Chapter 263 - Core Formation Disturbance 2

He requested leave.Then, he snuck into the Sixth Courtyard to cultivate alongside them.

Day and night, he never rested.

He never missed an opportunity for personal gain, freeloading whenever he could.

Even getting caught didn’t matter. He would just get on his knees and beg.

All he wanted was this chance.

’He figured he’d be allowed to stay.’

Yan Yiqiu did discover him and decided to expel him.

But then Fang Yong actually knelt before her, even bringing up Jiang Man to play the sympathy card.

Yan Yiqiu was stunned. ’Does he have no shame?’

He was a genius, supposedly one of the top three from the Eighth Courtyard.

Someone qualified to learn a Secret Technique.

’And he’s this kind of person?’

The shock was too great.

In the end, she pretended she hadn’t seen him.

「Ten days later.」

More and more people were learning about what was happening in the Sixth Courtyard.

Bai Fan looked at his two friends beside him. "Why do you think they’re cultivating like that?"

"Jiang Man obtained a Promotion Skill. Could it be related to that?" Jiang Yingcai asked.

After a pause, Bai Fan turned to Duan Wu. "Compared to Jiang Man, do I still have a chance of winning?"

"Actually, you do. He’s at Foundation Establishment Perfection, and having obtained a Promotion Skill, he’ll subconsciously underestimate those who come after him. This is especially true for someone as arrogant, conceited, and overconfident as Jiang Man. He’s the most likely type to suffer an unexpected defeat," Duan Wu said after some serious thought. "So, as long as you catch him by surprise and strike with your most powerful attack, it’s possible to win in a single blow."

Bai Fan stared at him and remarked, "For a moment there, I couldn’t tell if you’re the one with the problem or if I am."

"Let’s get back to the Sixth Courtyard," Jiang Yingcai said, pulling the conversation back on track. "Are they really not worried at all, cultivating through the night like that?"

"The Sect hasn’t really tried to stop them. Maybe pulling all-nighters is the right way," Bai Fan said.

After a moment, Jiang Yingcai asked, "Would you guys dare to cultivate all night?"

Bai Fan and Duan Wu fell silent.

After a pause, Duan Wu said, "Those in the First, Second, and Third Courtyards wouldn’t dare, but that doesn’t mean those in the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Courtyards feel the same.

"We’re about to compete for the Promotion Skill.

"And we all have a decent chance.

"There’s no need for us to take such a risk.

"But many others have no chance at all. They won’t be afraid. They might even take the gamble.

"The Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Courtyards have the most to gain.

"As long as they can surpass others by pulling all-nighters and reach the top ranks...

"Then, among the First, Second, and Third Courtyards, they could earn the right to enter the Promotion Secret Realm.

"It’s not guaranteed to work, of course.

"But what if it does?"

Bai Fan and the others were silent for a moment.

It felt like the Outer Sect was on the verge of an earth-shattering change.

Those who originally had no chance might now see a glimmer of hope just by pulling all-nighters.

In that case...

Countless people would flock to try it.

However, the Foundation Establishment Courtyard also had a "back courtyard."

Those who missed their chance for Core Formation in the "front courtyard" could still compete for entry into a Secret Realm in the back, and thus reach Core Formation.

But the spots there were still limited.

Even fewer than in the front courtyard.

And even with that, it still wouldn’t be enough to stop people from taking this gamble.

"This is bad. The whole atmosphere is about to turn sour," Bai Fan said, shocked.

Sure enough, fifteen days later, some disciples from the Seventh and Eighth Courtyards began pulling all-nighters as well.

Twenty days later, even more had joined in.

The number one disciple of the Outer Sect was pulling all-nighters. They couldn’t just sit back and watch, could they?

As for the risk of harming one’s Heart Spirit, some argued, ’Are the people from the Sixth Courtyard all fools?’

Others claimed that the number one disciple only dared to do it *because* he was number one.

For anyone else, it would be courting death.

There were many different opinions.

But the memory of people being caught before had left a deep impression on them.

So, instead of decreasing, the number of people pulling all-nighters actually grew.

After a month, the numbers stopped increasing.

The overall impact wasn’t massive, as most people were still waiting on the sidelines.

They wanted to see if the number one Outer Sect disciple could actually reach Core Formation.

After all, waiting a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

「Peach Blossom Peak.」

In a courtyard rich with Spiritual Qi, a young woman knocked gently on a door.

"Come in," a calm voice called from within.

It was a man’s voice.

He sounded to be only around twenty years old.

CREAK.

The door was pushed open, and the woman walked inside.

She saw a young man sitting on the floor, contemplating the positions of the eight trigrams.

He seemed to be divining something.

"Junior Sister Wang? You were looking for me?" Wei Ran asked, looking up slightly at the newcomer.

This was Wei Ran, once hailed as the number one genius.

He was two years younger than Jiang Man, the youngest prodigy from the Sixth Courtyard.

He didn’t look very old at all.

"Fang Yong has disappeared recently, and I can’t contact him. But given his personality, he’s probably fine," Wang Yan said after a moment of thought. "Also, that Jiang Man has obtained a Promotion Skill. He’ll reach Core Formation by next year at the latest, but I’m not sure which of the Skills it is."

"It should be the Third Skill," Wei Ran stated.

Hearing this, Wang Yan sighed. "I misjudged him. I thought he was just another ordinary genius, but I never expected him to be so heaven-defyingly talented."

Wei Ran smiled. "Fang Yong is no slouch either. No need to worry about such things."

"I also investigated that person, Cheng Yu. She’s been secretly consuming our Elixirs, absorbing them herself at minimal cost. She mostly uses Inferior Pills, but occasionally takes a Formed Pill," Wang Yan said in a low voice. "She wants to raise her Cultivation as quickly as possible to heal some injuries her mother left her with.

"It was a result of some of her mother’s techniques.

"Her wanting to do so is understandable, but she can’t be allowed to do it at the expense of our interests."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ran’s eyes grew cold. He then manifested a slightly flawed Elixir out of thin air. "Use this Elixir. After this, she will no longer be able to harm our interests."

Wang Yan took the Elixir and nodded slightly.

Then she asked, "Should we investigate Jiang Man?"

"For now, just keep an eye on him," Wei Ran said casually.

Wang Yan nodded and departed.

「The next day.」

Cheng Yu went to Fang Yong’s residence, intending to report some news.

But he wasn’t there.

She was quite curious.

Fang Yong had been missing for a month now.

And she hadn’t received any news about him either.