Years of Secluded Cultivation, Leaping Forward by Bounds, Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

After sighing in emotion, the observing Inner Sect disciples gradually dispersed.

Liu Ruyan glanced at Chen Changqing, an almost imperceptible trace of reluctance flashing through her eyes before she said,

"Junior Brother Changqing, I should be going back."

"When you have time, I'll come find you in Qingxiao Valley."

Chen Changqing nodded lightly and cupped his hands toward Liu Ruyan in salute.

"Take care, Senior Sister!"

Hearing Chen Changqing's reply, Liu Ruyan was slightly surprised.

She had originally thought that Chen Changqing would at least ask about her circumstances.

Yet who would have thought that Chen Changqing did not seem to care much at all?

After forcing out a faint smile, Liu Ruyan did not linger any longer and departed on her sword.

Chen Changqing did not dwell on it either, turning to look at Wang Yang beside him.

"Senior Brother Wang, the Hundred Strong challenge is over. We should head back to the valley."

With that, Chen Changqing took the lead and walked away.

Seeing this, Wang Yang hurriedly came back to his senses and quickly caught up with Chen Changqing.

Along the way, Wang Yang kept sneaking glances at Chen Changqing.

Sensing Wang Yang's strange behavior, Chen Changqing could not help asking,

"Senior Brother, why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Wang Yang smiled somewhat awkwardly and replied,

"Junior Brother Chen, I never expected you to know Liu Ruyan."

Earlier, when he saw Liu Ruyan take the initiative to approach Chen Changqing and chat with him at the Hundred Strong Battle Arena, Wang Yang had been utterly shocked.

"Hm?"

Chen Changqing frowned slightly, then said,

"Senior Sister Liu also came from the Outer Sect Seventh Courtyard. We knew each other back in the Outer Sect."

At this point, Chen Changqing paused briefly before asking curiously,

"Senior Brother Wang, is it really that surprising that I know Senior Sister Liu?"

Chen Changqing had noticed it earlier at the arena.

When Liu Ruyan came over to speak with him, quite a few Inner Sect disciples had cast strange looks his way.

At the time, Chen Changqing had thought that Liu Ruyan's exceptional beauty had drawn the attention of so many disciples.

But now, it seemed things were not as simple as he had imagined.

"Liu Ruyan was also from the Outer Sect Seventh Courtyard?"

Upon hearing Chen Changqing's words, Wang Yang was greatly shaken.

Chen Changqing nodded, becoming even more confused.

"Senior Brother, what exactly is going on?"

"Phew!"

Wang Yang took a deep breath and, no longer concealing it, explained,

"Junior Brother Chen."

"You may not know this yet."

"After Liu Ruyan entered the Inner Sect, she was directly taken in by Cloud Perch Peak, one of the Seven Great Peaks."

"The key is... she was only at Half-step Foundation Establishment!"

"Yet she was valued so highly!"

As he spoke, Wang Yang's face was full of envy.

Although becoming an Inner Sect disciple was already quite good, cultivating under one of the Seven Great Peaks naturally meant an entirely different status and standing.

"Cloud Perch Peak?"

Chen Changqing murmured, somewhat surprised.

He had not expected Liu Ruyan to possess such a fortuitous opportunity.

Wang Yang nodded and gave a soft hum.

"That's right!"

"Cloud Perch Peak is the sacred ground for female cultivators in the Mount Shu Sect."

"Every disciple on the peak is like a fairy descended to earth. Not only are they extraordinarily gifted, they are also peerless beauties."

"In short, every female disciple who can enter Cloud Perch Peak is an astonishingly talented and dazzling figure."

After hearing Wang Yang's explanation, Chen Changqing was shaken.

The Seven Great Peaks held transcendent status, even standing above the Inner Sect.

To be chosen directly by a main peak meant Liu Ruyan's talent likely far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine.

Or perhaps Liu Ruyan possessed some other unknown secret.

"Looks like I underestimated Senior Sister Liu before."

"I'm afraid her identity is anything but simple!"

Chen Changqing secretly sighed.

After all, he was the top-ranked disciple in the Outer Disciple Grand Competition.

Even so, he had only been assigned to cultivate in Qingxiao Valley.

The reason the Hundred Strong Battle was so fierce and eye-catching was also because it offered a chance to be chosen by one of the Seven Great Peaks.

From this, it was clear that entering one of the Seven Great Peaks was something many Inner Sect disciples dreamed of day and night.

Yet Liu Ruyan had been directly chosen by Cloud Perch Peak.

There had to be some secret behind it.

Perhaps it was Liu Ruyan's talent, or perhaps it had something to do with her identity.

After thinking about it for a moment, Chen Changqing came back to his senses and did not dwell on the matter further.

Before long, Wang Yang and Chen Changqing returned to Qingxiao Valley.

"Senior Brother Wang, I'm going back to cultivate!"

After bidding Wang Yang farewell, Chen Changqing returned to his residence.

He said he was going to cultivate, but in truth, he was going back to his room to sleep soundly.

Time slipped quietly away.

Before he knew it, three months had passed.

"It's been so long. I can extract the results of AFK Cultivation now."

With a thought, Chen Changqing directly communicated with the system.

"System, extract the AFK Cultivation results!"

Very soon, the system's notification sounded in his mind:

[Ding!]

[AFK time: 100 days.]

[Practiced Shushan Sword Technique ×1000 times.]

[Practiced Shushan Heart Method ×1000 times.]

[Practiced Shushan Body Technique ×1000 times.]

[Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique cultivation progress: 5%.]

[Extract AFK rewards?]

"Extract!"

Chen Changqing did not hesitate and directly chose to extract them.

The next moment, golden light flowed from the four Little Golden Figures before him, shooting straight into Chen Changqing's body.

Very quickly, Chen Changqing grasped all manner of essential principles regarding the Shushan Sword Technique and Shushan Body Technique.

"Boom..."

Furthermore, after extracting the AFK Cultivation results of the Shushan Heart Method,

the true qi within Chen Changqing's dantian rapidly transformed into spiritual liquid.

In just a few breaths, twelve thousand streams of true qi had successfully transformed.

His cultivation had also successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Chen Changqing opened his eyes, the sharp gleam in them withdrawing inward.

"Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!"

"Unfortunately, the Shushan Sword Technique and Shushan Body Technique have yet to reach great perfection."

"The key is that the cultivation progress of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique seems a little slow. It's only reached 5%."

Chen Changqing calculated the gains from this round of AFK Cultivation.

"System, continue AFK Cultivation!"

With another thought, he activated the system's AFK Cultivation once more.

Four months later.

[Ding!]

[Detected that Shushan Body Technique has reached completion through AFK Cultivation.]

[Extract AFK Cultivation results?]

"Extract!"

Chen Changqing chose to extract them, then demonstrated the Shushan Body Technique.

His figure was like a ghost, coming and going without a trace!

Six months later.

[Ding!]

[Detected that Shushan Sword Technique has reached completion through AFK Cultivation.]

[Extract AFK Cultivation results?]

"Extract!"

In an instant, every essential principle of the Shushan Sword Technique surged into Chen Changqing's mind.

In just a few breaths, he had completely mastered the Shushan Sword Technique.

Afterward, Chen Changqing found a secluded place and demonstrated the Shushan Sword Technique.

As his sword emerged, a streak of azure sword light shot into the sky, splitting apart the sea of clouds.

Eight months later.

"System, extract the AFK Cultivation results!"

Chen Changqing sent out his thought.

[Ding!]

[AFK time: 153 days.]

[Practiced Shushan Heart Method ×1800 times.]

[Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique cultivation progress: 10%.]

[Extract?]

"Extract!"

As Chen Changqing extracted the AFK Cultivation results,

golden light immediately spilled from the two Little Golden Figures before him, rapidly entering his body.

Boom!

A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Chen Changqing's body, while all the true qi in his dantian transformed into spiritual liquid.

This meant that his cultivation had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.