Genius Is Only the Threshold to Meet Me

Lin Changkong opened his eyes and stretched lazily, only to see Hong Ye and Ye Wuchen standing beside him, staring at him without blinking, their faces full of astonishment.

"Senior Sister, Elder, why are you looking at me like that?"

On the way to the Martial Arts Hall, Hong Ye had already told him about some matters concerning the Martial Arts Hall and informed him about Ye Wuchen, the elder who guarded it.

Thus, Lin Changkong knew Ye Wuchen's identity.

Hong Ye said, "Junior Brother, did you just break through to the Qi Gathering Realm?"

Lin Changkong nodded. "Yep. What about it?"

Though she had seen it with her own eyes, hearing Lin Changkong say it himself still made Hong Ye feel as though she were dreaming.

Half a day. In just half a day, you broke through from the Body Refining Peak to the Qi Gathering Realm.

And you were asking me what was wrong.

What was wrong?

I'd been dealt a crushing blow!

"Fuck!"

Ye Wuchen opened his mouth and blurted out another curse. The way he looked at Lin Changkong was as though he were looking at some peerless treasure.

He was both envious and overjoyed.

"What do you mean, what's wrong? It's only been half a day since you started reading the Crimson Flame Blood Fiend Technique, and in half a day, you broke through an entire major realm. And you're asking us what's wrong?

What else could be wrong? I'm so jealous my eyes have gone red!"

"Fuck!"

As Ye Wuchen spoke, he rubbed his forehead and jumped about in agitation.

Lin Changkong looked at him speechlessly. Seriously, were you sure you were an elder?

"Elder Ye, watch your status when you speak."

Ye Wuchen said, "Status? What the hell is status? Tell me, what the fuck is status? What the fuck is a fucking status?

I'm just a lousy elder. Status isn't worth a thing. But you're a real genius! You've hit me hard."

Lin Changkong was speechless again. If I told them I'd actually spent ten years, plus a Qi Gathering Pill, just to barely break through to the Qi Gathering Realm, would they still think I was a genius?

This also made Lin Changkong realize something: this body's aptitude was truly poor, perhaps even worse than he had originally imagined.

So, gaining a hundred years of cultivation every day might not improve him as quickly as he had imagined.

Of course, that was only relative. Even if it was not as fast as he had imagined, to others, it would still be lightning-fast.

He rose to his feet and said with a smile, "It was nothing much. It simply happened naturally. But if we're talking about geniuses, I'm not really one either."

Ye Wuchen let out a breath and said, "You really are humble. Having such a temperament is a good thing. Pride makes one fall behind, while humility makes one progress. It's good that you understand this principle."

Lin Changkong hurriedly waved his hands and said solemnly, "Elder Ye, you misunderstand me. That isn't what I meant. What I meant was, I'm not a genius either.

Because genius is merely the threshold to meet me."

Ye Wuchen said, "..."

"I really want to beat you to death, you know that?!"

Lin Changkong said, "I didn't before, but I do now."

"Fuck!"

Ye Wuchen stomped his feet in fury, shook his head, and hurried away. He felt that if he did not leave now, Lin Changkong would eventually anger him into a serious illness.

This guy was genuinely a genius, and genuinely good at showing off.

He had lived for decades, but where had he ever seen anyone like this? Those more talented than him could not show off as well as he could, while those better at showing off were not as talented as him.

Wasn't he an all-rounder?!

Hong Ye took a deep breath and tried her best to calm down. Yet even so, the way she looked at Lin Changkong was clearly different from before.

Previously, she had regarded Lin Changkong as a younger brother. But now, if not as an elder brother, then at least as an equal expert.

"I truly never expected your talent to be this terrifying. You broke through an entire major realm in half a day. I've only ever heard of talent on this level in legends.

At your rate of progress, you may catch up to my realm in just a few months. Comparing people really can anger a person to death."

Lin Changkong said, "Senior Sister, there's no need to be so modest. It's not that exaggerated."

Hong Ye smiled. "It isn't an exaggeration. I truly think it's possible. But that's for later. Let's not talk about it today. In any case, Heavenly Fire Sect has truly found a treasure in you.

With your advancement speed, you'll definitely shine brilliantly at the New Disciple Martial Competition."

"The New Disciple Martial Competition? What's that?" Lin Changkong tilted his head at Hong Ye.

Hong Ye said, "Look at me, I actually forgot to tell you something so important. The New Disciple Martial Competition is a martial tournament for newly joined disciples, meant to assess the newcomers.

Those who perform well will naturally receive the sect's focused cultivation. The top thirty in the tournament will all receive rewards, and the rewards for the top ten are even more generous.

Now that you've entered the Qi Gathering Realm, you have every chance of competing for a place in the top thirty."

"You need the Qi Gathering Realm just to compete for the top thirty?"

Lin Changkong was somewhat surprised. Among the servant disciples, reaching the Body Refining Seventh Level qualified one to compete for a spot in the Outer Sect.

To servant disciples, the Qi Gathering Realm was an unattainable height. Yet it seemed that among the Outer Sect, there were quite a few newcomers in the Qi Gathering Realm.

Hong Ye said, "What else did you expect? There are actually very few disciples who come from the Servant Courtyard. After all, if they had possessed high talent before, they would not have become servant disciples.

And not every servant disciple is as talented as you. The largest portion of Outer Sect Disciples comes from the children recruited from great Lineages outside.

These people have family backing and abundant resources from childhood, so quite a few of them have entered the Qi Gathering Realm.

As far as I know, there are over a hundred newcomers this time, and nearly half of them have reached the Qi Gathering Realm. The strongest have even reached the Qi Gathering Realm Third Level, while three-quarters of the rest are at the Body Refining Peak."

Lin Changkong clicked his tongue slightly. By that calculation, the Servant Courtyard disciples really were weak. No wonder Zhang Shanhe had repeatedly stressed that after entering the Outer Sect, they needed to keep a low profile and lie low while they developed.

"So that's how it is. Then when will the New Disciple Martial Competition be held?"

"Usually on the third day after entering the sect. You entered today, so the day after tomorrow should be the day of the New Disciple Martial Competition.

The elders will tell you this information tomorrow at the unified newcomer meeting. I'm giving you an early heads-up, so you can prepare in advance."

Lin Changkong said, "Thank you for telling me, Senior Sister. I'll work hard."

The day after tomorrow meant he still had two days to extract cultivation, for a total of another two hundred years of cultivation.

Two hundred years—even with the worst aptitude, it would be more than enough.

After leaving the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Changkong headed straight back to his dormitory. Hong Ye had other matters to attend to, so they parted ways for the time being.

As Lin Changkong made his way back to the dormitory, Gong Lian and Gong Cheng were gnashing their teeth in a small patch of woods. Beside them stood an additional woman.

The woman wore black, her waist cinched tightly like Hong Ye's, giving her a simple and capable appearance. Her looks were somewhat inferior to Hong Ye's, but not by much.

Among women, she was likewise an exceptionally eye-catching presence.

"Senior Sister Liu Qing, we'll be relying on you today. You must teach that brat a proper lesson."

"That's right. A trash with low-grade talent who came from the Servant Courtyard actually dared to shit and piss all over our heads. If we don't break his legs today, won't he be strutting around in front of you, Senior Sister Liu Qing, tomorrow?

We have to let him know that heaven is high and earth is thick!"

The Gong Cheng and Gong Lian brothers fawned over the woman named Liu Qing. The person they wanted to teach a lesson was naturally Lin Changkong.

After being brutally beaten by Lin Changkong, they refused to accept it. But they could not defeat him, so they went to find help.

Liu Qing's talent was better than theirs, and she had broken through to the Qi Gathering Realm half a month ago. Thus, they were brimming with confidence about intercepting Lin Changkong midway.

After all, Lin Changkong had only been at the Body Refining Peak when he beat them. Liu Qing had reached the Qi Gathering Realm—she would surely be able to crush him with ease.