"Gasp..."
When Ling Mu placed a huge box of pills before Hao Meng, even this young master of the Hao Family, who had weathered life's great rises and falls, could not help but suck in a sharp breath.
"Junior Ling... are all these for me? How much must they be worth? I've never seen so many pills."
In Hao Meng's eyes, this box of pills glowing with a faint radiance dealt him far too great a shock. Even though he had been born into the well-established Hao Family, he had never seen pills of such quantity and quality. Even his father might not have been able to produce so many at once.
Yet all of this inconceivable reality had come to pass in merely one month, and the one who had created this miracle was the famed Qinglan City wastrel standing before him.
"Senior, these are Golden Crow Qi Replenishing Pills. I think they're very suitable for replenishing your qi and blood during battle. And these Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng Pills can increase the flow of your yuan qi for a short time. And these..."
Ling Mu introduced the pills in the box to Hao Meng as though he were reciting treasures from memory. Although most of it was merely him repeating Xiaoyu's earlier explanations, to Hao Meng, every word and sentence carried the crimson sincerity of brotherhood.
After introducing the pills, Ling Mu wasted no time in taking out three black cases and opening them one by one. In an instant, dazzling seven-colored light flooded the room. They were precisely the three weapon artifacts Ling Mu had exchanged from the Simulation System shop.
Whether it was the crystal-clear White Tiger Glazed Gauntlets, the Madman Armor wrapped in faint violet light, or the most mysterious Quicksilver Belt, all of them faintly emitted waves of energy.
"Junior Ling, these are the weapon artifacts you mentioned? What a powerful aura. Even the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi in the room has become wildly restless. Just where did you get these?"
Hao Meng had come from a thousand-year Aristocratic Clan, so he saw at a glance how extraordinary the three weapon artifacts before him were. The gauntlets alone made his heart palpitate, a feeling he had never experienced even when facing the pair of ancestral gauntlets in his father's hands. One had to know that the weapon used by the Hao Family Patriarch was a true immortal artifact of the initial Yellow Grade.
Then there was that purple armor and the belt artifact whose nature he could not even identify. They were even more unfathomable, far beyond any level he could understand. Weapons and artifacts like these could absolutely not be bought with money alone. Even initial Yellow Grade immortal artifacts were things only outstanding outer disciples of immortal cultivation sects could possess, not something mortals could casually covet.
"Senior, don't worry. There's nothing wrong with these weapon artifacts. I asked my master to purchase them."
Ling Mu put on a conflicted expression, pondered for a moment, then finally spoke to Hao Meng.
"Your master? I've never heard that you had a master."
"Senior, you surely know that I gave up cultivation during the past ten years. I won't say much about the reasons. A few months ago, I happened to meet an expert traveling through Qinglan City. I don't know why, but that enlightened master insisted on taking me as his disciple. He said we shared the fate of master and disciple. After my master's guidance, I began cultivating again and gained my current strength. Even I find it unbelievable when I think about it, as if it were a dream."
Ling Mu's solemn nonsense perfectly explained away the truth of his transmigration through the appearance of a mysterious master. Sooner or later, his changes after ten years would draw suspicion from others. Using Hao Meng to lay the groundwork now was simply the best opportunity.
"So that's how it is. No wonder I felt that Junior's talent and conduct were worlds apart from the rumors in the streets. Since this expert could guide you onto the immortal path, he must be a senior of immense strength. Being accepted under him is indeed a great fortune for you."
Hao Meng's words rendered the pile of plots Ling Mu had prepared in his stomach completely useless. Senior Hao accepted Ling Mu's story without the slightest hesitation. Such trust and innocence left Ling Mu feeling somewhat guilty, but the Simulation System was of immense importance. Unless absolutely necessary, Ling Mu would never tell anyone.
"Junior, I, Hao Meng, won't say anything else. I will remember this friendship of yours. From this day onward, whenever you need your big brother, just say the word. I will descend into the abyss of the five oceans for you and charge through mountains of blades and seas of fire for you."
Faced with pills and weapon artifacts of such value, Hao Meng knew that worldly formalities would insult Ling Mu's friendship. True brothers kept everything in their hearts.
The night had deepened. Above the horizon, two bright stars unnoticed by anyone slowly converged, echoing one another.
The fifteenth day of the seventh month, auspicious for casting away the old.
As a major event in the city, Qinglan Academy's semiannual grand competition naturally drew countless eyes. The audience did not come solely from Qinglan City itself; powers from neighboring cities also attended, hoping to discover one or two promising seedlings worth nurturing.
The Training Ground was already packed shoulder to shoulder, but most spectators could only sit far away around the outer edge of the grounds. The towering stands to the east near the inner grounds were exclusive seats reserved for the academy's upper echelon and the major Aristocratic Clans.
"Look, it's the Hao Family Patriarch. He has reached great completion of the Core Formation Realm, and his Dragon Tiger Fighting Saint Fist has been perfected to a miraculous degree. His combat strength is tremendous."
"Is that Nangong Family First Elder Nangong Wuqing? He actually came out of seclusion. It seems the Nangong Family truly values Nangong Qi. An academy competition actually drew the Grand Elder here to watch."
"And the beautiful headmistress of Cangyun Academy? I heard she and Qinglan Academy's Headmaster Ling Yubai once had a tangled affair of love and hate. Why has she come to observe as well?"
Discussions erupted everywhere beneath the stands. After all, those seated above were figures who could make Qinglan City tremble three times with a single stomp. Who could normally get a chance to see them? Now that they had gathered in one place, there was naturally no shortage of conversation.
Suddenly, a clear sword cry rang out. Everyone looked up to see three figures abruptly appearing among the clouds. All three wore azure Daoist robes and rode swords through the air. The white beard of the old man leading them hung past his knees, his three thousand silver strands dancing in the wind. He possessed the air of an immortal and the bones of the Dao, bearing the demeanor of a grandmaster.
The two following behind the old man were both around twenty years old. One held a longsword in his arms, while the other carried a whisk. Clearly, they were the old man's disciples.
The three landed directly upon the stands, and Qinglan City's prominent figures all rose to their feet, displaying great respect.
"Elder Qin, why have you come?"
Mu Bai was the first to speak. As the host, he knew the visitor, and was astonished by his sudden arrival.
"Brother Mu, I heard that Qinglan Academy has produced quite a few excellent seedlings this time. On a whim, this old man brought two disciples to take a look. I also represent the Xuantian Sword Sect in selecting talents suitable for joining our sect after reaching Core Formation. I came without invitation, so do not blame me, Brother Mu. Hahaha."
The old man's words immediately set off an uproar across the entire venue. The Xuantian Sword Sect was a genuine immortal cultivation sect. It was said that its sect master had successfully opened up the Immeasurable Sea and reached the Immeasurable Realm. Within a radius of ten thousand miles, it counted among the few great sects. The visiting old man was named Qin Yu, an outer elder of the Xuantian Sword Sect, whose strength had also reached the level of half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm.
"Elder Qin, you jest. For our academy's students to gain the favor of the Xuantian Sword Sect is their immortal fortune. As an academy teacher, I am naturally delighted. Come, please sit."
The other man was an elder from a powerful sect, so Mu Bai did not dare slight him. He hurriedly arranged seats for the three beside his own and ordered someone to brew Elder Qin a pot of fine tea.
"Brother Mu, I heard long ago that your academy's Heaven Tier Class has several peerless prodigies, all only a step away from Core Formation at such young ages. Your teaching ability is truly remarkable."
After taking a sip of tea, Elder Qin appeared highly satisfied and took the initiative to continue chatting with Mu Bai.
"Elder Qin flatters me. However, this batch of students indeed has several with astonishing talent. The most outstanding are Liu Yu and Xiang Chu of the Heaven Tier Class, as well as Nangong Qi of the Earth Tier Class. All three are already half a step into Core Formation and are not yet eighteen. It can be said that entering the Core Formation Realm before twenty is as certain as nails hammered into a board."
As he spoke of his academy's outstanding students, Mu Bai's face filled with smiles. In previous years, Qinglan Academy generally produced one student in the Core Formation Realm each year. This year, three had emerged at once. Such results would firmly suppress Cangyun Academy.
"Elder Qin, the Nangong Qi Teacher Mu mentioned is precisely the young master of our Nangong Family. Although he is in the Earth Tier Class, he has already reached half a step into Core Formation. He needs only a sliver of opportunity to form his core."
Upon hearing Mu Bai mention the patriarch's son, the Nangong Family First Elder quickly chimed in. The Xuantian Sword Sect was immensely powerful. If the young master could join it after graduation, it would be of enormous benefit to the Nangong Family's development.
"Not bad, not bad. Today, I shall properly admire the bearing of your academy's geniuses. Hahaha."
Although Elder Qin had come uninvited, he immediately became the center of attention. The ancestors of these Aristocratic Clans had, more or less, included seniors whose cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, no lower than Elder Qin's own. Yet they now surrounded him like stars around the moon, simply because they were impressed by the powerful sect behind him.
In this vast Immortal Realm, sects still stood at the core, followed only afterward by empires, Aristocratic Clans, and other powers. Even the mighty Cangyun Empire Imperial Family had to obey the Cloud Mist Sect's commands. The sects' control over the mortal world was plain to see.
Of course, some hidden Lineages were equally formidable, no less powerful than sects. But most of those Lineages concealed themselves and rarely emerged, so people throughout the world generally regarded immortal cultivation sects as the true rulers of the Immortal Realm.
The social maneuvering on the stands did not affect the students below. Ling Mu and Hao Meng stood at the very front of the Profound Tier Class formation, with the vast ranks of Profound Tier Class students behind them.
To their left was the Heaven Tier Class area. There were only a dozen or so people. At their head stood a young woman in azure robes with her hands behind her back, smoky brows and autumn eyes, vermilion lips like congealed cream, and a snow-white longsword at her waist. A powerful aura faintly emanated from her. She was none other than Liu Yu, the number one student of the Heaven Tier Class.
"You brat! I've finally caught you. Die for me!"
Just as Ling Mu was carefully observing several senior brothers and sisters from the Heaven Tier Class, a shrill curse came from the other side.
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