Chen Changqing sat cross-legged inside his humble wooden cabin.
His consciousness sank into the AFK System space.
"Extract AFK results!"
Without hesitation, he extracted the results of his AFK cultivation from this period.
Boom! Boom!
In an instant, dazzling golden light burst from the Little Golden Figure, surging into his body like a river flowing backward, vast and turbulent.
The moment that golden light entered his body, Chen Changqing shuddered from head to toe.
He felt the blood and qi throughout his body churn like boiling water. His bones gave off faint crackling sounds, while his muscles were continuously strengthened beneath the tempering of the golden light.
It felt to Chen Changqing as though every inch of flesh and blood in his body had been reforged.
Boom!
Before long, a majestic force abruptly exploded from within Chen Changqing's body.
He suddenly opened his eyes, and a flash of golden light seemed to pass through his pupils.
The next moment, Chen Changqing clenched his fists and felt the surging power within him. The muscles in his arms bulged slightly.
Whoosh!
Then, Chen Changqing gave a light swing of his arm, directly stirring up a fierce gust of wind.
The force of that swing seemed to ripple even the space it churned through.
"A thousand pounds of force in both arms!"
"I've reached the Mid Body Tempering Stage!"
Chen Changqing was beside himself with excitement. A smile rose at the corner of his lips, and his eyes shone with exhilaration.
A month ago, he had only just broken through to the Early Body Tempering Stage, with merely three hundred pounds of force in both arms.
Now, after one month of AFK Cultivation,
his cultivation had directly advanced to the Mid Body Tempering Stage.
With a swing of his arms, he could shatter a thousand pounds.
"What a powerful feeling."
"The strength of the Mid Body Tempering Stage is simply beyond comparison with the Early Body Tempering Stage!"
Chen Changqing lowered his gaze to his tightly clenched fists, his eyes gleaming sharply.
"At this cultivation speed,"
"I should reach the Late Body Tempering Stage very soon."
"Perhaps I can even charge into the Qi Refining Realm!"
At that thought, Chen Changqing's heart brimmed with anticipation.
If he could step into the Qi Refining Realm or even reach a higher realm before the Outer Disciple Grand Competition began,
perhaps he could also try for the Grand Tournament's rewards.
"System, continue AFK Cultivation!"
Then, he quickly sent the system an order. He had no intention of wasting any AFK time.
"Right."
"My cultivation has now reached the Mid Body Tempering Stage."
"It's also time to visit the elder and update my information."
Chen Changqing muttered to himself. Though he now possessed the AFK System and cultivated far faster than ordinary people,
there was no reason not to take the resources distributed by the sect for free.
And with different levels of strength, the resources one received each month naturally differed as well.
Take when he had still been in the Qi Nourishing Realm, for instance.
The monthly resources he could receive amounted to only a single Low-grade Spirit Stone.
After briefly straightening his clothes, Chen Changqing headed directly to the elder of the Seventh Courtyard.
The Outer Sect of the Mount Shu Sect was divided into seven courtyards in total.
Chen Changqing belonged to the Seventh Courtyard, which was overseen by Elder Willow Wood.
Elder Willow Wood had already reached the Late Golden Core Stage and stood just one step away from condensing a Violet Mansion Realm. Among the Outer Sect elders, his strength was considered quite respectable.
More importantly, Elder Willow Wood had been the one to accidentally save Chen Changqing while descending the mountain to exterminate demons.
Seeing that he was alone and without support, he had brought him back to Shushan and given him the identity of an Outer Disciple.
Before long, Chen Changqing arrived at Elder Willow Wood's courtyard.
Lush green bamboo surrounded the courtyard. Slender bamboo shadows swayed in the wind, rustling softly like whispered words.
The bamboo leaves were so green they seemed ready to drip, glistening with a lustrous sheen under the sunlight.
An occasional spirit bird perched atop the branches, its cry crisp and clear, lending the place even more immortal grace.
Chen Changqing pushed open the small bamboo gate. Beneath his feet lay a path paved with bluestone, and several stalks of Spirit Herbs grew from the cracks between the stones, releasing a faint medicinal fragrance.
At the end of the path stood an ancient, unadorned wooden house. Its roof was covered in dark-brown spirit thatch, its eaves slightly upturned, with a bronze wind chime hanging from one corner.
When the gentle breeze brushed past, the chime rang long and clear, as though it could cleanse the mind and spirit.
The entire courtyard showed no trace of extravagance, yet every corner exuded nature and Dao charm.
At this moment, an old man sat cross-legged on a Meditation Cushion inside the wooden house, holding an ancient book in his hand with a focused expression.
It was Elder Willow Wood.
Chen Changqing stepped forward, stopped, and bowed.
"Disciple Chen Changqing greets Elder Willow Wood."
Hearing him, Elder Willow Wood lifted his eyes and revealed a kind, benevolent face.
His hair and beard were entirely white, yet he showed not the slightest sign of age. Instead, his skin was like jade, and his eyes were as deep as the starry sky.
A faint spiritual aura lingered around him, as though he had merged with heaven, earth, and nature itself.
"Changqing!"
Elder Willow Wood smiled faintly, his voice gentle as a spring breeze brushing across one's face.
Chen Changqing's heart stirred slightly.
Though Elder Willow Wood was a Golden Core cultivator, he did not carry the slightest air of superiority. Instead, he gave people a feeling of warmth and closeness.
Especially those eyes of his—they seemed able to see through the human heart, yet they also carried the loving kindness of an elder.
Chen Changqing nodded and said respectfully,
"This disciple has made a breakthrough in cultivation recently and has come specifically to report it."
Elder Willow Wood nodded lightly. With a sweep of his gaze across Chen Changqing, he had already understood that Chen Changqing's cultivation had reached the Mid Body Tempering Stage.
"Oh?"
"You've broken through to the Mid Body Tempering Stage?"
"Mhm, not bad."
"Your foundation is stable and your blood and qi are abundant. It seems you have put in quite a bit of hard work."
As he spoke, Elder Willow Wood's tone remained calm, holding neither surprise nor disappointment.
It was as if he were merely stating an utterly ordinary fact.
Hearing this, Chen Changqing secretly sighed to himself.
Sure enough, the Body Tempering Realm is simply not worth mentioning in an elder's eyes!
"Elder Willow Wood probably said that because he didn't want to discourage me."
After all, he had already been at the Mount Shu Sect for over a year before finally breaking through to the Mid Body Tempering Stage.
And among Outer Disciples, the Body Tempering Realm could only be considered entry-level. A cultivation speed like Chen Changqing's was already somewhat slow.
Of course, Chen Changqing was not discouraged.
After all, with the AFK System, his cultivation speed would only become faster and faster.
After a moment of silence, Elder Willow Wood spoke again.
"Alright, I understand!"
"You may go!"
Chen Changqing said nothing more. He cupped his hands and bowed to Elder Willow Wood before turning to take his leave.
After leaving the elder's residence, Chen Changqing headed straight for the Mountain Gate, intending to switch shifts with Ran Hua.
From afar, Ran Hua spotted Chen Changqing and waved with a smile.
"Senior Brother Chen! You're here so early!"
When Chen Changqing drew near, Ran Hua's smile abruptly froze. His pupils shrank sharply, and disbelief appeared on his face.
"This?"
"Senior Brother Chen, you... you broke through again?"
He stared fixedly at Chen Changqing, sensing the aura around him that was clearly several times stronger than before. Stormy waves rose within his heart.
"The Mid Body Tempering Stage?"
"How is that possible?"
Ran Hua looked utterly incredulous.
Just a month ago, Chen Changqing had only broken through to the Early Body Tempering Stage.
How had he entered the Mid Body Tempering Stage after only one month?
Even an Outer Disciple with decent talent would need at least several months of bitter cultivation to advance from the early stage to the middle stage.
Before you continue