'With my physique now, I reckon I can shrug off most regular spells/attacks by Qi Condensation Cultivators / Grade 2 spirit beasts. With Aura Infusion at max, one of my punch is enough to blow away a regular Qi cultivators at my levels including their qi barriers and cheap defensive talismans. One punch is all I need, conditions apply. But the annoying shits are fond of using sturdy talismans which can tank a few of my full powered hits. These selfish bastards just have to use up their best talismans while attacking me, and only leave the cheap trash for em as loot. Bah, cheap selfish dipshits.' grumbled Fang Hao mentally.

'As for the stats window...the stats presentation is not exactly linear. I am definitely more than 40 times powerful when I was a 14 year old mortal with 0.5 physique. Heck, right now I could slaughter hundreds of those fully armed Qi Gathering Guards of a mortal city. And although the number by which Qi has increased doesn't look too impressive, my effective Qi capacity has increased a lot. With each level-up in Qi Cultivation, spells cost me a little lesser Qi if I go by pure numbers.'

'On the flip-side, pills restore a lesser fraction of Qi too. By the time I am in foundation establishment most of the Qi condensation pills and Spirit wine I have hoarded won't be of much use in cultivation. All the fatties of my clique have successfully become inner disciples by now. So I should probably give them a few spare pills and some of the trashier talismans, and share some wine with them.'

'I also earned some skill points by managing to increase the proficiency of my most used spells: Fire Serpent, Aura Fists, Phantom Aura Steps and Floating leaves Step. Speaking of spells, reaching the next layer of the Aura Fist manual granted me the Aura Blast spell, which is basically an AoE shock-wave centered on me. Need to grind this one to Expert level soon. Also the proficiency of spells increased a lot faster when I used them in real battle, much like how I get only a fraction of xp while in non-lethal sparring.'

'My next aim is to reach Foundation Establishment Realm in Both Qi Cultivation and Body Cultivation by 25 years of age. The effective Deadline to become a Junior Core Disciple and having a Foundation Establishment Cultivation is 50 years of age, so I should reach it by half the age to be worth nurturing but not stand out with suspected heaven defying secrets.'

'Earlier I was always short of contribution points but now I have enough. What should I do with it? I reckon my performance in the tasks outside the safe sect zone will prove my worth to Senior Grand Elder. That should prove that I am not too softhearted, indecisive and a pussy who can't survive outside the sheltered sect; which should hopefully be enough for me to get some resources and a suitable scripture for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Also, are these contribution points even usable after the Foundation Establishment stage?'

'I could stock up on those expensive one-use talismans which cost as much as the cheaper magic tools. I could also buy a few higher quality Grade 2 magic tools which are suitable for late/peak Qi Condensation cultivators. Not many Qi Condensation spells are useful, but I should pick up another round of spells to farm skill points. Just buying too many spells and learning only up to basic proficiency will be a waste really.'

'And it might look a bit suspicious as to why I am buying several tens of spells at one go. To anybody else, that will only seem like an utter waste of contribution points. I am probably being too paranoid, but better have paranoia then be a corpse to be looted. But no one would bat an eye if I purchase dozens of powerful consumables and a few of the more powerful treasures. After all, sometimes a rain of consumables is what decides who is victor and who provides the loot. To be on the safe side, I should inquire about the contribution point price of resources/scriptures required for foundation establishment before I go binge shopping.'

'I wonder where Master Zhu is. It has been around five years since Master left on “Sect Business”. The way I see it, for a supposed peak Qi Condensation Cultivator to have “Sect Business” lasting five years with literally no contact can mean either two things. Master Zhu is really at Qi Condensation and there is a conspiracy to get Master Zhu disposed of and claim me as a disciple without losing face as a poacher. I may not be the best, but my projected success in body refining makes me a seedling worth nurturing I suppose.'

'Or Master Zhu has an unfathomable cultivation base and the sect is in deep shit. This might be unlikely, but for some reason the general sense of unease and urgency I feel to grow stronger reinforces this notion. Otherwise, I would never take the risk of slaughtering more than 250 inner disciples of my sect within one year for only xp.'

'No matter how much I paint it as “self-defense” and “co-incidence”, those old fogeys with their unfathomable cultivation base can find with very little effort that hundreds of inner disciples have been slaughtered by me in the span of a single year. While I didn't break rules per se, and won't be punished seriously, I didn't even get a slap on a wrist? I should have got some warning to cease and desist slaughtering inner sect disciples for a while by receiving a temporary ban on tasks outside the Sect's safe zone.'

'But instead, it looks as if the disappearance of a couple of hundred inner disciples isn't of concern to the management. Rather, the complete silence and lack of hints on this issue seems as if slaughtering and competing between disciples is being discreetly encouraged. It is well known that breakthroughs and advances in cultivation are the fostered the best under life-and-death situations. So unless I, or any other cultivator for that matter, goes and bullies someone who has absolutely no hope of fighting back in a lower cultivation realm; the sect will allow similar scenes of slaughter to go on. Maybe that is one reason why Zhen Ji's foundation establishment brother just didn't simply get me assassinated while I was farming xp outside. Or maybe he is biding his time, trying to lower my guard before finishing em off.' ruminated Fang Hao as he planned his next course of action, while drinking spirit wine and observing the sunset.