Chapter 533 - 47: Gallantry, Spirit Immortal, Jade Hand

In a richly and elegantly furnished pavilion, Fang Cheng and Qiuyu Tan sat facing each other. The table between them was laden with a dazzling array of delectable Spiritual Cuisine.

Qiuyu Tan had changed into a simple celadon-green long dress that revealed her every curve. She was elegant and charming, the graceful lines of her dress hinting at her long, shapely legs.

Her skin was fairer than fresh snow, as flawless as white jade. Her clear, limpid eyes, with their sharp contrast of black and white, bore a striking resemblance to her sister, Qiu Wen Si.

Just sitting there, she projected an ethereal, otherworldly air, exuding a free-spirited and graceful charisma.

Despite the simplicity of her celadon-green dress, which bore no exquisite or luxurious adornments, she seemed to be surrounded by a thousand colorful silks, making her radiantly beautiful.

Fang Cheng could tell that the woman’s ethereal air was not the result of cultivating profound Divine Techniques, but rather from her careful grooming.

Yes, even Female Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm dressed up.

In Qiuyu Tan’s eyes, Fang Cheng cut a dashing figure. He was handsome, with a tall, straight posture, and dressed in a wide-sleeved Profound Pattern Daoist Robe. His aura was unfathomable. The slight touch of white at his temples gave him a scholarly and sophisticated air.

This Dharma Master, who her sister claimed could slay a Tier Five Beast, currently showed no airs at all. His easygoing and relaxed demeanor put her completely at ease.

As the two chatted leisurely, Qiuyu Tan gradually shed her initial restraint and shyness.

She discovered that "Elder Fang" was not only knowledgeable but also witty and humorous in his speech and mannerisms, making him quite charming.

She couldn’t help but open up, laughing and chatting animatedly, revealing a more innocent and lively side of herself.

For years, she had been hiding from place to place with her sister and their sect members, cultivating in seclusion. She rarely interacted with others, especially not unfamiliar male Cultivators.

"The most interesting thing has to be stone gambling, but my sister won’t let me go out..."

A look of indignation and regret crossed Qiuyu Tan’s beautiful face.

Fang Cheng used this casual conversation to learn a great deal about the local customs and conditions of Extreme Jade Heaven, and he found it quite fruitful.

Ever since the Taichu Divine Stones appeared in this realm five hundred years ago, quarrying the Divine Stones was just the first step. What truly became popular was the trend of stone gambling!

Unless a Taichu Divine Stone was cut open, it was nearly impossible for anyone to know what treasure lay inside.

It could contain Tier One and Two Treasures, but it could just as easily hold Tier Four and Five Treasures.

The difference in value was staggering, easily tens of thousands of times over.

To hedge their risks and secure a stable income, the factions that quarried the Divine Stones naturally began to sell the uncut Taichu Divine Stones directly.

Others, relying on years of experience in this trade, gradually identified certain patterns and developed a discerning "eye." Thus, the art of stone gambling began to flourish.

Due to their bloodline, the Qiu Family was born with an instinctive ability to appraise Taichu Divine Stones.

Moreover, as their Cultivation level increased, their appraisal ability also grew stronger.

At the Life Talisman Realm, they had about a thirty to forty percent chance of a correct reading.

At the Life Soul Realm, this increased to fifty or sixty percent.

After the Qiu Family’s ancestor broke through to the Dharma Realm, his accuracy reached seventy to eighty percent.

Relying on this talent, the Yu Yang Sect amassed a staggering fortune in the stone gambling industry and rose rapidly.

But with the decline and fall of the Yu Yang Sect, the Qiu Family became a coveted prize in the eyes of the major powers of Cangwu Continent.

This so-called bloodline power also brought disaster. Many Qiu clan members who fell into the hands of these major powers were either enslaved, exploited, and fought over, or subjected to various cruel experiments to uncover the secrets of their bloodline.

Their fates were utterly tragic.

Perhaps some were lucky enough to be spared, secretly protected by certain "benevolent" factions for mutual cooperation, but there was no way to know for sure.

Unfortunately, Qiuyu Tan’s branch of the family had not encountered such good fortune.

Fang Cheng could hear the deep yearning and longing for the outside world in Qiuyu Tan’s voice. She was full of talent, yet forced to live in seclusion.

Fang Cheng was accustomed to a life of enjoyment. When partaking in Spiritual Cuisine, fine wine was a must. The Spirit Brews he brought out were all of the highest quality, their rich fragrance filling the air. They were crisp on the palate and beneficial to the soul, Magical Power, and physical body.

Of course, they were also quite potent.

Qiuyu Tan naturally couldn’t handle a Tier Four Spirit Brew, so she accompanied him with a Tier Two Spirit Wine brewed by the Yu Yang Sect.

After a few cups of Spirit Wine, the beautiful woman was already a little tipsy.

Before she knew it, she had told Fang Cheng many fantastic and strange stories about stone gambling.

As they chatted on, the topic somehow drifted to matters between men and women.

Qiuyu Tan’s gaze was as fluid as water, darting about. A blush crept onto her cheeks, as vibrant as a peach blossom. Glancing from side to side, she asked shyly, "Elder, do you have a partner?"

Hearing this, Fang Cheng replied with a faint, ambiguous smile, "I do. And quite a few, at that."

Qiuyu Tan rested her chin on her hand and asked, "They must be very beautiful, right?"

Fang Cheng chuckled, raised his cup for a drink, and let his eyes roam over the pretty face and the full curves of her chest before giving a perfunctory reply, "About the same as you."

Qiuyu Tan burst out laughing but then grew a little self-conscious. Her beautiful eyes seemed to flow with light. Her loose bun had come undone, slanting like a flower by her ear. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and asked in a low voice:

"Elder, forgive my forwardness, but could you take me as your disciple?"

Fang Cheng couldn’t help but smile. He set down his cup and said, "I have no plans to take a disciple at the moment. However, if you wish to follow me, you could become my concubine."

His gaze burned as he looked at the vibrant, beautiful young woman before him, his sudden aura overwhelmingly intense.

Qiuyu Tan’s eyes darted away like a startled fawn.

She hadn’t expected Fang Cheng to be so direct. Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment. She quickly shook her head, bit her rosy lip, and stammered shyly, "I..."

The words of refusal were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t help but stop. Instead, she said, "Let me think about it."

Fang Cheng said calmly, "Alright. When you’ve made up your mind, come find me."

With his restless and amorous nature, how could he pass up the chance to have a beautiful woman by his side?

He had a particular fondness for innocent, unworldly women like her.

Qiuyu Tan stood up and said softly, "Then I’ll be heading back."

"Wait."

Fang Cheng took out a Jade Bottle and placed it on the table. "This pill is exceptionally effective for breaking through the Life Rune Barrier and condensing a Life Soul. Consider it a thank you gift for today’s Spiritual Cuisine."

Qiuyu Tan froze, a flicker of astonishment in her beautiful eyes. ’A single meal of Spiritual Cuisine in exchange for such a miraculous medicine?’

Her heart pounded in her chest. She raised her pretty face, gazed at Fang Cheng with deep emotion, and said softly, "Thank you, Elder."

With that, she picked up the Jade Bottle.

Fang Cheng’s eyes fell upon her beautiful, slender, snow-white hand, and he felt a stir in his heart.

Qiuyu Tan walked quickly out of the pavilion.

*

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「Seven days later.」

A Female Cultivator from the Yu Yang Sect walked into the Cave Mansion belonging to Qiu Wen Si and her husband.

A hint of exhaustion showed on Qiu Wen Si’s face. She asked, "Elder Hu, have you seen where Yu Tan has gone? Why isn’t she responding to my Spirit Sound transmissions?"

The female cultivator, Elder Hu, had a slightly odd expression. She replied, "Yu Tan went to the Sea View Pavilion five days ago and hasn’t come out since."

Qiu Wen Si understood immediately.

The Sea View Pavilion was precisely where she had arranged for Fang Cheng to stay.

’My little sister has been gone for so long. Could the Benefactor be guiding her in her cultivation?’

She had spent more than ten days with Fang Cheng during the Black Sun Wind Disaster and had some understanding of his character. She was confident he wouldn’t harm Qiuyu Tan.

For a great power comparable to the Tribulation Realm, such an act would be meaningless.

Qiu Wen Si fell silent for a moment, then said to Elder Hu, "Elder Hu, I need to go out with our Benefactor to handle some matters. Senior Brother Gongsun’s injuries have stabilized, and he should awaken soon. While I’m away from the sect, I’ll have to entrust its affairs to you."

Elder Hu was one of the three Life Soul Cultivators of the Yu Yang Sect. Having cultivated for over two hundred years, she was senior to Qiu Wen Si and one of the sect’s surviving veteran figures.

She had personally nurtured both Qiu Wen Si and Gongsun Zan as Immortal Seeds. She had a particular fondness for Gongsun Zan, having raised him since childhood and regarded him as her own son.

Therefore, she was very much at ease entrusting Gongsun Zan to Elder Hu’s care.

Leaving her Cave Mansion, Qiu Wen Si made her way to the Sea View Pavilion. Just as she was about to announce her presence, she heard a strange sound coming from inside.

She recognized it as the voice of her younger sister, Qiuyu Tan.

Long, drifting moans rose and fell, from urgent, stifled, and heavy, to a soul-lost trailing cry, finally becoming a series of plaintive, breathless gasps. It ranged from soft hums, trembling pants, and groans, to calls and cries. She had never heard Qiuyu Tan’s voice sound so seductively soft.

For a moment, she stood frozen on the spot, completely at a loss.

As an experienced woman, she knew exactly what was happening inside. The sounds were so vivid they painted pictures in her mind, and she couldn’t help but imagine many unmentionable scenes.

’They’re actually...’

Qiu Wen Si felt both embarrassed and angry as she listened, but her emotions quickly calmed.

The Benefactor was someone they could not afford to offend. The entire Yu Yang Sect owed him a great debt that they had to repay with all their might.

As for Yu Tan, she had her own destiny. If she could win the Benefactor’s favor, it might not be a bad thing at all.

She sighed softly to herself, turned to look at the view of the fjord and the sea, and began to wait patiently.

About an hour later, the sounds from within the Sea View Pavilion gradually subsided.

She waited a little longer before walking to the front of the pavilion and calling out, "Benefactor, I have arranged matters at home. We can leave for the Spirit Immortal Pavilion now."

Fang Cheng’s calm voice came from inside the pavilion, "Alright, wait a moment."

「A short while later.」

A man and a woman emerged from the pavilion. Fang Cheng was dressed in his wide-sleeved Daoist Robe, his scholarly air complemented by a faint smile on his face.

Qiuyu Tan followed behind him with a bashful expression. Her face was radiant, bright and alluring, the blush yet to fade from her fair cheeks.

Qiu Wen Si pretended not to see.

"Sister, I want to go to the Spirit Immortal Pavilion too," Qiuyu Tan said softly.

"Alright." Qiu Wen Si nodded. With Fang Cheng present, they would be perfectly safe. It would also be a good opportunity for her sister to experience the world.

Fang Cheng summoned a large, golden, multi-storied boat. The three of them gracefully boarded it, and it then rose into the air, flying straight toward the distant sky.

The Spirit Immortal Pavilion was one of the ten great market cities on Cangwu Continent and was rumored to have some connection to a certain mighty Ascender from Extreme Jade Heaven.

That Ascender had once left behind an Enlightenment Platform in this place. For thousands of years, countless Cultivators, drawn by its fame, gathered here, hoping to comprehend the legacy left by the ancient worthy. Gradually, they began to discuss the Dao, exchange ideas, and spar with one another, causing the gathering to grow ever larger.

With more people came business.

The Spirit Immortal Pavilion gradually prospered on this foundation.

...