Elder's Summons, Geniuses Gather

Chen Changqing looked at the boulder he had just shattered with a single Thunder Fist.

He smiled with satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad!"

"My Thunder Fist has finally achieved some small success."

Following this, Chen Changqing chose to continue his idle cultivation while pulling up his personal attribute panel to check his status.

[Name: Chen Changqing.]

[Age: Eighteen.]

[Identity: Closed-door disciple of the Mount Shu outer sect.]

[Cultivation: Third Layer of Qi Refining.]

[Technique: Nine Turns Qi Refining Art.]

[Divine Abilities: Thunder Fist, Sword Control Art.]

[Treasures: None.]

[Idle Location: Half-Mountain Cottage!]

"At least I'm not a 'triple-zero' anymore."

Chen Changqing chuckled at himself.

He recalled how, back when he was still in the Qi Nourishing realm, his techniques, divine abilities, and treasures had all been listed as "none."

Afterward, Chen Changqing composed his mind, stood up, and headed toward the mountain gate to relieve Ran Hua of his guard duty.

Upon seeing Chen Changqing, Ran Hua's expression shifted, and he stared intently at him.

Ran Hua was only at the late stage of Body Refining, so he could no longer discern the depth of Chen Changqing's cultivation.

However, he had a feeling.

It seemed that Chen Changqing's cultivation had grown significantly once again.

"Senior Brother Chen, you... you didn't break through again, did you?"

Chen Changqing smiled faintly and replied, "Just a small breakthrough!"

Ran Hua was stunned, feeling as if the sky were collapsing.

He knew that apart from guarding the mountain gate, he spent every spare moment on his cultivation, working incredibly hard.

Yet, he never even saw Chen Changqing practicing.

Lately, Chen Changqing's cultivation speed had been skyrocketing as if he were riding a rocket!

Could it be... could Senior Brother Chen really be cultivating while he sleeps?

Previously, Ran Hua had secretly gone to check on Chen Changqing.

He wanted to see how Chen Changqing cultivated to improve so rapidly.

Who would have thought he would only find Chen Changqing fast asleep on his bed?

"Junior Brother Ran? Are you alright?"

Just as Ran Hua was lost in his thoughts, Chen Changqing asked with a hint of confusion.

Hearing this, Ran Hua snapped back to reality and gave an awkward laugh.

"I... I'm fine."

"Senior Brother Chen, I need to hurry back to cultivate, so I'll take my leave now!"

After bowing to Chen Changqing, Ran Hua hurried away.

Chen Changqing didn't mind, leisurely continuing his watch over the mountain gate.

And so, the days passed one by one.

Before he knew it, another month had gone by.

On this day, Chen Changqing lazily sat up from his bed and stretched.

"System, collect the idle cultivation results!"

As the thought crossed his mind, the system's notification sounded:

[Ding!]

[Idle time: 30 days.]

[Practiced Sword Control Technique × 320 times!]

[Practice Thunder Fist ×320 times!]

[Practice Nine-Turn Qi Refining Art ×320 times!]

[Extract idle cultivation results?]

"Extract!"

Chen Changqing chose to extract immediately.

Soon, he saw golden light swirling within the three small golden figures before his eyes, surging directly into his body.

"The Sword Control Technique has reached perfection!"

"And the Thunder Fist as well!"

Sensing the changes, Chen Changqing's face was filled with excitement.

He hadn't expected that after another month of idle cultivation, both the Sword Control Technique and the Thunder Fist would reach the state of perfection.

"As my strength increases, the efficiency of idle cultivation rises accordingly."

Chen Changqing whispered to himself.

Previously, a month of idle cultivation would only yield three hundred repetitions of techniques like the Sword Control Technique.

But now, after a month, it had increased to three hundred and twenty repetitions.

"Not only have these two combat techniques reached perfection."

"My cultivation base has actually advanced to the fifth level of Qi Refining."

Chen Changqing was thrilled.

Looking inward, he could see fifteen thousand wisps of essence energy within his dantian.

"Tsk tsk!"

"This cultivation speed is even faster than popping pills!"

Chen Changqing smacked his lips in satisfaction.

"My Sword Control Technique is perfected, yet I don't even have a decent magical artifact on me."

"I must find a way to get one."

Just as Chen Changqing was pondering this, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A moment later, Chen Changqing opened the gate.

He saw an outer sect disciple standing outside.

Chen Changqing did not recognize this person; after all, he kept a low profile in the Seven Courtyards, and the only person he knew was Ran Hua, making him something of a wallflower.

"Are you Chen Changqing?"

The outer sect disciple asked.

Chen Changqing nodded:

"I am. Is there something you need, Senior Brother?"

The outer sect disciple was just about to state his purpose.

But at that moment, his expression shifted to one of utter shock, his heart churning with turbulent waves.

"Fifth level of Qi Refining? How is this possible?!"

He knew the status of the person living here.

What shocked him most was that Chen Changqing's cultivation was actually at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

"What the hell!!"

"What is going on?"

"Isn't he a 'closed-door' disciple?"

"How is his cultivation at the fifth level of Qi Refining?"

The disciple stood frozen, unable to recover for a long time.

He even doubted if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Am I crazy, or has the world gone mad?"

"A disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining is actually assigned to guard the mountain gate?"

The disciple exclaimed inwardly, his head buzzing.

He truly could not understand how a disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining could end up guarding the mountain gate.

Seeing the disciple looking dazed, Chen Changqing frowned slightly and called out with a hint of confusion, "Senior Brother?"

Hearing this, the disciple finally forced himself to shake off his shock and return to his senses.

"Junior Brother Chen."

"Elder Liu Mu asked me to come and invite you over."

"Oh."

Chen Changqing nodded and smiled indifferently.

"Let's go!"

With that, Chen Changqing did not delay and walked straight out.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard where Elder Liu Mu resided.

Liu Mu sat calmly and composed, with five people standing beside him—four men and one woman.

Each of the five possessed a robust aura and extraordinary cultivation!

One could tell at a glance that they were the top disciples of the Seven Courtyards' outer sect.

The lowest cultivation among them was at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

The highest was the woman, whose cultivation had already reached the half-step Foundation Establishment!

The woman had a tall, slender figure, with a plain white dress outlining her exquisite curves, the hem embroidered with pale cyan cloud patterns.

Her oval face was flawless; her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like autumn water frozen in frost, her nose bridge high and straight, and her lips like a touch of vermilion. She wore no makeup, yet her beauty was breathtaking.

Furthermore, her skin was as white as snow, glowing with a faint jade luster under the sunlight, appearing as if it would break at a touch.

Her gaze was cold and clear, like a deep, bottomless pool.

This woman was none other than the number one disciple of the Seven Courtyards' outer sect, Liu Ruyan!

With her peerless talent and stunning appearance, countless disciples were enamored with her.

After a brief silence, one disciple could no longer contain himself and was the first to ask, "Elder Liu Mu."

"May I ask why you have summoned us here?"

Elder Liu Mu smiled slightly and replied, "Patience."

"There is still one more disciple who has not arrived."