Soon, it was noon.
A figure soared in from the distance on a flying sword, landing on the square, elevated platform.
Lü Zhong took a closer look and saw a cold-faced young man wearing the Daoist Robe of the Qingyang Sect. His long, black hair was tied up with a Jade Hairpin. He had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and eyes as bright as stars, and he exuded an inexplicable aura of power.
"Is that the Blazing Sword, Yuo Qing?"
"That's right! The Casting genius from the Qingyang Sect!"
"I heard he's not even thirty, yet he's already at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Cultivation."
As soon as the young man appeared, the Loose Cultivators gathered below the platform began to whisper among themselves.
In their eyes, having such a genius preside over the Preaching Conference meant this trip would surely be fruitful.
Lü Zhong listened to them discuss the young man's background as he glanced around.
The street was now packed tight, making the space feel incredibly cramped. At least five or six hundred cultivators had gathered, all eagerly awaiting the start of the Preaching Conference.
On the square platform, Yuo Qing looked down at the crowd of Loose Cultivators, a flicker of contempt in his eyes.
He hailed from the direct bloodline of a Cultivation Family and had always looked down on Loose Cultivators, viewing them as nothing more than the dregs and scum of the Cultivation Realm. He was only here to preach because he had received a mission from his Sect.
At this point, Yuo Qing had already sat down cross-legged on a cattail cushion.
He paid no mind to the noise below and casually began to share some of his insights.
However, Yuo Qing underestimated the Loose Cultivators' thirst for knowledge. The moment he spoke, the noisy, market-like crowd below fell completely silent, leaving only the sound of the whistling wind.
Even the one or two tactless Loose Cultivators who continued to make noise were quickly intimidated into silence by the threatening glares from those around them.
Yet, Yuo Qing's opinion of the Loose Cultivators did not change in the slightest.
"...Speaking of Cultivation Techniques, they are a partial factor in determining one's combat ability during the Qi Refining Stage. When choosing a Cultivation Technique, besides matching it to one's own Spirit Root affinity, one must also consider what kind of special properties the Spiritual Power it cultivates will have... Given that Qi Refining cultivators generally have weak Spiritual Power, better Spiritual Power properties mean stronger combat ability. This is the key to overcoming a stronger opponent. If you can pair it with a suitable Magical Artifact, then against... ordinary cultivators, you can achieve an almost crushing victory."
Down below, Lü Zhong listened to this insight from Yuo Qing and had a sudden realization.
'No wonder that Water and Fire Cyan Wood Technique is so expensive. So this is the reason...'
He figured that a Cultivation Technique capable of producing Spiritual Power with special properties was likely something he couldn't afford anyway.
Most Loose Cultivators were probably in the same boat, practicing only Basic Skills that didn't grant any special properties. This was likely why a group of Loose Cultivators often couldn't defeat a single Sect Disciple.
Besides the fact that Sect Disciples had more complete sets of Magical Artifacts and Magic Skills, whether or not their Cultivation Technique had special properties was another contributing factor.
Seeing the looks of sudden realization on the faces of the other Loose Cultivators around him, Lü Zhong couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for their lot.
'This kind of knowledge is probably common sense in Sects and Noble Families, but to the low-level independent cultivators of Qingliu Ruins, it's a precious secret they have no way of knowing.'
Perhaps it was precisely this kind of information blockade that created the current situation, where the Sects stood high and mighty above everyone else.
Up on the platform, Yuo Qing's impatience had reached its peak.
The faces of the Loose Cultivators below, all thirsting for knowledge, were utterly disgusting in his eyes. Seeing that the large incense stick in front of him still had about a quarter of an hour left to burn, an idea suddenly popped into his head.
Yuo Qing slowly rose to his feet, a strange smile spreading across his face as he looked down.
"Haven't you all been wanting to see the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique? Today is a rare and auspicious day, so I'll let you all have a look..."
Before the crowd below could react, he began to chant a complex and tongue-twisting spell, forming a series of dazzling Hand Seals.
As if doing it on purpose, Yuo Qing deliberately slowed down the entire Casting process. Every movement was perfectly executed, making it seem as if he truly intended to teach the Magic Skill to the Loose Cultivators below.
One after another, Fireballs began to materialize around his body...
The Qingyang Fire Rain Technique was being cast.
Seeing this, the Loose Cultivators all widened their eyes, afraid to miss a single detail.
They had all heard of the famous Qingyang Fire Rain Technique. It was a Secret Technique created by the Qingyang Sect, derived from the most basic Fireball Skill. For a similar amount of Spiritual Power, its power was several times greater.
Naturally, everyone present was eager to learn such a renowned Magic Skill.
Besides, if one knew the spell and the Hand Seals, it was genuinely possible to learn a Magic Skill.
Lü Zhong held his breath, his gaze locked firmly on Yuo Qing.
He had the Gray Mist Space, which allowed him to replay this memory countless times. Naturally, he wouldn't miss such a rare opportunity.
But on the platform, Yuo Qing looked down at the crowd and sneered inwardly.
'They'll believe anything you tell them. These Loose Cultivators are so naively adorable!'
Learning the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique was incredibly difficult.
Even after becoming a disciple of a Foundation Establishment Elder in his Sect, it had still taken Yuo Qing half a year of meticulous guidance from his master to learn this Secret Technique.
As for learning the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique... yes, Yuo Qing was indeed demonstrating the spell and Hand Seals without reservation.
For an ordinary Magic Skill, this would have been enough to learn it.
But the conditions for casting the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique weren't just limited to those two things; it also required a special breathing method to go with them.
Without the special breathing method to make the spell create a unique resonance, it was impossible to cast the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique.
'Hmph, go ahead and waste your time trying to learn it!' Yuo Qing thought maliciously. Watching the entranced Loose Cultivators below, he unhesitatingly pointed forward with two fingers.
SWOOSH! Dozens of small Fireballs rained down toward the crowd.
The Loose Cultivators had never encountered anything like this. Shocked into action, they scrambled to dodge to the sides.
A stampede broke out in the chaos. The air began to fill with the stench of urine and feces, soon followed by the faint scent of blood.
Gazing at the brutal scene of numerous injuries below, Yuo Qing suddenly burst into laughter.
"A bunch of idiot cultivators, just as I thought!"
At the same time, he flicked his two fingers upward.
The fire rain, which had been about to fall, changed direction and shot entirely toward the sky, where it exploded into brilliant fireworks.
Only then did the Loose Cultivators realize they had been played for fools.
Although there were no fatalities, dozens of people were injured.
Lü Zhong's expression was incredibly grim. He hadn't expected Yuo Qing's character to be so vile.
If that Qingyang Fire Rain Technique hadn't changed direction and had continued to rain down on the crowd...
...given the density of the crowd, at least a dozen lives would have been lost.
'It seems that in the eyes of Sect Disciples, Loose Cultivators are nothing but objects they can bully at will,' Lü Zhong realized.
In the end, this situation was caused by the huge disparity in strength between the two sides.
The Cultivation Realm had always respected strength above all else. If you wanted people to respect you, you first had to possess sufficient strength or a powerful background.
Otherwise, the scene from today would only repeat itself endlessly.