Translator: AnubisTL
"The first elderly Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivator has manifested!"
"I can't see clearly, what kind of creature has been nurtured?"
"Judging by his appearance, he's already over two hundred years old. Breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm at this age has set a record for the Sunset Glow Sect!"
"..."
It was no secret that Gu Feng was refining the Innate Realm-Breaking Pill to cultivate Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators.
When the celestial phenomena appeared, all the Elders and disciples rushed over to witness the event.
Gu Feng also emerged from the Alchemy Room, gazing at the sky. He was curious about what kind of creature a cultivator of this age could nurture upon successfully reaching the Spirit Nurturing Realm.
Activating his Immortal Eye, his right eye flickered slightly, and his pupil turned a deep green.
Looking at the silhouette enveloped in the Rosy Clouds, his expression turned strange.
"A walking stick?"
For a moment, he thought he had seen wrong. After observing it several times, he confirmed it was indeed a walking stick, and not a particularly sturdy one at that—it seemed like it could break with just a little force.
"Vice Sect Master Liu? What kinds of creatures do cultivators usually nurture when they break through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm?" Gu Feng couldn't help but ask.
"Theoretically, all sorts of strange things can appear. In reality, the most common are beast-like creatures, like those nurtured by Chu Youhuan and Shu Yuheng, though ordinary people won't have creatures as powerful as theirs," Liu Wuxiang replied indifferently.
"What if a cultivator nurtures a walking stick? How would their talent be?"
"Haha, if someone really nurtured a walking stick, their combat power probably wouldn't be much higher than a ninth-level Innate Realm cultivator. At most, they might gain an extra sixty years of lifespan."
As he finished speaking, Liu Wuxiang seemed to notice something peculiar, his lips twitching slightly. "It really is a walking stick!"
"Haha, I didn't expect these people's talents to be so... underwhelming!" Gu Feng shook his head with a bitter smile.
"These people are hard to place. Their realm is Spirit Nurturing, but their strength is insufficient. Even becoming sect stewards would be a stretch," Liu Wuxiang frowned.
This was troublesome. If these elderly disciples hadn't broken through to the Innate Realm, they would have at most twenty or thirty years left before passing away. Now, with several decades of lifespan suddenly added, it was a significant burden for the sect. Judging by their demeanor, they wouldn't leave voluntarily, and it wasn't possible to forcibly expel them either!
"Vice Sect Master Liu, don't worry. These disciples will all follow me to the Grand Harmony Academy. They won't hinder the sect's development!" Gu Feng reassured with a smile.
"You're still in the Innate Realm yourself. How are you going to lead them through the academy's assessments? You always like to mess around," Chu Youhuan chided, giving Gu Feng a reproachful look.
"I'll be undergoing my tribulation soon. Leading them into the Grand Harmony Academy won't be a problem. Even if they can't enter, we can always send them to the Swamp Fortress. We can use them to replace the younger disciples there. After all, the Sunset Glow Sect isn't what it used to be—our cultivation efficiency is top-notch now," Gu Feng said nonchalantly.
The first elderly disciple nurturing a walking stick left the disciples dumbfounded.
What followed in the next period of time was even more jaw-dropping.
"A broken bowl?"
"A reclining chair?"
"This one's not bad—a hoe!"
"A shovel?"
"A hammer!"
"..."
What kind of nonsense is this?!
Over a dozen cultivators successfully reached the Spirit Nurturing Realm, which should have been a cause for celebration for the Sunset Glow Sect. However, the creatures they nurtured were almost unbearable to look at.
Except for the hammer, which was somewhat intact, the other items all had flaws, big or small. None of them seemed like they belonged to high-level combatants.
"Stop letting them break through the Innate Realm anymore, our Sunset Glow Sect is turning into a rehabilitation center for the disabled!" Chu Youhuan frowned.
"It's fine, keep nurturing them. Consider it a good deed, adding sixty years to their lifespan," Gu Feng said softly, returning to the Alchemy Room.
...
"Hahaha, the Sunset Glow Sect is so amusing, what a bunch of oddballs!"
"Hehe, you can't say that. Even if they're trash, they're still Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators. Together, their combat power is quite decent!"
"An elderly cultivator breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, using five or six breakthrough pills—Gu Feng must have too much money to burn."
"Whatever, he has fifty billion, let him spend it recklessly."
"That makes sense, our shares are secure."
"They were always secure, he's just too young and ambitious!"
"..."
Upon learning that many cultivators in the Sunset Glow Sect had successfully reached the Spirit Nurturing Realm, Lin Xinhua and others initially felt immense pressure. However, after understanding the specifics, this invisible pressure dissipated instantly.
Even if the Sunset Glow Sect had five hundred Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators, so what? The strength of these Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators probably couldn't match some exceptionally talented peak Innate Realm cultivators. They were more of a liability than a threat!
From early May onwards, the entire Sunset Glow Sect was enveloped in the phenomenon of Rosy Clouds. Every day, about a dozen elderly disciples broke through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, and strange Spirit Nurturing phenomena frequently appeared, greatly broadening the disciples' horizons.
Time flew by, and it was the end of May.
Yan Xixi and some disciples from the Swamp Fortress returned to the Sunset Glow Sect, preparing to participate in the Grand Harmony Academy's entrance examination alongside Gu Feng and others.
"A Fei, it's great that you didn't break through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm!" Wu Qi, Guo Renkai, Chao Yuan, and the Xiong Brothers, who were in the same batch as Gu Feng, had barely reached the Fifth Stage of the Innate Realm through rigorous cultivation and the aid of pills, thanks to Gu Feng's special care.
They entered the second Innate Realm examination venue alongside Qi Tingting and A Fei.
"Hehe, I could have broken through, but Leader Gu told me to stay at the peak of the Innate Realm to ensure you all get into the Grand Harmony Academy!" A Fei scratched his head, speaking honestly.
Originally, Gu Feng had planned to give Wu Qi and others guaranteed admission spots. But then he thought, with A Fei around, it was equivalent to a guaranteed admission, so he gave the spots to those disciples with high talent but only at the First or Second Stage of the Innate Realm.
"A Fei, Qi Tingting, and Tuoba Lei, you will lead the Innate Realm cultivators. Make sure to get them all into the Grand Harmony Academy, and preferably bring back the top scholar as well!" Gu Feng looked at everyone and said with a smile.
The Grand Harmony Academy's entrance examination does not prohibit teaming up. You can use your influence to have the entire examination venue cooperate with you to win the top scholar.
Originally, there were more than a dozen disciples who could have broken through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm before the exam, but Gu Feng stopped them. Staying at the peak of the Innate Realm was the best choice for the Sunset Glow Sect's entire Innate Realm team.
"Yes!"
"With the Martial Skills passed down by Founder Qingyan, we are very confident!"
"Let's all enter the Grand Harmony Academy together!!"
"Boss, aren't you also in the Innate Realm? If you enter the second Innate Realm examination venue, you'll be invincible, and our Sunset Glow Sect is sure to win big!"
"..."
The disciples were in high spirits, and Gu Feng shook his head with a smile: "I will break through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm and enter the first Spirit Nurturing Realm examination venue!"
"Leader Gu breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, he'll be a peak powerhouse in the first Spirit Nurturing Realm examination venue, easily passing the exam!"
"Boss Gu, you must get into the Grand Harmony Academy. Otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing for the leader of a sect to fail the exam," someone said.
"..."
The disciples who had returned from the Swamp Fortress were quite familiar with Gu Feng and still referred to him as Boss Gu.
"Of course!" Gu Feng didn't reveal his plans to them.
"I will lead the Spirit Nurturing Realm team. Everyone must follow my commands. As the sect leader, I will take you all to new heights and make you soar!"
"Ha, as if we need you to show off? We might end up protecting you instead," Chu Youhuan scoffed lightly.
They were about to head to the examination site, and Gu Feng hadn't even broken through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm yet. Where did he get the courage to say such a thing?
"Sect Leader, we'll be relying on you then?" This was Li Huixian, who had previously ranked third on the Inner Sanctum Heaven Ranking. However, since breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, she had been overshadowed by Chu Youhuan.
Li Huixian had a captivating charm, with her bright red lips and alluring eyes that occasionally glanced at Gu Feng, making him itch with desire, though he tried to remain indifferent.
"With the sect leader, our thirty Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators, all with the combat power of the third level of Spirit Nurturing, plus the new martial skills passed down by Founder Qingyan, it's impossible for us to fail," Pu Shaoxuan, who had previously ranked second on the Inner Sanctum Heaven Ranking, said confidently.
"What are you all thinking? If I just wanted you to get into the Grand Harmony Academy, why would I personally participate? I could have just used a recommendation spot," Gu Feng said with a smirk.
"Living up to expectations, all 470 of the older disciples have broken through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm!" At that moment, Yan Yexue, dressed in a white robe, walked in.
Behind her followed a group of elderly cultivators, all radiating the aura of the Spirit Nurturing Realm.
"Wasn't there one who couldn't break through no matter what?" Gu Feng asked with a light laugh.
"That disciple was me. Everyone else had broken through, so I couldn't afford to fall behind. I ended up taking three Innate Realm-Breaking Diarrhea Pills in one go and finally broke through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm last night!"
Gu Feng was taken aback. He remembered this disciple was the oldest among the 470, at the astonishing age of 235. It was no exaggeration to say that half of his body was already in the grave.
"Impressive. I'm quite curious about what you've nurtured!" Gu Feng said with interest, and the others shared the same expression.
"A piece of white cloth for mourning!" the old disciple said sheepishly.
"Pfft—"
Everyone burst out laughing. It was just too fitting.
"Not bad. Once you enter the Grand Harmony Academy, work hard, and you might just reach even greater heights!"
"Thank you for your encouragement, Sect Leader. In my youth, I wasted my body on wine and women. Now that you've given me another chance, I'll definitely train with all my might," the old disciple said with emotion.
"Everyone, this is the Spirit Nurturing Realm team of our Sunset Glow Sect. My goal is simple: all 500 of us will get into the Grand Harmony Academy!!"
Gu Feng's plan was still in the confidential stage, known only to Yan Yexue, Chu Youhuan, and Liu Wuxiang.
The three of them listened to Gu Feng's bold declaration and couldn't help but smirk.
As for Pu Shaoxuan and the others, they were utterly shocked, hardly believing their ears.
A 100% success rate? In the ten years since the Grand Harmony Academy was established, there had been five admissions cycles, and such a thing had never happened before.
The highest admission rate was set a few years ago by Lieguang Sect, the largest sect in the Chu Kingdom, with a 65% admission rate. Even this was considered an unbreakable record.
It's worth noting that in the subsequent two examinations, even a powerful sect like Lieguang Sect never achieved an admission rate exceeding 50%.
The reason was that Lieguang Sect's disciples were too conspicuous. As soon as they entered the examination grounds, they were jointly suppressed by many sects.
Therefore, while they didn't refute Gu Feng's bold claim, they didn't agree with it either.
Leading this group of elderly Spirit Nurturing cultivators into the Grand Harmony Academy would require overwhelming strength to dominate the entire scene. Even those at the eighth or ninth level of Spirit Nurturing would find it difficult to achieve!
"Any problems?"
"None!"
"Good, let's set off!"
With a wave of his hand, Gu Feng led three Supreme Elders of the Sea Condensation Realm and strode out of the Sunset Glow Sect.
...
Cloud Prefecture, Yunfei City!
This city was the closest to the examination grounds among all the cities in Cloud Prefecture.
All the forces in Cloud Prefecture had agreed to gather in Yunfei City and travel together!
"Sect Leader Gu, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you!" Patriarch Bao called out loudly as soon as he saw the Sunset Glow Sect's team from a distance.
Lin Xinhua, Yan Hanyun, and others also turned their gazes over.
When they saw the massive team of two thousand people, they were all stunned!
"Apologies, the team is quite large, so we were delayed a bit!" Gu Feng clasped his hands toward the crowd.
"No worries! We haven't been here long either!" Lin Xinhua chuckled, then shifted the topic: "Sect Leader Gu, are all these people taking the examination?"
"Yes, five hundred Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators will enter the Spirit Nurturing First Examination Ground! One thousand five hundred Innate Realm cultivators will enter the Innate First and Second Examination Grounds!
It's a pity that our Sunset Glow Sect doesn't have high-level Spirit Nurturing cultivators, so the Spirit Nurturing Second and Third Examination Grounds are out of our reach!"
Looking at the dumbfounded crowd, Gu Feng casually dropped an invisible yet deadly boast.
"Heh, Sect Leader Gu, such a grand gesture! In terms of the number of Spirit Nurturing candidates alone, your sect rivals those of some major prefectures!" Lin Xinhua offered a perfunctory compliment.
"Has Gu Feng lost his mind? Sending these old men to take the exam? What a joke!"
"The only ones with a chance of passing are the young disciples like Chu Youhuan. The rest are just filling the numbers, serving no other purpose."
"Gu Feng's making such a big show might just be for attention."
"The wealthy are different, spending a fortune to create hundreds of Spirit Nurturing cultivators just for..."
"..."
While everyone inwardly shook their heads, they outwardly expressed words of praise and envy.
Gu Feng scanned the surroundings and noticed that besides the cultivators from various forces, there were also many lone wanderers.
These were clearly individuals who had experienced life-and-death battles. Their strength was not to be underestimated, and their numbers were not small, though they were generally twenty to thirty years older than the sect disciples.
Of course, compared to the Sunset Glow Sect's cultivators, they were insignificant.
A rough count revealed that the number of Spirit Nurturing Realm candidates present, including the five hundred from his sect, was close to a thousand.
The Chu Kingdom had thirty-three prefectures, and Cloud Prefecture's cultivation level ranked among the bottom five.
"No wonder Vice Sect Master Liu said there would be around fifty thousand candidates in the Spirit Nurturing First Examination Ground. It seems he wasn't exaggerating!"
As Gu Feng pondered this, the sound of departure echoed in his ears.
The candidates of Cloud Prefecture were heading to the examination grounds!
"The two Innate Realm examination grounds will have the most candidates, likely totaling close to a million. The competition will be fierce."
"Among all the examination halls, the Spirit Nurturing First Hall, commonly known as the Hell Hall, is where the candidates are strong in strength and large in number. In previous years, there have been cases of extraordinary cultivators failing to make the cut."
"In comparison, the Spirit Nurturing Second and Third Halls are much milder..."
"I wonder how many of the youngsters I'm leading will be able to get into the Grand Harmony Academy."
As they chatted along the way, the topic shifted to Gu Feng.
"Sect Leader Gu, you have a good chance of becoming the top scorer in the Innate Realm Second Hall, don't you?"
"Sect Leader Gu's strength among Innate Realm cultivators is unparalleled throughout the Great Chu Dynasty. As long as luck isn't too bad, the top scorer position is within grasp!"
"Has our Cloud Prefecture ever produced a top scorer? It seems not!"
"How could it have? The top scorers are all monopolized by those major prefectures."
"Sect Leader Gu, we are very optimistic that you will bring glory to Cloud Prefecture!" The Cloud Prefecture Prefect also said with a smile. If a top scorer emerged under his jurisdiction, regardless of which hall it was, it would add luster to his resume, and it might even be possible for him to enter the court in the future.
"Sect Leader Gu, if you encounter my disciples, please be lenient!"
"Yes, Sect Leader Gu, go and snatch disciples from other prefectures, don't take ours."
"Sect Leader Gu..."
Finally, everyone unanimously asked Gu Feng to show mercy.
Gu Feng looked at them with a strange expression, stopped in his tracks, and said, "Who said I was going to enter the Innate Second Hall? I'm entering the Spirit Nurturing First Hall.
After nurturing so many Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators, I have to send them to the Grand Harmony Academy!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xinhua and the others were stunned, and then they all rolled their eyes in unison.
A cultivator who hasn't even broken through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm wants to take the Spirit Nurturing First Hall exam?
Do you even have the qualifications?
What's even more outrageous is that you want to bring this group of old folks into the Grand Harmony Academy!
Please, if you're going to boast, at least be a bit more serious!
(End of the Chapter)
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