Chapter 41: Cao Youqian Unwittingly Stirs the Winds Within the Academy

Chapter 41: Cao Youqian Unwittingly Stirs the Winds Within the Academy Wendao Academy, Thousand-Year Cold Pool. Elder Niu and Elder Hong of the Body Cultivation Institute stood at a distance, quietly watching the bald youth cultivating within the icy waters. Inside the freezing depths of the cold pool, Cao Youqian was furiously absorbing the frigid energy to temper his body. After many days of training, he had already become accustomed to using the cold pool for body refinement. He had completed the first stage—tempering the skin—and was now forging his flesh, blood, and meridians. Next would be his bones and internal organs. With decades or even over a century of experience as body cultivators, both Elder Niu and Elder Hong could clearly see through Cao Youqian’s method of cultivation. The more they watched, the more shaken they became. Elder Niu couldn’t help but murmur, “Senior Brother, is that young man really an outer institute disciple?” Elder Hong replied, “If not for his robe, I wouldn’t believe it either. An outer disciple with such cultivation methods... and so bold. You said he’s been cultivating in the cold pool for forty-nine days? I didn’t believe it before, but now I do. Look—though his whole body is encased in ice, it’s no longer harming him in the slightest.” Elder Niu muttered, “Do you think this boy might break Jin Chang’s record? He doesn’t look like he plans to stop.” Elder Hong nodded. “That’s possible. If it weren’t for fear that the Heaven Spirit Institute might take notice, I’d have already looked into how many days he reserved the cold pool for.” At the mention of the Heaven Spirit Institute, Elder Niu’s expression darkened. “I don’t know what the Dean is thinking. The Heaven Spirit Institute gets to pick talents however they like, and we’re left to pick up the scraps.” Elder Hong replied, “It’s all for the sake of Wendao Academy. Only with enough peerless talents making waves can our academy attract more disciples.” Elder Niu didn’t say more. Everyone knew the logic, but whether they could accept it emotionally was another matter. “Junior Brother Niu, we shouldn’t linger here too long. Let’s assign one disciple per day to check in instead.” “Agreed.” The two elders knew that if they stayed here too long, it would attract attention. With the matter settled, they quietly left. But while the Body Cultivation Institute tried to keep things low-key, others weren’t so discreet. At the Merit Hall, Steward Han had originally thought there was no way that good-for-nothing Cao Youqian could survive three months in the cold pool. He’d been waiting for him to come make a scene about getting a refund. Yet now, forty-nine days had passed—and Cao Youqian hadn’t shown up at all. This left Steward Han puzzled. He immediately called over one of his disciples. “Xiao Ma, go check Cold Pool #99 and see if anyone’s there.” “Yes, Steward.” Though Xiao Ma didn’t understand the purpose of the errand, he still obeyed. Upon reaching Pool #99, he saw someone completely frozen inside. He didn’t disturb the cultivator and quickly returned to report back. “What?!” Steward Han froze in place. “You’re certain someone’s inside?” “I saw it clearly, Steward. That senior brother was completely encased in ice. He must’ve been cultivating for a long time.” Hiss... Steward Han sucked in a cold breath and began calculating the days. Moments later, a look of shock and elation bloomed across his face. “This is it! This time, I’ve hit the jackpot!” Xiao Ma: “???” It’s just a body cultivator—what does this have to do with Steward Han? Steward Han began scheming how to maximize the benefits from this information. In the end, he decided to quietly leak the news by inviting inner disciples from the Alchemy Institute, Heaven Spirit Institute, and Body Cultivation Institute out for drinks. That evening, leveraging his network, he invited disciples from the three institutes to Wen Dao City for a drink. Once the alcohol was flowing— Zhao Yin of the Heaven Spirit Institute asked, “Senior Brother Han, what’s with the sudden generosity tonight?” Drunk-eyed, Steward Han put down his cup. “I’ve got a fortune to pass on to the three of you. Just not sure if you want it.” The Merit Hall didn’t belong to the Nine Great Institutes directly—it was typically overseen by the External Affairs Hall. Stewards were equivalent to true disciples, and Han had worked in the Merit Hall for years, with excellent access to information. The three disciples perked up at once. Zhao Yin said, “Please speak, Senior Brother. If it’s a worthwhile deal, we’ll gladly give you a third of the reward.” The other two agreed. “That’s right. We absolutely won’t leak the source.” “No,” Han said, eyes suddenly sharp. “This fortune requires you to leak it. Once you spread the news, the rewards will come naturally.” Zhao Yin asked curiously, “What’s this about?” Han replied, “You’ve all heard about Jin Chang’s record—forty-nine days of cultivation in the Thousand-Year Cold Pool, right? I’m telling you now... an outer institute disciple just broke that record.” At those words, the three men immediately rose to their feet. Their faces filled with shock, doubt, and joy. “Please explain in detail, Senior Brother!” Han simply smiled. The next day, besides the Body Cultivation Institute’s own disciples, a few unfamiliar faces began appearing around the Thousand-Year Cold Pool. News that an outer disciple had broken Jin Chang’s record reached the higher-ups of both the Heaven Spirit and Alchemy Institutes. They began making moves. At first, the Alchemy Institute wasn’t particularly interested—until they learned the cultivator was none other than Cao Youqian. The Cao Clan’s elder immediately took interest. Quietly, everyone began keeping track of time. Fifty days, fifty-one days, fifty-two days... As the days went on, the disciples observing Cao Youqian’s training figured out his schedule—he cultivated for nine hours and rested for three each day. When the elders heard this, they didn’t think it strange. Even Jin Chang hadn’t stayed in the pool continuously back then. Soon, Cao Youqian completed his eighty-one days of cultivation within the Thousand-Year Cold Pool. That day, he extended his session by three extra hours. At dawn, a powerful aura burst from his body, shattering the ice encasing him. He used his spiritual energy to dry his clothes and calmly walked out from the training grounds. He didn’t rush back to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute to report to his master. Based on his master’s daily routine, he was likely still asleep. Those watching from a distance immediately rushed off to report to their respective elders. Just as Cao Youqian descended from the cold pool peak, several figures landed in front of him. They looked at the powerful True Fate Realm aura radiating from him and his robust, refined physique, their eyes shining with interest. In particular, two inner elders of the Body Cultivation Institute immediately saw that this young man had gone through multiple rounds of body refinement. Such a disciple in the outer division was exceedingly rare. Cao Youqian looked at the group and bowed respectfully. “This disciple greets the elders. May I ask why you’ve blocked my path?” ==================================================================================== Get access to 20 chapters in advance and enjoy 2 daily updates by supporting the series. Available on Patreon: /Alex_Cruise or Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/anish_44