Chapter 166 - 165: Jing Hong

Chapter 166: Chapter 165: Jing Hong

Chen Qingyang was all too familiar with this figure. It was none other than Master Yun Ci, the Peak Master of Four Golden Peaks.

Her demeanor was as cold as ice, her face devoid of all expression as she charged straight for the man surnamed Yu.

Once she was in front of him, she reached behind her back. The White Jade Sword flew from its sheath, and she caught it in a single motion, slashing down.

In an instant, Master Yun Ci’s entire being became as pristine as crystal. A phantom of Sword Qi, hundreds of yards long, materialized in the heavens. The world trembled, and even the wind itself seemed to hold its breath.

The man surnamed Yu was horrified. He hastily tried to block with his Necromancy Divine Power, but the Sword Momentum was unstoppable. It cleaved straight down, and his physical body instantly exploded.

Only a cluster of Divine Soul remained, which sped off into the distance. It left behind a number of Magical Treasures, not daring to even glance back.

This was the first time Chen Qingyang had seen Master Yun Ci display such overwhelming might.

Instead of giving chase, she turned toward another opponent. She brandished the White Jade Sword once more, but this time, her aura was even more immense. Everyone within a thousand-yard radius could feel the bone-piercing chill that soared into the sky.

The four Demon Sect Masters dared not hesitate. They activated an Array, combining their strength to block the attack. The sword descended, shaking the very earth and drawing every gaze.

Energy erupted in an instant. The Master retreated a dozen yards, while all four from the Demon Sect were gravely wounded. Even their refined Lifebound Magical Treasures had been of little use.

The three exchanged a look and were about to flee when the light of the Sun, Moon, and Stars enveloped them once more, cutting off their escape.

The Master, White Jade Sword in hand, plunged into their midst. Wisps of white mist drifted as chilling energy radiated in all directions, threatening to freeze everything for miles around. When the melee concluded, only a single Divine Soul shot into the sky and fled.

She had dealt with the four of them in a near instant.

How could the remaining Demon Sect Disciples possibly escape? The Master formed an orchid mudra with her left hand before her chest and held her sword behind her back with her right. Standing poised in mid-air, she let out a long breath.

Behind her, the Half-Step Foundation Establishment Disciples of the Tai Xu Sect advanced, and the light of the Sun, Moon, and Stars swept over the area. In moments, all the Demon Sect Disciples were dead.

Watching so many Immortal Seedlings perish before his eyes, Chen Qingyang didn’t dare make a single rash move. He even recalled his Conscious Fish.

’This is absolutely terrifying!’

The Master’s Phoenix Eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze seemed to drift in their direction. She saw her disciple, Liu Tao, and Chen Qingyang beside her.

Then, she strode through the air to Zhu Qi’s side. What she said or did, Chen Qingyang had no way of knowing.

But he could imagine how the Masters of the Tai Xu Sect had laid this trap.

Since there was a traitor, they simply played along, turning the enemy’s scheme against them. The Demon Sect’s intelligence said that the Tai Xu Sect had sent only four Masters.

So they set a trap, hoping to eradicate this force from the Tai Xu Sect completely. The plan might have succeeded, but it was foiled by this countermove.

No wonder the affair with the traitor started with a lot of noise but then went completely silent. When it came to scheming, the Demon Sect was still no match for the Tai Xu Sect.

’I’m really curious,’ Chen Qingyang thought, ’where in the world did the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo end up?’

’Maybe I should ask my master when I get back. According to Master Lu, my master should have personally witnessed how the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo was lost.’

"It was Master who saved everyone!" Liu Tao’s voice was filled with reverence and a touch of pride, especially after the Master had glanced their way.

"The name ’Ice Skin Jade Bone Technique’ sounds so plain. Is it really that powerful?" Chen Qingyang asked curiously.

"It’s hard to say for anyone else, but that’s Master we’re talking about."

Chen Qingyang understood. After everything that had happened, Liu Tao had come to completely idolize her master.

The Demon Sect Disciples left behind many corpses and Magical Artifacts. The Sect collected everything; the bodies were cremated.

As the Disciple with the lowest Cultivation in the Essence Condensation Realm, Liu Tao was naturally tasked with these chores. She was busy for quite some time, and by the time she returned, night had fallen.

While she was busy, Chen Qingyang grew bored and wandered about, hoping to scavenge something of value, but he came up empty-handed.

「Nine True Temple, inside the small house.」

"By my count, in today’s battle, three Demon Sect Masters were utterly destroyed, body and soul. As for the two whose Divine Souls escaped, I fear they’re crippled for life," Liu Tao said to Chen Qingyang. "Over six hundred Disciples were also killed, and the Master captured some of their souls to reinforce the Bridge of Longevity. The mountain patrols should be peaceful for at least the next month."

Chen Qingyang replied, "Forget one month. I doubt the Demon Sect will be able to avenge this loss even in the next ten years, unless they abandon all restraint and launch a full-scale invasion."

Liu Tao asked, "And do you think the Demon Sect will do that?"

Chen Qingyang shook his head decisively. "Of course not. The ones in charge of the Demon Sect are surely Golden Core True Monarchs. To them, the death of a Foundation Establishment Master is an acceptable loss. If they were to truly provoke an all-out war, the True Monarchs themselves would have to take the field. And once they do, they too face the threat of death."

Worldly affairs are a chain of cause and effect. The incident with Li Qianxue three years ago has repercussions today, and even that incident had its own preceding causes.

Liu Tao said, "Well, I don’t need that long. I just need one peaceful month to get me out of here."

"That shouldn’t be a problem."

Once Liu Tao began to meditate and had settled into a deep state, Chen Qingyang said, "Senior Sister Liu, I’m going into the city for a bit!"

As expected, Liu Tao didn’t respond. After leaving the Nine True Temple, Chen Qingyang didn’t head for the city. Instead, he found the same hillside as before and sat down beneath the old pine tree.

[Chen Qingyang]

[Essence Condensation Third Realm]

[Great Soul Scripture: (6854/10000)]

[Tai Xu Star Pivot Purple Micro True Skill (Starlight Body): (23/6000)]

[Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual: (2/24000)]

[Tier Five Nameless Elixir: (1/10000)]

[Nine Luminaries Array: (1/1000)]

[Tier Four Earth Root Rejuvenation Pill: (468/1000)]

[Tier Four Spirit Yang Breaking Yuan Pill: (142/1000)]

[Available Immortal Seedlings: 7378]

The small golden characters floated before him. He had collected so many Immortal Seedlings today; he could use them to break through to the next realm in one fell swoop.

’But I’m afraid I won’t get another opportunity like this again.’

Chen Qingyang allocated the Immortal Seedlings to the Great Soul Scripture. The sensation of his Divine Soul breaking through washed over him once more. The Conscious Fish swam through his Spiritual Sea, absorbing all the surrounding Qi Mechanism.

Just as he had done before, Chen Qingyang activated the Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique, infusing the Conscious Fish with Li Yang Earth Fire from his Dragon Pearl.

Flames billowed from the Golden Carp’s body. Its two long whiskers were especially vivid, looking more and more like Dragon Beards.

Ever since he started practicing the Great Soul Scripture, every stage had brought a new transformation—from the subtle initial changes to the eventual appearance of the Conscious Fish. This time, the change was significant as well. A mysterious sensation lingered in Chen Qingyang’s mind.

He saw all of creation, and he perceived that everything in the world possessed its own vitality—the grass and trees, the mountain stones, the clouds, the gentle breeze... nothing was an exception.

The Conscious Fish floated out of his Spiritual Sea. Under his control, it could press against the grass and trees and become their vitality; it could rest upon the mountain stones and become their vitality; it could hide within the clouds and become their vitality...

This Unity of Heaven and Man was so seamless it was undetectable. He could even leave the fish in a specific location, where it would merge with its surroundings. If he then paid it no mind, it would simply remain there, quietly and indefinitely.

Everything it saw, heard, and sensed would be transmitted back to Chen Qingyang’s mind.

’That’s right,’ he recalled. ’It was written clearly in Great Soul Scripture Volume One: if this technique is cultivated to its apex, one can split their Divine Soul. That’s why I chose to practice it in the first place—the thought of gaining an extra life.’

In other words, the Conscious Fish was gradually becoming a complete individual. It contained a formidable power of its own, and the meridian-like patterns on its body even suggested it would be able to cultivate independently in the future.

[Great Soul Scripture: 1/999999]

Just as he had expected, this was the limit of the second volume. To continue cultivating, he would either have to gain his own insights or find the third volume.

’Oh well. I’ll just leave it at that for now. I can worry about this again once my Cultivation has advanced further.’

「Jiuzhen City.」

The weather had turned cold, and the nights were nowhere near as lively as when he had first arrived. Chen Qingyang took one stroll around the city before growing bored. When he returned to their room, Liu Tao was still meditating.

Tonight, Chen Qingyang didn’t force himself to cultivate. Instead, he simply lay down on the bed.

His mind wandered over recent events, and he soon grew drowsy.

When he next awoke, it was to the sound of chattering magpies in the courtyard. It had been a long time since he’d slept so well, and he felt wonderfully content.

He had just collected his thoughts when a voice called from outside. "Liu Tao!"

The voice was cold, detached, and very familiar. It was Master Yun Ci.

Having seen her glance at Liu Tao the day before, Chen Qingyang had been wary of her arrival. It was why he hadn’t meditated. He had even secretly resolved not to cultivate at the Nine True Temple until all the Masters had left.

Liu Tao recognized her master’s voice. Seeing that Chen Qingyang was also there, she scrambled to tidy herself up, opened the door, and bowed. "Disciple greets Master!"

"Mm." The Master gave a slight nod, her gaze sweeping past Liu Tao to glance inside.

With her level of Cultivation, she had of course known Chen Qingyang was there all along. Her glance was merely a signal meant for him.

Chen Qingyang also went over and bowed. "Cyan Bamboo Peak Disciple greets Master Yun Ci!"

She nodded slightly again, then turned to Liu Tao. "When you left, I placed a trace of my qi on you. I’m glad to see you’re unharmed. I will retrieve it now."

She waved her hand lightly. Something as white as snow flew from Liu Tao and vanished into the Master’s sleeve. Chen Qingyang’s heart skipped a beat. ’Good thing it wasn’t some kind of object,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, things could have gotten complicated.’

Deeply moved, Liu Tao bowed again. "Master, I..."

The Master waved her hand dismissively. "That’s enough. You know I have no patience for such things. I’m returning to the Sect today. There shouldn’t be any more trouble here, so focus on your Cultivation."

Liu Tao was very obedient. "Yes, Master."

Her gaze then fell upon Chen Qingyang. "I don’t object to you becoming his Dao Companion, but do not forget what you owe me. I doubt anyone has ever dared to deceive me twice."

After witnessing that breathtaking sword strike the day before, how could Chen Qingyang possibly dare to deceive her? "Master, I remember it all. Senior Sister Liu and I are not Dao Companions. We’re just close friends."

At this, Liu Tao’s face flushed. "That’s right, Master. We just practice our Cultivation together."

As the Master departed, she once again left them with the sight of her pristine white back, a Treasure Sword that resembled white jade strapped to it.

From start to finish, her expression remained as cold and distant as ever.