【Primary stage task completed, B-points +200. OOC function unfrozen. From this moment on, you have full control over the ‘John Sullivan’ account. Congratulations! Please keep up the good work.】

　　John Sullivan was starting to fall in love with this rollercoaster-like thrill of gambling on ups and downs.

　　From now on, he could finally embark on the great and glorious mission of hugging the protagonist’s thigh!

　　The first thing upon returning to Cangqiong Mountain Sect was to ascend Qiongding Peak, guarded by the sect leader, and report to Thomas Baker.

　　On the way, John Sullivan once again felt that this sect leader senior brother was just like an NPC who issued quests. However, that feeling vanished without a trace as soon as he stepped through the mountain gate.

　　He hadn’t even entered the main hall when Thomas Baker, followed by disciples of Qiongding Peak, came out to greet him. As soon as they met, Thomas Baker grabbed John Sullivan’s wrist with his right hand. John Sullivan was startled at first, but seeing that Thomas Baker made no further moves and instead focused intently, channeling a faint stream of spiritual energy, he realized he was just checking the state of his spiritual energy and relaxed completely.

　　Thomas Baker saw that the spiritual energy was circulating smoothly and there was no harm, so he let go, smiling as he walked into the main hall with John Sullivan. He asked, “How did your training go?”

　　His behavior and tone, like that of an eldest brother at home, made John Sullivan feel a warm sense of comfort, so even his words of disappointment didn’t sound so dejected: “Not as well as I’d hoped.”

　　The disciples hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the skinning demon; John Sullivan had done all the leveling and point farming himself. From the perspective of training disciples, it really wasn’t ideal.

　　Thomas Baker said, “There’s no need to rush.”

　　John Sullivan nodded, then suddenly changed the subject: “Sect leader senior brother, I want to enter the Lingxi Cave at the back of Qiongding Peak for secluded cultivation.”

　　As the foremost of the twelve peaks, Qiongding Peak naturally gathered the essence of heaven and earth. Lingxi Cave was the best place on Qiongding Peak for cultivation, yielding twice the results with half the effort. Therefore, elders or outstanding disciples in the sect could request permission from the sect leader to enter the cave for secluded training. Only with the leader’s approval could the application be granted.

　　Since John Sullivan wanted to enter Lingxi Cave for seclusion, Thomas Baker of course wouldn’t refuse. He asked, “Is it to prepare for the Immortal Alliance Conference?”

　　John Sullivan replied, “Exactly.”

　　In fact, it wasn’t just because the plot of the Immortal Alliance Conference required him to have real strength—there were many other complicated reasons.

　　This recent skinning demon incident made John Sullivan realize even more the importance of diligent cultivation.

　　In this world, only with strength could one have the right to think about the future.

　　Moreover, Thomas Baker truly treated him well. Even if it was just to change the ending where John Sullivan directly caused Thomas Baker’s death, John Sullivan had to seriously consider his future.

　　From now on, he would take a more proactive approach to steering the plot.

　　Before going into seclusion, John Sullivan called Charles Clark over and handed him the correct entry-level cultivation manual.

　　Charles Clark took the manual but still asked, “Master, why are you giving your disciple a completely different manual?”

　　John Sullivan calmly made something up: “Your constitution is different; you can’t cultivate using the sect’s standard manual.”

　　He didn’t want to expose the truth about Ming Fan giving Charles Clark a fake manual so soon. Although it would come out eventually, delaying it was still better.

　　Watching John Sullivan’s departing figure, Charles Clark held the manual, deeply shaken inside.

　　This was a manual Master had prepared just for him!

　　John Sullivan had no idea that Charles Clark had completely misunderstood...

Author’s note:

　　☆ Cultivation is so full of disasters (bug catching)

　　Within Lingxi Cave, the winding paths were deep and secluded. After countless twists and turns, it opened up into a world of its own—no wind, no moon, yet a constant stream of cool tranquility. Large and small green stones, like jade, formed many natural stone beds. In the center was a pool of clear water, reflecting another world like a mirror.

　　This was just one of many cave dwellings, but John Sullivan was very satisfied and didn’t plan to look for another place.

　　John Sullivan had already thoroughly read the classics. He sat down on a stone bed and began to focus on cultivation.

　　However, as if fate refused to let him quietly farm points, he hadn’t meditated for long before he heard a strange noise.

　　Someone was gasping in pain.

　　Not only did his keen hearing pick up the anomaly, but the spiritual power within him also sensed a nearly rampaging surge of spiritual energy.

　　Alright. John Sullivan knew what was happening. Lingxi Cave was so large, it was impossible that he was the only one who had been approved to enter for seclusion—there were others cultivating here as well, and... someone had gone into qi deviation, right at a critical moment.

　　I! Just! Want! To! Go! Into! Seclusion! And! Cultivate! To! Farm! Some! Power! Points! That’s! All! Is this really necessary? Is! It!

　　John Sullivan abruptly opened his eyes, deciding to investigate. He followed the direction of the sound and the spiritual energy fluctuations, winding through the cave’s twists and turns as the commotion grew louder.

　　Finally, he entered another chamber. As soon as he stepped in, he saw a figure in white with their back to him, a long sword fallen to the ground.

　　The cave walls were covered in marks from sharp sword strikes, blood splattered everywhere like a crime scene, and even the person in white was stained with blood.

　　It looked like this qi deviation was truly a violent one!