Suijun starts with the principle of rewarding diligence.

Dojo.

After the young men and women from several prominent families had their spiritual power tested, He Qing nodded slightly and said to them:

"It's clear that you've been training very diligently this month. The fifth stage is a bottleneck for you, and the Crimson Scale Sturgeon is the key to your breakthrough."

Every three stages of spiritual power cultivation will result in a bottleneck period.

Bu Qu possesses innate spiritual power, but his bottleneck period is at stage three, six, or nine; these scions of prominent families are at stage two of innate spiritual power, but their bottleneck period is at stage five.

The group understood.

Lu Xiu has almost secured a recommendation spot.

For the three of them, whoever gets the Red Scaled Sturgeon first will get the second recommendation spot.

Jiang Linyuan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was calculating: 'Father has already spoken with the fishmongers at the fish market, offering ten taels of silver to buy red-scaled sturgeon. So many days have passed, and not a single one has been acquired.'

"It's all useless stuff." He muttered to himself, glancing at the two women. "If I can't receive it, neither can they."

The fish market can't find red-scaled sturgeon, but Buqu manages to catch one.

Jiang Linyuan had people investigate these past few days and discovered that fishermen no longer fish in deep waters, while Bu Qu often travels to and from deep waters in a covered boat.

He deduced from this that the red-scaled sturgeon might only be able to be caught in deep water.

The Jiang family had business dealings with the shipyard, so acquiring a few awning boats wouldn't be difficult.

Thinking of this, a smug smile flashed across Jiang Linyuan's lips: 'They don't have any water-attribute retainers, but I do! When I get home, I'll have them form a fishing team to go fishing in Blackwater Lake. I'm taking the last spot!'

Su Miaoyin casually remarked, "I wonder what level Bu Qu has reached in his spiritual cultivation?"

Jiang Linyuan chuckled: "He's hiding and doesn't dare come to the dojo, probably because he hasn't made any progress and is ashamed to show his face, right? It's easy to catch a rare fish like the Red-scaled Sturgeon by luck. To expect luck to keep coming back for you and keep catching them is simply wishful thinking."

He Qing took a sip of tea, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Jiang Linyuan's statement.

"Bu Qu told me before that he was quite confident. Let's say he makes one a month; he should have reached a certain level of strength by now. Reaching the peak of spiritual power by next year shouldn't be difficult. There's still time."

"I estimate that he should have three levels of spiritual power now."

Xia Zhuxin spoke softly, but her eyes held a hint of melancholy.

She had been trying to find Bu Qu to explain the assassination attempt on Bu Qu and Zhong Ling by the Xia family, but she had been unable to see him.

Although the assassins were easily killed by the two men, they did not cause them any real harm.

But if it's not explained clearly, it's easy to make enemies.

She also wanted to buy a red-scaled sturgeon from Bu Qu.

Su Miaoyin glanced at Xia Zhuxin and asked with a smile, "How did you know?"

Xia Zhuxin rolled her eyes at her and didn't reply.

She estimated it based on the scene she had previously witnessed where Bu Qu turned the tables.

Although it is impossible to accurately determine Bu Qu's spiritual power level, it is by no means as Jiang Linyuan said, that there has been no progress.

Xia Zhuxin believes that three dan is a relatively reasonable dan level.

After all, Bu Qu did not use the Spirit Gathering Pill to assist his cultivation; he relied entirely on catching Red Scale Sturgeon in the Blackwater Lake on his own.

Catching three treasure fish a month is a huge sum of money for a fisherman.

However, considering Bu Qu's talent and the strength he has shown, Xia Zhuxin felt that it wouldn't be a problem to overestimate him a little.

Xia Zhuxin didn't answer, and Su Miaoyin didn't care either.

The assassination attempt on Zhong Ling by the Xia family's assassin had become common knowledge throughout the city, but no one cared about a nobody like Bu Qu.

Su Miaoyin had been keeping an eye on Bu Qu's movements, so she was able to find out that the awning boat Zhong Ling was riding in belonged to Bu Qu.

Therefore, Su Miaoyin did not doubt Xia Zhuxin's statement.

"If I go to the third stage, I won't make it to this year's Dragon Gate Grand Selection. Great! This gives me a year to slowly seduce him. Next year, I'll go to the Righteous Path Sect with him. Maybe before we even go, I'll already be his Daoist partner, living happily ever after."

When they arrived at the Righteous Path Sect, all sorts of geniuses gathered there. Su Miaoyin's talent of having two levels of innate spiritual power was only considered ordinary and didn't offer any particular advantage.

She understood the principle of striking first all too well.

As they were talking, footsteps came from outside the door.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Bu Qu, dressed in a black robe, walking in from outside the door.

Jiang Linyuan snorted, his disdain undiminished: "Even if you change your clothes, it doesn't change the fact that you're a fisherman by trade."

Xia Zhuxin wasn't too bothered by Bu Qu's attire.

Su Miaoyin covered her mouth with her hand and secretly licked her fingertips.

Bu Qu arrived at the main hall and cupped his hands in greeting to He Qing: "Greetings, Senior Brother He."

He Qing smiled and nodded: "You have time to come to the dojo today. How's your spiritual power progressing?"

"Words are no proof; a test will tell."

Bu Qu walked to the table and saw Lu Xiu sitting expressionlessly to one side. He couldn't help but greet him with a smile, "So Brother Lu is here too. Why aren't you saying anything?"

When I first arrived in the courtyard, I could hear a group of people talking about me from a distance. But I didn't hear Lu Xiu's voice.

He thought Lu Xiu wasn't there.

Lu Xiu gave an awkward laugh in response. Inwardly, however, he complained, "I hate this feeling of hitting the peak right from the start. There's no surprise at all. I'm like a ghost, unable to become the center of attention."

Having said that, he slightly turned his head, not wanting to look at Bu Qu's spiritual cultivation, and silently prayed in his heart: "I hope Brother Bu's cultivation progresses slowly, preferably not exceeding the fourth level."

No matter what others think of Bu Qu, in Lu Xiu's heart, he will always be a formidable rival, a master who is very good at hiding his strength!

Everyone else who comes to the Taoist temple to participate in the spirit testing event dresses up carefully, hoping to leave a good impression on the Taoist master.

But he, my brother, Buqu, was dressed in tattered coarse linen clothes.

Anyone who shares my views must be a master!

Lu Xiu heard Bu Qu place his hand on the spirit-testing pillar and saw the room bathed in a layer of blue light.

In an instant, the hall fell silent.

"What's going on? Why aren't you guys saying anything? How many segments are there?"

It's obvious that Bu Qu's spiritual power must have exceeded everyone's expectations to leave them speechless.

"Fourth dan? It can't be fifth dan, can it? If it's fifth dan, wouldn't Brother Bu be going to participate in the Lungmen Grand Prix with me? And I'd be second place again?"

Lu Xiu couldn't help himself and tilted his head slightly. He caught a glimpse of the spirit-testing pillar out of the corner of his eye, and his expression changed drastically.

Six dan!

"Oh no. We all agreed you were all here to compete for second place, how come I'm second?"

Lu Xiu wanted to slap himself.

Anyway, I'm already at the eighth level of innate cultivation, so I don't need to cultivate or test my spiritual power.

Why are you coming to the dojo to join in the fun?

Seeing that Bu Qu had already cultivated his spiritual power to the sixth level, He Qing could no longer sit still and jumped up from his chair: "Sixth level? Sixth level! Good, good, good, Bu Qu, you really didn't disappoint me!"

As she spoke, He Qing could no longer suppress a smile.

I wish today were the Dragon Gate Grand Selection, so I could take Bu Qu to the Righteous Path Sect and let that bastard Zhao Fan open his eyes!

Everyone had different expressions. After his initial excitement subsided, He Qing sat back down in his chair and said seriously, "Junior Brother Bu, you shouldn't have come back."

The implication is that since you've already reached level six, you should put in even more effort and continue catching red-scaled sturgeon in Blackwater Lake. Strive to cultivate your spiritual power to perfection in one fell swoop.

Bu Qu smiled and said, "There's no rush. In two more days, I'll reach the seventh dan."

Seven dan?

In other words, Buqu has eaten seven red-scaled sturgeon in one month?

Everyone stared intently at Bu Qu, as if he were a monster.

They can't even buy one red-scaled sturgeon, and you're eating seven by yourself?