"I..."
Gu Yunzheng's face flushed crimson, his cheeks burning like fire.
Everyone else had already reached Initial Accomplishment Realm in Basic Stance Cultivation, while he was still circling around the seventh stance—yet he had suspected someone else of secretly learning from him?
He felt an embarrassment unlike anything he had ever known.
He truly had no idea how to respond.
Xu Qing paid him no mind. He shot Gu Yunzheng a fierce glare, then seized Li Yun with a face full of delight.
"Your Basic Stance Cultivation has actually reached Initial Accomplishment Realm?"
"In just one month?"
"A genius, a genius... I misjudged you before. Come, come with me right now."
Excited, Xu Qing grabbed Li Yun and started pulling him outside without another word.
Li Yun was a little bewildered.
He hurriedly asked, "deacon Xu, where are we going?"
Xu Qing suddenly remembered something. He stopped and slapped his forehead hard.
"My fault!"
"This is my fault!"
"When you first entered the sect, I thought no one could break the record for the fastest Initial Accomplishment Realm in Basic Stance Cultivation, so I didn't explain it clearly to you."
"In fact, the Outer Sect has rules. Anyone who breaks the record for the fastest Initial Accomplishment Realm in Basic Stance Cultivation, or reaches Initial Accomplishment Realm within three months, receives a reward."
"Not only did you reach Initial Accomplishment Realm within three months, you also broke the record. That means you get rewards on both counts!"
"I'll take you to the Outer Sect Elder to collect them now."
Li Yun's eyes lit up at once. There was actually something this good?
Then what was there to say?
With rewards waiting to be claimed, who had time to bicker with Gu Yunzheng?
That would be a complete waste of time.
He immediately followed Xu Qing out in a hurry.
Watching the two of them leave in haste, Gu Yunzheng's expression gradually darkened until it became incomparably gloomy.
"Bastard!"
"That damned Li Yun—what gives him the right?"
"It's only Basic Stance Cultivation. I refuse to believe that, with my first grade Aptitude, I can really lose to your Rank 5 Aptitude. Just wait. Sooner or later, I'll make you regret this!"
Ever since he had arrived at the Celestial Martial Sect, relying on his first grade Aptitude and on Xu Qing personally naming him the chief of Rank 95 Academy, who had not looked at him with respect?
Yet Li Yun's blow today had made him feel humiliation unlike anything before.
The hatred in his heart turned directly into a blazing inferno.
Gritting his teeth in secret, he swore that one day, he would take brutal revenge on Li Yun.
At the residence of Outer Sect Elder Zhang Cong.
"What did you say?"
"Initial Accomplishment Realm in Basic Stance Cultivation after one month of Entry Realm?"
"The record for the fastest Initial Accomplishment Realm in Basic Stance Cultivation among all previous Outer Sect Disciples has been broken?"
"And the one who broke it was a disciple with only Rank 5 Aptitude?"
Zhang Cong looked at the excited Xu Qing.
No matter how he looked at it, he felt that Xu Qing was joking with him.
"Xu Qing, do you think that just because I have a good temper, you can casually make up a story to joke with me?"
"I think you've really grown bold!"
"Believe it or not, I can throw you out right now, end your two-year term as a deacon early, and have you pack your bedding and get out of the Celestial Martial Sect overnight?"
Xu Qing said, "It's true, Elder. Please believe me. That disciple is called Li Yun—I brought him here myself."
"I really saw with my own eyes that his Basic Stance Cultivation had reached Initial Accomplishment Realm."
"This disciple truly wouldn't dare joke with you..."
"Is that so?"
Seeing Xu Qing's resolute expression, Zhang Cong became somewhat doubtful as well.
"Then bring him in and let me have a look."
"Yes!"
After receiving Zhang Cong's permission, Xu Qing hurried outside.
At this moment.
Li Yun stood outside Zhang Cong's residence, casually looking over the surroundings.
An elder was an elder, after all.
Even if he was only an Outer Sect Elder, to Outer Sect Disciples, he still held high status and great authority.
His residence was directly a grand estate of at least five thousand square meters.
A gilded plaque hung above its gates, bearing the three words Azure Cloud Residence. They were especially bold and unrestrained, and from the writing, one could faintly glimpse a majestic, vast momentum.
Before he knew it, Li Yun's gaze had been drawn to it.
He stared at it for a short while.
Then the system suddenly spat out a string of notifications.
Observing Martial Intent, Cognition Points +30 Observing Martial Intent, Cognition Points +30 Observing Martial Intent, Cognition Points +30 ...
Only ten seconds had passed.
Yet his Cognition Points had already exceeded 200.
Li Yun was so startled that his eyes went wide, before his face immediately broke into wild joy.
"Holy shit!"
"This plaque contains Martial Intent? Just observing it can earn me a huge amount of Martial Intent?"
"Then if I stand here for two hours, wouldn't I..."
Li Yun felt as though he was about to strike it rich.
As long as he had enough Cognition Points, what did Initial Accomplishment Realm in Basic Stance Cultivation even amount to? He could push it all the way to Perfection Realm tonight.
Originally, he had been somewhat displeased that Xu Qing had brought him here, only to leave him alone outside the gate.
Now, that displeasure was gone.
All of it vanished like smoke in thin air along with the soaring Cognition Points.
He hurriedly focused his mind and fixed his eyes on the plaque above the gates. His expression made it seem as if he wanted to glare the three words Azure Cloud Residence right off the plaque.
Xu Qing, who had rushed outside, happened to see this scene and could not help laughing at his expression.
"With that look on your face, you're making me think you can understand the Innate Intent contained in the plaque."
"Stop staring. Until you reach that realm, even if you glare your eyeballs out, you still won't understand it."
Li Yun came back to his senses. Looking at Xu Qing, he really wanted to ask him something.
I have three words I don't know whether I should say.
He had only just discovered that the three words Azure Cloud Residence could bring him so many Cognition Points, and Xu Qing had come out already?
Could he not have come a little later?
"Come on, don't stand there. Elder Zhang Cong wants to see you."
"Hurry and follow me inside."
"Fine."
Li Yun was helpless, but this was not up to him. He could only follow Xu Qing inside first.
Along the way, Xu Qing repeatedly reminded Li Yun.
"Perform well."
"Be a little humble."
"Among the Outer Sect Elders, Elder Zhang Cong oversees the transmission of martial arts. A single word from him can decide whether any Outer Sect Disciple stays or leaves. But if you can earn his favor, it will benefit you endlessly in the days to come."
Naturally, Li Yun nodded again and again.
He understood one principle.
Sometimes, a person could show off. Sometimes, they could even be arrogant, but they could never fail to know when to advance and when to retreat.
Xu Qing might previously have paid him little attention, and might even have subtly intended to stand up for the Gu Yunzheng he favored, but now he was sincerely introducing him to an elder.
Therefore, there was absolutely no need to keep clinging to that tiny misunderstanding from before.
"Yes, I understand."
"Thank you for your guidance, deacon Xu. Whether or not this disciple achieves anything in Martial Dao in the future, I will never dare forget today's kindness."
Li Yun spoke solemnly.
Xu Qing's spirits immediately lifted, and the way he looked at Li Yun gained a hint of appreciation.
Previously, he had believed that Gu Yunzheng possessed first grade Aptitude and limitless prospects, so he had given him considerable care both openly and secretly. Yet Gu Yunzheng had never said anything like this.
Gu Yunzheng had treated Xu Qing's care more as something naturally owed to him, and nothing more.
No one knew whether Li Yun's words were sincere or false, but at the very least, the attitude was there.
Compared to Gu Yunzheng, the difference between high and low was clear at a glance!
Before you continue