Turmoil rose again in the Outer Academy.
"Hmph, what genius? A dead genius is no genius."
"I knew it! This time, I made it into the top thousand, hahaha! The Grand Tournament is only half a year away—I must enter the Inner Academy!"
"Hey, the spiritual energy in the Outer Academy is countless times thinner than in the Inner Academy. I was once fortunate enough to deliver a message to a senior brother in the Inner Academy. Calling the place a true Immortal Practitioner's secret realm, a Grotto-Heaven blessed land, would not be an exaggeration."
"I never knew Heaven-grade Aptitude was so incredible before. Now I finally understand what a genius is."
"I'm convinced. By the time the Grand Tournament comes around, some of those new disciples who ranked ahead of us will probably participate in this year's Outer Academy Grand Tournament."
"What are you talking about? Didn't they say one must at least be in the Purple Mansion Realm to participate in the Grand Tournament? I admit they're monstrous geniuses, but Purple Mansion Realm in one year—
? Even that Dao Child of the Grand Heaven Dao Sect, rumored to be the reincarnation of an Immortal god, only managed it in one year and three months."
"No matter how good their aptitude is, can it surpass the innate aptitude of an Immortal god?"
"Exactly. Concern breeds confusion. This Outer Academy Grand Tournament will surely be for the old disciples. The rest of us should honestly wait for the next one."
Lu Qing steadily improved his cultivation and studied formations as part of his daily routine, neglecting neither.
He did not cultivate day and night without rest. Occasionally, he allowed himself to relax.
Messages left through Jade Slips had become his latest amusement.
They were also his feelers for receiving news from the outside world.
After reading these messages, he quickly grasped the current state of the Outer Academy.
Lu Qing was calm—very calm. He had never placed his hopes on the sort of protagonist storybooks where one formed a Golden Core in a year and became an Immortal in three. At most, he wanted to live as long as heaven and earth, with eternal youth and Longevity.
Though he kept an extremely low profile and did not seek fame, that depended on whom he was compared with. Any disciple judged to possess Superior Aptitude was, to disciples of poorer aptitude, someone with hope of the Immortal Path in the future.
And now, because a group of disciples had fallen, quite a few Dao Peaks in the surrounding area had been left vacant.
Lu Qing had not expected anyone to set their sights on his Dao Peak.
Qian Wanan rode the sect's cheapest White Crane spirit beast to the Mission Hall.
He had entered the sect decades ago. Even now, despite conscientiously working to complete missions, he remained only at the Middle Qi Nourishment Realm.
So he wanted to find another Dao Peak to serve as his cultivation grounds.
He did not dare entertain any thoughts about the Grotto-Heavens, Dao Peaks, and fine cultivation grounds left behind by those senior brothers who had fallen.
After looking around, he took a fancy to Cloudmist Peak. Mists coiled about it, and when he arrived at its foot, he discovered that its spiritual energy seemed somewhat denser than that of the surrounding Dao Peaks.
Thus, he hurried to find his cousin. His cousin worked in the Outer Academy Mission Hall. Matters such as Dao Peak registration were overseen by an Elder, but the specific tasks of arranging missions were naturally assigned to certain disciples.
It counted as a fine post. Without connections, backing, or strength, one might not even be selected for it.
He wanted to check whether that Dao Peak had an owner.
"Cousin, I've taken a liking to a Dao Peak. Help me see whether anyone lives there."
Qian Wanan explained why he had come.
His cousin gave a soft "Oh" and said irritably, "All the good places have long since been claimed. Even your cousin can't claim one, so stop getting ideas."
Qian Wanan shook his head and ingratiatingly said, "Cousin, you know me. I know my own limits. How could I touch those scalding-hot places?"
Only then did his cousin nod. "I'll check it for you. Where is it?"
"Near a Spirit Plant Garden."
His cousin took out a Jade Slip. Mist swirled within it, and a fully immersive, three-dimensional scene appeared before them as though they were standing there in person.
"That's the one." Qian Wanan pointed at the Dao Peak in delight.
"It has an owner. The other party is a disciple who entered the sect half a year ago, named Lu Qing—a Superior Aptitude genius."
With a push of his palm, information registering countless densely packed Dao Peaks filled their view.
"Ah, this..."
Qian Wanan had originally thought that, in such a remote corner of the Outer Academy, he could not possibly offend anyone important.
It was fine if the other party was a newly admitted disciple, but Superior Aptitude...
He asked, "Cousin, could he be...?"
Qian Wanan probed cautiously, worried that this Superior Aptitude genius might have backing as well.
His cousin's expression turned strange for a moment. "I haven't heard that he took a master."
"But a Superior Aptitude genius must not be underestimated."
Qian Wanan still did not want to give up.
"How about this? I'll go with you."
And so, it became the scene Lu Qing saw before him.
The Calamity Avoidance Talent in his mind had not activated, so there was presumably no danger to his life.
"Who are you?"
A voice pierced through the clouds and mist.
Before the two could speak, it had already reached their ears.
"Junior Brother, we came to exchange Dao Peaks."
The moment he heard those words, Lu Qing's expression became somewhat subtle.
Exchange Dao Peaks?
His place had neither a Spirit Vein nor any precious treasures.
What was there worth exchanging for?
Yet one of them was also in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Lu Qing extended his Divine Consciousness and found that the other party's cultivation was not unfathomably deep like an abyss, but was roughly one or two minor realms above his own.
After cultivating bitterly on his Dao Peak, Lu Qing's cultivation had now reached the Foundation Establishment Third Layer.
Compared with when it had first emerged, his Divine Consciousness had expanded severalfold in range. Covering his entire Dao Peak posed no problem at all.
However, Lu Qing would not touch areas far from his Dao Peak.
This was sect territory. There was a Guardian Formation connected to heaven and earth, with a layer of membrane above and below. If ordinary Divine Consciousness touched it, it would surely be like tofu crashing into a wall, unable to maintain itself.
This was also why, after reaching Foundation Establishment, disciples were required to thoroughly study some of the newly opened materials.
Otherwise, if they carelessly and freely toyed with Divine Consciousness, the consequences would be quite severe.
"Come up."
The two White Cranes flew upward.
"Cousin, why should we—?"
Qian Wanan did not understand.
A genius was still just a genius. The other party had not yet grown up.
Besides, this Dao Peak was not some priceless treasure. The other party would certainly agree to an exchange, so why be so polite?
Yet his cousin's expression was no longer as relaxed as when they had first arrived.
Because of that one sentence, waves had surged in his heart.
He suddenly cursed inwardly, Damn it, have I been in seclusion too long, or have I been away from new disciples for too long?
Could Superior Aptitude really be this monstrous?
What else could it be? He himself was at the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer and likewise possessed Superior Aptitude, yet he had spent years polishing himself at this level and still had not found the feeling needed to cross into the next layer.
Yet the other party had handled it with effortless ease. As the clouds and mist parted, his instinct as a Cultivator gave him a warning.
"Don't speak yet. I sensed the aura of Foundation Establishment."
What Dao Peak did the other party intend to exchange with him?
Lu Qing did not believe those words.
He had been living here just fine, and since there was no threat to his life, he naturally would not turn into a turtle hiding its head in its shell.
He would see what they were really plotting.
"Don't speak yet. This junior brother is very likely a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Qian Wanan's mouth fell open, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Though the Outer Academy had many disciples, just as not every mortal could become a high official or emperor, a considerable number of disciples remained stuck in the Qi Nourishment Realm.
They wasted away year after year, mostly handling the sect's most basic and trivial daily affairs.
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