The Three Little Ones Reunite

Su Changqing watched Lin Jingyu being showered with attention and smiled faintly, shaking his head.

He could guess what these people were thinking. Most likely, they had heard about Lin Jingyu and wanted to curry favor with the sect's future star. They understood the principle that cultivation wasn't just about fighting, but also about navigating social relationships.

As for Su Changqing's appearance, few noticed him. Even those who did glanced at him once before looking away, treating him as if he were invisible.

The stark difference in their treatment was a harsh reality.

Su Changqing was content to be a nobody. It was best not to attract attention. As he prepared to leave, Lin Jingyu, who was in the center of the crowd, spotted him. With a smile, he walked out from the throng and quickly approached Su Changqing.

"Changqing, how have you been!"

Lin Jingyu greeted him warmly as he reached Su Changqing.

"Jingyu, I've been well!"

Seeing Lin Jingyu approach and greet him politely, Su Changqing stopped and returned the greeting.

"Who is this person? Why is Junior Brother Lin greeting him so enthusiastically?"

"I heard that when Junior Brother Lin joined the sect, there were two others with him. One went to Great Bamboo Peak, and the other to Little Bamboo Peak. This must be one of them, though I don't know their names."

"He joined the sect with Junior Brother Lin? Then why is Junior Brother Lin so widely talked about in the sect, but we've barely heard any news about them?"

"Why else? Because their spiritual root aptitude wasn't as astonishing as Junior Brother Lin's, so they blended in with the ordinary disciples of the sect."

Because of Lin Jingyu's popularity, the scene of the two greeting each other naturally drew the attention of many. The murmurs reached Su Changqing's ears.

However, Su Changqing didn't mind. Where there were people, there would be gossip. Not everyone could achieve enlightenment and become a detached immortal; most were unable to shed their base human nature.

Lin Jingyu seemed to ignore the whispers as well, continuing to ask Su Changqing enthusiastically, "Changqing, how is your cultivation progressing?"

"Me? My spiritual root aptitude isn't as good as yours. My cultivation has only just begun. I can only sense the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, but I can't yet draw it into my body," Su Changqing replied, shaking his head.

Others might not know, but Su Changqing was acutely aware that this world, despite its seemingly peaceful and prosperous appearance, was rife with conflict between the righteous and demonic paths, harboring countless dangers. He had no intention of revealing his strength to anyone. Exposing his abilities when he was still weak would only attract more pressure.

He firmly believed in one saying: A prodigy who grows to maturity is a true prodigy; one who perishes prematurely is merely a stepping stone.

Lin Jingyu, of course, believed Su Changqing's answer without question. He dropped his smile and adopted a serious demeanor, saying, "Changqing, since we were able to join the Qingyun Sect, we must cherish this opportunity. We cannot be careless in our cultivation. The first layer of the Taiji Xuanqing Dao is already simple; if we can't even pass this stage, how will we manage the more difficult second and third layers?"

"Like me, if I can't comprehend something in a day, I won't rest or sleep. If I encounter an opportunity for enlightenment, I might even forget to eat. Master even said he'd never seen anyone work as hard as I do. I will surely achieve great things in the future."

Su Changqing chuckled softly at his words and nodded in agreement.

"If you're willing, I can speak to Master and have you stay at my Dragon Head Peak for two days. I'll personally guide you through the profound principles of the first layer." Lin Jingyu added.

"I think I'll pass, Jingyu. Master told me that success or failure is destined. Forcing it can easily lead to overconfidence and the opposite result," Su Changqing politely declined. He was cultivating well in Quiet Heart Cave; going to Cang Song's Dragon Head Peak would be asking for trouble.

Lin Jingyu's expression immediately darkened. He thought Su Changqing was refusing him because Changqing was inherently lazy in his cultivation, and a feeling of disappointment arose within him.

Su Changqing shook his head helplessly. Seeing his expression change, he knew Lin Jingyu had misunderstood him, but there was no need to explain.

When two people are not on the same wavelength, conversation is brief. Just as they were about to part ways, another voice rang out.

"Jingyu, Changqing!"

With a cheerful shout, Zhang Xiaofan, dressed in a simple cotton robe, approached, accompanied by Senior Brother Song Daren, the one who had brought the three of them back.

"Xiaofan, I won't disturb the three of you catching up," Song Daren said to Zhang Xiaofan with a friendly smile. As he left, he glanced at Lin Jingyu, his eyes showing a hint of admiration, clearly having heard the sect's rumors.

"Alright, thank you, Senior Brother Song!" Zhang Xiaofan cupped his hands in a bow to Song Daren before jogging towards the other two.

"Xiaofan!"

Lin Jingyu and Zhang Xiaofan had a good relationship. After Zhang Xiaofan appeared, Lin Jingyu quickly shifted his attention to him.

Lin Jingyu led the conversation, and after a short while, they began discussing cultivation again. Upon hearing that Zhang Xiaofan's cultivation was not progressing, Lin Jingyu repeated what he had just said to Su Changqing.

Zhang Xiaofan looked somewhat ashamed but also refused Lin Jingyu's offer.

"Jingyu, thank you for your kindness. But Master and my fellow disciples treat me very well and often guide my cultivation. It's just that my comprehension is truly too poor, which is why I haven't improved. If I were to go to your peak, I fear it would disrupt your cultivation."

Su Changqing remained silent, observing Zhang Xiaofan from the side.

If he remembered correctly, this kid was still learning to chop bamboo on Great Bamboo Peak. He figured that at this point, he couldn't even cut through the outer layer of the spiritual bamboo.

Compared to the rapidly progressing Lin Jingyu, Zhang Xiaofan's speed was that of a snail, incredibly slow. The senior brothers on Great Bamboo Peak and Tian Buyi had already lost hope for him.

However, even though he seemed like a cultivation failure now, only Su Changqing knew he was the protagonist of this story.

It was precisely this initial stage of cultivation that laid a solid foundation for his path, forging a steady and diligent mindset, and would later write his own legend.

It seemed to be true now.

Even Su Changqing secretly praised him. Compared to the spirited Lin Jingyu, Zhang Xiaofan's story of hidden potential and late blooming was more captivating.

After their respective conversations, the three returned to their respective peak's teams.

With the appearance of Dao Xuan Zhenren and other Qingyun Sect higher-ups, the grand assembly officially began. The reason for the gathering was that several disciples from a nearby sect had been misled by the Demonic Cult and had betrayed the sect. Before leaving, they had even killed several fellow disciples, an act of extreme malice.

Learning from this incident, the Qingyun Sect decided to be cautious. To prevent such events from happening again, they summoned all disciples for a session of ideological education.