The same night in Lu Qingyun's abode.
There was a sudden divine lightning that shook the entire Heavens Ridge Villa as a strange heavenly omen had suddenly appeared due to Lu Qingyun's insane breakthroughs.
Lu Qingyun kept leveling up at an astonishing speed and he found it hard to believe himself.
Every cultivation realm is actually divided into the initial, middle, upper and peak level. The first 3 staging has 3 levels each while the peak has only 1 level.
A cultivation realm can therefore be considered to have 10 levels.
So when a 2nd realm cultivator declares that he is an Master Practitioner 6th level, it means he is at the 2nd realm middle level.
There are a total of seven celestial levels in order to cultivate as a celestial cultivator; Practitioner (1st Realm), Master Practitioner (2nd Realm), Enlighten Celestial (3rd Realm), Immortal Celestial (4th Realm, Golden Celestial (5th Realm), Golden Supremacy (6th Realm) and Sacred Saint (7th Realm).
The 7th Realm is unique and is furthered divided into the Saint (Initial), Golden Saint (Middle) and Great Saint (Upper-Peak) due to the huge disparity in cultivation strength of the 7th Realm.
Yan'Er happily told Lu Qingyun, "Master, I am now a third realm expert now! That means master you're also a third realm expert too! This is too easy. I've thought that cultivation is tough!"
Lu Qingyun inhaled softly, "My Yan'Er is indeed an astonishing genius."
"Master, why is that you don't look so happy?" Yan'Er asked curiously after seeing his expression and sensing his melancholy heart.
Lu Qingyun sighed, "I am really anxious about Xingyuan. She has not been around for some time. I am afraid that something may befall her. I think that it is better that I take a look around."
Yan'Er nodded and smiled cutely, "Big Sister Xingyuan will be alright. Don't worry, master."
Lu Qingyun continued to sigh, "Yan'Er, retreat to my inner cultivation sea for the time being. I'm going to take a look around."
"Alright!" Yan'Er cheerily vanished from sight.
After writing a note for Lie Xingyuan in the case that she would be back and could not find him, he walked out of his new abode.
The Heavens Ridge Villa is a large place, occupying many acres and even seven mountain peaks. Each one of the mountain peak housed a martial hall.
As Lu Qingyun walked around, he was also practicing his divine sense that he had acqainted when he had breakthrough to the second realm cultivation.
If a cultivation did not have a divine sense, they won't be able to read the cultivation core of another cultivator and they would be at a disadvantage.
In the past, Lu Qingyun was not able to know the cultivation realm of his opponents. That was why when he had defeated them, he had always thought that they were weaker than him.
However, once a cultivator reaches the 6th realm golden supremacy cultivation which is also the spirit state of divinity, they will be able to conceal their cultivation core and prevent their cultivation core from being read by the others.
But if they display their profound force to the limit of their cultivation realm, their cultivation realm will be revealed though.
Of course, it is considered to be rude to use a divine sense directly on another cultivator unless it is a duel as the other cultivator will also be able to sense the presence of his opponent's divine sense on him.
Now Lu Qingyun was walking around aimlessly as he looked for Lie Xingyuan.
Many of the proteges, even the senior protégés were all calling out to him excitedly as he walked around, "Senior Brother! Shengzi!"
He returned their greetings and would always ask them the same question, "Erm, have you seen Lie Xingyuan?"
Almost all of them had never heard or even seen her before. A few had recognized her name because she was associated as his attendant but otherwise they had no other useful information for him.
To the inner protégés, Lie Xingyuan was only a nameless ordinary protégé and there were thousands of protégés in the Heavens Ridge Villa so it was really difficult for them to know everyone. Moreover she had only joined the sect for only a year.
Just as Lu Qingyun was despairing, he caught sight of a familiar person and she was equally surprised to see him.
"It's you?" Ouyang Xue was startled when she saw him.
Then she sighed softly, "I should call you Shengzi now."
She had been sitting alone in a pavilion and staring at the night skies.
Lu Qingyun said, "Junior sister, why are you here?"
Ouyang Xue smiled, "Aren't you here as well?"
Then she said quietly, "This is my favorite spot since I was young. I used to come here to reflect alone."
She had just succeeded as the new grand elder of the Crystal Cloud Spirit Hall. It was not easy for her to manage and to gain the respect of the core protégés from the Crystal Cloud Spirit Hall.
Then she looked curiously at him, "So what are you doing here so late at night?"
Lu Qingyun sighed with a heavy heart, "I'm looking for Xingyuan. It is now so late in the night and she isn't back yet. I am really afraid that something unduly will happen to her."
He had been searching for several hours now and time really flied. He had no idea that it was already so late.
Ouyang Xue was startled, "This is most unusual. Maybe she has gone out? Do you have any idea where she has gone to? Does she have any friends around that you can ask?"
Her question had caught Lu Qingyun off-guarded. It was because he had no idea where Lie Xingyuan had gone to and he did not even know if she had any friends…
"I don't know…" Lu Qingyun muttered with despair.
Ouyang Xue had suddenly asked a question, "Did you see or hear the Heavenly Divine Lightning earlier?"
Lu Qingyun said, "I had heard the sound of thunder earlier. What is this Heavenly Divine Lightning?"
Ouyang Xue said quietly as she looked at him, "It only occurs when someone has a powerful breakthrough. I am just wondering who the person is."
Lu Qingyun laughed, "Although I just have my breakthrough, it won't be me. I am not powerful enough."
Ouyang Xue nodded, "Maybe it is acting sect leader instead?"
She was also thinking that it can't be Lu Qingyun as he was too low level to invoke the appearance of the Heavenly Divine Lightning.
Lu Qingyun suddenly said to her, "I've got to go now. I need to look for Lie Xingyuan."
Ouyang Xue gasped, "But do you have any clue where to look for her?"
Lu Qingyue said desperately, "I will search outside for her. No matter what, I got to try. Farewell now…"
"Senior Brother Lu…" a familiar voice called out.
Lu Qingyue was startled. Did he just hear Xingyuan's voice?"
He quickly turned around and saw Lie Xingyuan was walking toward him and there were tears flowing down her cheeks.
He was so overjoyed to see her, "Xingyuan, where did you go? I am so worried for you…"
All of a sudden Lie Xingyuan had jumped into his embrace and cried aloud. "Senior brother, I've thought that I may never be able to see you again…"
Lu Qingyun was startled. He did not dare to hold her and this was actually the first time that he was being hugged in this manner, "Did something happen? Please do tell me. Are you really alright?"
Lie Xingyuan cried out even louder but she did not say a word.
Ouyang Xue was trembling a little when she saw Lie Xingyuan in Lu Qingyun's embrace. But she stood quietly aside. It was because she knew that it did not really matter what she said as only Lu Qingyun could be able to comfort Lie Xingyuan. Therefore she did the smart thing and kept quiet.
"If you don't tell me, how will I know? I really want to help you. Did someone bully you?" Lu Qingyun said quite anxiously. As he said those words, he was checking her for bruises and wounds that may be a tell-tale sign that she had been brutalized.
He was thinking, "She had just told me that she was afraid that she might never see me again…"
"No…" she muttered.
Lu Qingyun heaved a soft sigh when she had said that. He was particular worried about how vulnerable she was and how dangerous the outside world was. On his first day in New Empyrean City, there was even an attempt robbery on him.
"Senior brother, let's go back. I am really tired and I don't wish to talk about it."
"Alright." He said, "You can tell me anytime afterward if you want to talk about it then."
Lie Xingyuan smiled weakly.
Lu Qingyun turned to say to Ouyang Xue, "Don't stay up too late. Farewell."
When he had said that, he and Lie Xingyuan started to walk away.
Ouyang Xue sighed softly as she muttered almost incoherently, "It's good to see you tonight…"
Lie Xingyuan was still thinking about what her master had said to her earlier as she had left with Lu Qingyun.
Her master had told her, "Don't let anyone knows who Qin Keqin is. I can promise you that she won't harm you or will allow you to come to harm if you can keep her secret."
Who exactly was her master?
Lie Xingyuan had found out that she knew so little about her master now. When she saw that she had so casually beaten off two seventh realm experts, including the two Devil Goddesses in such a casual manner, she immediately knew that her master was an extraordinary cultivation expert.
The reason why she did not suspect previously was because her master had been teaching her several breathing techniques and clearing her meridians slowly. Moreover her master did not have golden eyes.
She had now realized that her master had purposely hidden away her golden eyes. She had learnt of such a method with one of the meridian techniques that her master had taught her. She had been wondering, why should anyone suppress their golden eyes? It was such a wondrous feeling to be regarded as a golden celestial…
Until now, she was still shocked that Qin Keqin was the Great Saintess Fan Yuqin that she had been idolizing. This shock alone was too much for her to bear and that her idol had been trying to kill her…
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Author Note
1. You may also want to check The Romantic Cultivator, a romantic cultivation story with more than 1200 Chapters.