Chapter 293: Cyan Bird

“Junior Sister, we’ve already made such a scene. Please don’t say things like that!” Chao Rui said.

Jing Shu, however, looked unconcerned. “Senior Brother, logically speaking, aren’t you the one who started all this today? You invited those two, after all!”

Chao Rui looked embarrassed again. “I didn’t expect it to get so out of hand… Junior Brother Chen…”

At that moment, Jing Shu cut him off. “There’s no point in saying such useless things. I don’t think Junior Brother Chen blames you…”

She turned to Chen Qingyang. “Right, Junior Brother Chen?”

Chen Qingyang replied, “I’ve endured my fair share of disdain on my path. This is just one more instance.”

Chao Rui, however, couldn’t wrap his head around it. “I don’t understand. Master Miaoyou is a dignified Master. Why would he take his anger about Li Qianxue out on you? What does that have to do with you, Junior Brother?”

It was Jing Shu who answered him again. “Senior Brother, I think you’re getting more naive with age. It’s obvious that of those two, one is jealous of Li Qianxue and the other is just sucking up to Master Miaoyou. In short, for any disciple who manages to stay in that lineage, flattery and jealousy are basic requirements. There’s no way they’d ever be friendly to Junior Brother Chen!”

Her words were incisive. Chao Rui fell silent for a moment. “You’re right. That was my oversight.”

The incident had been unpleasant, but Chen Qingyang didn’t let it bother him. He was only concerned with the information he had come to gather. ‘In this world, with so many different people and events, you can’t expect everything to go your way.’ He was no longer the powerless Miscellaneous Task disciple he once was. He would just have to face whatever came his way.

“Senior Brother Chao, I actually think this is perfect. They’ve left all this fine food and wine for the three of us to enjoy.”

With that, he poured himself another cup and downed it.

Chao Rui immediately said, “Junior Brother Chen, you’re the one who sees things clearly! Come, let’s drink, let’s drink…”

The three of them chatted idly for a while longer before Chen Qingyang revealed his purpose for the visit. “I’m curious about something. I was wondering which Master will be presiding over the Elemental Separation Conference in a few days. Might I ask you two to enlighten me?”

Chao Rui wasn’t sure, so he looked to Jing Shu. She smiled at Chen Qingyang and said, “Junior Brother, why are you asking about this? Did you really make a special trip all the way here just for that?”

‘This woman is clever. Although she’s amicable, she’s been watching everything unfold like a play from the start, unsurprised by any of it.’

“Don’t tell me Senior Sister doesn’t know either?” he asked.

Jing Shu replied, “Of course I know. I just want to understand your reason for asking, Junior Brother.”

“I wouldn’t say I came running eagerly. It’s just idle curiosity. Even if I knew, it’s not as if I could sneak in, right?”

Jing Shu gave a gentle laugh, her eyes incredibly soft. “Of course you can’t. If you actually could, I’d be delighted to tell you. The one presiding over this Elemental Separation Conference is none other than Master Miaoyou. It’s because the Sun-piercing True Monarch holds him in high regard that he was entrusted with such an important matter. The benefits are considerable, though—he’ll be able to claim a larger share of the Earth Deities.”

‘Miaoyou again. Enemies are truly destined to cross paths. Stealing a few Earth Deities and Immortal Seedlings from right under his nose… Now that’s something I’d be more than happy to do.’

“It seems this Master’s Cultivation has improved in recent years?”

Jing Shu said, “He was originally just at the Life Light stage, but now he has reached its upper levels. It’s truly impressive. Besides his Sword Formulas, this Master is also well-versed in Arrays. It’s said that on Sun-piercing Peak, he is the best, second only to the True Monarchs.”

‘This makes things very difficult,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ‘Since he’s an expert in Arrays, he must have cultivated the True Understanding of the Circulation of Stars Demon Suppression Array. His control over the Array would be far superior to any other Master’s.’

“I’m very curious, Senior Sister. How do you know so much about him?”

Jing Shu smiled. “Because he and our Master have never gotten along. ‘Know yourself, know your enemy,’ and you will not be caught in their schemes.”

At this, Chao Rui interjected, “Junior Sister, you shouldn’t speak such nonsense. It could disrupt the harmony between our factions. Even our Master doesn’t see it that way.”

Jing Shu ignored him, speaking only to Chen Qingyang. “I think Junior Brother Chen understands these things quite well—perhaps even better than you, Senior Brother. The number of Earth Deities dwindles year by year. Who would be willing to take one less? Who wouldn’t want one more? It’s inevitable that rifts will form between people.”

Chen Qingyang nodded. “Senior Sister has a point. On the day of the Elemental Separation Conference, will every Master from Sun-piercing Peak be attending?”

Jing Shu shook her head. “Not all of them. My Master, for instance, won’t be able to go. There are nearly a thousand Masters here, but only about a third of them can participate. The rest have to wait for the next conference. Master Miaoyou, however, gets to be there every single time.”

‘Sounds like things are much better here than on Cyan Bamboo Peak,’ he thought.

“I once witnessed the process on Cyan Bamboo Peak. Qing Yao True Monarch used his abilities to extract Earth Deities, and after a great deal of time, he only managed to gather a tiny amount. They’re truly becoming scarcer. I assume you don’t have that problem here on Sun-piercing Peak?”

Jing Shu continued, “This is one of the main peaks, after all. The yield is considerable. Why else would so many people be fighting tooth and nail to get in? However, once the Array is activated, it requires three hundred Masters to channel their power in unison. They must maintain it for forty-nine days to complete the extraction of the Earth Deities, which are then distributed afterward.”

‘After all that questioning, this is the most useful piece of information yet,’ he thought. ‘Three hundred Masters, all too preoccupied to be disturbed… Wouldn’t that make things much more convenient for me?’

“Why must it be done that way? I saw Qing Yao True Monarch extract what he needed all by himself, and it didn’t take very long.”

It had turned into a casual back-and-forth conversation. Chen Qingyang decided to reveal bits of what he knew to probe for more information.

Jing Shu remained patient with him, her smile gentle and her demeanor warm. “There’s something you don’t know, Junior Brother. An Array of this magnitude, which draws Earth Deities from all corners of the world, consumes an enormous amount of Spiritual Power and True Essence. Even with the Sumeru Secret Realm providing support, it still requires an exceptionally powerful individual to preside over it.”