Chapter 81: True Cultivation

The three-hour flight had been uneventful.

After the private plane emitted a notification sound, Secretary Mi greeted Mr. Zuo and returned to the cockpit.

The plane began its swift descent. Li Zhen, gazing through the porthole, beheld a vast cityscape.

Words failed him as he tried to describe the city unfolding before his eyes. If compared to Yunxi County, it would be akin to a country village, relatively primitive in scale.

Four massive, interwoven archbridges arched overhead, forming a cap over Tianchang City. The city itself was divided into three tiers: the ground level, a middle platform supported by the four archbridges constituting the second level, and at the summit of these arches, another platform with a single, solitary building.

Li Zhen had glimpsed Tianchang City on television before, but the experience of seeing it now with his own eyes was utterly transformative.

Only the pinnacle of technological advancement could have birthed such a city, he mused.

As the private plane entered the airspace above Tianchang City, it paused for identity verification before finally descending towards the second level.

The private plane landed on the helipad at the second level, and everyone disembarked.

“Please come this way. The lord is waiting for you!” Secretary Mi said to the group.

A magnetic levitation car was parked nearby, its door already open.

Everyone got into the magnetic levitation car, which didn’t require a driver as it moved forward automatically.

The magnetic levitation car stopped at a courtyard, where Li Zhen got out with the rest of the group.

There were many courtyards in this area, but each one had a different style.

The interior of the courtyard was very simple and spacious, without any extravagant decorations.

Upon passing through the gate, Li Zhen felt a strong spiritual energy. It wasn’t just him; several of his seniors felt it as well.

This place brimmed with second-order mid-grade spiritual energy, indicating the presence of a second-order mid-grade spirit vein-a rarity that stunned everyone. “A second-order mid-grade spirit vein! I can’t believe it!” Wang Rushi whispered excitedly.

The strongest spiritual vein in Yunxi County, located in the County Prefect’s residence, was only of second-order inferior grade. To find a spirit vein surpassing that here in Tianchang City left them astonished.

As Qi Refining cultivators, they knew that even second-order spirit veins were typically reserved for Foundation Establishment true cultivators.

Surrounded by such abundant energy, Li Zhen felt intoxicated, as if he could get drunk on the spiritual energy itself.

Shaking off this sensation, he noticed the two sides of the road leading inside were lined with spirit fields. These fields cultivated numerous unidentifiable spirit medicines, some as close as ten meters away.

By sensing their spiritual energy, he determined these were second-rank spirit medicines.

A temptation to collect them immediately arose; the value of second-rank spirit medicines needed no explanation, and to find so many growing here was astounding.

Of course, he didn’t dare act on it. Aside from being a guest invited by these masters, even offending them would be beyond his means.

Secretary Mi, long accustomed to Li Zhen and the others’ reactions, said nothing. She led the group along the road, her presence a silent guide.

“Sir, I’ve brought the guests!” Secretary Mi announced as they approached the main house, bowing towards the interior.

“Enter!” a clear, cold female voice commanded from within.

Nodding discreetly, Secretary Mi opened the door to the main house.

“Greetings, Fellow Xenarch! Zou Zheng from Yunxi’s Second Elementary Middle School, with four students, respectfully greets you!” Mr. Zou said upon entering, bowing in greeting.

Beforehand, Mr. Zou had instructed Li Zhen and the others on proper etiquette, and now Li Zhen followed suit, performing the bow just as he had been taught.

Zhenxiu was a term of respect for Foundation Establishment cultivators. The name itself made it clear that only those who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage could be considered true cultivators.

“Dispense with the formalities!” the clear voice of a woman said.

Only then did Li Zhen raise his head to see this Pei Zhenxiu.

Pei Zhenxiu appeared to be around twenty years old, but when it came to Foundation Establishment cultivators, judging age from appearance was unreliable.

This was especially true for female cultivators, who went to great lengths to maintain their youthful looks. As long as they weren’t at the end of their lives, their faces remained mostly unchanged.

Pei Zhenxiu’s eyes swept over the four students. Coincidentally, she had a moment to spare and, at Schoolmaster Wang’s request, was helping to supervise them for a bit—it was a minor task really.

Her gaze finally landed on Li Zhen. To her, his Qi Concealment Art had no effect whatsoever; she could see through it with a single glance, effortlessly discerning Li Zhen’s cultivation level.

“Who are you? What grade do you attend?” she asked Li Zhen, genuinely intrigued.

In truth, Pei Zhenxiu could have used spiritual senses to scan Li Zhen and easily determine his true age, but she chose not to.

“I’m Li Zhen from the seventh grade!” Li Zhen responded, slightly taken aback by the question.

The others didn’t find it odd for Pei Zhenxiu to ask such a question; Li Zhen’s age was indeed young compared to the school challenge’s usual participants.

“Yunxi Second High School has certainly nurtured a promising talent,” Pei Zhenxiu nodded approvingly. “To achieve the fourth level of Qi Refining at such a tender age is quite remarkable!”

Mr. Zuo, Wang Rushi, Shi Xuan, and Fang Congzhi all turned their astonished gazes towards Li Zhen. After all, he was only in his first year of middle school, yet already at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Fang Congzhi reflected on himself; he was currently also at the fourth level of Qi Refining, but he was four years older than Li Zhen.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Pei Zhenxiu realized she had inadvertently disclosed Li Zhen’s secret.

She had seen Li Zhen, so young, qualify as a contestant in the school challenge and assumed it was due to his cultivation already being at the fourth level of Qi Refining at such a young age. Thus, she had casually offered her praise.

Li Zhen felt helpless. His cultivation progress had surpassed the potential limit of his innate spiritual roots. Even with mid-grade spiritual roots and an abundant supply of medicinal pills, cultivating at such a rapid pace should have been impossible.

“Xiaomi, draw up confidentiality agreements and have everyone here sign them!” Pei Zhenxiu instructed Secretary Mi. She then turned to Li Zhen and said, “Your spiritual roots must be of superior quality, aren’t they? This secret will remain safe with us!”

“I am deeply grateful, Pei Zhenxiu!” Li Zhen could only bow in acknowledgment.

He didn’t know how to explain this situation. Who would believe him if he claimed his spiritual roots weren’t of superior grade? Achieving such cultivation speed seemed impossible without exceptional innate talent. Would revealing more secrets become necessary at some point? Moreover, although he currently lacked superior innate talent, with increasing exposure and experience over time, there was still a chance for him to eventually develop it.

Pei Zhenxiu held Li Zhen in high regard. Her previous support for Second High School’s students had been driven by personal connections. Now, however, things were different—she harbored intentions to poach talent.

Leaving Li Zhen’s gifted talent in such a small place like Yunxi County would be a enormous waste. More importantly, once Li Zhen’s abilities became known, he would become a target for assassination by the Cult of Demon Worship.

However, if Li Zhen remained in Tianchang City, even if his talent were exposed, the Demon-Worship Cult wouldn’t dare to act against him there.

She decided to keep this matter in mind and address it after the school’s competition.

“Over the next three days, I’ll guide you through the Tianchang Passage for monster hunting,” Pei Zhenxiu announced with a smile. “This will be an excellent opportunity to enhance your battle capabilities!”

Mr. Zuo’s eyes flickered as he recalled Li Zhen’s innate talent and discerned Pei Zhenxiu’s intentions.

The problem was, he had signed a confidentiality agreement and couldn’t reveal Li Zhen’s talent, not even to Principal Wang from Second High School.

Without disclosing Li Zhen’s talent, it would be impossible to secure better incentives from either Second High School or Yunxi County. In this case, retaining Li Zhen seemed highly unlikely.

Comparing Yunxi County to Tianchang City, one could immediately sense the stark difference despite their recent arrival in Tianchang.

Moreover, this was only the second plane of Tianchang City. In its third plane resided a Golden Core cultivator, wielding even more formidable third-order spirit veins—an indication of truly extraordinary power.

“As cultivators, you don’t need rest. Drop your luggage and let’s move out!” Pei Zhenxiu’s instructions were decisive, leaving no room for delay.

Wang Rushi glanced at her luggage, realizing she wouldn’t have access to it for the next three days. Forget about touch-ups or anything like that, she thought.

Several students quietly removed spare magical artifacts from their bags. Li Zhen didn’t touch his luggage; given his family’s circumstances, the Xingrui D13 Longsword he carried was already a luxury. The school had provided it, knowing full well that such a blade far exceeded what his family could afford.

Secretary Mi opened the elevator in the room, but she didn’t step inside. Her task was to assist Pei Zhenxiu with daily affairs.

Pei Zhenxiu led the group into the elevator. After manipulating her identity bracelet, the elevator sprang to life.

The elevator moved swiftly, not dropping straight down. After traveling for some distance, the walls became transparent, revealing the scenery outside.

The elevator was descending along the interior of one of four massive archbridges, with the apparent destination being the ground below.