Stealing Immortal

Chapter 136: Chapter 135: Essence Splitting

A rare, heavy rain had fallen on Cyan Bamboo Peak last night, not ceasing until dusk. The distant mountains were washed clean, and the grass underfoot appeared even more verdant.

The land was gloomy, and a layer of dense, grayish-white qi hung in the sky, pressing down oppressively and making one feel stifled.

Next to the small courtyard, what was once a patch of barren land had been transformed. The bamboo was cut down, the weeds cleared, and the earth tilled. Zhang Ping had planted a vegetable garden there.

Worried about the garden flooding after the all-night rain, Zhang Ping, dressed in a straw raincoat, was out with a hoe, digging drainage channels.

Chen Qingyang had once asked him out of curiosity where the vegetable seeds came from. Zhang Ping had explained that the common folk at the foot of the mountain often supplied vegetables to the sect, and he bought the seeds from them...

Unlike him, Li Sheng and Hong’Er focused more of their attention on cultivation. At that moment, one was meditating to refine their qi, while the other was processing Alchemy Raw Materials.

In short, the few people in the small courtyard were all busy with their own affairs.

In the Alchemy Room, Xu Baoling had opened all the doors and windows, allowing the damp, cold air from outside to flood in and sweep away the intense heat.

Chen Qingyang was currently refining a batch of Elixirs. His Conscious Fish had transformed into a Fire Dragon, coiling around the Pill Furnace and radiating immense heat.

This batch was of Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder, and it was supposed to yield eight pills. By now, Chen Qingyang was an expert at it, effortlessly completing the ”Late Fire” stage.

Once the Elixirs were formed, Xu Baoling collected them in a Jade Box and stored it on a shelf. Chen Qingyang still owed Shopkeeper Wang of Gentle Breeze six Elixirs. ’It’s been a while,’ he thought. ’I need to find a chance to pay him back.’

After briefly adjusting his Qi Mechanism, Chen Qingyang sat down behind the long table to rest and drink tea. The door in front of him was open, letting in the sounds of wind and rain, along with faint scents of flowers and soil.

A short while later, Zhang Ping, having picked a couple of fresh vegetables, finished cooking a pot of rice nearby and called for Hong’Er and Li Sheng to come and eat.

Li Sheng was as taciturn as ever, but Hong’Er was quite talkative. She always found opportunities to flatter Zhang Ping, and just as she hoped, he would always plant some of her favorite things and do tasks she had arranged for him in advance.

While the three were eating, Chen Qingyang spotted an elderly man walking toward them through the rain. He trod over the muddy ground, yet his feet remained unstained, and not a single drop of rain touched his body.

Chen Qingyang hurriedly rose to greet him. Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, he cupped his fists and said, ”Senior Brother, what brings you here?”

”What, am I not welcome?” Shen Chongzhou’s gaze swept over, sizing him up. ”It’s been four or five months since we last saw each other, hasn’t it? I figured that since you’d just arrived, you’d be pestering me with questions. I never expected you wouldn’t ask about anything at all, that you’d have no problems.”

Chen Qingyang smiled at him. ”You jest, Senior Brother. Of course you’re welcome. If I had any problems, I would naturally seek you out. Please, come in!”

The two sat on opposite sides of the long table in the Alchemy Room. Seeing them, Hong’Er stopped eating and came over to clear the table and serve tea.

Xu Baoling also stopped her cultivation at the altar table and stood in place, as if awaiting orders.

Shen Chongzhou took a sip of the freshly served tea and just chuckled. ”Master once said that besides me, no other disciple of our lineage was to look after you. I thought this would leave you all alone, struggling to get by here. I didn’t expect you to be so at ease. This little courtyard is much better than I imagined.”

His gaze fell upon the Star Disc above their heads.

Chen Qingyang said, ”You jest, Senior Brother. I’ve only just managed to make ends meet. I’m far from being ’at ease.’ May I ask what brings you here today?”

’He wouldn’t visit without a reason,’ he thought. ’If it weren’t necessary, Senior Brother wouldn’t make the trip so easily.’

Shen Chongzhou didn’t answer, instead asking, ”You’ve been here for over a year now, right? I’ve never asked about your cultivation, nor have I seen you come to me for guidance.”

’I was in the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining back then. It’s best to say I’m in the Qi Refining Eighth Realm now. I’ll reveal my progress step by step. It would be too shocking to suddenly jump to Essence Condensation.’

”Reporting to Senior Brother, the Spiritual Qi here is far superior to that of Four Golden Peaks, and with the Array, plus the profundity of the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual, my cultivation has progressed quite rapidly. I have now entered the Qi Refining Eighth Realm.”

Shen Chongzhou narrowed his eyes slightly. It was hard to tell if he was surprised, but his expression flickered. ”I see. This Array is very sophisticated. Setting aside the Power of the Stars within it, just gathering the materials for Array Building couldn’t have been easy for you, right?”

’He’s right. Cultivation can be improved through one’s own enlightenment, but what about these resources? And the new Miscellaneous Task disciples? There were plenty of things about him that were hard to explain.’

Chen Qingyang simply said, ”Senior Brother, you have sharp eyes. I traded Elixirs for many of these things.”

Hearing this, he didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he changed the subject. ”Though the Qi Refining Eighth Realm is still a bit early, I don’t have much time to wait. I’ll disobey Master’s command just this once and teach you something ahead of schedule.”

As he spoke, the Senior Brother flicked his sleeve, and two booklets fell out.

’Universe in the Sleeve. Just hearing the name of this Divine Power conjures images of majestic, otherworldly might. But in Senior Brother’s hands, it seems rather down-to-earth.’

Chen Qingyang took them but didn’t look at them immediately. Instead, he asked, ”Senior Brother, has something happened?”

Shen Chongzhou said, ”I have to go into seclusion to advance my cultivation. It will take at least a year and a half. So, for the next year and a half, you won’t be seeing me.”

’The mention of seclusion made Chen Qingyang think of how Master Water Moon also required his Disciples to go into seclusion. Could this be related to the struggle for the Earth Deities?’

”Is it... because of the struggle for the Earth Deities in two years?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Chongzhou’s face. ”Oh? You even know about that? Who told you?”

”You might not be aware, Senior Brother, but I recently got to know a few senior brothers who are disciples of Master Water Moon. I heard it from them.”

Shen Chongzhou listened without comment, then continued, ”Since you’ve brought it up, I’ll explain in detail. You are a disciple of Cyan Bamboo Peak, after all, and you must also participate in our peak’s Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference.”

This was the first time Chen Qingyang had heard the name ”Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference.”

”Senior Brother, please elaborate.”

Shen Chongzhou added, ”It concerns the allocation of the Earth Deities within the territory controlled by our Tai Xu Sect that belong to Cyan Bamboo Peak. In addition to testing the cultivation of the Masters themselves, the cultivation of their disciples must also be tested. Afterward, ranks are assigned based on the results to distribute the Earth Deities. This is the Tai Xu Splitting Essence.”

Chen Qingyang’s thoughts turned to himself. ’In that case, I’ll be the one dragging our lineage down!’

Shen Chongzhou shook his head decisively. ”You can’t put it that way. Everyone starts from the beginning. You’ve just been here for a shorter time. You don’t lack talent for Immortal Cultivation. Besides, this is something for Master to worry about. He made plans long ago; you don’t need to concern yourself with it.”

Chen Qingyang then asked, ”Does this mean, Senior Brother, that you are about to break through to Foundation Establishment?”

After a slight pause, Shen Chongzhou nodded. ”Master has granted me an Earth Deity, so I should have a chance to break through. Furthermore, if Master breaks through again, we can still secure our position as the number one lineage of Cyan Bamboo Peak.”

’They are truly powerful,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ’The first disciple is about to reach Foundation Establishment, and Master himself is going to break through to the Realm of Life Light. I wonder how much of that glory will rub off on me.’

Chen Qingyang cupped his fists. ”I once heard Senior Brother Kong Yuan say that if he could obtain an Earth Deity, he would definitely break through. Your cultivation is even greater than his, Senior Brother, so this must be a sure thing. When the time comes, you can start your own lineage and become a Foundation Establishment Master!”

However, Shen Chongzhou just shook his head. ”As you’ve seen, my temperament is too carefree. I’m not good at teaching others. I’d rather just continue to be Master’s disciple!”

With that, he drained the tea from his cup.

”Senior Brother, I have one last question. If even you are in seclusion, who should I turn to if I run into real trouble?”

’This question was crucial. Master might not care about me, but I have to have some kind of backer.’

”Haha!” Shen Chongzhou burst out laughing. ”Who to find? Isn’t it obvious? Isn’t he more attentive to many of your matters than I am? You should be thanking him the most!”

Chen Qingyang understood. He was talking about their young martial uncle, Liu Pei. ’I should find some time to visit him,’ he thought, ’and also check on Senior Brother Kong Yuan, who has helped me quite a bit.’

”Alright, I understand.”

Shen Chongzhou stood up. ”Alright, I won’t chat any longer. It’s fine if you don’t understand those two Pill Formulas right now; they are for future use. Also...”

He pointed up at the Star Disc. ”This Array of yours is far too conspicuous. If I hadn’t been running interference for you, someone would have made you dismantle it long ago. You can rest easy and keep it for now.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, his figure slightly stooped, he vanished in just a few steps.

After he left, Hong’Er came back in to clear the table. ”Senior Brother Chen, is that Senior Brother of yours very powerful?”

”Yes. Soon, we’ll have to address him as a Master.”

Surprised, Hong’Er finished tidying up and left.

Chen Qingyang opened the two booklets. Both recorded Pill Formulas. Items like these, much like cultivation True Skills, would not be placed in the Cloud Scripture Jade Pavilion but were passed down directly by one’s master.

The first was titled Spirit Yang Breaking Yuan Formula, which could go up to Tier Five. Chen Qingyang skimmed it. The key ingredient, Spirit Yang, was a type of Immortal Grass that, when refined, could nourish the Divine Soul and open up the Spiritual Sea.

This Elixir was refined with Spirit Sun Immortal Grass as its primary ingredient and was suitable for a Qi Refining Ninth Realm Cultivator to consume for a breakthrough.

He opened the second booklet. It was for the Earth Root Biochemical Pill. After reading through it, he understood that this Pill had the effect of assisting the Earth Root in Qi Gathering. Even more impressively, it could reach up to Tier Six.

The highest-tier Elixirs he could find in the Cloud Scripture Jade Pavilion only went up to Tier Four.

To break through from the First Realm of Essence Condensation to the Second Realm, one had to achieve ”The Earth Root gathers Qi, the Mingtang Hall stores Divine Essence.” Chen Qingyang was currently at the stage of ”Earth Root Qi Gathering” and was still far from even touching the edge of the Mingtang Acupoint.

With this Elixir, his future cultivation speed would accelerate.

’One formula is for breaking through to Essence Condensation, and the other is for progressing from the First Realm to the Second Realm. Although I’ve never met my master, he has planned out every step of my cultivation journey.’