Chapter 188 - 187: Qing Yao

Chen Qingyang had never imagined that Cyan Bamboo Peak held such a Secret Realm.

This place seemed to exist apart from the Tai Xu Sect, a separate world unto itself. To enter, one had to first pass through a Profound Wood Archway, upon which were inscribed the three words "Qing Yao True Monarch."

The moment he stepped through the archway, the surrounding Qi Mechanism changed drastically. He had seen much of the world by now and knew that a sophisticated Array could form its own small world, completely isolated from the outside. Even the changing of seasons, sunshine and rain, the rising and setting of the sun—all could be controlled within it.

Lifting his gaze, he saw a vast, fertile plain. Though crisscrossed with paths, there was no one tilling the fields. Only at the far end of this expanse of green was there a cluster of buildings, flanked on either side by an endless range of mountains.

Chen Qingyang had seen many such landscapes after leaving the Tai Xu Sect, but a place like this was unique within the sect's grounds. He couldn't tell if it was an Illusion Realm or if an Array could truly move mountains and fill seas.

Last night at Master Jing Yuan's Dao Field, they had discussed cultivation and the Dao. Chen Qingyang hadn't dared to meditate for even a moment. Instead, he had taken the opportunity to befriend many of his senior brothers and sisters, getting to know the disciples under Master Jing Yuan for the first time.

Before dawn, they had followed their Master to this place and had been flying across the vast plain ever since. But even after traveling for a long time, the distant buildings seemed no closer.

Their Master led the way, with the rest of the disciples following in order. Gradually, Chen Qingyang fell to the back, accompanied by his Fourth Senior Brother, Ji Rang.

Their Eldest Senior Brother, now a venerable Foundation Establishment Master, walked beside their Master, conversing with him.

"Don't be anxious, Junior Brother." Ji Rang, who was always warm-hearted, explained, "I reckon we'll be traveling for a long time. This is a trial from the True Monarch. If our branch can't even reach the destination, then we might as well not participate in the Essence Splitting gathering." He elaborated, knowing it was Chen Qingyang's first time here and that he was unfamiliar with everything.

This, however, only sparked more questions in Chen Qingyang's mind. "Senior Brother, is the trial just... traveling?"

Chen Qingyang looked around but saw nothing amiss. He took a deep breath of Spiritual Qi, and it felt no different from the outside world.

This was the Dao Field of a Golden Core True Monarch; he wouldn't dare release his Conscious Fish here. He could only rely on his senses.

"It is just traveling," Ji Rang confirmed. "As the saying goes, 'Without a heart devoted to the Dao, how can one witness the Golden Core's Dao Fruit?' This is an Array personally set up by the True Monarch, also known as the Sumeru Illusion Realm. But to be precise, it's not a test for us!"

Chen Qingyang pointed ahead. "You don't mean... it's for our Master?"

Ji Rang chuckled. "Of course, of course. The Golden Core True Monarch is testing his own disciples. If the Foundation Establishment Masters aren't capable enough, they'll just lead us in circles here, never reaching the Saint Realm. I once heard..."

He leaned closer to Chen Qingyang. "Decades ago, a certain Master came here and failed to reach the Saint Realm. Before long, her disciples had all left to join other Master Sects. The only ones left were the rejects—not a single elite among them!"

His words naturally piqued Chen Qingyang's curiosity for gossip. "And which Master was that?"

Ji Rang gave him a light shove. "I knew you'd ask. That Master was Xu Wuji's own master, the current Master Water Moon!"

Cyan Bamboo Peak had over 360 Foundation Establishment Masters, yet he had somehow managed to make an enemy of Master Water Moon's disciple. Now, to hear such an interesting story about her... 'What an uncanny fate.'

"That Master really had it rough!" he exclaimed, then thought to himself, 'Her chances of advancing her cultivation depended on that Jade Peach Profound Wood, and I didn't leave a single drop of Wood Spirit Qi behind. Did I take things a bit too far?'

Ji Rang continued, "You don't need to pity her. Our Master once commented that Master Water Moon's failings lie in her temperament, not her comprehension. Her will is not firm, and she's adept at the shifts of Yin and Yang. If not for that, she wouldn't have started accepting just anyone as a disciple after being ridiculed by the True Monarch."

He had mistaken Chen Qingyang for a kind-hearted person, assuming the troubled look on his face was pity for Master Water Moon. Little did he know, Chen Qingyang's guilt had been fleeting at best.

"You're right, Senior Brother, that makes sense. But we've been wandering here for a long time. The scenery around us never changes, and the buildings seem close yet are forever out of reach. You don't think our Master has fallen for the trick, do you?"

This bold speculation was met with an immediate shake of the head from Ji Rang. "Nonsense. Our Master's devotion to the Dao is nearly unmatched in this world. Back in the day, he was even able to follow that senior sister you were betrothed to as a child. How could a mere illusion like this stump him? He's just teaching our Eldest Senior Brother."

The "senior sister he was betrothed to as a child" he mentioned was undoubtedly Li Qianxue.

Chen Qingyang looked more closely and saw that their Eldest Senior Brother was indeed pointing at the path ahead, while Master Jing Yuan simply followed behind without a word, giving at most a nod now and then.

"You make a good point, Fourth Senior Brother!"

Hearing this again made Ji Rang laugh heartily. "Don't be impatient. Let's just follow along and fly slowly. Our Master will probably wait until Eldest Senior Brother is completely lost before he steps in to show the way. We've got a long way to go!"

His tone, however, carried a hint of sourness.

He had to admit, their Master truly had a gift for teaching his disciples and expounding on the Dao. 'I'm starting to hope,' Chen Qingyang thought, 'that the whole Cyan Nether Sword Embryo incident was just a misunderstanding.'

The sun hung perpetually high in the sky, never moving. The scenery on all sides remained the same. After a while, it inevitably became frustrating.

Gradually, Chen Qingyang lost all desire to speak. Once the feeling of vexation arose, it grew wildly within him like weeds, impossible to suppress.

He even felt the urge to flee, to end this ordeal as quickly as possible. But just as the thought surfaced, it was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, shocking him back to his senses.

He immediately shook his head, trying to cast the thought aside. 'Testing one's patience—isn't this also one of the Golden Core True Monarch's methods?'

He observed the others around him. His senior brothers with higher cultivation levels seemed fine, but those with lower cultivation were visibly impatient, some even muttering curses aloud.

The silhouette of their Master up ahead remained steadfast. Chen Qingyang had a feeling that even though he hadn't turned around, he was perfectly aware of everything happening behind him.

Chen Qingyang tried to focus on the outside world, to push the thoughts from his mind. But the more he tried, the more those "weeds" clung to him, until he was on the verge of shouting out in frustration.

It was only because of his cautious nature and his ability to endure that he had lasted this long. At that moment, even his Fourth Senior Brother beside him cried out, "If Eldest Senior Brother can't figure it out, Master should just take over! Why make me waste my time? This is..."

This was significant, as Ji Rang was known for his mild, easygoing, and cheerful disposition. Chen Qingyang had never seen him angry before.

An unknown amount of time passed like this. Chen Qingyang felt his patience reach its absolute limit. A burning sensation filled his chest, as if something was about to erupt.

In a daze, he could no longer see his senior brothers or his Master. In this empty, tedious world, he was utterly alone.

A scorching heat was seeping into his Seven Meridians and Eight Vessels, threatening to disrupt his Qi Mechanism itself. 'If I can't resist it, then I might as well let it run its course.'

He began to gather his focus, centering his mind and guarding his core. He concentrated solely on his Dantian and Spiritual Sea, ignoring the outside world.

He felt his body begin to plummet. This was because once he had focused his mind inward and ignored the external changes, he could no longer maintain the Void Step Introduction technique he had been using.

'So what if I'm falling?' he thought. 'It's not a real fall anyway. This is a Golden Core True Monarch's Dao Field.'

With that, he decided to ignore everything else. His consciousness focused only on his Dantian, Spiritual Sea, and the Three Acupoints, watching the wisp of True Qi circulate between these five points as he began to cultivate earnestly.

To his surprise, the scorching heat was like a poison clinging to his bones. It surged into his personal domain, instantly destabilizing his Qi Mechanism and intensifying the inner turmoil.

Chen Qingyang identified its pattern. For every part the heat intensified, he would yield a part, employing the strategy of using softness to overcome hardness to its fullest extent.

He didn't know how much time passed. Adhering to the principle of "when the enemy advances, I retreat," his mind suddenly became crystal clear.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself landing on solid ground behind his Master. The senior brothers and sisters beside him were all groggy and disoriented.

The cluster of buildings they had sought for so long was right before them. The surrounding scenery finally had depth and perspective. The sun above had begun its journey from east to west. He could feel a gentle breeze and smell the fragrance of young shoots from the ground beneath his feet.

'Weren't they only testing the Foundation Establishment Masters? How come not a single disciple was spared?'

Just as Chen Qingyang was taking it all in, a cool breeze suddenly swirled around him. An intuition struck him—a pair of eyes was watching him.

His own Master, Jing Yuan, stood before him, bowing with cupped hands to the empty air. His Eldest Senior Brother, right behind, did the same with utmost respect.

Chen Qingyang instantly understood. 'It's the Golden Core True Monarch's gaze.' He couldn't afford to stand out. His eyes immediately glazed over with confusion, his mouth twitched, and he finally uttered three words: "Where am I?"

A moment later, the presence did indeed dissipate.

Then, another gust of wind swept in from all directions. Wherever it passed, everyone's minds cleared. They looked at each other in dawning realization.

His Fourth Senior Brother slapped his thigh. "Incredible! The True Monarch personally took action today to test us, but I was a disappointment and fell for the trick. Junior Brother, you were clear-headed just now, weren't you?"

Chen Qingyang replied, "If even a cultivator of your level couldn't resist, Senior Brother, what chance did I have?"

But now Ji Rang looked completely serious. "This is related to one's talent and temperament, and has nothing to do with one's cultivation level. I thought since your progress has been so rapid, Junior Brother, your talent must far surpass ours. I didn't expect..."

Chen Qingyang finished his sentence, "...that I'm also just perfectly ordinary, right?"

"Haha!" Ji Rang laughed. "You're the one who said it."

As the disciples were chatting, a deep voice came from the front. "Silence!"

It was Master Jing Yuan. Following his gaze, they saw a figure slowly descending.