Chapter 747: Fu Qian’s Death

Ever since Chen Yan entered the Kongshan Sect’s Supreme Pivot Court and became one of its Grand Elders, his days had been far more leisurely than they had been back when he served as Solemn Martial Elder on Kongyuan Mountain.

On days when he wasn’t meditating in seclusion, he spent most of his time drinking tea, admiring the scenery, or playing chess with the sect’s other Grand Elders.

The original Chen Yan hadn’t known how to play chess.

But after being soundly thrashed by the other Grand Elders time and time again, his skill had grown more and more polished. He had even managed to gain the upper hand once in a while.

Today, too, was another day spent playing chess.

The young man sitting across from him looked to be in his thirties and was in the early stage of the Divine Ability Realm. He was Qi Yi, now a powerful figure in the Supreme Pivot Court, known as Grand Elder Qi.

Chen Yan knew very well that Qi Yi was one of Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo’s people.

And Chen Yan didn’t have a very good impression of Huo Mu, the current Supreme Imperial Law Court Steward of the Kongshan Sect.

Perhaps that was because of Lu Li’s influence.

“Time flies. The events from when Grand Elder Chen first entered the Pivot Court are still vivid in my mind, as if they happened only yesterday.”

Holding a black stone, Qi Yi placed it on the board before him and spoke with a smile.

“It’s been seventy years, Grand Elder Qi.”

Chen Yan smiled faintly as he replied.

“Seventy years… For cultivators like us in the upper three realms, it seems no more than the blink of an eye. But how many mortals live to see seventy years?”

Qi Yi continued.

As he placed a stone, Chen Yan raised his eyes and glanced at Qi Yi.

He had come to understand Qi Yi to some extent.

There was more to his words than met the eye.

That was Chen Yan’s judgment.

“Has something happened, Grand Elder Qi?”

Chen Yan asked.

“Come to think of it, Grand Elder Chen, you should know him too.”

Qi Yi lightly tapped the chess piece in his hand, then looked up.

“Fu Qian, Solemn Martial Elder of Qingchan Peak, died the day before yesterday.”

Fu Qian.

Chen Yan had some impression of that name.

Although the Outer Court Cataclysm at the Kongshan Sect had taken place more than four hundred years ago, it was still etched in Chen Yan’s mind.

Fu Qian had been the culprit behind the Outer Court Cataclysm.

At least, that was the conclusion reached by the Kongshan Sect’s Supreme Imperial Law Court.

“How did he die?”

Chen Yan continued.

“His lifespan ran out.”

Qi Yi shook his head and sighed.

“After all, he was only a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator. At most, one could live for twelve hundred years at that realm. For Fu Qian to die peacefully at over eight hundred is already quite remarkable.”

Unity Realm cultivators generally lived between four and six thousand years.

Divine Ability Realm cultivators lived between seven and ten thousand years.

Dao Union cultivators, meanwhile, could generally live for more than ten thousand years.

Yet throughout the history of Chenping Continent, no Dao Union cultivator had ever lived to be more than ten thousand years old.

Even True Persons of the Immortal Ascension Realm mostly perished within twenty thousand years of ascending.

There were simply too many variables in this world.

“I remember Fu Qian quite clearly. Back when the Imperial Law Court dealt with the Outer Court Cataclysm case, I assisted Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo and went to Qingchan Peak. At the time, I saw a line of words carved in sword energy outside Fu Qian’s residence.”

Qi Yi spoke with a sigh.

“What words?”

Chen Yan asked.

“Saving oneself is also saving all living beings.”

Qi Yi replied.

“Those words were once spoken by a Senior in the sect. I asked him how they should be understood, but he only shook his head.”

Qi Yi paused briefly before continuing.

“He said someone would understand.”

“Did Fu Qian understand those words?”

Chen Yan asked.

“Of course he didn’t. That Senior from the sect simply had some ties to Fu Qian, so he inscribed those words outside Fu Qian’s Cangwu Residence. That was all.”

Qi Yi shook his head.

“Then who was the Senior you mentioned, Grand Elder Qi?”

Chen Yan asked.

“Grand Elder Chen should have heard of him too. He was once a Grand Elder of our Pivot Court, and he was also the master of Yun Yichen, the current Supreme Surveillance Court Steward.”

Qi Yi replied.

“Ruan Tingzhu.”

When Qi Yi said the man had been Yun Yichen’s master, Chen Yan already knew the identity of the “Senior” Grand Elder Qi meant.

“So it was Grand Elder Ruan.”

Chen Yan nodded.

Then Qi Yi sighed.

“It’s a great pity about Grand Elder Ruan as well. He suddenly perished five hundred years ago, and the truth remains unknown to this day.”

Chen Yan could only sigh along with him, saying nothing.

Ruan Tingzhu had been an old acquaintance of Qi Yi’s, but to Chen Yan, he was a complete stranger.

So Chen Yan didn’t feel it was appropriate to say much.

“Now that Fu Qian is dead, Qingchan Peak has many matters to attend to. It needs a Grand Elder from the Pivot Court to go and take charge. How about you handle it, Grand Elder Chen?”

Qi Yi asked, his gaze returning to the chessboard.

As a Divine Ability Realm cultivator, Qi Yi held a high position in the Supreme Pivot Court. To some extent, he could even be considered Chen Yan’s superior.

Although Qi Yi phrased it as a suggestion, it was, in truth, an order.

“Very well.”

Chen Yan nodded.

……

Kongshan Sect, Qingchan Peak.

“Elder Lin!”

Chen Yan laughed heartily as he walked toward the elegant-looking young man waiting for him in front of Qingchan Hall.

“Grand Elder Chen!”

The young man came forward. Instead of clasping his hands in greeting, he opened his arms and embraced Chen Yan as he approached.

The “young man” known as Sword Master Lin was Lin Xinyang, the personal disciple of He Furen, the former Dignity Elder of Yuanhua Mountain.

Although several hundred years had passed and the three of them rarely had the chance to get together, Chen Yan was still on very good terms with Lin Xinyang and Li Haowen.

Lin Xinyang was now the Sword Master Elder of Qingchan Peak.

Many Kongshan Sect disciples believed that transferring Lin Xinyang from his position as Upholding Law Elder of Yuanhua Mountain to Sword Master Elder of Qingchan Peak had been the decision of the current Sect Leader, Zhong Yin.

But as a Grand Elder, Chen Yan knew very well that it had been done at the behest of Li Haoran, the Supreme Pivot Court Steward of the Kongshan Sect.

Although Supreme Pivot Elder Li still kept mostly to himself, he had indeed begun to exert a certain degree of influence within the sect.

“Has it been several years since we last met?”

Lin Xinyang asked.

“Yes.”

Chen Yan answered with a smile.

“How has Grand Elder Wei been?”

Lin Xinyang continued.

“He’s doing well. I played chess with him just a few days ago.”

Chen Yan replied.

The Grand Elder Wei Lin Xinyang referred to was Wei Mian, the former Sword Master Elder of Yuanhua Mountain.

After Wei Mian achieved Myriad Transformations merging into Unity and broke through into the upper three realms, he was summoned to the Supreme Surveillance Court.

The current Sword Master Elder of Yuanhua Mountain was Li Haowen.

Li Haowen had now condensed more than nine thousand seven hundred strands of innate true energy. It would probably only be a few years before he broke through into the upper three realms.

“Then let’s take care of the business at hand first. Cangwu Residence still requires your personal attention, Grand Elder Chen.”

As he spoke, Lin Xinyang turned to the side.

“Please.”

Chen Yan nodded, then followed Lin Xinyang toward Cangwu Residence.

This was Chen Yan’s first time visiting Cangwu Residence.

Before the old-fashioned residence, he slowly raised his head and let his gaze pass over the six large characters above the doorway, “Saving oneself is also saving all living beings,” then walked into the courtyard.

Lin Xinyang suddenly stopped, his expression turning slightly startled.

Chen Yan looked in the direction Lin Xinyang was facing.

A slender figure dressed in white, with long black hair cascading like a waterfall, stood before the cold pool in Cangwu Residence.

She slowly turned around. Her cool gaze, clear as water, fell upon the two men.

Chu Xiyao.