After leaving Elder Willow Wood's residence, Chen Changqing headed straight for the Technique Hall.
"Qi Refining Realm techniques, here I come!"
Earlier, after breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm, he had visited the Technique Hall and selected the Primordial Chaos Stance Technique.
Now that Chen Changqing's cultivation had broken through to the Qi Refining Realm, it was naturally time to change to a Qi Refining Realm technique.
As he walked, a sudden shout rang out:
"Senior Brother Chen!"
Hearing this, Chen Changqing halted and looked toward the voice.
He saw Ran Hua walking toward him.
"Ran Hua?"
"Shouldn't you be standing guard at the Mountain Gate right now?"
Chen Changqing was somewhat surprised.
He had been planning to visit Ran Hua to switch shifts after selecting a Qi Refining technique at the Technique Hall.
He had not expected to run into him here.
Ran Hua smiled faintly and said:
"I forgot to take something, so I came back for it."
"You know it too—there's really nothing to guard at the Mountain Gate."
"As long as I open the gate and you close it every day, and we keep track of those two times, that's enough."
"Senior Brother Chen, are you going to..."
At that point, Ran Hua abruptly stopped, his gaze falling directly upon Chen Changqing.
After staring blankly for a moment, his pupils suddenly contracted.
"Senior Brother Chen!"
"Why can't I see through your cultivation?"
"You... broke through to Qi Refining?"
Ran Hua spoke in stunned disbelief, his voice carrying a trace of incredulity.
More than a month ago, he had discovered that Chen Changqing's cultivation had reached the same level as his own—both of them had reached the Late Body Tempering Stage.
Back then, Ran Hua had already been immensely shocked.
Chen Changqing's cultivation speed recently had simply been far too fast.
He had surged forward all the way from the Late Qi Nurturing Stage.
Now, Ran Hua discovered that he could no longer see through Chen Changqing's cultivation.
That meant Chen Changqing had very likely broken through once again.
Chen Changqing paid little mind to Ran Hua's shock and merely smiled faintly.
"I was just lucky enough to break through."
Hearing that, Ran Hua went numb, the shock in his eyes crashing over him like a raging tide.
Every time he saw Chen Changqing break through, Chen Changqing said it had been luck.
Once or twice would have been one thing.
But every single time? Ran Hua did not believe it.
"How is that possible?"
"It has only been a little over a month!?"
"Senior Brother Chen has already broken through to the Qi Refining Realm?"
Ran Hua stood there in a daze.
An ordinary disciple needed at least half a year, if not longer, to advance from Body Tempering to Qi Refining.
Yet Chen Changqing had accomplished it in just over a month.
Before Ran Hua could come back to his senses, Chen Changqing smiled and said:
"Junior Brother Ran, I still need to make a trip to the Technique Hall, so I'll take my leave first."
With that, Chen Changqing did not pay Ran Hua much more attention and turned toward the Technique Hall.
Ran Hua remained rooted to the spot, his roiling heart unable to settle for a long while.
He had originally thought that although he had joined later, his cultivation was far higher than Chen Changqing's, and he had felt rather pleased with himself.
Though they both guarded the Mountain Gate.
Deep down, he had still believed himself a cut above Chen Changqing.
Who would have thought?
After only this little over a month, Chen Changqing had already reached the Qi Refining Realm.
"How... how did he do it?"
Ran Hua found it unbelievable, his head buzzing.
"No, I need to hurry up and cultivate too. I have to strive to break through to the Qi Refining Realm as soon as possible."
Before long, Chen Changqing arrived outside the Technique Hall.
A figure blocked his path.
The man wore a dark robe and had a stern face, looking like someone who never smiled.
He was none other than Situ Yun, the elder guarding the Technique Hall!
Chen Changqing had met him once before.
Upon seeing Situ Yun appear.
Chen Changqing hurriedly clasped his hands and bowed.
"Elder, this disciple has come to select a Qi Refining technique."
As he spoke, Chen Changqing handed over his Identity Token.
Situ Yun accepted the token and inspected it. Then, with a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, he confirmed Chen Changqing's cultivation.
"It's this kid?"
Suddenly, Situ Yun remembered Chen Changqing.
"In one or two months, he actually broke through from the Late Qi Nurturing Stage to the Qi Refining Realm?"
Situ Yun exclaimed inwardly in surprise.
He remembered clearly.
When Chen Changqing had been at the Late Qi Nurturing Stage, he had visited the Technique Hall and copied the Primordial Chaos Stance Technique for Body Refining cultivation.
Yet only one or two months had passed.
Chen Changqing had crossed the entire Body Tempering Realm and broken through to the Qi Refining level.
Such cultivation speed was already comparable to those Prodigy Monsters.
"You broke through to the Qi Refining Realm so quickly?"
After reminiscing for a moment, Situ Yun spoke coldly.
Chen Changqing smiled faintly and replied:
"Elder, this disciple was merely lucky enough to break through."
Situ Yun's expression remained indifferent as he said lightly:
"Qi Refining Realm disciples may select one Qi Refining technique, along with two combat arts. Go in and choose for yourself."
"Remember, you only have one hour."
With a casual wave of his hand, Situ Yun directly opened the Technique Hall's Restriction Array.
"Thank you, Elder!"
Chen Changqing answered and, without delay, walked straight into the Technique Hall.
Watching Chen Changqing's retreating back, Situ Yun narrowed his eyes slightly. He did not think much of it as he said in a deep voice:
"I know all of Mount Shu Sect's prodigious geniuses."
"Yet this boy is entirely unfamiliar."
"He must have taken some kind of pill to forcibly break through."
"Pulling up seedlings to help them grow and rushing for quick success will never be the proper path."
Within the Mount Shu Sect Outer Sect, it was not uncommon for disciples to pile up pills and reach the Qi Refining Realm.
But such people often had unstable foundations and found it difficult to achieve anything great.
At that thought, the surprise in Situ Yun's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a faint trace of contempt.
Meanwhile, Chen Changqing had already entered the first floor of the Technique Hall.
As far as the eye could see, Jade Slips filled the room in dazzling array.
"This time, I need to choose one technique and two combat arts. I have to hurry."
Very quickly, Chen Changqing's gaze was drawn to a combat art called Sword Control Technique, and his heart immediately grew heated.
Riding a sword through the skies and taking an enemy's head from a thousand miles away—how carefree and dashing was that?
It was something he had always dreamed of.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Changqing included the Sword Control Technique among his choices.
"What should I choose for the second combat technique?"
He continued searching, and eventually his gaze settled on a Jade Slip named Thunderclap Divine Fist.
"A fist technique this fierce and forceful, paired with my physical strength—it's simply perfect!"
Chen Changqing had broken through to the Qi Refining Realm from the Body Refining Extreme Realm.
His physical body was exceptionally powerful!
In his view, if it were further supplemented by the explosive power of the Thunderclap Divine Fist.
The power of a single punch would likely be difficult for even a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator to withstand!
Before long, Chen Changqing had settled on his two combat arts.
Afterward, he began selecting a Qi Refining technique.
Within the Mount Shu Sect, most disciples chose the Mount Shu Qi Cultivation Technique.
This technique was also Shushan's foundational technique—upright and balanced, safe and steady to cultivate without risk.
But Chen Changqing was not satisfied with that.
"If I'm going to cultivate, I'll cultivate the strongest!"
He went deeper into the Technique Hall and finally discovered a dust-covered Jade Slip in a secluded corner.
"This is...?"
Chen Changqing brushed away the dust and saw five ancient, unadorned characters carved into the Jade Slip—Nine Revolutions Qi Cultivation Technique!
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