Chapter 203 - 193: Unity of Heaven and Man

Chapter 203: Chapter 193: Unity of Heaven and Man

The Gathering Essence Spirit Platform was protected by a special Array. Once the hall doors closed, it was almost completely sealed off from the outside world, trapping all fluctuations of aura within the barrier.

Even Qin Hongzhang couldn’t perceive what was happening inside through that barrier, so he was naturally unaware that Chen Yue had broken through to a new realm the previous night.

He gave a slight nod without saying a word, then withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes once more.

He assumed Chen Yue was already on the cusp of the Marrow Refining Realm, and that the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform had simply helped him take the final few steps and cross the threshold during his three days of cultivation.

Entering the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform at the Peak of the Marrow Refining Realm and breaking through to the Refining Organ Realm with the help of rich Primordial Qi was a perfectly logical progression.

But it was different for Meng Yu Jin and the other two.

Meng Yu Jin and Liu Zhengyi, in particular, had both used their Primordial Power to examine Chen Yue’s condition. They clearly remembered his state before he had entered the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform.

At that time, Chen Yue’s Cultivation was at the Middle Stage of the Marrow Refining Realm at best. Although his foundation was absurdly solid, he was still a considerable way from the threshold of the Refining Organ Realm.

Even with his previously astonishing speed of accumulating Inner Strength, it should have taken him more than twenty days.

And yet, in just three days, he had directly bridged the entire gap from the Middle Stage of the Marrow Refining Realm to the Refining Organ Realm. Even for the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform, that was far too incredible.

"Excellent!"

Liu Zhengyi let out a great, booming laugh that echoed across the quiet square.

Smiles also broke out on the faces of Meng Yu Jin and Mo Ciqiu. Regardless of how it happened, breaking through to the Refining Organ Realm ahead of schedule was always a good thing.

The gap between the Marrow Refining Realm and the peak of the Refining Organ Realm was immense. No rational Martial Artist would have considered that a fair fight.

But now, compared to Guan Duhai, they were both at the Refining Organ Realm. Guan Duhai’s greatest advantage—suppression by a higher realm—was now gone.

After stepping out of the hall, Chen Yue cupped his hands in a salute toward the figure sitting cross-legged under the eaves. Qin Hongzhang didn’t open his eyes, merely offering a slight nod in response.

Chen Yue turned to face Meng Yu Jin and the others, cupping his hands in salute. "Greetings, Master. Greetings, Elder Mo. Greetings, Elder Liu!"

The morning light shone from behind, tracing the edge of his gray-blue changshan with a faint golden glow.

Meng Yu Jin beamed at Chen Yue, her smile filled with the pride a master feels upon seeing their disciple’s progress.

"How do you feel? Do you need to rest for a few days before heading to the Wenda Corridor?"

After a breakthrough, the body needed time to adapt to a new level of power. Forcing the next stage of cultivation wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

In Meng Yu Jin’s opinion, it wouldn’t be too late for him to rest for a few days, allow his body to fully absorb the changes from the breakthrough, and then enter the Wenda Corridor.

Mo Ciqiu added from the side,

"Normally, one would head straight to the Wenda Corridor after leaving the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform. You can take advantage of the lingering Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in your body to better comprehend the various Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques. But since you just had a breakthrough, you can certainly take your time."

Chen Yue assessed his condition. The power that had been surging through him from the breakthrough had already stabilized. His meridians were clear, his Inner Strength was abundant, and his Heart Spirit remained sharp and lucid after three days of cultivation.

The fatigue that usually came from prolonged concentration was barely noticeable.

"I feel fine, Master. I can head to the Wenda Corridor now."

Meng Yu Jin nodded, not objecting. "Alright, I’ll go with you."

Chen Yue cupped his hands. "Thank you, Master."

"How is your cultivation of the Burning Pill Technique coming along? Have you run into any trouble?" Liu Zhengyi asked with a smile.

He had spent several years refining that Cultivation Technique. While he was confident in Chen Yue’s Talent and Physique, he still wanted to make sure the young man hadn’t encountered any issues.

Chen Yue shook his head with a smile. "Not yet, thank you, Elder Liu."

Mo Ciqiu looked at Chen Yue, the corners of her lips curling into a teasing smile as she chuckled.

"Are you only going to thank them? I stopped my own cultivation just to come and see you."

Chen Yue was taken aback for a moment, then quickly cupped his hands in another salute. "My thanks to you as well, Elder Mo!"

Seeing his reaction, Mo Ciqiu giggled, her laughter carried away by the morning breeze.

Meng Yu Jin couldn’t help but shoot Mo Ciqiu a resigned look, though the corners of her own lips twitched into a slight smile.

The three of them continued up the mountain path, bypassing a dense cypress grove and passing through a stone gate half-hidden by vines until they reached another secluded spot on True Inheritance Peak.

Ahead of them, a long, corridor-like structure came into view. Built into the mountainside, it stretched for several dozen yards, capped with green tiles and flanked by open colonnades.

The ground beneath the corridor was paved with dark flagstones. Set into the walls on either side, at regular intervals, were stone tablets.

The tablets’ surfaces gleamed with a dull luster. On some, one could faintly make out blurred etchings and patterns that resembled either ancient script or the imprint of some power.

At the entrance to the long corridor, a figure sat cross-legged on a stone platform, looking like a long-forgotten statue.

He was gaunt and withered, with a beard and hair so long they pooled on the ground around him, the gray-white strands spreading out like a layer of wind-scattered frost.

His head was bowed, his face mostly hidden by his cascading hair, making his features and expression impossible to discern. He was so still he seemed to have merged with the colonnade and stone steps.

Chen Yue was about to step forward and offer a salute, but Meng Yu Jin shook her head and whispered,

"That’s Elder Zhao. As long as his eyes are closed, we shouldn’t disturb him. Elder Zhao has guarded this place for many years. He pays no mind to worldly affairs or to those who come and go. Since you already have Elder Feng’s permission to enter the Wenda Corridor, you can go straight in without disturbing him."

Chen Yue nodded and bowed to Meng Yu Jin and the other two.

He was just about to turn and walk toward the Wenda Corridor’s entrance when Meng Yu Jin’s voice stopped him. "Wait."

Chen Yue froze and looked back to see Meng Yu Jin taking two large vials from her Storage Ring.

Meng Yu Jin held the two vials out to Chen Yue. "Inside are one hundred Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills and fifty Bone Marrow Cleansing and Body Refining Pills. You can take them in the Wenda Corridor. Don’t hold back."

Chen Yue looked at Meng Yu Jin in astonishment, his gaze lingering on his master’s calm face for a moment. He hesitated, his first instinct being to refuse.

But he quickly reached out and accepted the two vials. "Thank you, Master!"

Chen Yue turned back toward the Wenda Corridor, the two heavy vials already stored away in his Little Pill Furnace.

Morning light slanted through the gaps between the pillars. As Chen Yue passed the gaunt figure at the entrance, he lightened his steps, his gaze falling upon the face obscured by hair and beard.

The Innate Powerhouse never opened his eyes, remaining like a statue devoid of aura. He, along with the green tiles, stone steps, and pillars, created a scene of timeless serenity.

Chen Yue didn’t linger any longer. He withdrew his gaze and stepped into the corridor.

Meng Yu Jin and the other two watched from a distance as Chen Yue’s figure was swallowed by the corridor’s shadows. Only when the last glimpse of his gray-blue robes had vanished did they turn to leave.

The mountain path stretched down below them in the morning light. The three walked side-by-side, each lost in their own thoughts.

Mo Ciqiu glanced at Meng Yu Jin beside her and suddenly spoke. "What would you say to letting Chen Yue become my disciple?"

Both Meng Yu Jin and Liu Zhengyi stopped in their tracks. Meng Yu Jin turned to Mo Ciqiu, her eyes wide with surprise. "Are you serious?"

She knew Mo Ciqiu’s personality. She was always joking around, and eight out of ten things she said were just for laughs. But the tone and expression she had now were different from her usual playful teasing.

Mo Ciqiu nodded without a smile, her gaze holding a rare seriousness.

"With his Talent, he could break through to the Innate Realm within a year or two. Imagine it: two Innates from the same lineage. How grand would that sound?

"Besides, having him cultivate by the book will only slow him down. I can’t teach him how to pop elixirs, but I can teach him how to sense the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. I can teach him how to begin transforming his Heart Spirit into Divine Sense even while he’s still in the Refining Organ Realm.

"You can’t teach him that. Senior Brother Liu can’t either. But I can!"

Meng Yu Jin gave a wry smile. "You and your strange ideas. I’ve never seen you this interested in a disciple before. You mentioned it on the path the other day, but I thought you were just joking."

Mo Ciqiu shot Meng Yu Jin a look. "My idea is perfectly normal, thank you very much. When you find a promising young talent, you want to take them as your disciple. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? Go on, ask Senior Brother Liu if he doesn’t want to take Chen Yue as his disciple too."

Liu Zhengyi rubbed his forehead with his fingertips for a moment, then nodded honestly. "The thought has crossed my mind."

He paused. "Mainly, it’s because he’s a lot like me. But because we’re so similar, I wouldn’t even know how to teach him."

Meng Yu Jin glanced at Liu Zhengyi, then back at Mo Ciqiu, remaining silent for a few breaths. "Then you can ask him yourself when he comes out. If he agrees, I won’t object. But I can’t accept on his behalf. Let him choose for himself."

Mo Ciqiu tugged on Meng Yu Jin’s sleeve with a childish, wheedling air.

"You have to help me! That kid is clearly stubborn as a mule. He accepted Guan Duhai’s Life and Death Decision without a moment’s hesitation. The last time I brought up becoming my disciple, he flat-out refused. If I ask again, he’ll probably just refuse again. How embarrassing would that be for me?"

Meng Yu Jin let out a soft laugh, one that held a hint of cunning.

With a flicker of movement, her form became like a leaf caught in the wind, and she drifted away down the mountain path. Her aqua-blue dress carved a graceful arc through the morning light.

"That’s not my problem. Taking a disciple is your business. You’ll have to figure out how to persuade him yourself."

Seeing Meng Yu Jin flee, Mo Ciqiu pouted, then her figure blurred as she gave chase. Her moon-white robes billowed in the wind like a fleeting cloud, and her speed was even a touch faster than Meng Yu Jin’s.

"You’re just unwilling to part with him! You’re so stingy! If you don’t help me, I’ll go to your courtyard every day and eat all your snacks! I’ll devour every last one of those osmanthus cakes you’ve hidden away!"

Meng Yu Jin’s soft laughter drifted back on the morning breeze.

Two figures flitted down the mountain path, one chasing the other. Liu Zhengyi stood watching their retreating backs for a moment, shook his head, and then set off after them.