But that way—
Lu Qing added another mark to his little book of enemies for that unknown foe, two more marks for that old Demonic Path thief, and one for Bai Yunqing.
He was definitely not someone easy to get along with.
He had now made it onto Lu Qing's list of enemies.
Lu Qing had too few clues to follow at the moment.
He could only glimpse one corner of the Dao Academy as it stood.
What if that unknown enemy was someone from the Dao Academy?
In any case, he absolutely would not accept any missions. Whoever accepted one would die.
"Lu Qing, have you finished cultivating? Come join us for a meal. Everyone here is from our original group. Liu Er has changed his name to Liu Yuan, too. I've also gotten to know a few people, so I'll introduce you."
A message from Li Jiuming appeared in the Jade Token.
Lu Qing had just detected an omen of danger. There was absolutely no way he could go down the mountain now. Whether it was accepting a mission or anything else, the Calming Hexagram had plainly told him to remain on the mountain for a month.
What did that mean? It meant that if he went down the mountain within this month, there was a high chance he would run into Bai Yunqing.
Lu Qing did not know who the other party was, much less what background lay behind him.
What worried Lu Qing was that this might be a vicious predicament with troubles that would cling to him relentlessly.
Even with Calamity Avoidance, who would have time to cultivate if they were disturbed like this every day?
Calamity Avoidance was not immortality. Though in a sense it could be considered equivalent to being unable to die, since it avoided deadly predicaments, what if a Calming Hexagram appeared someday and told him to return peacefully to the mortal world and live out the rest of his life in safety? That possibility was a faint worry hidden deep in Lu Qing's heart. Entrusting everything to this skill was not very realistic.
The methods of the cultivation world were impossible to guard against. Whether Calamity Avoidance could withstand the methods of those terrifying great powers was still a question mark.
More importantly, Lu Qing felt that if this really was the skill from that unscrupulous game company in his previous life, perhaps its later implemented data had not even been completed yet.
"I happen to have gained some insights in cultivation, so I'll be entering seclusion for a month. I won't be able to come for now. Please forgive me."
He wrote those words. The Jade Token stirred, and Spirit Light flew out.
"It's fine. Cultivation is more important, haha. We'll get together next time we have the chance."
After sending that message—
Lu Qing sank back into the Jade Token Space.
He saw that the Mission Hall not only offered missions, but also sold other things.
"Purchase a detailed dossier on the Outer Academy."
One dossier required five Spirit Stones.
Fortunately, there was a discount for new disciples.
Lu Qing ultimately decided to buy it.
When he had first arrived, Lu Qing had planned to buy it later.
But after buying it now, he felt much more at ease.
He still knew only half of what there was to know about the Outer Academy.
As for Li Jiuming, they were merely companions who had entered the sect together. Too much trouble would only wear away that bit of goodwill between them.
What Lu Qing wanted to figure out now was Bai Yunqing, and who stood behind him.
Those were matters out in the open and did not involve personal privacy.
A title and a level of strength—there were definitely many people who knew such things through word of mouth.
But with the premise that he could not go down the mountain, Lu Qing calmly began reading the information.
"The Outer Academy really is tangled and complicated."
Setting down the information Jade Slip—
Lu Qing could only say that wherever people gathered, conflict was unavoidable.
There were those in the Outer Academy devoted wholeheartedly to cultivation, but there were also one group after another.
Because the updates were timely—
Lu Qing even saw the names of some new disciples who had entered alongside him on the rosters of certain groups.
"Bai Yunqing, Yan Langyu's errand-runner. Yan Langyu is an Outer Sect Purple Mansion Realm disciple. He intends to enter the Inner Academy with Core Formation cultivation and is expected to reach the Golden Core within two years."
"Over the years, those with Superior Aptitude have mostly attached themselves to Yan Langyu. Some have also attached themselves to other senior disciples who entered the sect earlier."
Damn.
Lu Qing rarely found his expression so spectacular. He had only just entered the Qi Nourishment Realm.
"So that was it."
Now that he had finished reading, the thread of events seemed to have become clear.
In truth, Lu Qing desperately wanted to know what exactly was going on with Bai Yunqing and that unknown enemy.
The Inner Sect forbade fellow disciples from killing one another, but this was ultimately a world where cultivation reigned supreme.
Lu Qing did not believe sect rules could restrain everyone.
"And this turmoil will last another month. I won't be the first person they try to recruit, so as for Li Jiuming—"
Lu Qing had not seen Li Jiuming's name on any of those lists of retainers.
But Li Jiuming had a relative here, and he had heard that person had already entered the Inner Sect.
He should be fine.
"A month of turmoil before it can settle down."
"He can't possibly stand on that road every day waiting to block me, can he?"
Lu Qing thought strangely, then hurriedly shook off the thought.
"Forget him. I'll remember this for now. Cultivate, cultivate."
In the blink of an eye, a month of cultivation passed for Lu Qing.
Nameless Dao Peak.
The flat stone ahead had been planned and fashioned into a plaza.
Lu Qing stood in his cultivation plaza. The Dao Peak's own protective concealment formation had long since risen around him. Vast swathes of white mist shrouded the Dao Peak, and any outsider seeing it would merely assume the terrain was too high, merging with the clouds at the edge of the sky.
But that also made cultivation convenient for Lu Qing.
He held his breath and concentrated, his gaze and mind focused upon his palm.
"Spirit Sword! Condense!"
After a month of cultivation, his dantian had gained another strand of Spiritual Power. As the Spiritual Power gathered in his hand, a gradual sensation of being drawn out rose within him.
And at that very moment, a Spirit Sword formed entirely from spiritual energy appeared in his hand!
Its body was transparent, its snow-white blade flashing with cold light. Sunlight passed through the thin mist and fell upon it, while a halo slowly drifted around it.
Lu Qing's face turned slightly pale. His eyes sharpened. "Go!"
The Spirit Sword in his palm shot from his hand in an instant, like an arrow loosed from a drawn bow, striking a boulder several hundred meters beyond the plaza in the blink of an eye!
Boom!
The Spirit Sword pierced through the boulder, reducing it to powder.
Having lost its remaining force, the Spirit Sword also transformed into faint specks of spiritual energy and vanished into the air.
Lu Qing felt somewhat drained, but the result was still acceptable.
"It has attack power, but it's still too slow. Whether condensing the Spirit Sword or launching it, it must be as swift as pointing one's own arm."
"To master the Spirit Sword Technique, its core secret is speed. My Spiritual Power can only fire one sword right now."
Lu Qing reflected on the shortcomings of that strike.
"So for now, it can only serve as an unexpected means of victory."
This past month, Lu Qing had done nothing but cultivate. Aside from this trump-card technique, he had also learned the most basic Minor Cloud Rain Technique. It would make accepting missions easier. Of the four great arts of Immortal Cultivation, many required vast amounts of Spirit Stones in the early stages.
Lu Qing still chose the path of Spirit Plants. Mainly because the Profound Heaven Origin Scripture encompassed all things. It truly deserved to be called a superior cultivation method; it even contained some foundational spells. It was like buying one and getting ten free.
Many of the spells within were suited to Spirit Plants. Aside from the Spirit Plant missions in the Servant Academy, missions in the Outer Academy had also refreshed, which was why Lu Qing felt much more at ease.
After a month, he had now entered Qi Nourishment, Third Layer. He had already felt the benefits of Superior Aptitude.
The sect had specifically provided ten Fasting Pills in his storage bag. One Fasting Pill could sustain him for over half a month.
It was not as though the Dao Academy lacked places that provided disciple dining halls, but those required Spirit Stones, because the food was no longer ordinary fare. It was spiritually supplemented food specially prepared by culinary cultivators.
Eating it could speed up cultivation, and it also had other effects that strengthened the body.
During this month in which Lu Qing had not gone down the mountain and had focused on cultivation, the once peaceful life of the Outer Academy had instantly become rife with undercurrents due to the arrival of new disciples, as well as a genius who should have been in the Inner Academy remaining in the Outer Academy.
A month passed.
No one disturbed him, and his mood was buoyant. Looking again at the messages on that Jade Slip, news from the Outer Academy was practically refreshing every moment.
Lu Qing suddenly understood why this Jade Slip cost more Spirit Stones than some ordinary spells.
If not for the new disciple discount, he would not have been willing to spend the money for the time being.
So the Jade Slip came with an update function. No matter whether some Outer Academy news was true or false, they would directly put it up for you.
Truth mixed with falsehood, falsehood mingled with truth; one could only rely on oneself to tell them apart.
Before you continue