Chen Changqing sat cross-legged inside his crude wooden hut.
His consciousness sank into the AFK System's space.
"Claim AFK rewards!"
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he claimed the AFK rewards from this period.
Boom! Boom!
In an instant, a brilliant golden light erupted from the Little Golden Man, pouring into his body like rivers flowing backward into the sea, surging with boundless force.
The moment that golden light entered his body, Chen Changqing shuddered from head to toe.
He only felt his blood and qi roiling like boiling water, his bones letting out faint crackling sounds, while his muscles were continuously strengthened beneath the golden light's tempering.
It felt to Chen Changqing as though every inch of flesh and blood in his body had been reforged.
Boom!
Before long, a vast force suddenly exploded from within Chen Changqing's body.
He abruptly opened his eyes, and what seemed like a flash of golden light vanished from his pupils.
The next moment, Chen Changqing clenched his fists. Feeling the surging power within him, the muscles in his arms swelled slightly.
Whoosh!
Then Chen Changqing gave a light swing of his arm, directly stirring up a gust of fierce wind.
The force of that swing seemed to make even the surrounding space ripple faintly.
"A thousand pounds of force in both arms!"
"The middle stage of Body Refining—success!"
Chen Changqing was overjoyed. A smile tugged at his lips, and excitement gleamed in his eyes.
Just a month ago, he had only just broken through to the early stage of Body Refining, with merely three hundred pounds of force in both arms.
Now, after a month of AFK cultivation,
his cultivation had directly advanced to the middle stage of Body Refining.
With a swing of his arms, he could break a thousand pounds.
"What a powerful feeling."
"The strength of the middle stage of Body Refining is simply beyond comparison to the early stage!"
Chen Changqing lowered his gaze to his tightly clenched fists, his eyes brimming with sharp radiance.
"At this cultivation speed,"
"I should reach the late stage of Body Refining very soon."
"I may even charge into the Qi Refining Realm!"
At that thought, Chen Changqing's heart filled with anticipation.
He considered that if he could enter the Qi Refining Realm or even reach a higher level before the Outer Sect Disciple Competition began,
perhaps he could try competing for the rewards of the tournament as well.
"System, continue AFK!"
Then he hurriedly sent the command to the system, unwilling to waste any AFK time.
"Right."
"Now that my cultivation has reached the middle stage of Body Refining,"
"it's time to visit the elder and update my information."
Chen Changqing muttered to himself. Though he now had the AFK System and cultivated far faster than ordinary people,
the resources distributed by the sect were free for the taking.
And with different levels of strength came different monthly resources.
Take when he had still been at the Qi Nourishing Realm, for instance.
The resources he could receive each month amounted to only a single low-grade spirit stone.
After simply straightening his clothes, Chen Changqing headed directly for the elder of the Seventh Courtyard.
Mount Shu Sect's outer sect was divided into seven courtyards in total.
Chen Changqing belonged to the Seventh Courtyard of the outer sect, which was overseen by Elder Liu Mu.
Elder Liu Mu's cultivation had already reached the late Golden Core stage. He was only one step away from condensing the Purple Mansion Realm, and his strength was considered quite formidable even among the outer sect elders.
More importantly, Elder Liu Mu had been the one who unexpectedly saved Chen Changqing while descending the mountain to slay demons.
Seeing that he was lonely and without support, Liu Mu had brought him back to Mount Shu and given him the identity of an outer sect disciple.
Before long, Chen Changqing arrived at Elder Liu Mu's courtyard.
Emerald bamboo surrounded the courtyard. Long bamboo shadows swayed in the wind, rustling softly like hushed whispers.
The bamboo leaves were lush and green, glistening with a lustrous sheen beneath the sunlight.
Occasionally, spirit birds perched upon the branches and chirped crisply, adding several more touches of immortal charm.
Chen Changqing pushed open the small gate in the bamboo fence. Beneath his feet ran a path paved with bluish stone, with several stalks of spirit herbs growing between the cracks and releasing a faint medicinal fragrance.
At the end of the path stood an ancient wooden house, its roof covered in dark-brown spirit thatch. The corners of its eaves curled upward slightly, and a bronze wind chime hung there.
As the fresh breeze passed by, the chime's ringing drifted far and wide, as though it could cleanse the heart and spirit.
The entire courtyard showed no trace of extravagance, yet everywhere it exuded nature and the essence of the Dao.
At this moment, an old man sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion inside the wooden house, holding an ancient book with a focused expression.
It was none other than Elder Liu Mu.
Chen Changqing stepped forward, bowed, and saluted him.
"Disciple Chen Changqing pays respects to Elder Liu Mu."
Upon hearing him, Elder Liu Mu raised his eyes and revealed a kindly, benevolent face.
His beard and hair were entirely white, yet he showed not the slightest sign of age. Instead, his skin was like jade, and his eyes were as profound as the starry sky.
A faint spiritual aura lingered around him, as if he had merged into one with heaven, earth, and nature.
"Changqing!"
Elder Liu Mu smiled faintly, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze brushing across one's face.
Chen Changqing's heart stirred slightly.
Though Elder Liu Mu was a Golden Core cultivator of high standing, he did not carry himself with the slightest air of superiority. Instead, he gave off a feeling of warmth and approachability.
Especially those eyes of his—they seemed able to see through people's hearts, yet they carried the affection of an elder.
Chen Changqing nodded and respectfully said,
"This disciple has made some progress in cultivation recently, and has come specifically to report it."
Elder Liu Mu nodded lightly. With a sweep of his gaze over Chen Changqing, he immediately understood that Chen Changqing's cultivation had reached the middle stage of Body Refining.
"Oh?"
"You've broken through to the middle stage of Body Refining?"
"Mm, not bad."
"Your foundation is stable and your blood and qi are abundant. It seems you've put in quite a bit of hard work."
When Elder Liu Mu said this, his tone was even. There was neither surprise nor disappointment.
It was as if he were merely stating an utterly ordinary fact.
Hearing this, Chen Changqing secretly sighed to himself.
Sure enough, the Body Refining Realm is beneath notice in an elder's eyes!
Elder Liu Mu probably said that only because he didn't want to discourage me.
After all, he had been at Mount Shu Sect for over a year before finally breaking through to the middle stage of Body Refining.
And among outer sect disciples, the Body Refining Realm could only be considered entry-level. A cultivation speed like Chen Changqing's was already somewhat slow.
Of course, Chen Changqing was not discouraged.
After all, with the AFK System, his cultivation speed would only grow faster and faster.
After a moment of silence, Elder Liu Mu spoke again.
"All right, I understand."
"You may go."
Chen Changqing said no more. He cupped his hands and bowed to Elder Liu Mu, then turned and took his leave.
After leaving the elder's residence, Chen Changqing headed straight for the mountain gate, intending to switch shifts with Ran Hua.
From afar, Ran Hua spotted Chen Changqing and waved with a smile.
"Senior Brother Chen! You're here so early?"
When Chen Changqing drew close, Ran Hua's smile abruptly froze. His pupils contracted sharply, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
"This?"
"Senior Brother Chen, you... you broke through again?"
He stared fixedly at Chen Changqing, sensing the aura around him that was clearly several times more powerful than before. Stormy waves surged in his heart.
"The middle stage of Body Refining?"
"How is that possible?"
Ran Hua wore an utterly incredulous expression.
One had to know that just a month ago, Chen Changqing had only broken through to the early stage of Body Refining.
How had he entered the middle stage of Body Refining after only a month?
One had to know that even outer sect disciples with decent talent needed at least several months of arduous cultivation to advance from the early stage to the middle stage.
Before you continue