Chapter 426 - 232: True Form (3)

Chapter 426: Chapter 232: True Form (3)

Daochen Zhenren gave a slight nod. Xuzhuang bowed, then exited the grand hall and left the Cloud Palace.

「 」

The world is ever in flux, yet the mountains and rivers remain unchanged.

Even for a lineage as ancient as the Tai Su Orthodox Sect, with ten thousand years of history, a hundred years brought many changes. Yet, many things remained steadfastly unchanged—especially this view of the vast marsh where water met sky, and the immortal peaks that stood tall, vying with the clouds.

Chongyun Peak.

Xue Yuren brought over a four-flavored tea, placed it on the table, and said, "Please, Master."

Xuzhuang nodded slightly, his gaze lingering for a moment on Xue Yuren’s subtly changed face.

He had been in seclusion for a hundred years, and in that time, Xue Yuren had become a successful Refining Cultivator. ’Jade spirits have long lifespans, but their cultivation is extremely slow. To have made such progress, she must truly harbor a sincere desire to pursue the Dao.’

Xuzhuang asked, "Yuren, how long have you been managing my mundane affairs?"

Xue Yuren replied, "Two hundred years, Master."

Xuzhuang nodded slowly. "If the day comes that you have an opportunity to form your pill, you may take the Pill Formation Great Medicine from my estate."

Having served Xuzhuang for two hundred years, Xue Yuren knew his temperament and did not refuse. She gave a graceful bow and said, "Thank you, Master."

That being said, it had taken Xue Yuren over a hundred years just to get from Foundation Building to the Refining stage; the day she could form her pill was still a distant prospect. Xuzhuang said no more and waved his hand. Xue Yuren retreated to the side to wait in attendance as he picked up a jade slip and began to read.

Recorded in this jade slip were the events that had occurred inside and outside the sect during Xuzhuang’s hundred years of seclusion, from things as small as the rankings of the sect’s grand competition to matters as large as major events in the Divine Continent.

The rankings of the sect’s grand competition were of no real concern to Xuzhuang. However, among the champions of the decennial competitions, a disciple named Guan Jue had emerged, forged a Top-grade Golden Core, and been promoted to the rank of true disciple.

Besides Guan Jue, the Tai Su Orthodox Sect had produced two other true disciples in the past century, both of whom had also placed in the top four of the grand competition.

’It seems combat prowess might not mean everything, but those with profound cultivation naturally have a better grasp of Daoist arts. Establishing the grand competition really was a good decision.’

Producing three true disciples within a century, while not comparable to the grand occasion of Fei Fan Yan, Zhou Jun, and Qin Dengxiao forming their cores one after another, was still far more frequent than in previous generations. It was clear that this was truly an era of burgeoning talent, though perhaps the Nanzhan Treasure Continent also played a part.

The Tai Su Orthodox Sect had gained great prestige from the events in Nanzhan, and its reputation was now growing. Had that boy, Zhou Jun, not made a sudden leap forward to the Nascent Soul realm, the sect would now be in a golden age, boasting six great true disciples at once.

Still, even without Zhou Jun, the five great true disciples of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect were separated in age by just over a hundred years at most. It was a gilded age, prosperous but precarious.

However, as if by the will of fate, under the grand trend of the Xuan path waning and the demonic path rising, the Tai Su sect’s prestige did not keep the Demon Sect quiet for long. Its members began to travel the Divine Continent with increasing frequency, only showing some restraint within the territories of the Three Sects. The Bone Sect, in particular, repeatedly attacked the gates of the Celestial Abyss Sect; it seemed the conflict between the two had become irreconcilable.

However, the Celestial Abyss Sect was located in the southeast of the Central Plains. Even the Upper Profound Sect remained indifferent, so it was certainly not the Tai Su sect’s place to interfere.

’The Three Sects and Six Schools aren’t exactly allies, but they all belong to the Xuan Gate. It seems wrong to just sit by and watch the Bone Sect battle the Celestial Abyss Sect.’ However, with his current perspective, Xuzhuang couldn’t begin to fathom the thoughts of those playing the grand game of the Profound Yellow Realm, so he merely pushed the matter to the back of his mind.

Besides this, there were many other matters, both large and small. Xuzhuang skimmed through them, committed them to memory, and then turned his thoughts back to the present.

Of the three disciples under him, his third disciple, Qin Dengxiao, had forged a Top-grade Golden Core and was now making a considerable name for himself in the Divine Continent. He didn’t need Xuzhuang to worry about him.

His second disciple, Yuan Hao, after his trip to the Nanzhan Treasure Continent where he gathered the Pill Formation Great Medicine and other Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, had already forged a Six-Seal Golden Core. He had become the only person in the sect, besides Xuzhuang himself, to form a core using the Three-Phase Six-Seal Pill Condensation Method...

Only his eldest disciple, Li Changfeng, seemed to have disappointed Xuzhuang time and time again.

A hundred years ago, Li Changfeng had left Chongyun Peak, found a Spirit Island in the Yunmeng Marsh, and built a home to live with You Jin’Er.

To this day, Li Changfeng had neither forged a Top-grade Golden Core nor chosen the path of a middle or lower-grade one. A Refining Cultivator had a lifespan of merely three hundred years. ’He must be approaching old age by now.’

Xuzhuang was silent for a long while, then called Xue Yuren over. "Take my jade token to the Ministry of Affairs Hall and retrieve a bottle of Armor Pills. Have them sent to Changfeng."

Xue Yuren was about to reply when Xuzhuang raised a hand to stop her. He continued flatly, "Since his will is not firm, why cling so stubbornly to his obsession? Instead of hesitating, he should stop wasting time."

"Take these words to him along with the Armor Pills. Tell him to take them and then form a Middle Grade Golden Core."

Xue Yuren was taken aback. She paused for a moment before taking the jade token from Xuzhuang’s hand and replying in a low voice, "Yes."

Xuzhuang waved his hand. After Xue Yuren had left, he let out a soft sigh and returned to his quiet chamber.

...

The next day, the early summer sun blazed at its zenith.

Xuzhuang left his cave residence again and went straight to the Sect Leader’s Cloud Palace. This time, the acolyte Zhi Xing was already waiting at the door. After leading Xuzhuang into the grand hall, a flow of Qi suddenly gathered, and Daochen Zhenren’s form materialized before Xuzhuang.

After Xuzhuang paid his respects, Daochen Zhenren nodded slightly, took a treasured box from his sleeve, and handed it to Xuzhuang.

"What is this?" A look of doubt appeared on Xuzhuang’s face. At Daochen Zhenren’s signal, he opened the box and saw that it contained a jade slip. Upon probing it with his Divine Sense, his brow immediately shot up. "The Wind Stabilizing Pill?"

"Correct." Daochen Zhenren said slowly, "This Wind Stabilizing Pill is one of the world’s supreme Tribulation Crossing Skills. Even among the collections of the orthodox Xuan sects, few can compare."

"Among the Tribulation Avoidance Techniques in our Profound Yellow Realm, when it comes to the Fire Tribulation alone, the Profound Ice Pavilion’s ’Profoundly Refined Tribulation-Avoiding Ice Soul’ method is paramount. This method combines avoiding, crossing, and dispelling the tribulation all in one. It is exactly what is needed now."

"I intend to trade the Wind Stabilizing Pill technique for the Profound Refining Avoiding Tribulation Ice Soul Method. I’d like you, Junior Brother, to undertake this task."

"I see." Xuzhuang nodded solemnly and cupped his hands. "I will set out at once and shall not fail this mission."

Daochen Zhenren nodded. "However, the Profound Ice Pavilion greatly treasures its Profound Refining Avoiding Tribulation Ice Soul Method, so they may not be willing to trade the technique itself. If that’s the case, you can offer to have the Tai Su Orthodox Sect refine the Wind Stabilizing Pill for them twice. In exchange, the Profound Ice Pavilion will refine the Tribulation-Avoiding Ice Soul for you and Junior Brother Zhang."

"Junior Brother Zhang?" Xuzhuang caught the name in Daochen’s words, and his heart suddenly jolted.

’The one in the sect who plans to achieve the Dao through the Spirit Treasure Technique... it’s Zhang Tingxian. Of course. His physical vessel was destroyed, severing his path along the Primordial Spirit Dao... Perhaps this is the alternative Daochen Zhenren has given him.’

Daochen Zhenren did not notice what Xuzhuang was thinking and said slowly, "Of course, if the Profound Ice Pavilion is willing to trade the Profound Refining Avoiding Tribulation Ice Soul Method for the Wind Stabilizing Pill Technique, you may study it first, Junior Brother. I can authorize it."

’The Wind Stabilizing Pill was the world’s supreme skill for crossing the Wind Tribulation. Even if the Profound Ice Pavilion was unwilling to trade away its Profound Refining Avoiding Tribulation Ice Soul Method, it would never ignore the offer of having the Tai Su Orthodox Sect refine the Wind Stabilizing Pill for them. With this arrangement, Daochen Zhenren had essentially solved the Fire Tribulation problem for both the Taiyi Rainbow Sword and Zhang Tingxian.’

Xuzhuang collected his thoughts, solemnly cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother."