Chapter 242 - 239: Wonder

The old man before him wore a moon-white Daoist Robe. He had long, graying hair, a gaunt face, and a sharp glint in his eyes.

This was Li Zheng.

When Chen Qingyang had seen him a month ago, he was at the Essence Condensation Third Realm, and the gulf between them was as wide as heaven and earth. Today, their levels of cultivation were nearly equal. The change had been that fast.

"Junior Brother Chen, you were gone for over a month just to deliver a letter to Nine True Mountain. I was getting quite worried. I had someone ask around, and that's how I found out Master Qing He had sent you to the Demon Sect with another letter. Then I heard you wanted to stay and gain some experience there. It's good to see you've finally returned."

'The fact that he knew all this proved he had really looked into it.'

Chen Qingyang had given him elixirs last time, which was why he had such a good impression of him.

"I appreciate your concern, Senior Brother. I only lingered on the outskirts of the Demon Sect; I didn't dare venture deep inside."

This particular house stood halfway up the mountain where Ci Yun Temple was located. Ding Xiulong had been the one to bring him here.

Now, with the door closed, only Chen Qingyang and Li Zheng remained inside.

Li Zheng said, "The Demon Sect has always been cruel and ruthless. I can't imagine there's anything worth seeing in the Demon Sect Territory, other than the ghosts of those they've murdered. The sooner you returned, Junior Brother, the sooner we could all breathe a sigh of relief."

Chen Qingyang simply said, "You're absolutely right, Senior Brother. But where are the other disciples who came from the Demon Sect?"

'Back in Heyang City, a group of disciples had said they were heading to the Yong Kingdom. Now, even Ding Xiulong knew nothing of their whereabouts. Could they have been sent somewhere else?'

"SIGH!" Li Zheng sighed and then shook his head. "Junior Brother, there are some things it's better not to get involved in. You should just take the Immortal Grass, go back, and complete your mission. The situation here is extremely complex. If you stay and the Masters press you into service, you'll be in deep trouble."

'He was saying this out of kindness. Chen Qingyang was only a disciple at the Essence Condensation Realm; he wouldn't be much help anyway.'

"I don't want to go back just yet. I'd like to see what's going on. Please, Senior Brother Li, tell me what has happened here."

Li Zheng shook his head again. "Junior Brother, why are you being so stubborn?"

The man across from him didn't answer. Li Zheng understood his resolve. "Alright, I'll tell you a little of what's going on."

"After we escaped the Demon Sect's grasp, several of the Masters realized that a good number of Demon Sect Disciples had already infiltrated the Yong Kingdom. We don't know their objective, but if they stir up trouble here, it will be a huge blow to the prestige of our Daoist Sect. You must understand, the people of the Yong Kingdom all revere the name Tai Xu. This is tied to our Daoist Sect's very fate, so we cannot afford to lose face here."

"You should also know, Junior Brother, that even though the Circulation of Stars Demon Suppression Array is active, it's very difficult for us to track the Demon Sect Disciples if they don't make a move. That's why we had no choice but to gather everyone here as a precaution. Do you understand now, Junior Brother?"

'That reason seemed a bit flimsy to Chen Qingyang. Perhaps the Foundation Establishment Masters had truly detected something specific.' "If you're saying the Demon Sect has come to the Yong Kingdom to wreak havoc, you must have some idea of where they'll strike, right? You must have reached some conclusion."

At this, his senior brother forced a helpless smile. "Who could possibly know for sure? I only know the Demon Sect has been plotting something here for a long time and has likely hidden an array somewhere. Beyond that, only Xuanwei Master would have any real answers."

'An array?'

'So that was the key.' "Senior Brother, do you know what kind of array it is?"

Li Zheng shook his head quickly, clearly unwilling to elaborate. "It's just a suspicion for now. Nobody knows where the array might be."

"So, the Masters decided on a strategy: since the Demon Sect is hiding in the shadows, we'll hide in the shadows as well and wait for an opportunity to strike. That's why you've only seen a few of us around, Junior Brother. It's perfectly normal!"

'Chen Qingyang sensed this was as much as Li Zheng was willing to tell him. Now that the conversation had reached this point, he knew he shouldn't press any further. It would be better to stay and observe the situation for himself.'

He bowed. "Thank you for the explanation, Senior Brother Li. I'll be staying at Ci Yun Temple for at least the next seven days. If there is anything you need me to do, please feel free to ask."

Seeing that he was determined to stay, Li Zheng could only say, "Try not to go out too much. If you notice anything suspicious, report to me immediately."

Chen Qingyang bowed his thanks again. "Thank you, Senior Brother Li."

...

'Since he was here, he might as well settle in.'

On Ding Xiulong's orders, a residence was arranged for Chen Qingyang on the mountainside. Ding Xiulong also instructed all the Children at the temple that they were to obey any of Chen Qingyang's requests.

The night grew deep.

Looking out from his window, he could see that Ci Yun Temple was aglow with lamps and alive with the scent of burning incense. The sound of many Little Daoist Children chanting scriptures and the melodious ringing of bells drifted all the way to the Imperial Palace.

Further on, the Imperial Palace was adorned with lanterns and streamers, as if in preparation for a celebration. Lines of Jinwu Guards patrolled with torches in hand, resembling long, fiery dragons.

And farther still, beyond the Imperial Palace and the Daoist Temple, the streets were filled with common folk, a picture of peace and prosperity.

'Celestial Pig Concealing Trigram. A one-in-ten chance of survival.'

'If that divination came true, wouldn't all these living, breathing people be destroyed in an instant?'

'Their lives were truly like those of ants, pitied by no one. They were like small boats adrift on a stormy sea, with no guarantee of ever reaching the other shore.'

'And what about the array Li Zheng had mentioned? What kind of array was it? Where would it be located? What were "Array Profound" and "Array Building"? Surely an array couldn't just appear out of thin air.'

After a moment of fruitless thought, Chen Qingyang sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.

The Spiritual Qi here was extremely thin, so he had no choice but to take out a Top Grade Spirit Stone to aid his cultivation.

He circulated his Qi Mechanism through his meridians, the two seas, and the five apertures. With each circulation, it grew stronger.

The Qi Vortexes in his five apertures were nearing Perfection, waiting only for his command to break through to the Dongming realm. Soon, his cultivation entered an ideal state, and he lost all awareness of the outside world.