Chapter 179 - 178: Future

Chen Qingyang stared at Shopkeeper Wang for a long moment, his expression gradually losing its coldness.

"No wonder you were willing to give me credit. So you had this planned from the start. I might be open to discussing other things, but don't even think about this Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, lest it affect the good terms between us!"

But Shopkeeper Wang took two steps forward, blocking Chen Qingyang. "It seems Senior Brother Chen has misunderstood. If I did business that way, I'm afraid I'd never close a single deal. The biggest gambles have always been bets on the future. I want to bet on Senior Brother Chen's future!"

Chen Qingyang said, "Then let's hear the details."

"We'll draw up a contract. We'll set a twenty-year term for the five million Spirit Stones. If you still can't gather the full amount when the twenty years are up, you will cede the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl to us at Gentle Breeze. Of course, during these twenty years, the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl will remain in your possession. What do you think?"

To be able to run a business like this within the Sect, much like Fulu Workshop, meant they must have a powerful figure backing them. For a Cultivator, he would likely still be on Cyan Bamboo Peak in twenty years, still the same Chen Qingyang. While Gentle Breeze was taking a risk, it was a controllable one.

More importantly, they could double their profit in twenty years and had a high chance of obtaining a Separation Huo Dragon Pearl.

Several hundred thousand Spirit Stones per year. Based on Chen Qingyang's current Alchemy speed, after accounting for the cost of ingredients, he would have to go all out just to barely make enough. This debt would be a heavy burden.

However… he still asked, "What kind of contract is it?"

Shopkeeper Wang grinned again. "Please, have a seat, Senior Brother Chen. Don't be hasty. I'll go get it right now!"

Chen Qingyang said, "I haven't agreed to anything."

"No harm in just looking." He practically dragged Chen Qingyang to a seat before bringing over a bright red booklet. The cover bore the gilt words "Gentle Breeze," giving it a rather festive look.

He opened the booklet, revealing the contract's contents. A unique Qi Mechanism surged from its pages.

"Senior Brother Chen may not know this, but this is a Blood and Essence Contract. Once we both drip our Essence Blood onto it, the contract will form a unique auric bond. No one will be able to deny it."

Chen Qingyang read it over carefully again. The contents of the contract were indeed flawless, exactly as the shopkeeper had described. It seemed he hadn't tried to pull any tricks with it.

Just then, five young women walked in, each holding a tray. On each tray was a silk cloth, which they unveiled to reveal different items.

The items looked like metal but weren't metal, like stone but weren't stone. Each had a unique shape and a brilliant color, and all of them radiated a soft glow.

Shopkeeper Wang clapped his hands, and the five young women stood before Chen Qingyang. He introduced the items one by one: "The golden one is Magnetic Pole Essence Qi. The cyan one is Gangmu Profound Abyss. The white one is the Water of No Yang. The red one is a Flaming Sun Fire Stone. And finally, this apricot-yellow one is Earth Essence. Senior Brother Chen can tell the quality of my wares with just a glance."

'This man really is a master of business,' Chen Qingyang thought. 'He's made so many preparations just to close this deal.' He stood silently, his consciousness circling over the Five Elements Essences.

Clean, pure, flawless.

Although they didn't contain an overwhelmingly powerful Qi Mechanism, the feeling they gave off was enough to prove the quality of these Five Elements Essences.

Seeing him remain silent for a long time, Shopkeeper Wang spoke again: "I dare say that for these five items, you couldn't get any one of them for less than six hundred thousand Spirit Stones. If Senior Brother Chen is willing, we can sign this contract right now. If not... well, I've still shown my sincerity and done right by you, Senior Brother Chen!"

His attitude was firm, clearly confident in his treasures.

Chen Qingyang's gaze swept over the five items again. He was truly reluctant to part with the idea of having them. He had learned from the Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword manual that all five of these items were of exceptional quality and would be perfect to use with that Dharma Gate.

'There are still twenty years. For other Practitioners, it might be the blink of an eye, but for me, it's a long time.'

'By then, my Cultivation will be far beyond its current level. Perhaps it's just as Shopkeeper Wang said: time waits for no one. Spirit Stones can be earned, but a Lifebound Magical Artifact is a matter of opportunity.'

'It can be used to fight enemies and protect my life—exactly what I lack most right now.'

"What a shrewd calculation. I see your ultimate goal is my Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, isn't it? For the Li Yang Pill Institute to value it so highly, it must be something with a price but no market."

Shopkeeper Wang didn't have to say a word; Chen Qingyang understood from his smile that he was right. The shopkeeper then added, "Senior Brother Chen should also be confident that his own future is immeasurable!"

And so, with each having their own calculations, the two of them pressed their Blood Finger Seals onto the contract. Chen Qingyang felt a thread of his True Power become permanently bound to it.

"I'm very curious, who is the true owner of Gentle Breeze?"

Shopkeeper Wang just gave a sly chuckle. "Don't be impatient, Senior Brother Chen. In the future, as your Cultivation rises and your experience broadens, you will naturally find out."

"Fine, I won't ask anymore. It must have been difficult for you to put on such a show for me."

Chen Qingyang bowed with his hands clasped. With a wave of his sleeve, he swept the five items into his possession. By the time he left Gentle Breeze, it was the middle of the night.

The spring night's breeze was gentle, carrying the fresh fragrance of flowers that lingered around Chen Qingyang's nose. The moon floated in a thin layer of clouds, like a Jade Disc soaked in water. Its pure, flawless light fell upon the scattered flowers in the grass, dusting them with a white glow.

At the foot of Cyan Bamboo Peak, a gurgling stream emerged from the cracks between the rocks. Right next to the White Jade Steps, it pooled into a Spiritual Spring, reflecting the moonlight.

The Spiritual Spring then flowed onward, a ribbon of pure white light winding down the mountainside and away into the distance.

He walked slowly, thinking slowly.

In a short amount of time, he had become a man shouldering a massive debt of five million. 'But at least the future is promising!'

Now that he had the items, he naturally had to hurry and get to his Cultivation. Like a gust of wind, he floated back to his small courtyard.

He entered his house and sat down to meditate, calming his mind.

He went over the Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword technique in his mind several more times. Feeling that he had a solid grasp of it, he arranged the Five Elements Essences in front of him. Xu Baoling noticed the movement, but only spared it a glance without saying a word.

Chen Qingyang first raised a hand, and the Earth Element Essence fell into his palm. Then, using the Dharma Gate, he summoned his Mingtang True Fire. He brought his palms together, and a flame appeared between them, beginning to incinerate the Earth Element Essence.

This process continued until dawn. When he looked again, only a pinch of ash remained in the center of his palm. The Earth Element Essence had long since transformed into a wisp of aura, which now resided in his Dantian.

Taking only its essence and not its form, the artifact is created without shape or substance. This is the nature of a Lifebound Magical Artifact.

Following the Five Elements theory of generation, where Earth begets Metal, he next began the refinement of the Metal Element Essence. Then, as Metal begets Water, he moved on to the refinement of the Water Element Essence.

After that came Wood and Fire, until the Five Elements were complete, generating and overcoming one another in a perfect cycle.

In this way, two days passed.

Refining this Lifebound Magical Artifact for the first time was extremely draining and had to be done in one go. Though physically exhausted, Chen Qingyang didn't pause for a moment. He used the method from the Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword to directly activate the two Sword Embryos in his Spiritual Sea and Dantian.

At this stage, he should have used the Sword Qi from the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual as a catalyst. But Chen Qingyang thought of the Sword Embryos he possessed and their far greater power, so he decided to make a change.

Two streams of cyan-green aura gathered in his Dantian and began to merge with the Five Elements. Only then did a surging power erupt from his body. The refinement process had reached its most critical moment.

He then used his Mingtang True Fire to temper the fusion for another two days. At last, the Five Elements and the Sword Qi merged completely. Within his Dantian, they formed a mass of Qi Mechanism that, as it solidified, had already taken the shape of a sword.

With this step, the Lifebound Magical Artifact was initially formed within his body. From now on, it would require daily nourishment and cultivation.

He opened his eyes and let out a long breath. Then he closed them again, expelling the old and taking in the new to begin restoring his Primordial Energy.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Qingyang opened his eyes again to see that dusk was approaching and the sky was growing dark.

With a thought, a sword shadow about a foot long materialized and soared before him. It shimmered with the colors of the Five Elements and carried the aura of the Cyan Cloud Sword Embryo. It scattered a silvery light, its sharpness unmatched.

This was his Lifebound Magical Artifact. Its power was on a completely different level compared to mere Sword Qi. After a bit more Sacrificial Refinement, he could finally put away the Qianxue Sword.

After all, it was a sword Li Qianxue had used when her Cultivation was not yet so outstanding. The sword's upper limit was clear.

"Master, have you successfully refined the Lifebound Magical Artifact?" Finding a moment, Xu Baoling finally asked him.

"That's right. I only recently obtained this Lifebound Sword Technique. It's called the Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword. Have you heard of it?"

Xu Baoling shook her head. "I've only seen a Lifebound Magical Artifact before, which is why I guessed. As for this Five Elements Sword, I've never heard of it."

Chen Qingyang asked again, "Then in your opinion, how powerful is it?"

Xu Baoling thought about it seriously. "I can only give Master my honest opinion, which is that I can't say. With my current Cultivation, I can only offer Master advice when it comes to the Alchemy Dao."

Chen Qingyang nodded lightly. "No matter. 'I paid such a huge price, so I wanted to know if it was worth it. For now, it seems I made the right choice. This Lifebound Magical Artifact contains the Power of the Five Elements and can continue to grow stronger as more is added. Its future potential is immeasurable.'"

Xu Baoling was more concerned about what the price was, so Chen Qingyang immediately told her about the deal with Gentle Breeze.

"When I first met Master, you were only in the First Realm of Qi Refining. Now you're already in the Essence Condensation Third Realm, and it hasn't even been four years. Twenty years from now, things will be completely different. For a person like you, Master, time is the most important thing. Five million Spirit Stones might truly be nothing in the future."

'So she supports my decision.' "That's right," he said. "That's what I was thinking too."

[Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword: (1/20000)]

'The golden characters for the Dharma Gate have appeared. But to require 20,000 points just to reach the entry level is truly absurd. I suppose it's also a testament to how profound this Dharma Gate is.'

'In the future, I can also use an Immortal Seedling to speed up the Sacrificial Refinement progress. But to advance it further, I'll have to find the necessary Five Elements Essences myself.'

Seeing that it was dark, Chen Qingyang continued to meditate until dawn the next day.

'The Elixirs for Fulu Workshop are all ready, so I'm not in such a rush anymore. I should do something else.'

'I wonder how Master Water Moon's Peach Blossom tree is doing. I still haven't had a chance to collect some Wood Spirit Qi for the Profound Wood Incense Burner. If I can properly refine that Magical Artifact, it will be another life-saving tool for the future.'

'Although my Cultivation has broken through to the level of the Inner Sect, the tasks I'm actually doing are all Outer Sect matters. So, I need to make as many preparations as I can. They'll always come in handy.'