10: A Perfect Imposter!

Fast, too fast.

Unnaturally fast, fast enough to invite disaster.

He forced himself to calm down, the internal tremor quickly suppressed by extreme rationality. He began to rapidly analyze his current situation.

Medium to High Grade Aptitude. Among the thousands of Outer Sect Disciples in the entire Taiqing Sect, this was considered outstanding, but definitely not top-tier.

However, entering the first level of the Fetal Breathing Realm in half a month—this speed was enough to move any Deacon, and even alarm a Foundation Establishment Stage Peak Master.

At that time, scrutiny, investigation, and all sorts of attention would follow.

The risk of exposing his Golden Finger, his biggest secret, would increase exponentially.

On the path to immortality, any uncontrollable variable was a fatal threat.

No, absolutely not.

He couldn't be the most dazzling early bird. The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled; he understood this truth better than anyone.

But he also couldn't be lost among the crowd. Competition in the Outer Sect was fierce, resources were limited, and if he performed too mediocrely, the Sect would completely abandon his cultivation, leaving him to fend for himself.

By then, even the monthly allowance of five Low-Grade Spirit Stones might be withheld. Without resources, immortality would become an empty boast.

A meticulous plan quickly formed in his mind.

The "Second Place" strategy.

He would never be the first to Breakthrough, nor the last. He needed a "target," a Genius whose talent was better than his, or rather, who performed better than him, to rush ahead and attract all the firepower.

And he, he only needed to follow behind that person, playing the role of a "top student" with decent Aptitude, but slightly inferior to a true Genius.

This way, he could ensure access to the Sect's allocated resources without attracting unnecessary trouble and prying eyes due to being too much of a Prodigy.

A perfect disguise.

Having made up his mind, Gu Changsheng's tense body completely relaxed. He glanced at the wisp of quietly suspended aquamarine Spiritual Qi in his Dantian, didn't continue to Cultivate, but instead got up and walked out of the quiet room.

Starting today, he was going to perform.

In the following days, Courtyard Jia-1 gained a "diligent" sight.

During the day, Gu Changsheng no longer stayed behind closed doors but moved his meditation cushion directly under the green tree in the courtyard to meditate and breathe.

He deliberately operated the Clear Profound Qi Gathering Art with extreme sluggishness, sometimes furrowing his brows, sometimes sighing, looking as if he had encountered a huge Bottleneck.

He would even intentionally control the absorption of Spiritual Qi, allowing the sparse Spiritual Qi around him to form faint fluctuations, creating the illusion of diligent Cultivation with little effect.

And at night, during the Yin (Yin) hour, when the entire East Mountain fell silent, he would quietly come to the well, transform into a glutton, and frantically devour the pure and vast Water Qi.

During the day, he was gloomy, playing the role of a struggling student in a Bottleneck period.

At night, his progress soared, transforming into a Cultivation King.

This extreme contrast gave him a unique sense of superiority, of controlling everything.

His disguise was extremely effective.

Occasionally, passing Outer Sect Disciples would see the Genius, once praised by the Transmission Senior Brother in the New Disciple Hall, now looking troubled and making slow progress. They would first be slightly startled, then their faces would unconsciously reveal a sense of relief, as if thinking, "So you're nothing special either."

Some even pointed at his courtyard from a distance, letting out undisguised sneers.

"Look, that's Gu Changsheng. I thought he was so amazing, but it's been almost ten days, and he hasn't even fully stabilized his qi sensation, has he?"

"So what if he has Medium to High Grade Spiritual Root? If his Heart-Nature isn't good and his Comprehension Ability isn't enough, it's all useless!"

These words reached Gu Changsheng's ears, not a single one missed. Not only did he not get angry, but a sense of relief welled up in his heart.

Excellent, this is exactly the effect I want.

The more you think I'm mediocre, the safer I am.

Half a month passed quietly in this cycle of acting during the day and diligently Cultivating at night.

On the night of the fifteenth day, just after the Yin Hour, Gu Changsheng, by the well, suddenly opened his eyes.

The Spiritual Qi in his Dantian had gathered from an initial wisp into a thumb-thick stream.

Eighty-one wisps of Spiritual Qi had long been condensed, True Qi was abundant, and his spirit was full. If he wished, he could drive this True Qi at any time to impact the Xuanjing Wheel and officially enter the Fetal Breathing Realm.

But he didn't.

He forcibly suppressed the restless True Qi firmly within his Dantian, not allowing it to cross the line.

The time was not yet right.

The "target" walking ahead had not yet appeared. He needed to wait patiently, waiting for a suitable moment to stage a play of "accumulating greatly and breaking through with difficulty."

The next morning, just as he finished his daytime "performance" and was about to return to his room, there was a gentle knock on the courtyard door.

Thump, thump-thump.

Gu Changsheng got up, walked over, and opened the courtyard door.

Standing outside the door was his cousin, Gu Changyue.

She had changed into a well-fitting Outer Sect Disciple uniform. Her small face, originally somewhat sallow from long-term malnutrition, now looked much fairer under the nourishment of Spiritual Qi, appearing quite delicate.

"Cousin Brother."

Gu Changyue called softly, her eyes subtly appraising his face.

"Is something wrong?"

Gu Changsheng remained calm, stepping aside to let her in.

"Nothing major, it's just... I finally sensed qi sensation today, and I wanted to share my joy with you."

Gu Changyue walked into the courtyard, standing somewhat restrained, her words carrying a hint of unconcealed showing off.

She finally grasped a wisp of qi sensation and couldn't wait to run to him, the one with a "Medium to High Grade Spiritual Root," to show off?

Gu Changsheng found it amusing in his heart, but on his face, he appropriately revealed a hint of just the right amount of surprise, and a trace of unconcealed... envy and dejection.

"Is that so? Then... that's really great, congratulations."

Gu Changyue's eyes lit up.

Before she came, she had been uneasy, afraid of seeing a high-spirited Gu Changsheng. After all, his Aptitude was much better than hers.

But now, seeing Gu Changsheng in this state, her last bit of worry vanished.

It seems the rumors are true. This so-called cousin brother is simply a fool with a Spiritual Root but terrible Comprehension Ability!

Although she only had a Medium Grade Spiritual Root, her Cultivation progress had already surpassed his!

A huge sense of superiority and satisfaction instantly filled her heart.

"Cousin Brother, you... don't need to be too anxious."

Gu Changyue relaxed and began to "comfort" him in the tone of someone who had been through it.

"Cultivation is about a peaceful Heart-Nature. The more eager for quick success you are, the more likely you are to encounter a Bottleneck. Look at me, I just calmed my mind, and didn't I succeed all at once?"

As she spoke, she observed Gu Changsheng's expression, hoping to see more jealousy and resentment on his face.

However, Gu Changsheng just lowered his head, softly said "Mm," looking unwilling to discuss it further.

This demeanor, in Gu Changyue's eyes, further confirmed her conjecture.

"Then I won't disturb your Cultivation, Cousin Brother. I'll head back now."

Having achieved her goal, Gu Changyue was satisfied and turned to leave.