Stealing Immortal

Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Water Overflows

At this moment, Chen Qingyang once again witnessed how the Void Bridge Array was opened. He deliberately sent his Conscious Fish floating over to carefully sense the changes in the surroundings.

Sixteen Masters held their Magical Artifact Tokens, and the True Essence they released ultimately converged high in the sky. This corner of the world seemed to tremble, and a dense aura spread in all directions, making it impossible for Chen Qingyang to distinguish the Array Profound from the Array Base.

In the void, the White Jade Gate appeared once more. Unlike the one on the outside, the gateway was not filled with a watery mist but was instead covered in flames. ’Could the Profound Secret of the Array be hidden within this contrast of water and fire?’

The Conscious Fish didn’t dare approach the sixteen Masters. It only loitered around the gateway, still unable to detect any obvious changes. After all, it was an Array set up by a Golden Core True Monarch; its Profound Secrets were wondrous and mysterious. How could he possibly glimpse them with his current Cultivation?

”So, you don’t know how to get out either?” A voice suddenly rang out in his mind. It was the dragon again.

The Conscious Fish stopped in its tracks, and the True Dragon continued, ”It seems you’ve truly cultivated some profound Dharma Gate to become someone else’s Divine Soul Avatar. How remarkable!”

”As far as I know, to create a Divine Soul Avatar like this, one’s Cultivation must at least reach the Golden Core Realm. Moreover, within this realm, the connection between the avatar and its true self could never escape my notice. Yet, you have no such connection... So, tell me, which one of the people here are you?” After some analysis, the True Dragon posed its question.

The Conscious Fish didn’t answer it, merely drifting around the Void Bridge. In the blink of an eye, twenty-four Disciples had left. Their task in the Separation Dragon Assembly was complete. The remaining Disciples could now proceed to the Dragon Summoning stage.

At this point, the True Dragon spoke again: ”They left, but you didn’t. You must be one of the people who stayed behind. Those sixteen holding the Array’s Magical Artifacts... I’ve seen them many times. They’re Cultivators sent by the Tai Xu Sect to oversee this place. I doubt it’s any of them. Among the ten who are left... let’s see, who seems most like you?”

Hearing its deduction, Chen Qingyang felt a surge of panic. ’Among those ten people, you’re the only new face!’ he was afraid it would say.

Fortunately, the True Dragon said this instead: ”The ones with the highest Cultivation are the most likely candidates. After all, splitting one’s consciousness like this can easily lead to mental instability. It’s common for it to cause trauma to the Three Souls... Then again, if such a Dharma Gate truly exists in this world, it is indeed miraculous!”

When Liu Tao had given the Great Soul Scripture to Chen Qingyang, she had been full of disdain, feeling that the Dharma Gate had only brought her harm. It was only later, when Chen Qingyang was able to use it against Xu Baoling, that he understood the technique’s miraculous nature.

Later still, the Underground Palace he had discovered in Duling Mountain, and the Thirty-Three-Tiered Tower depicted within it, further convinced him that this Dharma Gate had an extraordinary origin.

The Conscious Fish couldn’t answer the dragon. It could only watch as the twenty-four people vanished behind the flames. Then, the Masters retracted their power, and the gate disappeared without a trace.

”Sigh! I’ve watched this gate close just like that, again. That Jade Gold is truly no good... no, the entire Tai Xu Sect is a load of bullshit...”

After cursing, it noticed the Conscious Fish nearby and changed its tone. ”You’re an exception, of course.”

Chen Qingyang maneuvered the Conscious Fish, letting it drift until it landed in the spot where it had written before. On the wall, it wrote, ”Help me, and I will find a way to help you.”

”Heh heh!” The True Dragon just scoffed, clearly treating his words as a joke.

”If you don’t help, I’ll expose you right now.”

”Sigh!” The True Dragon sighed again. ”You always use this to threaten me. Do you really think I’m afraid of Jade Gold? At worst, we’ll both go down together... Forget it. What do you want me to do now?”

The Conscious Fish wrote on the wall, ”Nothing for now. Once I get out, wait another thousand years, and I’ll have the power to save you.”

”Heh heh!” The True Dragon chuckled again, but this time it sounded a little more convinced. ”I’ve been trapped for so long. Your words at least give me something to hope for. Anyway, based on your performance, you’ll definitely be back in ten years. I’ll see then if you’ve made any progress!”

The True Dragon ignored it, as preparations were already underway on the other side. The Conscious Fish floated back, and the doors to the grand hall closed once more.

After the Dragon-locking Array was retracted, the grand hall returned to its original state: empty, save for the solitary Dragon-locking Tripod.

Sixteen Masters hovered in the air above ten Disciples. Lu Jinzhang’s gaze swept over everyone, including Chen Qingyang.

”Reaching this stage is proof enough of your talent with Flame Techniques, and it ensures you will also achieve great things in the Alchemy Dao. Since its founding, our Separation Dragon Pill Institute has made it its mission to cultivate talents in the Alchemy Dao... And indeed, we now stand at the pinnacle of the Alchemy Dao in the Tai Xu Sect...”

Lu Jinzhang, a member of the old guard, spoke at length, perhaps moved by the sight of the new wave of talent rising behind him. Only then did he steer the conversation toward the Dragon Summoning Assembly.

”The Separation Huo Dragon Pearl is born from the Li Yang Earth Fire of this place and nurtured by True Dragon Qi, containing considerable power. The matter of Array Cultivation takes a heavy toll on the Dragon Pearl’s power, which is why we have this Dragon Summoning Assembly.”

”Within this Dragon-locking Array, in addition to the thirty-six Lock Dragon Array Buildings, there are also ten Dragon-Attracting Array Profounds. If you sit upon them while holding your Dragon Pearl, you can absorb and refine the True Dragon Qi of this place. This will be of great benefit for replenishing the power your Dragon Pearls have lost and for tempering your Meridians...”

Though she hadn’t been asked to speak, the middle-aged Daoist Nun added after Lu Jinzhang finished, ”When this Array was first established, these ten Dragon-Attracting Array Profounds did not exist. They were later personally added by Jade Gold True Monarch for the purpose of nurturing the Sect’s Disciples. Remember to be cautious, and remember to cherish this opportunity!”

Another Master offered similar words, and even Liu Pei shot a look at Chen Qingyang, reminding him that he absolutely had to seize this opportunity.

Lu Jinzhang was still the one presiding over the Grand Array. This time, the other fifteen Masters positioned themselves in the four corners of the hall. When Lu Jinzhang floated above the Dragon-locking Tripod and executed the Technique, the fifteen Masters simultaneously activated their Magical Artifact Tokens, and their power converged once more.

An Array laid by a Golden Core True Monarch was not to be underestimated; if even one of the sixteen Foundation Establishment Masters were missing, they probably wouldn’t be able to activate it.

Instantly, a RUMBLING sound filled the grand hall again as ten high platforms rose up around the Dragon-locking Tripod. Where everyone was to sit was arranged solely by Lu Jinzhang.

”Chen Qingyang, take the South Palace position! Ding Shou, suspend at the Separation Fire position!”

”Yes, Master Lu.”

As he called out the names one by one, Chen Qingyang recalled that Lu Jinzhang had also been the one to determine the seating arrangement earlier. ’Is he going to pull some trick on me during this Dragon Summoning Assembly as well?’

Each platform was like White Jade, covered in intricate patterns that resembled auspicious clouds or rivers and mountains. Though they were individual paths, they all interconnected, extending down to the floor.

On top of the platforms, the patterns converged at the center, where a person could sit. In front of the seat was a bronze, lamp-like object meant to hold the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl. It looked almost identical to the setup at the Array Cultivation assembly.

”Descend!”

Lu Jinzhang shouted, and all the Disciples took their seats.

”Rise!” he commanded again. The Qi Mechanisms released by the fifteen Foundation Establishment Masters converged like waves of light beneath Lu Jinzhang’s feet.

As the Dragon-locking Tripod began to turn, Chen Qingyang watched closely. Fiery patterns surged toward him from the floor, and he hurriedly activated his Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique to guide them.

A ball of hot energy rose from beneath him, flowing straight to the crown of his head. Everywhere it passed, his Five Viscera and Six Bowels and all the Meridians in his body felt as if they were being cleansed, clearing his Divine Soul and strengthening his Qi Mechanism.

’The Dragon Summoning... it truly is a great opportunity!’

He operated the Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique at full power, but gradually, Chen Qingyang noticed something was wrong. The flow of energy that was supposed to be his was dwindling, and eventually, it became extremely difficult to absorb any at all.

Through the eyes of his Conscious Fish, he saw that the fiery glow on the Array Profound had dimmed significantly.

His first instinct was naturally to look at Lu Jinzhang. He saw the Master’s gaze flick toward him from time to time. And not far from him was Lu Jinzhang’s eldest disciple, his senior brother.

Looking now, the fiery energy beneath his senior brother was clearly much stronger than before.

Beneath the platforms, just as in the Array Cultivation assembly, everything was connected by a web of fine patterns. It seemed his share of the opportunity had been forcibly diverted by Lu Jinzhang.

’This man was just spouting pleasantries, and now he pulls a dirty trick without a moment’s hesitation. He can’t be trusted at all.’

Chen Qingyang had no choice but to look toward Liu Pei, but he was too far away to know what was happening here. Realizing he couldn’t possibly contend with Lu Jinzhang, he simply stopped using the Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique and sent his Conscious Fish rushing out of the hall. ’I wonder if the True Dragon has a solution?’

When the True Dragon saw him appear, it said, ”What’s this? You figured out that this ’great opportunity’ is just them draining my blood, so you couldn’t enjoy it and came looking for me instead?”

Its tone was dripping with sarcasm.

’Dragon Summoning, Dragon Summoning... so *this* was the dragon they were summoning!’

The Conscious Fish flew to the wall and, using a stone, wrote, ”I was plotted against. My opportunity was completely diverted, so I can only wander around.”

”Haha...” The True Dragon laughed wildly. If it had a physical form, Chen Qingyang imagined it would be clutching its stomach. ”No wonder you said you wanted to help me! So it’s because the Tai Xu Sect is treating you poorly. You want to get revenge on them. You really are a cunning little brat!”

Chen Qingyang ignored it and just continued to write, ”You should help me.”

The True Dragon laughed again. ”How can I help you? You know I can’t get near the grand hall. As for the Dragon Qi you want... heh heh, I have plenty of that...”

As it spoke, a mass of energy gathered from all directions and flowed into the Conscious Fish. ”Take this as a gift from me. I hope you’ll still remember this a thousand years from now. Also, don’t tell anyone I’m still alive!”

After taking the gift, the fish didn’t leave. It just wrote four words on the wall: ”Water overflows when full.”

He wondered if the dragon would understand such a cryptic message.