Stealing Immortal

Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Danxia

Cyan Bamboo Peak was like spring all year round.

After a light rain the previous night, Chen Qingyang stood in his courtyard and gazed toward the mountain cliffs, where a rainbow had appeared.

Chen Qingyang took a deep breath, inhaling the pleasant, floral fragrance that filled the small courtyard. Zhang Ping had said he would build another house, and the foundation was already laid. All that was left was to build it up, layer by layer.

”You two take all these Merit Copper Coins. If you run out, just let me know. I don’t really have a use for them, but you’ll need them more.”

In the end, he handed over the remaining dozens of coins. After all, managing the courtyard and covering daily living expenses cost money, and keeping the coins on his person served no real purpose.

Li Sheng said, ”Senior Brother Chen, you may not realize it, but this is quite a lot of money. Even if you give it to us, we won’t need this much, will we?”

Chen Qingyang smiled. ”Then have Zhang Ping build the house a little nicer. Who knows, we might be living here for many, many years to come.”

After a few laps around the courtyard, he returned to his Alchemy Room, just as Xu Baoling was gracefully approaching. Her cultivation had grown, making her seem more like a living person again.

”Master, you’re going up the mountain this time. You must be going to receive a Cultivation Technique!”

Chen Qingyang had returned the previous day, and his senior brother had sent word for him to come up after he got back. Xu Baoling had guessed this was the reason.

”That’s probably it. After all, Senior Brother wouldn’t seek me out for any other reason.”

Gazing at his reflection in the Copper Mirror, he meticulously adjusted his body’s entire Qi Mechanism. He couldn’t let his senior brother notice how quickly his cultivation had broken through.

”What do you think of my cultivation now?”

Xu Baoling stared at him for a long moment before finally shaking her head. ”I can’t say for sure. My cultivation is currently equivalent to the Qi Refining Sixth Realm. Master, you’ve progressed so quickly that I can no longer see your cultivation level clearly.”

”That’s true. Once I find some time to focus on researching the Nameless Elixir, you can take it daily, and your cultivation will recover sooner.”

Xu Baoling gave him a graceful bow. ”Thank you for your kindness, Master. I was just wondering... did Liu Tao have a pleasant trip with you?”

Whenever Liu Tao was mentioned, it was as if she had a mental block she couldn’t overcome.

Chen Qingyang shook his head. ”That’s not a good question to ask. You’ve been reborn in a Divine Soul Body, so you should embrace a completely new version of yourself. You can forget all your past obsessions and focus solely on your cultivation. Like I said, I will grant you your freedom in the future.”

”SIGH!” Xu Baoling seemed to sigh with emotion. ”You are absolutely right, Master. I have forgotten a lot recently, but I still can’t help but bring it up sometimes.”

Chen Qingyang replied, ”It’s fine. It’ll get better with time. You should focus on what you’re supposed to be doing right now, like properly teaching those two boys how to cultivate.”

’In his plans, he would help the two boys break through to the Qi Refining realm. If they wanted to stay afterward, he could wait a bit longer. If not, they could leave early to seek a master on another peak.’

Xu Baoling seemed to understand. ”Yes, I know.”

He walked slowly up the White Jade Steps.

With so many Immortal Seedlings in his possession, his cultivation at his desired realm, and an elixir similar to the Glazed Heaven Repairing Pill in the works, it seemed everything was developing in a positive direction.

He was no longer all alone as before; he now had people around him. Even outside the Tai Xu Sect, there was someone like Lin Qingxuan.

’It has been quite some time,’ he thought. ’In another three or four months, Four Golden Peaks will return to winter again.’

In the same thatched hut, he met his senior brother, Shen Chongzhou. The man observed him carefully, as if looking for any changes.

”Was your trip a smooth one?”

Chen Qingyang nodded. ”It was just a search for a Spirit Grass, and I was traveling with a senior sister from the Four Golden Peaks Inner Sect. We encountered almost no danger. However, over the Great Marsh, I witnessed the might of the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace...”

Since the incident had alarmed Xuanwei Master, he had to report it truthfully, as there was no way of knowing if the Master was acquainted with his own master.

”Although Armor cultivation is considered unorthodox and rarely produces a Golden Core cultivator, you must understand, Junior Brother, that anything taken to its extreme can achieve something remarkable. Many years ago, the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace did produce a Golden Core True Monarch. The Sect has a long and storied history, with origins that can be traced back to the Ancient Celestial Vault. If you encounter them in the future, you must not act rashly!”

”The Celestial Vault?” The word was unfamiliar, and Chen Qingyang was puzzled.

Shen Chongzhou explained, ”It refers to the Ancient Divine Court, which resided in the Thirty-Three Heavens. It has long since vanished.”

Chen Qingyang thought of the thirty-three-story-high tower. ’Could that have been the Celestial Vault?’

”As expected of Senior Brother, you are truly knowledgeable and experienced. I will remember this.”

”Mm.” After a brief acknowledgment, Shen Chongzhou took a book from his robes. As he handed it over, Chen Qingyang saw the cover clearly. It was the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual.

The title was extremely familiar. Back when Li Qianxue was an Inner Sect Disciple, this was the technique she had cultivated.

”As you know, the Sect’s rules are strict, and techniques cannot be taught lightly. Furthermore, our Cyan Bamboo Peak lineage has never had a Sword Cultivation practitioner. Therefore, this Cultivation Technique was not easy to obtain. Although Master does not see you, he still cares for you!”

These Sword Formulas were equivalent to the One-Origin Sword practiced in the Outer Sect. It contained no secret tricks for defeating enemies, nor could it be used to develop peerless Sword Qi. However, it was exceptionally stable. Within the Sword Dao, it could be considered all-encompassing, allowing one to build a solid foundation.

Chen Qingyang understood in his heart that his master, Master Jing Yuan, had indeed gone to great lengths for him.

He did not take it immediately. Instead, just as he had when he first bowed to the Brocade Box to become a disciple, he performed the ceremonial bow toward the Cultivation Technique. ”Thank you, Master, for bestowing this technique.”

Only then did he accept it.

Shen Chongzhou didn’t rush him to read it, but continued, ”It’s true you have two Miscellaneous Task disciples in your courtyard, but where did that woman come from? I see that the technique she cultivates also belongs to our Sect’s True Skills.”

’He probably knew about this long ago but held back his questions until today.’

”Senior Brother, please understand. The woman’s name is Xu Baoling. She is a disciple under Master Yun Ci of Four Golden Peaks. She lost her physical body due to a cultivation deviation. I have been nourishing her with elixirs, and she has gradually recovered some of her cultivation. The Master is also aware of this matter.”

This was a reason his senior brother had to accept, whether he believed it or not; after all, he couldn’t very well go and ask Master Yun Ci what was really going on. ”Forget it,” Shen Chongzhou finally said. ”Just pretend I never asked and know nothing about it. If this causes trouble in the future, you’ll have to solve it yourself. Master won’t protect you, and neither will I.”

’Master Jing Yuan’s attitude toward me is still inexplicably ambiguous. He seems to want to teach me sincerely but is always wary of something. Well, forget it. I can’t be bothered with all that. As long as I have a Cultivation Technique, I’ll just hide away in my little hut and cultivate properly.’

Chen Qingyang said, ”Thank you, Senior Brother. I understand.”

But Shen Chongzhou shook his head again. ”No, you don’t understand. There’s a problem heading your way right now. That Separation Huo Dragon Pearl is extremely important to the Lu Clan. They won’t let this go. You should be careful.”

Chen Qingyang wanted to ask for specifics, but the other man already looked like he was seeing him out. He hadn’t even given a complete warning, only half of one. ’Could it be that he doesn’t want to be tainted by my karma?’

He racked his brain but couldn’t figure out what the cause might be.

He stood, bid his farewell, and left. ’Once I have some free time in the next couple of days to refine the elixir,’ he thought, ’I’ll go find Tian Jingzhao and ask around. As Lu Jinzhang’s pawn, he should have heard something.’

By the time he descended the mountain, it was noon.

Back in his Alchemy Room, he opened the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual and began to study it carefully. The benefit of having a master’s support was made clear here; this Dharma Gate was perfectly systematic with the One-Origin Sword.

One was for cultivating Qi, the other for Essence Condensation, and they connected perfectly at the Qi Refining Ninth Realm. If not for this, it would be just like his alchemy—despite having the ability to refine a Tier Four Elixir, he still had to start from scratch when encountering a new Tier One Elixir, his only advantage being his proficiency.

Furthermore, the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual was only circulated among the main peaks of the Tai Xu Sect. It was extremely difficult for anyone else to obtain. He was only able to cultivate it because he had joined Cyan Bamboo Peak and had such a master.

The Sword Manual was quite long, forming a whole book. Chen Qingyang started reading from the first page and didn’t finish until three hours later, by which point he had memorized it all.

Keeping in mind the rule that techniques must not be shared, he summoned a small flame and burned the book to ash.

Then, he looked at the small golden characters, and this Dharma Gate had appeared on the list.

[Danxia Nourishing Spirit Sword Manual: (1/5000)]

’I thought the three thousand-plus Immortal Seedlings I’ve saved up would be more than enough, but I didn’t expect breaking through would be this difficult. Is it because I’m facing a major realm transition?’

Resigned, he decided to save all his Immortal Seedlings for later and instead focus on comprehending the technique. Ever since he began cultivating the Great Soul Scripture, his perception and comprehension had both improved, so he was able to get the hang of it quickly. After that, he entered secluded cultivation.

Any Cultivation Technique was easy at the beginning and grew progressively harder to advance. Since he couldn’t acquire more Immortal Seedlings at the moment, it was more cost-effective to handle the easy part of the cultivation himself and save the Immortal Seedlings for later.

For the next few days, he remained in seclusion, spending his time meditating and cultivating. He gradually began to grasp the essence of the Sword Manual.

The so-called ”Nourishing Truth” had two layers of meaning.

The first layer was the True Qi in the Dantian, which in this context could be understood as the purest form of Sword Qi. As the saying goes, ”The glow of Danxia in the Mingtang Hall, a righteous sword within the chest.”

The second layer of ”Truth” referred to one’s disposition. The Sword Dao was different from other paths; it had fewer twists and turns and more of a ”truth meets truth” directness. One’s ability, one’s Sword Qi—it was all revealed the moment one struck.

Following these two interpretations, Chen Qingyang’s cultivation became smooth and effortless. Nature’s spiritual qi flowed gently into his Meridians in a ceaseless stream.

Only after going out and experiencing the barren Spiritual Qi of the outside world could one truly appreciate the benefits of staying in an Immortal Sect to cultivate.

Afterward, Chen Qingyang prepared two elixirs and set off on the path to Tian Jingzhao’s Cave Mansion.