Gifting a High-Grade Magic Tool, the Shadow-Bearing Sword! The Elder Treated Him So Well?

Upon hearing Elder Liu Mu's words, Liu Ruyan and the others were all taken aback.

The few of them present were already the cream of the crop among the disciples of the Seven Courtyards.

"Could it be some senior brother from the Inner Sect?"

Someone muttered in a low voice.

"Impossible. Why would an Elder summon an Inner Sect disciple to work with us?"

"Then who could it be?"

"Apart from us, who else in the Outer Sect is qualified to be personally named by an Elder?"

Liu Ruyan frowned slightly, doubt rising in her heart.

"Judging by the Elder's demeanor, he clearly has something important in mind."

"All the outstanding disciples of our Seven Courtyards are already here."

"Who else could he be waiting for?"

Thinking of this, Liu Ruyan became even more curious.

Elder Liu Mu paid no mind to their confusion, remaining seated with calm composure.

Just as the group was wondering, a figure slowly approached.

The newcomer wore a plain green robe, his expression calm and his gaze indifferent.

Who else could it be but Chen Changqing?

Seeing Chen Changqing arrive, the eyes of Liu Ruyan and the others fell upon him in unison.

"Who is this guy?"

"Never seen him before..."

"Qi Refining level five? Is that it?"

"Surely the person Elder Liu Mu said he was waiting for isn't him, right?"

The several disciples hesitated, their eyes filled with a sense of strangeness as they looked at Chen Changqing.

One had to know that the weakest among them was already at the eighth level of Qi Condensation.

Liu Ruyan was even at the half-step Foundation Establishment stage.

Yet, Chen Changqing was merely a disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

"What does the Elder mean by this?"

"We waited so long, just for this person?"

Liu Ruyan narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Chen Changqing incessantly.

Her sharp eyes seemed as if they wanted to see right through him.

However, after a thorough inspection, she found nothing particularly outstanding about him.

"Hmm?"

"Qi Refining level five?"

Just as Liu Ruyan and the others were hesitating, Elder Liu Mu's expression changed drastically!

This... how much time has passed? He... he has already cultivated to the fifth level of Qi Refining?

Elder Liu Mu marveled inwardly.

The others present did not know, but he knew better than anyone.

Only a little over two months ago, Chen Changqing had just broken through to the Qi Refining realm.

At that time, he had even given Chen Changqing a bag of low-grade spirit stones as an investment.

What left Elder Liu Mu feeling deeply shocked was that in such a short time, Chen Changqing's cultivation had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Even if he made full use of the low-grade spirit stones I gave him.

His cultivation speed shouldn't be this fast.

Could it be... could this boy truly be a cultivation prodigy seen only once in a hundred years?

Suddenly, this thought sprouted in Elder Liu Mu's mind.

Aside from that, he truly could not think of any other reason to explain this.

Just as the group was sizing up Chen Changqing, Chen Changqing was also sizing them up.

These people have thick, powerful auras; their cultivation levels are all above mine.

The weakest is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and that woman in white is even more unfathomable... she faintly carries the aura of Foundation Establishment.

"Why did the Elder summon me?"

Under normal circumstances, Chen Changqing's cultivation was lower than that of Liu Ruyan and the others, so he should not have been able to see through their cultivation levels.

However, his Qi Refining realm was not like an ordinary Qi Refining realm.

It was a Qi Refining realm achieved after breaking through the extreme limit of Body Refining.

Furthermore, the Qi Refining art he cultivated was the exceptionally difficult Nine Turns Qi Refining Art.

Take an ordinary cultivator at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, for instance; they would only have about nine thousand strands of essence in their dantian.

Yet for Chen Changqing, despite only being at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, the amount of essence in his dantian had already reached a terrifying fifteen thousand strands.

Just as both sides were sizing each other up, Elder Liu Mu recovered from his shock and said:

"Everyone is here now."

"This is also a disciple of our Seven Courtyards, Chen Changqing."

As he spoke, Elder Liu Mu stroked his beard and smiled, then added:

"I have summoned you all today because demons have been causing chaos in Green Creek Village, a hundred miles away, resulting in heavy casualties among the villagers."

"The sect has decided to let our Seven Courtyards handle this matter."

"I have decided to take you all with me, as it will serve as a good opportunity for you to gain some experience."

Upon hearing Elder Liu Mu's words, Liu Ruyan and the others realized what was happening, and excitement appeared on their faces one after another.

Slaying demons, accumulating merit, and tempering themselves—why wouldn't they want to do it?

Chen Changqing nodded in understanding, muttering to himself:

"So, we're going to kill demons!"

Just then, Elder Liu Mu's gaze fell upon Chen Changqing, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

But in an instant, he returned to normal, not letting his inner shock show.

One had to realize that it took an ordinary outer disciple at least a few years to progress from the first to the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

Yet Chen Changqing had managed it in just over two months.

Elder Liu Mu was shocked inwardly, but he remained composed on the surface, pondered for a moment, and suddenly flicked his sleeve.

"Whoosh!"

A clear, sharp sword hum rang out, and a long sword, black as ink with a shimmering light flickering along its blade, suddenly hovered before Chen Changqing.

"Hmm?"

Seeing this, Chen Changqing couldn't help but frown, his face full of confusion as he asked:

"Elder? What is this?"

Before Elder Liu Mu could reply, Liu Ruyan and the others exclaimed:

"That's a high-grade magical tool."

"It's Elder Liu Mu's Shadow-Bearing Sword!"

"Why would the Elder bring that out?"

Those present were filled with astonishment.

Even the usually cold Liu Ruyan had a trace of surprise in her beautiful eyes.

At this, Elder Liu Mu smiled and said:

"Changqing, you are now a fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivator."

"I imagine you don't have your own magical tool yet, do you?"

"This sword is called the Shadow-Bearing Sword; it is a high-grade magical tool, and I shall bestow it upon you!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Changqing's heart stirred.

He had been wondering just a moment ago where he might obtain a magical tool.

He hadn't expected Elder Liu Mu to simply gift him this high-grade Shadow-Bearing Sword!

"Thank you, Elder!"

Chen Changqing said gratefully, reaching out to take it, and the Shadow-Bearing Sword fell straight into his hand.

The blade felt cold to the touch, yet it resonated faintly with his own aura.

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan and the others all wore expressions of envy.

After all, a high-grade magical tool was already considered quite extraordinary among the outer sect.

Even some Foundation Establishment disciples were not necessarily guaranteed to possess a high-grade magical tool.

"Isn't Elder Liu Mu being a bit too partial to Chen Changqing?"

"Bestowing a high-grade magical tool on a fifth-layer Qi Refining disciple?"

"Is there something special about him?"

Liu Ruyan muttered quietly, unable to fathom why Elder Liu Mu was so good to Chen Changqing.

"Since everyone is here, let us depart!"

At that moment, Elder Liu Mu's voice rang out.

The next instant, he flicked his sleeve, and a long sword materialized in a flash of brilliance.

He soared into the air, riding the sword as it transformed into a streak of light, surging toward the horizon.

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan and the others hurriedly unleashed their own magical artifacts, giving chase to Elder Liu Mu.

The group brought out their various flight artifacts, following close behind.

Liu Ruyan stood upon a White Jade Flying Sword, her robes fluttering as if she were a celestial maiden descending to the mortal realm.

She cast a faint glance at Chen Changqing, thinking to herself:

Although I cannot see anything special about this person.

He must be someone extraordinary.