"And the war disciples," Xu Ran said, her arms slowly uncrossing. "The ones who fought. Shui'er, Bao, Fen — they were Qi Refining. Outer disciples. Like us. Now they're Golden Core."
"Because they received the ancestor's cultivation method," Fanxue said. Her voice was steady. Patient. "They submitted. They trusted. They received. And now they are stronger than any of you could dream of becoming through orthodox cultivation alone."
She paused. Let the words settle.
"Remove your clothes," she said again. "All of them. Robes. Undergarments. Everything. The ancestor's method requires the body to be bare. Unobstructed. Open to receive divine qi."
