Chapter 197 - Have You Seen an Unparalleled Celestial Pride?

Can someone who became number one by pulling all-nighters be considered a Celestial Pride?Meng Qiewei didn’t ponder the question. She simply asked about his Cultivation.

The answer she got was Foundation Establishment.

"Foundation Establishment?" Meng Qiewei calmly lifted her teacup. "Since when have you all had so much free time that you’re concerning yourselves with whether a Foundation Establishment cultivator pulls all-nighters?"

Qing Dai smiled. "It’s news from the new generation of Celestial Prides. Don’t you remember those few geniuses we were told to watch?

"Well, one of those geniuses is leading the charge on all-nighter Immortal Cultivation.

"He even said, ’How can you sleep when you’re this young?’"

Meng Qiewei sipped her cool water. "And then?"

Qing Dai brewed tea as she explained, "So then, he pulled all-nighters to cultivate and took first place. This means that for every day he stays up, he gains nearly half a day of Cultivation over everyone else.

"Two days for him is like three days for others; two years for him is like three years for others.

"While he was in the Eighth Courtyard, he defeated the Seventh Courtyard.

"But the others weren’t pulling all-nighters.

"Under these circumstances, is this number one really the strongest genius among them?

"If the others started pulling all-nighters too, would he no longer be a match for them?

"So, can someone who got to number one by pulling all-nighters really be considered a Celestial Pride?"

Meng Qiewei raised a delicate eyebrow, glanced at Qing Dai, and said, "You all truly have too much time on your hands."

"Don’t you find it interesting, Young Miss?" Qing Dai asked.

She then continued, "On the last list we reviewed, didn’t we notice someone whose Cultivation was progressing with startling speed?

"We even thought he needed special attention.

"It’s that Jiang Man.

"Turns out, it was all from pulling all-nighters.

"Now they’re starting to debate whether he can truly be considered a Celestial Pride."

Meng Qiewei listened in silence, taking another sip of her water.

For a long time, she didn’t speak.

It seemed she had no interest in this topic.

After a while, she finally spoke. "The Sects would never concern themselves with whether a Foundation Establishment cultivator pulls all-nighters."

At this, Qing Dai flashed a dazzling smile. "Actually, the Wuyun Sect is paying attention this time. It’s mainly because of an incident. This Jiang Man beat up everyone, angering a lot of people. Some influential figures hiding in the shadows couldn’t touch him, so instead, those who taught and invested in him were all reported.

"The man is quite the character.

"Now, the clan is paying close attention to this ’all-nighter Celestial Pride.’

"They’re watching to see if he can reach Core Formation.

"The other geniuses, although powerful, are walking a path similar to the geniuses before them.

"Not enough drama."

Meng Qiewei put down her teacup and asked, "What do the people outside think?"

"Some believe that since resources are scarce while anyone can pull an all-nighter, it’s not a true advantage. At most, it grants him a two or three-year head start. But if others copy his method and prove better at it, then he can’t be called a Celestial Pride." Qing Dai refilled her Young Miss’s cup before continuing, "However, others argue that pulling all-nighters harms the Heart Spirit—a fact established after the great reforms of the Immortal Sects, not just empty words. Yet he has done it for years without any harm to his Heart Spirit. In fact, he’s even pioneered this path for others.

"He dares to be a pioneer, to challenge the doctrines of the Immortal Sects and forge a new Immortal Path.

"If he isn’t a Celestial Pride, who is?

"Of course, there are also those who think that while pulling all-nighters is fine now, when the time comes to learn a Promotion Skill, he will definitely be consumed by a Heart Demon.

"His path as a Celestial Pride will be cut short.

"It’s not worth sacrificing one’s future just to get a step ahead in a minor Realm like Foundation Establishment.

"The Immortal Path is long. A solid foundation in the Foundation Establishment Realm is what matters."

Meng Qiewei stared at the tea leaves in her cup, silent for a long time.

"It’s new tea, not bitter," Qing Dai said immediately.

Upon hearing this, Meng Qiewei took a sip, then casually poured the rest out.

Qing Dai was confused. "Why this time?"

"It’s time to water the flowers," Meng Qiewei answered casually. After a pause, she asked, "Have the Immortal Sects made any moves recently?"

Qing Dai replied, "They’re still going through formalities, which will likely take some time. However, you will definitely be under surveillance, Young Miss. People from the other two major families are also being watched. They’ve either claimed to be in seclusion or have gone missing for a while.

"Now one is injured, and the other’s aura has greatly increased.

"Both are under suspicion.

"Additionally, the Immortal Sects have begun investigating the Evil Gods in the depths.

"Perhaps an Evil God from the depths has escaped, but verifying this will take some time.

"This is a good opportunity to investigate if the Evil God you’re looking for, Young Miss, is among them."

Meng Qiewei poured herself a glass of water, her thoughts unreadable.

「On a desolate mountain road.」

Jiang Man walked under the scorching sun.

He had been on the road ever since leaving the small marketplace.

He didn’t know the specific direction, but the three people traveling with him were experienced and easily found the correct path.

The group consisted of one woman and two men.

All of them had their faces covered with gauze, leaving only their eyes exposed to see the road.

They said it was a simple Magical Treasure that helped keep them cool.

As a result, Jiang Man couldn’t see what they looked like.

Of the men, one was extremely tall, while the other was more slender, not much different from the woman.

"The Steward told you all to listen to me," Jiang Man began. "He said if you don’t, you can’t blame him for what happens."

The Steward had indeed said something similar, but it was merely a pleasantry.

He repeated it just to see if it would have any effect.

The three looked at each other, and finally nodded. "We can listen to you, but on some matters involving experience, we hope you’ll consider our input carefully."

Jiang Man felt the three were quite reasonable. After a pause, he asked, "How do normal teams divide Spiritual Sources? An even split?"

"Usually, whoever kills more gets a larger share," the tall man said.

Hearing this, Jiang Man breathed a sigh of relief.

’That’s good.

You reap what you sow.’

"How long until we get there?" Jiang Man asked.

"We should arrive around dusk. During the day, Demon Beasts are about ten percent stronger than at night, and our consumption is about five percent higher. With one side stronger and the other weaker, the gap becomes quite large," the woman said.

Jiang Man wasn’t particularly concerned about such details. However, since it was his first time and he hadn’t assessed the situation himself, he decided to follow their experienced lead for the time being.

After walking for a long time, the woman asked curiously, "You’re so young. Why did you come here?"

Jiang Man was taken aback. "For training."