The Minor Cloud Rain Technique had previously reached perfection. Although its coverage could expand along with his cultivation, it was ultimately just gathering clouds and bringing down water—not the true Cloud Rain Technique.
Lu Qing had not been able to see it clearly before, but upon entering the Purple Mansion Realm, his Purple Mansion Realm nurtured a Divine Soul. After undergoing another baptism of enlightenment, when he looked toward the heavens again, he no longer saw merely the clouds and rain on the surface, but threads of the laws of heaven and earth flowing through the workings of the world.
"The laws of heaven and earth themselves are here. The Minor Cloud Rain Technique has yet to touch upon laws, but this Cloud Rain Technique is different." Lu Qing held a thundercloud in his palm. The inky-black cloud revolved lazily there. Though tiny and exquisite in appearance, it contained wisps of something beyond spiritual energy—an indescribable charm.
The two great laws of cloud and rain had been pared down to their essence by this spell, providing a shortcut for coming into contact with the laws of heaven and earth. Once Lu Qing began cultivating it, he could not help but marvel that the Great Dao was simplest at its core. A Cloud Rain Technique with such a simple name contained principles of cultivation that many people could never touch in their lives. Spending over a hundred Contribution Points on it was well worth it.
Just how powerful was a Divine Ability like Call the Wind and Summon the Rain? The more he cultivated, the more reverence he felt. Lu Qing was equally curious about the sights from higher places, but compared with others, he was not quite so impatient. Still, gaining the strength to protect himself was essential.
With a thought from Lu Qing, the thundercloud in his hand drifted out along his palm. Before long, a layer of thunderclouds suddenly appeared in the bright winter sky.
Thunder rumbled within, yet no flashes of lightning could be seen.
They covered roughly the surrounding area. Quite a few people looked up at the weather, unable to tell any difference from genuine natural conditions.
"It's already deep winter. Is winter thunder coming, or is it going to snow and rain again?"
"Heh, better not rain. Rainwater's freezing cold—it hurts when it smacks you in the face."
"Ha! Just put up a spiritual power barrier. If that won't do, buy an umbrella. You're cultivators, after all."
Beneath the thunderclouds, some looked up and laughed, while other cultivators complained in puzzlement.
Lu Qing was not about to bring a downpour upon Spirit Terrace County in such frigid winter weather. Though what he summoned was indeed rain, it would turn into icy chunks the moment it hit the ground.
He could alter things temporarily, but he could not control every inch of the changes in weather and terrain, much less freeze them forever in place. After all, he did not yet possess any profound Divine Ability.
Once he had cultivated enough, Lu Qing waved his sleeve again. The thunderclouds in the sky swiftly dispersed, revealing the daylight behind them once more.
The sunlight was not warm. Lu Qing stepped across the snow without constantly displaying his movement technique, yet he still left no trace, like wind passing without a mark; it was difficult for footprints to remain in the snow.
"The Second Realm of the Purple Mansion Realm. Cultivation is like climbing a height—one step, one stair, and every stair is higher than the last."
Lu Qing waved his hand, and the teapot and teacups upon the jade table remained untouched by the heavy snow.
Clear water boiled on its own. Two tea leaves likewise drifted down from the tea tree of their own accord, falling into the open mouth of the teapot. In an instant, a rich fragrance of tea billowed forth, its warm aroma driving back the surrounding chill for thirty feet.
Spirit Light flickered over the token. A message had arrived.
White Crane Boy: "Lu Qing, the Outer Academy Grand Tournament starts at the beginning of April. Aren't you going to register?"
After their last communication, White Crane Boy had learned that Lu Qing was currently living a leisurely life. Whenever it happened upon Lu Qing in seclusion, it would leave a few messages behind.
What it wanted to speak of now was the Outer Academy Grand Tournament.
Lu Qing: "My cultivation is shallow and my abilities inadequate. I won't join in the excitement."
White Crane Boy was somewhere unknown, but its reply came much faster than before.
White Crane Boy: "Tsk, tsk, what a pity. The Outer Academy Grand Tournament has always been extremely lively. But I think you're right—since you're stationed outside, going back and forth would be troublesome."
Lu Qing did not find it regrettable. There were gains and losses in all things. That insider disciple had originally sworn it would be held in blazing summer, but now it was plainly the season of spring peaches. No matter how one looked at it, it had nothing to do with the heat of summer.
He did not know whether some change had occurred above or whether there were other considerations. In any case, its early arrival instead removed all of Lu Qing's concerns.
The Purple Mansion Realm was the starting threshold for registration. To enter the Inner Academy, one could currently choose to take a master, pass through the Grand Tournament, reach Core Formation, or possess some monstrous talent—an aptitude even more monstrous than Heaven-Grade Aptitude, such as the strange physique of an Immortal Root, Dao Bone, and Divine Body. There seemed to be many paths, yet in truth, none could escape the two things of strength and talent.
Lu Qing was only at the Second Realm of the Purple Mansion Realm, and his cultivation was too low. The Grand Tournament selected the top hundred. Judging by previous years, even the lowest-ranked among them had cultivation at the Eighth Realm of the Purple Mansion Realm. Many near the top had even reached Core Formation. The reason they did not directly enter the Inner Academy might be, first, for fame; second, for ranking rewards; and there was another possibility—if someone had yet to take a master and caught the eye of an Elder during the Grand Tournament, becoming that Elder's Direct Disciple was not impossible.
Lu Qing: "There's nothing regrettable about it. Even if I registered, if my luck were bad, I'd be eliminated in the first round."
White Crane Boy: "I knew you wouldn't take part. Heh, but it's nothing. The Grand Tournament is only a little more lively. Cultivating in that Spirit Terrace County of yours is far more carefree than where I am..."
Lu Qing chatted with White Crane Boy a while longer about the latest news from the Outer Academy. The Outer Academy was too vast. Even White Crane Boy could only say that nothing was currently happening in the Dao Academy. After the last Demon-Slaying Mission, another batch of disciples had been sent to that area. A purple-robed Elder had also taken action, seemingly intending to transform the region into a secret realm for training, to be used by disciples of the Body Refinement Realm lineage.
Lu Qing had not expected the aftermath to turn out this way, but after thinking it over, he felt that this was the Cultivation World. Turning it into a secret realm did not seem all that difficult, did it?
Naturally, after setting down his token, Lu Qing looked toward the Jade Slip that represented intelligence.
Unlike his own indifferent calm, the news inside revealed that many disciples had already emerged directly from seclusion because of it.
The number of famous disciples who appeared was even greater than during the Demon-Slaying Mission. Lu Qing did not need to think much about it. He only had to recall the streams of Escaping Light and white light that had filled the sky during the Demon-Slaying Mission to know what a magnificent sight the mountain gate would become.
After the older disciples appeared, the disciples who had entered last year—Lu Qing's batch—had almost entirely lost the spotlight. Only those with the best aptitudes could still wrestle with some older disciples before the Grand Tournament's date was confirmed.
But once the Grand Tournament had been set, many unfamiliar faces appeared in the Outer Academy.
They faced the Grand Tournament, an opportunity to enter the Inner Academy and make a name for themselves. Not a single disciple was easy to deal with. Temperament, practical combat experience, external equipment, and all manner of other factors played major roles in the tournament.
[What the hell? I thought I could get on the rankings after leaving seclusion today. Why are all the people above Purple Mansion Realm disciples?!] [What rotten luck. I was near the top before, but now I've fallen off the rankings. My Spirit Stones!] [Yeah, why can't they make a separate ranking for them? This isn't fair.] [Another Grand Tournament... I'm so jealous. When will I ever reach Foundation Establishment?] [Stop arguing up there. This happens every Grand Tournament. Calm down, calm down. Just wait until after the Grand Tournament before you challenge the arena again. It'll be better then.]
Some seasoned disciples also offered advice based on their experience.
Before you continue