Chapter 288: Sun-piercing

The past month or two have been quiet. I’ve spent most of my time studying Elixirs, delving deepest into this Wangchuan Intoxicated Bone. I’ve now managed to refine it to Tier Four.

“Senior Brother, this cup is water, and this one is wine!”

Just then, Xu Baoling came in from outside, carrying two cups. She placed them in front of Chen Qingyang. He split the Pill in two and dropped a piece into each cup.

The two of them leaned in to observe closely. The moment the Pill entered the water, it dissolved instantly, becoming one with the liquid, truly traceless.

He then picked up the cup and sniffed it gently. There was no unusual scent.

“Excellent. This Pill is exactly to my liking!” As for why he was so fond of Poison Pills, it went without saying. Xu Baoling should understand.

“It’s a pity, though. We don’t know what its effects are really like, or if a Tier Four Pill can truly take down someone at the First Realm of Essence Condensation, just as the description says!”

‘After all, they have Essence Condensation Cultivation. Their bodies are fortified by Earth Root Yin Fiend, their Meridians are open and clear, and they are impervious to water and fire. Killing them with poison is far less efficient than using a Flying Sword. One even has to rack one’s brains just to administer the poison.’

That was why no one but Chen Qingyang would be so invested in such matters.

“Senior Brother, are you thinking of… finding a random person to test this Pill on?” Xu Baoling asked tentatively.

Her suggestion startled Chen Qingyang. “Nonsense! If I provoked a Foundation Establishment Master, would I even have a way to live?”

Hearing him say this, Xu Baoling seemed to relax and let out a long sigh of relief. “You’re right to think that way, Senior Brother. This kind of thing can only be used in the Demon Realm.”

Chen Qingyang deeply agreed. “Exactly. Take those Demon Sect Disciples from Fuyuan Temple. If I poisoned every last one of them, not a single innocent person would be wronged. I have never in my life seen such widespread slaughter.”

‘Along the way, I saw countless men and women bewitched and persecuted. There was truly little I could do. And of course, there were the tens of millions of people in the Yong Kingdom, who also suffered an undeserved calamity.’

‘Logically speaking, immortals and ordinary people are fundamentally different species. At least one of them shouldn’t exist in this world.’

Xu Baoling seemed to be trying to dissuade him. “Senior Brother, that’s a bad idea. You managed to get back from your last trip because you were secretive enough and returned quickly enough. But you must never underestimate the Demon Sect’s divination abilities. It will be troublesome if you attract their attention.”

“That’s true.”

‘The thought of the Celestial Child True Monarch from last time still made my heart pound with fear. And there was that time I happened to perform an Astrological Inference; otherwise, I would have been a sitting duck.’

‘It’s safest to be like Zhang Jiu and wait for the Daoist and Demon Sects to stir up trouble, then fish in troubled waters. I wonder how much that fellow’s Cultivation has improved recently.’

Xu Baoling swayed her hips as she left. Chen Qingyang, in turn, reviewed all the Cultivation Methods he practiced from top to bottom.

‘Since my breakthrough in the True Understanding of the Circulation of Stars Demon Suppression Array, my upper limit has increased significantly, right up to 120,000. I’ve been neglecting my research on it lately, so there hasn’t been much change. Just looking at that upper limit is enough to give me a headache.’

‘When it comes to the Array, I’ve only managed a basic Integration and a slight grasp of it. As for using it to defend against enemies, track targets, perform Astrological Inferences, master every single node, or even control the Grand Array… I don’t even dare to think about it. The road ahead is long.’

‘The Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword has been stagnant ever since I acquired that one portion of Wood Element Essence. The amount of Five Elements Essence it requires is appallingly high, and I feel a bit daunted by it. If this Sword wasn’t so effective at killing people and so discreet, I’d really be tempted to give up on it.’

‘As for the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual, my cultivation speed isn’t actually that slow. It’s just that the upper limit is far too high. Even with my recent efforts, I don’t feel like I’ve made any progress.’

‘Furthermore, in order to expel the True Dragon Soul, my progress with the Nanming Red Emperor’s Method has actually regressed instead of advancing. I’m constantly hovering on the edge of the Sixth Realm.’

‘Looking at the Immortal Seedlings I have on hand, there are quite a few, but they seem insignificant compared to the upper limits of my Cultivation Techniques.’

‘I need to find more ways to acquire Immortal Seedlings, whether from old enemies or from the Sect’s Secret Realms. Otherwise, if I rely solely on my own cultivation, how long will it take to reach the Realm of Master?’

He dismissed the small golden text. By now, Xu Baoling had already taken the wine and water away and scattered them in the courtyard.

Although it was a Poison Pill, it was refined from Immortal Grass. Once it touched the soil, it lost its intended effect.

He took a number of Elixirs and made a trip to Fulu Workshop, where he received a good amount of Spirit Stones, before heading to Gentle Breeze.

‘I’ve now saved up another 500,000. After the Wood Spirit Essence, I should go for Water next. Slowly but surely, I’ll be able to gather everything for the Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword.’

When he arrived today, Shopkeeper Wang wasn’t on the first floor. It turned out a distinguished guest had arrived, and he was entertaining them.

Having done business with him for several years, Chen Qingyang had thought Gentle Breeze only conducted major transactions with him. This was a rare occurrence.

After a short wait, Shopkeeper Wang hurried downstairs and first apologized to Chen Qingyang. “Senior Brother Chen, please don’t be offended. A senior brother came today wanting to purchase a Flying Sword, and I’m attending to him upstairs. If your business isn’t urgent, perhaps you could come back another time?”

‘I’m a major client, and one he owes money to at that. Just what kind of business is so big that he would temporarily ignore me?’

Just as Shopkeeper Wang was about to leave, Chen Qingyang grabbed his arm. “Is my business worth 500,000 Spirit Stones not considered big?”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper’s expression didn’t change at all, as if he had already latched onto a better connection. “Senior Brother can leave the Spirit Stones first. Whatever type of Five Elements Essence you need, I will have it ready within seven days.”

‘The moment I mentioned 500,000 Spirit Stones, he immediately guessed I needed Five Elements Essence. He’s figured me out completely, all because of that initial Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword.’

After saying his piece, he tried to leave again, but Chen Qingyang held him fast. “Water Element Essence. It’s really become difficult to do business with you these days. If this keeps up, I won’t be coming back anymore!”

These words had quite a bite. Shopkeeper Wang was no longer in a hurry. He leaned in and whispered, “The senior brother upstairs is from Sun-piercing Peak. He’s about to face his peak’s Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference and has spent over ten million Spirit Stones. I only get one deal this big a year. Please understand, Senior Brother Chen. I’ll give you plenty of freebies in the future!”

Sun-piercing Peak.

It was one of the Seven Main Peaks of the Tai Xu Sect, on par with Feixian and Xu Ling. Cyan Bamboo Peak was a tier weaker in comparison.

A long-lost memory surfaced in Chen Qingyang’s mind. His first encounter with an Immortal Sect wasn’t at Four Golden Peaks, but at Sun-piercing Peak.

Back then, Li Qianxue was still an Outer Disciple, highly valued by her master. And back then, Chen Qingyang was Li Qianxue’s miscellaneous task servant, practicing the Tai Xu Qi-Introducing Formula.

He had toiled there for decades, from a young boy to a middle-aged man, yet he had never managed to achieve Qi Refining. Later, Li Qianxue was noticed by a Sword Master and went to the Tai Hao Sword Institute.

Li Qianxue had originally found a good placement for Chen Qingyang, but after she left, he was immediately met with cold shoulders and contempt. He was even bullied frequently. Eventually, he was kicked out and ended up at Four Golden Peaks, where he languished to the point of nearly dying of old age.

One could say that Chen Qingyang had long been entangled in a karmic bond with Sun-piercing Peak. Now, things were different, and people had changed. Whether he was willing or not, this karma would eventually land on his shoulders. It was only a matter of time.

His desire to awaken Li Qianxue and repay her with an Immortal Fate was born precisely from this karmic tie.

He remembered one more thing. Right after Li Qianxue’s incident, rumors spread that she had been used as a cultivation vessel by the Demon Sect. The reason for spreading these rumors was the same as the reason for bullying him, stemming from the very same source—jealousy.

“Since he’s a senior brother from Sun-piercing Peak, could Shopkeeper Wang perhaps introduce me?”