Leng Qiu, seated nearby, also had a flicker of delight in her cool eyes.
The speed of Lu Zhen's breakthrough surprised her.
"Just a lucky break." Lu Zhen smiled and cupped his hands.
Mo Laosan was a blunt man. After a gulp of wine, he blurted out, "Brother Lu, now that you've broken through, how many tidal crests did the star river inside you raise?
"When I first entered the early True Elixir Realm, I could barely raise three. After all these years of grinding away, I've only reached four."
"Your breakthrough caused such a stir. Your star river must be pretty long, right?"
"Shut up." Hong Gu's expression darkened as she snapped, "Laosan, have you had too much to drink? How can you casually pry into cultivation secrets like that?"
In the Great Wilderness, the length of a star river and the number of its tidal crests directly determined the explosive power of one's laws. They were among a cultivator's most closely guarded trump cards.
Mo Laosan shrank back under her scolding and gave an awkward chuckle. "That was thoughtless of me. Don't take offense, Brother Lu. I'll drink a bowl as punishment."
With that, he lifted his bowl and drained it.
Lu Zhen smiled, unbothered.
Just then, a cool voice sounded in Lu Zhen's mind. "When I first broke through to the Nu River Realm, I had six tidal crests." It was Leng Qiu's voice transmission.
Lu Zhen turned toward her. Leng Qiu remained seated, her voice continuing to echo in his mind. "Later, when I reached the middle stage, I had twenty. Now that I'm at the peak, I have fifty-seven."
"Combined with my foundation in the laws, that puts me among the top dozen or so Nu River Realm disciples in the Supreme Unity Mystic Sect,"