Stealing Immortal

Chapter 118: Chapter 117: ”Cooperation

Chen Qingyang had no idea how much time had passed. He only knew that after receiving the Li Yang Earth Fire from the True Dragon, he could hold on for a long while longer.

It wasn’t until a bell chimed that he realized three hours had passed.

He had no way of knowing if Lu Jinzhang had been surprised or had been secretly observing him during this time. The three hours were up, but he still wanted to experience what this Yinlong felt like. If he sent his Conscious Fish out again, how would the True Dragon react?

Flames still billowed within the hall. He could only see Lu Jinzhang’s back as he levitated in meditation above the Dragon-locking Tripod, surrounded by fifteen Foundation Establishment Masters.

The Conscious Fish rose higher, leaving the great hall and searching about outside. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his ear, ”Are you looking for me?”

The Conscious Fish’s stillness was the best answer.

The True Dragon on the other side fell silent for a moment, seemingly puzzled. ’Where did the aura I left behind just now go?’

”What did you just do... Ah, right. You can’t speak. You don’t even have a body, nor do you possess a powerful consciousness like mine. Even a lonely ghost has its Three Souls and Seven Spirits...”

Chen Qingyang’s impression of this dragon, aside from its penchant for acting pitiful, was that it was a chatterbox.

The Conscious Fish then began to swim in circles mid-air, just like a real fish. Suddenly, he heard the True Dragon say, ”I’ll give you a bit more Li Yang True Fire so you can see the benefits of cooperating with me. Otherwise, it’ll just be wasted by these Cultivators!”

’It seems the first time it vanished so inexplicably has made it want to run another experiment.’

Hearing this, the fish stopped instantly. The True Dragon’s laughter echoed from all directions. ”Looks like we can have a conversation after all.”

As it spoke, another surge of crimson flame rolled in, even more powerful than before. It was carried by the Conscious Fish and absorbed into Chen Qingyang’s body.

Another hour passed. He didn’t know if anyone else had given up, but Chen Qingyang was still going.

He had observed carefully. Of the thirty-four disciples meditating here, only a few were in the Qi Refining Realm; the vast majority were at Essence Condensation. Competing with them in stamina and True Essence was a huge disadvantage.

But the rules of the Tai Xu Sect never cared for who came first or last, nor for seniority. The only rule was that the skilled were the masters. If you couldn’t compete with the Inner Sect Disciples, that was your own fault.

He would hold on for about an hour, and just when he couldn’t continue, he would recall the Conscious Fish, which gave him another boost.

Chen Qingyang felt more and more certain that using those three thousand Immortal Seedlings on the Great Soul Scripture had been the absolute right choice.

When the True Dragon saw the little fish again, all the Li Yang Earth Fire was gone once more. The True Dragon began to probe, ”What species are you exactly? Why does the Li Yang Earth Fire I leave you vanish in such a short time?”

An idea struck Chen Qingyang. He began to swim around again, only stopping when he reached a rock wall. Using his consciousness, he controlled a stone to write on the wall, ”I am not a strange species, but a wisp of a Divine Soul Avatar.”

”Tsk tsk tsk...” The True Dragon was silent for a long moment before it spoke in disbelief. ”Don’t try to fool me. Nothing in this place can escape my eyes. What kind of avatar looks like you? Besides, the ones who came in are just those Foundation Establishment Junior Cultivators. It’s utterly impossible for them to have this kind of ability.”

Though its tone was firm, there was an undeniable hint of uncertainty.

Chen Qingyang wrote on the wall again, ”Help me, and I’ll keep your secret.”

”Don’t help, and I’ll tell Jade Gold True Monarch immediately.”

”Heh heh!” Unconcerned with whether it believed him or not, the True Dragon chuckled first, then asked, ”Jade Gold True Monarch can’t handle me... But, what do you need my help with?”

”I want Li Yang Earth Fire.”

...

The True Dragon was silent for another long while. It must have found the situation strange; otherwise, where had the Li Yang Earth Fire on the Conscious Fish gone again?

”Being trapped for so many years has really addled my brain. What kind of Dharma Gate is this that even my Golden Core Cultivation can’t see through it? Forget it, forget it. Giving it to those Junior Cultivators is a waste anyway. I might as well give it to you. I hope you keep your promise!”

As if in a fit of pique, crimson flames rolled in from all directions, surging straight into the Conscious Fish. The power was so immense that Chen Qingyang immediately felt suffocated.

Having gotten what it wanted, the fish didn’t linger. It returned to his body, and Chen Qingyang, once again revitalized, held on.

This happened twice in a row. Perhaps after seeing such a miraculous display, the True Dragon was now inclined to believe what it had previously doubted.

Though Chen Qingyang’s eyes were still squinted shut, he could see that the crimson flames outside had noticeably faded. The figures of the people around him were now faintly visible.

At that moment, an old, intense gaze shot over. It was that unnamed senior brother. Since Chen Qingyang’s eyes were closed, the senior brother naturally didn’t know he had been spotted.

Seeing that he was still there, the senior brother’s face darkened. He glanced at Lu Jinzhang, who was seated above, then formed a hand seal. The flames around his body seemed to shift in color.

The pressure on Chen Qingyang instantly multiplied. If not for his good condition, he would have been immediately overwhelmed by the backlash, injuring his Meridians.

’We’re so far apart, and our Qi Mechanisms can’t flow between us. Can he really plot against me from there?’

Right now, the Dragon Pearl Power being drawn from him by the Array Building beneath his seat was consistently double what it was before, and it was even increasing.

Chen Qingyang maneuvered his Conscious Fish, exploring downward along the Array Building. The intricate patterns beneath each structure converged below, eventually flowing toward the very center.

Only then did he notice that he was almost directly connected to the senior brother. As Lu Jinzhang’s favored disciple, he naturally knew some secrets of the Array that others did not.

Chen Qingyang was certain the man was using dirty tricks. After all, the flames had only just started to fade, allowing them to see each other still sitting on the high platforms.

He wanted to find a way to fight back, but since he didn’t understand the Array, he was momentarily at a loss. He could only maneuver his Conscious Fish and start counting heads.

One, two... Only eleven people were still sitting upright. This meant if he withdrew now, he would just miss the top ten.

Unable to compete with him for the time being, he had no choice but to send his Conscious Fish back to the True Dragon. This time, the True Dragon seemed to be hiding and ignored him.

Chen Qingyang wrote on the wall, threatening it until it emerged. And so, he finally held on until only ten people remained.

During this time, that senior brother kept shooting him puzzled looks. It had to be known that most of those remaining were at Half-Step Foundation Establishment. How could a mere Qi Refining Ninth Realm cultivator last this long? It was truly bizarre!

Chen Qingyang withdrew his hands. He saw the senior brother’s figure tremble violently, his expression turning grave. ’It’s a pity I couldn’t make him suffer an internal injury. Otherwise, with his Half-Step Foundation Establishment cultivation, the number of Immortal Seedlings I could have stolen wouldn’t have been small.’

Noticing the change over here, a figure in green robes approached, a hint of surprise in his eyes. ”How did you last so long?”

Facing him, Chen Qingyang put on a weary expression, slowly climbing to his feet. ”Martial Uncle Liu, I just gritted my teeth and controlled the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl Power.”

Liu Pei didn’t ask any more questions. ”Being able to refine my unique elixir in such a short time is enough to prove your excellent comprehension. My senior brother has truly found a treasure. Come back with me now!”

Led by Liu Pei, he landed beneath the Great Cauldron in moments. He saw that Lu Jinzhang was still in the seat of honor, while the other Foundation Establishment Masters had descended. Among them, the middle-aged Daoist Nun with the surname Wu was the first to approach and ask, ”This is unreasonable, completely unreasonable...”

Before she could finish, Liu Pei cut her off domineeringly. ”Senior Sister Wu, tell me, what part is unreasonable?”

”So many Inner Sect Disciples have been defeated. With his cultivation, how could he possibly last this long? I think there must be a problem with the Array!”

”Hmph!” Liu Pei snorted. ”I think Senior Sister Wu is becoming just like Steward Lu. Anything your own disciples can’t do, you assume is unreasonable. Besides, this Array was personally established by the True Monarch ancestor of your Pill Institute. If you suspect a problem with the Array, why don’t you go argue with him?”

Liu Pei had always been like this, sometimes even putting Lu Jinzhang in his place. Seeing the middle-aged Daoist Nun lose the argument, another person spoke up, ”Junior Brother Liu, don’t be so hasty. Senior Sister Wu is only making a logical inference. It’s perfectly reasonable!”

Looking at him, Liu Pei sneered again. ”Don’t you all forget, succeeding in this Array Building doesn’t rely on one’s own True Essence Power, but on using a Technique to channel the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl Power. Otherwise, forget these Half-Step Foundation Establishment cultivators, even we wouldn’t last long. Have you ever seen anyone truly comprehend this method in just three hours? Is his talent not enough to achieve this?”

Indeed, there were many astonishing aspects to it. But this disciple wasn’t one of theirs, so why pay such close attention? Every Foundation Establishment Master was incredibly busy; they only needed to worry about themselves.

With those words, the entire area fell silent.

From time to time, other senior and junior brothers and sisters would cast glances at Chen Qingyang. Whether it was envy, jealousy, or even hatred, no one said another word to him.

Cultivators had always been this way: either indifferent or wary of karmic ties, holding themselves aloof. Any enthusiasm was shown for personal gain, not for pointless provocations.

They waited like this, time passing unnoticed, until the top ten were all decided. When they saw Master Lu descend from the Dragon-locking Tripod, he was clearly exhausted. It seemed being the head of the sixteen Master Stewards was no easy task.

When he saw Chen Qingyang was among the ten, his gaze filled with utter shock. Then, seeing Liu Pei looking calm and composed beside him, he turned away.

At the level of a Foundation Establishment Master, one didn’t need to open their mouth to speak in private. After a moment of silence, his expression became extremely grim.

The welcoming of guests was a display of power.

The Enlightenment Method was a means of borrowing strength.

Both of the above had failed. Now, seeing Chen Qingyang climb higher and higher, the hatred in Lu Jinzhang’s heart surely grew. How could a man of his methods possibly nurture a potential enemy for himself?

He gave a scornful laugh and walked over to Chen Qingyang. ”Not bad. I truly misjudged you. You defeated Lu Qing fair and square that day!”

He even patted Chen Qingyang’s shoulder to show his ”appreciation.” ’Since the boy’s momentum is already established, I might as well go with the flow.’

Perhaps that was his thinking, but in Chen Qingyang’s view, the moment an opportunity arose to kick him while he was down, Lu Jinzhang would crush him without hesitation. Therefore, he couldn’t afford to be careless!