Elder's Summons, Geniuses Gather?

Looking at the boulder shattered by his Thunderclap Divine Fist, Chen Changqing smiled in satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad!"

"The Thunderclap Divine Fist has reached minor success."

Then, Chen Changqing chose to continue AFK Cultivation while pulling up his own attribute panel to take a look.

[Name: Chen Changqing.] [Age: Eighteen.] [Identity: Shushan Outer Sect Gatekeeping Disciple.] [Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer Three.] [Technique: Nine Revolutions Qi Refining Art.] [Divine Abilities: Thunderclap Divine Fist, Sword Control Technique.] [Treasures: None.] [AFK Point: Half-Mountain Villa!]

"At least I'm not a triple-zero anymore," Chen Changqing said with a self-deprecating laugh.

He recalled how, back when he was still in the Qi Nourishing Realm, his technique, divine abilities, and treasures had all been listed as none.

Then, Chen Changqing composed himself, stood up, and headed to the Mountain Gate to take over the watch shift from Ran Hua.

The moment he saw Chen Changqing, Ran Hua's expression shifted as he stared straight at him, sizing him up.

He himself was only at the Late Body Tempering Stage and could no longer discern the depth of Chen Changqing's cultivation.

But the feeling he got was that Chen Changqing's cultivation seemed to have grown quite a bit again.

"Senior Brother Chen, you... you didn't break through again, did you?"

Chen Changqing smiled faintly and said, "Just a minor breakthrough."

Ran Hua froze, feeling as if the sky were about to fall.

After all, aside from guarding the Mountain Gate, he spent every other moment cultivating, working tirelessly.

But Chen Changqing here—he never seemed to cultivate much at all.

Lately, his cultivation speed had been shooting up like a rocket!

"Could it be... could Senior Brother Chen really be cultivating in his sleep?"

Earlier, Ran Hua had secretly gone to check on Chen Changqing, wanting to see how he cultivated so quickly.

But all he found was Chen Changqing snoring away in bed.

"Junior Brother Ran? Are you alright?"

Just as Ran Hua was lost in thought, Chen Changqing asked with slight concern.

Hearing this, Ran Hua snapped back to reality and gave an awkward smile.

"I... I'm fine. Senior Brother Chen, I need to hurry back and cultivate, so I'll take my leave now!"

After cupping his hands in a salute to Chen Changqing, Ran Hua hurried off.

Chen Changqing didn't mind and leisurely began his watch at the Mountain Gate.

And so, day after day passed.

Before he knew it, another month had gone by.

One day, Chen Changqing lazily sat up from his bed and stretched.

"System, claim the AFK rewards."

As the thought transmitted, the system's prompt sounded in response.

[Ding!] [AFK Time: 30 days.] [Practiced Sword Control Technique ×320 times!] [Practiced Thunderclap Divine Fist ×320 times!]

[Simulated Nine Revolutions Qi Cultivation Technique ×320 times!]

[Extract AFK Cultivation results?]

"Extract!"

Chen Changqing directly selected extraction.

Soon, he saw the three Little Golden Figures before him shimmer with streaks of golden light, which plunged straight into Chen Changqing's body.

"Sword Control Technique has reached perfection!"

"Thunderclap Divine Fist too!"

After a brief internal check, Chen Changqing's face lit up with excitement.

He hadn't expected that another month of AFK Cultivation would yield this.

Both Sword Control Technique and Thunderclap Divine Fist had reached full mastery.

"As my strength grows, the effects of AFK Cultivation also rise."

Chen Changqing murmured softly.

Earlier, a month of AFK Cultivation would only net about three hundred repetitions of techniques like Sword Control Technique.

But now, after a month, it had increased to three hundred and twenty times.

"Not only have both combat techniques reached perfection."

"My cultivation base has even advanced to Qi Refining Fifth Layer."

Chen Changqing was thrilled.

Looking inward, he could see a full fifteen thousand strands of essence within his dantian.

"Tsk tsk!"

"This cultivation speed is even faster than popping pills!"

Chen Changqing smacked his lips in satisfaction.

"Now that my Sword Control Technique is perfected, I don't even have a decent Dharma Artifact on me."

"I need to find a way to get one."

Just as Chen Changqing was pondering this, a knock came from outside his courtyard.

"Thump thump thump!"

Before long, Chen Changqing opened the courtyard gate.

He saw an Outer Disciple standing outside.

Chen Changqing didn't recognize this person; after all, he kept a low profile in the Seven Courtyards, and the only one he knew was Ran Hua—he was practically a nobody.

"Are you Chen Changqing?"

The Outer Disciple asked.

Chen Changqing nodded:

"It's me. Senior Brother, do you have business with me?"

The Outer Disciple was about to state his purpose.

But at that moment, he was utterly stunned, shockwaves surging through his heart.

"Qi Refining Fifth Layer? How is that possible?!"

He knew the identity of the person living here.

What left him deeply shaken was.

Chen Changqing's cultivation was actually Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

"What the hell?!"

"What's going on?"

"Isn't he a 'secluded' disciple?"

"And his cultivation is Qi Refining Fifth Layer?"

The disciple stood frozen on the spot, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

He even wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Am I crazy, or is the world crazy?"

"A Qi Refining Fifth Layer disciple is being assigned to guard the Mountain Gate?"

The disciple exclaimed inwardly, his head buzzing.

He simply couldn't understand.

How could a disciple at Qi Refining Fifth Layer end up as a Mountain Gate guard?

Seeing the disciple lost in a daze, Chen Changqing frowned slightly and called out softly, "This Senior Brother?"

Hearing this, that disciple finally shook off his shock and came to his senses.

"Junior Brother Chen."

"Elder Willow Wood sent me to invite you over."

"Oh." Chen Changqing nodded, a faint smile on his face as he said:

"Let's go."

With that, Chen Changqing didn't delay and walked straight out.

Meanwhile, in Elder Willow Wood's courtyard.

Willow Wood sat calmly, and beside him stood five people—four men and one woman.

Each of the five exuded a dense aura and extraordinary cultivation!

One glance told that they were likely the top disciples among the Outer Disciples of the Seven Courtyards.

The lowest among them was at the eighth layer of Qi Refining.

The highest was that woman, whose cultivation had even reached Half-step Foundation Establishment?!

The woman was tall and slender, a plain white long dress outlining her graceful curves, with light cyan cloud patterns embroidered at the hem.

Her oval face was flawless, brows like distant mountains tinged with ink, eyes like autumn waters veiled in frost, nose high and straight, lips like a touch of vermilion—without makeup, she was already breathtakingly beautiful.

Beyond that, her skin was as white as snow, glowing with a faint jade luster under the sunlight, as if it could break at a touch.

Her gaze was cold, like a deep, unfathomable cold pool.

This woman was none other than the top Outer Disciple of the Seven Courtyards, named Liu Ruyan!

Her talent was exceptional, her appearance peerless—countless disciples admired her.

After a brief silence, one disciple couldn't hold back and spoke first:

"Elder Willow Wood."

"May I ask why you've gathered us here today?"

Elder Willow Wood smiled faintly and replied:

"Patience."

"There's still one disciple who hasn't arrived."