Stealing Immortal

Another seven or eight days passed. The Southern Dipper Star shifted and once again aligned with the Copper Mirror.

This time, Chen Qingyang clearly felt the thrum of the aura within it.

Inside the world of the Copper Mirror, the Power of the Stars swept in from all directions, and the entire world seemed to be shrouded in a silvery-white light.

The power finally gathered on the surface of the Copper Mirror, emitting a brilliant luster. Seen from within the mirror, the Southern Dipper Star Formation was exceptionally clear, every contour rendered in minute detail.

The Thirty-Three-Tiered Tower and the koi carp carved upon it reappeared.

The Copper Mirror was the South Radiance Profound Dome Upper Purity Taiyin Palace, the very place that governed the stars of the southern radiance. Perhaps for untold millennia, this Copper Mirror had served as a tool to manage all the southern stars.

Although the Divine Court had fallen ten thousand years ago, the movements of the stars still followed their ancient rules.

The light dissipated after a few moments, and everything returned to normal. During this anomaly, only a Master Life Light on a routine patrol passed by; no Golden Core True Monarchs were seen.

‘The Disciples have shown up, but he still won’t come. Is he really giving up?’

About four hours after the Master Life Light departed, just as Chen Qingyang was thinking of leaving, True Monarch Cheng Tian materialized out of thin air before him, like a lingering ghost that refused to leave.

Chen Qingyang could only feel a secret sense of relief. ‘If I had left a moment sooner, I would’ve been discovered for sure.’

The True Monarch stood there, staring for a while longer before finally departing. This made Chen Qingyang too afraid to move. And so, he waited for another half a month.

During that half-month, Chen Qingyang practiced Alchemy and meditated, completely engrossed in his Cultivation. Time flew by.

‘If only I could place the Conscious Fish in the Five Elements Cave Mansion, I might be able to raise my Cultivation to the Essence Condensation Four Realms. This thing is incredibly useful for ambushes.’

‘What a pity, all this time wasted for nothing.’

Under the night sky, the clouds parted, and Chen Qingyang fixed his gaze upon the stars.

A faint, constant fragrance wafted from the flowers in the small courtyard.

The Star of the Southern Dipper moved into its proper position once more, aligning again with the Copper Mirror. The mirror’s surface began to glow, and the starlight within became intensely bright.

Just as Chen Qingyang was wondering if True Monarch Cheng Tian would return, he appeared as expected. With him was a female Daoist Master.

“You’ve been standing guard here for over a month. Have you discovered anything?”

True Monarch Cheng Tian shook his head. “No.”

The female Daoist Master laughed. “You know it’s nonsense, yet you still waste so much energy on it. In my opinion, you’d be better off meditating than wasting your time here.”

True Monarch Cheng Tian said, “Senior Sister, you think I don’t feel the same? But my Cultivation has hit a bottleneck, so I can only place my hopes on external forces. Otherwise, no matter how many times I reincarnate, I’ll never touch that layer of profundity.”

Despite his youthful appearance, his eyes were filled with ancient sorrow as he spoke, betraying a hint of tragedy.

“Alas!” The female Daoist Master seemed to empathize and let out a long sigh of her own.

“When it comes to Cultivation, just let nature take its course. If you can break through, then great. If you can’t, then just maintain your current level. The world is at peace, and the Demon Sect won’t start any trouble with us. Why let your paranoia drive you to madness?”

True Monarch Cheng Tian pondered for a moment. “‘Seek no merit, but avoid any fault.’ It is this very phrase that has trapped us for so many years. The Cyan Nether State hasn’t produced a new Daoist Monarch in ages!”

The female Daoist Master retorted, “And that’s not your concern!”

…

Hearing their conversation, Chen Qingyang couldn’t help but feel a sense of doubt.

‘In the Yong Kingdom, thousands of Disciples died, and of the six Masters present, five were killed and one was gravely injured. This is what they call peace?’

‘Then again,’ he mused, ‘the True Monarchs have shown extreme restraint regarding such conflicts. Perhaps… this is what they consider a peaceful world.’

‘As long as they don’t enter the fray themselves, they can preserve their status and Cultivation forever. The Masters in the Yong Kingdom’s Imperial Palace must have thought the same thing.’

The two were silent for a moment before the female Daoist Master spoke again. “Junior Brother, of the eleven True Monarchs, only you and I are from the same lineage. We’re close, so I have to remind you of this: at our realm, self-preservation is paramount. You mustn’t be impatient. Don’t be like…”

She didn’t finish her sentence.

‘They must be talking about Purple Sun,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ‘These two love to talk about him behind his back, but they never dare to say his name.’

“I understand,” said Cheng Tian. “Let’s head over to your place for a visit. Another Hundred Years have passed; those Vermilion Fruits should be ripe by now.”

The female Daoist Master huffed lightly. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

After one last glance at the Copper Mirror, the two True Monarchs vanished.

‘This time, True Monarch Cheng Tian was the one who suggested leaving,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ‘And he’s going to eat Vermilion Fruits. He probably won’t be back anytime soon.’

Cautiously, after being trapped for so long, the Conscious Fish finally slipped out of the Copper Mirror.

Even then, it didn’t dare to move recklessly.

It waited in front of the Copper Mirror so it could dive back inside at the first sign of danger. After a moment, there was still nothing.

It took a wide detour, avoiding the patrol routes of the Master Life Lights. Then, it began to use the Array True Understanding, slowly slipping out from behind the barrier.

In this space, the silver lines grew denser and the starlight converged with even greater intensity. The entire scene was like a giant, pulsating web, moving in rhythm with some unseen law.

It felt as if Chen Qingyang had delved deep into someone’s “heart,” watching the dense, silvery, vein-like lines contract and expand.

He had determined when he first arrived that this was an Array Profound, likely used to draw power from an Earth Deity.