Decisive Choice, News of the Outer Sect Grand Competition

"This, this, this..."

The old and young members of several Lineages were dumbfounded.

They'd never imagined that Lu Qing, so easygoing and young, would unleash such thunderous violence when he struck. Look at the Sha Qi from that rain of arrows that had pierced through the entire river surface, the layers upon layers of fog swallowed by countless waves, and then the clear sky revealed behind it all.

Their hearts trembled at once.

Only after the wind had stilled and the waves had calmed did Lu Qing extend his Divine Consciousness, sweeping through every inch of the surrounding rivers and waters.

Once the ominous hexagram in his mind had vanished, he withdrew the formation he'd activated.

There had to be some major problem behind this Eerie threat. Whose was that Blood Bone, exactly? What did it have to do with that old Dragon King? What did its appearance here signify? Or were there other hidden mysteries beneath the Spirit Terrace River? Countless questions flashed through Lu Qing's mind, but he immediately dispelled his curiosity.

He directly used Thousandfold Waves and the Cloud-Riding Water Arrow spell to slaughter everything here, then paired it with the Soul-Scattering Wind within the Gale Formation. Even if there were any lingering souls or Divine Sense left behind, they would be ground to pieces.

Of course, Lu Qing trusted the ominous omen in his mind even more. Its disappearance proved that this divination had come to its proper end.

Since it was already over, Lu Qing naturally wouldn't keep probing into its secrets out of curiosity.

At the same time, he silently drew a danger line around this place.

Lu Qing had no intention of ever setting foot in the Spirit Terrace River again.

Who knew what karmic entanglements it might drag out next?

"The fog has dispersed. The Eerie threat has been eliminated."

Upon hearing Lu Qing say with their own ears that the Eerie thing here had been destroyed, quite a few cultivators let out sighs of relief.

They had witnessed the might of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator—turning clouds and overturning rain was effortless for him. Besides, they were laymen, looking at flowers through mist. Beneath the surging water vapor formed by the fog and white spray, they hadn't clearly seen how the thing had been killed.

But they had seen those water arrows clearly enough.

"Immortal Master, thank you for taking action!"

"That's right! If not for the Immortal Master's intervention, our goods would've expired after all these days!"

Lu Qing's intervention earned him the gratitude of countless cultivators. Cultivators had to make a living too; what part of cultivation didn't require resources?

This stretch of the Spirit Terrace Riverbank was a docking point for merchant ships.

It was especially so for the Lineages within Spirit Terrace County. They all conducted major business with the outside world, and there was a batch of goods here meant for New Peace Prefecture City, personally requested by an important figure.

If anything had truly gone wrong, the others might have been fine, but the few Lineages responsible for it wouldn't have escaped blame.

So what if they were at Foundation Establishment? After seeing Lu Qing act, they understood the gap in cultivation all the more clearly. They felt despair at even the thought of fighting him.

"All right. Handle the rest yourselves." The young-looking Immortal Master's expression remained calm.

Everyone watched as the young Immortal Master transformed into a streak of escaping light, leaving the city wall and returning to Spirit Terrace Mountain for secluded cultivation.

The cultivators who still wanted to come forward and build a connection hadn't even gotten close before he vanished from their sight.

"Hmph, hurry back and prepare to set sail!"

One man glared and immediately dispersed the many cultivators who had gathered here in hopes of meeting the Immortal Master.

Seeing that he was from the Zhao Clan, some of the other cultivators sneered while others were indifferent. But the senior Immortal Master they wished to cling to—the garrison lord—had already left long ago.

So they followed suit and departed.

The Eerie threat that had plagued all of Spirit Terrace County for several days ended in a thunderous fashion.

Even if someone later wanted to search that place for treasures, it would be absolutely impossible for them to find even a fragment of that bone.

Lu Qing had come here only to resolve the crisis. Once there was nothing more of importance, he returned to Green Bamboo Courtyard.

Staying behind to deal with these people would be too much of a waste of time. After killing that Blood Skull, he had faintly touched upon the threshold of the second layer of the Purple Mansion Realm.

"That should count as the first cultivator I've killed, right?"

Looking back over the past year, Lu Qing had either been cultivating or on the path to cultivation. If his hands had ever been stained with blood, it had only been during the time before he'd entered cultivation.

"Still, I'd originally thought I'd have to wait for the Outer Academy Grand Tournament three years from now before I could enter the Inner Academy. I never expected it to be postponed instead?"

On one hand, Lu Qing faintly sensed a breakthrough in his cultivation. On the other, just moments ago, he had received a voice transmission from White Crane Boy.

At the same time, among the jade slips that had previously only updated with matters within the Outer Academy—things unrelated to Lu Qing at present—several messages relevant to Lu Qing had appeared.

No, it should be said that they concerned most of the Outer Academy disciples.

It was the content Lu Qing was reading now.

White Crane Boy: "Lu Qing, Lu Qing, are you there? Have you reached Spirit Terrace County for your garrison assignment?"

White Crane Boy: "The Outer Academy Grand Tournament has been postponed. You should hurry and prepare. It'd be best if you entered the Purple Mansion Realm—what if you can enter the Inner Academy too?"

Lu Qing felt that White Crane Boy probably hadn't even left Central Province. Perhaps it didn't have much concept of geography either.

When he left, Lu Qing had said it was very far away.

Now that White Crane Boy had sent this message, perhaps it had forgotten—or perhaps the sect token's transmission had been delayed because the distance was simply too great?

Lu Qing: "Thank you for your concern, Boy. I have arrived at Spirit Terrace, and have now received the message. Has Boy been well lately?"

After waiting for a while without receiving another message from White Crane Boy, Lu Qing set down the token and turned his attention to the main point of the news.

[Have you heard? This Outer Academy Grand Tournament has actually been postponed!]

[No way, I'd fucking gotten everything ready, and now it's delayed.]

[Does anyone know what's going on? Wasn't it supposed to be held at the end of the year? It's already a new year now.]

[Insider news, insider news. I heard it has something to do with that batch of freaks who came to the Outer Academy.]

[I knew the inside story had to be that. Could they possibly make those people wait for the tournament three years from now?]

[...]

The "intelligence" section of today's information jade slip was especially active.

Lu Qing didn't rush into seclusion. After reading through everything, he gained a broad understanding of what had happened during the two months since he'd left the Dao Academy.

What concerned him most was the Outer Academy Grand Tournament.

Lu Qing had heard of this tournament long ago.

He'd originally thought he would be a spectator at this tournament, but now...

Thinking of something, Lu Qing didn't continue that train of thought.

Because the tournament's postponement had been confirmed. It had been delayed until this year, and according to the deductions of disciples with inside information—it would very likely be postponed until midsummer.