Lu Qing rarely showed a trace of happiness on his face.
Making progress on the path of cultivation was naturally cause for joy.
Yet he was not arrogant or complacent. His luck was already exceptionally good, with a Golden Finger at his side, so there was no need to worry too much about the rest.
With ample time, he could steady his mind and climb step by step.
"After finishing this technique, I'll divide my attention between cultivation and the newly acquired spell."
He planned out his next stage of cultivation.
Aside from the day he had first entered, everything Lu Qing had seen and heard in the Outer Academy made him feel that the Dao Academy was genuinely liberal in how it trained its disciples.
Moreover, the Outer Academy truly had an enormous number of disciples. Nearly a million disciples—when Lu Qing first saw that number, he was slightly surprised, then found it hardly strange at all.
The city he had seen upon arriving could more than comfortably accommodate a million people.
Yet among so many people, Superior Aptitude had still made the Elder in charge of recruitment reveal his delight.
This showed that even where numbers were vast, quality might not emerge. Still, it was not that Superior Aptitude was exceedingly rare. Looking back, the region Lu Qing had come from was a remote province, one that had not produced any promising seedlings in over a decade.
Elder Mo's delight at the time was likely because he had come to recruit disciples and had managed to bring back one who exceeded the qualifying line.
Lu Qing did not continue pondering these matters.
He resumed cultivating here.
After another fourteen days passed, the disciple from the Spirit Plant Garden would return.
His temporary assignment would then be complete.
Having become familiar with the work and thus able to handle it with ease, Lu Qing cultivated according to a precise schedule and replenished the water supply at exactly the right times.
Without realizing it, a wave of Spiritual Power rose from beneath the valley. Lu Qing successfully broke through once more, entering the Qi Nourishment Sixth Layer.
He opened his eyes, deeply satisfied with this round of cultivation.
Perhaps the previous fourteen days had worn away the last trace of unease in his state of mind. During these fourteen days of cultivation, Lu Qing had encountered no obstacles.
Within his dantian, Spiritual Power surged like the rising tide, filling every corner of it. After the breakthrough, a far more distinct sense of fullness spread through his body and mind.
"With this cultivation speed, it's no wonder Superior Aptitude is considered among the ranks of decent geniuses."
After his breakthrough, the fluctuations of Spiritual Power around him showed that his Profound Heaven Origin Scripture had reached the consummation of its second layer. Yet its effect in concealing his aura had become increasingly less apparent.
He would likely need to enter the third layer before it became effective.
"Still, compared to my realm, I currently have pitifully few methods to fight enemies with. And the Profound Heaven Origin Scripture truly deserves to be called a superior cultivation technique—the mysteries of its third layer are something I have no clue about for now."
"Moreover, comprehending the third layer does not rely on aptitude, but on comprehension."
Lu Qing pondered carefully. "Once these fourteen days are over and I hand in this assignment, it'll be time to return to the Dao Peak."
"I've been here for nearly a month. After immersing myself in cultivation, it doesn't feel as though time passed quickly."
He counted on his fingers briefly and realized that the time had already come—it was the day to finish the assignment.
Submitting the assignment this time also went very smoothly.
After Lu Qing completed the handover with that disciple, he checked the Spirit Stones in his Jade Token, then left the Spirit Plant Garden and returned to Nameless Dao Peak.
Nameless Dao Peak was unchanged from before.
Lu Qing waved a hand and silently formed an incantation. The clouds and mist parted once again, revealing a path up the mountain.
This time, however, Lu Qing did not need to walk up. With a stir of Spiritual Power, he rode the wind upward, his figure becoming somewhat ethereal.
He returned to his loft courtyard.
The formation activated once more.
"Fortunately, the formation here is a Dao Academy benefit and doesn't cost any Spirit Stones."
Lu Qing looked at the courtyard, perfectly clean and orderly as before, and felt thoroughly at ease. Not the slightest thing had changed.
"I now have thirty Contribution Points, and with the previous rewards, around eleven hundred Spirit Stones. For the time being, I don't need to worry about Spirit Stones. Contribution Points and Spirit Stones—neither is dispensable within the Dao Academy."
"Cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, and other things all require Spirit Stones to purchase."
"What a pity. The Jade Token Space does not seem omnipotent. Sect assignment transactions take priority, so if I want to trade things privately, I still have to go in person to the Cultivation Market in the city."
After breaking through in cultivation, Lu Qing had spent longer in the Jade Token Space and quickly explored some of its hidden functions.
"But that's normal. If the Jade Token gets destroyed, both sides would suffer considerable losses. Offline, within the Dao Academy, there's no need to worry about blatant murder, but one must still guard against underhanded schemes in the shadows."
At first, Lu Qing had thought the Jade Token was merely a medium that gathered many functions into a single token. But he quickly discovered that one could say it was, and one could also say it was not.
"The important thing is that I can exchange for cultivation techniques directly here without wasting effort."
Lu Qing stopped thinking about such noisy matters and began comprehending the Cloud-Riding Water Arrow Technique.
"Let me study this spell."
Learning the sword would originally have been quite good, but Lu Qing did not currently possess a suitable magical artifact.
Forming a sword from Spiritual Power, Lu Qing felt, had power comparable to a Spiritual Power explosion attack. At most, it could serve as a trump card.
What he needed now were conventional methods. Besides, this spell was also a superior spell.
It was only available as a reward. If disciples had to obtain it themselves, they would likely need to exchange Contribution Points or Spirit Stones for it.
"Riding clouds and mist, swift in movement—cultivating this technique can also make up for my shortcomings in movement techniques."
Lu Qing did not cultivate in the cultivation chamber.
Instead, he went to the dedicated training plaza outside the courtyard and began testing this spell.
He immersed himself in the spell, and another seven days drifted by.
"I've achieved minor mastery."
Lu Qing murmured slowly. Then, with a thought, countless arrows of misty, water-like vapor around him burst through the clouds. In the distance, they suddenly carved an arrow-straight road of blue sky through layer after layer of cloud and mist.
Clouds and mist gathered on either side, revealing a thin line of blue sky through the middle.
"Good." Lu Qing was delighted. The Cloud-Riding Water Arrow came and went without trace, swift and sharp. Whether in close combat or long-range attack, it was more than capable.
After cultivating this spell, Lu Qing had truly received a pleasant surprise. Its attacks were fast and exceptionally concealed, making it ideal for ambushes and stabbing people in the dark.
"The remaining flaws are actually in myself. If I could conceal my aura more thoroughly..."
"If I cultivated another spell specifically for hiding my aura, and paired it with these attacks that can come from anywhere, could I become even more concealed?"
A thought turned in Lu Qing's mind. The Calming Hexagram was not a fortunate Divination after all. Before cultivating, Lu Qing had also encountered several situations where danger came but disaster did not.
Back then, Lu Qing had indeed been a mortal. Yet with martial arts at his side, he still possessed the strength to resist.
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