Chapter 53: Midnight Gathering

"I'll head back first. If you need my help, just call me."

In front of a dormitory building, Shen Qianlin clasped her hands behind her back and bid Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan farewell.

Wang Sheng nodded with a smile, while Mu Wanxuan waved her small hand. Together, they watched the charming woman enter the building and greet the manager.

It was only 8:00 PM. The campus was lively, and the school buildings were still brightly lit.

"Let's take a stroll, Senior Sister."

"Mm

.

"

Wang Sheng raised his hand slightly, and Mu Wanxuan instinctively linked her arm around his. She then leaned close to make them look more like a newly transferred couple.

As they walked back to the lakeside, Wang Sheng asked in a hushed tone, "Is anyone still following us?"

Mu Wanxuan scanned the surroundings carefully with her spiritual consciousness and then gently shook her head.

Wang Sheng had to consider whether the young man who had been following them earlier was targeting Shen Qianlin instead.

He put on a Bluetooth earpiece and called Mou Yue. As the evening breeze blew gently, Wang Sheng gave her a summary of his findings.

On the other end of the line, Mou Yue expressed her gratitude. The information that Wang Sheng had gathered in just half a day was enough to confirm the existence of a cultivation group within the university—eliminating any of the Special Investigation Unit's lingering hesitation to act.

However, though they had made significant progress in just a few hours—including identifying the likelihood that the Supernatural Revelation Club had misled Chi Wen—Wang Sheng realized it was still challenging to take any effective action.

Simply abducting their junior sister would be easy, but providing a satisfactory explanation to their mistress would require more effort. The cultivation group was evidently far from mature. Although they tried to remain hidden, they had overlooked glaring details.

The unexpected reunion with Shen Qianlin had allowed Wang Sheng to make substantial progress. He had obtained critical information about the Supernatural Revelation Club and offered a clearer direction to the Special Investigation Unit's work.

In return, Wang Sheng made a small request of the investigation team—to ensure Shen Qianlin's safety at all times. If that unaffiliated practitioner had truly been following Shen Qianlin, she could soon face trouble.

After circling the lake, the two casually strolled toward the area where Chi Wen was last spotted.

Near the library, on a deserted path, Wang Sheng lowered his voice. "Sis, once this is all over, let's head back and cultivate in seclusion for ten or twenty years."

Mu Wanxuan looked up at her junior brother, whose expression was unusually serious. She smiled faintly and nodded.

The hustle and bustle of life left no impact on them; their hearts only truly belonged within the tranquility of the mountains.

Though staying on the mountain for too long could get boring, it was undoubtedly more comfortable than being here.

They stopped at a corner next to the library room that Chi Wen was using. They then quietly found a spot to use their phones and discreetly extended their spiritual consciousness to monitor the area within tens of meters around Chi Wen.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, upon closer inspection with their spiritual consciousness, they discovered that half of the students within the room possessed traces of true essence.

Considering there were over twenty new cultivators in that one study room, it was highly unlikely that they were just there to study.

After lingering for over an hour, at around 9:30 PM, the students began to leave one after another.

At some point, Mu Wanxuan had dozed off beside him. Wang Sheng yawned, stretched, and continued playing a mobile game on his phone.

Using his spiritual consciousness, he observed the twenty or so students. Throughout their time there, they did not group at all. Aside from their respective companions, they barely interacted with one another, as if they were complete strangers.

At around 9:45 PM, Chi Wen left the library, and Mou Yue began regularly reporting her movements.

Wang Sheng waited a few more minutes before waking Mu Wanxuan and sending her back to the female dormitory, ensuring she could stay close to Chi Wen for protection.

Just as they approached the dormitory, Chi Wen, returning from a quick trip to the campus convenience store, happened to cross paths with Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan again.

Thanks to the earlier "bond" from returning her phone, Wang Sheng got to take the initiative to wave and greet Chi Wen. She responded with an awkward smile before heading inside with her dormmates.

"For now, don't approach her. Focus on ensuring her safety. If you can gather more intel for the mistress, that'd be even better," Wang Sheng whispered into Mu Wanxuan's ears.

Mu Wanxuan nodded lightly, waved goodbye to Wang Sheng, and gracefully entered the building.

Hmm?

Catching something in his peripheral vision, Wang Sheng immediately withdrew his spiritual consciousness and concealed his aura completely, ensuring no trace of his presence leaked out.

Someone was observing him with spiritual consciousness. Judging from the source, it seemed to originate from the west side of the second floor, about thirty meters away.

Based on the intensity of the spiritual consciousness probing him, it appeared to be someone at the mid-stage of the Spirit Convergence Realm.

To avoid alerting the other party, Wang Sheng refrained from retaliating with his spiritual consciousness. Acting as if nothing had happened, he walked casually back toward the male dormitory, blending in with other lone students scrolling through their phones.

Over twenty unaffiliated practitioners at the Breath Condensation Realm studying together, and a mid-stage Spirit Convergence Realm expert hiding in the female dormitory...

It seemed their cultivation group had already taken root among the university students. The more Wang Sheng investigated, the deeper he sank into the water.

***

When Wang Sheng returned to his dormitory, he almost forgot which room he was staying in. Fortunately, he bumped into one of his dormmates, sparing him an awkward moment.

Back at their room, one of the guys asked, "Wang Sheng, is it true that the art school students have way fewer classes than the rest of us?"

The three dormmates casually chatted with Wang Sheng, and he found himself oddly nostalgic due to the atmosphere. He responded to their questions lightly, enjoying the camaraderie.

The chubbier dormmate grinned. "Wang Sheng, you should go ahead and rest. We'll keep the noise down while we play so we don't disturb you. You must be exhausted after such a busy day."

"I'm fine. Play as much as you want. I'm not a light sleeper."

Even so, the trio still lowered their voices while gaming—a small gesture of kindness for their new dormmate.

***

It was well past 1:00 AM when the dormitory buildings finally quieted down.

Wang Sheng had been lying in bed with his eyes closed, pretending to sleep and listening to the rhythmic snores around him. All the while, he spread his spiritual consciousness to monitor the area.

His phone vibrated twice. Wang Sheng received a message from Mou Yue, prompting him to quietly get up and sneak out of the room.

The surveillance drone system that the investigation team had deployed earlier in the evening had captured some unusual activity within the campus.

A few minutes ago, several students had begun gathering by the lake. So far, three males and two females had assembled, one of whom happened to be Chi Wen's dormmate.

More students were still heading toward the lake, seemingly gathering for some kind of meeting.

Although the members of the investigation team had decent reconnaissance skills, trying to approach these spiritually trained university students without alerting them proved to be a significant challenge.

After careful consideration, Mou Yue decided to pass the information to Wang Sheng and let him determine whether to investigate the lake.

Considering the circumstances, Wang Sheng naturally decided to take a look. Maybe he'd make unexpected discoveries.

Wang Sheng walked lightly toward the end of the corridor and leaped out of the window without hesitation, vanishing into the shadows beyond the reach of the streetlights.

To avoid leaving traces of vital energy fluctuations, he refrained from using the Seven-Star Footwork. Nevertheless, he remained as silent as a phantom, like an agile cat darting effortlessly through the dark corners of the campus.

The campus was exceptionally quiet at night. A few security guards patrolled the area, and the streetlights remained on.

A few minutes later, in the woods near the lake.

Wang Sheng was perched silently atop a large tree, hiding among its branches. His gaze was fixed on the dozen or so figures gathered by the lake.

To his surprise, they were meditating and cultivating.

They were practicing the art of unifying their inner essence, absorbing the primal qi of heaven and earth, refining their physique, and condensing true essence.

This was a familiar scene for any cultivator, but it felt oddly out of place in the middle of a university campus.

The longer it went on, the more students arrived. Each sat facing the lake and began meditating.

Wang Sheng quietly took a photo and sent it to Mou Yue. He shook his head and prepared to return to his room to rest. After all, cultivation wasn't illegal. If ordinary people were passionate about pursuing the path to immortality and ascension, so be it.

What was illegal, however, was allowing one's greed and desires to spiral out of control upon stepping onto this path.

The true culprits were likely the ones who intentionally spread unaffiliated cultivation techniques, causing societal harm and security risks.

Daoist sects had long emphasized the principle of cultivating virtue before cultivating the Dao. Since the resurgence of primal qi, this concept had been further reinforced. Many sects explicitly stated in their teachings that those lacking in moral character would not be entrusted with profound cultivation techniques.

The classic line from

Journey to the West,

"Scriptures cannot be acquired lightly; teachings cannot be simply taught," reflected the same principle.

"Supernatural Revelation... Super..." Wang Sheng murmured to himself, preparing to move, until a figure walking toward the lakeside caught his attention.

The person's true essence was similarly disorganized, yet it seemed abundant, barely reaching the late-stage of the Breath Condensation Realm. They were clearly stronger than the students meditating by the lake.

The individual approached the group and cleared his throat. The meditating students immediately stood up and bowed in unison.

"You're finally here, Protector," someone greeted.

Protector?

It turned out that the latecomer was some sort of leader.

Wang Sheng extended his spiritual consciousness to pick up their conversation.

"How's your cultivation tonight?" the Protector asked.

"Everything went smoothly. Do you have any guidance for us?" someone asked.

"Just stick to the mantra you've been taught for now," the Protector said sternly. "I've reminded you repeatedly not to overreach. Haven't you understood this yet?"

The Protector's tone turned harsher. "Also, don't forget to prepare your membership fee for this month. They're due in three days."

"Yes, sir, we won't forget," someone muttered.

One of the students quietly grumbled, "Isn't the fee a bit too expensive?"

The Protector snorted coldly. The student who had spoken quickly lowered their head, not daring to say another word.

"Nothing comes without investment! Right now, you're investing in yourselves!" the Protector shouted. "Do you think those mantras just fell into our laps? The elders spent a fortune acquiring them!

"

Hmph!

Go back to meditating. Make sure to leave by 4:00 PM."

"Yes, sir," the students replied in unison before sitting down again, facing the lake.

The Protector walked over to one particular girl, whispered something to her, and then strode away with his hands behind his back.

The girl sat for a moment before lowering her head and standing up. She then followed the Protector. The other students remained still, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Wang Sheng didn't need to think hard to guess what would happen next.

Using the cover of a passing breeze, he leaped from the tree and silently followed the girl, who was trailing after the Protector toward the campus gate.

Even cultivation involves shady power dynamics nowadays?

Tonight, Wang Sheng had certainly seen it all.