Chapter 206 - 205: Creation

Chen Qingyang stopped and paused for a moment. "Are you saying... that now, precisely forty-nine years later, the Demon Sect has come looking for that girl?"

Ding Xiulong nodded. "That's exactly what I mean."

'No wonder Xuanwei Master scoffed at the idea.' Even Chen Qingyang found it hard to believe. "From what I know, the Demon Sect's methods are direct. They're rarely bound by worldly morals. If they want a disciple, they would just snatch them. Why go through all this trouble?"

"Alas!" Ding Xiulong sighed in resignation. "Senior Brother Zhang said the same thing, but that doesn't explain the identity of the Profound Robe Daoist."

Chen Qingyang gave a faint smile and, after a moment's thought, said, "Let it go. There's no need for us to complicate a simple matter. This isn't necessarily connected to finding the Demon Sect Disciple. I came here to kill and to retrieve the Yin Grass. I only need to complete those two steps."

It was then that Ding Xiulong revealed his stubbornness. "But what if... what if they really do have other motives? What if they plan to kill everyone in this city? What then? Hundreds of thousands of living souls, and I've watched so many of them live and die on this land..."

His tone was sorrowful, yet tinged with agitation.

Chen Qingyang was taken aback once more. He hadn't expected the old Daoist to harbor such a grand conviction.

He had no choice but to tell him, "Tai Xu is a Daoist Sect, after all. We believe in the Unity of Heaven and Man and value compassion. Besides, with Xuanwei Master overseeing things here, if something like that were to truly happen, I'm sure the Tai Xu Sect, from top to bottom, would not sit idly by."

"No, no, no..." Ding Xiulong shook his head frantically, so much that the Celestial Master Crown on his head wobbled. "You can't see it that way. I've said it before: you see the world from the top down, while I see it from the bottom up. Those whose eyes are set high up rarely notice the lives and deaths of the ants at their feet, but those are lives all the same!"

"I've told Senior Brother Zhang about this too, but he thinks I'm worrying for nothing, that something like this could never happen under the Tai Xu Sect's watch. But I've long heard of the Demon Sect's methods. To them, human lives are nothing but flesh and blood for Alchemy!"

Chen Qingyang was cold, but not heartless. Though somewhat annoyed, he couldn't help but see Ding Xiulong in a new, higher light.

'Everything he said was right. The powerful have their eyes fixed on high, and their compassion may not always reach the ground.' "If it really comes to that, there's nothing I can do. The most urgent task now is to find that Demon Sect Disciple. Let me take his life first and nip this trouble in the bud."

Hearing this, Ding Xiulong finally closed his mouth. A moment later, he pointed ahead. "Senior Brother Chen, the Spirit Field is just up ahead."

The two continued forward along a deep and winding path. Chen Qingyang could already feel the overwhelming Yin Qi in the surroundings. A chilling sensation washed over him, and the Yin Fiend Qi at his Earth Root Acupoint seemed to dance with joy.

His Conscious Fish was already far ahead, circling over the Spirit Field. Celestial Master Zhang had fought the man from the Demon Sect here yesterday; there were bound to be some clues left behind.

The area was not vast, at most fifty zhang square. It seemed to have once been a riverbed, as the ground was covered in a layer of fine sand. This sand was piled high to form four square plots.

Above them were stalactites, white as jade, from which water dripped endlessly. Countless holes dotted the ceiling, leading to who knows where.

In a corner lay a meditation cushion, a long table, and other items, likely left by the person who once cultivated the Immortal Grass here. Such an important thing would naturally not have been left unguarded.

A true work of nature's genius, this place was indeed the perfect location for cultivating the Yin Grass!

By now, Chen Qingyang was standing with Ding Xiulong at the edge of the Spirit Field. Ding Xiulong pointed upward and explained, "Senior Brother Chen, look. That hole above us is quite strange. Sunlight can't get in, but every Full Moon, Taiyin Essence flows down to nourish these four stalks of Immortal Grass. For hundreds of years, there has never been a single problem!"

Chen Qingyang took a few steps forward to inspect more closely. In the four square plots of sand, he saw four deep pits. He reached down and sifted through the sand. Besides an extremely potent Yin Qi, he didn't find even a single root fiber of the Immortal Grass.

"Your theory is flawed."

Ding Xiulong looked completely baffled. "What do you mean, Senior Brother Chen?"

"You said the Demon Sect Disciple took the Immortal Grass just to draw our attention. But from what I can see, the way the Immortal Grass was taken was extremely meticulous. Not even a single root was damaged. It's certain that they came specifically for the Immortal Grass."

As if refusing to believe it, Ding Xiulong dug through the sandy pit with both hands for a while. "How can this be?"

Chen Qingyang said, "Perhaps your theory was wrong from the start. You should go back now. Leave the Demon Sect Disciple to me... Also, recall all the disciples the Sect sent out. There's no need for more people to die for nothing."

"But... can you handle it alone, Senior Brother Chen?"

Chen Qingyang replied coolly, "Your presence here will only get in my way."

With things said so bluntly, Ding Xiulong could only clasp his hands in a bow and take his leave, leaving Chen Qingyang alone.

'It seems nothing in this world is ever smooth sailing. There are always twists and turns, in keeping with the principle of things spiraling upward toward progress.'

The Spirit Field was right before him, but the Immortal Grass was gone. He had just scouted the area with his Conscious Fish but hadn't detected any trace of the Demon Sect Disciple.

He then focused, carefully sensing for any Qi Mechanism. His Divine Sense was inherently stronger and his perception far more detailed, allowing him to perceive what others couldn't. His opponent had made their move here just last night. Not much time had passed. As expected, he captured a faint, unusual Qi Mechanism.

He carefully identified the direction and pursued the denser concentration of the Qi Mechanism, continuing to scout ahead with his Conscious Fish. The aura seemed to linger within the Myriad Cave, refusing to dissipate. 'Could it be that the Demon Sect Disciple never left and is hiding here?'

At this thought, Chen Qingyang grew even more cautious. He stood perfectly still, letting his Conscious Fish weave through the cave. After an unknown amount of time, in a narrow cavern, he discovered a figure standing as still as a mountain. A faint Profound Light emanated from his body as he held a handful of Spirit Stones, using their power for his breathing exercises.

The person's Qi Mechanism was faint and primarily composed of Yin Fiend Qi, allowing him to blend almost perfectly with the surroundings. Had Chen Qingyang not come himself, anyone else would have had a hard time finding him.

Chen Qingyang tapped his foot lightly on the ground, his body drifting slowly closer. He concealed his own Qi Mechanism, becoming like a lifeless object, and soon approached within a hundred zhang of his target.

He stood poised, the two-foot-long Five Elements Sword already in his hand. The radiant glow on the blade was condensed to its utmost limit, all of its power concealed, waiting only to erupt.

He had never truly unleashed this sword since it was forged. With a mere thought, Sword Qi sliced gently through the air, like a fish gliding through water.

The one meditating in the cave was an old man with a full head of graying hair, dressed in a brown long robe. His face was long and narrow, with a somewhat gloomy air about him. By the time he suddenly sensed the surge of killing intent, it was already too late to dodge. The radiant glow on the sword body exploded outward, aiming straight for his Mud Ball Palace.

In his desperation, the old man could only hastily throw out an object to block the attack.

With a light "CLINK," a shockwave spread out in all directions. Stalactites on the ceiling shattered and fell, and the entire cave shook violently.

The power of this one sword strike was immense. Even though it was blocked, the old man was still sent flying back three zhang, his back slamming hard against the cave wall.

Fortunately, his life was saved, for now.

But just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his mind, and a fire suddenly erupted from within his body, sweeping through his Dantian and Meridians.

It was truly one disaster after another. At this moment, the old man had no strength left to resist. He could only forcibly expel all his internal energy, and the clothes on his body instantly exploded into pieces.

He clutched his chest, gasping for breath. Before he even lifted his head, he saw bursts of radiant light before his eyes. Looking up, he saw a man in Vermilion and Purple Attire standing before him. The Sword Qi around the man was as sharp as the radiant light itself, and his calm gaze was fixed upon him.

"Speak. Where is the Yin Grass?" His voice was not loud, but it carried an immense authority.

The old man's eyes widened, and he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He could already sense his opponent's Qi Mechanism. On a normal day, he might have been confident enough to fight, but now, heavily injured, continuing the battle would almost certainly mean his death.

"Pah! To think a Daoist Sect would have someone who uses such insidious methods. To dare launch a sneak attack that even I couldn't detect. Just how did you find me?" Judging by his expression, he was extremely confident in his concealment techniques.

Chen Qingyang sneered. "Death is at your doorstep, and you're still spouting such nonsense."

His gaze swept over the old man and the surrounding area, but he found no trace of the Yin Grass. 'It must have been hidden away.'

"Then kill me. I won't talk." The old man was bare-chested, revealing a body of lean muscle. His tone was fierce, showing no fear in the face of death.

But Chen Qingyang didn't believe he was truly unafraid of death. 'He just thinks that because I need the Yin Grass, he has me under his thumb.'

He extended a hand, and the Five Elements Sword appeared once more. Though the Qianxue Sword was on his back, he never drew it.

This time, the radiant glow on the sword was even more intense than before. The old man finally understood that if this sword fell, he would surely die. He immediately cried out, "Wait!"

But Chen Qingyang gave him no chance. The Qi Mechanism on the sword intensified another notch. "You wish for death, so I will grant it."

The old man could no longer hold it together, and a look of panic finally appeared on his face. "You... Don't you want to know where the Yin Grass is?"

Hearing this, Chen Qingyang finally lowered his sword slowly. "I'll give you one chance. If you can't explain clearly, you die."

This Demon Sect elder was a ruthless character himself. Seeing Chen Qingyang's reaction, he suddenly threw his head back and laughed. "Haha... Good, good, good! How do I know you'll actually let me go after I tell you? So, we need to negotiate. Otherwise, even if you kill me, you won't get the Yin Grass."

The radiant glow flared up again, illuminating Chen Qingyang's handsome face. His expression grew even calmer. "Wasting my time again!"

Seeing his opponent give him no quarter, the old man was horrified. "You don't want to know—"

Unfortunately, he only got half the words out.

The power of a single sword strike had utterly pulverized the old man.

Killing was never a duel; there was no need to determine a winner or loser.

The goal was pure; achieving the result was all that mattered. Chen Qingyang saw no reason to waste his energy in a prolonged struggle, so there was nothing improper about a sneak attack.