Chapter 261: Meeting the Master

Chapter 261 -253: Meeting the Master

Zeng Xiancheng chuckled at his words. “Not bad, not bad at all. It seems Senior Brother Chen is truly the only one on all of Cyan Bamboo Peak I can have a proper conversation with.”

The atmosphere grew lively again. Chen Qingyang still had a question in mind. “I know our master is a peerless genius. He has already stepped into the Realm of a Master Life Light, and his cultivation has only taken a few hundred years. It truly makes us envious.”

“I’m very curious. For an exceptional person like our master, does he ever encounter bottlenecks in his cultivation? If he does, how does he overcome them? Junior Brother, you’re knowledgeable and well-traveled. Please, enlighten me.”

Hearing this, it was hard for the other not to see Chen Qingyang as a genuine seeker of the Dao. He immediately said, “If you asked anyone else this question, they probably couldn’t give you a clear answer. But you’ve asked the right person. You must understand, nothing in this world ever goes smoothly. Since ancient times, geniuses have always faced many tribulations, and that holds true even for our master.”

“It was a few years ago, I think. Master had been at the Half-Step Life Light Realm for nearly three hundred years, but his cultivation hadn’t advanced at all. What’s worse, in his burning anxiety, he fell prey to the three malevolent fires of greed, anger, and ignorance. He nearly lost all his previous progress, with his cultivation almost regressing back to the Foundation Establishment Nine Realms.”

“Of course, these aren’t my words. I overheard them when Qing Yao True Monarch came to visit personally. He said something about how ‘that which is too rigid is easily broken.’ If our master couldn’t overcome this trial, he would never be able to step onto the true Great Dao.”

“After some more time passed, Master became extremely irritable. He stayed in his residence all day, cutting off all contact with the outside world. He canceled all his scripture lectures… Then, he went traveling for two years. When he returned, it was as if he’d made some kind of decision. Though he didn’t speak all day, he was at least much more stable than before.”

“After that, he was dispatched by the Sect to Nine True Mountain. He must have experienced some tribulations there, because after he returned and went into seclusion, his cultivation broke through with ease. So you see… Master vanquished his Heart Demon. This just goes to show how incredible he is. To enter the Life Light realm after only a few hundred years of cultivation is a rare sight in the entire Daoist Sect.”

As he said this, a look of pride spread across Zeng Xiancheng’s face. A powerful master makes for a powerful Child; it had always been that way.

But Chen Qingyang asked, “When did Master go out to Nine True Mountain? How many years ago was that?”

Zeng Xiancheng replied, “Four or five years ago, I think. Time flows differently in the mountains. I don’t remember it clearly.”

Chen Qingyang simply hummed in response.

After some more small talk, he began to withdraw his Conscious Fish while saying to Zeng Xiancheng, “Thank you for your guidance today. But we can’t talk any longer, lest Master return and become angry upon seeing us.”

Zeng Xiancheng seemed to snap back to his senses. “Senior Brother is right. We’ll talk again some other time.”

Chen Qingyang understood his unspoken meaning and responded to the look in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Junior Brother. Rest assured!”

After Zeng Xiancheng left, Chen Qingyang was alone in the guest room, his expression turning grim.

If he had only suspected Master Jing Yuan of colluding with the Demon Sect and leaking the information about Li Qianxue’s group before, then today, he was certain.

The timing of both his travels and his breakthrough matched up perfectly.

He had always believed that since Master Jing Yuan was a man with a strong desire for the Dao, he was the type of person who might do something extreme for the sake of his own Great Dao.

Now, Zeng Xiancheng’s story had all but confirmed it. The timing of the breakthrough and the travels aligned almost perfectly. The matter was practically a certainty.

‘If that’s really the case, then he will definitely try to stop me from waking Li Qianxue. This is going to be a huge problem.’

Perhaps it was because of the memories in his head, or perhaps it was Immortal Fate, but regardless, Chen Qingyang had been making plans for this matter all along.

Now that he even had a prototype of the Heaven Repairing Glaze Pill, completing it would simply be a matter of course as his cultivation gradually improved.

When the Conscious Fish returned, the characteristics of the Nanming Red Emperor Public Skill manifested on his body. He then used a technique from the Great Soul Scripture to readjust his Qi Mechanism, pretending to be in meditation.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Zeng Xiancheng came to report, “Master has returned. He just passed by your door and has summoned you to see him.”

Chen Qingyang was secretly relieved. ‘Good thing I’ve always been cautious.’

His master was in the largest palace hall. Zeng Xiancheng led him to the entrance, after which Chen Qingyang pushed the door open and entered alone.

The hall was vast, lined with separate bookshelves and display racks holding all sorts of furnishings. At the very center of the far end, set against the wall, was a dais with five steps. His master was seated at the top, behind a soft couch.

Chen Qingyang walked all the way to the front. “Disciple greets Master. I have returned from Nine True Mountain and have come specifically to report.”

The Master’s gaze shifted to him. Naturally, he would ask what Chen Qingyang had done on his trip and what had happened.

He repeated the same explanation he had given Ji Rang: that he had been trapped, but also admitted that he had wanted to see things for himself, which was why he was delayed.

“…Within that Nine Dragon Dream Array, I fear even I would have difficulty escaping. You were lucky to have only lingered on the periphery. If you had been inside… Forget it. In the future, you must remember to act within your capabilities. Do not meddle in things that do not concern you!”

Before he had left, his master had instructed him to go and return quickly. It seemed Chen Qingyang had thrown those instructions to the wind.

Chen Qingyang hurriedly said, “Please forgive me, Master. It is true that I delayed my return on this trip and caused you to worry.”

His master, seated on high, nodded lightly. “After you gave the elixir to Temple Master Lu on Nine True Mountain, did he say anything to you?”

Of course, Chen Qingyang said, “He did. It was mostly words of thanks to you, Master. He also asked me to pass on a message: if you are ever passing by the Nine True Temple again, he invites you to visit.”

In truth, the latter part was something Chen Qingyang had just made up. He had to say something, after all.

Hearing this, the Master didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he brought up Chen Qingyang’s cultivation. “I see you have considerable talent for this Nanming Red Emperor’s Technique. Your progress is much faster than when you were cultivating the Sword Dao. Are there any parts of this Dharma Gate that you do not understand? This is a good opportunity for me to explain them to you.”

This time, his master was taking the initiative to test his cultivation. Chen Qingyang ran through it in his mind, thought of a few questions, and raised them all.

From this, one could see the Master’s profound understanding of Daoist techniques. All the questions Chen Qingyang posed received detailed answers. He could even extrapolate from one point to infer principles of other Daos.

“…The Nanming Red Emperor, combined with the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, draws upon the Innate Fire Pure Yang Qi. It aligns with the Southern Bingding Fire Virtue, resonates with the Dubhe Flame Star above, and corresponds with the Earth Vein Flame Source below.”

“When cultivated to a high level, you can use your Divine Thought as a guide and the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl as a vessel to gather True Fire and command its Flame Mastery. You can refine the Five Elements Mixed Qi and make all other techniques bow before you…”

“Once unleashed, the flames take the form of a dragon, and its light shoots toward the heavens. It cannot be controlled by anyone who is not profoundly skilled in Daoist techniques and deeply versed in the Yin Yang Fire…”

“Its qi hangs in the Mingtang Hall, travels through the upper burner, sinks to the lower burner, and passes through the Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang…”

After listening to his lecture on the Dao, Chen Qingyang began to suspect that his master might have once cultivated this very method before switching to the Tai Xu Returning to Truth Technique. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain such profound insight.

“I have often heard people say that Master’s Daoist techniques are exquisite, but only today have I truly come to understand a fraction of it. Thank you for bestowing this knowledge upon me, Master.”

His earlier conversation with Zeng Xiancheng had been all about uncovering his master’s transgressions, yet the man was so brilliant that his talent overshadowed many of his faults.

And now, during this lecture, he was holding nothing back in his teachings. Chen Qingyang felt deeply conflicted. After all, colluding with the Demon Sect was not, in essence, a betrayal against him. On the contrary, his master had shown him great kindness.

Such were the ways of the world.

“I gave you a Jade Talisman. Are you carrying it with you?”

Chen Qingyang replied, “I am not. Because I did not know its use, I have kept it in my courtyard, presenting it with incense as a Sacrificial Offering. After all, it is a gift from you, Master. I did not dare to be presumptuous.”

His master reacted as if he already knew this. “That is a Magical Artifact called the Li Guang Jade Talisman. It is extremely powerful, enough to support your cultivation all the way from the Realm of Essence Condensation to that of a Foundation Establishment Master. You have considerable talent for the Nanming Red Emperor’s Technique. If you make good use of it, your future will be boundless!”

He never would have thought that his master held him in such high regard, nor that the Jade Talisman was so formidable. He hadn’t dared to carry it because he was afraid his master would find out what he was doing. Now, he actually felt a little… ashamed.

“Does Master mean that I should carry this artifact with me and perform Sacrificial Refinement on it daily?”

Jing Yuan said, “You should.”