Stealing Immortal

Chen Qingyang sat down, and Senior Brother Lu naturally pushed a teacup toward him.

”Go on. You traveled so far this time. What did you gain?”

Chen Qingyang said, ”I was fortunate enough to reach True Demon Mountain, and only then did I realize that the True Demon Sect is the original Demon Sect of Cyan Nether State. The Yu Xiao Demon Sect, it turns out, are outsiders from beyond the heavens… Only by reaching a higher Cultivation can one know how vast the world truly is!”

Lu Qingyu smiled. ”Then do you also know that your Tai Xu Sect are outsiders as well?”

’This…’ Chen Qingyang couldn’t understand. ”Senior Brother, why do you say that?”

Lu Qingyu’s gaze drifted toward the heavens. ”The Divine Palace, the True Demon Sect, the Six Sects of Qiming, and the numerous Immortal Mansions on this land—they are the true masters here. Both the Tai Xu Sect and the Yu Xiao Demon Sect are outsiders.”

”They came in pursuit of a Lost Secret Realm. Besides their immense power, they are also far ahead in the Seven Arts of Immortal Cultivation. It’s like you, at the Essence Condensation Realm, slaughtering a group of Qi Refining cultivators. The advantage you have is more than just the True Qi in your body.”

”To give a recent example, look at the Circulation of Stars Array and the Ten Thousand Souls Locking Profound Vault. Besides the Daoist and Demon Sects, which other Immortal Mansion could achieve such feats?”

Chen Qingyang was surprised. From his perspective, the Tai Xu Sect had integrated extremely well with this land, unlike the Yu Xiao Demon Sect, which treated it as a resource to be endlessly plundered.

”Then, is Senior Brother also an outsider?”

’Judging by the age of a Golden Core True Monarch, it was highly possible.’

The question seemed to send Lu Qingyu’s thoughts far back in time. He held his teacup and stared blankly for a moment.

”No. Like you, I was born in this Cyan Nether State. Back then, I was from one of the Six Sects of Qiming. I yearned for a more profound True Skill, so I joined the Tai Xu Sect…”

As he spoke, Chen Qingyang made another connection. ”But I’ve also heard that the likes of the Cyan Nether Daoist Monarch and the Daoist Monarch of True Demon Mountain were all born in Cyan Nether State. Yet, neither of the Daoist and Demon Sects has a single Daoist Monarch. How did they entrench themselves here?”

Lu Qingyu began to shake his head. ”My Cultivation was too low back then. How could I have heard such secrets? I don’t know!”

’Was that the truth, or did he just not want to talk about it?’ Chen Qingyang didn’t press further.

Lu Qingyu spoke again. ”Let’s not mention the Yu Xiao Demon Sect for now. As things stand, your Tai Xu Sect’s fate is already deeply intertwined with this land. Though it wasn’t born in Cyan Nether State, it is now a Sect of Cyan Nether State. You must cultivate well within it. If you have the chance in the future, you can also study the Tai Xu Returning to Truth Technique.”

”You must understand… All techniques return to one. Don’t be bound by a single type, and don’t decide that a certain one is your Great Dao. You can take their strengths, and your future path will be long. Even among Golden Core True Monarchs, if you can continue to make achievements in the Seven Arts, you will surpass the others by a great deal.”

Chen Qingyang understood. Senior Brother Lu was imparting the Dao to him based on his own experiences.

Whether they were natives or outsiders, he didn’t care. He was only worried that possessing the Cyan Nether Daoist Monarch’s inheritance would bring him trouble.

”Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother.”

Though still seated, he sat up straight and cupped his hands in a formal bow.

”No need to be so formal. I’m just your senior brother, don’t treat me like your master. How is your practice of the Traveling Technique I gave you coming along?”

”I’ve been using it constantly for travel recently. I’m getting more and more familiar with it.” ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Lu Qingyu said, ”Your Cultivation is progressing extremely fast, but such speed has its drawbacks. If you can see and do more, you can compensate for this unstable foundation.”

Chen Qingyang read between the lines. ”Is there something Senior Brother wants me to do?”

Lu Qingyu stood up and shifted his gaze to the sky. ”I have a feeling something big is about to happen in the Yong Kingdom. Those three Xuanwei Masters from your Tai Xu Sect have already rushed over. If you ask me, you should stay in Yunxi City for a few days. In any case, with the Ten Thousand Miles in One Breath Technique, and since you’re a cautious kid, nothing should go wrong.”

After a moment of thought, Chen Qingyang asked, ”What kind of event might it be?”

”Ah, I already said it’s just a feeling. How would I know what it is?”

’It seems Senior Brother Lu isn’t willing to speak plainly.’ Chen Qingyang could only say, ”Very well.”

...

He would rest in the temple today.

The sky had just begun to darken when the weather outside suddenly changed. The air grew heavy, making one’s chest feel tight. It was followed by flashes of lightning, claps of thunder, and a torrential downpour.

Chen Qingyang pushed open the window. Rainwater streamed from the eaves in a thin curtain before him. The courtyard was flooded, filling the ditches, and the flowering crabapple in the garden could only sway and tremble in the wind and rain.

He raised his head. The pattern of Star Sand appeared in his eyes, and specks of starlight emerged from his body. His Divine Sense was already high above the nine heavens.

All the constellations in this part of the sky would form a scroll in his mind. This was the Spiritual Constellation Scroll. As for what enlightenment he could gain, that would depend on his ability to use his powerful Power of the Stars to make inferences and judgments within it.

The more effort he put in, the more time he spent, and the more Star Power he consumed, the closer he would get to the answer.

What Chen Qingyang sought today was to know what would happen in the capital of Yong Kingdom. Would it be auspicious or a disaster?

Over and over again, limited by his progress in the technique, the process was mentally draining. ’With so many Immortal Seedlings now, I could probably advance this technique to the next level.’

But then he thought about how cultivating the True Understanding of the Circulation of Stars Demon Suppression Array was also very draining, and how the third scroll of the Great Soul Scripture was what he needed most. He could only save up for now.

After a long time, within the Spiritual Constellation Scroll, he suddenly saw a star in the northern Kan trigram position shine as bright as blood. It flashed like a comet and was gone.

Chen Qingyang stared intently at that spot, pushed himself again, and consumed a huge amount of Star Power… ’That looks like the Celestial Pig Star, overlapping with the Kan trigram… forming a Celestial Pig Concealing Trigram Formation…’

’How could this be?!’

’This is a terrible omen. To stay still is death; to move is danger. Only by burning one’s bridges is there a sliver of hope.’

He couldn’t understand what force had pushed the situation in the Yong Kingdom into its current state.

’And this is a Star Map I can infer myself. Have any other Masters in the Tai Xu Sect inferred it? What are their plans?’

’In a situation like this, Senior Brother Lu still told me to stay for a few more days. What could I possibly gain in these few days?’

In short, a multitude of questions swirled in his mind.

To be safe, Chen Qingyang meditated for a while. After recovering some of his True Power, he began to perform an inference for himself.

The downpour intensified, and the world grew dim, but the Spiritual Constellation Scroll was still vivid in his mind’s eye. After three to five consecutive attempts, the Star Power in his body was completely depleted, and he only got two words—defensive posture.

’This is tricky. This is extremely tricky!’

’It’s as good as saying nothing. What I should actually do is still up to me.’

Chen Qingyang was starting to understand. The Astrology Inference Skill was just a hint. It was almost impossible to get a clear picture of everything.

’Or perhaps, with my current meager abilities, it’s nowhere near enough.’

’Forget it. I’ll go and take a look. Even if there’s trouble, I can handle it.’

After all, while he appeared to be at the Essence Condensation First Realm on the surface, he was actually at the Essence Condensation Fifth Realm Peak.

「By the next day.」

Without saying goodbye to Senior Brother Lu, he set off at top speed in the morning light, using the Ten Thousand Miles in One Breath Technique.

By noon, he had arrived at Yunxi City, the capital of Yong Kingdom. This time, he didn’t go anywhere else, heading straight for the Ci Yun Temple.

He landed outside the temple and announced his name. Before long, an old man dressed in the robes of a Celestial Master came out to greet him. ”My, my, Senior Brother Chen, you’re finally back! We’ve been waiting and waiting, worried something might have happened.”

This old man was none other than Ding Xiulong.

”Yes, I’m back. Are the few stalks of Immortal Grass I left with you all right?”

Ding Xiulong said, ”I naturally took what Senior Brother entrusted to me very seriously. I’ve kept them in the Brocade Box, and I was so afraid their spiritual energy would dissipate that I haven’t opened it a second time. I’ll take Senior Brother Chen there right now.”

It had been over a month ago that Chen Qingyang had dealt with a Demon Sect Disciple right in front of him. Since then, Ding Xiulong had looked at him with newfound respect.

Little did he know that in just over a month, the Senior Brother Chen before him had undergone another tremendous change.

They entered the Ci Yun Temple and went down to a shaded area on the mountain. A hall had been erected here. Inside, it was completely empty. In the center of the hall was a deep well. He retrieved the Brocade Box from the well. Opening it, he saw the four stalks of Immortal Grass lying inside, looking almost identical to when he had left.

”I know this Extremely Yin Grass grows in cold, dark places and must not be affected by Yang Qi, so I specifically chose a place like this.”

Chen Qingyang closed the Brocade Box. ”You’ve been very thoughtful, Junior Brother. This is an Immortal Elixir formed from nature’s spiritual energy; its spiritual essence won’t dissipate so easily. You’ve taken excellent care of it.”

He wanted to take out an Elixir to offer as a gesture of goodwill, but then he remembered that the rest were all poisoned, so he had to give up the idea.

”Let me ask you, has any trouble occurred in the Yong Kingdom since I left?”

From Ding Xiulong’s expression, he knew nothing had happened. ”Ah, it’s all thanks to you, Senior Brother. A few days after you left, Senior Brother Li and several others from the Immortal Sect returned and have been standing guard here ever since. With them around, at least within the Yong Kingdom, we haven’t heard of any more Demon Sect Disciples.”

Chen Qingyang thought about how he himself had casually strolled through Demon Sect Territory. ”Just because you haven’t heard of any doesn’t mean they’re not here; it just means the Demon Sect Disciples haven’t caused any trouble. That’s not the same as them being truly gone. So… has anything else strange happened?”

Recalling Senior Brother Lu’s warning, he asked again.

”Strange things…” Ding Xiulong frowned, thinking with a very serious expression.

”...Really nothing. Even in the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Consort who is about to give birth is showing no abnormalities. Lingxuzi just went this morning to check her pulse. The baby in her belly is just an ordinary fetus. I’m puzzled, too. Was that Profound Robe Daoist from forty years ago just a charlatan?”

The Daoists of Ci Yun Temple, unlike those of the Tai Xu Sect, still had to walk among mortals. So-called Gold and Stone Pharmacology had become a required course for them.

Therefore, it was not strange that Lingxuzi could take a pulse.

Finally, Chen Qingyang asked one more question. ”Then… are the three Foundation Establishment Masters from my Tai Xu Sect here?”

Ding Xiulong looked even more puzzled. ”No, they are not. Senior Brother Li is in charge of everything here. Even the Xuanwei Master from our Ci Yun Temple hasn’t returned.”

’Senior Brother Lu wouldn’t be wrong. It’s highly likely the Tai Xu Sect is being extremely discreet, so much so that even Ding Xiulong doesn’t know.’ ”Do you know where Senior Brother Li is? I’d like to pay him a visit.”

This time, Ding Xiulong was very enthusiastic. ”I can lead Senior Brother there.”

Chen Qingyang placed the Brocade Box back in the well and then replaced the stone lid. It was so well-secured that it was only missing a couple of sealing talismans on top.

”Senior Brother Chen, this is…”

”I don’t plan on leaving just yet. I’ll store these four stalks of Immortal Grass here for a few more days.”