Chapter 157 - 156: Happiness

Chapter 157: Chapter 156: Happiness

After chatting for a long while, the two of them shared cup after cup. Though it was only plain tea, it didn’t stop them from having a pleasant conversation.

Chen Qingyang couldn’t help but think about the matter of the spy in the Nine True Temple. ’By now, this Master Lu must know something about it, right?’

"Senior Brother Lu, when I first arrived, I heard you say there are over three hundred and sixty disciples in this temple. Do they all cultivate here daily, or do they frequently go down the mountain?"

"Sigh!" Although Chen Qingyang’s question was veiled, Lu Qingyu understood his meaning. "I know what you’re trying to hint at, Junior Brother. It must be about the spy in the temple, right? To be honest, this sort of thing is extremely difficult to avoid."

So he’d known all along. Chen Qingyang then asked, "Senior Brother Lu, what do you mean by that?"

"Junior Brother, you can see for yourself that this Nine True Temple is half immortal, half worldly. There are quite a few who haven’t yet mastered Fasting, so the disciples inevitably have to go down the mountain every day to find sustenance to survive."

"And as for the Demon Sect, they are masters of underhanded and dirty tricks. Who knows how many eyes and ears they have hidden in Jiuzhou City, or how many common people have been bewitched by them into believing their doctrines. They’re secretly watching the Nine True Temple like hawks, which gives them a channel to pass on information."

He explained it clearly and methodically. Not only did he know, but he understood the situation in great detail.

Just as Chen Qingyang was about to speak, Lu Qingyu added, "Junior Brother, do you think I just turn a blind eye to this? You’re wrong. I reported this to Xuanwei Master decades ago. After all, major matters in the temple require his decision. But that Master told me this is called ’mutual exchange.’ Only by allowing this covert tolerance can we avoid problems out in the open."

’Well... that’s certainly unexpected!’

So what if his Cultivation was at Foundation Establishment? It wasn’t as if he’d sold his life to the Tai Xu Sect. This Master Zhu Qi only wanted to pass his sixty-year term in peace. The occasional small mishap didn’t matter.

All he wanted was peace.

Lu Qingyu continued, "I have to say, this method was quite effective. For the past few decades, at least, we’ve rarely had direct conflicts with the Demon Sect, and no one else has died. Even when the Demon Sect first started searching for the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo, they intentionally avoided us."

’This was another unexpected revelation. It seems this Master was quite wise. If it weren’t for this recent incident, he really would have passed his sixty years in peace.’

"Now that things have come to this, I wonder if Senior Brother Lu has considered thoroughly investigating the spies?"

Lu Qingyu shook his head decisively. "I won’t. If those three Masters insist on investigating, then let them."

It seemed he also subscribed to Master Zhu Qi’s philosophy. After all, every disciple in the Nine True Temple had to call him Temple Master, while the Tai Xu Sect was a world away.

Thinking this, Chen Qingyang laughed. "Chatting with you has been very fruitful today, Senior Brother Lu. I wonder, how much do you know about the Demon Sect on the other side?"

Lu Qingyu said, "Certainly more than you, Junior Brother. What do you want to ask?"

"The other day, when I was on patrol with Senior Sister Liu Tao, we ran into a Demon Sect Disciple who claimed to be from Netherworld Peak. I was wondering how much you know about this peak?"

Since he knew so much, perhaps he’d heard a thing or two about Netherworld Peak. Chen Qingyang also wanted to investigate the Soul Banner in his possession further.

Lu Qingyu’s expression changed slightly. "You must know, within the entire Demon Sect, Netherworld Peak is the most ruthless and vengeful. They’ll seek revenge for the smallest grievance. Junior Brother, it would be best for you to stay far away from them if you see them in the future."

Chen Qingyang nodded in response. "You’re right, Senior Brother. I learned that firsthand the other day. It was all thanks to Senior Sister Liu Tao’s high Cultivation. Otherwise, the odds would have been against us."

Lu Qingyu continued, "I’ve only heard that the Cultivation Method of Netherworld Peak is called the Ten Prisons Demon Suppression. When one’s cultivation reaches a high level, they can connect with the Netherworld and draw upon Netherworld Power for their own use. Their methods are endless and quite bizarre. And their Cultivation, in particular, becomes more formidable the further they advance..."

Chen Qingyang asked, "That person seemed to mention Innate Soul Qi. What is that?"

At this, Lu Qingyu’s expression grew even more solemn. "A person is formed from the union of Yin and Yang. The physical body’s blood and qi are Yang, while the Divine Soul is Yin."

"The physical body’s blood and qi are born of the Earth and nurtured by heaven and earth, while the soul is born beneath the Netherworld, stained with the Nine Nether Qi."

"That wisp of Soul Qi they speak of is the un-eroded Nine Nether Qi from the moment a soul is first born. This qi is one in ten thousand. To cultivate it, one must begin nurturing it while the mother is still pregnant. This method is utterly vicious. For every one that succeeds, ten thousand will die..."

There was no need to state the other details; Chen Qingyang could imagine them. The Demon Sect truly lived up to its name.

Although there was a tendency within Tai Xu to view all things as resources, many matters still had to be handled secretively. Many of its True Skills were inseparable from the concept of "Unity of Heaven and Man." But from what Senior Brother Dong had said, the Demon Sect’s way was more direct, more ruthless, and more rational.

"Sigh!" Just as he was lost in thought, Lu Qingyu let out a long sigh, sounding somewhat compassionate. "Junior Brother Chen, the Demon Sect, much like our Tai Xu Sect, has a vast number of Dharma Gates. They are in no way inferior to our orthodox Daoist Sects. You must be more careful in the future."

Perhaps it was because of the elixir, or perhaps it was because the two of them got along well, but Lu Qingyu had grown increasingly familiar with Chen Qingyang. His words were spoken out of genuine concern.

Chen Qingyang bowed with his hands clasped. "Thank you. I’ll use this tea in place of wine and toast you, Senior Brother."

Lu Qingyu replied, "I can tell you have something on your mind, Junior Brother. But your disposition is quite suitable for Immortal Cultivation."

...

He had drunk too much tea and felt a bit bloated.

Seeing that it was getting late, Chen Qingyang bid him farewell.

Following the plank road down, he reached a high platform and glanced into the distance. The place with the thick incense smoke was the Ancestral Master Temple.

According to Lu Qingyu, this was the burial place of the past Ancestral Masters of Nine True Temple. Before receiving their inheritance, each new Temple Master also had to cultivate in the Ancestral Master Temple for ten years.

Only after their temperament had been tempered could they proceed to the Immortal Sect. Adapting to local conditions, over the many years, the Nine True Temple had formed its own unique rules.

When he got back down the mountain, Liu Tao was meditating in her room. On the way here, Chen Qingyang had given her five Earth Root Biochemical Pills, which she hadn’t had a chance to use on the journey.

Now that they were here, perhaps having witnessed the brutality of the Demon Sect’s methods, she had become more eager to improve her Cultivation. Over the past few days, she had been meditating frequently after taking the elixirs.

She only exhaled a breath of Dense Qi and slowly opened her eyes when Chen Qingyang sat down in the room.

"Where did you go? I didn’t see you all afternoon."

Chen Qingyang said, "Senior Sister, it’s only been one afternoon. You’re always so half-hearted when you meditate. That’s not good for improving your Cultivation."

"Hmph, cut it out!" Liu Tao shot him a look. "Hurry up and tell me, where did you go?"

Chen Qingyang felt that whenever he was with her, he always had the feeling of being watched. He said, "I was just wandering around the Nine True Temple and happened to meet Master Lu. We had a pleasant chat, so we drank tea for a while."

Liu Tao was curious. "What could you two possibly talk about? Ever since those three Xuanwei Masters arrived, even I have rarely seen any sign of him. He must be completely distrusted now. It’s best to avoid him at a time like this."

Chen Qingyang waved his hand. "I’m just a Qi Refining Disciple. What do all these matters have to do with me? Besides, Senior Sister, you have no idea how enjoyable it is to chat and drink tea with Master Lu."

Liu Tao was determined to get to the bottom of it. "What kind of enjoyment?"

At that moment, Chen Qingyang diverted her attention with a single sentence.

"Senior Sister, you should be more concerned about your three-month training mission. It was supposed to be a formality, but now it’s become a situation where Foundation Establishment Masters from both sides are personally deploying forces. Although we’ll have five people following us tomorrow, how do you know the Demon Sect won’t have five people too?"

Sure enough, Liu Tao’s thoughts were diverted. She became melancholic again and no longer cared what kind of enjoyment Chen Qingyang was talking about.

"If it’s really like that, you shouldn’t go tomorrow. I don’t want you to run into danger." After thinking it over, this was what she finally said.

"Senior Sister, between the two of us, whose Cultivation is higher right now?"

Liu Tao looked at him. "Yours is."

"Then that settles it. If I don’t go, what will you do if you run into danger?"

This one question made Liu Tao’s heart grow warm. "You really are a good person. I always used to be the one protecting you, and now it’s your turn to protect me..."

Just as a flood of emotions welled up in her heart, she saw the clueless person across from her say, "Senior Sister, since tomorrow’s trip might not be so smooth, we should take this opportunity to meditate now and get ourselves into peak condition."

What could Liu Tao do? She could only say, "Alright."

Chen Qingyang calmed his heart and concentrated his spirit, quickly sinking his Divine Soul into the Profound Wood Incense Burner in his hand. This was a life-saving item for critical moments; he had to continue its refinement.

’Besides, the material of this Incense Burner is unique. It must have been refined from some kind of Divine Wood. It seems capable of holding an enormous amount of True Essence. If I were to bring it back, could I steal a good amount of Master Water Moon’s Wood Spirit Qi?’

’Getting both an Immortal Seedling and a Magical Treasure—the best of both worlds.’

’Once my Cultivation advances further and I can cultivate my Essence through the Jiang Palace Acupoint, my Divine Soul’s control over Magical Artifacts will also improve. Won’t it be able to unleash even greater power then?’

’Excellent, excellent! Truly excellent!’

...

A thread of gold seeped over the horizon, tearing through the ink-black mountains.

The sea of clouds churned, gilding the peaks in crimson gold.

In an instant, a red sun broke free from its bonds. Myriad golden rays pierced the morning mist, dyeing the rocks, trees, and grass in rosy light as the world abruptly awoke.

The buildings of the Nine True Temple were bathed in the golden sea of clouds. Chen Qingyang and Liu Tao were using the Wind Control Skill, following the patrol route.

Before long, they were a hundred li away.

Chen Qingyang was constantly scouting their surroundings with his Conscious Fish. A few dozen li away, he discovered the tracks of two people. He couldn’t discern their specific Cultivation, which meant they were above the Essence Condensation Second Realm.

After walking a bit further, he discovered another three people. Their surrounding Qi Mechanisms seemed even stronger, and they were hiding in a nearby forest.

’So there really are five senior brothers and sisters following us. The Foundation Establishment Master’s plan is quite thorough.’

However, as they continued along the path and performed Sacrificial Refinement on three successive arrays, they still saw no one from the Demon Sect.

"Junior Brother, I did a divination reading yesterday. It said today would be safe and sound, and sure enough, we haven’t run into any trouble."

Unlike the cheerful Liu Tao, Chen Qingyang was preoccupied. ’He was wondering if he should find something for his senior brothers and sisters to do. It’s not like they had anything better to do.’