Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

"Well, let's go!"

Dean Gong smiled faintly and waved his hand calmly.

They then headed towards the teleportation array.

Seeing Dean Gong's reaction, Zhou Ling was taken aback.

Everyone else looked at Dean Gong with surprise on their faces.

I can't understand why Dean Gong is doing this.
"I've already applied to the main hospital to go to the Sword Qi Great Wall for a period of training, so this isn't to see you off, but to go to Tianxia Immortal City together!"

Dean Gong glanced at Zhou Ling and said calmly.

"Shall we head to the Sword Qi Great Wall together?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling was even more shocked.

Heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall is no joke.

Dean Gong is heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall without making a sound.

I went there out of necessity.

Otherwise, with a beautiful wife and young children at home, why would he go to the Great Wall of Swords and Starve?
Upon hearing this, everyone else looked at Dean Gong, their faces showing surprise.

No one expected that Dean Gong would actually go to the Sword Qi Great Wall with Zhou Ling.

"Could it be that Dean Gong has also taken a liking to Junior Brother?"

Fang Yuyun said with a smile in a low voice.

"Second Junior Sister, don't talk nonsense. It's not normal for instructors from the Nine Heavens Sword Domain to go out for trials."

Jin Yun shook her head and said.

"Senior Sister, what a coincidence!"

"Why didn't we go earlier or later? We were just waiting for my junior brother to go together. Who would believe we didn't have some ulterior motives?"

Fang Yuyun said defiantly.

"With Dean Gong, a Nascent Soul cultivator, going along, wouldn't Junior Brother be much safer!"

Jin Yun, unlike Fang Yuyun, didn't have any of those messy thoughts and said with a smile.

Wang Qingshang and Wang Xin both looked surprised.

They all knew that Zhou Ling had a close relationship with Dean Gong.

Zhou Ling's swordsmanship and sword intent largely originated from Dean Gong.

With Dean Gong accompanying them, they felt much more at ease.

"During this period, I seem to have had some subtle changes in my swordsmanship, so I want to go out and train. Going to the Great Wall of Sword Qi has always been an idea of ​​mine!"

Originally, he didn't want to explain to Zhou Ling, but seeing the puzzled looks on the other people's faces, Dean Gong had no choice but to speak up.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling nodded with a look of realization.

Having spent a long time with Dean Gong, he also knew that Dean Gong's talent in swordsmanship was quite high.

We have now entered the fourth realm.

Although it has only been a little over a year, he may have truly grasped the second-stage realm.

Moreover, when Anyang Immortal City was struck by a beast calamity, Dean Gong went there without hesitation.

Therefore, this trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall is obviously a perfectly normal thing to do.

However, he still asked, "But what about the Qingyun Immortal City military guards?"

Even now, Dean Gong is still the head of the Qingyun Immortal City's military guards.

Responsible for the defense and patrol of the entire Qingyun Immortal City.

The responsibility is considerable, and one cannot easily leave.

"I've already put the former head of the Ancient Guard in charge of my position, there won't be any problems!"

Dean Gong replied.

Gu Zhishou was originally the head of the city guards of Qingyun Immortal City.

Now he is Dean Gong's deputy.

Hearing Dean Gong's words, Zhou Ling didn't ask any further questions.

"However, I am going there to complete a mission at the Dao Academy, which is different from your trial."

"We might not end up together."

Dean Gong then said the same thing.

"That's alright, we'll see how things go once we get to the Sword Qi Great Wall!"

Zhou Ling smiled and nodded.

He then waved to everyone and stepped into the teleportation array with Dean Gong.

······.

I don’t know how long it took.

With a flash of light, the two stepped out of the teleportation array.

Outside the teleportation array, disciples dressed in the white robes of the Dao Alliance were already waiting.

After confirming Zhou Ling and his companion's identities, the beautiful female cultivator who was responsible for greeting them said with a look of surprise, "You are Senior Zhou, who is currently ranked number one on the Heavenly Pride Ranking!"

"Junior Hu Yu pays respects to senior!"

Zhou Ling smiled and nodded.

The woman before him was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old and had a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation level.

Calling him "senior" is not wrong.

After all, in the world of cultivating immortals, the strong are respected.

Then Hu Yu smiled and said respectfully, "Senior Zhou, Senior Gong, please come with me."

As a receptionist for the Dao Alliance, she was naturally well aware of the prestige of being ranked first on the Dao Alliance's Prodigy Ranking.

Before long, the two followed Hu Yu to a magnificent, golden hall.

"I am Qi Jianzhi, and I greet Fellow Daoist Zhou."

Upon arriving at the main hall, Zhou Ling saw a tall, handsome young man walking towards him, who greeted him with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qi!"

Zhou Ling also bowed in greeting.

Through the list of prodigies, he also knew that the person in front of him was Qi Jianzhi of the Qi family, who was ranked fifth.

Although he had never met the other party before and did not know their intentions, he still returned the greeting politely.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou, Senior Chen Zhenglei is my uncle-in-law. He was praising you to us recently, saying that you have amazing talent.”

"I was initially a little unconvinced, but now that I've seen it, I realize that what my uncle said was true."

"Brother Zhou has an extraordinary bearing; he is destined for greatness!"

Qi Jianzhi said with a serious expression.

His tone was quite familiar.

The way he addressed Zhou Ling changed from "Fellow Daoist Zhou" to "Brother Zhou".

Hearing this, Zhou Ling was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Qi Jianzhi, who looked so respectable, would speak in such an exaggerated and slick manner.

However, he didn't have the arrogance typical of scions of wealthy families.

Of course, since he is Senior Chen's junior, he is naturally one of us.

He said with a smile, "I never expected that Brother Qi is actually Senior Chen's nephew."

With Chen Zhenglei's connection, the relationship between the two quickly grew closer.

"Who is this?"

Qi Jianzhi saw the stunningly beautiful and elegant Dean Gong standing beside Zhou Ling, so he bowed and asked her a question.

"This is the Dean of the Nine Heavens Sword Academy in Qingyun Immortal City."

Zhou Ling said with a smile.

"Greetings, Senior Gong!"

Qi Jianzhi immediately bowed and said.

He could sense the powerful aura emanating from Dean Gong, while he was only at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, so naturally he had to treat Dean Gong with the respect due to a junior.

Dean Gong remained calm. She had originally planned not to pay any attention to Qi Jianzhi, who was so overly familiar with her, but considering that he was Chen Zhenglei's junior, she nodded in response.

Just then, four more cultivators walked over from the front, also intending to enter the main hall.

Two men and two women.

Upon seeing Zhou Ling and the others, they stopped in their tracks.

It was Tao Yue and Pei Qingshuang and their group.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, this fellow Daoist looks somewhat unfamiliar."

Tao Yue's gaze swept over Zhou Ling, then he cupped his hands and asked Qi Jianzhi.

Although the tone was polite, the disregard was obvious.

"This is my brother Zhou Ling, currently ranked number one on the Heavenly Pride Ranking!"

Qi Jianzhi glanced at the four people, raised his head and puffed out his chest, and said as if it were a serious matter.

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.

Zhou Ling had no objection to calling Qi Jianzhi his brother, but the title of number one on the Prodigy Ranking seemed unnecessary. "Isn't this kid just asking for trouble?"

Zhou Ling felt that Qi Jianzhi was somewhat unreliable, and he would have to send a telepathic message to Senior Chen to find out more.

The other four people also turned their attention to Zhou Ling.

Tao Yue and the others had naturally seen Zhou Ling's appearance on the Prodigy Ranking, but they were clearly not convinced by Zhou Ling's number one position.

Pei Qingshuang and Feng Lan looked at Zhou Ling with their beautiful eyes, each observing him with curiosity.

At this moment, this number one on the list of prodigies, apart from being a little handsome, seemed rather ordinary in terms of aura and power.

If he weren't ranked number one on the Prodigy List, who would know that this person once killed a fifth-tier demon king?

"So it's Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

Tao Yue cupped his hands slightly and said.

"This is Tao Yue, a genius of formations from Xuan Yuan Dao Academy."

"However, setting up the formation takes a long time, and without someone else to protect it, it's just a sitting duck!"

Qi Jianzhi seemed to know Tao Yue very well, and said to Zhou Ling with a smile.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Tao!"

Zhou Ling also bowed in greeting.

"This is Feng Lan."

"She is Pei Qingshuang!"

"Du Huan."

Qi Jianzhi then introduced the situation to the others.

Zhou Ling also bowed and greeted them one by one.

"I have long admired Fellow Daoist Zhou's name, and today I can see that it truly lives up to its reputation!"

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

Pei Qingshuang and Feng Lan also bowed in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, I've heard that you killed a fifth-tier demon king, displaying astonishing combat prowess. I've long admired you; may I ask you a few questions?"

Du Huan glanced at Tao Yue, then cupped his hands to Zhou Ling.

He ranked tenth on this list of prodigies.

He has a good relationship with Tao Yue.

Knowing that Tao Yue was interested in testing Zhou Ling's abilities, and that as a formation master, he was better suited to take direct action.

So he spoke up on their behalf.

"this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling was taken aback. Sure enough, being number one on the Prodigy Ranking was a hot potato.

However, being unfamiliar with the place, he naturally wouldn't make a move against the other party for no reason. He smiled and said, "The killing of the fifth-tier demon king was mainly due to the Five Spirits Immortal City warship. I dare not take credit for it."

He could also tell that the other party seemed to be deliberately provoking him.

However, now that he is the city lord of Qingyun Immortal City, why would he lower himself to his level?

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, being number one on the Prodigy Ranking isn't something just anyone can achieve!"

"Without real ability, it's hard to convince people!"

Tao Yue said with a smile.

His tone was slightly disdainful, as if mocking Zhou Ling for not daring to fight.

The other three couldn't help but look at Zhou Ling.

They all seemed eager to see Zhou Ling's strength.

Qi Jianzhi also remained silent.

His father gave him the option of forming an alliance with Zhou Ling.

Then he naturally needs to have a more comprehensive understanding of Zhou Ling.

After all, this trial ground is the Great Wall of Sword Qi, and there is a risk of death if one is not careful.

"Oh!"

Zhou Ling glanced at Tao Yue and said calmly.

It seems this person is behind this mess.

Du Huan, through his [Intermediate Observation], knew that the other party was at the late Golden Core stage.

His cultivation level seems to be much higher than his.

Of course, among the cultivators who entered the top ten of the Heavenly Pride Ranking, apart from him being in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, the others were all in the late stage or at the peak.

This is also one of the reasons why many cultivators are dissatisfied with him.

After all, everyone knows that Zhou Ling killed the fifth-tier demon king with the help of the Five Spirits Immortal City's warship.

The most important factor in ranking on the list of prodigies is military merit.

Therefore, the military achievements of the others were naturally far inferior to those of Zhou Ling.

This inevitably leads to the perception that Zhou Ling's ranking is somewhat inflated and lacks persuasiveness.

"I wonder what kind of guidance Fellow Daoist Du would like to offer?"

Seeing that the other party had ill intentions, Zhou Ling changed his mind and decided to teach them a lesson.

To prevent others from coming to provoke us.

He doesn't have time to deal with these people.

"We will be heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall in three days, which gives us plenty of time. Therefore, I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Zhou for some guidance!"

Du Huan was not tall, a head shorter than Qi Jianzhi, but his eyes were bright and his voice was extremely penetrating.

Of course, it's also possible that it was done intentionally.

As his voice carried, many cultivators in the vicinity were drawn over.

Most of those who gathered here were cultivators who had gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall for trials and garrison duties, and their cultivation levels were not low.

"Alright, then I'll keep you company."

"However, I don't usually engage in fearless competitions. How about we add a little prize?"

Zhou Ling smiled and said.

This person wouldn't provoke me for no reason, so giving him a good scolding is obviously too lenient.

Moreover, one cannot use excessive force in such a place.

We still need to make him bleed a little.

"What kind of prize does Fellow Daoist Zhou wish to offer?"

Du Huan was taken aback upon hearing this.

As expected of a rogue cultivator, even the competition requires a prize!
"Didn't the Dao Alliance give us two thousand military merits for this trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall?"

"Let's offer a prize of one thousand military merits. Whoever wins will pay the price of one thousand military merits, how about that?"

Zhou Ling said calmly.

With the addition of the two thousand military merits from the Dao Alliance, he still had nearly five thousand military merits left, so this amount of military merits did not have a significant impact on him.

Moreover, he was confident that he could definitely defeat this person.

Upon hearing this, Du Huan was startled, his brows furrowed, and his gaze shifted to Tao Yue.

You have to understand that these 1,000 military merits were no small matter for him.

He had already exchanged one thousand of his two thousand military merits for another. He planned to save the remaining one thousand to exchange for other resources at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

If he loses, it will have a significant impact on his upcoming trials at the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Everything else is fine, but he can't afford to lose this.

Seeing Du Huan hesitate, Tao Yue smiled and said, "What's there to consider?"

"Of your 1,000 military merits, I'll contribute 500. If we win, they're all yours."

Hearing this, Du Huan nodded and looked at Zhou Ling with a smile, "Alright, then let's make a prize of one thousand military merits!"

"Fellow Daoist Tao, that's not very kind of you."

"I think we should make a bet. If Fellow Daoist Zhou wins, I'll give you five hundred military merits. If he wins, your five hundred military merits are mine. How about it?"

At this moment, Qi Jianzhi also said with a smile.

Seeing Qi Jianzhi's attitude, Tao Yue frowned slightly, then nodded and smiled, "Since Fellow Daoist Qi has such an interest, then I will naturally accompany you!"

"Haha, great!"

Qi Jianzhi seemed even happier than Zhou Ling, and said to Zhou Ling and Du Huan, "Let's go, the competition arena is not far ahead."

After saying that, he took the lead and left.

Zhou Lingxuan immediately looked at Dean Gong and asked, "Dean Gong, shall we go together?"

"It's good to go and take a look even if you have nothing to do!"

Dean Gong nodded; she knew Zhou Ling's strength best.

Even with her current fighting strength, she isn't confident she can defeat him.

Moreover, this is a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Then everyone followed Qi Jianzhi toward the dueling platform. (End of Chapter)