When Chen Changqing approached,
the disciples of the Seven Courtyards swarmed around him like stars surrounding the moon.
"Senior Brother Chen, that sword strike of yours just now was too awesome!"
"Our Seven Courtyards finally held our heads high for once!"
"It was all thanks to Junior Brother Chen!"
"..."
The disciples heaped praise upon Chen Changqing without end.
Chen Changqing remained calm and did not pay much attention to it.
At that moment, Liu Ruyan walked beside him and said softly,
"Junior Brother Chen, thank you so much for this."
Liu Ruyan's face was full of gratitude.
She knew clearly in her heart that, back in the Void Realm, she could never have earned so many points without Chen Changqing's help.
Her own points might even have been snatched away by Cui Hao, a Foundation Establishment disciple from the Second Courtyard.
It could be said that her qualification to enter the Inner Sect this time had all been bestowed by Chen Changqing.
"What are you saying, Senior Sister?"
"We are both from the Seven Courtyards. Isn't it only natural that we help one another?"
Hearing Chen Changqing's humble response, Liu Ruyan smiled gently.
The other disciples of the Seven Courtyards were all surprised when they saw this scene.
After all, Liu Ruyan was famously cold and aloof in the Seven Courtyards, yet before Chen Changqing, her smile blossomed like a flower.
Each of them secretly wondered,
Could Liu Ruyan have taken a fancy to Chen Changqing?
"Changqing, this time, you truly brought great honor to our Seven Courtyards!"
"The Seven Courtyards haven't taken first place in the Outer Sect Competition for who knew how many years."
Willow Wood looked at Chen Changqing with a smile, his eyes full of gratification.
"Elder."
"This is merely what this disciple ought to do."
Chen Changqing replied with a smile.
Afterward, the people of the Seven Courtyards did not linger. Under Willow Wood's lead, they departed on Sword Flight.
As the Outer Sect Competition came to an end,
the news of Chen Changqing taking first place in the competition spread through the Seven Outer Courtyards of the Outer Sect without wings.
"Have you heard? Chen Changqing from the Seven Courtyards defeated Shi Tian, who had the Stone Spirit Physique, with a single sword strike!"
"The Stone Spirit Physique? A Special Physique?"
"There was actually someone in the Outer Sect with such a rare physique!"
"So what? Didn't he still lose to Chen Changqing?"
"Shi Tian was even a Body Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Late Stage, yet even so, he was no match for Chen Changqing."
"The key is that Chen Changqing was only at Foundation Establishment Early Stage!"
"Who would have thought that such a monstrous genius had been hiding within the Seven Courtyards?"
"..."
For a time, Chen Changqing's name resounded throughout the Outer Sect.
Moreover, because of Chen Changqing, the Seven Courtyards' standing among the Seven Outer Courtyards had risen markedly.
Even when disciples of the Seven Courtyards walked the roads, they held their backs straighter than before.
Whenever they encountered disciples from other courtyards, they strode with heads held high and spirits soaring.
Times had changed.
The Seven Courtyards were now the champions of this Outer Sect Competition!
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, two days went by.
Chen Changqing came to where Willow Wood, an Outer Sect elder, resided.
Willow Wood was not particularly surprised by Chen Changqing's arrival. Chen Changqing's status in Mount Shu would likely surpass his own in the future.
"Elder, I would like to give this item to you."
Chen Changqing offered up that Nascent Soul Insight. Willow Wood was already a Golden Core cultivator, and such insight would undoubtedly be greatly beneficial to him.
Willow Wood looked at the Nascent Soul Insight, unsure of what to say for a moment. Naturally, it would benefit him, but it would also be valuable to Chen Changqing.
"Elder, please take it. I am only in the Foundation Establishment Realm now, so this insight is still too distant for me. Oh, right, Elder, I wonder if you can imprint a trace of its insight? I want to give Junior Brother Ran Hua a copy."
"Then I will not decline. Imprinting a trace will not be a problem."
Willow Wood replied.
He then took the Nascent Soul Insight from Chen Changqing. Before long, he imprinted a trace from it. This mere trace was already immensely useful to cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage; completely replicating it was naturally impossible, given that Willow Wood was only at the Golden Core stage.
"Thank you, Elder. Then I'll be going back."
Chen Changqing accepted that imprinted trace of Nascent Soul Insight and left the courtyard.
At that moment, within the Half-Mountain Villa of the Seven Courtyards,
Chen Changqing summoned Ran Hua.
Over the past two days, Ran Hua had naturally heard quite a few accounts of Chen Changqing's deeds.
When he thought of how Chen Changqing had actually taken first place in the Outer Disciple Grand Competition, Ran Hua found it utterly inconceivable.
After all, although he had entered the sect after Chen Changqing, his cultivation had always surpassed Chen Changqing's.
The two of them had even both been Gate Guard Disciples of Mount Shu Sect.
Yet afterward, no one knew what had happened to Chen Changqing. His cultivation had surged forward by leaps and bounds, advancing at an unbelievable speed.
He had even outshone all the Outer Sect prodigies in this Grand Tournament and claimed first place.
"Junior Brother Ran, I'm giving this Jade Slip to you."
Chen Changqing casually tossed a Jade Slip toward Ran Hua.
"What is this?"
Ran Hua hesitated as he spoke. Looking at the Jade Slip floating before him, he felt his heart pound with alarm merely from sensing the spiritual energy fluctuations upon it.
"This is the Nascent Soul Insight that True Person Tianbo rewarded me with after I took first place in the Outer Disciple Grand Competition!"
After hearing Chen Changqing's words, Ran Hua was completely stunned!
"This?"
"Senior Brother, this... this is far too precious. I can't accept it!"
Ran Hua shook his head repeatedly.
He knew very well that even Golden Core powerhouses would likely covet the Nascent Soul Insight within this Jade Slip.
Yet he had never expected Chen Changqing to give it to him.
Chen Changqing smiled calmly and said,
"Just accept it!"
"This is only a trace of the Nascent Soul Insight. I have already given the complete version to Elder Willow Wood."
"But for you, it will be of great use."
To others, this Nascent Soul Insight would be regarded as a priceless treasure.
But to Chen Changqing, it was truly of no use.
He had the AFK Cultivation System. Why would he need such things?
Back in the Outer Sect, Ran Hua had been a Gate Guard Disciple like him, and the two had a good relationship.
Now that Chen Changqing was about to enter the Inner Sect, he wanted to leave this Nascent Soul Insight to Ran Hua, which could be considered granting him a stroke of fortune.
As for how far Ran Hua could cultivate in the future, that would depend on his own fate.
Hearing Chen Changqing's words, Ran Hua's eyes reddened slightly. With trembling hands, he accepted the Jade Slip floating before him and gave a deep bow.
"Senior Brother's great kindness, Ran Hua will never forget for all eternity!"
Chen Changqing patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile,
"Do not spread word of the Jade Slip."
"Junior Brother Ran, you should know that a man is innocent, but he becomes guilty by possessing jade!"
Ran Hua nodded. Naturally, he understood Chen Changqing's meaning.
Afterward, Chen Changqing did not linger and turned to push open the door and leave.
At the same time, two figures stood waiting outside the courtyard gate.
Liu Ruyan wore a green robe, while Qing Yang stood with a sword clasped in his arms.
Today was the day they were to gather and head for the Inner Sect. As disciples of the Seven Courtyards, the three naturally had to travel together.
"Junior Brother Chen, it is time to go."
Qing Yang said softly.
Chen Changqing nodded. Without further delay, he lightly formed a hand seal, and the Chengying Sword immediately soared into the air.
The three did not linger. They transformed into three streaks of light and departed on Sword Flight.
At the boundary between the Outer Sect and Inner Sect of Shushan,
quite a few Outer Courtyard disciples were already waiting before an ancient formation.
These disciples were naturally the top twenty from the previous Outer Sect Competition.
Shi Tian, Li Yang, Wen Liang, Meng Zhou... all of them were present.
As Chen Changqing and the other two arrived, everyone's gazes turned toward them in unison.
There was awe, there was jealousy... and several cold, sinister gazes concealed among them.
Chen Changqing's expression remained unchanged, and he paid them no mind.
Before long, several more disciples who had obtained qualifications to enter the Inner Sect arrived one after another.
Once everyone had arrived, an old man descended before the Teleportation Array.
The old man's sleeves fluttered without wind, and his cultivation was unfathomably deep.
He was precisely the Inner Sect elder who had come to guide Chen Changqing and the others.
"This old man is surnamed Zhao and is responsible for guiding you into the Inner Sect."
Elder Zhao's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering briefly on Chen Changqing.
It was not difficult to see that he had likely received word beforehand and knew that Chen Changqing was the first-place winner of this Outer Disciple Grand Competition.
The next moment, Elder Zhao did not waste any time. With a wave of his hand, he took out an Ancient Token and tossed it into the formation.
Boom!
As the token entered, the formation was immediately activated, suddenly blazing with dazzling light.
As countless Runes flowed, a doorway slowly emerged.
"Follow me into the Inner Sect!"
With that, Elder Zhao took the lead and flew toward the doorway.
Seeing this, Chen Changqing and the others followed close behind and stepped into the gate of light!
Before you continue