The Ups and Downs of the Plot, the Way to Harvest a Person of Great Fortuity
The Ups and Downs of the Plot, the Way to Harvest a Person of Great Fortuity
“Who’s arrived, brother...? What a grand display... Even that white-robed elder of the True Immortal Academy has a much more deferential expression now.”
Qing Xiaoyi’s eyes went wide as she stared at the scene in shock. This was the first time she had ever seen a young prodigy make an entrance like this.
Nine dragons pulling a carriage!
Envy and longing couldn’t help but surface in her eyes.
“Look at the ’Gu’ character on it. That must be the one from the Longevity Gu Family!”
The youth named Qing Feng, at this moment, also couldn’t help but reveal a look of envy and reverence in his eyes.
“Someone like him was born a True Dragon above the Nine Heavens, unlike us—we’re nothing but lowly mud... Xiaoyi, stop staring. If people think we’re being disrespectful to him, that would be bad.”
Qing Feng hurriedly spoke up, telling his sister to lower her head. Staring like this the whole time was far too conspicuous.
“The one from the Gu Family... Could it be Gu Changge, the Young Master acknowledged as the number one of the younger generation?! I’ve heard so many rumors about him...”
Qing Xiaoyi’s eyes were full of longing and admiration. She had always felt that he was someone from a completely different world than theirs.
Just by standing there, he gave off an unmatched feeling, as if heaven and earth itself revolved around him.
He was an immortal above the Nine Heavens, while they were ants in the mortal dust.
“Young Master Changge!”
At that moment, before the mountain gate of the True Immortal Academy, as the nine dragons descended—
The white-robed elder in charge of checking bone age was first stunned, somewhat shocked, and then his face couldn’t help but pile up with smiles as he stepped forward first, his attitude exceedingly warm and amiable.
The terrifying Sacred Realm pressure of the nine Azure Dragons swept out in all directions, causing the expressions of many Young Prodigies to change drastically once more, turning somewhat pale.
None of them had expected Gu Changge’s entourage to be this extravagant.
Nine Sacred Realm Azure Dragons pulling his carriage—the weakest among them was at least at the Quasi-Sacred Realm!
Then, the curtain of the White Jade Carriage was lifted by Su Qingge.
Gu Changge’s figure stepped out from within. His expression was gentle and refined as he gave a slight nod to the white-robed elder before him, smiling as he said,
“Changge greets the Elder!”
“Young Master Changge is too courteous.”
Seeing Gu Changge address him as Elder, the white-robed elder’s smile deepened, his demeanor growing even more amiable.
His status within the True Immortal Academy was worlds apart from that of a true Elder.
Yet Gu Changge addressed him as such, and it made his heart float a little.
Though they were all of the younger generation, their weight in the True Immortal Academy’s eyes was entirely different.
Take Gu Changge before him—had his arrival been announced in advance, Elders and other old monsters would absolutely have shown up to welcome him personally.
That was why he had been a bit dazed just now, finding it hard to believe that this was Gu Changge’s arrival.
Still, with such a display, there were few among the younger generation besides Gu Changge who could pull it off.
“Young Master Changge has traveled hundreds of millions of miles to get here, a tiring journey by carriage. Why not head inside the mountain gate to rest first?”
The white-robed elder then spoke again with a deferential expression. This sight made the crowd of Young Prodigies at the mountain gate seethe with indignation, yet they could do nothing about it.
The way the white-robed elder had treated them just now was nothing like this.
What tiring journey by carriage? Did he not see that they had been waiting here for a long time already?
A stunning beauty by his side, a White Jade Carriage with a self-contained space within.
They would love to be “tired from travel” like that too.
Truly, comparing oneself to others only led to death by anger.
Toward this kind of “queue-jumping” behavior, they felt utterly helpless, yet none dared utter a word of protest.
“We’re checking bone age now, correct?”
Gu Changge’s expression was calm and composed, paying no mind to the expressions of the Young Prodigies behind him.
His gaze fell upon the Ancient Mirror in the white-robed elder’s hand as he asked.
Behind him, Su Qingge stood quietly in attendance, her lovely face lustrous white, her eyes crystalline, serene and beautiful like a jade immortal.
His entourage of followers also wore quiet expressions, yet their auras were astonishing.
“No need, no need. Young Master Changge only needs to show his points. Bone age and such would be far too much trouble.”
Hearing this, the white-robed elder hurriedly waved his hand, chuckling as he skipped that step entirely.
As for whether any of the followers behind Gu Changge had a bone age exceeding fifty, that hardly mattered.
Because Gu Changge’s status and strength could make the True Immortal Academy yield for him, could make it break its own rules.
Seeing this scene, the expressions of the many Young Prodigies shifted once more, helplessness in their hearts. Such differential treatment truly left them stifled with frustration.
“Brother... when will we ever get to be like that...?”
Within the crowd, Qing Xiaoyi watched this scene, filled with envy and yearning.
Her brother Qing Feng felt the same, his eyes full of longing.
Then he sighed. “Stop daydreaming. Young Master Changge is someone we could never hope to reach...”
“In that case, many thanks to the Elder.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge smiled faintly and didn’t refuse—after all, it saved some time.
Soon, he presented sufficient points from slain Yin Spirits, and the followers including Su Qingge carried no small amount of points themselves.
Back on the Eternal Overcast Battlefield in the Southern Flourishing Heaven, Gu Changge had ventured into its deepest reaches.
The Yin Spirits that had died at his hands outnumbered those of everyone present combined, by far.
He had merely picked out some of the stronger Yin Spirit corpses at random to exchange for points.
However, after entering the True Immortal Academy’s mountain gate, Gu Changge did not choose to proceed further. He paused where he stood, his expression carrying a trace of interest.
“What is it, Young Master?” Su Qingge looked at him curiously.
“Just seeing if there are any good seedlings this time.”
Gu Changge said casually, his gaze sweeping over the many Young Prodigies below.
Finally, it settled on a delicate, pretty girl with her head lowered, patches on her long skirt, and he fell into thought.
Another person of great Fortuity.
The System hadn’t given any notification, so she likely wasn’t a Daughter of Fortuity.
That immense Fortuity value even carried a faint purple hue. Judging by its degree, though still far below the likes of Jiang Chuchu, it was quite astonishing.
This made Gu Changge somewhat tempted, but he didn’t speak up, continuing to observe.
What was special about this girl? Why did she possess such an enormous Fortuity value?
Soon, following the order of the queue, it was Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng’s turn for the bone age inspection.
“One with bone age thirteen, one with bone age seventeen.”
“But this cultivation of yours—are you two trying to make a fool of this old man? One has never cultivated at all, and the other doesn’t even have a Spiritual Root for cultivation. What exactly are you trying to do?”
The white-robed elder couldn’t help but frown, his voice turning rather unfriendly, feeling that these two had come to make a mockery of him.
Though he sensed that the girl before him might have extraordinary talent, she had never cultivated, so her strength was simply insufficient.
As for this boy? Where did this little beggar come from?
At this moment, the white-robed elder’s words also drew the attention of many, gazes falling upon the pair one after another, carrying mockery, ridicule, and amusement.
In this world, there was never a shortage of spectators happy to watch a good show.
These people were no exception. Many of them had already been observing this shabby, beggar-like pair of siblings just now.
With those ill-intentioned gazes coming from all around, Qing Xiaoyi’s face turned somewhat pale. She couldn’t help shrinking her head back, a little scared and uneasy.
But at that moment, the youth named Qing Feng stepped in front of her, gritting his teeth as he said,
“Elder, although my sister has never cultivated, her strength surpasses that of some Cultivators...”
Pfft!
Before he could even finish his sentence, laughter erupted from the surroundings, making his face flush red. He wanted to shout at them—what are you laughing at?!
But he didn’t dare.
“You are making a fool of this old man!”
The white-robed elder’s voice sank, not believing his words in the slightest. Though the girl before him did seem somewhat extraordinary, brimming with natural grace—a fine seedling for cultivation—
She had already missed the best window of time.
The True Immortal Academy existed to cultivate True Immortals, not to teach her how to cultivate from scratch.
“Elder, it’s true, I wouldn’t dare lie to you. Please, I beg you, take my sister in.”
At this point, Qing Feng was also dumbfounded and hurriedly pleaded.
He hadn’t expected this outcome. They had traveled tens of thousands of miles, crossing mountains and rivers to get here, only to be turned away at the gate?
“Seeing how pitiful you two siblings are, this old man doesn’t wish to raise a hand. If you know what’s good for you, leave.”
The white-robed elder sighed, his tone somewhat helpless. If not for the fact that Gu Changge was watching, he probably would have already taken action.
“Please, Elder, give my sister a chance...”
However, hearing this, Qing Feng gritted his teeth and dropped straight to his knees, pleading.
“You...”
The white-robed elder’s expression changed again. Then he sighed once more and asked, “Then let me ask you this—do you have points from slaying Yin Spirits? To earn a place in the True Immortal Academy, one must slay at least three Yin Spirits of the True Enlightened Realm or above. Could you two manage that...?”
Hearing this, Qing Feng’s mind went buzz, turning completely blank, his face instantly draining snow-white.
“Brother... let’s just go back.”
At this point, Qing Xiaoyi also understood the white-robed elder’s meaning and tugged at Qing Feng’s sleeve.
Before coming here, they had known nothing. They hadn’t known that entering the True Immortal Academy had such requirements, assuming it was the same as any other ordinary sect.
That testing talent and bone age would be enough.
They had been too naive.
“Is there really no other chance?”
Qing Feng still asked, unwilling to give up.
“No. Go back, both of you. Don’t force this old man to drive you out by force.”
The white-robed elder’s voice was ice-cold, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
At this moment, though many Young Prodigies said nothing, the looks they directed at the pair carried faint mockery and pity.
Clearly not people of the same world, yet insisting on coming here to smash their heads bloody.
The True Immortal Academy was never meant for people like them.
They wouldn’t bother voicing any taunts either—after all, that would only lower their own status.
“Xiaoyi...”
Looking at the surrounding Young Prodigies with their lofty, wordless yet mocking expressions—
The siblings Qing Feng and Qing Xiaoyi couldn’t help but tremble, teeth clenched tight, their hearts filled with confusion, unease, and dread.
“Elder...”
Just then, a gentle, refined voice suddenly rang out across the silent mountain gate, breaking the tense, uneasy atmosphere.
“Young Master Changge!”
The white-robed elder’s face hurriedly piled into a smile as he looked toward the source of the voice.
Everyone looked over, including the deeply uneasy and frightened siblings Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng, none understanding why Gu Changge had suddenly spoken up at this moment.
Gu Changge’s gaze fell upon them as he said with composed ease, “I’ll cover their points for these two siblings. It just so happens I’m currently short two sword-bearing attendants by my side.”
Sss!
“What...”
Hearing these words, not only did the white-robed elder’s eyes go wide as he sucked in a cold breath in disbelief—
Even the rest of the Young Prodigies at the mountain gate had their eyes bulging, utterly shocked.
Sword-bearing attendants?
Sword-bearing attendants at Young Master Changge’s side?
That was a relationship even closer than a follower. Even they themselves likely fell far short of qualifying to catch Gu Changge’s eye.
These two little beggars before them—what virtue or ability did they have to deserve such a qualification and opportunity?
For a moment, quite a few Young Prodigies were overcome with envy and jealousy, their gazes toward Qing Feng and Qing Xiaoyi changing, no longer carrying the mockery of before.
Even the followers behind Gu Changge had a trace of amazement in their eyes.
“What...”
“This... this...”
Qing Feng and Qing Xiaoyi were even more stunned than everyone else, still unable to react even now.
Their heads only felt dizzy, as if a meat pie had fallen from the heavens and smacked them in the face.
Gu Changge’s sword-bearing attendants?
Such a status was beyond anything they had ever imagined before this—they wouldn’t have dared even dream of it.
Because they knew full well that they and Gu Changge could never be people of the same world, that they couldn’t even come into contact with him.
Who would have thought that now, he would speak up on his own initiative, rescuing the two siblings from their predicament, even saying he was short two sword-bearing attendants?
This filled Qing Feng’s heart with unprecedented gratitude.
Qing Xiaoyi also timidly raised her head, looking toward that excessively good-looking young man not far away.
At this moment, in their hearts, Gu Changge seemed shrouded in a layer of divine radiance, sacred like an immortal descending to the mortal world.
“Young Master Changge, the matter of your sword-bearing attendants is no small affair. At the very least, they should be existences capable of sweeping their peers undefeated. For them to serve as your sword-bearing attendants—what virtue or ability do they possess?”
The white-robed elder couldn’t help but gently advise, not having expected Gu Changge to suddenly say such a thing.
Hearing this, Gu Changge merely shook his head lightly. “I see that these two siblings have had a hard time of it. As mere mortals, they journeyed all the way here. How many Cultivators could match such perseverance?”
“If the True Immortal Academy intends to assign blame over this exception, I, Gu, am willing to bear it all alone.”
Hearing these words, the white-robed elder’s expression shifted slightly, and he hurriedly said, “What are you saying, Young Master Changge? Such a trivial matter—how could it possibly escalate to the point of blaming you...”
“Then I’ll trouble the Elder.”
Gu Changge nodded slightly, his expression showing little change.
Since even Gu Changge had spoken thus, how could the white-robed elder dare continue trying to send Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng away?
At this point, the other Young Prodigies also cast envious and jealous looks at the pair one after another.
Seeing this matter—practically settled in stone—so effortlessly overturned and resolved by a single sentence from Gu Changge, Qing Feng and Qing Xiaoyi were slow to react, somewhat dazed.
It was simply too dreamlike.
This was the terror of power and influence.
Even the True Immortal Academy would choose to compromise and yield!
“Thank you, Young Master Changge, for today’s great kindness!”
“Qing Feng and Qing Xiaoyi will never forget it for all eternity!”
Then, with an excited and nervous expression, Qing Feng looked at Gu Changge and moved to pull his sister down to kneel together in gratitude.
However, Gu Changge’s brow furrowed, and an invisible force emerged, preventing the two from kneeling.
His voice sounded, unhurried. “A man has gold beneath his knees—how could he kneel to another so easily?”
“Nor do I need you to kneel to me.”
His tone remained flat, without the slightest fluctuation.
Yet it made Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng feel all the more grateful in their hearts.
Gu Changge’s status was far nobler than any of the Young Prodigies present, yet he was the only one who treated the two of them as people, rather than ants.
This kindness, the two of them engraved into their memories.
However, just then, from deep within the True Immortal Academy, divine light suddenly shot into the sky, immortal haze billowing.
Immediately after, several incomparably terrifying auras emerged, descending toward the mountain gate!
Several figures sped over through the high sky, the void blurring around them—all of them exceedingly aged old men.
Some even had Chaos Energy coiling around their bodies, their cultivation clearly profound to an unimaginable degree, frighteningly powerful.
This scene shocked everyone. The crowd of Young Prodigies at the mountain gate couldn’t help but look up, all turning to watch.
“Greetings to the Elders!”
The white-robed elder at the mountain gate’s expression changed, and he hurriedly saluted, deeply respectful.
“The one from the Gu Family?”
After this group of old monsters arrived, they first noticed Gu Changge, their expressions slightly taken aback—they hadn’t expected him to arrive without giving any prior notice.
“Changge greets the Elders.”
Gu Changge’s expression remained largely unchanged as he gave them a slight salute.
“It seems the rumors all underestimated your strength...”
“Excellent, excellent. Truly worthy of being the Gu Family’s heir.”
The group of old monsters all looked at Gu Changge with amazement, as if appraising some rare treasure.
“However, we didn’t come here today for you...”
One old monster dressed in grey robes, wisps of golden lightning flickering each time his eyes opened and closed, said with a smile.
Gu Changge appeared somewhat surprised as he smiled. “Now that’s interesting.”
Then, before everyone’s shocked gazes, those several old monsters of unfathomable cultivation all turned in unison to look at that pair of beggar-like siblings.
“The Celestial Demonic Physique... indeed, there’s no mistake, it’s this physique. The Sikong Family’s Art of Deduction truly lives up to its name.”
“We’ve come at just the right time. As for who will instruct her, we can discuss that later.”
The one they were looking at was naturally Qing Xiaoyi, their eyes carrying various expressions—amazement, contemplation, and more.
This scene left everyone, including the siblings Qing Feng and Qing Xiaoyi, stunned once again, scalps tingling, nearly petrified.
Their eyeballs practically dropped to the ground, speechless for a long time.
The turn of events was truly full of ups and downs.
No one had imagined that this unremarkable little beggar actually possessed a peculiar physique, one that would win the favor of several Elders, who had personally rushed to the mountain gate.
Even if Gu Changge hadn’t spoken up just now, this pair of siblings would likely have been kept anyway.
After all, these were the true Elders of the True Immortal Academy!
“It seems my eyes failed me...”
Gu Changge, at this moment, also put on a somewhat surprised look.
“Young Master Changge’s great kindness—we siblings will never forget it, not even if our teeth fall out!”
Though Qing Feng had come to realize that their fortunes had turned, he still hadn’t forgotten Gu Changge’s kindness from moments ago, and spoke with deep gratitude.
“Thank you, Young Master Changge!”
Qing Xiaoyi’s voice was very soft, seemingly quite timid and shy, yet she was still secretly stealing glances at Gu Changge.
Hearing this, Gu Changge couldn’t help but smile. “No need to thank me. This is what you deserve.”
“Besides, this works out well. Being taught by the Elders promises a far brighter future than being sword-bearing attendants by my side.”
Of course, in his heart, he had actually known all along how things would unfold.
This group of old monsters hadn’t come for him, but for the girl before them named Qing Xiaoyi.
This point, Gu Changge had long since anticipated.
Possessing such an enormous Fortuity value—how could she possibly fail to enter the True Immortal Academy?
His actions and words just now had merely been to observe the changes in Fortuity points, and to farm a wave of goodwill while he was at it.
A person of great Fortuity, though no match for a Child of Fortuity, was in Gu Changge’s eyes still a kind of leek to be harvested.
It was just that the method of harvesting differed entirely from that of a Child of Fortuity.