Chapter 290: Jing Shu

Star Power shimmered.

Yu’Er was situated in a silvery-white expanse, guiding the Star Power into its body. The process was like scraping bone to heal a wound, purging the True Dragon’s Divine Soul.

Here in the Qingzhu Peak Secret Realm, it whittled away day after day. After so long, it had even forgotten the pain.

In the small courtyard, Chen Qingyang slowly opened his eyes, emerging from his meditation. He gradually suppressed the vigorous power within him, and the surging Qi Mechanism around his body returned to normal.

With a gentle wave of his hand, the Conscious Fish floated over from the horizon and entered his body. A fiery light flashed around him as he immersed his mind in it, savoring the sensation.

Only then did he open his eyes. “Sigh… it can’t be helped. It seems if I really want to get rid of this quickly without affecting my Cultivation, my only option is to seek out your master. She cultivates the Ice Skin Jade Bone Technique and has profound insight into the Path of Extreme Cold!”

He spoke with a sigh to Xu Baoling, who was beside him.

Xu Baoling replied, “Master is willing to help you. What’s so bad about that?”

Chen Qingyang said, “But then, wouldn’t she see all the secrets of my entire life!”

Xu Baoling covered her mouth and laughed, her charm captivating. “Then just let her see. Master already knows a lot, anyway. What’s one more little thing?”

But Chen Qingyang couldn’t bring himself to laugh. “Sigh, I just feel it’s better for a person to keep some secrets…”

“Secrets… I have no secrets from you, Senior Brother, and I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Chen Qingyang looked up and out the window. Golden light danced, and a seven-colored rainbow bridged a celestial chasm. Another day had dawned.

Xu Baoling brought in a basin of water and attended to Chen Qingyang’s morning routine. Afterward, she neatly combed his long hair, helped him change into a new, moon-white robe, and held up a Copper Mirror for him to see.

The young man in the mirror had sharp, distinct features that were somewhat cold, yet held a hint of gentleness. With his long hair tied back, he looked sharp and capable, and the Jade Hairpin added a touch of nobility.

“I still think you look best in white, Senior Brother. It makes you look even more handsome. Everyone talks about having an ‘immortal’s bearing,’ and isn’t that just what these clothes bring out!”

Chen Qingyang stared into the Copper Mirror for a long moment. That old, withered, dying body felt like a fleeting dream. Only those who have faced death can truly cherish the desire to live.

Fear, more often than not, becomes the driving force for one’s progress.

“But most of the time, it’s not convenient for me to wear white. You know that.”

Xu Baoling couldn’t help but smile, her allure absolutely captivating. A strange mix of the sacred and the sultry manifested perfectly in her.

Her dress was like a layer of gauze, clinging tightly to her body. The curve from her chest to her hips was dramatically defined; a single glimpse of this silhouette could fill one’s mind with endless fantasies and carnal desire.

“That’s true. Other people pursue Cultivation for stability and immortality, or to stand forever at the pinnacle. But from what I see, Senior Brother, your Cultivation doesn’t care for any of that. You just come and go in the dead of night.”

Chen Qingyang paused for a moment. “It’s fine. The day I achieve the Great Dao, I won’t have to deal with these troubles anymore.”

Xu Baoling put the mirror away, swaying her hips as she set it down, leaving Chen Qingyang with a view of her firm, full rear. Then, she suddenly glanced back with a smile, a few strands of dark hair brushing her temples. “This Great Dao you speak of, Senior Brother… when will that be? Golden Core? Or Foundation Establishment?”

‘I’ve never really thought about that question.’

‘At first, it was just to survive. Later, I wanted to leave Four Golden Peaks and Refine a decent Elixir.’

‘After that, more and more things piled up: studying elixirs, cultivating all sorts of Divine Powers, and waking Li Qianxue was one of them.’

“It’s hard to say. I’m always being pushed along by one thing or another. My master, for example, or my Senior Brother Lu. There’s a whole cascade of tricky matters waiting for me down the line.”

Xu Baoling said, “So… you can’t stop, Senior Brother!”

“No. It’s not me. It’s that no one can ever stop.”

…

Chen Qingyang stood up and tucked a few Elixirs into his robe. They were all proper, beneficial ones. After all, this was their first meeting, and they hadn’t offended him. He couldn’t just go and poison them, could he?

After leaving the courtyard, he shot into the air and, in a moment’s time, arrived at the base of Sun-piercing Peak.

The peak was about two hundred li from Cyan Bamboo. Its mountain range was continuous, with several magnificent peaks standing side by side, the grandest in the entire Tai Xu Sect.

Because it was located in the far east of the Tai Xu Sect, the peak seemed to pierce the red sun at every sunrise. Long rainbows also frequently appeared, which is how it got its name.

The mountain gate before him was magnificent and imposing, standing about four or five stories tall. On a golden plaque, the name “Long Rainbow Piercing the Sun” was inscribed in grand characters, their presence soaring to the heavens. It was adorned with White Jade carvings and laid with golden tiles, but beyond that, there were no further embellishments. Everything was simple and solid, yet it projected the bearing of an Immortal Family and the authority of a Daoist Sect.

Standing at this gate, one felt utterly insignificant in comparison.

A memory from over a century ago surfaced in his mind. It was from here that he had first stepped onto the Immortal Path, climbing the White Jade Steps behind the gate, which led to all parts of the mountain.

Back then, he had staggered along, climbing for a full day and night.

Upon entering the mountain gate, the Qi Mechanism shifted abruptly. The surrounding Spiritual Qi was dense, far surpassing that of Cyan Bamboo Peak, and was especially rich in the Gold and Fire elements.

Sun-piercing Peak practiced Sword Cultivation, as well as Array Cultivation and Beast Taming. Although it dabbled in many fields, it was firmly overshadowed in every one by the Seven Great Institutes.

After taking in the scenery for a moment, Chen Qingyang wasted no more time. He executed the Void Step Introduction and shot deep into the mountains. In a bustling, crowded area, he asked for the location of Chao Rui’s Dao Field. A quarter of an hour later, he was standing outside its courtyard.

The Dao Field was situated in a valley. A stream flowed straight down through it, and beside this valley stood a palace.

Half-suspended and half-leaning against the terrain, it was accompanied by water and mountain, flowers and sun, spirit and clouds. It was truly a unique sight.

The palace was black and white, unadorned, with a wooden balcony extending from it. From a distance, Chen Qingyang saw Chao Rui looking back at him.

‘It must have cost at least a million Spirit Stones to build a Dao Field like this,’ he thought. ‘Nothing like my own humble abode, built with whatever materials were on hand. It can hardly be called a Dao Field.’

Fortunately, Chen Qingyang didn’t particularly care about such things.

“Senior Brother Chao, have I kept you waiting long?”

He landed on the wooden platform and glanced aside, only to see a plaque on it with the two words “Fallen Immortal.”

‘He really is meticulous,’ Chen Qingyang judged, a conclusion he’d reached the first time he saw the man’s attire.

Hearing his call, three more people emerged from the palace behind Chao Rui—two women and a man. The man looked young, tall, and formidable. Both women had the appearance of young girls, charming and lovely. Their clothes were extremely luxurious and their adornments exquisite, fitting Chen Qingyang’s stereotype of Disciples from Sun-piercing Peak.

‘As Disciples of one of the Seven Main Peaks, they have a right to be proud.’

Fortunately, he had let Xu Baoling tidy him up before he left today, so he was at least clean and neat.

One of the women pointed at him, her tone airy and dismissive. “So this is Chen Qingyang?”

‘To act like this at our first meeting is rather impolite. She must look down on my origins and my current level of Cultivation.’

The woman in pink beside her was completely different. She bowed respectfully. “I am Jing Shu. A pleasure to meet you, Junior Brother Chen!”

The burly man behind them simply met his gaze and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Chen Qingyang did the same, returning the bow only to the woman in pink. “Senior Sister Jing Shu, a small token of my esteem.”

Without another word, he placed an Elixir in her hand, then took out another and gave it to Chao Rui.

The remaining two stared at him eagerly, but to their disappointment, Chen Qingyang had already clasped his hands behind his back and turned his gaze to the surrounding scenery. “What a fine Fallen Immortal Platform! Senior Brother Chao, you’re quite the man of taste. The view from here is magnificent. You’ve found a wonderful spot!”

Chao Rui was naturally pleased to hear this and was about to launch into a grand introduction when Jing Shu leaned in and said softly, “Senior Brother Chao and I actually competed for this spot. If he hadn’t promised me something good… Hmph, I never would have let him have it!”

A faint scent of vanilla drifted into Chen Qingyang’s nose. Her breath was indeed as fragrant as an orchid—a true beauty in pink.

Chen Qingyang said, “For Senior Brother Chao to have obtained such a treasure of a location, he must have offered something truly great. Otherwise, I’m sure Senior Sister Jing Shu would never have agreed, right?”

With just that one sentence, he had complimented them both.

“Heh heh!” Senior Brother Chao didn’t speak, just chuckled. It was Jing Shu who replied, “What ‘something great’? If his offer had been worth even half as much as this Elixir of yours, I wouldn’t still be holding a grudge. How did you know I have a Cultivation at the Sixth Realm of Essence Condensation?”

Chen Qingyang seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. As he and Jing Shu chatted warmly, he could sense the two behind him grinding their teeth, especially the woman in blue.

His laugh grew more brazen. “Haha, I simply like to give the best things I have to my friends, and this Elixir is the best thing I have.”

Hearing this, Jing Shu covered her mouth and laughed, her bright eyes full of charm.

“You’re quite the troublemaker, Junior Brother. You clearly saw four people here, yet you only brought two Elixirs. What is the meaning of this?”

Finally, the woman in blue couldn’t hold back any longer and started to complain. Chen Qingyang glanced over and saw that the man shared her sentiment. ‘Do those two have something going on?’ he wondered.

Since it was his gathering, Chao Rui had no choice but to play peacemaker. “Junior Sister, Junior Brother Chen has already given me one before. You can have this one!”

“Heh! No need.” The woman gave a slight laugh but turned her head and went inside.

Chao Rui could only give Chen Qingyang an embarrassed smile. “Junior Brother Chen, please don’t take it to heart. Junior Sister Yu just has an impatient personality. She only thought to come have a look after hearing your name.”

Chen Qingyang put on an unbothered expression. He wasn’t afraid of trouble; he was afraid trouble wouldn’t come to him. “It’s fine. I never let things like this bother me.”

Beside him, Jing Shu was observing him quietly, as she seemed to have been doing ever since he arrived. “Junior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Chao has prepared a lavish banquet. He’s just waiting for you to take your seat.”

“Senior Brother, Senior Sister, after you.”

Entering the hall, the first thing he noticed was the bright lamplight. A long table was set in the center, already laden with fruits, vegetables, tea, and herbs. Sniffing the air, he could also smell wine.

Two attendants were bustling about. The hall wasn’t lavishly furnished; besides the table, there were only some shelves along the walls displaying a few ornaments and books.

‘From this, it was clear that Chao Rui had put a lot of thought into this. He really is a man of honor,’ Chen Qingyang thought.