After leaving Elder Liu Mu's residence, Chen Changqing headed straight for the Technique Hall.
"Qi Refining realm techniques, here I come!"
Earlier, after breaking through to the Body Refining realm, he had visited the Technique Hall and chosen the Primordial Posture Technique.
Now that Chen Changqing's cultivation had broken through to the Qi Refining realm, it was naturally time to switch to a Qi Refining realm technique.
As he walked, a shout suddenly came from ahead:
"Senior Brother Chen!"
Hearing this, Chen Changqing halted and looked toward the voice.
He saw Ran Hua walking toward him.
"Ran Hua?"
"Shouldn't you be standing guard at the mountain gate at this hour?"
Chen Changqing was somewhat surprised.
He had planned to visit Ran Hua to switch shifts after choosing a Qi Refining technique at the Technique Hall.
He had not expected to run into him here.
Ran Hua smiled faintly and said:
"I forgot to take something, so I came back for it."
"You know it too—there's really nothing much to guard at the mountain gate."
"As long as I open the gate and you close it each day, and we keep those two times straight, that's enough."
"Senior Brother Chen, are you going to..."
At this point, Ran Hua abruptly stopped, his gaze landing squarely on Chen Changqing.
After staring blankly for a moment, his pupils suddenly constricted.
"Senior Brother Chen!"
"Why can't I see through your cultivation?"
"You... broke through to Qi Refining?"
Ran Hua spoke in stunned disbelief, his voice carrying a trace of incredulity.
More than a month ago, he had discovered that Chen Changqing's cultivation had reached the same level as his own—late-stage Body Refining.
Even then, Ran Hua had been immensely shocked.
He had thought Chen Changqing's cultivation speed lately was truly a little too fast.
He had surged forward all the way from late-stage Qi Nourishing.
Now, Ran Hua realized that he could no longer see through Chen Changqing's cultivation.
This meant that Chen Changqing had very likely broken through again.
Chen Changqing paid no mind to Ran Hua's shock and merely smiled faintly.
"I only broke through by luck."
Hearing that, Ran Hua went numb, the shock in his eyes crashing over him like a tidal wave.
Every time he saw Chen Changqing break through, Chen Changqing said it was luck.
Once or twice was one thing.
But every single time? Ran Hua did not believe it.
"How is that possible?"
"It has only been a little over a month!"
"Senior Brother Chen has already broken through to the Qi Refining realm?"
Ran Hua stood there dumbstruck.
Ordinary disciples needed at least half a year, or even longer, to advance from Body Refining to Qi Refining.
Yet Chen Changqing had accomplished it in just over a month.
Before Ran Hua could recover his senses, Chen Changqing smiled and said:
"Junior Brother Ran, I still need to visit the Technique Hall, so I'll be taking my leave first."
With that, Chen Changqing did not linger over Ran Hua and turned to head toward the Technique Hall.
Ran Hua remained rooted to the spot, his turbulent mind unable to calm for a long while.
He had originally thought that although he had entered the sect later, his cultivation was far ahead of Chen Changqing's, and he had felt rather pleased with himself.
Though they were both assigned to guard the mountain gate,
he had secretly still felt himself a head taller than Chen Changqing.
Who could have imagined it?
After just over a month,
Chen Changqing had already reached the Qi Refining realm.
"How... how did he do it?"
Ran Hua found it unbelievable, his head buzzing.
"No, I need to hurry up and cultivate too. I have to strive to break through to the Qi Refining realm as soon as possible."
Not long after, Chen Changqing arrived outside the Technique Hall.
A figure blocked his path.
This man wore a dark robe, his face stern and cold, looking like someone who never smiled.
He was precisely the elder guarding the Technique Hall, Situ Yun!
Chen Changqing had met him once before.
Upon seeing Situ Yun appear,
Chen Changqing hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed.
"Elder, this disciple has come to choose a Qi Refining technique."
As he spoke, Chen Changqing handed over his Identity Token.
Situ Yun took the token and inspected it, then swept Chen Changqing with his divine sense to confirm his cultivation.
"It's this kid?"
Suddenly, Situ Yun remembered Chen Changqing.
"In just one or two months, he actually broke through from late-stage Qi Nourishing to the Qi Refining realm?"
Situ Yun exclaimed inwardly in surprise.
He remembered very clearly.
When Chen Changqing had been at late-stage Qi Nourishing, he had come to the Technique Hall once and copied the Primordial Posture Technique for Body Refining cultivation.
Yet only one or two months had passed.
Chen Changqing had crossed the Body Refining realm and broken through to the Qi Refining level.
Such cultivation speed was already comparable to those monstrous heavenly geniuses.
"You broke through to the Qi Refining realm so quickly?"
After recalling this briefly, Situ Yun spoke coldly.
Chen Changqing smiled faintly and replied:
"Elder, this disciple only broke through by luck."
Situ Yun's expression remained indifferent as he said blandly:
"Qi Refining realm disciples may choose one Qi Refining technique, along with two combat arts. Go in and choose for yourself."
"Remember, you only have one hour."
As he spoke, Situ Yun waved a hand, directly opening the Technique Hall's restriction array.
"Thank you, Elder!"
Chen Changqing answered and, without delay, headed straight into the Technique Hall.
Watching Chen Changqing's retreating figure, Situ Yun narrowed his eyes slightly. He did not think much of it and said in a deep voice:
"I know all of Mount Shu Sect's monstrous heavenly geniuses."
"Yet this boy is completely unfamiliar."
"He must have taken some pill to force a breakthrough."
"Pulling up seedlings to help them grow and rushing for quick success will never be the right path."
Within the Mount Shu Sect's outer sect, there were no shortage of disciples who had piled themselves into the Qi Refining realm with pills.
But such people often had unstable foundations and found it difficult to achieve anything great.
At this thought, the surprise in Situ Yun's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a faint trace of disdain.
Meanwhile, Chen Changqing had already entered the first floor of the Technique Hall.
As far as the eye could see, Jade Slips filled the place in dazzling abundance.
"This time, I need to choose one technique and two combat arts. I need to hurry."
Very quickly, Chen Changqing's gaze was drawn to a combat art called Sword Control Technique, and his heart immediately grew hot.
Controlling a sword to fly, taking an enemy's head from a thousand miles away—how carefree and dashing was that?
It was what he had always dreamed of.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Changqing selected the Sword Control Technique.
"What should I choose for the second combat art?"
He continued searching, and eventually his gaze fell upon a Jade Slip called Thunder Fist.
"A fierce and powerful fist art. Paired with my physical strength, it's simply perfect!"
Chen Changqing had broken through to the Qi Refining realm from the Ultimate Realm of Body Refining.
His physical body was exceptionally powerful!
In his view, if he further added the explosive force of the Thunder Fist,
then the might of a single punch would likely be difficult even for mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators to withstand!
Very quickly, Chen Changqing settled on the two combat arts.
Afterward, he began selecting a Qi Refining technique.
Within the Mount Shu Sect, most disciples chose the Shushan Qi Refining Art.
This technique was also Mount Shu's foundational art. It was upright and balanced, steady and safe to cultivate without risk.
But Chen Changqing was not satisfied with that.
"If I'm going to cultivate, then I'll cultivate the strongest!"
He went deeper into the Technique Hall and eventually discovered a dust-covered Jade Slip in a secluded corner.
"This is..."
Chen Changqing brushed away the dust and saw five ancient, unadorned characters carved upon the Jade Slip—Nine-Turn Qi Refining Art!
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