Outer Academy, Prodigies Competing Together

Since arriving in this world, Lu Qing had only learned that the place he was in was called Liang Kingdom. He had followed every scrap of news about Immortals, traveling countless miles before finally reaching Profound Heaven City.

He had not learned much in detail before taking the examination the very next day.

So, to be honest, Lu Qing did not really understand Profound Heaven Dao Academy. Most of what he knew about it came from the inn waiter and Li Jiuming's chatter along the way, giving him only a vague understanding of the academy.

It was an incredibly formidable cultivation force.

Now, this little Jade Slip booklet happened to clear away his previous confusion.

Profound Heaven Dao Academy was the dominant cultivation force within the Profound Heaven Domain.

It possessed countless prodigies, countless elders, and countless powerful experts.

After Lu Qing finished reading, he had only one thought: coming to Profound Heaven Dao Academy had indeed been the right choice.

The place where he was located was called the Profound Heaven Domain. Beyond it lay several other great domains, each likewise home to terrifying cultivation forces.

"Cultivation is difficult. Tomorrow morning, I have to attend an elder's cultivation class."

After skimming through the rest, Lu Qing turned his gaze to the academy's cultivation system.

Cultivation in Profound Heaven Dao Academy was divided into the Meridian Opening Realm, the Qi Nourishment Realm, and then Foundation Establishment.

The booklet described realms beyond that, but disciples could not make out the words. Presumably, they would need sufficient cultivation before they could see the later realms.

This Dao Peak courtyard covered a vast area, with ample space inside.

The only thing Lu Qing needed to note was that the Jade Token's introduction stated that formations had been laid here.

Every Dao Peak on the outermost perimeter had a protective formation, interlocking with the main peak.

The courtyard formation, however, needed to be activated by its owner.

Lu Qing had not begun cultivating yet, so he would have to wait until after entering the path of cultivation before he could activate it.

He slept soundly through the night.

He was unfamiliar with the others who had come alongside him. The only one he could call close was Li Jiuming.

Following the Jade Token's guidance, he saw countless snow-white White Cranes flying over a lake or playing in its waters.

One White Crane flew over and landed before him.

The White Crane spoke in a crisp voice, its gender impossible to discern. "I am White Crane Boy. One Spirit Stone per trip. Where are you going? I'll take you there. Just pay the Spirit Stone."

Lu Qing stared in surprise, then noticed sleek figures streaking across the other mountain peaks amid clouds of snowy mist. White Cranes flew through the sky with disciples seated upon their backs.

"Alright. Thank you, White Crane Boy."

With a White Crane to serve as transport, he did not hesitate. He took a Spirit Stone from the storage pouch distributed yesterday. The spirit beast called White Crane Boy seized the Spirit Stone in its long, pointed beak, brushed it against the feathers on its belly, and the stone vanished before his eyes.

Lu Qing saw a single feather gleaming silver amid its snow-white crane plumage. Under the sunlight, it was somewhat dazzling.

Noticing his gaze, White Crane Boy said proudly, "Look, this is my storage pouch. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is very beautiful," Lu Qing replied honestly. Such a silver-glinting thing was elegant enough in appearance alone, not to mention how it blended seamlessly with the surrounding feathers.

"Hahaha, you have good taste."

White Crane Boy agreed with a nod, the crimson feathers atop its head bobbing with the motion.

"You are a newly inducted disciple, so I'll take you to Martial Arts Peak. Your class is over there today."

"Get on."

Lu Qing sat cross-legged on the White Crane's back as the high-altitude air swept across his skin, stirring a trace of chill.

White Crane Boy flew both swiftly and steadily.

Wispy white clouds slid past them. From such a height, most of the Dao Peaks could be taken in at a glance, though many glowed with white or other-colored light, clearly obstructed by formations.

Others were simply blanketed in thick mist, joined to the heavens. One could not tell whether their peaks remained on the mountain or had already entered a bed of clouds.

All of a sudden, Lu Qing saw blazing flames erupt from one Dao Peak. Boom—

It sounded like an explosion.

He was taken aback.

White Crane Boy was utterly unsurprised. "Elder Yu's alchemy furnace exploded. Normal, normal."

Lu Qing looked in the direction of the blast and saw a white-haired old man stamping about in fury. "That's not right?!"

"How can that be wrong?"

"It's this ratio! It must be the wind direction. The feng shui is wrong!"

The clattering sounds gradually faded into the distance. Even from so far away, Lu Qing could seemingly picture the elder hopping madly in place.

He had to admit, it somewhat shattered the image he had formed yesterday.

"Heh, Elder Yu is obsessed with alchemy. He studies this and studies that every day. Last time I went over there, I nearly had my feathers scorched off."

White Crane Boy sounded aggrieved.

Lu Qing did not respond. Who knew what kind of temperament that elder possessed? White Crane Boy could say such things, but as a newly inducted disciple, he naturally would not leave anyone with words to criticize him over.

"Alright, this is Martial Arts Peak. I'll stop here. Go in yourself."

White Crane Boy's voice rang out at just the right moment.

"Thank you, White Crane Boy, for bringing me here."

White Crane Boy gave a hey. "I do my job when I take Spirit Stones. I'm very reliable. Next time you go out, you can come find me again."

"Remember, I'm White Crane Boy. Call for me, and I'll hear it."

"Oh, I nearly forgot. I should leave a wisp of my aura on your Jade Token. The sect is too big. Sometimes even I get lost while flying around, and the Jade Token makes things much more convenient."

White Crane Boy spared no effort in drumming up business.

To make it easier for these newly inducted disciples, who could not tell one White Crane from another, White Crane Boy also explained how to summon it.

Clearly, cases of mistaken identity had happened before.

Lu Qing found it faintly amusing and agreed to its suggestion.

A feather flashed, and the Jade Token at his waist gave a slight tremble.

Watching the White Cranes fly, he truly could not distinguish them very well, but naturally he would not say that aloud. "Mm. If Lu Qing has need of anything, I will certainly come find you, White Crane Boy."

White Crane Boy flapped its wings and flew away.

Lu Qing also prepared to attend the academy's cultivation class here.

This place was a sprawling palace complex, with buildings of all kinds scattered in orderly layers from the mountainside onward. This Dao Peak could no longer be considered merely a mountain peak—it was a true mountain.

Vast in the truest sense.

As he stepped onto the plaza, radiant streams of light flashed everywhere around him. Many streaked away, while more Spirit Lights fled in from beyond the mountain and appeared over the plaza, revealing figures.

"Lu Qing, over here! Over here!"

Li Jiuming truly lived up to his gossip-loving nature. Lu Qing had only just arrived, yet Li Jiuming was already quite familiar with the place.

"I came early. The elder hasn't arrived yet. This is where we cultivate. Our first class is here, and after class ends, we cultivate on our own. Still, elders come to Martial Arts Peak every so often to give lectures and explain the Dao."

"This is the Outer Academy's daily routine. Generally, if we need anything, we can come here to accept missions. Once we begin cultivating, we can enter the Jade Token Space and accept missions there. That's the truly exciting place."

Li Jiuming spilled all the information he had gathered.

He appeared extremely curious about the mysterious Jade Token Space.

"Lu Qing, aren't you curious at all?"

"I am curious, but I haven't started cultivating yet. I'll find out later."

"True enough."

"I'll go take a look over there."

The two of them had grown rather friendly, partly because they had entered together and gotten along well.

But Lu Qing knew perfectly well that while they got along now, once cultivation began, that might not remain the case.

A commotion arose in one corner of the lecture plaza.

"Hey, did you hear? On my way here, I heard people saying an Earth-grade Genius is coming here too."

"What's going on? Aren't those monsters supposed to enter the Inner Sect directly as long as their talent is sufficient?"

"I don't know. I also heard that, besides the region we came from, several monsters have appeared in other provinces of the Profound Heaven Domain. They're all Earth-Grade Aptitude, and I heard a few even have Heaven-Grade Aptitude!"

"Damn, that terrifying? They're joining us too!"

"You don't know this, but I'm from Profound Province. That monster is the Gu Family's Qilin heir of this generation, named Gu Xuantian. He has Heaven-grade Aptitude and astonishing comprehension, yet he did not enter the Inner Academy directly either."

The many people seated cross-legged on cushions in the hall wore expressions of utter shock.