"Senior OP, you said that someone was spying on me outside after I left?"
Lu Qing was slightly startled.
"Indeed, and that aura was extremely evil. I only sensed it slightly, and I already felt a sense of dread."
However, that person also seemed to be exceptionally strong and extremely cautious.
He left immediately after noticing my presence.
Recalling the aura he had sensed earlier, the Master of Heavenly Secrets still felt a pang of fear.
That was the most evil aura he had ever seen in his life.
"It seems my premonition was right. Sure enough, there is someone coveting Miss Hu."
Lu Qing understood.
Fortunately, before leaving, he asked the Master of Tianji Tower to stay in the courtyard.
Otherwise, Xiao Li alone might not be able to protect so many people.
After all, people's hearts are treacherous, and Xiao Li, as a spirit beast, is still too naive.
Even if a powerful enemy is strong, it is not necessarily possible to defeat a treacherous enemy who has many tricks up their sleeve and hides in the shadows.
Thinking about this, Lu Qing felt that it was indeed more suitable to stay in Tianji Tower.
So he stopped refusing the master of Tianji Tower's invitation to stay and continued to live in the courtyard.
Not long after, Lin Zhirui returned safely to Tianji Tower and brought Lu Qing and the others a message.
“Young Master Lu, Senior Chen, the Suspended Mountain seems to be convinced that you two are on the verge of falling into demonic ways.”
Although many powerful figures present at the time did not quite believe it, the Suspended Mountain was, after all, one of the four great secret places.
He still holds considerable prestige among the various sects.
If Suspended Mountain were to publicly announce this, I fear certain forces that wish to curry favor with Suspended Mountain might seize the opportunity to attack you.
Lin Zhirui recounted what happened after Lu Qing and the other person left, and also did not hide anything, telling the powerful people present about part of their origins.
"But please rest assured, Young Master Lu, I did not reveal the location of Jiuli Village. I only said that I met you during my travels over the years," Lin Zhirui added at the end.
"Those bald monks on Suspended Mountain probably won't believe it, will they?" Lu Qing asked.
"Whether they believe it or not is not important. Anyway, I have already given them the explanation. As for whether it is true or false, it depends on whether they have the ability to tell."
In front of so many powerful figures, they can't very well use the Vajra Subduing Demon Formation on me, can they?
In that case, the Hanging Mountain would truly be disgraced.
Lin Zhirui laughed, his tone laced with sarcasm.
He used to have a strong yearning for such a mysterious place as the Hanging Mountain.
But today's experience made him realize...
The so-called mysterious place is actually no different from the sects and forces outside.
Even in public, there are still many scheming and despicable people.
Even the treacherous and domineering nature of the Suspended Mountain sect is worse than that of ordinary sects.
The disillusionment made Lin Zhirui even more disdainful of such forces.
Just as Lu Qing and the others were chatting.
On the sacred mountain, the monks of the suspended mountain were gathered around the body of the monk Huixin, who had been crushed to death by Lu Qing, their faces filled with grief.
"Elder Xuanming, Huixin is dead. Are we just going to let that little beast go like this?"
A young monk shouted with a face full of grief and indignation.
He and Huixin were fellow disciples who grew up together. They were the ones who jumped out together to stop Lu Qing earlier.
Watching Huixin being crushed to death by Lu Qing, he felt a mixture of shock, fear, and relief.
What was frightening was Lu Qing's strength, but what was fortunate was that Lu Qing chose to capture Hui Xin instead of him.
Otherwise, he would probably be the one lying on the ground right now.
However, he couldn't let the elders see his gloating thoughts, so he preemptively asked a question.
"This matter cannot be left unresolved. However, that young man is too strange. We still need to find out his background before making a detailed plan."
Xuanming said calmly.
"Senior Brother Xuanming, do you think what the Tianji Tower disciple said earlier was all true?" another senior monk asked.
"It's half true and half false, and more false than true. The young man's words are not credible," Xuanming said calmly.
"Outrageous! How dare a mere disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion lie to us!" Xuan Nu roared in anger.
He had been severely injured by Lu Qing's sword, but apart from still being a little weak, his injuries had completely healed.
It is evident that the martial arts techniques of the Suspended Mountain are indeed profound.
“That’s right, Senior Brother Xuanming, why didn’t you just take down that Tianji Tower disciple?
With our methods, it wouldn't be difficult to force them to reveal the origins of that master and apprentice!
Another senior monk shouted loudly.
No one doubted Xuanming's words, because they knew that Xuanming had cultivated a secret technique of the soul that allowed him to easily discern the truth or falsehood of what others said.
“This is absolutely unacceptable. Today, we are already acting rashly by using the Vajra Subduing Demon Formation to try to subdue and convert that old man.”
If the true disciples of Tianji Tower are arrested again at will, not only will Tianji Tower not let it go, but the people of the other three secret realms will also not necessarily stand idly by.
Moreover, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has a deep connection with the Holy Mountain; it's hard to say whether the three Holy Lords will intervene.
Upon hearing this, the other senior monks immediately fell silent.
They could disregard the attitudes of the other three secret realms, since there was an agreement among them that they should not easily interfere in the affairs of other secret realms.
However, those three holy lords are people they must respect.
Because this is a sacred mountain, and on that sacred mountain, the three holy lords are virtually invincible.
Even if the rulers of their major secret realms were to come in person, they wouldn't dare say they could defeat them.
However, due to some kind of agreement, the Holy Lords and their secret realm also had a certain agreement not to easily take action.
"However, you are not wrong either. The majesty of our Suspended Mountain cannot be violated."
Since that young man killed Huixin, he should eventually have to give an explanation.
Otherwise, if word gets out, what will become of the prestige of our Suspended Mountain?
The world has changed, and our Suspended Mountain will inevitably have to enter the world sooner or later. We absolutely cannot tolerate any existence that dares to provoke us.
"Senior Brother Xuanming, what should we do?"
“Let the people from the Wujian Tower do it,” Xuanming said after thinking for a moment. “We’ve protected them for so long, it’s time for them to accumulate some merit.”
"The Boundless Tower?" A monk exclaimed in surprise. "Brother Xuanming, the people of the Boundless Tower are all madmen. What if they start a massacre in the Holy City..."
Most importantly, those madmen were quite strong, and their assassination skills were exceptional.
Even they, if they are not careful, could fall into a trap.
"So what?" Xuanming said indifferently. "It was the people from the Wujianlou who did it. What does it have to do with my Xuankong Mountain?"
...
That night, Lu Qing sat cross-legged on his bed, pondering the events of the day.
The tricks of the suspended mountain were not unexpected.
First, vilify your opponent as a heretic, placing yourself on a moral high ground, and then justifiably attack your opponent.
These hypocritical so-called righteous families have always used this tactic.
However, although Lu Qing disdained this approach, he also knew that the current situation was indeed unfavorable to them.
The more righteous a sect appears, the more insidious its methods become.
It is said that it is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but difficult to guard against an arrow in the dark.
Who knows what methods those bald monks on the suspended mountain will use to deal with them?
So even though he wasn't afraid, Lu Qing could still sense how dangerous their situation was.
Ahead lies the treacherous and deceitful enemy, the Suspended Mountain, while in the shadows lurks a mysterious and unpredictable being watching them.
Even after they displayed their strength on the Holy Mountain during the day, it's hard to say whether any other forces still harbor hostility towards them.
In addition, there was an increasingly strong sense of opportunity.
All of this made Lu Qing feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.
"The reason I feel danger is because I am not strong enough."
Lu Qing savored the subtle, dangerous aura that was stimulating his soul.
But my mind became increasingly clear.
"As long as I am strong enough, then no matter what kind of conspiracy or trickery there is, it is nothing but a passing breeze and dust, and can all be swept away."
"Perhaps, it's time for me to break through."
A sudden realization dawned on Lu Qing's mind.
He had always wanted to follow his intuition and suppress his cultivation, waiting for an opportunity to break through to the Innate Realm.
But now, a strong sense of crisis has made Lu Qing realize this.
In this holy city and holy mountain, where there are many powerful beings and the waters are extremely deep.
His strength is not yet sufficient to control the situation or protect those around him.
Things are alright now, but when that opportunity truly arrives, the Holy City and Holy Mountain will surely be more than ten times more chaotic than they are now.
No one can say for sure what will happen then.
"Well, how can everything in this world truly be perfect?"
Being too much of a perfectionist can sometimes make it easier to end up with regrets.
If my stubbornness ultimately leads to harm to Xiaoyan and my master, then what is the point of this so-called perfection?
Various thoughts arose in Lu Qing's mind, making his mind increasingly calm and clear.
At that moment, he understood his true self and what he most wanted to protect.
As soon as the enlightenment began, Lu Qingfu had a sudden inspiration and decided to stop suppressing his cultivation. With a thought, the energy aperture in his lower dantian opened instantly.
At the same time, the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) began to fluctuate violently.
"Hmm? The energy of heaven and earth is fluctuating! The source is in A Qing's room. Is A Qing about to step into the Innate Realm at this time?!"
The moment Lu Qing opened his Qi Aperture and began to draw upon the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy), the old doctor in the adjacent room immediately noticed.
He was all too familiar with this feeling; it was a sign that he had reached the peak of the Acquired Realm and was about to step into the Innate Realm.
The old doctor was startled, and the next moment, his figure disappeared from the room.
However, when he arrived at Lu Qing's room, the fluctuation of the天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) suddenly disappeared.
“Aqing...”
Just as the old doctor was about to transmit his voice, Lu Qing's voice rang in his mind.
"Master, it's nothing. I've just gained some insights into cultivation. There's no need to worry."
"By the way, the commotion just now probably alerted His Excellency Zhi Rui. Master, could you please handle things for me?"
Upon hearing this, the old doctor immediately understood that Lu Qing must have reached a certain key point in his cultivation and was temporarily unable to show himself.
Just then, he also heard Lin Zhirui's voice coming from outside the courtyard: "Senior Chen, I just sensed a trace of Yuan Qi fluctuation..."
Inside the room, Lu Qing heard his master go out to greet Lin Zhirui and felt relieved.
But then, endless doubts arose in his mind.
Why can't I reach the Innate Realm?
Lu Qing sensed the condition within his body. Now, the Qi aperture in his dantian had been opened, and a wisp of true Qi had even been refined within it.
But strangely, he felt that he was still in the Acquired Realm.
He did not step into the Innate Realm, nor did he cause the rules of heaven and earth to tremble and the appearance of primordial energy and white mist, like his master had done, to help him condense an Innate Body.
Equally strange, he was able to continuously draw qi into his body, refine the primordial energy of heaven and earth for his own use, and transform it into his own true qi.
However, merely drawing qi into the body without condensing an innate body means that this cannot be considered a true innate realm.
"What's this? A post-natal realm cultivator who can cultivate true qi?"
Lu Qing was dumbfounded and couldn't understand why he was in this situation.
He had always believed that reaching the Innate Realm was just a matter of a single thought.
Now that he wanted to break through, he discovered he had made a huge blunder, which was quite embarrassing.
However, Lu Qing is no ordinary person.
Soon, he calmed down, activated his supernatural ability training mode, and carefully sensed and deduced his own situation.
After a while, as he continued to deduce, a sudden realization arose in Lu Qing's heart.
"So that's how it is. It's because my accumulation is too profound. Once I truly step into the Innate Realm, I will be exceptionally powerful."
The current rules of heaven and earth have not yet matured to a truly perfect state, and are not yet capable of accommodating the emergence of an extraordinary, innate being like myself.
After using his special ability to deduce the situation, Lu Qing finally understood what was going on.
It turned out that after repeatedly breaking his limits and strengthening himself, his accumulated power in the Acquired Realm was simply too profound.
With his current foundation, once he breaks through to the Innate Realm, he will surely be earth-shattering and incomparably powerful.
Unfortunately, the world has just changed, spiritual energy has only recently been revived, and the rules of the world have not yet evolved and become perfect.
Without a complete set of rules, there isn't enough power to create extraordinary individuals like Lu Qing.
So this led to Lu Qing's current awkward initial state.
Even though he had already drawn qi into his body and refined it into true qi, his cultivation level was still at the Acquired Realm.
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
Lu Qing was both amused and exasperated, never expecting such a thing to happen.
The only consolation for him was that, although he had not officially entered the Innate Realm, his strength had increased considerably after refining true qi.
At the very least, possessing true qi and relying on the inheritance in his mind, he has a much wider range of methods at his disposal.
"I wonder when the rules of heaven and earth will evolve and become perfect."
Lu Qing thought to himself silently.
Just then, his expression suddenly changed.
He sensed that several hidden auras were quietly infiltrating the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and heading towards their courtyard.
