Return! The So-Called Genius!

Time flies, and another day has passed.

Through continuous attempts, Lu Yun gradually figured out some tricks of the trade.

The Body Tempering Technique and the "Great Void Breathing Technique" are not much different.

It's just that one focuses on cultivating the Qi Sea, and the other on strengthening the physical body.

That evening, my aunt prepared a delicious meal and also set out two jars of fine wine.

Lu Yun and Uncle Shen drank heartily.

The wine is brewed using special methods, and as long as it is not buried deep underground, it will not have much impurity.

Between two men, farewells need no words.

As for his aunt... she couldn't wait for him to leave.

Shen He was pulled into the room by her mother, who whispered something to her.

......

The next day was the day of parting.

The sky has been overcast since last night, with no sunshine in sight.

Both Lu Yun and Shen He had storage bags, allowing them to travel light.

The aunt took out two small packages and put them on the two people's backs.

"Keep it on your back, make some cover-up, and don't flaunt your wealth when you're out in public."

"Auntie, who in the city doesn't know my reputation as a spendthrift? Is there any need for this anymore?"

Lu Yun took the package and put it on his back, unsure of what to do.

"People in the city know, but those outside don't. Lots of people are going to the trials; who's going to pay attention to you?"

Ye Fen glanced at him sideways.

"Uncle Shen, Auntie, we're leaving now. Take care, both of you."

Lu Yun and Shen He waved goodbye and left side by side through the side door.

This scene played out in many places in Purple Heart City.

The young men and women are about to leave Zixin and embark on a journey to seek immortality thousands of miles away.

Watching the two disappear around the street corner, Shen Tingzhang felt a deep emptiness in his heart.

"Madam, the children have all left..."

Shen Tingzhang felt a void in his heart: "How about we have another one?"

"What nonsense are you spouting in broad daylight?" Ye Fen glared at him.

"What if it develops another spiritual root? Wouldn't we have to send it away again? Let's move first, get away from the Shen family first..."

In a secluded corner where no one was watching, Shen Yue secretly watched the two leave.

Her eyes were dim, and she clutched the two Qi-Nourishing Pills that Lu Yun had given her in her palm.

......

On the three-zhang-wide bluestone street, merchants and ordinary people thronged shoulder to shoulder, creating a lively atmosphere.

The two moved nimbly through the shouts and calls of vendors, occasionally taking a whiff of the aroma from a roadside stall.

We arrived at the monastery.

Two disciples of the Immortal Academy stood under the peach tree, gazing at the edge of the clouds, as if waiting for something.

Behind them, a dozen or so young men and women gathered in small groups.

They would often gaze at the horizon, their eyes filled with excitement and longing.

Lu Yun's arrival attracted a lot of attention.

He's practically a celebrity now.

"Haha, Shen Xuan, your family's brother who broke off the engagement is here."

Feng Zhuo glanced at Lu Yun, then looked at Shen Xuan with a mocking expression.

Shen Xuan is the son of the head of the Shen family.

They were all sons of the clan chief, which is why they could play together.

But now Feng Zhuo has received strong support from his clan and can directly enter the Immortal Academy.

They no longer cared much about Shen Xuan's feelings.

"Brother Zhuo is joking. Lu Yun's surname is Lu, and he is not a member of my Shen family."

Shen Xuan forced a smile and glanced at them with disgust.

He had been hit by Iron Fist when Shen Yi was around, and he couldn't get along with those two.

Now, people are making fun of and mocking him because of this, and he dislikes him even more.

"I grew up in the Shen family, so I'm practically a member of the Shen family."

Feng Zhuo didn't take it seriously, "If you can win them over, going to the Immortal Hall will be an aid."

"yes."

Shen Xuan was taken aback, realizing that he had been narrow-minded.

......

"here!"

Qin Yue and Ye Xiu had arrived early and waved to each other.

"Huh, you guys have all broken through."

Lu Yun walked over and looked at the two of them with surprise.

Qin Yue broke through to the second level of Qi Refining, and Ye Xiu reached the third level of Qi Refining.

"By sheer luck."

Ye Xiu waved his folding fan, a brand-new storage bag hanging from his waist, looking slightly smug.

He broke through using only one Gathering Yuan Pill and a few Nourishing Yuan Pills.

It's much more economical than Lu Yun's.

"I have to thank Brother Lu for the Qi-Nourishing Pill."

Qin Yue straightened his expression and bowed gratefully.

"We're all good brothers, what are you saying?"

Lu Yun dodged away.

The Shen family did not provide much support to Qin Yue; the expenses for the Taoist temple and the annual supply of spiritual rice were fixed.

A superior spiritual root is all that's needed to establish a good relationship.

Once he entered the Immortal Hall, his way out was not to return to Purple Heart City.

Seeing a wider world will attract the attention of Foundation Establishment families, making one a potential son-in-law of an immortal, a more promising path than that of Purple Heart City.

My mother taught me to be grateful from a young age.

Qin Yue smiled honestly.

His mother also said: Brother Lu is a good person, and a smart one at that. If you go to the temple, stick close to Brother Lu.

That's exactly what he thought too.

"Do you know who's going to pick us up and take us to the Immortal Academy?" Ye Xiu asked mysteriously.

"Isn't it just sitting in the Dharma boat?" Shen He asked, puzzled.

"I've heard that this magic boat is no ordinary vessel, and the person piloting it is even more extraordinary," Ye Xiu said, showing off while waving his folding fan.

"So indecisive, just like a female cultivator."

Upon hearing Shen He's words, Ye Xiu blushed and stopped keeping her in suspense.

Friction has broken out again between the Immortal Path and the Holy Path, and Qinglan Domain, located at the border, is the first to bear the brunt.

To ensure the safety of this recruitment of disciples, the Immortal Academy specially dispatched a Foundation Establishment True Person to oversee the process.

"The Foundation Establishment cultivator who came to pick us up is no ordinary person; he's a genius that appears only once every thousand years at the Hundred Refinements Immortal Academy..."

Shen He's eyes lit up: "Could it be the prodigy who established her Foundation Establishment a little over a month ago, Fairy Yingyue?"

"Yes, it's her."

Ye Xiu looked up at the sky and sighed, "It is said that on the day she achieved Foundation Establishment, swords within a hundred miles resounded."

Qin Yue and Lu Yun had no idea what was going on.

Ye Xiu added, "It is said that she is only twenty years old, the same age as us, and has already reached the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Terrifying indeed."

Lu Yun and Qin Yue exchanged a glance and gasped.

I understood instantly.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea, and there are always people better than you. Look ahead."

Ye Xiu became enigmatic, "Brother Lu is so handsome, though only slightly less so than me. Perhaps Fairy Yingyue has taken a liking to you?"

Then he received three eye rolls.

Lu Yun was both amused and exasperated.

Ye Xiu laid out all this just to give himself a piece of advice.

Although this person always wanted to compete with him, he was actually a decent person.

I felt comforted.

They are like the Fairy of Reflecting the Moon, too far removed from them.

The four people were chatting.

No one was foolish enough to come up and mock Lu Yun.

At most, they'll talk about it behind each other's backs; no one will go out of their way to cause trouble.

Of the eighteen selected individuals, only six were at the third level of Qi Refining.

No one is easy to mess with.

"Ready, here we come."

As noon approached, the two disciples of the Immortal Academy became solemn.

Thinking that someone from Purple Heart City had gone straight into the Immortal Academy this year, he called out to the back, "Junior Brother Feng Zhuo, you'll be with us later."

Feng Zhuo strode out amidst the envious gazes of the group.

"Hahaha, I'm off!"

Today he specially wore flowing white robes, summoning a gentle breeze to make his robes flutter, like a celestial being.

Unfortunately, the weather turned against them; dark clouds loomed over the city, and a heavy rain was about to sweep in.

This diminished the ethereal atmosphere of the place.

Then, Feng Zhuo suddenly turned around.

She met the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd with a bright smile.

"You bastard."

Shen Xuan pursed his lips, feeling very sour inside.

"Sooner or later, I will also enter the Immortal Academy."

He glanced at Lu Yun and Qin Yue, pondering how to win them over.

Lu Yun and the others were still gazing at the dark clouds, trying to find the Dharma Boat, but their eyesight wasn't good enough.

Could it be that the clouds are too thick, obscuring the Dharma boat?

In no time at all, to everyone's astonishment...

A rainbow of light pierced through the clouds on the horizon.

The dark clouds that had obscured the sky were neatly cut in two, and the clear blue sky was revealed where the Dharma boat passed.

Golden sunlight streamed through the gaps, illuminating the world.

Whether ordinary people or cultivators, everyone in the city looked up and gasped in astonishment at this spectacle.

As the three-story bronze vessel drew near, suspended high in the sky, it brought forth a dazzling light.

People in the city knelt down in worship.

Finally, the vast shadow cast by the Dharma Boat fell upon the front of the meditation hall.

A terrifying aura poured down from the sky.

Lu Yun lowered his head uncontrollably, his hair standing on end, and an urge to prostrate himself on the ground rose within him.

The oppressive aura emanating from above was even stronger than that of the old woman from that day.

It felt like being on the edge of a cliff, facing a life-or-death situation.

He caught a glimpse of Shen He's pale face and Qin Yue's trembling legs.

Ye Xiu gripped the fan handle tightly.

Lu Yun took a deep breath and steadied his knees.

Many people around had their heads bowed low and were trembling violently.

Only two disciples of the Immortal Academy radiated a soft glow, standing ramrod straight, protecting Feng Zhuo behind them.

Lu Yun endured the pressure and looked up.

The surface of the Dharma Boat was covered with marks from sword cuts and bloodstains.

It looked as if it had just been through a brutal battle.

It's not just a magic boat, it's a warship.

They were greeted not only with dazzling light, but also with a rude awakening.

"Entering the Immortal Hall also requires an examination."

Thinking of this, Lu Yun's relaxed nerves tensed up again.

The oppressive aura lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

It slowly dissipated only after someone could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.

The Dharma boat showed no sign of landing.

A beam of blue light shone down, landing precisely in the center of the road, without missing a beat.

Under the watchful eyes of the Immortal Academy disciples, everyone stepped forward one by one, entered the pillar of light, and vanished instantly.

After the last person climbed up, the pillar of light dissipated.

The disciples of the Immortal Academy, accompanied by Feng Zhuo, took off on the wind and went straight to the second level of the Dharma Boat.

Lu Yun didn't notice that the gilded embroidered ball in his mind was jumping again.