The White Crane Master stared at the large red invitation in front of him, his face as cold as frost. Though he didn't know that his younger brother, Zero Yuan, had actually been killed by Qin Feng—still believing it was Liu Yun who had done it—he could not deny that the White Crane Sect's decline from a premier order in the cultivation world down to its current status was deeply tied to Qin Feng. Over the past period, he had carefully investigated and found that the conflict began with his young disciple Sun Cheng against Qin Feng, escalating to his second and fourth disciples stepping in only to fall victim to Qin Feng's schemes. Then came the long-standing rivalry between his brother and Qin Feng, followed by Liu Yun's chaotic management that had left the sect in disarray. After Liu Yun's passing, her niece, Liu Su, had ascended smoothly—this too was no accident, but closely linked to Qin Feng. Today, the White Crane Sect, once one of the top ten major sects, had now been relegated to a mid-tier status. The deaths of Zero Yuan and over a dozen other disciples had dealt a severe blow to the sect in terms of numbers. A disciple walked carefully over, asking, "Master, how should we respond to the person who brought the invitation? He's still waiting outside!" Besides the invitation, there was also a ranking list, on which Dong Qiankun, the Fire God Elder, and the Immortal of the Ethereal Realm were ranked first, followed by the heads of the other ten major sects, with Qin Feng coming in eleventh. As for the White Crane Sect, it had already been pushed out of the top twenty and was no longer a leading sect among the mid-tier ones. The abbot frowned, his face lengthened—he truly wanted to invite the person who delivered the invitation in to ask, "Which fool arranged this ranking? Even if the White Crane Sect were in poor shape, it surely wouldn't have fallen to twenty-first place!" At that moment, the disciple murmured softly, "Master, the person said that, in fact, the Lin family is the most unfortunate—their ranking has now reached nearly forty!" He looked down and confirmed—indeed, the Lin family had been placed at thirty-eighth. Indeed, they were the unluckiest. Zhu from Bai He Gate felt much better and said, "Tell the person who delivered the invitation that I will definitely arrive on time. Let Dong Qinkuan and the others prepare accordingly—I'm certain the Liantai will be mine!" After hearing the message, the person who had delivered the invitation smiled. This wasn't the first time he'd heard such words—several previous families had said exactly the same thing. It seemed everyone held great hopes of securing the Liantai. Qin Feng, who was watching TV at home, also received the invitation. Unlike the Bai He Gate master, he wasn't easily satisfied. When he saw the rankings, his temper flared immediately: "What's going on? Why are Dong Qinkuan and the others ranked first, while I have to settle for eleventh? Didn't they tell you that I was the very first to discover the Liantai? Even if I don't come first, at least I should be fourth!" "The thought behind sending the invitation was not mine—what good would it do to scold you? Yet he still smiled, saying, 'After all, Qin Daojun is only recently recognized as a cultivator in the cultivation world and is attending this grand gathering for the very first time. The three elders have carefully considered all factors and thus placed you at the eleventh position. As the saying goes, 'the one who stands out gets shot,' and I'm sure Qin Daojun is a sensible, composed person who will fully appreciate the three elders' thoughtful intentions!' What a pile of well-meaning intentions—how good can those three really be? They clearly don't hold me in high regard. To scold someone who merely sent an invitation is truly pointless. So, I'll pretend to be deeply touched and say, 'I see now that the three elders have truly thought of me. Thank you for your kind intentions. Please make sure my Lotus Platform is well taken care of—absolutely no mishaps!' The person was first taken aback, then smiled and replied, 'Understood. Also, kindly make sure to arrive on time, or your Lotus Platform might be claimed by someone else!' 'I will certainly arrive on time.'" "He was firm in his promises." After the other party had left, he carried a glass of red wine to the balcony, looked up at the clear, cloudless sky, and murmured, "It seems many people are determined to secure their positions. I'll have to come up with a solid plan—or else I'll truly be left behind!" As for strength, the cultivation world boasts numerous masters at the Extinction Stage, some even reaching the Yuan Sheng Stage. Take Dong Qunkuan and his two companions, for instance—they likely possess at least mid-level Extinction Stage strength. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to be so assertive; who would willingly serve as a backdrop for others? For Qin Feng, surpassing the Transition Stage isn't particularly difficult, but the truth that "haste makes waste" is now beginning to manifest: previously, his encounters were mostly with other ethnic groups, so the issue wasn't very apparent. However, when his opponents are cultivators, the difference becomes immediately evident. First, he had only mastered two spells—the ice spear and the rolling stones—not out of laziness, but because of the sheer volume of tasks and his relatively rapid progression, which left him with little time to learn new techniques. Although he had the benefit of talismans, once used repeatedly, they lost the initial surprise and impact of their first deployment. Moreover, talismans and minor weapons belong to the same category, and often, such methods are considered unimpressive or even mediocre. If his methods were seen as merely average, how could he gain credibility? A sudden inspiration struck him—he remembered the lotus flower, still quietly resting within his storage amulet. He remained cautious, fearing that anyone might notice and thereby create complications. To be safe, he first entered the small cauldron before summoning the lotus. The lotus flower was no different from when it had just been "harvested." It seemed to particularly enjoy the stillness of the small steaming pot, with its stamens gently swaying back and forth, as if expressing its excitement in that manner. Qin Feng thought for a moment, and finally placed it on a large stone. Suddenly, the lotus seemed to come alive—the stem of the leaf firmly inserted itself into the stone and then slowly lifted its "head," becoming fully upright. "I'll wipe it down," he remarked, praising its spirit. Yet he couldn't figure out how to harness the immense energy it contained. Hou Bao and Ya Shi could only convert the energy crystals into electricity, but electricity held no significance for the cultivators. Immediately after the lotus had "taken root," an exceptionally pure aura of qi began to emerge in the surrounding air. This is truly excellent. Without hesitation, he settled into a meditative posture, sitting just a few centimeters away from the lotus flower, closed his eyes, and entered a state of clarity, beginning to absorb the spiritual energy. The spiritual energy flowed into his body, circulated through his meridians for a complete cycle, and then returned to his dantian, becoming refined into pure spiritual power. As more and more energy poured in, his absorption rate accelerated steadily. The twelve petals of the lotus gently swayed up and down, and even more spiritual energy directly entered his body through the stone beneath, flowing into his buttocks. Goodness, will there be any problem? He felt a moment of doubt, yet continued absorbing—after all, he could simply pause before any issue arose. This spiritual energy was far purer than what was outside, and as its quantity grew, he quickly realized that he was about to advance to the next level.