The Three-Year Period

Three years later, on Shushan's Azure Cloud Peak, a young girl flew on a sword, darting swiftly through the woods and easily catching up to an immortal deer.

Shushan had a supreme formation that could contain Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for its disciples to cultivate with.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here was denser than elsewhere, so there were quite a few immortal cranes, immortal deer, spirit apes, and squirrels.

Some immortal deer that had spent many years on Azure Cloud Peak had even reached the Qi Condensation Realm.

It was said that, over Shushan's hundreds of thousands of years, there had been no shortage of small animals nourished by Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi whose cultivation reached the Nascent Soul Realm. They took human form and became Shushan elders.

The girl seemed to love playing. She chased all sorts of spirit beasts around Azure Cloud Peak, stirring up such a commotion that chickens flew and dogs leaped.

"Junior sister, Master has summoned us to the cave abode. Stop fooling around."

An honest-looking man came flying over on a sword and stopped her.

"That's wonderful! We get to see Master again! He really was in seclusion for a long time this time. Counting it up, it's been a whole month!"

The girl excitedly counted on her fingers. Before she knew it, her master, Lu Changsheng, had been in seclusion for thirty-three days.

"Eldest senior brother, what realm do you think Master's cultivation has reached?"

"Perhaps only Master himself knows. I suspect our master is actually an immortal."

Lin Qingzhi and Lian arrived at the cave abode on Azure Cloud Peak.

Inside the cave abode, a handsome Daoist master with an immortal bearing and Dao Bone sat cross-legged in cultivation.

"Master, you've finally come out of seclusion!"

Lian rushed at him excitedly.

But Lu Changsheng covered her face with one hand and said disdainfully, "Have you forgotten the proper etiquette between master and disciple?"

"I missed you so much, Master. Eldest senior brother does nothing all day but cultivate or play chess. He's terribly boring. And you won't let me go down the mountain."

Lian pouted.

Lu Changsheng couldn't help smiling.

Because of this disciple's unusual origins, the four great demonic sects and the Demon Race were all looking for her. Only Shushan could shelter her.

That was also why Lu Changsheng wouldn't allow his disciple to go down the mountain on her own.

"Tomorrow is Shushan's Disciple Conference, held once every ten years. All disciples recruited within the past ten years must take the stage and spar to test their progress in cultivation."

"At the same time, this is an opportunity to gain practical combat experience."

"Sparring among Shushan disciples can be regarded as a simulation. If you encounter any vicious, irredeemable villains from the four great demonic sects or the Demon Race in the future, it will be a fight to the death."

"But at this Disciple Conference, you must not reveal your true cultivation."

Lu Changsheng had summoned his two disciples to instruct them about the upcoming Shushan Disciple Tournament.

The system displayed his two disciples' cultivation. With the three-year period past, Lin Qingzhi had reached the Golden Core Realm Sixth Layer, while Lian had reached the seventh layer of the Golden Core Realm.

Lin Qingzhi had cultivated the Grand Profound Art to the fifth layer.

Lian had also reached the fifth layer of the Purple Flame Primordial Chaos Art.

Because Lu Changsheng had continually performed Transmission Empowerment for his two disciples, their cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching a shocking level.

Lu Changsheng worried that if the two displayed their true cultivation at the upcoming Shushan Disciple Tournament, all of Shushan would likely be in an uproar, and the four great demonic sects would be unable to sit still.

Forming a Golden Core in three years and cultivating a Nascent Soul in ten—such a speed of cultivation was inconceivable.

"When the time comes, just show the strength of the seventh or eighth layer of the Qi Condensation Realm. As for whether you win or lose your spars, I don't care."

Lu Changsheng instructed his two disciples to suppress their displayed cultivation by a major realm. That way, his two monstrous disciples would look more like "normal people" and avoid attracting attention.

As for victory, defeat, and saving face, Lu Changsheng truly didn't care.

Lu Changsheng was determined to lie low in Shushan until he became a saint.

"Master is truly a role model for our generation."

Lin Qingzhi looked at Lu Changsheng with even greater reverence.

In his eyes, his master was calm and untroubled, transcendent and above the mundane. He was unquestionably an immortal.

"I understand."

Lian's eyes darted about, and she nodded obediently. She had listened, but not entirely.

The next day, Shushan's Disciple Conference, held once every ten years, took place on the main peak.

This was another grand event following the Apprentice-Selection Ceremony.

The disciples newly recruited by each peak within the past ten years would draw lots to select their opponents at random, spar with one another, measure their cultivation, and gain practical combat experience.

Though Shushan did not relish fighting, the martial world was perilous, and so was the world of immortal cultivation. Those who lacked combat experience were no doubt flowers in a greenhouse, ill-equipped to shoulder heavy responsibilities.

Flying swords came streaking through the air, arriving at Shushan Main Peak, which was packed with people.

Many Shushan disciples regarded this grand event as a chance to bring their masters glory.

Outer Sect Disciples also had the chance to challenge inner disciples at this Disciple Conference. Those who performed exceptionally might catch the eye of a Shushan elder and be accepted as inner disciples.

If inner disciples received private tutoring, then Outer Sect Disciples attended a public classroom. The cultivation resources the two received from Shushan also differed. Inner disciples could receive Cultivation Methods or Law Treasures bestowed privately by Shushan elders, and some even received Transmission Empowerment.

For Outer Sect Disciples, the Shushan Disciple Tournament was a chance to prove themselves. Advancement was not out of reach.

Three streaks of light descended as Lu Changsheng arrived at Shushan Main Peak with his two disciples.

"Master, Master, there are so many people here!"

Lian tugged excitedly at Lu Changsheng's sleeve.

Lian had spent the past three years cultivating on Azure Cloud Peak and had yet to meet any other Shushan disciples.

"Later, you must not beat them to death."

Lu Changsheng gave this final warning to his youngest disciple, who possessed the Martial King Divine Physique.

Lian had already reached the seventh layer of the Golden Core Realm, and she had also cultivated the Myriad Forms Body Refining Method to the stage of Thousand-Elephant Strength.

Lian might have been only ten years old, but when her little fist landed on someone, it was like being struck by over a thousand wild elephants.

Lu Changsheng wasn't boasting: not one of the new generation of Shushan disciples present could withstand a single punch from the disciple he had trained.

Even among Shushan's elite Golden Core Realm disciples, few could defeat ten-year-old Lian.

So Lu Changsheng warned his youngest disciple not to accidentally beat another Shushan disciple to death, or they would have a serious problem.

"Mm-hmm."

Lian nodded, but her eyes held some confusion. The other Shushan disciples were obviously tall and sturdy, so why wasn't Master worried about his own disciple? Why was he worried that other people's disciples would be beaten to death instead?

Could it be that Lian wasn't important to Master?

At the thought, Lian pursed her lips.

"Qingzhi, do you know what to do?"

"I do."

"Good."

Lu Changsheng wasn't worried about Lin Qingzhi.

Lin Qingzhi had a peaceable nature and would surely hold back.

"Junior Brother Lu."

"Senior Brother Chen."

"When did you take on another disciple? And a little girl at that?"

"I was bored lately, so I took on another disciple to pass the time."

Other Shushan elders who arrived asked about Lian, and Lu Changsheng fobbed them off.

So far, only Lu Changsheng, Li Changye, Xia Ningxue and a female disciple of the Ask Immortal Pavilion, or perhaps the sect leaders of Shushan and the Ask Immortal Pavilion, knew Lian's true origins.

A Shushan elder asked, "I wonder what cultivation your two disciples have reached now, Junior Brother Lu?"