The next day, Zhou Qing was brimming with energy and glowing with health as he leisurely led Old Hen around the house for a stroll.
He had originally planned to head down the mountain, but the Treasure Exchange Gathering had yet to end, and the Azure Feather Immortal Sect was still searching with all its might for that so-called peeping fiend. He did not dare walk straight into the line of fire at such a critical moment.
"Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, let us stop here. This area and everything further up are where our peak's Core Disciples reside. There are many confidential matters involved, so I hope you can understand."
A True Disciple of Little Spirit Peak stopped walking, bowed apologetically, and spoke with respect.
Behind him stood more than a hundred disciples from the Golden Thunder Sect, Azure Feather Immortal Sect, Tianji Gate, and Azure Flame Dao Palace.
According to the custom of previous years, as the Treasure Exchange Gathering drew to a close, the host would invite disciples interested in touring the mountain to look around, allowing them to learn about the other sect's customs and local character.
Today, their first stop had been Little Spirit Peak.
Peak Master Mo Xingjian had even entrusted several True Disciples with handling this task together. After all, whether his two little bastards were reliable or not, no one knew better than he did.
"May I ask, Junior Brother, is that the residence of a Core Disciple? It seems much larger than those in our Azure Feather Immortal Sect."
Cui Yingying, a Core Disciple of the Azure Feather Immortal Sect, could not help asking curiously.
She had attended the Five Sects Treasure Exchange Gathering several times, but this was her first time coming when the Taiqing Sect was hosting it.
No, to be precise, it should have been her second time. A few days ago, she had specially led a group here to search for a suspect.
The True Disciple nodded slightly. "In reply to Senior Sister, this is Senior Brother Zhou Qing's residence. Our Little Spirit Peak only has four Core Disciples, so their living quarters are relatively spacious..."
At that moment, the hundred-plus disciples from the various sects all turned their gazes forward. Zhou Qing was slowly wandering out from behind the wall of that enormous courtyard, walking a chicken.
When faced with so many pairs of eyes, Zhou Qing froze. He had never expected so many people to suddenly gather in front of and behind his own home.
Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment, then collectively looked at the chicken Zhou Qing was walking, before unconsciously turning their eyes toward Cui Yingying and the other twenty-plus Azure Feather Immortal Sect disciples.
Some even secretly pulled out the wanted portrait.
Why did the chicken in that masked person's hands look so much like this one?
No, this chicken was slightly thinner, but those bulging eyes were almost exactly the same.
Cui Yingying, as one of the victims, lowered her head to look at the chicken, then glanced at Zhou Qing.
Why had you suddenly gotten shorter?
For a moment, the air around them seemed to freeze, and the silence was so deep that a falling needle could be heard.
Zhou Qing was awkward beyond measure. At this moment, any words of defense seemed utterly meaningless.
A few breaths later, Zhou Qing gently crouched down and gathered Old Hen into his arms. He politely nodded to everyone, then ran into the courtyard as swiftly as a gust of wind, quickly shutting the gate and activating the barrier.
A breeze carrying fallen leaves and a faint whiff of urine beneath the trees gently drifted over...
"So, what exactly did they say?"
The moment Zhou Qing saw Yan Xiaohu, he impatiently asked.
Yan Xiaohu helplessly placed a hand on his shoulder. "The Azure Feather Immortal Sect made another statement, saying that the peeping fiend was not Zhou Qing, Core Disciple of Little Spirit Peak of the Taiqing Sect, but someone else. However, they are no longer offering a reward for the thief's capture. Their reason is that the Treasure Exchange Gathering is about to end, so there is no need to waste time on this."
After hearing that, Zhou Qing stood there blankly.
"Isn't that practically shouting that there's no silver buried here? They might as well directly tell everyone it was me," Zhou Qing said.
Yan Xiaohu was furious as well.
"The current situation is that everyone knows perfectly well it was you, but no one is piercing that paper window. Since the Azure Feather Immortal Sect hasn't admitted it, they do not want to offend anyone by saying it outright."
"But besides you, they dragged me into it too. They said that after I had gotten my fill of watching, I switched places with you and came outside to keep watch. Otherwise, you alone, at the Foundation Establishment Realm, could never have come and gone so freely. Tell me, isn't that slander?"
Seeing white smoke practically rising from Third Senior Brother's head in anger, Zhou Qing did not know what to say.
This misunderstanding was simply impossible to explain away.
"No, I have to go settle accounts with Huang Rui. That beast deliberately led everyone toward you. That guy is still holding a grudge over the beating I gave him back then!"
Yan Xiaohu got up, cursing under his breath, and headed straight for the area where the True Disciples lived.
Zhou Qing hurriedly shouted after him, "Third Senior Brother, don't be rash!"
"Master, what did you summon me for?"
Inside the magnificent main hall, Lu Yaoyao respectfully bowed to Sect Leader Cao Zhengyang after entering.
Cao Zhengyang turned around with a smile on his face, looked Lu Yaoyao up and down, and said "not bad" three times in a row.
"I truly did not misjudge you. How long has it been? Yet you have already reached the Qi Condensation Ninth Layer. You are only one step away from Foundation Establishment, aren't you?"
Cao Zhengyang said with a chuckle.
Lu Yaoyao was also filled with joy. "It is all thanks to Master's careful teachings and the guidance my five Senior Brothers have given me in everyday life. To have the good fortune to enter the Taiqing Sect in this life is a blessing Yao Yao cultivated over several lifetimes."
Cao Zhengyang smiled. "Do not belittle yourself. The first time I saw you, I knew your innate talent was extraordinary and your foundation exceptionally solid. You are the type to accumulate deeply before bursting forth. Before you even formally began cultivating, you were already at the Qi Condensation Sixth Layer."
Lu Yaoyao lightly bit her lip. "When I was young, a down-and-out uncle came to our village. He stayed there for some time and casually guided this disciple for a while. He helped me build my foundation back then, and he also told me that one must never rush along the path of cultivation, much less hastily seek breakthroughs."
After hearing this, Cao Zhengyang nodded in strong agreement.
"It seems he was an expert traveling through the mortal world. That too was a stroke of fortune. Come here. I have something good for you!"
Cao Zhengyang beckoned to Lu Yaoyao, then took a box layered in seals from his robes.
Lu Yaoyao walked over curiously. Looking through the box, she saw a wisp of airflow slowly revolving within.
Strangely, that stream of air seemed to contain the entire night sky.
"This is the Heavenly Dao Energy ranked twenty-sixth—Star Spirit!!!"
The instant Lu Yaoyao recognized it, her face filled with shock.
Cao Zhengyang was somewhat surprised. "You recognize it?"
Lu Yaoyao hurriedly said, "Um, I happened to see an introduction to it in the Scripture Pavilion before, but this is my first time seeing it in reality."
Cao Zhengyang suddenly understood.
"It seems you have done your homework. That is right, this is the Heavenly Dao Energy ranked twenty-sixth—Star Spirit, nurtured from a star that fell from the sky."
"You also know that Foundation Establishment is divided into three grades: Heavenly Dao, Earthly Dao, and Human Dao. I have kept this wisp of Star Spirit for more than two hundred years and could never bear to use it. Now, I am giving it to you."
Cao Zhengyang handed over the box.
Lu Yaoyao was immediately overwhelmed by the favor.
"Take it. I wanted to get you better Heavenly Dao Energy as well, but such things are already exceedingly rare. Back then, I nearly died in that ruin just to obtain this wisp."
Cao Zhengyang smiled bitterly, his eyes revealing a trace of reminiscence.
Lu Yaoyao was deeply moved and immediately knelt. "Thank you, Master!"
"Quickly, get up. What is there to thank me for? Do not forget, I am your master. Do not run around lately. I will set up a Spirit Gathering Array for you. Right here, you will gather your strength and achieve Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment!" Cao Zhengyang said.
Lu Yaoyao nodded repeatedly, then looked at the box with anticipation filling her heart.
She had never expected that one day, she too could achieve Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. Before this, she had only thought that obtaining a wisp of Earth Vein Energy to achieve Earth Vein Foundation Establishment would already be wonderful enough.
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