Martial Cultivator

The cultivation world occasionally holds grand events to promote exchanges between the major sects. After all, the many cultivation factions in the foreign lands are spread across the nine provinces of Great Liang. If they don’t frequently interact, relationships will naturally fade over time.

Like the young generation’s grand event, the Myriad Willow Convention, every time it is held, it draws the world’s attention. Countless young people have become famous overnight at the Myriad Willow Convention, becoming known by all.

Besides the young generation, the major sects often hold celebrations such as treasure appraisal ceremonies, inviting close allies to observe.

Among these various schools, the qi refiners’ lineage is the biggest outlier.

Cultivators generally follow a path of severing ties with the mundane world, focusing purely on spiritual cultivation. They may have some feelings for their fellow disciples in the mountains, but qi refiners are different. Most of them advocate the supreme doctrine of “forgetting emotions” and focus solely on comprehending the Way of Heaven, so all their actions aim at this goal. Therefore, the qi refiners rarely participate in major affairs of the cultivation world, and even among other qi refiner sects, they seldom interact.

But they also knew that if things continued this way, they would become isolated in the cultivation world. So, several hundred years ago, the leaders of the major qi refiner sects agreed to hold a grand event every sixty-year cycle dedicated to qi refiners.

The name was simple: the Sixty-Year Gathering.

The hosting sect was elected by the major qi refiner sects.

This year, the Sixty-Year Gathering was held by the Southern qi refiners’ leader, Three Streams Manor.

Three Streams Manor had a deep foundation and has firmly controlled the southern qi refiners’ leader position for years, though a few years ago it suffered a setback in the capital.

The story began with the young Lord Warden Commander Chen Chao whow as akin to the noonday sun. Back then, he was only a minor warden in Tianqing County, Wei Prefecture. When several young disciples of the southern qi refiners, including Three Streams Manor, came to Tianqing County, this young warden killed them. Afterwards, several big shots from Three Streams Manor and other sects came to Tianqing County to take the young warden away, but they were blocked by Song Lian.

Since then, over two hundred years ago, Great Liang that was once respectful towards the foreign lands began to show its true colors.

In the Divine Capital, Chief Judicial Officer Han Pu declared Chen Chao innocent. Unexpectedly, the Great Liang Emperor did not mind the anger of the southern qi refiners and protected Chen Chao.

The faces of the Three Streams Manor cultivators and others were lost, and they left the Divine Capital in shame.

Later, the master called Guo Xi, who was killed by Chen Chao, ambushed him outside the Divine Cpital, but was still slain.

After news of this reached Three Streams Manor, they intended to raise troops to punish Chen Chao, but later events made the southern qi refiners’ leader sect feel the situation was becoming more difficult.

The Great Liang Emperor went north to the demon territories, battled the Demon Emperor without dying, then went south and survived an ambush by a group of great cultivators, returning safely.

Knowing the Great Liang Emperor was undoubtedly the strongest martial artist in the world, Three Streams Manor dared not act rashly.

Later, when they finally heard the Great Liang Emperor was going north, they thought the opportunity had come. Then they heard that the Infatuation Daoist Temple had made the first move.

They dared not provoke this leader of Daoism and were glad the Infatuation Daoist Temple acted first. But before they could see how the Infatuation Daoist Temple humiliated Great Liang, they were surprised to find that the young martial artist who once needed protection now was not even afraid of the Infatuation Daoist Temple.

As for what Chen Chao was now doing, it stunned Three Streams Manor. After discussing among the big shots in the mountains, they decided to hold back and wait for a better chance.

That wait brought them to this Sixty-Year Gathering.

The Sixty-Year Gathering is the most important event among qi refiners. As the southern leader, Three Streams Manor naturally cannot neglect it. Right now, Three Streams Manor not only represented itself but also carried the face of the southern qi refiners lineage.

Thus, the invitations were sent out early to all major sects.

These days, hundreds of qi refiners have come to the mountains from the north and south.

Actually, many of these qi refiners did not look forward to the Sixty-Year Gathering at all. Some came not of their own will but because their sect forced them to come.

The name Three Streams Manor comes from the three streams that flow through the mountain, converging into a lake at the mountainside.

The sect’s founding master built a continuous water tower on the lake, which was where Three Streams Manor was located. Over centuries, generations have maintained it, and now it was magnificent.

After arriving, qi refiners from all directions stayed in the water tower east of the lake arranged by Three Streams Manor.

Pinecreek Mountain was a small northern sect with a modest scale. Only a few qi refiners came from there, so Three Streams Manor arranged for them to stay in a remote water tower at the far east.

The mountain lord Sage Bamboo Moon was indifferent about this. After arriving, aside from some initial polite greetings with Three Streams Manor, she began quiet cultivation indoors, awaiting the Sixty-Year Gathering.

Among the disciples she brought, one woman stood out - Liang Jinjin. She earned great merit for Pinecreek Mountain in a battle between demon and human youths, later becoming the only survivor. After returning, Sage Bamboo Moon favored her greatly and personally trained her. Liang Jinjin had made considerable progress and was now just one step away from the Great Beyond.

Pinecreek Mountain speculated that when Sage Bamboo Moon ascends to immortality[passed away], the mountain lord position would likely pass to Liang Jinjin.

Night falls, and the moonlight tonight was beautiful. Sage Bamboo Moon cultivates diligently, but some disciples could notbear the loneliness. They left the bamboo tower to join the nightly gatherings held by Three Streams Manor before the Sixty-Year Gathering that lasted all the way till dawn. When some disciples asked Liang Jinjin to join, this woman who had alaways been quiet refused. She did not want to join the fun

They did not force her. After they left together, Liang Jinjin opened her door and walked out. On the corridor, she looked up at the bright moon.

Moonlight poured down from the distant sky onto the lake’s surface, stirring a layer of silvery radiance. To her eyes, it was a rare and beautiful sight.

Liang Jinjin glanced at the lake a few times, then withdrew her gaze and looked toward the distance. She was the only qi refiner on Pinecreek Mountain who practiced the Qi Observing Technique. When she first started, she could only see a qi aura above a cultivator’s head. If the person lied, she would see the aura ripple slightly. But as her cultivation deepened, Liang Jinjin had gone beyond merely detecting lies.

Now that her Qi Observing Technique was fully developed, as long as most cultivators did not deliberately conceal their strength, she could see their qi aura. By its thickness, she could distinguish their cultivation realms.

Moreover, because everyone’s cultivation methods differed, the color of their qi aura varied.

At this moment, Liang Jinjin looked toward the distance. Under the moonlight, multicolored qi pillars appeared over the entire Three Streams Manor like a scattering of stars. That scene was even more beautiful than tonight’s moonlight.

Yet Liang Jinjin had no heart to appreciate this view. Having finally come down the mountain again, she had originally hoped to travel the world alone with the blessing of her master, Sage Bamboo Moon. But Sage Bamboo Moon decisively refused her, saying she was still young and weak, and that the world was unstable now, it was better to cultivate peacefully on the mountain.

Liang Jinjin understood her master’s temperament well, so she did not insist but felt disappointed. A few days ago, she heard that person was in the northern lands, but she never got to meet.

This time, as she traveled again, maybe by chance she could meet in Divine Capital. But now it seemed all this was just her own wishful thinking...

Even if they truly met, Liang Jinjin did not think she would say anything to that person, nor would she stop returning to Pinecreek Mountain.

Women like her lived dull lives by nature. After so much effort to do something meaningful but being unable to, disappointment was inevitable.

The more she failed to see that person, the more Liang Jinjin realized she was drifting further and further away from the so-called qi refiner’s path of cultivation.

Is there really anyone who can reach the state of supreme detachment?

These days, this was all Liang Jinjin could think about.