168: Heading to Kyoto Prefecture

Meditation Tower.

"Oh, why are you still meditating here?"

Qian Yi asked Xiao Weiqing in a low voice when she met him.

"Teacher Qian? Aren't you here too? You're almost at the Seventh Realm, does the Meditation Tower still work for you?"

As a Spirit Cultivator at the Peak of the Sixth Realm, the highest-level azure dragon stele in the Meditation Tower had minimal effect on Qian Yi.

"Don't underestimate the azure dragon stele. Different Realms lead to different insights when comprehending it."

"You brat, don't change the subject. Answer me, didn't I give you that thing?"

Xiao Weiqing explained softly, "It's precisely because Teacher Qian gave me that thing that I came here.

Otherwise, if my Mental Energy grew too fast but I didn't come to the Meditation Tower, anyone would know I had a problem. How rare is a Divine Soul Cultivation Method? What if someone targets me?"

Qian Yi nodded, "You brat, I didn't expect you to be so cunning."

"Teacher Qian, can you call me by my name? Don't always call me 'you brat, you brat.'"

"Hmph, I like calling you that, you little hooligan. Be careful, I'll tell Wei Lan."

"Tell her if you want." Xiao Weiqing waved his hand and turned to walk into the Meditation Tower.

Leaving Qian Yi gritting her teeth.

"Little bastard."

Fourth floor of the Meditation Tower.

Xiao Weiqing slowly opened his eyes. Even though he was now accustomed to the Cultivation speed of the Starry Sky Contemplation Method, the daily increase in Mental Energy still felt somewhat unreal to him.

Realm: Third Realm (weilü pass)

Extraordinary Talent: Samadhi True Fire (Samadhi True Fire Spirit Refining Art)

Mental Energy: 29.5

Spiritual Qi: divine palace, Qi Sea, shanzhong, acupoint, Changqiang

Physical Body: Metamorphosis

Essence, Qi, Spirit Fire: (1000/1000) strands

Samadhi True Fire: (378/10000) wisps

Innate Skill: ..."Ding!~~"

The Wristband rang.

"Dean Zhong?"

"Xiao Weiqing, come to the A-4 Training Ground."

"Now?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

A-4 Training Ground.

When Xiao Weiqing arrived, all the Upper Academy Trainees were present, as well as Ning Xing and Zhong Wen.

"Everyone is here."

Zhong Wen said, "You should all know by now that in a week, the National Supernatural University Exchange Competition will be held in Jingdu Prefecture, with Great Xia Academy as the host venue."

"This is a grand annual event for Great Xia."

"Can all of us participate?" a Rank 4 Extraordinary Talent Trainee asked.

Zhong Wen glanced at him and shook his head, "It's difficult."

"You can first participate in the preliminary rounds. Whether you can ultimately go to Jingdu Prefecture for the elimination rounds depends on your own strength."

"According to the rules, Luo Jiang Academy, as one of the Eight Great Academies, can have three contestants directly advance to the finals. For the rest of you, if you want to enter the elimination rounds, you'll have to participate in the preliminary rounds in the Heavenly Ladder."

"Then what results do we need to achieve to enter the elimination rounds?"

Zhong Wen replied, "Starting tonight, you will enter the Heavenly Ladder to participate in the preliminary rounds. For five consecutive days, with five battles each day, the top one thousand in the final rankings can enter the elimination rounds."

"They will compete with the 1018 directly qualified contestants and 30 specially invited contestants for first place in this Exchange Competition."

Fei Xiaobao wondered, "1018 contestants directly qualified? Where do so many come from?"

Zhong Wen explained, "Each of the Eight Great Academies gets three direct qualification slots, other academies get two, and the top 100 universities, as well as other Supernatural Universities with good strength, will also have one direct invitation slot."

"Those people aren't strong enough, are they?" a Trainee said.

This was the truth, and also reality. Some Supernatural Universities didn't even have Rank 4 Extraordinary Talent Trainees, so entering the elimination rounds would just be a one-round trip.

Ning Xing said, "This is the decision of the Supernatural Education Department, don't discuss these things."

"What you need to do is perform well in the preliminaries these next few days and strive for more people to go to Jingdu Prefecture."

"That's all."

At this moment.

Zhou Ming stepped forward and asked, "May I ask who the three direct qualification contestants from our academy are? How were they chosen?"

Zhong Wen said, "Xiao Weiqing, Qin Tian, and..."

"Duan Shuyu."

Everyone nodded slightly upon hearing this, having no objections.

However, there were exceptions.

"I want to challenge Duan Shuyu," Zhou Ming said.

Zhong Wen didn't answer, looking at Duan Shuyu.

"I accept."

"Good, are there any others who wish to challenge? If you defeat one of these three, you can take their spot and directly qualify for the elimination rounds."

No one responded.

"You all may leave. Duan Shuyu and Zhou Ming, stay."

Everyone left.

No one knew the outcome of Duan Shuyu and Zhou Ming's battle.

Until the afternoon, when the list of representatives from Luo Jiang Academy participating in this year's National Supernatural University Exchange Competition was released on the academy's official website.

It was still Xiao Weiqing, Qin Tian, and Duan Shuyu.

Various academies and Supernatural Universities successively updated their lists. A closer look revealed that half of these individuals were Rank 5 Geniuses within the top thousand of the Heavenly Ladder.

On the other side.

The online preliminary rounds were in full swing within the Heavenly Ladder. Everyone was highly motivated this time, for who wouldn't want to showcase their skills in Jingdu Prefecture, not to mention the generous rewards?

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Weiqing's Mental Energy successfully Broke Through Rank 30, and his Physical Body also Broke Through to the Middle Stage of Metamorphosis.

As his Realm increased, his Spiritual Qi, Physical Body, and Mental Energy Cultivation speed did not slow down at all; it was even faster than before.

In Xiao Weiqing's view, the Cultivation of Essence, Qi, and Spirit coexisted and prospered together: Essence was the foundation, Qi was the bridge, and Spirit was the root.

The saying 'Essence can transform into Qi, Qi can replenish Essence, Essence and Qi give birth to Spirit; conversely, Spirit can control Qi, and a stable Spirit secures Essence' was precisely this.

So, shouldn't Supernatural Cultivation inherently involve the simultaneous Cultivation of Essence, Qi, and Spirit?

"But why is it divided so clearly?"

"Is it because it can't be done, or because they don't want to?"

Shaking off distracting thoughts, Xiao Weiqing stopped pondering and continued to solidify his strength... January 13, 2123, a good day for travel.

Ning Xing and Zhong Wen led nine Trainees out of the South Gate.

The nine Trainees were:

Xiao Weiqing, Qin Tian, Duan Shuyu, Zhou Ming, Fei Xiaobao, Yin Tiantian, Huang Yitong, Zhuang Yu, and a Middle Academy Trainee named He Ren.

Outside the South Gate, Jiang Peng was already waiting.

"Principal Ning, Dean Zhong, hello."

"Hello, junior fellow students."

"Hello, Senior Jiang."

"Are you ready?" Zhong Wen asked.

Jiang Peng nodded, "Ready, we can board."

Everyone boarded the aircraft and traveled north... A few hours later.

The aircraft with the Luo Jiang Academy LOGO passed through the clouds and began to descend.

Below the clouds.

On a vast plain.

A steel forest appeared, and with Xiao Weiqing's current eyesight, he couldn't see the end of it within his field of vision.

"How big is this city?" Fei Xiaobao exclaimed.

In the city center below, countless aircraft streaked across the sky, numerous yet orderly.

Jiang Peng said, "Very big."

"The first time I came, I was also quite shocked. According to statistics, nearly 400 million people live here."

"400 million?"

"Oh my goodness..."

Zhong Wen chuckled, "Great Xia's Jingdu Prefecture, as the first capital prefecture established after the Spiritual Qi Resurgence, has undergone 5 expansions, eventually forming its current scale."

"There are more Eighth Realm Powerhouses than you can count on two hands, and it's also one of the safest places on Blue Star."

"Wow, Dean, wouldn't the housing prices here be sky-high?"

"Haha..."

Zhong Wen laughed, "Expensive but not expensive. If you have contribution points, it's not expensive. If not, it's an exorbitant price, and you can't reside here permanently. Jingdu Prefecture is consciously controlling its population now, because further expansion would bring it too close to the Demon Realm entrance."

"Blue Star's first Demon Realm entrance?"

"Yes."

"Let's go, we've arrived."

The cabin door opened.

Someone was waiting to greet them. Everyone transferred to a suspended train and entered Jingdu Prefecture.

Half an hour later.

"Everyone, this is your accommodation. Your academy's name is on it; you can check in yourselves. If you need anything, you can call the smart butler."

"Thank you," Jiang Peng said gratefully.

"You're welcome."

"Hey, where are Dean Zhong and Principal Ning?" Fei Xiaobao asked.

Jiang Peng said, "They went to catch up with old friends. They probably won't be back until the opening ceremony."

"Let's check in first."

...