Chapter 643 - 261: Inheritance

It was already evening when Chen Qing returned to his small courtyard on True Martial Peak.

Qing Dai and the other three had long since prepared a steaming hot dinner.

Chen Qing ate his meal in silence, his mind still replaying the events of the day in the Grotto Heaven.

’Is that disturbance really related to the Purple Light in my mind?’

’And that woman... who exactly is she? To be able to ignore the dangers of the core area and enter so casually...’

After dinner, Chen Qing did not resume his Cultivation. Instead, he had Qing Dai prepare his fishing gear.

He needed some time to let his thoughts settle and relax a little.

Bathed in moonlight, Chen Qing once again arrived at the familiar bank of Emerald Waves Pool.

The pool’s water seemed even deeper at night than during the day, its surface reflecting the sparse light of the stars and moon. All was quiet, save for the rustling of trees in the gentle breeze.

He found a spot, cast his line into the water, and his Heart and Spirit gradually calmed, following the hook as it sank to the bottom.

He pushed aside all stray thoughts, leaving only the flow of the water.

After an unknown amount of time, he felt a tug on his line.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Qing pulled a plump, crescent-shaped fish from the water. Its entire body shimmered with the faint light of silver scales, and its tail thrashed, splashing crystalline droplets everywhere.

This was a Moonlight Silver Shuttle, a rare Treasure Fish from Emerald Waves Pool, even more valuable than an Ice Crystal Silver Cod.

Just as Chen Qing placed the fish into his special basket and was about to cast his line again, he caught sight of a figure out of the corner of his eye. It was nearby, and he had no idea when it had appeared.

An old man with a weathered face, dressed in a worn gray robe, was sitting there quietly, also holding a bamboo fishing rod. It was as if he had been there all along, blending seamlessly with the night, the pool, and the rocks, not seeming out of place in the slightest.

A chill shot through Chen Qing’s heart.

With his current Late-stage Astral Force Cultivation, he hadn’t sensed this person’s arrival at all!

This man was an absolute master, his Cultivation unfathomably deep!

He suppressed his shock, kept his expression calm, and continued to fish.

Strangely enough, after the gray-robed elder appeared, Chen Qing’s catches became nonstop. He reeled in two more rare Ice Crystal Silver Cods and a Red-Scaled Carp one after another.

The gray-robed elder, on the other hand, had a bobber that remained perfectly still, and his basket was completely empty.

After a long while, the gray-robed elder put down his fishing rod and looked at Chen Qing, his gaze calm. "Your fishing technique is quite impressive."

Chen Qing set down his rod and cupped his hands respectfully. "You praise me too much, Senior. This junior just comes here often; practice makes perfect. I’ve just been a bit lucky."

He paused, then offered his name. "My name is Chen Qing. May I ask for Senior’s name?"

The gray-robed elder’s profound gaze lingered on Chen Qing’s face for a moment before he said faintly, "Luo Zhixian."

Luo Zhixian!?

Hearing this name, Chen Qing’s heart stirred.

Of course he had heard that name before!

The Peak Master of Ten Thousand Laws Peak, the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect’s publicly acknowledged Spear Path Grandmaster of this era!

His seniority was extremely high, and he was the senior brother of Li Yu-jun, the Vein Master of the Nine Heavens Lineage!

Back then, Elder Pei Tingchun had wanted to recommend him to study the Spear Path under Luo Zhixian, but due to the long-standing feud between the True Martial and Nine Heavens lineages, as well as rumors that the man was extremely eccentric and taciturn, it never came to pass.

’I never thought this elusive Spear Path Grandmaster would also come to Emerald Waves Pool to fish in the middle of the night.’

’And judging by his empty fish basket...’

"So it is Peak Master Luo. This junior, Chen Qing, pays his respects to Peak Master Luo."

Chen Qing once again cupped his fists in a solemn salute, his mind racing as he tried to guess the other man’s intentions.

"I don’t like to beat around the bush."

Luo Zhixian directly interrupted Chen Qing’s thoughts. He set down his fishing rod. "I have the Ten Extremes Spear Technique. It contains ten Spear Techniques at the Unparalleled Martial Arts Level, as well as two Spear Path Divine Secret Techniques that can only be unleashed by those at the True Essence Realm or higher. Do you wish to learn it?"

The Ten Extremes Spear Technique! Spear Path Divine Secret Techniques!

Even with Chen Qing’s steady disposition, his breath caught in his throat.

’A Spear Technique at the Unparalleled Martial Arts Level is already a rare find, but he has a collection of ten?’

’And there are even Divine Secret Techniques that transcend the scope of Martial Arts!’

This was undoubtedly the kind of opportunity any Spear Path expert would dream of!

It was impossible not to be tempted.

Chen Qing suppressed the turmoil in his heart and said in a deep voice, "If Peak Master Luo is willing to teach, this disciple would be more than eager to learn!"

Luo Zhixian was silent for a moment before speaking. "Such techniques cannot be taught lightly. As long as you pass my test, I will naturally teach you."

Chen Qing subconsciously asked, "A test?"

Luo Zhixian said faintly, "Come find me at Thunder Listening Cliff, behind Ten Thousand Laws Peak, at 7:00 AM tomorrow."

Without waiting for Chen Qing’s reply, he stood up, his figure flickering a few times before melting into the nocturnal forest and vanishing from sight.

Chen Qing stood rooted to the spot, his brow furrowed as he stared in the direction Luo Zhixian had disappeared, his heart in turmoil.

’Why would Peak Master Luo suddenly want to teach me his Spear Technique?’

’Is it because of the Spear Path talent I displayed when I defeated Lu Chenming?’

’Or is there another reason?’

’He’s closely related to the Nine Heavens Lineage. Could this act hold some other, deeper meaning?’

All sorts of questions flooded his mind.

But no matter what, this was an opportunity he couldn’t refuse.

’I’ll go to Thunder Listening Cliff tomorrow and see.’

Chen Qing reined in his Heart and Spirit and stopped overthinking. He continued to focus on his fishing until the moon was high in the sky, then packed up his gear and returned to his courtyard.

「The next day, at 7:00 AM.」

Chen Qing arrived promptly at the rear of Ten Thousand Laws Peak.

Thunder Listening Cliff was located on the shaded side of Ten Thousand Laws Peak. The terrain was perilous, with a steep cliff face on one side and a bottomless, gloomy valley on the other.

The top of the cliff was flat but covered in jagged, strange-looking rocks. Mountain winds howled across it year-round, churning the clouds and creating a mournful wail that sounded like thunder, which was how it got its name.

At this moment, Luo Zhixian was already sitting cross-legged on a large, smooth boulder at the cliff’s edge, his eyes closed in meditation. Beside him was a simple, old-fashioned weapon rack displaying several long Weapons of various designs, most of them spears.