Stealing Immortal

Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Enlightenment

[Chen Qingyang]

[First Realm of Qi Refining]

[Tai Xu Energy-Introducing Technique: (9/200)]

[Tier One Qi-Introducing Pill: (24/100)]

[Great Soul Scripture (Incomplete): (30/100)]

[Available Immortal Seedlings: 45]

’As expected of someone with a Qi Refining Eighth Realm cultivation.’ Xu Baoling’s ”toxicity” seemed to have increased today, allowing him to directly steal 42 Immortal Seedlings.

In nearly a hundred years as a Miscellaneous Task disciple in the Tai Xu Sect, Chen Qingyang had only obtained about sixty Immortal Seedlings in total. This felt like a true ”whale fall”!

He took another 40 Immortal Seedlings and prepared to add them to the *Great Soul Scripture*.

Whether his cultivation was at the First or Second Realm of Qi Refining made little difference against an expert like Xu Baoling. Strengthening his own Divine Soul, on the other hand, could provide some resistance against the Righteous Great Divine Dao.

The floating golden characters showed the *Great Soul Scripture*’s progress reach 70. Instantly, his Divine Soul grew much stronger. He could faintly feel as if he had touched some kind of shackle, like looking at a lake through a layer of ice—he could see it, but not clearly.

’By this time tomorrow, it will reach Perfection.’

Leaving a crack in the window and adding some more charcoal to the brazier, Chen Qingyang sat on his bed and prepared to meditate.

Housing, clothing, charcoal, food, drink, and all other necessities were uniformly distributed by the Tai Xu Sect.

The year he entered the mountains at nineteen, Chen Qingyang had followed Li Qianxue and stayed a night outside. The common people, cities, and farmlands there all belonged to the Tai Xu Sect. Everything within the sect was supported by the commoners from below the mountain.

The Four Golden Peaks didn’t have many disciples, but it had a lot of Miscellaneous Task workers. All told, there were still over ten thousand people.

After a night of meditation, the progress of his Tai Xu Energy-Introducing Technique had increased by 1.

After packing his things, just as Chen Qingyang was about to leave, he saw Xu Yong and Lü Yunshen scuffling in the courtyard.

”...Junior Brother, I see your cultivation has improved greatly. Where have you been these past few days? Tell me the details.”

Xu Yong kept his head down, not wanting to deal with him.

”Sigh, you’re still young and haven’t read much. The Tai Xu Sect is close to the Immortal Dao, but it’s just as close to the wrong path. Only by holding true to your heart can you seek the Dao...” Lü Yunshen started on another long-winded lecture.

”...Junior Brother Xu, just tell me. What kind of opportunity did you get?”

Xu Yong’s eyes widened, as if he were shocked by Lü Yunshen’s behavior. ”Senior Brother Hu Kai said your type is the most self-righteous. You think that just because you understand a few principles, you understand the Celestial Dao, but you don’t realize you’re actually getting further and further from the Immortal Dao.”

Lü Yunshen didn’t care that he was being talked about, he just kept pressing, ”Was Senior Brother Hu Kai your opportunity? He actually said that about me? Could you introduce me to him? I’d like to see for myself.”

Xu Yong grew angry and shoved Lü Yunshen to the ground. ”Get lost, you hypocrite.”

With that, he stormed off.

Before leaving, he didn’t forget to come before Chen Qingyang and bow. ”Senior Brother Chen, I’m off to work.”

Lü Yunshen was left alone, sitting stunned in the snow, perhaps unable to understand how things had turned out this way.

Then, as if suddenly snapping back to his senses, he looked at Chen Qingyang, felt ashamed, and scrambled to his feet to go back to his room and change his clothes.

As a bystander, Chen Qingyang just found it amusing. ’Your aloofness doesn’t mean you’re without desire; it just means you don’t crave anything strongly enough yet.’

At the Hongling Token workshop.

Chen Qingyang had just picked up his carving knife when he saw Wu Boyou hurrying over from a distance. A smile was plastered on his greasy face as he rubbed his hands together. ”Hehe, Junior Brother Chen, is there anything you need my help with?”

Everyone who worked on the Hongling Tokens knew Wu Boyou was a sycophantic opportunist. For him to speak like this, he definitely wanted something.

”Senior Brother Wu has treated me very well. There’s nothing I need help with.”

Wu Boyou, however, leaned in closer. ”I’ve run into a bit of a problem. I was wondering if Junior Brother Chen might be generous enough to help?”

”Senior Brother Wu, please speak freely.”

”Sigh, you don’t know the half of it. I’ve been stuck at the Third Realm of Qi Refining for almost forty years. Even after all this time, I’ve shown no signs of breaking through. Fortunately, those three elixirs you gave me allowed this senior brother to finally touch the threshold...”

’So he wants elixirs.’

Wu Boyou’s expression grew excited. ”You have no idea! Once I break through to the Fourth Realm of Qi Refining, I can return to the Golden Summit! My Master will even pass down a powerful Daoist Technique to me. But I, your big brother, am just stuck here! If it’s convenient for you, do you have any Qi Gathering Pills or Qi-Introducing Pills you could lend me?”

’There was even a hint of coyness in his expression. How strange.’

Wu Boyou had at least two good qualities: he was an opportunist, and he was a known quantity.

If he were to break through and return, it was uncertain what a new steward might be like. This would inevitably have a significant impact on Chen Qingyang himself.

”Rest assured, I will find a way to help Senior Brother Wu. I’d like to ask you, Senior Brother Wu, how do the Outer Disciples of our Four Golden Peaks take a Master?”

Wu Boyou pointed a finger at him. ”Hehe, the people on the Golden Summit didn’t even tell you this? According to the normal procedure, after a Miscellaneous Task disciple breaks through, the Sect will have the martial uncles who are qualified to be Masters pick from among them. This is extremely important. If your Master isn’t powerful, well... you know...”

After a hundred years in the Sect, he had heard a lot about the Inner Sect and Miscellaneous Tasks, but he really didn’t know much about the Outer Sect.

”What kind of martial uncles are generally qualified to become Masters?”

”Foundation Establishment. According to Sect rules, once you reach Foundation Establishment, you can start your own lineage.”

Chen Qingyang started to ask the most crucial question. ”Then... how can a Miscellaneous Task disciple from this peak become an Outer Disciple on another peak?”

He had asked Liu Tao this many times, but her explanations were never clear enough.

”If someone is there to receive you, then it’s no problem. If not, you’ll have to use some other means. Everyone knows that the Four Golden Peaks exists for its mines; its cultivation methods are truly barren. If Junior Brother Chen wants to leave, you most likely don’t have that concern.”

Chen Qingyang asked again, ”What kind of means?”

”For example, excelling in the Seven Arts, achieving a good rank in a competition, and so on.”

Liu Tao had mentioned this before.

”Are there any competitions related to elixirs?”

Wu Boyou was puzzled. ”Why are you asking about this?”

”The person who gave me the elixirs mentioned it, so I wanted to learn more.”

”I’ve only heard about it myself, so I can’t guarantee it’s true. Every three years, the Separation Dragon Pill Institute holds a competition. As long as you can refine a Tier Three Pill, you can participate. Even if you don’t make it into the Separation Dragon Pill Institute after distinguishing yourself, you might still be noticed by other Peak Masters. The last one was two years ago.”

Chen Qingyang cupped his fists. ”Many thanks to Senior Brother Wu for clearing up my doubts. I’ll bring the elixirs first thing tomorrow morning.”

Wu Boyou’s smile turned fawning. ”Hehe, that would be great! That would be really great!”

After finishing four Dao Rhyme Patterns, Chen Qingyang went up to the Golden Summit again.

Liu Tao was the type of person who usually holed herself up in the Alchemy Room and never interacted with anyone. Waiting for Chen Qingyang to arrive was practically the most important event of her day.

Because she cultivated the *Great Soul Scripture*, her temperament was odd. She was also fixated on her own appearance and held a deep jealousy toward Xu Baoling. All of this made her emotionally unstable.

”Did that bitch take the elixir?”

”Yes. Are you sure it will take effect in half a month?”

Liu Tao grinned. ”That’s the insidious part of Star Meteor Powder. For the first fourteen days, she won’t feel a thing. But on the fifteenth day, once it’s in her system, her Meridians and Dantian will be completely destroyed, making it look like a case of Qi Deviation... I’ve been wishing for her death day and night. There’s no way I could get this wrong...”

Chen Qingyang said, ”Senior Sister Xu said her breakthrough will be within this half-month, which is why I came to confirm.”

”Good, very good!”

Chen Qingyang went to practice alchemy again.

He strictly controlled the dosage of the Star Meteor Powder. It was better to use too little than too much.

If the dose was too small, he could always add more later. But if it was too much and Xu Baoling discovered it, he would never get another chance.

The elixirs he refined afterward were more effective than those from the previous days. After all, the effort required to successfully produce three pills at once was completely different from producing just one.

By the time the elixirs were finished, the sky had not yet completely darkened.

He spent the waiting time meditating and cultivating the Tai Xu Energy-Introducing Technique.

Afterward, he left and went to see Xu Baoling.

As usual, she had a few things to say, and Chen Qingyang responded to her each time.

After descending the mountain and settling down back in his small courtyard, Xu Baoling’s face appeared in his mind, followed by another flash of white flame.

[Chen Qingyang]

[First Realm of Qi Refining]

[Tai Xu Energy-Introducing Technique: (10/200)]

[Tier One Qi-Introducing Pill: (24/100)]

[Great Soul Scripture (Incomplete): (70/100)]

[Available Immortal Seedlings: 41]

This time, he had stolen 36. Chen Qingyang immediately added them to the *Great Soul Scripture*.

As his Divine Soul strengthened, the shackle he had felt the day before seemed to break. Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things of the world became exceptionally clear in his vision.

The wind and rain, the chirping of insects, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, the changing of the seasons—everything followed a logical principle, everything contained the Great Dao within it.

It was as if he had gained a new enlightenment regarding everything he had seen and experienced in the first half of his life.

Nourishing the Divine Soul, comprehending Heaven and Earth.

This time, he had not only strengthened his Divine Soul; his perception of his surroundings and his understanding of all things had risen to an entirely new level.

He observed the fine hairs on his body move. He observed the Qi Mechanism being released from every pore... It was as if his aptitude for cultivation had also grown overnight.

Looking at the panel again, the upper limit for the *Great Soul Scripture*’s progress had changed from 100 to 300.

「The next day.」

Chen Qingyang packed his things. Before leaving, he pondered for a moment and finally took out one of the Qi Gathering Pills that Xu Baoling had given him.

At the Hongling Token workshop.

Wu Boyou seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time. The moment he saw him, he grinned. ”Junior Brother Chen!”

Chen Qingyang naturally understood what he meant and handed over the Qi Gathering Pill.

In all fairness, Xu Baoling’s Alchemy Dao was quite good. Wu Boyou held the pill in his hand, examining it again and again before leaving with another grin.

Chen Qingyang was busy for a long time when suddenly, an image of Wu Boyou appeared in his mind, along with the white flame of Stealing Immortal being taken away.

His Immortal Seedlings increased by 5.

From this, Chen Qingyang had gained at least three benefits.

First, it proved that Xu Baoling had no intention of maintaining a long-term association with him. She fully intended to get rid of him once he’d outlived his usefulness.

Second, after Wu Boyou consumed the pill, his cultivation would inevitably be affected, delaying his breakthrough. This would keep him in the Miscellaneous Task division for a while longer, saving Chen Qingyang a great deal of trouble.

And third, he had avoided the danger himself.