Chapter 326: The Second Jing Tu World

The final half-year passed quietly.

The Jing Tu passage, which opened once every five years, was finally about to activate.

On the day of your departure, many elders from the Ninth Jing Tu World came to see you off, their faces brimming with pride.

"Shu, this time the passage opening leads to the Second Jing Tu."

"The Second Jing Tu is slightly inferior to the First Jing Tu, but it won't be much weaker. You must cultivate well there."

Fu Yan admonished you, giving you a gentle hug. "Big Sister will wait for you to return."

This was your promise.

Never spoken of to anyone.

Your Shifu, Zhu Yao, had red-rimmed eyes. "Shu, once you leave this time, it might be forever."

"But your Shifu will not forget you."

"You are my most outstanding disciple, my pride."

"In the Second Jing Tu, you will encounter more people and more dangers. You must be even more careful, and don't tell everyone everything."

Zhu Yao worried about you. "You're good in every way, child, but you're too naive, too innocent."

"I understand, Shifu."

The wind brushed against your face, stirring a trace of sadness in your heart, but you still smiled and said, "Shifu, we will meet again."

"Perhaps we can."

Zhu Yao dared not leave you with too much hope.

Then, the other elders also expressed their expectations to you, one by one, saying many things.

They handed you a token.

This token bore the joint signatures of the three Fa Zhi Zhang Lao of the Ninth Jing Tu, four Patrol Envoys, four Command Envoys, and the Dean of the Jing Tu Academy.

With this token as proof, as soon as you arrived in the Second Jing Tu, you would immediately receive the best cultivation.

The Jing Tu passage opened.

You and a group of selected prodigies walked into the passage together.

In your line of sight, Shifu Zhu Yao, Big Sister Fu Yan, the elders, and many people seeing you off — their figures grew increasingly blurry and soon vanished.

This transmission lasted a very long time.

You looked at the timing device you wore; a full month had passed.

There was no spiritual energy inside the passage, and many of the prodigies traveling with you were nearly fainting from hunger.

You realized the difficulty of cross-world transmission; no wonder the passage only opened once every five years.

Moreover, each time it transmitted only young prodigies with low cultivation but high talent.

At the Mortal Dust Eight Realms, you were already the highest cultivator among this batch of prodigies.

A point of light rapidly enlarged in your vision; you had finally reached the end of the transmission passage.

Accompanied by a spatial fluctuation, you arrived in a dimly lit stone chamber.

This design was also to help you better adapt to the new environment.

Even the dim light felt somewhat glaring to you, who had just emerged from the passage.

"The younger brothers and sisters from the Ninth Jing Tu have arrived!"

You heard some cheers.

"Are you all alright?"

Someone asked from outside the dim stone chamber.

"Al... alright!"

The prodigies traveling with you answered weakly.

After you had adapted a little, the stone chamber door was opened, the light gradually brightened, and cultivators from the Second Jing Tu walked in carrying delicious spirit food.

"Dear little Daoist Friends, welcome to the Second Jing Tu World."

"We hope that your brilliant talents from the Ninth World will continue to shine here and make you even stronger."

"Let me introduce myself. I am one of the five Fa Zhi Zhang Lao of the Second Jing Tu, named Gu Qing."

Then, Elder Gu Qing gave a brief introduction to the Second Jing Tu World.

The territory of the Second Jing Tu World was extremely vast, far larger than the Ninth Jing Tu World, but the division of responsibilities among the elder council was more or less the same.

The Second Jing Tu World had a total of eight Directional Patrol Envoys — East, South, West, North, Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, Northwest — and eight Directional Command Envoys, with five Fa Zhi Zhang Lao in the central region.

Besides the Dean, the Second Jing Tu Academy also had three Vice Deans.

The number of members in the elder council was considerably larger than in the Ninth Jing Tu World, and their strength was also greater.

You could sense that the aura of Elder Gu Qing before you was stronger than that of any elder in the Ninth World.

Even Yan Jin, the strongest elder of the Ninth Jing Tu, was inferior to this Elder Gu Qing.

After the welcome Yushi ended, Gu Qing took you aside alone.

You handed the token to him.

Gu Qing laughed. "Shu, you really are just as Fu Yan and Yan Jin said, completely without wariness toward others."

You said seriously, "Because I know Elder Gu Qing is not a bad person."

Gu Qing pressed his forehead. "Indeed, even your answer is exactly the same as described in the letter. Truly a childlike divine heart."

Gu Qing asked you, "Shu, what do you think of your own talent?"

"Very impressive."

You answered seriously. "Because everyone thinks I'm very impressive, so it definitely can't be wrong. The masses have sharp eyes."

"You are quite honest."

Gu Qing smiled, "Your current talent indeed matches the history of the Jing Tu era, and can stand shoulder to shoulder with that elder."

"But cultivation is ever‑changing; how far you can go in the future is still uncertain."

"I hope you can keep it up."

Gu Qing outwardly says words meant to awaken you, but you clearly sense that they are very happy, even excited.

Only Masters hide their inner emotions and do not show them.

You ask, "Elder, may I meet that strongest elder?"

Gu Qing replies, "When you stand high enough, you will naturally be able to see them."

During the exchange, Gu Qing brings you to the area where the central Jing Shi Zhu stands; the other few Fa Zhi Zhang Lao also see you.

The dean of the Second Jing Tu Academy is also present.

They verified your talent, and everyone placed great expectations on you.

You ask again, "Elder, if I want to return to the Ninth Jing Tu World, what conditions are required?"

Gu Qing is surprised, "Why do you ask this?"

You state plainly, "I want to go back; I have made a promise with an important person, I must return."

"Conditions?"

Gu Qing's mouth lifts slightly, "It's simple: as long as you surpass every cultivator in the Second Jing Tu World and become the strongest."

"When that time comes, you can return."

"Alright," you mutter, making a wish, "I hope I can return at eighteen."

Elder Gu Qing staggered, nearly falling.

"Eighteen?"

He laughed in exasperation, "Shu, this is no longer pride; it's arrogance."

"Is that not allowed?"

You ask seriously, "That strongest elder of the Jing Tu should have reached this step as well, right?"

Gu Qing fell silent.

After a long pause, they finally speak earnestly, "Even with the same talent, different eras yield completely different achievements."

"What she can achieve does not mean you can achieve it too."

"You kid! Do you know what realm the strongest among our Second Jing Tu elders belongs to?"