Chapter 141: A Late Bloomer? The Qianyuan Academy Is Interested!

Chen Ru's words drew everyone's gaze toward Old Ancestor Qingmu. In their eyes, this young man was being less than honest. It had not even occurred to them that Cao Xuan, who was currently breaking through inside the main hall, could be the one. After all, within the makeshift void space, and with only a top-grade spiritual root, it had already cost Qing Yin a fortune just to help the boy reach a four-pattern Golden Core. Truth be told, even if Cao Xuan were placed in the Azure Cloud Mist Cave and provided with various elixirs and spiritual treasures, he would have struggled to form a five-pattern, or perhaps a six-pattern, Golden Core. But since they had gone to such lengths to snatch up a talent with an aptitude for Sword Intent, no one could really fault them for settling for a four-pattern core.

Initially, the representatives of the five great holy lands had been watching the scene with a sense of amusement, but now, their interest was piqued. Under their collective scrutiny, Old Ancestor Qingmu swallowed hard, feeling that a single wrong word could invite their wrath. He searched his memory carefully, but he truly could not think of any prodigy from any of the sect's peaks capable of forming a nine-pattern Golden Core. Such a feat, beyond mere external aids, relied heavily on one's own innate aptitude and fortuitous encounters.

After a moment of thought, Old Ancestor Qingmu sighed helplessly. "I apologize, but I truly cannot think of any disciple who meets the criteria for forming a nine-pattern Golden Core."

"Could it be that we misheard?"

The elders of the five holy lands looked at him as if he were an idiot. If they had misheard, would all six of them have ascended into the sky? Old Ancestor Qingmu realized his anxiety had clouded his judgment. Still, he continued, "Then I can think of one possibility, though the honored elders may be disappointed. Perhaps it is someone who has blossomed late in life, someone who has accumulated a deep foundation over time and only now achieved a nine-pattern Golden Core."

As he spoke, a look of relief crossed his face. In the Foundation Establishment stage, one lived for two hundred years; those who had not reached the Golden Core stage after a century were generally considered "ordinary." One should not underestimate the base of these ordinary cultivators. Even among the thirty Golden Core masters in the holy lands, there were those who failed to reach the Nascent Soul stage after four hundred years, eventually passing away as their lifespan ran out. As Qingmu suggested, in his experience, the younger generation usually prioritized rapid advancement, settling for four or five-pattern cores based on their natural aptitude. Utilizing the sect's resources to push for a six-pattern core was already considered a massive investment.

In truth, it was no exaggeration to say that the Azure Cloud Sect possessed some "geniuses" who had formed seven-pattern Golden Cores. However, compared to the Void Refinement experts in the sky, most of them were late bloomers, now either at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage or in the Spirit Severing realm. Old Ancestor Qingmu himself was a prime example of this. In his youth, he had been stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment, but through diligent cultivation, he accumulated sufficient essence and spirit, eventually shattering his bottleneck to become a seven-pattern Golden Core cultivator. Perhaps because of his age, he lacked the prestige of those in the holy lands, but within a second-rate sect like the Azure Cloud Sect, he was a precious treasure.

Truth be told, in second-rate sects like the Azure Cloud, the common pursuit was a solid foundation rather than reckless, rapid advancement. If not for the demands of the Xuanhua Dao Sect, prodigies like Qiu Qianliu or Meng Weizhi might not have chosen to break through to the Golden Core stage so quickly. These sects favored a path of moderation and balance; one did not need to accumulate a deep foundation, nor did one need to obsess over being a young prodigy—as long as the timing was right, that was sufficient. In Old Ancestor Qingmu's eyes, a four-pattern Golden Core breakthrough before the age of thirty might not be as valuable as an eighty-year-old who formed a six-pattern core. Of course, this was only within the small pond of the Azure Cloud Sect. If placed in a holy land, the former, even with a four-pattern core, might have a chance to reach the Void Refinement stage, whereas the latter would likely top out at the Spirit Severing stage—this was the gap.

Hearing Old Ancestor Qingmu's explanation, the others realized the logic, and their expectations dimmed slightly. However, Chen Ru remarked, "It is still worth seeing. Perhaps they have an affinity with my Qianyuan Academy!"

No one noticed that Chen Ru's hands were tightly clenched; he had the same look that Sword Immortal Qing Yin had worn earlier when watching Cao Xuan. Forming a nine-pattern Golden Core was no small feat, but if the cultivator was too old, they would be like Cao Xuan—a bottomless pit for resources that yielded little return. If the investment did not match the harvest, there was no point in nurturing them. Such a person might eventually reach the Spirit Severing stage after a thousand years in the Azure Cloud Sect anyway; in a holy land, they might just reach it a few hundred years earlier with more resources, perhaps with a slim hope for Void Refinement.

The others nodded in agreement with Chen Ru; they might as well take a look. Since they were already here, bringing back a "genius" wouldn't be a total loss. Old Ancestor Qingmu's heart sank. A nine-pattern Golden Core, a candidate with the potential for Void Refinement—naturally, no holy land wanted to let them go.

*A late bloomer who follows the sage's path of moderation—that lineage values temperament above all, yet requires specific aptitude. Could it be that today, that lineage will shine once more?*

Chen Ru's inner turmoil was even more intense than Qing Yin's had been. This was not just about adding another sword cultivator to the sect; it was the possibility of gaining a sage. However, his self-control far surpassed that of Fairy Qing Yin. He remained expressionless, acting as if he did not care about this "old" nine-pattern Golden Core cultivator and was merely suggesting a meeting.

Liu Ruyan, whose sect practiced techniques that delved directly into the human heart, saw from the expression in Old Ancestor Qingmu's eyes that he was telling the truth. Having lost interest, she flew back toward the main hall first. "After the nine-pattern Golden Core breakthrough and the appearance of the 'Morning Bell and Evening Drum' phenomenon, it will likely take two days to stabilize. Let us wait."

Since they had not discovered which specific "secret realm" the breakthrough was occurring in—though the Azure Cloud Sect was not large compared to the six holy lands, it actually contained over a thousand secret realms of varying sizes—they knew that any place capable of standing in Central Province was not simple. Chen Ru followed close behind her, appearing indifferent to the disciple in question. In reality, however, he was already preparing his opening lines, such as, "Forget it, would you like to come study at my Qianyuan Academy?"

The others showed no reaction, failing to notice anything amiss. Old Ancestor Qingmu performed a hand seal, transmitting messages to the masters of each peak. He then returned to the main hall and said, "I have sent word to the masters of the peaks most likely to produce a nine-pattern core, and I have also alerted the elders and protectors to keep an eye out for any 'genius' disciples who were once brilliant but have since faded into obscurity."

"I expect we shall have results before long."

The others nodded. Even a late bloomer would have certain distinguishing traits. Old Ancestor Qingmu still held a glimmer of hope; seeing the indifferent expressions of the holy land elders, he thought, *A nine-pattern Golden Core... if nurtured slowly, the future of the Azure Cloud Sect is secured!*

*Crack.*

A sound came from the main hall. They saw Fairy Qing Yin emerge first with a complex expression on her face. They paused, all wearing looks of schadenfreude. Old Ancestor Qingmu’s heart, meanwhile, sank.