The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

Old Ma led the two of them to their third destination: Yanshan City, Quanzhou. It was named for its location at the foot of Mount Yan.

"The third person is called Tao Tingfeng. He's fifteen, from Yanshan City, Quanzhou. Uh, Man Gu found him when he went to Mount Yan to slay demons and monsters and passed through the city on his way down."

"What did Junior Brother Man think of him?" Lu Yang asked curiously.

Meng Jingzhou glanced at the words in the booklet, his expression strange. "He said Tao Tingfeng was timid and afraid of trouble, and didn't dare stir up trouble. His character was far inferior to Brother Lu's and Brother Meng's."

"...Was Junior Brother Man praising us?"

Meng Jingzhou wasn't sure either. "Judging by the overall context, he probably was praising us."

Tao Tingfeng came from a Nascent Soul Lineage, a renowned local family. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou found the Tao household without much trouble.

The Tao household had hired a tutor, so its disciples didn't need to attend the city's private school.

Unlike most private schools, the Tao household not only taught its disciples the sages' teachings but also imparted knowledge about cultivation.

When Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou sneaked into the Tao household, Tao Tingfeng and the other disciples were listening to their clan uncle give a lesson.

The Tao disciples all idolized this clan uncle. He was exceptionally talented in cultivation and had reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage at just thirty. Everyone in the Tao household said he might break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, giving the family a second Nascent Soul Patriarch.

"In the path of cultivation, impatience is the greatest enemy. Before cultivating, one must cultivate the heart. Those who are often restless and impetuous while cultivating can