At eighty, the Holy Sect's enchanting woman aided in achieving longevity.

"Father! I heard we have guests?!"

Accompanied by a loud voice like muffled thunder, an exaggerated figure rushed in.

Chen Changsheng took a closer look and couldn't help but click his tongue in disbelief.

The newcomer was a boy, who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, with a somewhat endearingly naive air about him.

But its size was terrifying, towering two heads above an average person, with muscles bulging like granite, making it look like a small human mountain, and the ground trembled slightly with every step it took.

"You little rascal, what kind of behavior is this, so impulsive and reckless!"

Gu Canghai scolded him with a headache, then pulled the honest-looking boy over and said to Chen Changsheng with a wry smile, "Xiao Fan, this is my son, named Gu Dashan. This child is a little slow-witted and simple-minded, please don't take offense."

"Da Shan greets Brother Chen Changsheng!"

Gu Dashan scratched his head with a fist the size of a sandbag, and gave Chen Changsheng a simple and somewhat silly smile.

Chen Changsheng smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

Suddenly, Mu Qing'er's startled cry echoed deep within his mind:

"Chen Changsheng! Look at this big oaf! His soul and meridians... how is this possible?!"

Chen Changsheng's expression shifted, and he silently asked in his heart: Master, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with Brother Dashan?

Within her sea of ​​consciousness, Mu Qing'er's illusory soul stared at Gu Dashan outside.

The cool, clear voice was filled with complex emotions:

"Fate is truly unpredictable... This foolish boy has actually awakened an unparalleled supreme physique that is extremely rare even in all the heavens and myriad realms—the Desolate Heaven Overlord Vein!"

Desolate Heaven Tyrant Vein?

That sounds really impressive.

Chen Changsheng was surprised.

"It's more than just powerful. His meridians are several times wider than ordinary people's, and he is born with the divine power to tear the heavens and split the earth. If he were born into one of the immortal lineages in the upper realm, he would be destined to be an unparalleled genius who could sweep across the three thousand realms and become an emperor as soon as he comes of age!"

At this point, Mu Qing'er's voice suddenly turned into a sigh and sorrow:

"But unfortunately... he was born in this lowly realm where spiritual energy is scarce and the laws are incomplete! Here, such a heaven-defying physique, due to the extremely harsh cultivation conditions, would instead become a useless meridian with no chance of survival!"

Why is this happening?

Chen Changsheng was shocked.

"Because the spiritual energy and rare materials required for the Overlord Vein to advance are thousands or even tens of thousands of times that of ordinary cultivators! In the initial learning stage, one may be able to make rapid progress by brute force, but once one enters the truly mature realm, every subsequent advancement is no different from an ordinary person ascending to heaven."

Mu Qing'er sighed:

"In this world, he will be trapped in an extremely difficult bottleneck for the rest of his life due to the inability to obtain enough energy support. He will be unable to break through the shackles of his realm and will be forever stuck at the bottom, becoming a slightly stronger piece of trash. This is his fate."

He listened to Mu Qing'er's silent instructions in his mind.

Looking at the big, simple-minded guy in front of him, who was patting his chest and showing off his strength, Chen Changsheng felt a complex mix of emotions.

After leading Chen Changsheng and Gu Dashan into the spacious and solemn main hall of the true teachings, Gu Canghai sat down with a flick of his sleeve.

He toned down his previous imposing demeanor in front of outsiders, and his eyes no longer held the condescending air of the Grand Elder of the Cangwu Martial Academy.

Instead, his eyes were filled with the deep concern unique to elders, and he sighed deeply, saying:

"My child, you have suffered all these years. Brother Haotian went into hiding and left for sixty years. Half a year ago, I vaguely heard that that branch family had fallen ill, and you were unjustly accused and exiled to the Hehuan Sect. When I received the news, I was extremely anxious, but I regret that I was too busy with worldly affairs at the Martial Academy to leave my post and go to find you. Alas..."

"Yeah, Brother Chen!"

Standing to the side, Gu Dashan scratched his head and echoed in a muffled voice, "Half a year ago, my dad received that fragmented secret letter and paced anxiously in the house for days and nights. Brother Chen, how did you manage to survive these past six months wandering alone outside?"

Chen Changsheng remained calm and shook his head slightly, saying:

"It's nothing, I was just ostracized by some petty people. I was just thinking of going out to gain experience on my own, so I came to pay my respects to Uncle Gu."

After a pause, Chen Changsheng raised his head and asked softly, "Speaking of which, if I may be so bold as to ask, how exactly did Uncle Gu and my father become acquainted back then?"

"Haha, it's a long story."

A look of reminiscence appeared in Gu Canghai's eyes, and he sighed deeply. "At that time, I was only seventeen years old. I went out to purchase a batch of important cultivation resources, but unexpectedly, my whereabouts were discovered by my mortal enemy, who set a deadly trap on my return journey. I fought with all my might under the siege and could barely protect myself. Just when I was about to be killed, it was Brother Haotian who appeared out of nowhere and saved my life!"

Thinking back to that harrowing moment, Gu Canghai still feels lingering fear.

He looked at Chen Changsheng, his eyes filled with even greater admiration:

"I will never forget this immense kindness. Seeing you today, I can see that you truly are worthy of being Brother Haotian's flesh and blood! Your inner energy is profound and refined, and you have actually successfully broken through the mortal body and entered the first level of the Foundation Establishment stage. Such cultivation talent is absolutely one in a million, even in Cangwu City, where geniuses gather! Your father was a person of extraordinary talent back then, and your future achievements will certainly not be inferior to his."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Dashan, who was standing to the side, suddenly widened his eyes, which were as big as copper bells.

Sweating profusely, he exclaimed in shock, "Father! Are you sure you're not mistaken? Brother Chen has already broken through to the first level of the Foundation Establishment stage? This... how is this possible! I remember the intelligence from half a year ago said that Brother Chen was stuck at the first level of the Qi Refining stage because of his low mortal bone aptitude, without even a trace of Qi entering his body. How could he suddenly become a Foundation Establishment expert?"

Gu Canghai frowned slightly upon seeing this, his face showing confusion.

The spiritual energy emanating from Chen Changsheng's body at this moment, though he tried his best to conceal it, was indeed genuinely at the first level of the Foundation Establishment stage, without any falsehood.

Chen Changsheng remained calm and subtly nudged Gu Dashan with his elbow from behind.

He said calmly, "This is a long story, and I did indeed encounter some minor fortuitous opportunities along the way... However, my current cultivation level has barely reached the first level of the Foundation Establishment stage. I wonder if, with my current strength, I am qualified to join the True Inheritance Academy of the Martial Academy for further study?"

After being bumped by Chen Changsheng, Gu Dashan, who had regained his senses, quickly shut his mouth.

But his bull-like eyes remained wide open, a monstrous wave surging in his mind: Heavens! Brother Chen is actually already a first-level Foundation Establishment cultivator? What kind of miraculous pills and elixirs has he consumed in the past six months? This is too unbelievable!

Seeing the subtle actions between the two, the experienced Gu Canghai naturally knew that Chen Changsheng must be hiding a great secret and destiny.

But since Chen Changsheng didn't want to say more and deliberately changed the subject, he wisely refrained from pressing the matter. Instead, he chuckled and stroked his beard, asking:

"Chen Changsheng, what is your bone age this year?"

"Returning to the head seat, he has just turned eighty."

Chen Changsheng answered truthfully, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Eighty years old?"

Gu Canghai's expression changed drastically, and he was so shocked that he stood up from his seat, staring at Chen Changsheng with disbelief.

Gu Dashan, who was standing to the side, was stunned and his big mind went blank.

At this point, Gu Canghai's emotions were completely out of control.

They forcibly placed Chen Changsheng into the Martial Academy, at least to give him a safe place to stay.

With Lin Haotian's connection, even if he had to swallow his pride as the Grand Elder and resort to trickery and force, he would still keep Chen Changsheng alive in the Martial Academy!

"Chen Changsheng, are you truly willing to join our Martial Academy?"

Gu Canghai's gaze was intense, and his tone even carried a hint of urgency, "If you truly wish to join, all the tedious entrance examinations and trials within the Martial Academy will be waived. I can make the decision right now and accept you as my last disciple!"

Gu Dashan's mouth was agape, big enough to fit a fist, and his brain was basically in a state of complete short circuit.

"...May I ask, Elder, if I may join the Heavenly Class One, where Brother Dashan is?"

Chen Changsheng pondered for a moment before asking.

"Of course, no problem!" Gu Canghai slammed his hand on the stone table.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Alright, then I will do as Uncle Gu says."

Gu Canghai was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately began frantically rummaging through the hidden compartments of the stone table.

In just a few moments, he placed an exquisite armband emitting a faint silver glow and a key to his residence into Chen Changsheng's hand:

"From this moment forward, you are a formal disciple of the Cangwu Martial Academy's True Inheritance Hall. This is your identification badge, and also the key to your private courtyard in the inner garden."

"Today happens to be the day the new Lord of the Martial Academy takes office. There will be a grand welcoming banquet in the main hall of the Martial Academy this evening. I have a mountain of mundane affairs to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer. Dashan, please take Chen Changsheng to his residence to settle in, or introduce him to his future fellow disciples... By the way, Chen Changsheng, would you be interested in attending the Lord's banquet this evening?"

Gu Canghai suddenly slapped his forehead and made a suggestion.

"I have only just entered the manor today, can I be allowed to attend such a grand banquet?" Chen Changsheng feigned surprise.

"The arrival of the new Prefect is a momentous event that will shake the entire Cangwu City. We have sent invitations to all the top sects and aristocratic families in the city who enjoy great prestige and wield considerable power. It is sure to be a gathering of heroes. Normally, only the most outstanding disciples of our Martial Academy are qualified to attend such important occasions. Although you have only joined today, you are barely qualified. During this banquet, you can get a clear picture of the distribution of all the top powers in the city, which will be of great help to your future foothold in Cangwu City."

Chen Changsheng was quick-witted and understood immediately.

The reason Gu Canghai allowed a newly initiated disciple to attend such an important high-level banquet was ultimately because of the heavy favor his father had shown him in the past. This was a special care and protection from an elder.

He then sincerely clasped his hands in gratitude and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Gu. I will certainly attend the banquet on time... However, I wonder if I could bring Brother Dashan along?"

Gu Canghai hesitated for a moment, then looked at his burly and honest son and nodded with a smile: "Alright, Dashan, you can go with Chen Changsheng to broaden your horizons. He's new here and unfamiliar with everything, so you can guide him. I'll have someone add an extra seat for the true disciples in the main hall later."

-

Even after leaving the Elder Hall, Gu Dashan was still in a dreamlike, dazed state.

Only after pulling Chen Changsheng a considerable distance did he suddenly gasp for breath, his bull-like eyes widening as he exclaimed in a low voice:

"Brother Chen, what's going on? You've actually reached the first level of the Foundation Establishment stage? But your meridians were severely damaged before... Even if your meridians miraculously healed suddenly, it's absolutely impossible for you to have progressed this quickly. This is even more exaggerated than those top geniuses in the city who have been in seclusion for many years!"

"Well..."

Chen Changsheng rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.

He pondered for a long time, but still didn't know how to explain the system's secrets to his simple-minded new brother.

Not wanting to fabricate a lie to deceive him, she could only pat him on the shoulder vaguely:

"Dashan, this matter involves a core opportunity in my cultivation, and it's a secret that can't be easily revealed. When the time is right, I will tell you everything. However, it's best not to mention my previous stagnation in cultivation to anyone in the Cangwu Martial Academy, otherwise, there's no guarantee that some scheming individuals won't harbor any ill intentions."

"Ah... Oh! I see!"

Gu Dashan scratched his ear, completely bewildered, and then suddenly slapped his thigh.

A sudden, brilliant realization flashed in his eyes, which were as bright as copper bells:

"Brother Chen! I suddenly understand! All that feigned low aptitude and lack of spiritual power you had before was actually a 'playing dumb to fool the enemy' trick, right? You've been secretly cultivating diligently all along! No wonder you were able to break through the bottleneck and directly establish your foundation! Haha, Brother Chen, you're so cunning and sly, you fooled all those guys in the Joyful Union Sect, it's hilarious!"

Chen Changsheng shrugged, letting this stubborn, big guy use his imagination to force himself to make up a lie.

He shifted his gaze, quietly observing the undulating and imposing Wufu architectural complex in his line of sight, a surge of emotion welling up within him.

How long are you prepared to lie low in this tiny university?

Just then, Mu Qing'er's sweet voice suddenly echoed from the depths of his mind.

Let's take a step by step.

Chen Changsheng silently communicated with his master's spirit in his heart.

If the training environment here can provide me with sufficiently intense training, I will stay longer. If not, I can at least rest and recuperate here temporarily. More importantly, I want to stay and learn more basic martial arts techniques and practical combat skills.

Basic martial arts skills? Why are you abandoning the heaven-defying techniques that I, the Emperor, have taught you, and instead learning those low-class moves from the mortal realm?

Mu Qing'er's tone clearly carried a hint of displeasure and arrogance.

Chen Changsheng smiled bitterly to himself:

My dear master, the divine skills and secret techniques you passed down to me are of such a high level that they are capable of destroying the world at any moment.

With my current meager Foundation Establishment stage, I'd probably be drained of all my life essence and die on the spot if I used it.

Since I can't learn those amazing moves, I can only use this method to learn some basic movement techniques for self-defense and to avoid being noticed.

In her mind, Mu Qing'er seemed to be choked by Chen Changsheng's blunt truth.

He snorted coldly and fell silent again, saying no more.