A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 84: Chapter 81: Meeting the Zhenren

The plump cultivator and the female cultivator were heartbroken, but forced smiles on their faces.

Cursing inwardly, they gathered together while their hands shook. A moment later, they offered up a storage pouch.

The female cultivator’s smile was uglier than crying: ”Sect Leader Lu, you are magnanimous, please do not concern yourself with insignificant beings like us.”

Lu Qian took the storage pouch, glanced inside casually, and saw three bottles of elixirs, over five hundred spirit stones, and three piles of high-tier Qi cultivation talismans. Originally, one bottle of elixirs was worth a hundred spirit stones. Did this gift mean to triple the compensation?

”Since that’s the case, I’ll graciously accept it.”

Seeing Lu Qian accept the storage pouch, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. They gathered around, pouring flattery so excessively that even Lu Qian felt overwhelmed.

While the female cultivator was fawning and preparing to give Lu Qian a shoulder massage, suddenly a red light flashed before their eyes, and two feathered scholars were already standing in the hall.

One was the Guests’ Steward from before, and the other appeared to be in his thirties, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking directly at Lu Qian as he entered.

The three quickly bowed and retreated, while the feathered scholar cupped his hands and said: ”Are you from the Qingzhou Yunshan Sect?”

Lu Qian hastily stood up and bowed: ”I am Lu Qian, the current Sect Leader of the Yunshan Sect. I have met the Feathered Scholar.”

The feathered scholar nodded: ”Sect Leader Lu, I am Dong Chengjun, Master Chi Yu’s eldest disciple. My master is waiting at Fire Cloud Peak, please follow me.”

Lu Qian hurriedly cupped hands to the Guests’ Steward and followed Dong Chengjun out the back door. After a short walk, they arrived at a tall archway, seemingly made entirely of Spiritual Jade. In the sky’s flowing glow, it shone brilliantly.

This is the entrance and exit of the Danxia Sect’s Mountain Protection Grand Array.

Dong Chengjun led Lu Qian into the array. As soon as they passed through the archway, Lu Qian felt a surge of concentrated spiritual energy wash over him, refreshing his mind and shocking him. He wondered what level of spirit vein the Danxia Sect possessed, as even a hint of diffused spiritual energy reached such a level.

Dong Chengjun nodded to Lu Qian: ”Sect Leader Lu, I’ll take you to Fire Cloud Peak from here, please excuse us.”

Before Lu Qian could react to what he meant by excuse, Dong Chengjun had already grabbed his arm. The next moment, a violent and fiery surge of spiritual power soared, and a flying sword encased in layers of red-gold flame broke through the sky. Dong Chengjun, carrying Lu Qian, took off in the escape light, soaring into the sky.

Lu Qian only felt the wind whistling in his ears, the scenery on both sides flashing past. If someone looked up from the ground, they would see a fiery blaze several meters long breaking through the sky and flying away.

Experiencing for the first time the feeling of a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar flying with a spiritual artifact, Lu Qian was quite amazed. In less than half a tea’s time, a mountain peak surrounded by red clouds appeared before Lu Qian. Dong Chengjun sharply decreased speed, descending with Lu Qian to the peak.

The spiritual energy here was even richer than at the mountain gate, several times over! With each breath, Lu Qian felt somewhat buoyant, and the flow of spiritual power within his body accelerated. He was already not far from the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation, and now, with the impact of high-grade spiritual energy, he even felt his acupoints loosening.

”Stay close to me,” Dong Chengjun said, ”this is the dwelling place of the master’s true disciples, do not look around to avoid misunderstandings.”

Lu Qian nodded and hurried to keep up. He only glanced out of the corner of his eye at the layout here. There were not many buildings on the peak, scattered and in different styles, as if each followed the preference of its owner.

Judging by this, Master Chi Yu did not seem to be a rigid person.

As he pondered meeting the master soon, Lu Qian quickly reviewed the lines he had prepared to ensure he wouldn’t make a mistake.

While he was thinking, he heard Dong Chengjun say: ”We have arrived.”

Lu Qian looked up and saw a small courtyard in front, with a giant ancient tree growing in its center. The leaves were red, and the canopy spread like a cover, casting a large shadow over the courtyard walls.

Dong Chengjun walked to the courtyard gate, bowed, and said loudly: ”Master, Sect Leader Lu Qian from Qingzhou Yunshan Sect has arrived.”

A rough voice sounded: ”Come in, then.”

Dong Chengjun responded, opened the courtyard gate, and led Lu Qian inside.

At first glance, Lu Qian saw the big man seated under the ancient tree.

The man had a square face, features carved sharply as if with a knife. Surprisingly, he was bare-chested, muscles defined and bronzed, his gaze fiery as he looked directly at Lu Qian.

Dong Chengjun stepped forward and bowed: ”Master, this is Lu Qian.”

Lu Qian hurried forward a few steps, bowing deeply: ”Junior Lu Qian, pays respects to Master Chi Yu!”

Before arriving, Lu Qian had imagined several forms Master Chi Yu might take: a venerable elder with white hair and beard or a stately middle-aged man? He never thought it would be such a, um, vigorous man.

No spiritual pressure was perceptible on him at all, like an ordinary mortal. Lu Qian was in awe, knowing that this was the realm of ”metal attribute immortality, pure and flawless,” and deeply revered it.

Lu Qian hurriedly presented the Jade Scroll inscribed with the Six Harmonies Array Secret Manual: ”A mere token of respect; may the Master have endless fortune, and suns and moons everlasting.”

Lu Qian felt the weight in his hand lighten, and the Jade Scroll was already taken away. Master Chi Yu gave a light exclamation: ”Six Harmonies Array? You’re an Array Cultivator?”

As he spoke, a tidal wave-like divine sense suddenly swept over Lu Qian’s body. Lu Qian was startled, and his Consciousness Collection instinctively activated, enveloping himself and resisting the external divine sense.

Master Chi Yu raised an eyebrow and laughed: ”What a fine divine sense! Boy, you have Consciousness Collection, hmm?”

Although it was just a casual sweep on a whim, Lu Qian’s divine sense blocked it, a strength comparable to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Seeing Lu Qian was only in mid-stage Qi Cultivation, he must have possessed Consciousness Collection.

Lu Qian bowed again: ”A small Consciousness Collection, nothing significant before the Master.”

Master Chi Yu nodded idly, tossing the Jade Scroll aside. This reaction made Lu Qian sigh inwardly, seeming that the Master couldn’t care less for this secret manual, but at least it was received, and better than having nothing.

Then Master Chi Yu asked suddenly: ”Did you bring that letter?”

Lu Qian gathered himself, took a stone box from the storage pouch. Before he could react, the stone box was already in Master Chi Yu’s hands.

Master Chi Yu took out a Jade Scroll, glanced at it, and suddenly fell silent. Lu Qian stood quietly to the side, hands at his sides.

After a moment, Master Chi Yu sighed deeply: ”In the blink of an eye, three hundred years have passed. The person is gone, time cannot be chased back. Though I have achieved Golden Core, it isn’t a tenth as enjoyable as during Foundation Establishment, what a pity!”

Saying so, he suddenly picked up a large jar of wine from the table before him, drinking it up, the wine splashing and cascading down his bronzed muscles.

When he finished in one breath, with a clang, the wine jar was slammed back down. His gaze was electric, and he roared: ”Since you truly are an old friend’s descendant, sit and talk then!”

Lu Qian hurriedly said: ”In front of the Master, how dare a junior speak of sitting...”

Unexpectedly, Master Chi Yu glared: ”I told you to sit, so sit! False modesty, nothing like my old friend!”

This master was entirely different from what Lu Qian had imagined; all the prepared lines seemed useless now. Lu Qian wore a bitter smile and hurriedly sat down. As soon as he sat, Master Chi Yu asked: ”Lu Qian, right? The Yunshan Sect suffered calamity, or even annihilation, right?”