"Junior Qinghe, I didn't expect your true strength to be so formidable. I dare to guarantee that even without Lu Qingyun's recommendation, you would have easily secured the spot in the Legacy Academy," Lei Jian thought back to the battle in the black market on the way back, his mind still in upheaval.
"I missed the opportunity to compete for the Immortal Sword back then. If it weren't for Qingyun giving me this opportunity, I'm afraid I would have missed the chance to enter the Legacy Academy," said Lu Qinghe.
"Haha, in short, today I finally caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg of your true cultivation. By the way, when you have time, why don't we exchange pointers?"
"It would be my honor for Senior Lei Jian to offer guidance," Lu Qinghe responded calmly.
However, at this moment, Lei Jian would no longer associate him with a gentle and refined character.
This Lu Qinghe... is clearly a ruthless character.
Those who provoke him are met with indifference, not because he is unworldly or patient, but because he feels that the other party has not threatened him yet, perhaps not a real trouble, not worthy of attention.
But if the other party's existence might endanger his life...
Regardless of any identity...
Kill!
Such a person is truly terrifying.
"Lu Qinghe, Lei Jian, where did you two go today?"
As the two returned to their residence, a voice suddenly came from one side.
Lei Jian turned around to see Ding Hai standing with a sullen expression. Alongside him was a woman of about twenty-six or twenty-seven, with an equally unattractive look.
"Why should we report to you where we went?" Lei Jian snorted coldly.
He was not someone afraid of trouble.
"Hmph, this afternoon, representatives of the Guangzhen Hall came to exchange with us from the Immortal Seeking Sect. In the end, as our team was incomplete, we were defeated. If you were all present, our sect's practice sanctum would not have to suffer such disgrace!"
"Guangzhen Hall."
Lu Qinghe knew that this power, similar to the Tianlong Hall, belonged to the top powers of the QianGu Kingdom. In the kingdom, the royal forces were the most, and other top powers either served the royal family or had intricate relationships with them. Forces like the Immortal Seeking Sect, which were completely independent of the royal family's jurisdiction, were rare.
"You are incompetent yourselves and lose to the Guangzhen Hall, yet you want to shift the blame onto us? Truly ridiculous!" Lei Jian quickly understood Ding Hai's meaning and laughed coldly.
"You..."
Ding Hai's expression darkened, "When Senior Li Wendao returned, he made it clear that he would go to the Guangzhen Hall tomorrow to avenge the defeat. If you two are absent again, don't blame us for disregarding the face of our sect."
After speaking, he and the woman had already turned and left.
"Insane," Lei Jian flipped off Ding Hai fiercely.
Looking at Ding Hai's departure, Lu Qinghe seemed thoughtful.
"That woman with him doesn't seem to be one of the ten from our sect."
"Which woman?"
Lei Jian was slightly surprised and carefully recalled, saying, "Indeed she is not one of the ten people from our Cultivation Sect, but this woman looks very familiar."
"Familiar?"
"Yes."
Lei Jian said, pondering for a moment. He seemed to have finally figured something out, and his eyes lit up. "Su Mengqing! It's Su Mengqing!"
"Su Mengqing?"
"Actually, it's her! I understand what Ding Hai meant!"
Lei Jian's face looked unpleasant.
"Who is Su Mengqing?"
"The daughter of the third Vice Sect Master, Su Mengxin."
Lei Jian said and then immediately added, "But that's not the point. The point is, Su Mengqing and Li Wenda have been childhood sweethearts since they were young."
"Why have I never heard of this person in the inner sect?"
"How many years have you been with the Cultivation Sect? Su Mengqing left the Cultivation Sect two years ago."
"She left the Cultivation Sect?"
Lu Qinghe was somewhat astonished.
"Because of the Mysterious Prince! It seems that Su Mengqing has feelings for that Mysterious Prince."
"Mysterious Prince?"
Among the Ten Princes, the First Prince, Mysterious Prince, and Invincible Prince belong to one tier, while Qiankun Prince, Wanhu Prince, Mechanism Prince, Sword Prince, and Asker Prince belong to another tier.
As of now, Lu Qinghe may have a strength not inferior to Qiankun Prince and Wanhu Prince, but he has never seen the First Prince, Invincible Prince, or Mysterious Prince, and so doesn't have a guaranteed victory against them.
"Su Mengqing was expelled from the Cultivation Sect by Su Mengxin because of the Mysterious Prince. However, that is only the official explanation. As the daughter of the third Vice Sect Master, Su Mengxin, even if she left the Cultivation Sect, no disciple of the Cultivation Sect would dare to underestimate her."
At this point, Lei Jian looked at Lu Qinghe and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Su Mengqing should be coming for you."
"Me?"
"It's your fault for being too low-key. Clearly, you have a strength that is not inferior to any of us, but you conceal it so well, not revealing even a bit of it."
Lei Jian explained helplessly, "Since the Mysterious Prince is going to the heritage academy, Su Mengqing naturally wants to go as well. But how easy is it to get a spot at the heritage academy? Although Su Mengqing has a high cultivation base and was once famous in the First Peak, she probably ranks at the level of people like Jiang Xinyue and Long Que. It is unlikely for her to achieve anything significant in the fiercely competitive Eternal War. Her hopes are slim."
Lu Qinghe understood.
Since Su Mengqing couldn't win a spot at the heritage academy in the Eternal War, she targeted Lu Qinghe instead.
Li Wenda and Su Mengqing have been childhood sweethearts, and on top of that, Su Mengqing is the daughter of the third Vice Sect Master, Su Mengxin. Ding Hai and the others also flatter her. Therefore…
Lu Qinghe, the weakest in cultivation, has evidently become their target.
They want Su Mengqing to replace Lu Qinghe.
"Haha..."
Lu Qinghe chuckled.
No wonder Lei Jian said that he was too low-key. It seems that anyone and everyone can bully him.
"It's likely that tomorrow's visit to the Guangzhen Hall is directed at you. If you want to keep your spot at the heritage academy, you'll have to put on a good performance."
Lei Jian laughed heartily.
Having witnessed the battle between Lu Qinghe and Wan Wuying, Lei Jian no longer doubted Lu Qinghe's true strength.
Perhaps with the strength he displayed at that time, he could even seize a spot in the Eternal War.
"The heritage academy is of great importance. Since they want to seize the spot that belongs to me, they should be prepared to pay the price."
Lu Qinghe said calmly.
He didn't like trouble, but it didn't mean that he could remain indifferent even if someone stepped on his head.
"I'm looking forward to the exchange at the Guangzhen Hall tomorrow, haha!"
Lei Jian saw Lu Qinghe's appearance and chuckled again, "Tonight, refine the Primordial Crystal. I'll be your protector. It's best to make another breakthrough. By then, they will understand how foolish it is to covet your spot."
"Thank you, Senior Lei Jian."
Lu Qinghe nodded.
Soon, he was in his room.
Lei Jian sat outside Lu Qinghe's room, silently circulating his true qi. If an ordinary person wanted to disturb Lu Qinghe's cultivation, they would have to pass this test first.
"Primordial Crystal."
Lu Qinghe looked at the peculiar crystal in his hand, feeling calm. His true qi cultivation had already reached the pinnacle of the ninth level when he came out of that mysterious cave. After the refining and tempering during this period of time, it had become even more complete. Even without the Primordial Crystal, he would probably reach the tenth level of true qi cultivation within a year.
And now, this Primordial Crystal…
Lu Qinghe no longer hesitated. He immediately held the Primordial Crystal in his hand, circulated his true qi, and drew out all the Primordial Qi contained within it, pouring it into his body.
As he used the chaotic energy within the mixed-element essence crystal, the true qi in his body began to operate at an extremely fast pace.
Thirty-six small cycles, seventy-two large cycles, seamlessly connected, constantly rotating and never ceasing.
As the true qi in Lu Qinghe's body reached its pinnacle, his flesh, tendons, cells, bones, and organs seemed to disappear, leaving only a single circulatory system in his perception.
Within this circulatory system, he seemed to return to the womb, forming a circular loop where the power from the upper, middle, and lower dantians continuously infused into the circle, making it fuller and more complete. He could, if he wanted, completely transform this circle and the circulatory system.
This was the opening of the Elemental Realm!
In other words, Lu Qinghe could now choose to open the Elemental Realm and advance to the Mixed Element.
But...
An ordinary elemental realm was not his choice.
As the true qi reached its peak, the continuous rotation and circulation of the circulatory system seemed to be suddenly disrupted, and a new circulatory system was formed amidst the oscillations.
The new circulatory system was more majestic, vast, perfect, and complete compared to the previous one. The only difference was that as the new circulatory system formed, a hint of exhaustion appeared in the power being constantly infused from the upper, middle, and lower dantians, making it seem like the newly formed mixed-element circulatory system was about to dissipate.
"That's the circulatory cycle of refining true qi to the tenth level..."
Lu Qinghe looked at the seemingly weak and unstable mixed-element circulatory system and his eyes lit up as the energy within him suddenly ignited.
"Refining essence into qi! Refining qi into spirit!"
"Boom!"
As his internal energy boiled, the previously shaky mixed-element circulatory system suddenly became stable and quickly completed a rotation.
In the instant the new mixed-element circulatory system formed, his body seemed to have broken through its previous cultivation limits.
Refining true qi to the tenth level, boldly broke through...