Years of Seclusion, Rapid Progress, Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

Amid their exclamations, the watching Inner Disciples gradually dispersed.

Liu Ruyan glanced at Chen Changqing, a barely perceptible flicker of reluctance in her eyes, then said:

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

"Some other time, I'll come find you at Qingxiao Valley."

Chen Changqing gave a slight nod and cupped his hands toward Liu Ruyan in a salute:

"Senior Sister, go safely!"

Hearing Chen Changqing's reply, Liu Ruyan felt a faint surprise in her heart.

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

But who would have guessed—Chen Changqing seemed hardly concerned at all.

Forcing a faint smile, Liu Ruyan lingered no longer and departed on her sword.

Chen Changqing didn't dwell on it either, turning his gaze to Wang Yang beside him.

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

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

Wang Yang snapped back to attention and quickly caught up to Chen Changqing in long strides.

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

Sensing Wang Yang's odd behavior, Chen Changqing couldn't help but ask:

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

Wang Yang gave an awkward little laugh and replied:

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

Earlier at the Hundred Strong Battle Arena, seeing Liu Ruyan take the initiative to come over and chat with Chen Changqing had already shocked Wang Yang deeply.

"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 that point, Chen Changqing paused briefly, then asked with genuine curiosity:

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

He had noticed it earlier at the arena.

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

At the time, Chen Changqing thought it was just Liu Ruyan's striking appearance drawing everyone's attention.

But now, it seemed things weren't as simple as he'd imagined.

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

Wang Yang's mind jolted at Chen Changqing's words.

Chen Changqing nodded, growing more puzzled.

"Senior Brother, what's really going on?"

"Hah!"

Wang Yang took a deep breath, no longer holding back, and explained:

"Junior Brother Chen."

"You probably don't know this yet."

"This Liu Ruyan, after entering the Inner Sect, was directly taken in by one of the Seven Great Peaks—'Cloud Perch Peak.'"

"And the key is... she's only at Half-step Foundation Establishment!"

"To be valued so highly!"

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

Though being an Inner Disciple was already good, if one could enter the Seven Great Peaks to cultivate, their status and standing would naturally be on a whole different level.

"Cloud Perch Peak, huh?"

Chen Changqing murmured, somewhat surprised.

He hadn't expected Liu Ruyan to have such fortune.

Wang Yang nodded and hummed in agreement:

"That's right!"

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

"Every disciple on that peak is like a celestial maiden descended to earth—not only supremely talented, but also peerless beauties."

"In short, any female disciple who enters Cloud Perch Peak is nothing short of a stunning prodigy."

After Wang Yang said this, Chen Changqing's heart jolted.

The Seven Great Peaks held a transcendent status, even above the Inner Disciples.

Being directly selected by a main peak meant Liu Ruyan's talent was likely far beyond ordinary imagination.

Or perhaps, Liu Ruyan harbored some other unknown secret.

"It seems I underestimated Senior Sister Liu before."

"I'm afraid her identity is no simple matter!"

Chen Changqing sighed inwardly.

He was, after all, the top contender in the Outer Disciple Grand Competition.

Even so, he had only been assigned to Qingxiao Valley for training.

The reason the top hundred battles were so intense and eye-catching was precisely because they offered a chance to be chosen by the Seven Great Peaks.

This showed that entering the Seven Great Peaks was a dream for many Inner Disciples.

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

There had to be some secret behind this.

Perhaps it was Liu Ruyan's talent, or maybe it was tied to her identity.

After a brief thought, Chen Changqing snapped back to reality and didn't dwell on it.

Not long after, Wang Yang and Chen Changqing returned to Qingxiao Valley.

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

After parting with Wang Yang, Chen Changqing returned to his quarters.

Cultivation, in truth, meant going back to his room for a good sleep.

Time slipped by quietly.

Before he knew it, three months had passed.

"It's been long enough. I can claim the AFK cultivation rewards now."

Chen Changqing's mind stirred, and he directly contacted the system.

"System, claim the AFK cultivation rewards!"

Soon, the system's prompt echoed 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 progress: 5%.]

[Claim AFK rewards?]

"Claim!"

Chen Changqing didn't hesitate and directly selected the option.

The next moment, golden light swirled around the four Little Golden Figures before him, plunging straight into Chen Changqing's body.

Soon, all the essential principles of the Shushan Sword Technique and Shushan Body Technique were mastered by Chen Changqing.

"Boom..."

Beyond that, after claiming the AFK cultivation rewards for the Shushan Heart Method, the true qi in Chen Changqing's dantian rapidly converted into spiritual liquid.

In just a few brief moments, twelve thousand strands of true qi had successfully transformed.

And his cultivation base had also broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Chen Changqing opened his eyes, a restrained gleam of light within them.

"Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!"

"Too bad the Shushan Sword Technique and Shushan Body Technique haven't reached perfection yet."

"The key issue is that the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique's progress seems a bit slow—only at 5%."

Chen Changqing tallied the results of this AFK cultivation session.

"System, continue AFK cultivation!"

Then, with a thought, he reactivated the system's AFK function.

Four months later.

[Ding!]

[Detected: Shushan Body Technique has reached perfection through AFK cultivation.]

[Extract AFK cultivation results?]

"Extract!"

Chen Changqing chose to extract, then immediately performed the Shushan Body Technique.

His form moved like a ghost, coming and going without a trace!

Six months later.

[Ding!]

[Detected: Shushan Sword Technique has reached perfection through AFK cultivation.]

[Extract AFK cultivation results?]

"Extract!"

In an instant, all the essence of the Shushan Sword Technique flooded into Chen Changqing's mind.

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

Afterward, Chen Changqing found a secluded spot and performed the Shushan Sword Technique.

As the sword moved, a cyan sword light shot into the sky, splitting the sea of clouds apart.

Eight months later.

"System, extract AFK cultivation results!"

Chen Changqing sent the thought.

[Ding!]

[AFK cultivation 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, streams of golden light suddenly radiated from the two Little Golden Figures before him, rapidly pouring into his body.

"Boom!"

A terrifying aura erupted from within Chen Changqing's body. All the true qi in his dantian was completely transformed into spiritual liquid.

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