Chapter 22: The Liuyang Mystic Realm! But didn’t Gu Yang just take on a task not long ago? How long has it even been? Not even a full day! And he’s… already completed it? How was that even possible? Thinking this, Steward Li couldn’t help but chuckle. “Brother Gu Yang, you must’ve misspoken. Didn’t you only take the task this morning?” But seeing Gu Yang shake his head earnestly and take out three severed heads from his storage ring, Steward Li froze. “These are… the mission targets?” “You really finished it already?!” The mission targets were bandits at the Seventh Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. To have completed it so quickly and eliminated all of them… Was Gu Yang really only at the Second Stage of Qi Gathering? Steward Li didn’t say anything more and began processing the mission. “Brother Gu Yang, I’ve credited one thousand contribution points to your Inner Sect token.” “You’re seriously impressive—those were Seventh Stage bandits, and you wiped them out in such a short time. Truly admirable.” He spoke with a smile but was visibly shocked inside. Back when he was still an Inner Sect disciple, he’d taken similar missions too. They were extremely difficult—most Inner Sect disciples couldn’t even complete them. But Gu Yang not only completed it, he did it within a single day… That was nearly unheard of. Gu Yang accepted his token and gave a polite cupped-fist salute. “Thank you, Steward Li. But actually… the mission target wasn’t just Seventh Stage—it was the Ninth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm.” With that, he turned and walked away calmly. Steward Li stood frozen. “Did he say… Ninth Stage?” The corners of Steward Li’s mouth twitched slightly. But then the thought hit him— One could determine someone’s cultivation level from their remains. So, he turned his attention to the three severed heads. After a quick examination— Gu Yang hadn’t even exaggerated—he’d actually understated it. Not only was the bandit leader at the Ninth Stage, even the other two were Seventh Stage. Steward Li was utterly shaken. He stared at Gu Yang’s retreating figure in silence for a long time. Finally, he murmured to himself, “Now I finally understand how Ding Hao lost to him.” “This guy’s a freak!” “No wonder so many Inner Sect elders had their eyes on him during the selection tournament…” “This is terrifying!” Filled with emotion, he stood rooted to the spot. Meanwhile, Gu Yang headed straight to the Treasure Pavilion, where disciples exchanged contribution points for resources. After a brief search, Gu Yang didn’t exchange for spirit stones. Instead, he used 500 contribution points to purchase a Qi Condensation Pill—a pill that assisted in breakthroughs. It was best taken right before advancing a stage, and since he was about to break through, he decided to play it safe. After acquiring the pill, Gu Yang rushed back to his private courtyard and began cultivating immediately. Nearly half a month later— Inside the secluded courtyard, with the aid of the Qi Condensation Pill, Gu Yang successfully broke through to the Third Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, and spent time stabilizing his cultivation. His strength had taken another leap forward. “Guess it’s time to return the books.” Gu Yang rose to his feet, suddenly remembering that he hadn’t yet returned the martial techniques he’d borrowed from the Martial Pavilion. He changed his clothes, gathered the manuals, and headed over. “Elder, I’m here to return the books.” Gu Yang bowed slightly to the elder guarding the pavilion. “Oh, it’s you? How did your training with the Windcloud Sword Technique go?” The elder smiled with interest. “Not bad,” Gu Yang replied with a small nod. The elder assumed that meant Gu Yang hadn’t mastered it and offered a few words of comfort. “That technique isn’t easy. It’s simple to get started with, but reaching mastery takes a great deal of time and effort. Keep at it—don’t rush.” After that, he took the manuals and returned them to the pavilion. Gu Yang, on the other hand, looked a bit amused. Getting started? Mastery being difficult? He’d reached mastery in just over ten minutes. Granted, it wasn’t thanks to his own talent, but still… For him, achieving mastery wasn’t difficult at all. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel-fire.ɴet Still, he didn’t feel like showing off, so he said nothing. Just as he turned to leave, the pavilion elder suddenly called out to him. “You’ve broken through to the Third Stage of Qi Gathering?” Gu Yang paused for a moment, then nodded. “I heard you beat Ding Hao while still at the First Stage—your strength speaks for itself.” “In a few days, the Liuyang Mystic Realm will open. If you’re interested, come sign up at the Martial Pavilion in three days.” Gu Yang blinked in surprise. “Liuyang Mystic Realm?” He had never heard of it before. The elder wasn’t surprised. “It’s located in a nearby valley, shrouded year-round in miasma—strong enough that even Core Formation cultivators wouldn’t dare venture in.” “But once every year, the miasma thins. That’s when the realm becomes accessible.” “It’s full of opportunities and rare resources. Inner Sect disciples with enough talent and power will all participate. Even the nearby Baiyang Sect will send disciples.” “Of course, danger comes with opportunity. Normally, only disciples at the Seventh Stage or higher are allowed to join.” “But you’re a special case. If you want to go, I doubt those old fogeys would object.” He smiled as he explained. Hearing all that, Gu Yang finally understood. This was a rare chance to acquire treasures and fortune! There would be countless other disciples as well… which made Gu Yang’s eyes light up. “Thank you for the heads-up, Elder. I’ll return in three days to sign up.” “Haha, not bad. You’ve got guts. Prepare well during these three days—I hope you come back with something worthwhile from the Liuyang Mystic Realm.” After bidding farewell, Gu Yang walked home, deep in thought. So this is the privilege of being a genius. If I were just average, with no real accomplishments, there’s no way I’d get a shot at this mystic realm. He couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle. “Well then… let’s look forward to it— the Liuyang Mystic Realm.”