Seeing everyone leave,
Liu Ruyan swept down and landed before Chen Changqing and Ran Hua.
"Junior Brother Chen."
"You really are becoming harder and harder to see through."
"In just a few months, your cultivation has advanced at lightning speed."
"At such a cultivation speed, even those monstrous prodigies of the Inner Sect may not compare to you."
Hearing Liu Ruyan's praise,
Chen Changqing smiled faintly and said,
"Senior Sister Liu flatters me!"
"I merely had the good fortune to break through."
Liu Ruyan gave a soft, beguiling smile, becoming ever more interested in Chen Changqing.
"Three days from now, see you there."
"I hope that in this Outer Sect Competition, Junior Brother Chen will burst forth with a single dazzling feat and win glory for our Seventh Courtyard of the Outer Sect."
With that, Liu Ruyan did not wait for Chen Changqing's response before already departing on Sword Flight.
Ran Hua stood to one side, staring blankly at Chen Changqing.
"Why do you tell everyone it was just a lucky breakthrough?"
"Where in this world are there so many lucky breaks?"
No one knew Chen Changqing's cultivation progress better than Ran Hua.
Although he had entered the sect later than Chen Changqing, he had been one step ahead of Chen Changqing in cultivation.
When Chen Changqing had still been in the Qi Nourishing Realm, he had already reached the Late Body Tempering Stage.
But afterward, for some unknown reason,
Chen Changqing's cultivation speed began to soar, charging forward all the way with triumphant songs.
Before long, he had surpassed Ran Hua.
Whenever Ran Hua asked about it, Chen Changqing's answer was always that he had luckily made a small breakthrough.
"How exactly does Senior Brother Chen cultivate?"
He muttered quietly, truly unable to understand how Chen Changqing had raised his cultivation so quickly.
Just as Ran Hua was lost in thought, Chen Changqing glanced at him.
"Junior Brother Ran, aren't you leaving?"
"Are you planning to stay here in the Training Ground and cultivate?"
Hearing this, Ran Hua finally snapped out of his thoughts.
The two did not linger any longer and headed back to their residences together.
"Senior Brother Chen, Senior Sister Liu is famously cold and aloof in the Seven Courtyards."
"But when she faces you, she seems quite enthusiastic."
"Could she have taken a liking to you, Senior Brother?"
Chen Changqing smiled faintly and said,
"Rather than wasting your time thinking about such nonsense, Junior Brother Ran,"
"you would do better to put more thought into cultivation."
"Perhaps in the next Outer Sect Competition, you might be selected."
Hearing this, Ran Hua looked embarrassed and hurriedly nodded.
"Senior Brother Chen's lesson is correct."
Earlier, at the Training Ground, he had seen Chen Changqing suppress Zhang Hu, who was at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, with a single sword strike.
Ran Hua had immediately begun to admire Chen Changqing.
Moreover, he also knew
that with Chen Changqing's strength, there was a very high chance that he would be selected to enter the Inner Sect for cultivation in this Outer Sect Competition.
After thinking it over, Ran Hua hurried after Chen Changqing, fawning over him excitedly.
"Senior Brother Chen! Should fortune and rank come your way, don't forget me!"
"After you enter the Inner Sect, Senior Brother, don't forget your junior brother here!"
"With my aptitude, who knows how long I'll have to remain in the Outer Sect? If Senior Brother can look after me a little in the future, I'll be able to live more freely out there too."
Hearing Ran Hua's words, Chen Changqing could not help but laugh.
The Outer Sect Competition had not even begun, yet Ran Hua already seemed convinced that he would be able to enter the Inner Sect.
Besides, Chen Changqing knew very well
that achieving a good ranking in the Outer Sect Competition would not be so simple.
Take Qing Yang, for instance. Despite being at Foundation Establishment, he had only made it into the top twenty in the last Outer Sect Competition.
Seeing Chen Changqing remain silent, Ran Hua frowned slightly.
He wondered whether his fawning flattery had displeased Chen Changqing.
Just as he was about to say something more, a shout suddenly came from nearby.
"Junior Brother Chen!"
Hearing it, Chen Changqing and Ran Hua turned toward the sound at the same time.
Focusing their eyes, they saw a figure slowly walking toward them.
"Why is he here?"
Chen Changqing frowned slightly, his gaze falling directly upon that tall, slender figure. Who else could it be but Qing Yang, the Top Disciple of the Seven Courtyards?
"Could he be here to give me a show of force?"
As he sized him up, such a thought arose in Chen Changqing's mind.
In his view, he had drawn attention before the disciples of the Seven Courtyards earlier.
As the foremost disciple among the Seven Courtyards, Qing Yang might have come to suppress him a little.
Although he had such doubts in his heart, Chen Changqing remained exceedingly polite on the surface. He cupped his hands toward Qing Yang and said,
"Greetings, Senior Brother Qing Yang."
Seeing this, Ran Hua hurriedly bowed to Ran Hua as well.
Qing Yang smiled faintly. His gaze toward Chen Changqing was incomparably deep as he praised,
"Junior Brother truly displayed his might today!"
"Before everyone in the Seven Courtyards, you suppressed Zhang Hu with a single sword strike."
"With that kind of strength, even I, your senior brother, feel somewhat ashamed of my inferiority."
Seeing Qing Yang being so courteous, Chen Changqing answered humbly,
"Senior Brother overpraises me."
"May I ask what matter Senior Brother Qing Yang has come to see me about?"
Qing Yang did not rush to answer Chen Changqing. His bright eyes remained fixed firmly upon Chen Changqing.
That sharp gaze seemed as though it wanted to see Chen Changqing through completely.
"Hmm?"
Being inspected by Qing Yang so suddenly, Chen Changqing's expression gradually turned grave.
After a brief silence, Qing Yang suddenly asked,
"Junior Brother Chen."
"May I ask which lineage you are a disciple of, or which imperial dynasty you come from?"
In Qing Yang's view, Chen Changqing must possess an extraordinary identity.
With such talent and strength, he might well be a descendant of some great power sent into Shushan for training.
"Ah?"
Chen Changqing froze for a moment, then shook his head.
"Senior Brother Qing Yang must have misunderstood."
"I am merely an ordinary person from a small place, hardly worth mentioning."
After hearing Chen Changqing's answer, a trace of surprise flashed swiftly through Qing Yang's eyes, but he quickly regained his calm.
"Very well. Since Junior Brother is unwilling to say more, I will not ask further."
At this point, Qing Yang paused slightly.
When he spoke again, his tone suddenly became much more solemn.
"I hope Junior Brother will go all out in the Outer Disciple Grand Competition three days from now and win glory for our Seventh Courtyard!"
Chen Changqing nodded and said with a smile,
"I will naturally do my utmost."
Afterward, Qing Yang did not linger and simply turned to leave.
Watching Qing Yang's gradually receding back, Chen Changqing frowned and began to speculate inwardly.
"Qing Yang came to see me just to ask those questions?"
"Was he testing something about me?"
After thinking for a moment, Chen Changqing let out a long breath and did not take the matter to heart.
Time flowed like water.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Early that morning, the summoning bell of the Seventh Courtyard rang out once more.
Upon hearing the bell, Chen Changqing hurried toward the Seventh Courtyard's Training Ground.
By the time he arrived, dozens of disciples of the Seventh Courtyard had already gathered.
Elder Willow Wood stood at the very front. Once he saw that everyone had arrived, he flicked his sleeve and said,
"Set out with me!"
With that, Willow Wood took the lead and departed on Sword Flight.
Seeing this, Liu Ruyan and the others summoned their flying swords and pursued Willow Wood.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Chen Changqing was naturally no slower. Standing upon the Chengying Sword, he traveled by Sword Flight, with the wind howling past his ears and the mountains and rivers below spread out like a painting.
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