Stealing Immortal

That day was much like today, with spring in full bloom.

“Yes, it reminds me of the first time I met you, Senior Sister. You looked like an old woman back then. Time really flies… In the blink of an eye, here we are!”

“Mm.” Hearing his words, Liu Tao mulled them over. “Yes, it has been fast.”

…

After watching the other person’s figure disappear, Liu Tao stared blankly at the Elixir in her hand for a while. After taking it, she went to meditate.

The Immortal Path is long and arduous. Where can one find peace?

Chen Qingyang was no different, drifting like a duckweed, never settled.

After the detour to the Golden Summit, he once again found himself outside Master Yun Ci’s tower.

Last time, she had deliberately given him the cold shoulder for being late. This time, he arrived early, so Qingfeng led him straight up without even needing to announce him.

It seemed that as soon as he entered the vicinity, Yun Ci already knew.

Looking at her now, her complexion had improved a great deal. The wide Daoist Robe hung on her frame, her long hair was neatly gathered, and her Phoenix Eyes had become quite spirited. Even her icy coldness had diminished considerably.

However, her body was still amidst the lamplight, constantly relying on its warmth.

“Disciple greets Master Yun Ci!”

She was standing and looked over with a smile—a rare sight on her face in the past. “You’ve come a few days early this time. How thoughtful of you.”

“How could this Disciple dare to be late for the Master’s summons? I prepared the Elixir with all haste and rushed to deliver it without a moment’s delay.”

Though she knew he was talking nonsense, Yun Ci’s smile only widened. “Come, sit here!”

A cattail cushion was already placed before her. Chen Qingyang walked over and sat down. When he looked up, his eyes were level with the Master’s abdomen, and a subtle, fresh, and elegant fragrance wafted into his nose.

She was barefoot on the floor and began to circle Chen Qingyang, her tone tinged with curiosity. “The will of that dragon in your body seems to have been worn down quite a bit. What have you been doing lately?”

She certainly wouldn’t believe him if he said he’d done nothing. “I cultivate the Nanming Red Emperor’s Method, scorching it with True Fire every day. I suppose I must have refined some of it away.”

“Hah!” She always liked to let out that little scoff, her tone proud and petulant, hiding a hint of mockery. “Do you take me for a three-year-old? Trying to lie to me again. If you don’t tell the truth, I can’t help you!”

‘There’s no way I can tell the truth.’ After some thought, Chen Qingyang could only say, “The Master said that whatever that thing fears, I should give it. Perhaps I just found something it’s afraid of.”

“Then… what is it afraid of?”

Chen Qingyang shook his head. “I’m not exactly sure. I probably just stumbled upon it by chance.”

“Ai! You’re such a schemer. One face on the surface, another in your heart. It’s a pity you’re not my Disciple…” Seeing Yun Ci today, she seemed much more relaxed, no longer maintaining that cold, aloof front from before.

Chen Qingyang asked carefully, “And what if I were?”

Yun Ci’s tone grew heavier. “Then I would definitely find a way to make you change. As long as I was harsh enough, there’s always a way…”

After saying that, her tone became playful again. “But for now, all I can do is expose your lies.”

‘It would be great if she always talked like this. She has such a girlish air about her.’

Seeing her like this, Chen Qingyang laughed, completely at ease. “Ah, the Master is truly as sharp as ice and bright as snow. You can guess the truth no matter what I say. It seems I can’t lie anymore in the future.”

“Hmph!” Yun Ci huffed again. “After taking your Elixir, my Cultivation has recovered quite a bit. I will first try to remove a little of that will for you. In a moment, you must not, under any circumstances, make any sudden moves.”

‘Last time it was palm to palm. It’s not going to be the same method again, is it?’

Chen Qingyang suddenly thought, ‘I just came from seeing the disciple, and now I’m here to see the master. Aren’t my ties with the Four Golden Peaks getting a little too deep?’

“I’ll listen to whatever the Master says.”

Just as he expected, Yun Ci sat down across from him. For some reason, she always liked to stay in this little world of hers, and she always liked to be barefoot, revealing her Jade Feet. This made Chen Qingyang’s gaze drift in their direction again.

‘I wonder if she noticed.’ In any case, after that one glance, he quickly averted his eyes.

“Close your eyes!”

Chen Qingyang froze.

Yun Ci’s voice came again. “I told you to close your eyes.”

Her expression had suddenly turned stern, so Chen Qingyang had no choice but to obey.

“Hold out both hands, palms up.” ‘So it’s still the palm-to-palm method after all.’

Last time, Yun Ci had closed her eyes when she touched Chen Qingyang, so she wouldn’t have to look at him. This time, she was making Chen Qingyang close his eyes so he couldn’t look at her.

Comparing the two, she probably felt this way was safer, or at least she could observe where his gaze was directed.

Chen Qingyang did as he was told, extending both hands and resting them on his knees, palms facing up.

“Remember what I said. Absolutely do not make any sudden moves.” With only darkness before his eyes, that clear, cold voice emphasized once more.

‘She’s worried I’ll grab her hand again, isn’t she?’

“Did you hear me?”

Just as Chen Qingyang was thinking this, Yun Ci questioned him again. He hurriedly replied, “Understood. I absolutely won’t move.”

The moment his voice fell, two slender, jade-like hands rested upon his. When he felt the faint coolness from them, his muscles couldn’t help but twitch slightly, and his fingertips brushed the back of her hand.

Her hand seemed to stiffen for a moment, then it was still. As for her expression, Chen Qingyang had no idea. At this moment, his Conscious Fish didn’t dare make the slightest stir.

The Qi Mechanism in his body was once again being drawn out toward the Master. His Cultivation was completely exposed to her senses.

‘I really don’t get it. She’s a Foundation Establishment Master, so why does she still have to use this hand-to-hand method? If she did it from a distance, would it affect the result?’

“Stop letting your mind wander! Embrace the Essence and Guard the One! Gather your Qi into a Circle!”

The Master’s voice came again. Chen Qingyang had just prepared himself when a sharp pain flared in his palms, as if some kind of Qi Mechanism was being extracted.

“I want to…”

He had wanted to say, ‘I want to open my eyes,’ but felt it was unnecessary and simply opened them.

Before him, Yun Ci’s Daoist Robe billowed. Her eyes were shut tight, her hands pressed firmly against his palms. A profound white light, as cold as ice, materialized around her body. And upon their joined palms, golden flames danced, and he could even hear the joyful roar of a dragon!

The light flickered across her face. Yun Ci’s expression was incredibly solemn, and a faint, crystal-clear sheen, like a layer of ice, settled upon her delicate features…

‘So, erasing the True Dragon Soul for me requires this much effort.’ Thinking about how her injuries hadn’t fully healed, this truly was… ‘Such a life-saving favor… I must repay it with everything I have!’

Chen Qingyang could do nothing but Embrace the Essence and Guard the One. The Separation Fire True Qi within his body seemed to surge toward her palms.

They sat like this for a full hour. The Master’s arms began to tremble slightly, and her hands became like crystal, taking on the appearance of Ice Skin and Jade Bone.

Chen Qingyang had seen her in action before. Reaching this state meant she had expended an enormous amount of True Power. Toward the end, even her lips had turned a little dark, a few stray strands of hair stuck to her temples, and sweat trickled down her face, like pear blossoms in the rain, evoking a feeling of pity…

“Master, perhaps we should stop?” he said.

Yun Ci opened her eyes, meeting his gaze directly. “No. We’re just one breath away.”

With that, her eyes became incredibly resolute, as if a divine light was shooting from them, and she locked her gaze firmly with Chen Qingyang’s.

Her body trembled slightly, and her face flushed crimson. After a soft cry, drenched in sweat, she suddenly pulled back her hands, her body seeming to go limp as she collapsed back into the Array of lamps.

“Are… are you alright?”

He wanted to help her up, but saw that she had already struggled to prop herself into a seated position. “As expected of a Golden Core Fire Dragon Divine Soul. So strong! If I weren’t so heavily injured, it wouldn’t have come to this today…”

Even as weak as she was, she suddenly started to laugh. “Fortunately, I managed to remove a full thirty percent. Just two or three more times, and I can get rid of it for you completely!”

As she spoke, another wave of coldness enveloped her, as if she were being frozen solid again. The seven flames around her blazed with a dazzling light, but they still couldn’t hold back the chill, which even rushed toward Chen Qingyang’s face.

Her injuries had already caused the Yin and Yang in her body to become imbalanced. After just a slight recovery, she had overexerted herself, and now she couldn’t suppress her aura, which was why this was happening.

“You… Then why were you in such a hurry?” His tone held a hint of angry complaint.

But to his surprise, Yun Ci said, “A Golden Core Fire Dragon is unpredictable as ghosts and gods. Who knows when it will lash out? Did you really want to let it turn you into a puppet? A minor injury like this is nothing compared to the debt of saving your life.”

She no longer had the strength for a light scoff, nor the strength to maintain her icy mockery. There was only a gentle smile.

Then she closed her eyes again, sitting cross-legged in the center to meditate.

Chen Qingyang saw that the flames couldn’t withstand the cold Qi around her, and that her internal Qi Mechanism was about to run rampant. Steeling his resolve, he summoned his Conscious Fish, and a torrent of True Dragon Fire erupted forth.

One Yin, one Yang. One cold, one flame. They actually formed a stalemate!

‘So I can be a holy medicine for her healing too!’