Chapter 264: Solitary Yin

Chapter 264 -255: Solitary Yin

Just outside the door, the child Qingfeng came out.

For the past few years, he had come almost every year, and nearly always during the winter.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Chen.”

Chen Qingyang returned the bow. “I’ve come to see the Master. I was wondering if she is available today?”

Qingfeng looked up. The sky had already grown completely dark. Chen Qingyang understood the implication.

“…Please wait a moment, Senior Brother. I will go inform the Master.”

It seemed that on many of his visits, Chen Qingyang had stayed until nightfall, which was indeed inconvenient. “Thank you for your trouble,” he said.

As he stood at the entrance, snowflakes began to fall again, a few landing on his shoulders.

“The Master will see you now, Senior Brother.”

Qingfeng led him to the fourth floor. As always, Qingfeng stopped at the landing and instructed Chen Qingyang to enter on his own.

Yun Ci was seated on a rush cushion, her back to him.

She was surrounded by a circle of candles. Chen Qingyang felt a warmth suffusing the room, emanating from their flames.

Curiosity piqued, he examined them more closely.

There were seven lamps in total, each exquisitely carved from White Jade. They required no oil; instead, golden flames burned directly from within.

As the flames flickered, an intense heat emanated from them, most of which was absorbed by Yun Ci. ‘This is an Array,’ Chen Qingyang realized. ‘And Yun Ci is at its center… Is she using it for Cultivation, or is she healing?’

Yun Ci had once told him that the Ice Skin Jade Bone Technique she practiced was extremely sensitive to Fire Attribute auras. As the saying goes, “Yin cannot flourish alone, nor can Yang exist in isolation.” Only Chen Qingyang knew how grievous her initial injuries had been. Cultivating this Extreme Yin and Cold Method had disrupted the Yin Yang Balance within her body.

This Fire was an external force, meant to aid in her healing.

Neither the Fire nor the lamps were ordinary.

Within the fiery Array, Yun Ci was draped in a wide Daoist Robe. The way the fabric fell outlined her graceful figure. Her long, slender neck was like White Jade, and with her slightly disheveled hair at her temples, one could almost imagine a faint fragrance wafting from her.

Involuntarily, Chen Qingyang’s mind drifted back to the feeling of holding her in his arms that day—so light, so delicate and frail, and a little cold to the touch.

“Have you brought the Elixirs?”

Perhaps because he had been silent for so long, Yun Ci spoke, her back still turned to him.

“Master, with winter approaching, the year is almost up. I’ve brought the Elixirs for you.”

In the past, Yun Ci would have turned to face him by now. Today, however, she remained with her back to him, her long, jet-black hair spilling over her shoulders like ink, obscuring half her body.

“Just leave it there… wait.”

She had just spoken when she added, “This Elixir… it doesn’t look like a Tier Four.”

Chen Qingyang replied, “As you know, Master, my Cultivation is long past the Essence Condensation Realm. Refining a Tier Four Elixir now takes me the same amount of effort as a Tier Five. I didn’t want to waste my energy on something so pointless.”

Hearing this, the Master fell silent for a moment.

He didn’t know the extent of her injuries, but the weakness in her voice was ever-present.

“In that case… I’ll count this as payment for two years. That way, you won’t be at a disadvantage, and I won’t be taking advantage of you.”

‘Of course Chen Qingyang wanted her to take advantage of him. If she didn’t, how could he tie her to him?’

“There’s something you may not know, Master. I had my own selfish reasons for changing the Elixir to Tier Five. Doing so allows me to further my own Alchemy Dao, perhaps even to the point where I can refine Tier Six Elixirs.”

“If you truly feel you’re taking advantage of me, Master, then I ask only that you gift me some more alchemy ingredients. I’m in urgent need of them right now.”

“This…” From his few interactions with her, Chen Qingyang knew she was a woman of strong principles, yet now she hesitated.

“Very well, I agree. Tomorrow, I will have Yueru send you some extra Immortal Grass.”

Chen Qingyang naturally replied, “Thank you, Master.”

She remained with her back to him, giving only a slight nod. This time, however, Chen Qingyang didn’t take his leave as he usually would. Instead, he asked, “If I may ask… how are your injuries, Master?”

He asked tentatively, as if testing the waters.

‘He didn’t expect an answer, but he hoped to at least gauge her attitude. It was crucial for his future plans.’

Silence stretched on for what felt like a long time.

The two of them remained in a stalemate. Just as Chen Qingyang felt he should leave, the Master finally spoke. “It’s better than before, but a full recovery won’t be quick. This has also hindered my Cultivation progress. I fear that reaching the Seventh Realm again will either take a very long time or be exceptionally difficult.”

‘She was being so detailed, truly telling him about her current circumstances. Even Chen Qingyang himself hadn’t expected this.’

He had heard that the Master had once broken through two realms in a single year. That kind of meteoric rise created a momentum that, once broken, was incredibly difficult to regain.

Chen Qingyang could only offer some polite reassurances. “I see that these seven flames form an Array, producing a heat like the blazing sun. It should be able to harmonize with the Extremely Yin and Cold energy in your body, Master. Given time, it will surely be of great benefit to your Cultivation. Please don’t worry; I’m sure it won’t affect your Cultivation in the long run.”

After he said this, she fell silent again for a long moment. Chen Qingyang could only stand and wait.

“It’s hard to say. Injuries to the Meridians are easy enough to heal, but an injury to the Divine Soul… that takes years. The longer it drags on, the more difficult future advancement becomes.”

Her tone was level, still carrying that cold, distant air, yet Chen Qingyang detected a hint of sorrow within it.

‘Her tone wasn’t usually like this. It must be despondency from her setback.’

The saying “what is too rigid is easily broken” was certainly true. Yun Ci had reached her current realm after only a few hundred years of Cultivation. She must have been used to advancing by leaps and bounds. Now, after suffering such a setback, it was only natural for her to feel dejected.