At this commotion, Elder Liu Mu and the others hurriedly looked toward the sound.
Focusing their eyes, they saw Chen Changqing returning on his sword.
"Elder, I'm back."
Chen Changqing landed before Liu Mu and the others.
Liu Mu breathed a sigh of relief and sized Chen Changqing up. "Where did you go?"
Chen Changqing's expression did not change as he said calmly, "While pursuing the demonic cultivator, I accidentally entered an illusion array. It took some effort to break free."
Liu Mu gave Chen Changqing a deep look but did not question him further.
Then, his gaze shifted toward Liu Ruyan and the other disciples.
"Ruyan!"
"You are the outstanding disciples of our Outer Courtyard's Seventh Courtyard."
"Yet you let Chen Changqing, a disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining, chase down Demon Sect cultivators alone."
"While you stayed here to watch the battle and seek enlightenment."
"You have treated the safety of your fellow disciple so lightly. Isn't that far too selfish?"
As he spoke, Liu Mu's face was grim, his gaze sweeping over Liu Ruyan and the other five disciples.
Liu Ruyan froze. Her vermilion lips parted as though she wanted to explain something, but the words at the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down.
The other disciples lowered their heads in silence as well.
Seeing this, Chen Changqing hurriedly cupped his hands toward Liu Mu. "Elder."
"You cannot blame Senior Sister and the others for this. I was the one who insisted on going."
"Now that all the demonic cultivators have been slain, our most urgent task is to return to the Mount Shu Sect as quickly as possible and report to the Sect Leader, lest the Demon Sect makes another move."
At this, Liu Mu's expression eased somewhat. He nodded. "Very well. This matter is indeed full of oddities."
"The Demon Sect suddenly appeared in Green Creek Village. They must have had some scheme, and we must report this to the Sect Leader as soon as possible for a decision."
After that, no one delayed any longer. They rode their swords back to the Mount Shu Sect.
Along the way, Liu Ruyan would occasionally sneak glances at Chen Changqing.
"Elder Liu Mu seems to value him greatly."
"When they departed from Mount Shu earlier, he even bestowed the high-grade artifact Shadow-Bearing Sword upon him."
"And during the battle against the Demon Sect cultivators in Green Creek Village, he showed immense concern for him."
"Just what is the relationship between this man and the elder?"
Liu Ruyan pondered in secret.
What surprised her even more was that Chen Changqing was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, yet when he had slain the demonic cultivators in Green Creek Village, he had erupted with strength far beyond the fifth level of Qi Refining.
Moreover, when he killed demonic cultivators, there was not the slightest trace of hesitation. He was ruthless and decisive.
The more she thought about it, the more curious Liu Ruyan became about Chen Changqing.
At the same time, the other disciples felt deeply unbalanced.
"Isn't Elder being far too biased? He actually rebuked us for the sake of a mere disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining?"
"Isn't he just some 'closed-door' disciple? Is he really worth such importance?"
"We are the outstanding disciples of the Seventh Courtyard!"
"..."
The few of them simmered with resentment.
They could all see that Elder Liu Mu was excessively protective of Chen Changqing.
Of course, they only dared to be angry, not speak of it.
At this moment, Liu Ruyan flew her sword over to Chen Changqing's side and asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Chen, when I saw you fighting those demonic cultivators earlier, the fist technique you used was exceedingly formidable."
Before Liu Ruyan could finish, Chen Changqing had already said, "Thunder Fist."
"I found it in the Technique Hall after breaking through to the Qi Refining realm."
Liu Ruyan nodded in understanding and said with a smile, "I see Junior Brother Chen's cultivation is only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, yet your true strength far surpasses that realm!"
Chen Changqing smiled faintly. "Senior Sister overpraises me. I am merely at the fifth level of Qi Refining."
Seeing that Chen Changqing was unwilling to say more, Liu Ruyan did not press him further.
Time slipped away.
Before long, Chen Changqing and his group returned to the sect.
Elder Liu Mu immediately went to the main peak to find the Sect Leader, while Chen Changqing and the others each returned to their own places.
After returning to his Half-Mountain Cabin, Chen Changqing quickly shut the doors and windows. Then he took out the token he had obtained from the Purple Mansion Secret Realm from his Storage Bag and examined it carefully.
"Strange."
"What use does this token left behind by a great Purple Mansion cultivator have?"
Chen Changqing turned it over and over, even attempting to inject vital essence into it, but the token remained utterly unresponsive.
"Forget it. Since I cannot figure anything out for now, I'll keep it first!"
With that thought, Chen Changqing put away the token.
Just then, a gentle voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.
"Is Junior Brother Chen here?"
Chen Changqing pushed open the door and walked out, discovering Liu Ruyan standing outside the courtyard. Clad in snow-white robes, she carried an icy, aloof air.
"Why has Senior Sister come?"
Liu Ruyan smiled faintly. "I came to see Junior Brother, and also to ask whether you plan to participate in the upcoming Outer Courtyard Grand Competition?"
"The Outer Courtyard Grand Competition?"
Chen Changqing was stunned.
If this had been in the past, he would never have dared to even think about participating in the Outer Courtyard Grand Competition.
But after awakening the AFK Cultivation System, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, and naturally, he had begun to consider it.
What Chen Changqing could not understand, however, was this.
Liu Ruyan had suddenly come looking for him just to ask about this?
As Chen Changqing drifted into thought, Liu Ruyan was also observing him.
In the past, as a genius of the Seventh Courtyard with cultivation at half-step Foundation Establishment, she would never have cared about a disciple like Chen Changqing.
But in the battle at Green Creek Village, the strength Chen Changqing had displayed and his decisive killing intent forced her to reevaluate this junior brother.
Coupled with Elder Liu Mu's high regard for Chen Changqing.
Liu Ruyan had begun to consider befriending Chen Changqing.
After a long silence, Chen Changqing nodded. "Senior Sister! I should participate when the time comes."
Hearing this, a trace of approval flashed through Liu Ruyan's eyes. "Good. I hope Junior Brother can bring glory to our Seventh Courtyard."
With a wave of Liu Ruyan's jade-like hand, a medicinal pill immediately flew down before Chen Changqing.
"This Rejuvenation Pill can heal injuries and increase cultivation."
"Junior Brother fought fiercely against those demonic cultivators earlier. You must have expended quite a bit, so I shall give it to you."
After saying this, she gave Chen Changqing a smile. Without waiting for any response from him, she turned and left.
Chen Changqing took the pill floating before him. His brows furrowed slightly as he muttered to himself, "What is going on?"
"Hasn't Senior Sister Liu always been aloof and cold?"
"Why does she seem like a completely different person around me?"
"Could it be... she's taken a liking to me?"
After thinking about it for a moment, Chen Changqing smiled wryly and did not dwell on it.
After returning to his room, he moved his mind and communicated with the system. "System, how do I use these AFK Points?"
Before long, the system's voice sounded in his mind.
[Ding!] [The host may consume AFK Points to increase AFK cultivation efficiency!] [Current AFK Points: 1024] [Use them?]
"Use them!"
Chen Changqing did not hesitate in the slightest. Since they could increase AFK cultivation efficiency, why not?
[Ding!] [1000 AFK Points consumed. AFK cultivation efficiency increased to three times!] [Current AFK speed: 3x!] [Current remaining AFK Points: 24.]
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