Stealing Immortal

Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Reshaping

By the time he reached the mountainside, Chen Qingyang saw two people standing at the entrance of a small courtyard from a distance.

He touched the Warm Jade Scroll and channeled a wisp of True Essence into it, and a warm sensation immediately spread across his palm.

’It’s hard to say if this item could block a strike from Xu Baoling, but it would certainly be no problem against someone at Hu Kai’s Qi Refining Realm Cultivation. It never hurts to be cautious.’

Hu Kai heard the footsteps first, followed by Xu Yong. A few more steps, and the three of them met.

”I heard from Junior Brother Xu that Senior Brother Chen goes to the Golden Summit every day. It seems you’ve had quite a fortuitous encounter!”

’This wasn’t a secret. As for what Hu Kai made of it, that was his business.’

Chen Qingyang got straight to the point. ”Where are you taking me?”

Hu Kai could only offer an awkward smile. ”It’s not far from here. Senior Brother Chen will know when we get there.”

The two of them walked side-by-side in front, with Xu Yong following silently behind.

Having cultivated the Great Soul Scripture to his current level, Chen Qingyang was extremely perceptive of his surroundings.

Take Xu Yong, for example. His breathing was even, and as his breath cycled, his pores would release a minuscule Qi Mechanism.

Hu Kai, beside him, was completely different. His breathing couldn’t be described as even; it was utterly deep and prolonged. The Qi Mechanism in his body was hidden and unreleased, or perhaps just beyond Chen Qingyang’s perception. He seemed like a bamboo stalk, or a stone.

People of different realms exhibited different signs and auras. Hiding one’s own Cultivation was an extremely complicated matter.

It was fine when he was doing Miscellaneous Tasks, but if he were to encounter someone with a high Cultivation, it would be obvious at a glance whether he was Qi Refining or not, and roughly which stage of Qi Refining he was in.

’This serves as a reminder to me. If I want to hide myself deep within a crowd, I have to be able to control my breathing and Qi Mechanism freely, or even perfectly mimic Xu Yong’s state.’

’Achieving the right breathing is easy enough with conscious effort, but this subtle Qi Mechanism released from the pores... that will take some serious thought.’

’Perhaps I even need to advance the Great Soul Scripture by another minor stage.’

”What is Senior Brother Chen thinking about?”

Apparently, Hu Kai had noticed his distraction.

”Sigh!” Chen Qingyang sighed first. ”To think I’ve wasted ninety years on Miscellaneous Tasks without even touching the edge of Qi Refining... My aptitude is clear for all to see. Yet, Junior Brother Hu, you take such an interest in an old man like me. It’s strange, and I can’t help but feel a bit emotional about it!”

With his white hair and beard and the wrinkles covering his face, he truly gave off a sense of world-weary sorrow.

This also made Hu Kai quite emotional. ”Isn’t that the case for everyone? But when you think about it, ninety years, fifty years... they’re just numbers. The hardship is fundamentally the same. Fortunately, Senior Brother Chen, you’ve met us, the Profound Light Association. Your suffering is about to end.”

”How is my suffering about to end?”

Hu Kai gave a mysterious smile. ”Don’t be anxious. You’ll see when we get there.”

After that, the conversation devolved into meaningless small talk, which Chen Qingyang simply went along with until they arrived outside a small courtyard on the eastern side.

The ten-thousand-some Miscellaneous Task disciples all lived on the mountainside.

The houses here were packed closely together, forming what looked like a village.

Repaired and patched up by generation after generation of Miscellaneous Task disciples, the houses were covered in the marks of time.

In the ninety years Chen Qingyang had spent on Miscellaneous Tasks, he had done his fair share of such work.

Standing at the courtyard gate, Hu Kai knocked rhythmically three times, then waited.

A short while later, a woman who looked to be in her fifties opened the door. ”Senior Brother Hu, you’ve come.”

Her words carried a great deal of respect.

Hu Kai didn’t reply, only giving a slight nod before gesturing for Chen Qingyang to enter.

The courtyard was dark, but the moment the door to the central room was pushed open, light spilled out from within.

Once inside, he discovered it was a world of its own.

The cracks of the door and windows were all blocked with black cloth, so no light could escape. A dozen or so people stood in a circle. In the very center, a man was meditating on a cattail mat. No one spoke; they only cast hopeful gazes at the man in the middle.

The room wasn’t large; it only seemed so because it was unfurnished.

The walls were completely bare, save for a single painting inscribed with ’Seizing Celestial Opportunities’.

’This is the motto of the Tai Xu Sect, not something from the Profound Light Association. It seems there are no banners or couplets related to the Profound Light Association like I might have expected.’

”Senior Brother Chen, take a look. This junior brother has been in Cultivation for fifty-nine years and has reached Perfection in his Qi Refining accumulation. He’s just one final push away from Qi Gathering, but it’s this final push that some people can never overcome in their entire lifetime.”

’His words carried a deeper meaning, intended as a hint for me.’

He only nodded slightly.

Hu Kai continued, ”In a moment, an expert will arrive to perform a heaven-defying procedure, reshaping his Meridians and Dantian. You will be able to see with your own eyes, as clear as day, how a Qi Refining junior brother achieves a breakthrough.”

Chen Qingyang remained silent, but Xu Yong beside him was quite excited. ”Senior Brother Chen, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed such a method existed in this world! Senior Brother Hu values us. This is our greatest opportunity in the Tai Xu Sect!”

Chen Qingyang, calm and composed, still said nothing.

After Hu Kai and Xu Yong exchanged a glance, the room fell silent.

Everyone stood still for about a quarter of an hour.

The courtyard door was knocked on again. A person completely masked and cloaked entered from outside, covered from head to toe. Chen Qingyang could tell from the green robes alone that this was an Outer Disciple of the Tai Xu Sect.

’Could it be that these people really rely on the Profound Light Association to break through?’

”Senior Sister, you may begin!”

Hu Kai said.

The person in green didn’t speak, only taking an object from their robes.

It was about the size of a fist, bronze in color, with openwork carvings and intricate patterns. A faint, blood-red halo emanated from it, and a unique scent filled the room.

Like a type of strong incense.

Hu Kai shouted, ”Everyone, Junior Brother Hong is about to step into Qi Refining today! The Profound Light Association has performed another good deed!”

The people here had a tacit understanding. They made no sound, only standing on their tiptoes to get a better look.

The person in green channeled their Magical Power, and the metal sphere bloomed like a Treasure Lotus, unfurling countless lotus petals. The halo upon it became multicolored and vibrant.

Under everyone’s astonished gazes, the Treasure Lotus floated over and slowly pressed against Junior Brother Hong’s abdomen. Junior Brother Hong gritted his teeth and pulled his shirt open.

The Treasure Lotus began to burrow into his flesh.

There was no splash of blood, no heart-wrenching screams. Everything was quiet. At most, Junior Brother Hong’s face on the floor turned pale, and his eyes bulged slightly.

All around, no one found it horrifying. Instead, a secret excitement began to rise.

In a moment, the Treasure Lotus had completely entered Junior Brother Hong’s body.

Junior Brother Hong began to meditate with his eyes closed. The person in green stood before him, their hands constantly forming seals to control the Treasure Lotus inside.

Although Chen Qingyang’s Perception Power was strong, he was a bit too far away. He took a step forward. Fortunately, Hu Kai saw this but didn’t stop him, instead revealing a playful smile.

This time, he perceived the white lotus pausing at Junior Brother Hong’s Dantian before blooming inside his body.

Faintly, countless threads of Qi Mechanism, invisible to the naked eye, spread out from the Dantian to all parts of his body.

’It’s really reshaping his Dantian. How is that possible?’

The beliefs he had held for a hundred years began to crumble.

’But...’

’...something about this is also wrong.’

’Qi Refining is supposed to be about polishing the Meridians and Dantian in preparation for higher realms.’

’Doing it this way would destroy that trace of natural, innate wonder. Even if he breaks through today, he won’t be able to go far in the future.’

’But if one doesn’t use this method, could they end up stuck at the very last step, just like me?’

Even with a mental fortitude honed over a hundred years, Chen Qingyang couldn’t figure it out in the moment.

About half an hour passed.

The person in green’s body began to tremble slightly. It seemed this procedure was extremely taxing.

”It’s the Profound Light Qi!”

Xu Yong shouted.

Chen Qingyang also clearly felt gentle breezes come from all directions, all of them gathering toward the unconscious Junior Brother Hong on the ground. The crowd, filled with envy, began to murmur amongst themselves.

”Senior Brother Chen, it’s happening! He’s succeeding!”

Following Hu Kai’s reminder, all the gentle breezes were drawn into Junior Brother Hong’s body. The Treasure Lotus, stained with blood, vanished with a WHOOSH back into the hands of the person in green.

After that, she didn’t linger and left the courtyard directly.

She hadn’t said a single word from beginning to end.

”Cough, cough...”

Junior Brother Hong opened his eyes on the floor, his pupils glinting with excitement. ”Zha... Senior Brother Hu, I... I did it... I did it! Haha...”

Hu Kai went up, sprinkled some pre-prepared medicinal powder on the bleeding spot on Junior Brother Hong’s abdomen, and tossed him a Qi Gathering Pill. ”Rest well for the next few days. Once you’ve completely stabilized your new realm, you can report to the Steward that you’re going to the Golden Summit to become an Outer Disciple.”

Junior Brother Hong knelt on the floor, desperately slamming his forehead against the ground. ”Thank you, Senior Brother! Thank you, Profound Light Association! Everyone, I’ll be taking my leave first. We’ll meet again at the Golden Summit...”

What high spirits! What unbridled flair!

...

After it was over, the crowd dispersed.

Hu Kai also kept his promise, offering Chen Qingyang a Qi Gathering Pill.

”This is my gift to Senior Brother Chen. Please accept it.”

Chen Qingyang didn’t take it. Instead, he asked, ”What was that technique just now?”

”An ancient Magic. As long as one’s foundation is sufficient, it can help them break through. It’s a long story. I’ll explain it in detail when I find the chance in the future.”

”I’m asking what was done inside Junior Brother Hong’s body?”

Hu Kai narrowed his eyes slightly. ”Senior Brother Chen is as cautious as ever. As they say, the Golden Qi is stored in the Dantian to become one. The reasons it can’t be stored are none other than obstructed Meridians, an inflexible Dantian, or insufficient polishing. Many times, these are congenital misfortunes—what we often call a lack of talent for Immortal Cultivation. What we just did was shatter all of that.”

”Are there no side effects?”

”Didn’t you see for yourself, Senior Brother Chen? There’s just a little bit of pain.”

At this moment, Xu Yong chimed in, ”Senior Brother Chen, many disciples have entered the Outer Sect this way. I’ve seen it with my own eyes! Compared to a long life, what’s a little bit of pain?”

’Below Essence Condensation, you compete with your physical body. Above Essence Condensation, you compete with your comprehension, plus your background, opportunities, and luck. I’ve never heard of competing with a Magical Treasure.’

Chen Qingyang remained unconvinced. ”I’m old and my vitality is weak. I’m afraid I can’t endure such hardship. This path isn’t for me.”

But Hu Kai seemed completely unconcerned. ”No need to worry. I know Senior Brother Chen has been in close contact with people from the Golden Summit recently. It would be best if you could use that connection to break through. But if you can’t, you can always try the methods of my Profound Light Association.”

’He’s certain that my only hope for a breakthrough is them.’

Chen Qingyang bowed with his hands clasped. ”Many thanks.”

”Xu Yong, see Senior Brother Chen back. I have some things to take care of.”

”Yes, Senior Brother Hu.”

Leaving the small courtyard, Chen Qingyang walked silently along the path outside.

Xu Yong chattered incessantly, ”...I’ve only been Qi Refining for five years. Senior Brother Hu said that in another twenty years... Do you think I...”

Chen Qingyang walked faster and faster, leaving him behind directly.

”Senior Brother Chen, wait for me...”

After returning, he shut his door tightly and saw no one else. However, Lü Yunshen heard the commotion and took the initiative to pop out.

”Junior Brother Xu, when are you going to take me to see...”