Chapter 320: Zhu Lie

As dusk settled, the clouds above the peak grew still.

Two large birds approached from the southeast, vanishing into the clouds in a single bound. Mist wreathed Cyan Bamboo Peak, spilling into the small courtyard like unfurling crimson and gold.

With no one else around, the place was exceptionally quiet. He stood in the courtyard for a moment before pushing open the door to the Alchemy Room. Inside, he found Xu Baoling, who approached him with a light laugh. “Senior Brother, don’t tell me you went to see the True Monarch again?”

“That’s right. I was delivering an Elixir. How did you know?”

Xu Baoling added, “I’ve been back for ten days, and I haven’t seen you the entire time. What kind of Elixir delivery takes that long?”

Chen Qingyang finally understood why Qingfeng had seemed so hesitant to speak to him earlier. He realized he had been on that fourth floor for over ten days.

‘With all the constant commotion up there, the mingling of fire and water… it’s hard not to let one’s imagination run wild.’

“I was fortunate to receive some guidance on my cultivation from the True Monarch and ended up meditating there this whole time.”

Xu Baoling looked skeptical. “The True Monarch has always valued his peace and quiet. Forget a disciple like me, even our eldest senior brother, who’s at Half-Step Foundation Establishment, doesn’t visit often. And he’d certainly never be allowed to stay for so long!”

“Hey, don’t be ridiculous. Why are you back all of a sudden?”

“I’m not like those three boys; it’s not a big ordeal for me to come back. Cultivating here suits me best, so I return every day. The new courtyard is already starting to take shape. You should go take a look when you have a moment, Senior Brother.”

‘It’s been over half a month, hasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve gone to see it even once. All I ever do is Alchemy and meditation.’

‘When Immortal Cultivation gets to this point, and you’re not really aiming for anything… it’s just become a hobby.’

“I do need to go see it. Any idea how many Spirit Stones it will cost? Have you worked out the numbers?”

Xu Baoling replied, “That Zhang Ping fellow might be a bit shortsighted, but he’s sharp on the inside and very frugal. At first, he said we’d need three hundred thousand Spirit Stones, but now he’s saying two hundred fifty thousand. In any case, Senior Brother, you’d better be ready!”

The truth was, Chen Qingyang wasn’t poor at all. In fact, he was quite wealthy. But cultivating the Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword was like feeding a gold-swallowing beast; it was hard to accumulate any riches.

“How about… we spend a little more?”

“Senior Brother, what’s with the sudden change of heart? Didn’t you say we should keep things simple? If we’re going to spend more, does that mean we have to scrap everything and start over?”

Chen Qingyang shook his head. “It’s fine. Tell Zhang Ping to make the plans based on a budget of five hundred thousand. If we push hard, it can be done in about half a year. Besides, didn’t he say it himself? Breaking ground is a major undertaking. We can’t be careless.”

Xu Baoling smiled gently. “You sure do change your mind quickly, Senior Brother. Why don’t you go take a look yourself tomorrow? You can discuss anything you need directly with Zhang Ping.”

Chen Qingyang shook his head. “No need. I have something to do tomorrow. I trust you to handle it.”

Xu Baoling asked, “Did an order come down from the Sect? Do you have to leave, Senior Brother?”

“No, I have to make a trip to Four Golden Peaks.”

Xu Baoling hesitated. “Why are you going again? Don’t tell me it’s for more training and meditation?”

Chen Qingyang’s expression turned serious. “You’re not wrong. Have you calculated exactly how many Spirit Stones we’re short?”

Xu Baoling said, “For the two-hundred-fifty-thousand budget, we’re short one hundred thousand. If we go with five hundred thousand, we’ll be short three hundred fifty thousand.”

At Chen Qingyang’s current Alchemy speed, that would only take about three months. It was just that he’d been tied up with other things recently.

“Alright, I understand. I need to go out for a while. I won’t be back tonight, and probably not tomorrow either.”

“From what I’ve seen, whenever you go to Four Golden Peaks to ‘cultivate and meditate,’ you’re gone for over ten days. If someone comes looking for you, should I come find you at Four Golden Peaks?”

‘She had a point. There was no guarantee that something urgent wouldn’t come up.’

Chen Qingyang nodded. “Alright.”

After more than ten days of continuous cultivation in seclusion, he was brimming with energy and felt no need to rest. In a flash, he arrived outside the Separation Dragon Pill Institute.

He followed his Conscious Fish as it drifted toward the mirror-like lake. Aided by his previous experience and his recent progress with the True Understanding of Attainment, he soon entered the land of fire.

Chen Qingyang wandered through the area, but the True Dragon didn’t appear. ‘Is that rascal trying to play hide-and-seek again, or just watching me from the shadows?’ he wondered.

‘We haven’t met in over half a year, and the trace of its Divine Soul Will that it left on me vanished for no reason. How could I not be suspicious?’

Chen Qingyang paid it no mind and continued to drift about. When a palace appeared before him, he stopped moving closer.

‘This is the Lock Dragon place. Even the True Dragon itself doesn’t dare get near it. I’d better keep my distance, little fish that I am.’

“Don’t worry, there aren’t usually any Little Qi Refiners in there. If you want to take a look, go on in!” a voice suddenly boomed in his ear. The True Dragon’s tone was surprisingly nonchalant.

The Conscious Fish looked back but couldn’t see the dragon’s form.

“Then why don’t you go in?”

“It’s not that I’m afraid. I’m worried about being detected. The Array inside is extremely sensitive; it can perceive the slightest disturbance.”

Chen Qingyang sneered. “You know all that and you’re still telling me to go in? If you’re really trying to lead me into a trap, I’ll be sure to rat you out!”

At his words, the True Dragon fell silent for a moment. “So… you’re also afraid of them detecting you?”

Chen Qingyang retorted, “Does it look like I came in through the front door? What a ridiculous question.”

“Sigh…” The True Dragon let out a long breath. “It seems you really aren’t one of their people. You weren’t just toying with me.”

“After all this time, you’re still hung up on that? I don’t get what’s going on in that head of yours.”

As Chen Qingyang questioned it, the True Dragon’s voice came again. “The wisp of Divine Soul I left on you has vanished. My only conclusion is that you have a Golden Core True Monarch backing you. Tell me, who is it?”

‘So that’s what this was all about.’

“Heh, you’re certainly confident in yourself. You really think no one besides a Golden Core True Monarch could possibly undo your little trick?”