Chapter 11 Always Cheating, Always Thrilling
"Ah Qing, your talent is remarkable. Which sect do you plan to join?"
Inside the room, Lin chuqing gently combed Gu Qing's hair, a faint smile gracing her face as she spoke softly.
"I don't know. Why don't you help me decide, sister chuqing?" Gu Qing replied with a grin.
She was, after all, the successor of the Hidden Immortal Palace. He might not know how powerful that sect truly was, but it was surely extraordinary. Unlike him, who had spent his life in Maple Leaf City, blind to the wider world, she had seen far more.
"If you want to practice sword arts, the Heavenly Sword Holy Land is best. For Daoist methods, go to the Xuantian Holy Land. For the demonic path, the Primordial Demon Sect..."
She listed more than ten sacred sects in a single breath, then added casually, "Actually, the Star Temple is also excellent. It's a transcendent force of the Ancient Realm, with a history tracing back to antiquity. Its divine techniques are countless, and it holds endless heavenly treasures.
"I've heard the Star Temple gathers the essence of sun, moon, and stars to refine the Three Lights Divine Water, which can transform one's constitution and strengthen their origin—a supreme treasure for the body.
"And they have a Starfruit Tree. Eating one fruit can transform a person into a Star Body. Even a divine body will advance further if it consumes it, greatly strengthening its source."
Gu Qing listened quietly. Somehow, it felt like everything before had just been a prelude, and the Star Temple was what she really wanted him to choose.
Could it be that Lin chuqing already knew he carried the Zhou Tian Star Divine Body?
Of course—how could he forget she possessed the Void-Breaking Immortal Eyes, able to pierce all truths?
"Sister chuqing, you already knew I had the Zhou Tian Star Divine Body, yet you still beat around the bush." Gu Qing pinched her delicate hand in mock anger.
"Zhou Tian Star Divine Body?"
Lin chuqing's face lit with joy. This was a supreme divine body, renowned among the divine constitutions.
It boasted unmatched combat power, said to suppress all phenomena, with cultivation speed unhindered by bottlenecks. Among all supreme divine bodies, the Zhou Tian Star Divine Body was ranked near the very top.
Far above, a radiant figure suddenly opened her eyes, then closed them again. "Forget it. Chuqing dislikes me spying. I won't bother looking at her man—men are hardly worth watching."
"A pity our Hidden Immortal Palace does not take male disciples."
"Master, you're not allowed to spy, nor sell his information to other sects," Lin chuqing instantly transmitted to her teacher.
"You little girl, do you take me, your master, for someone dishonorable? I am a proper lady of virtue. How could I stoop so low?"
"Then no eavesdropping."
"If I don't listen in all directions, how am I supposed to protect you?"
"In Maple Leaf City, who could possibly threaten me?"
"Fine, fine. I'll neither watch nor listen."
…
"You didn't know?" Gu Qing asked, startled.
"Of course not. You never told me," Lin chuqing replied, drawing back her hand, slightly puzzled.
Though she had the Void-Breaking Immortal Eyes, she had never used them to pry into others' secrets, much less Gu Qing's.
For her, it was enough to be happy that he had awakened such a body. As for how it happened or what secrets he held, she would never intrude.
"I thought you had seen through it."
Gu Qing realized he had misunderstood her. "I only awakened the Zhou Tian Star Divine Body recently. I thought you noticed."
"Impossible. The Zhou Tian Star Divine Body is unique. Within it lies the Zhou Tian Universe, capable of sealing all aura. As long as you don't reveal it, no one can sense it—unless they possess divine eyes."
Unaware she had been tricked into revealing knowledge, Lin chuqing patiently explained. In her eyes, Gu Qing still understood very little.
"An inner Zhou Tian that seals aura?"
Gu Qing's heart stirred. Following her suggestion, he instantly concealed his aura. From the outside, he now appeared not even at Qi Condensation Realm, but as an ordinary mortal.
"This inner Zhou Tian's concealment is even better than stealth techniques," Gu Qing said with delight.
"Of course. Every divine body has its uniqueness. You must learn to cultivate your own gifts.
"If you can create a divine ability through them, it will far surpass any external technique. What is most suited to you will always be the strongest."
Her gentle voice carried both warmth and wisdom.
Her voice was cool and melodious, carrying a subtle charm that soothed the heart and calmed restlessness.
"Sister chuqing is right," Gu Qing nodded in agreement, resolving that he must study the mysteries of the Zhou Tian Star Divine Body more deeply in the future.
"Have you heard of innate divine abilities?" Lin chuqing asked next.
"No, what are innate divine abilities?" Gu Qing's eyes lit up. The name alone suggested immense power.
"Innate divine abilities, as the name implies, are divine powers awakened from one's own constitution. Beasts are stronger than humans not only because of their foundation but also because they possess innate divine abilities and inherited powers.
"Humans with special constitutions also have such abilities, but they are very hard to awaken. One must continually excavate the hidden treasures of the body.
"Many divine techniques in the world, passed down from ancient times, were originally innate divine abilities. Their might is earth-shattering. For example, the Star Temple's Star-Seizing Hand, Star Finger, Star-Shattering Fist, Big Dipper Seven-Star Sword, Big Dipper Seven-Star Fist…"
She listed some of these ancient divine techniques and smiled. "Since you are the Zhou Tian Star Divine Body, if you refine your foundation well, you will inevitably awaken your own innate divine ability."
"Will I?" Gu Qing asked with hope.
"Of course," Lin chuqing replied firmly. "As the saying goes, the Dao follows its nature, and divine powers manifest themselves. If you enter the Star Temple and cultivate the Zhou Tian Star Technique with devotion, your future will be limitless."
Hearing this, Gu Qing's heart was already leaning toward a choice.
"By the way, during my training, I obtained a pill and a formation. I have no use for them at the moment, so I'll give them to you."
She took out a jade bottle, a formation disk, and nine formation flags.
"What pill?"
"A Soul-Nourishing Pill, and a third-grade formation…"
Gu Qing was stunned. The Soul-Nourishing Pill was primarily for tempering the soul. Though only third-grade, it was rarer than fifth-grade pills.
The difficulty lay in refinement. It required a sixth-grade alchemy master to have even a fifty percent chance of success. Moreover, its main ingredient, Soul-Nourishing Grass, was itself a treasure herb that enhanced the soul.
A single Soul-Nourishing Pill was worth far more than two Blue Ice Lotus Seeds.
And this third-grade formation could resist even Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Its value was immeasurable.
What a good wife… Gu Qing felt deeply moved. Lin chuqing, though cold by nature, was someone who expressed herself through actions rather than words.
He quietly accepted them, knowing they were of great use to him and impossible to refuse. But he would not take them for free.
After some thought, he decided to give her a share of beast essence liquid.
"Sister chuqing, do you have a spatial treasure to hold liquid essence?"
"I do."
Without asking why, she directly handed him a jade bottle.
"Tomorrow, wait for my good news," Gu Qing said.
"Alright."
After Lin chuqing left, Gu Qing immediately set up the formation.
It was a simple set, usable even without formation knowledge. By scattering the flags and inserting spirit stones, it activated.
"My heavens, it's a linked array with gathering, defense, and concealment functions," he exclaimed. "Sister chuqing really is a wealthy lady."
With this thought, Gu Qing adjusted his state of mind and began consuming beast essence liquid to break through.
In the boundless sea of his dantian, yin and yang origin energy spread, forming a massive vortex. His Dao Bone devoured the essence like a whale, nourishing itself while spewing vast streams of yin and yang origin energy.
Very quickly, his true qi accumulated to the fourth level of the Divine Sea Realm, yet showed no sign of condensing.
It was not that he refused to use the Yin-Yang Dao Song to refine it—rather, the technique itself had no method for condensing true essence. When one reached a certain level, the origin energy would directly solidify into Yin-Yang Divine Cores, from which Dao laws would be born.
That was the peculiarity of the Yin-Yang Dao Song.
The next day, when Gu Qing looked inward, the yin and yang origin energy in his dantian had already reached the fifth level of the Divine Sea Realm.
His progress was so rapid it felt unreal.
Two months ago, he had been only at the ninth level of Body Tempering. Two months later, he stood at the fifth level of the Divine Sea Realm.
Cultivation was supposed to be harder than ascending to heaven, each step requiring the tempering of the body, meridians, and comprehension of realms. These all needed time and accumulation.
But for him, none of it posed a barrier.
Truly, cheating is thrilling in the moment—but cheating forever is endlessly thrilling.
Hey readers! If you're excited to explore advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. The moment you join, you'll unlock 30 chapters ahead of public releases. On top of that, you'll also enjoy 60 brand-new chapters every month — with 14 fresh chapters released each week.
Plus, there are even more fics waiting for you there, all updated at the same steady pace. Join now to keep the adventure going strong!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/JoyceCruize