Hui waved a hand dismissively at Wang Shanhu. Then he turned to Su Xuan. "Take those clothes off. Dressed like that, you don't look like you're here to work! You certainly don't look like one of us from the Floating Cloud Sect!"

"Fine, I'll take them off," Su Xuan shrugged. "But you can't expect me to work bare-chested, can you? Why don't you find me a sect uniform?"

"Are you telling me what to do?" Cai Hui's eyebrow twitched. He drew a sword from his back and pointed its tip at Su Xuan's neck. "I am your Senior Inner Sect Brother. For servant disciples like you, my word is law. Now move!"

"What if I don't?" Su Xuan asked, his expression calm.

"Haha!" Cai Hui suddenly burst out laughing, turning to the other disciples. "Did you all see that? This newcomer dares to defy me. How interesting! Very interesting!"

The servant disciples all wore worried expressions. They knew Su Xuan shouldn't have offended Cai Hui. The man was known for being petty and vindictive; he wouldn't let Su Xuan off easily.

"You, follow me."

Sure enough, Cai Hui then jutted his chin toward a nearby patch of trees. "I'm going to teach you a thing or two about the sect's rules."

Su Xuan's eyes narrowed as he walked toward the woods.

The servant disciples all broke out in a cold sweat on Su Xuan's behalf.

Once they were in the woods, Cai Hui scratched his scalp with his sword's hilt. "What's your name?"

"Su Xuan."

"Good, Su Xuan. You've successfully made me remember you." Cai Hui stepped onto a large rock, looking down on him. "As a reward for leaving such an impression, you can now lick the bottom of my shoe clean."

With that, Cai Hui lifted his foot, presenting the sole of his shoe. He felt incredibly smug. Su Xuan was just too handsome—unquestionably the most attractive man in the Floating Cloud Sect. Humiliating someone so good-looking was an exhilarating thought.

But what happened next would make him regret it for the rest of his life.

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