Chapter 192 - 191: Tian Kui

Chapter 192: Chapter 191: Tian Kui

The more Chen Qingyang saw, the more connections his mind would make. His thoughts suddenly leaped far away.

He had long heard that Earth Deities were hidden in the famous mountains and great rivers of the world, not just within the single mountain of the Tai Xu Sect. Seeing the True Monarch’s methods today, it seemed as if this Array was drawing the Earth Deities from all those famous mountains and great rivers.

He then recalled the Array that had absorbed the Spiritual Qi from half of Cyan Nether State, making it seem as if the entire domain under the Tai Xu Sect’s rule was an ironclad, integrated whole.

"Earth Deities and myriad spirits, all return to my Artifact."

"A single incantation to summon and capture, forever sealing the Profound Pivot."

Qing Yao True Monarch stood suspended in the air, chanting resonantly. He brought his hands together in a circle, then pulled them apart to the left and right. A Jade Disc materialized, hovering before him.

It was the size of a platter, its entire body glowing white. It was as transparent as jade and as dazzling as the sun. Chen Qingyang once again felt a shift in the Qi Mechanism; the entire world now seemed to revolve around that Jade Disc.

Looking up again, he could see faint, wispy threads of cyan-gray Earth Deity flowing downward.

The disciples either closed their eyes to feel with their hearts or kept them wide open, not wanting to miss a single detail. All of them took the True Monarch’s earlier instructions to heart, earnestly trying to comprehend his Daoist Technique.

The enthusiastic Ji Rang at his side, fearing Chen Qingyang might not understand, explained to him, "This is called the Demon-Catching Mysterious Disc. It’s an extremely powerful technique of a Mountain and River Daoist Lord, wielded by the Peak Master of each peak in our Tai Xu Sect. It can be used to store and absorb Earth Deity."

His tone then took on a hint of pride. "As you know, our Cyan Bamboo Peak Master is a Golden Core True Monarch, so this Array is also commanded by a Golden Core True Monarch. In addition, our peak governs many mountains and lands, so the amount of Earth Deity we gather at each Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference is immense."

"Junior Brother, from now on, whether it’s a Master or a True Monarch, everyone will be focusing on this Array. You must also try to comprehend it carefully. How much you can gain depends entirely on your aptitude for enlightenment!"

After this explanation, Ji Rang indeed fell silent, his gaze fixed on the sky.

At this moment, Qing Yao True Monarch was completely hidden within a halo of light in mid-air. Looking ahead, Chen Qingyang saw that Master Jing Yuan was also meditating with his eyes closed. ’With so many people here,’ he thought, ’one extra Conscious Fish probably won’t attract any attention.’

The next moment, it shot up from his body toward the sky. He first had the Conscious Fish swim around the area, then slowly approached the center.

The closer he got to the Earth Deity, the clearer his perception became. It was an indescribable and inexplicable feeling. Perhaps due to his limited Cultivation, or perhaps due to the limitations of the Conscious Fish, this was all he could sense.

A moment later, Chen Qingyang tried to get closer, but he saw the halo of light surrounding the Golden Core True Monarch tremble slightly. He immediately shot back a hundred miles. When he looked again, the halo had returned to normal.

’It’s clear that my small movement alerted the Golden Core True Monarch. It seems my plan to use the Conscious Fish to get close to the Earth Deity won’t work.’

Resigned, he had no choice but to retract the Conscious Fish and, like everyone else, quietly try to comprehend with his heart.

Fortunately, without the Conscious Fish, he was able to perceive finer, slower, and more subtle things. He began to feel the shifts in the Qi Mechanism the True Monarch had spoken of, gradually entering a state of Enlightenment!

The entire Secret Realm was an Array Artifact. Earth Deity was drawn in from all directions, arriving slowly before flowing into the Demon-Catching Mysterious Disc. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Below, numerous disciples and Masters were in a state of Enlightenment. This gathering of the Immortal Family continued for a very long time.

Chen Qingyang also sank into this state, losing all track of time. He felt his understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth had ascended to a new level.

Suddenly, it was as if everything had been snatched away. The feeling of Enlightenment came to an abrupt halt.

When he looked up again, the opening in the sky had closed, and the Earth Energy had subsided. Only a cyan-gray aura lingered around the hands of the airborne True Monarch, and he could still faintly see the gleam of the Jade Disc.

The disciples standing on the steps all came back to their senses, looking around at each other to share what they had just gained.

This time, Ji Rang had been tasked by their First Senior Brother to guide Chen Qingyang through the process, so he asked him, "Junior Brother, how did it feel?"

Chen Qingyang replied, "Confusing. It was like seeing through a thin fog. It’s a shame it didn’t last longer."

Ji Rang said, "All Daos in this world are confusing at first. It’s like how you climbed this mountain today; tomorrow, there will be another."

"As for the short duration, there’s no need to feel regret, Junior Brother. Once you’ve been in the Inner Sect for a few hundred years like me and have come here many times, you’ll feel there’s plenty of time. There will be more opportunities in the future!"

But Chen Qingyang didn’t feel like he had an abundance of time. He always felt he had endless things to do. After all these busy years, he still hadn’t reached the level Li Qianxue had back in her day.

Of course, there was another reason: he had never felt a bottleneck in his Cultivation, and he never had to wait to get things done.

"Senior Brother Ji is absolutely right!"

Perhaps because Ji Rang had heard this phrase from him too many times, he chuckled and said, "I’m telling you... can’t you say something else next time? People will think you’re just flattering me."

Chen Qingyang remained deadpan. "Alright. What Senior Brother Ji says is right."

Stifled for a moment, Ji Rang couldn’t think of a reply. Instead, Qing Yao True Monarch, from his high position, began to speak eloquently.

"...This world is vast and nurtures all living things. Whenever I witness this, this old man can’t help but feel emotional. Having lived for nine thousand years, I deeply feel the benevolence of Heaven and Earth..."

Chen Qingyang had never expected him to start with such words. Although the True Monarch’s expression was stiff, the sincerity of his emotions was clear in his voice.

"...All things in existence are inseparable from the Yin Yang Dao, inseparable from the principle of balance. The Earth Deity today is far less than it was in the past. We are short one hundred and twenty strands compared to just last year..."

As he said this, he raised a hand.

A cyan-gray light ignited like a flame, a single cluster about a foot high.

This was exactly one strand of Earth Deity, as the True Monarch had described.

"I will not elaborate on this. I only want you all to understand that preserving the Sect’s legacy is paramount. If necessary, this old man is also willing to make a sacrifice..."

Perhaps because he had never spoken in such a bleak tone before, Chen Qingyang heard murmurs break out all around him. The faces of the several Masters he could see had also turned extremely grim.

Just as he was about to quietly ask his Fourth Senior Brother beside him, he heard the True Monarch continue, "In our Tai Xu Sect, fewer than one in ten can carry on the legacy. Therefore, this old man has made a private decision. Today, only one hundred Masters will be able to obtain Earth Deity..."

Chen Qingyang finally understood why the Masters’ expressions had changed. There were over three hundred and sixty Masters. Previously, sixty had been eliminated in a single go, but now the rule was even harsher: only one hundred Masters could obtain Earth Deity. It was highly likely that the rest would make no progress in the short term.

At this moment, the True Monarch wasn’t finished. "The next Elemental Separation Conference will be held sooner, in three years’ time. Again, only one hundred Masters will be able to obtain Earth Deity. It will be the same every time from now on..."

After speaking, Qing Yao True Monarch scanned the crowd again. "Without extraordinary measures, we cannot produce extraordinary people. How else can our Sect’s Daoist lineage be passed down?"

Only then were his words truly finished.

Chen Qingyang guessed that although some of the Masters must be resentful, they wouldn’t dare to voice their anger. With this decision, all the Masters of Cyan Bamboo Peak would treat the next three years as a deadline, making the competition for Earth Deity even more intense.

’If even Cyan Bamboo Peak has reached this state, one can only imagine how desperately the other peaks are lacking Earth Deity. If the Yu Xiao Demon Sect were in this position, they would be desperately trying to annex the Tai Xu Sect, combining the power of an entire state to elevate their own Demon Sect to a new level.’

As Qing Yao True Monarch enacted his technique, numerous cyan-gray flames flew out from the Jade Disc. Chen Qingyang watched them scatter in all directions. The Foundation Establishment Masters who received one would bow with clasped hands and use the Universe in the Sleeve technique to store the Earth Deity.

Chen Qingyang couldn’t tell if exactly one hundred Masters received the flames, but from what he could see, Master Jing Yuan clearly received more than others. No wonder he had been able to specially grant Earth Deity to help his First Senior Brother achieve a breakthrough in his Cultivation.

From his Fourth Senior Brother’s words, it wasn’t hard to deduce that ever since Li Qianxue was gone from the Sect, figures like Master Jing Yuan were considered prime candidates groomed by the Sect to become Golden Core Cultivators.

This was the investiture of the third Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference, and with that, it was officially concluded.

On the steps, some Masters were already leading their disciples away in small groups. The First Senior Brother, however, remained by Master Jing Yuan’s side, listening to his instructions.

Just then, Chen Qingyang’s heart suddenly palpitated, and even his eyelid twitched.

It must be known that he had long abstained from mortal grains, making such an abnormal physical reaction rare. Moreover, since he cultivated the Ziwei Scripture and held the Power of the Stars within him, any subtle change could be an omen.

He raised his head and looked up at the sky.

Even within this pocket dimension, he could see the stars shining. In the northern part of the Circulation of Stars Map, a purple light was flashing.

It flashed three times bright and four times dim in a distinctive pattern, surrounded by many other constellations like a moon encircled by stars.

’This was recorded in the Tai Xu Star Pivot Ziwei Scripture. The star is called Tian Kui, and it is a sign of great fortune. For it to appear so suddenly without any warning, right as things are ending... could it be that some good fortune is about to fall upon me?’

Just as he was thinking this, he saw his First Senior Brother, Shen Chongzhou, walk over to the group of disciples. "Master has given an order. All junior brothers and sisters, follow me back. This year’s Elemental Separation Conference is now over. If anyone reaches Half-Step Foundation Establishment, they may receive a wisp of Earth Deity to aid their breakthrough."

As soon as he said this, the Second, Third, and even the Fourth Senior Brothers all looked eager. They were truly just half a step away from Half-Step Foundation Establishment.

Chen Qingyang guessed that the Master could afford to be so generous because Qing Yao True Monarch had changed the strategy this year. The end of equal distribution meant that Master Jing Yuan had received a great deal of Earth Deity.

"Junior Brother Chen, you stay behind for a moment."

Chen Qingyang was puzzled. "First Senior Brother, what’s happening?"

Shen Chongzhou said, "Master’s orders. He said you possess the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, so it would be most suitable for you to take a trip to the Five Elements Cave Mansion."

He was stunned for a moment. ’How could this opportunity fall to me? Didn’t they say First Senior Brother was in urgent need?’

Chen Qingyang was a cautious person. Not wanting to offend his First Senior Brother over this, he secretly observed his reaction.

But the First Senior Brother said, "Don’t overthink it. I’m not in need of this either. Just follow the Master’s arrangements."

’So that’s what the Tian Kui star was referring to!’