Chapter 548 - 546: I Have to Take a Disciple, Too?

Chapter 548: Chapter 546: I Have to Take a Disciple, Too?

’What a peculiar pair. One looks like an Immortal, while the other is extremely ugly.’

"This is my younger sister. She will be cultivating on this mountain from now on."

"Don’t cause her any trouble. Understand?"

"There are other disciples on the peak now. Go speak with them. In one month, I will teach you the method to break through to the Eighth Realm."

"You can have your little schemes, but you’d best not let me see them." Su Qing’s tone was flat, betraying no emotion.

Zhang Baiyuan thought, ’Don’t tell me you can read my mind?’

"Yes, Peak Lord." Zhang Baiyuan was overtly respectful.

"I really can read your mind," Su Qing said softly.

Zhang Baiyuan looked up in shock and met Su Qing’s profound gaze. Terror seized his heart.

"Please, Peak Lord, mete out my punishment."

"Thoughts aren’t something you can control. But you’d best not be thinking ill of anyone in my presence again." Su Qing waved a hand, dismissing him from his sight.

"Brother, why did you do that?" Su Qianyou asked in confusion.

"Do what?" Su Qing asked, puzzled, as he picked up Su Qianyou.

"Why did you make them treat me with respect?"

"Because if I didn’t, you would get disgusted looks even on our own peak. And I don’t like that."

"You might be able to take it in stride, but I... your brother... don’t like it." Su Qing gently rubbed his forehead against Su Qianyou’s cheek.

Su Qing smiled. "Look, the scars on your body seem to have faded quite a bit since you started your Cultivation."

"Do you want to become a beautiful woman?"

"I don’t know," Su Qianyou replied, shaking her head.

"Fair enough. If you don’t know, you don’t know. The world is full of good and evil people—it’s all a matter of contrast, based on facts and perceptions."

"And my little sister is a truly kind person." Su Qing set Su Qianyou down.

"Go on, go cultivate. The Spiritual Qi here is so dense that even breaking through to the Immortal Realm would be no problem."

Su Qing needed to cultivate himself, and since Su Qianyou had not yet reached Foundation Establishment, he explained this to her.

"Also, in six months, there will be a grand competition in the Sacred Land. I want you to learn about it because you’ll be participating. The Sacred Land has Magic and all sorts of other Low Tier resources."

"I could give them to you, but I hope you’ll obtain them through your own efforts, rather than relying on me."

Su Qing gave her a brief explanation. It had taken him less than half a day to grasp the general situation in the Taiqing Sacred Land.

He wanted Su Qianyou to be independent and not rely on him.

After all, Su Qianyou had lived on her own in the beginning.

"I understand, Brother," Su Qianyou said with a nod.

「The next day.」

A group of people arrived on Zuyang Peak to offer their congratulations and, while they were at it, to get a look at the powerful expert the Saint Lord had mentioned.

However, only a few Peak Lords came in person; others simply sent representatives to deliver gifts before leaving.

"Sudan King, truly remarkable. We should get together sometime to discuss the art of Alchemy."

"What do you say?" a somewhat effeminate man asked, holding a cup of tea. Judging by his world-weary gaze and his attitude toward Su Qing, he seemed to be looking for a fight.

"Peak Lord Ji jests. My skills are too shallow; I’m afraid there’s nothing to discuss." Su Qing’s tone was anything but friendly.

"Hahaha, we are all Peak Lords of the Taiqing Sacred Land. It’s best we all get along," another, more rotund Peak Lord chimed in. He was the Peak Lord of White Crane Peak and specialized in Magic, not a crafting art.

"Heh. Even mortals know that professionals in the same field are rivals. My current attitude is already quite good."

"Alchemy Masters are known for their wonderful tempers, but I, for one, am not so easy to deal with."

"Did Qi Wansheng not teach you to respect your betters?"

A wave of pressure erupted from Su Qing, pinning Ji Shuqing in place. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

Then, Su Qing withdrew his pressure.

"Zhang Baiyuan, see our guests out."

"Alchemy is merely a hobby of mine. If we weren’t both part of the Taiqing Sacred Land, you should know what would happen to you for disrespecting a superior."

Su Qing’s figure vanished from the hall.

Ji Shuqing, now severely injured, managed to cup his fist in Su Qing’s direction.

"Peak Lord Ji, I told you we should all get along. Why didn’t you listen?" Xiao Liuzuo said, shaking his head with a look of pity, but the unconcealed glee in his eyes was not lost on Ji Shuqing.

"You have some nerve, Xiao Liuzuo. Your Magic is all bold, sweeping gestures, but I never thought you’d be one to enjoy watching others get humiliated."

"Not at all! I wouldn’t dare offend a Pill Master." Though Xiao Liuzuo’s words were placating, the delight in his eyes only intensified.

"I’ll remember this, Xiao Liuzuo."

"Hmph."

Zhang Baiyuan approached them. "Fellow Daoists, please follow me."

"Fellow Daoist Baiyuan, you’ve stumbled into quite the opportunity," Xiao Liuzuo said with a laugh, cupping his fist to Zhang Baiyuan.

"Not at all. It is merely a matter of gains and losses."

Ji Shuqing forced a smile. "Fellow Daoist Zhang is indeed fortunate. If you receive a pointer or two from such a powerful expert, I’m afraid your Cultivation will advance even faster than ours."

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Ji. Let me see you back first."

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, farewell."

"Farewell, Fellow Daoist Baiyuan. I can see myself out," Xiao Liuzuo said with a smile before taking his leave in a flash.

Ji Shuqing said weakly, "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Zhang."

In truth, Ji Shuqing had been trying to stand up for Zhang Baiyuan. This was because Zhang Baiyuan’s Cultivation was at the same Realm as his own, and he possessed Sixth Grade Artifact Refining skills.

If Zhang Baiyuan had secured the position of Peak Lord and been given the proper resources, he would very likely have been able to refine a Seventh Grade Magical Artifact within a decade or so.

Then, Ji Shuqing could have had his own Pill Furnace replaced with a brand new, high-quality one.

Artifact Refining and Alchemy were quite similar, aside from the items they produced.

The friendship between Zhang Baiyuan and Ji Shuqing was that of gentlemen: faint as water, but built on mutual respect.

...

「Three months later.」

"What brings the Saint Lord to Zuyang Peak in person?"

"I presume you have some business with me?"

The two were in a tea room that Su Qing had built.

"Haha, I do indeed. As the Peak Lord of Zuyang Peak, you are required to recruit at least one disciple within a year. It affects the allocation of quotas and resources for all the peaks."

"Do Named Disciples count?" Su Qing asked.

"They do!"

"Peak Lord Su can select a talented disciple he fancies from the grand competition," Qi Wansheng said with a smile, taking a sip of tea.

The tea’s aroma was overflowing, and Qi Wansheng couldn’t help himself.

After taking a sip, he exclaimed in astonishment, "Ninth Grade Spirit Tea!"

"Peak Lord Su, you truly have remarkable means."

"It’s just some Spirit Tea. If the Saint Lord desires it, I can give you a pound."

"In that case, I won’t be polite." Qi Wansheng cupped his fist, making it clear that since the offer was made, it had to be honored.

With a helpless sigh, Su Qing retrieved some prepared Spirit Tea from his Micro Acupoint World and handed it over.

Suddenly, a massive fluctuation of Spiritual Qi erupted on the peak.

A Spiritual Qi vortex formed as well.

It was right next to Su Qing’s residence.

"A Spiritual Qi vortex?"

"What is the state of Peak Lord Su’s sister’s Realm?" Qi Wansheng asked.

He had actually wanted to probe her himself, but the last time he’d carelessly tried, his soul had been seared by an undetectable flame. If Su Qing hadn’t been present to soothe Su Qianyou, the burning sensation wouldn’t have subsided.

From that moment on, Qi Wansheng was filled with a sense of reverence for Su Qianyou.

That little girl was just as unfathomably mysterious as Su Qing.

Fortunately, they seemed content to simply cultivate peacefully within the Taiqing Sacred Land and hadn’t made any strange moves.

"She should be breaking through to Foundation Establishment."

Su Qing smiled. With a flick of his fingers, a dense, pure stream of Spiritual Qi suffused the entire peak.

"What a technique," Qi Wansheng murmured, his surprise evident as he witnessed the display.

’He stores Spiritual Qi like this inside his body without absorbing and refining it? Instead, he gives it to his sister. That’s pure Spiritual Qi, which means it’s all been filtered.’

’How incredibly generous!’

Qi Wansheng sighed to himself. ’To create such a Spiritual Qi vortex just by breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm... that girl’s talent is immense. If only she were truly a disciple of our Taiqing Sacred Land.’