Chapter 212 - 119: Ascending the High Platform, Marquis Beicang, Becoming a ’Qi Cultivator’, Advancing the ’Feathered Immortal Robe

Chapter 212: Chapter 119: Ascending the High Platform, Marquis Beicang, Becoming a ’Qi Cultivator’, Advancing the ’Feathered Immortal Robe

"Are you planning on befriending all of your master’s other enemies and burying the hatchet with them too?"

Duan Chenzhou teased.

"Friendship is one thing, but Master’s enemies are naturally my enemies too."

Ji Xiu chuckled, understanding the distinction clearly.

"Good lad!"

"In that case..."

"It’s about time you ’entered the prefecture’."

Duan Chenzhou tapped the rim of his bowl and smacked his lips.

"The Jianghu is a treacherous place, always weathering the wind and rain. It’s nowhere near as comfortable as attaining Merit and Fame with the support of the Great Xuan."

"If your Ancestral Master were still around, it would be fine; you wouldn’t have to go anywhere. But the Celestial Blade Style has fallen on hard times. Chen He can barely feed himself, so how could he possibly afford to support your training?"

"The School can be registered, yes."

"But just holing up inside for your Cultivation... there’s no future in that."

"That fellow Gu Baichuan, if all went as expected, has already been promoted to Prefecture Commander and advanced to become a Qi Sea Grandmaster. His status is comparable to a Prefecture Official."

Then, Duan Chenzhou tilted his head back, his loose hair falling around him, and drained the wine from his bowl in one go.

"After this year, you stay in Anning County and focus on tempering your body."

"By the time spring arrives next year, you will have broken through to Skin Refining."

"I will first make a trip to Jiangyin Prefecture and secure a spot for you in the Mansion Courtyard from Gu Baichuan."

"There, you’ll find the Abundant Resources of an entire prefecture, which will allow both your Martial Arts and Daoist Merit to advance by leaps and bounds!"

"With your aptitude, those noble sons and designated heirs of the Schools... even if they’ve been at the Skin Refining stage for years, I doubt they’re a match for you."

"Prefecture Official Merit is specially granted by imperial authority, making one esteemed throughout the prefecture. If you can take first place and become the Leader in the Prefecture Examination..."

"...then you’ll be on equal footing with any Grand Lineage. There’d be nothing to stop you from starting your own!"

"For others, becoming a Prefecture Official might be the end of their path."

"But my apprentice..."

"You, in the future, are destined to be granted a Fief and a Fiefdom! You will make this very Anning County your domain, bearing your name! You will make Jiangyin Prefecture your noble seat, and it will take pride in you! You’ll be no weaker than your Ancestral Master, Wang Xuanyang!"

"A Prefecture Official is far from the end!"

"Have you ever heard of Marquis Beicang?"

Merit and Fame.

’Nobles from the Six Great Xuan Registers, Fiefdoms, Prefecture Officials...?’

Ji Xiu’s heart trembled. He had heard of these things before, but there was no path to them in the county.

"Marquis Beicang is..."

Duan Chenzhou sighed softly.

"Marquis Beicang."

"He is the legendary figure who, a Jiazi ago, emerged from Jiangyin Prefecture. He left his name in the White Jade Capital in Xuanjing and was recorded on the Juvenile Dragon Stele. That year, he ranked among the top ten of the Great Xuan Celestial Prides, was directly granted a Fief, and was later ennobled as a Marquis."

"Now, he holds a Title and is, without a doubt, the great figure backing Jiangyin Prefecture."

At this, Duan Chenzhou looked at the young man opposite him, his gaze burning with intensity.

"And you, apprentice..."

"In terms of aptitude, you are his equal."

These words.

Made Ji Xiu’s blood boil with excitement.

’This master of mine...’

’He always knows exactly what I want, what I crave deep down!’

’The Great Xuan White Jade Capital!’

’Leaving my name on the Juvenile Dragon Stele!’

’What kind of Celestial Pride would one have to be...?’

’At the very least, a young Grandmaster who possesses a Treasure Body, right?’

Ji Xiu licked the trace of wine from the corner of his mouth.

Someday.

’He, a mere Groom who started from nothing...’

’...would pull down every single one of these extravagant nobles and heaven’s favored children, perhaps from the Ten Directions Celestial Pillars or the Nine Great Families, from their high horses!’

’And take their place!’

As this boundless ambition bloomed in Ji Xiu’s heart!

In that instant, the Divine Soul he had been refining for days...

...was finally perfected!

[Six Chapters of the Profound Monarch’s Secret Record — Refining Spirit Scroll Fragment: (1000/1000)!]

[Tutor’s advance has reached Perfection!]

[Gained Trait: Immune to All Spirits (Fragmented)!]

[Grand General Level Outer Dao consciousness can no longer attempt Possession or corrupt the Tutor’s Divine Soul!]

BANG!

In his mind, the imprisoned Grand General of Summoning Spirits and Manifesting Saints...

...as if cast into a Fire Prison, had its final wisp of light utterly devoured by Ji Xiu.

This forged his advance to Perfection, and thus...

...with a CRACK, as if shattering a bottleneck, his Daoist consciousness surged!

In an instant, his Divine Soul, which had long ago perfected the First Realm of Script Recognition and Locket Granting...

...completely achieved the Second Realm of Qi Absorption and Grain Avoidance, feeding the power back into his physical body!

From this moment on, Ji Xiu had broken through the second gate of Dao Skill and could be called a Qi Cultivator!

Daoist and Martial Dual Cultivation, advancing in lockstep, both achieving a breakthrough!

Duan Chenzhou, who had just been painting a picture of a grand future for his apprentice and placing high hopes on him, was instantly dumbfounded.

’His Dao Skill has surged, rivaling his Martial Dao...’

"You kid, you..."

He watched as Ji Xiu’s skin began to glow, every pore absorbing Spirit Breath and expelling impurities.

He fell silent for a few breaths.

"Here, take this."

"Go practice on your own. Let your master have some peace and quiet. I don’t feel like lecturing today."

’He’d used the story of Marquis Beicang to inspire his apprentice.’

’But looking at this display...’

’If you compared them both in their youth, it’s hard to say who would come out on top!’

Ji Xiu was still immersed in the joy of his Daoist and Martial Dual Cultivation advancing in lockstep when he saw Duan Chenzhou abruptly hand him a booklet as thin as a cicada’s wing. He took it instinctively.

The next moment—

[Tutor has come into contact with the top-tier Skin Refining Technique, ’Feathered Immortal Robe’!]

[Make an advance?]

(PS: Happy New Year, my good homies! I’m an hour late, but I wrote over two thousand extra words for you all. Happy New Year! Come spend it with Ji Xiu! QWQ)