Stealing Immortal

Chapter 32: Chapter 31: Fourth Realm

The earth showed signs of warming. Today, the sun felt toasty on the skin, and even the snow on the ground seemed ready to melt.

Chen Qingyang had meticulously studied the calendar: when it would rain, when it would snow, and when the weather would turn warm...

Although this world didn’t have concepts like the Spring Festival or New Year’s Day, the calendar was almost identical to the one from his past life.

’But for the weather to warm up in December... This year might be a warm winter!’

Chen Qingyang put Xu Baoling away, tucked the Warm Jade Scroll into his sleeve, and started down the mountain. The sun had just risen, so it was too early to visit Liu Tao. The proper course of action was to report for duty at the Hongling Token worksite.

Before long, Chen Qingyang had finished two Dao Rhyme Texts. The speed of his work, fast or slow, was entirely under his control.

Wu Boyou patrolled back and forth. Whenever his gaze met Chen Qingyang’s, he would grin from ear to ear.

He was a sycophant, no doubt about it. Chen Qingyang guessed that Wu Boyou thought his own failure to break through was due to an unstable foundation. Yesterday’s Qi Gathering Pill must have had some effect, and now he was probably back for more.

”Junior Brother Chen, did you not come down the mountain yesterday? I didn’t see you all day.”

Seeing that plump, greasy face, Chen Qingyang felt a prickle of irritation.

’It wasn’t about Wu Boyou himself, but the thought that I was just a hair’s breadth away from the Fourth Realm of Qi Refining.’

”Junior Brother Chen... what are you thinking about?”

Seeing him lost in thought, Wu Boyou asked again.

Chen Qingyang stopped dawdling. When he pulled his hand from his sleeve, he was holding a Qi Gathering Pill. Wu Boyou’s eyes went wide.

”You just gave me one... Is this... for me too? Why does it seem like you have an endless supply of elixirs?” Honestly, the look on his face was rather comical.

”For someone who knows alchemy, Qi Gathering Pills are a trivial matter. Didn’t Senior Brother Wu say you were on the verge of breaking through? Taking the elixir sooner means you can get to the Golden Summit sooner.”

”Aiya!” Nodding, Wu Boyou sighed with emotion. ”You’re right. It’s just a pity I have to wait until I’m at the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining or higher before someone will guide me in the Alchemy Dao. Who knows how long that will take... By the way, Junior Brother Chen, who do you want me to kill this time... no, I mean, who do you want me to run off?”

If one didn’t know how quickly he could change his tune, he might actually give off the impression of a loyal retainer ready to die for his master.

”You jest. Senior Brother Wu, you know I’ve always been one to mind my own business and cultivate diligently. Why would I enjoy severing another’s path to immortality?”

Wu Boyou waved it off dismissively. ”That’s where you’re wrong. Perhaps some people simply aren’t blessed with good fortune. What does that have to do with you, Junior Brother?”

Chen Qingyang clasped his hands. ”A profound observation, Senior Brother Wu!”

”Hehe...”

He snatched the elixir, and the gleeful man disappeared. This time, he couldn’t even wait a quarter of an hour; he was desperate to take it the moment he got it.

Chen Qingyang returned to carving the Dao Rhyme Texts. At an unhurried pace, he finished another one. It was at this moment that an image of Wu Boyou appeared in his mind.

The stolen Immortal Seedlings weren’t the usual few strands, but twenty-one whole ones. Chen Qingyang understood immediately. He’d been feeding him too frequently. This Senior Brother Wu was now thoroughly ruined. Returning to the Golden Summit in the future would be a pipe dream.

’I won’t give him any more Poison Pills in the future. I should give him something good for a change.’

Chen Qingyang then left the Hongling Token worksite and returned to his small cabin to sit. There was no one in the courtyard. With a single thought directed at the floating golden text, his One-Element Sword Technique reached Perfection.

In that instant, it created quite a stir.

Wind blew in from all directions, and as the Sword Qi around him grew more concentrated, the furnishings in the room began to shake from an unseen force. CLANG! CLATTER!

The phenomenon grew stronger. The potent Sword Qi actually sliced through some of the porcelain. Wisps of wind coiled into Golden Needles that were sharp to the touch...

Then, just as suddenly, it all flowed into Chen Qingyang’s body, and everything grew calm.

When he opened his eyes, four strands of Golden Qi had gathered in his Dantian. He had truly become a Cultivator of the Fourth Realm of Qi Refining.

All in all, the journey from the First to the Fourth Realm had only taken him two months.

In the past, he wouldn’t have even dared to imagine it.

[Chen Qingyang]

[Fourth Realm of Qi Refining]

[Tai Xu Energy-Introducing Technique: (1/1000)]

[Tier Two Qi-Introducing Pill: (20/300)]

[Great Soul Scripture (Incomplete): (36/300)]

[One-Origin Sword: (1/600)]

[Available Immortal Seedlings: 13]

The progress bar for the One-Origin Sword showed a total of 600, meaning he could continue practicing it.

After some careful consideration, he decided his current cultivation was serviceable. There was no rush to break through with the Tier Two Qi-Introducing Pill. The most important thing now was how to hide his cultivation level.

At the very least, he couldn’t let people see him, a supposed ”First Realm of Qi Refining” cultivator, as someone in the Fourth Realm. So, he spent all but one of his remaining Immortal Seedlings on the Great Soul Scripture.

「In the morning, the sun grew stronger.」

It was just as toasty inside Liu Tao’s Alchemy Room.

Today, she had finally started a batch of Tier Two Warm Sun Pills. Her mood had been soured by Qi Xiuyuan, and Chen Qingyang hadn’t seen her make these for eight or nine days.

During her ”Late Fire” stage, Chen Qingyang sat behind a table, sipping tea.

Besides him, only one or two attendants usually came to this Alchemy Room. Some delivered alchemy raw materials from the Spirit Plant Institute, while others brought daily necessities for Liu Tao, such as tea, meals, and wine.

Attendants were all over the Four Golden Peaks, not just on the mountainside but also on the Golden Summit. Normally, it would be quite common for a cultivator of Liu Tao’s level to have one or two followers.

But as she had said, ever since her cultivation stagnated, her appearance had aged day by day, and she had grown to dislike interacting with outsiders.

Finally, Liu Tao finished her work. ”How about that? I feel my skill with the Tier Two Warm Sun Pill has improved. If my cultivation breaks through, refining Tier Three or Tier Four versions will be no problem at all.”

Chen Qingyang said, ”Senior Sister, are you saying this Warm Sun Pill can go up to Tier Four?”

Liu Tao chuckled. ”Of course. This elixir’s uses are far greater than a Qi Gathering Pill’s. For instance, Qi Gathering Pills are already useless to me. But as long as a Warm Sun Pill is of a high enough tier, it can nourish one’s meridians and build a solid foundation for future cultivation, even up to the brink of the Third Realm of Essence Condensation.”

At this, Liu Tao couldn’t help but look a little proud. ”Back in the day, when I started alchemy, I set my sights on this Warm Sun Pill. I was sure that breaking through in my cultivation was inevitable, and that I’d definitely need it once I reached the Essence Condensation Realm.”

Chen Qingyang grunted in agreement. ”You just didn’t expect to get stuck by the Qi-Introducing Pill!”

”You...” Liu Tao shot him a glare. ”With a mouth as clumsy as yours, you should try to speak less in the future. I don’t recall asking you just now.”

Chen Qingyang could only chuckle. ”Senior Sister, I was just joking. I’d like to ask, here on the Four Golden Peaks, what is the most advanced pill formula that disciples have access to, what tier is it, and how can one obtain it?”

If Chen Qingyang had asked such a question in the past, Liu Tao would have inevitably met it with a round of mockery and ridicule. Now, however, she only looked astonished. ”You... Don’t tell me you’re about to have a breakthrough with the Tier Two Qi-Introducing Pill?”

Chen Qingyang gave a wry smile. ”Senior Sister, you must be joking. You really think too highly of me. I just want to broaden my horizons, that’s all.”

”Hmph!” Liu Tao composed herself. ”That sounds more like it. We won’t talk about the Foundation Establishment Masters, nor the Inner Sect disciples in the Essence Condensation Realm. Just speaking of what you can obtain from the Cloud Scripture Jade Pavilion, the most advanced pill formula is the Yang Replacement Powder, and it goes up to Tier Four.”

Chen Qingyang had never heard of that name before, so he continued to ask, ”What is Yang Replacement Powder?”

Liu Tao smiled. ”Well, do you know what the biggest breakthrough is when advancing from the Qi Refining Sixth Realm to the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining?”

Chen Qingyang shook his head.

He had seen Li Qianxue walk this path, but it had seemed so distant from him back then that he hadn’t paid it much mind.

”Forget it. You don’t even have a master, how would you know these things? It looks like your Senior Sister will have to act as your master. The First to Sixth Realms of Qi Refining mainly focus on cultivating Essence Blood and Essence Qi, with the physical body as the core. From the Seventh Realm onward, the focus shifts to the Divine Soul. As the saying goes, ’Open the Spiritual Sea to advance to Essence Condensation.’ Without this step, one cannot achieve the Essence Condensation Realm.”

Chen Qingyang actually knew this point. He was well-read in cultivation theory and knew that humans possessed two ”seas”: one was the Dantian, the other was the Spiritual Sea.

Although the Spiritual Sea was located at the Baihui Acupoint on the crown of the head, it connected to the Mud Ball Palace and was the place where the Divine Soul was hidden, nourished, and refined.

”It is said that Essence Blood is yang and the soul is yin. Since this elixir is called Yang Replacement Powder, does it work by using one’s Essence Qi to nourish the Divine Soul until the Spiritual Sea opens?”

Liu Tao nodded. ”Of course. And the higher the elixir’s tier, the greater the chance of success. Naturally, if you’re skilled enough, you can cross over with your own power. But not only will that waste time, it will also affect your future cultivation progress. You must understand, falling behind one step means you’ll keep falling behind. Just look at me and you’ll know.”

Li Qianxue used to say that a lot.

One could reach the Essence Condensation Realm at forty or at four hundred, but the treatment one received would be completely different. Li Qianxue had achieved this step before she was even thirty, which was simply staggering to think about now!

Chen Qingyang then asked the question he most wanted to know. ”If I want to place in the Separation Dragon Pill Institute’s elixir competition—in the top ten, at least—what kind of elixir would I need?”

For an attendant to ask such a question, Liu Tao didn’t scoff. Instead, she looked at him very seriously. ”Based on what I know, if you’re aiming for the top ten, you’ll need nothing less than a Tier Five elixir. If you just want to get into Cyan Bamboo Peak, Tier Four is enough.”

Chen Qingyang understood. A Tier Four elixir was his goal, then. Before that, he first had to upgrade his Qi-Introducing Pill to Tier Three. Only with that solid foundation could he attempt higher-level elixirs.

”Thank you, Senior Sister. Have you heard any more news about Qi Xiuyuan in the past couple of days?”

”Ai!” Liu Tao sighed. ”I don’t know. But by doing what I did, the senior and junior brothers and sisters of this lineage have completely cut ties with me. Who would want a gossip for a fellow disciple... Forget it, forget it. Our relationship was never good anyway. I’ll just cultivate on my own.”

Her tone was truly tinged with sorrow.

”Senior Sister Liu, don’t you worry. I’ll hurry up and figure out the Tier Three Qi-Introducing Pill. When you finally break through, all those people who didn’t want to associate with you will come fawning.”

These words came from the heart. It was also a truthful judgment of human nature that Chen Qingyang had formed after spending so much time in the Tai Xu Sect.

Liu Tao seemed somewhat gratified. ”Then all your Senior Sister’s hopes are riding on you!”