Stealing Immortal

Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Dragon Pearl

Back in the Bingshen Alchemy Room, Chen Qingyang had caused quite a stir.

He was inevitably gawked at as he left, but he’d never had much interest in that sort of attention. As the crowd watched his departing figure, some sighed in admiration, others were envious, many wore complex expressions, and a few even looked afraid.

After all, many of them had just spoken rashly. If they had truly offended this person, there would surely be endless trouble for them down the line.

Chen Qingyang made a point of looking around but saw no trace of Xu Ningyuan. ’He must have been displeased and left in a hurry,’ he thought. ’A shame, I was hoping to say goodbye.’

To be fair, the Separation Dragon Pill Institute’s hospitality was excellent. Though he was only given a single room, it was fully equipped. There were even Miscellaneous Task Disciples waiting in the hallway, ready to be summoned at a moment’s notice.

When Chen Qingyang returned, Liu Tao was meditating on a cushion, a faint aura lingering around her. The aura only dissipated completely after she slowly opened her eyes.

”Senior Sister, where exactly is the Earth Root, the first of the Nine Acupoints of Ascension?”

He asked out of curiosity, figuring he would soon break through to the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining, with the eighth and ninth not far behind.

Little did he know, Liu Tao’s face instantly flushed red. ”You... you really don’t know, or... are you deliberately teasing me!”

Amidst her shy smile, however, was a hint of delight.

Chen Qingyang knew the literal meaning of the Earth Root: to stand firm upon the ground, drawing in the Earth Vein Yin Fiend for tempering, thereby forming the Earth Dragon Root.

”Senior Sister, it’s a misunderstanding! That’s not what I meant to ask, I was just...”

Liu Tao, who had been sitting with her legs folded, crossed them. ”Then why did you ask!”

She puffed her cheeks, looking for all the world like she was about to raise a fist at him.

”AHEM...” Chen Qingyang didn’t dare say another word, and the two fell into silence for a moment.

In the end, it was Liu Tao who broke the awkward silence. ”Hmph. You still haven’t told me how the competition went today.”

Chen Qingyang eagerly seized the chance to change the subject. ”Since the competition is focused on Elixirs, it’s all very civilized. Everyone refines their own, and once you succeed, you submit it. Then you just wait for an invitation to the appraisal assembly. Of course, you don’t get an invitation if you fail.”

Liu Tao wasn’t worried about Chen Qingyang’s alchemy skills. ”I heard many Foundation Establishment Masters will be at the appraisal assembly. This is your key chance to enter Cyan Bamboo Peak. There is one more thing I have to warn you about.”

”What is it, Senior Sister?” Chen Qingyang asked.

”At the critical moment, you must not get careless or complacent. If you’re set on Cyan Bamboo Peak, then stick with it. Don’t let your eyes wander toward the Separation Dragon Pill Institute. Some Foundation Establishment Masters despise people who aren’t grounded. I don’t have much experience with these appraisal assemblies, so I can’t help you much more than this.”

He could hear her earnest concern. ”Senior Sister, don’t you know me by now?”

Liu Tao gave him a once-over, and as if something suddenly occurred to her, she said, ”Hmph. I thought I did, but now I realize I don’t know you at all.”

This left Chen Qingyang feeling a bit awkward. Just as he was preparing to sit down and meditate, a voice called out from outside, ”Is Senior Brother Chen Qingyang here?”

Without moving from her spot, Liu Tao opened the door with a mere wave of her sleeve. Outside stood a young man in green robes, the common attire for the Pill Institute’s Outer Disciples.

Perhaps the young man hadn’t expected Senior Brother Chen to be hiding a beauty in his room, as his gaze lingered on Liu Tao for a moment. ”Congratulations, Senior Brother Chen, on refining a Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder! This is an invitation to the Ascension Assembly. Please be sure to arrive at the designated time!”

He held a dazzling booklet with a gold-and-silver cover and elegant ink calligraphy. The cover was adorned with an image of a dragon fighting a tiger, and of water and fire merging.

With a grasping motion, Liu Tao summoned the booklet into her hand. Chen Qingyang could only bow to the messenger in thanks. ”Thank you, Junior Brother. I will certainly be there. Could you tell me what the Ascension Assembly is about?”

Most people who reached this stage were already intimately familiar with the affairs of the Separation Dragon Pill Institute. This was the first time anyone had asked him such a question. ”Is this your first time, Senior Brother?”

”It is.”

”’Dengkui,’ or Ascension, refers to the assembly for Tier Four Elixirs. Here at the Separation Dragon Pill Institute, it also signifies one’s formal entry into the Alchemy Dao. All Outer Disciples who refine a Tier Four Elixir gather to have their work appraised. The creator of the best one is named the champion.”

Hearing this, Liu Tao appeared before the young man in a flash. Knowing she was an Inner Sect Disciple, his posture became one of utmost respect.

”And is there a reward for becoming the champion?”

The young man replied, ”Of course. And every prize offered by the Separation Dragon Pill Institute is extraordinarily precious.”

Liu Tao clapped her hands together, a look of regret on her face. ”Oh, dear! Junior Brother, look at the two of us, so clueless! We didn’t even pay attention to such a crucial Immortal Fate! Tell me, did you give it your all when you were refining the elixir?”

At this, even Chen Qingyang felt a pang of anxiety. ”I gave it my all, and the resulting pills were better than any I’ve made before!”

Hearing this, Liu Tao breathed a sigh of relief. ”Good, good. Your chances are very high. Among Tier Four Elixirs, very few are more sophisticated than the Yang Replacement Powder...”

As the two of them chattered back and forth, the young messenger finally couldn’t help but interrupt, ”Senior Sister, Senior Brother... may I be excused?”

”Of course, of course.” Liu Tao pressed two Spirit Stones into his hand. ”Consider it a tip for the good news.”

The young man departed, beaming.

Only then did Chen Qingyang pick up the invitation and examine it closely. ”Senior Sister, it specifically says I have to go alone, or else...”

Liu Tao waved her hand dismissively. ”Fine, then. Just be sure to remember how good your Senior Sister has been to you.”

Her gaze was so direct that Chen Qingyang felt a little nervous, being alone in the room with her.

「As dusk fell and the moon began to rise.」

In contrast to the daytime, the Separation Dragon Pill Institute at night was bathed in a dreamlike glow.

Luminous Pearls from the sea, rainbow-hued shells from the lakes, and all manner of glowing treasures from across the land were strung together, creating a fantastical, kaleidoscopic spectacle.

Against the night sky, the silhouettes of the mountains were hazy, making the palace at the very center of the grounds stand out in sharp relief. At that moment, a single question surfaced in Chen Qingyang’s mind. ’Immortals... no matter how much they cultivate, they can’t seem to escape their basic human nature.’

’Apathy, to calm the mind. Poverty, to aid in one’s path to the Dao. Simplicity, to avoid being disturbed by worldly things...’

’Everything I’ve seen today runs completely contrary to all that.’

A colossal, towering tree stood at the center of it all. Its massive trunk formed a canopy, with branches spreading out for hundreds of feet in every direction. Beneath it, in the clear breeze and bright moonlight, were tea tables and fine wine.

The Separation Dragon Pill Institute’s appraisal assembly was unique, with a classical flair. When Chen Qingyang arrived, people were already seated behind long tables to the left and right. A quick glance revealed a hundred people in total—likely all the Outer Disciples who had successfully refined a Tier Four Elixir.

At the head of the area, a dozen more long tables were arranged on a high platform, befitting the judges of an appraisal.

Chen Qingyang gave a brief nod to acknowledge the chatter around him but otherwise ignored it, fixing his gaze on the high platform. In turn, no one bothered with this ”rude” newcomer any further.

When everyone was seated, an old man in a white Daoist robe, with the white hair of a crane yet the face of a youth, sat at the very center and spoke to the crowd.

”I am Lu Jinzhang, one of the Stewards of the Separation Dragon Pill Institute. Today, we have gathered you talented disciples here to enjoy this grand event of our Tai Xu Sect...”

His voice was gentle, seeming to come from all directions at once as it echoed beside their ears.

”...The ’Separation Dragon’ in our name refers to the Fire of the Separation Dragon. This fire has burned for ten thousand years, imbued with True Dragon Qi, and it can be used to forge Immortal Grade Pills... It does not necessarily produce a pearl even every hundred years; in the thousands of years of the Sect’s history, there have only been thirty-four...”

”This object is a treasure of natural creation. It contains the fire qi of the Separation Dragon and its wonders are beyond words. If used in a Pill Furnace, it can produce Ninth Grade Pills. If used in cultivation, it can grant one the Li Yang True Fire. If used for protection, it can suppress all manner of evil...”

As he spoke, a pearl appeared in Lu Jinzhang’s hand. It was the size of a baby’s fist and glowed with the color of fire, clearly an extraordinary treasure. ”Whoever takes first place today shall be rewarded with this!”

The essence of his long, eloquent speech was all in that final sentence. It immediately drew countless gasps from the crowd. Even someone as inexperienced as Chen Qingyang could tell that this item was something incredible.

He found himself truly hoping he could win first place.

Once the murmurs of amazement died down, a woman dressed almost identically to Lu Jinzhang stood up. ”Steward Lu has spoken of the reward. Now, allow me to announce who has taken first place among the Tier Four!”

Her words instantly had everyone on the edge of their seats.

”Though all are Tier Four Elixirs, there are still differences in difficulty. For example, the Tier Four Spring Rain Pill is the simplest, so we eliminated it first. Following that, several other elixirs such as the Shuiyun, Xuyang, and Wugen Xuanling were also eliminated...”

”...Finally, after careful deliberation, we determined that among all the Tier Four Elixirs, the Yang Replacement Powder is the most practical, its refinement process the most complex, and the greatest test of a Pill Master’s skill. We have unanimously agreed that the one who refined this elixir shall be named champion!”

He hadn’t cared much at first, but now, his desire was being stoked bit by bit. Chen Qingyang suddenly realized he was very close to becoming the champion. When it came to refining the Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder, surely very few could surpass him.

Ever since he had broken through to Tier Four, he had produced three pills with every furnace, had never once failed, and their medicinal effects were only getting better.

”On this occasion, two disciples from the Qi Refining Realm successfully refined the Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder, both of excellent quality. After unanimous deliberation, we recognize Lu Qing of the Pill Institute as this year’s champion...”

As the woman finished speaking, Chen Qingyang saw a man stand up not far away. On the high platform, Lu Jinzhang had already prepared the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, waiting for Lu Qing to ascend and receive it.

Chen Qingyang watched with envy, but there was nothing he could do. ’If I get the chance,’ he thought, ’I have to take a close look at his Elixir. At the very least, I need to understand where I fell short.’

But just as Lu Qing was about to step onto the platform, a sudden development occurred. A voice cried out, ”Wait!” bringing everything to a halt.

All eyes turned toward the speaker. Chen Qingyang saw a slender man in green robes rise from his seat on the high platform. He had perhaps used some Secret Technique, as no one could see his face clearly. ”Senior Brother Lu, this isn’t right!”

The woman who had made the announcement immediately retorted, ”And how is it not right?”

”Both are of excellent quality, but Lu Qing only produced a single pill from his furnace, whereas that Miscellaneous Task Disciple, Chen Qingyang, produced three. Surely you can’t just let the treasures of the Separation Dragon Pill Institute be passed around internally year after year, can you?”