Chapter 297: Calming Down

Perhaps it was due to his pent-up frustration, but Yao Jingzhi’s actions were rough. Grabbing the woman’s clothes with both hands, he yanked hard, and they all fell to the floor, revealing she wore nothing underneath.

Her skin was as white as snow, flushed like a disc of red jade, translucent and flawless, without a single hair, and smooth as a mirror. A divine chasm ran down her center, a delicate and vibrant pink, like a field of fallen peach blossoms… Then came a sound like a clap of thunder, followed by a soft, whimpering cry…

‘So, she was his Dao Companion.’

A single glance was enough to tell they were well-practiced. One was Yin, the other Yang, and their Qi Mechanisms circulated in a tight loop. Two halos of light, one pink and one white, even formed around their bodies. The True Essence within them was complementary, allowing them to reach the state of Yin Yang Perfection.

‘The Dual Cultivation Method isn’t unique to the Demon Sect; the Daoist Sects have it too. From what Chen Qingyang could tell, the Demon Sect’s technique focused on plundering, while the Daoist Sect’s emphasized a mutual exchange of Yin and Yang. Both partners achieved physical and spiritual pleasure, each getting what they needed.’

‘Clearly, the Daoist Sect’s Cultivation technique was far more ethical.’

There were teacups nearby, filled with clear tea. The miscellaneous task disciples outside, having heard the commotion within, had already closed the door.

‘A dose of Wangchuan Intoxicated Bone would be perfect right now,’ he thought. ‘But for a cultivator of the Essence Condensation Six Realms to be poisoned within the Sect for no reason would cause a huge stir. Besides, there are plenty of Masters skilled in Astrological Inference.’

‘Besides, what have those miscellaneous task disciples done wrong? If I use poison, they would certainly be killed as well. But if I don’t take some Immortal Seedlings from him, this anger in my heart will not fade.’

His gaze fell upon the pair again, and in an instant, he had a new idea.

‘They’re using their Qi Mechanisms to link together for their Cultivation,’ he reasoned. ‘If I forcibly sever that link, it would be like having your Qi Mechanism cut off at a critical moment. Their Circulations would fall into chaos, and they would inevitably suffer internal injuries.’

‘It’s such a subtle method, they’d never connect it to an outside party. They’ll just assume something went wrong with their Cultivation.’

The Conscious Fish drew close to the aura, concealing its presence with extreme caution.

Chen Qingyang watched their expressions. The moment their eyes shut and they cried out in unison, he sliced off a sliver of their linked Qi Mechanism and then vanished.

“AAAAGH…” Suddenly, the woman screamed. Her body convulsed, the Qi Mechanism around her fell into disarray, and a drop of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Yao Jingzhi also sensed something was wrong. He abruptly pulled out, sat down on the spot, and began to regulate his Qi Mechanism. But he couldn’t suppress the backlash. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as well, his Qi Mechanism just as chaotic.

Images of the two appeared in Chen Qingyang’s mind. One had contributed 2,143 Immortal Seedlings. The other, whose Cultivation was weaker, had only contributed 796.

‘Not bad,’ he thought. ‘It adds up to about three thousand.’ At that, his anger finally dissipated.

Yao Jingzhi looked at the woman with an expression of disgust. “How could something go wrong at the most critical moment? Don’t you know this technique requires our minds to be perfectly in sync? You made me lose my Cultivation for nothing!”

With her long hair in disarray, the woman snatched her dress from the floor and draped it over her body to cover herself. “I thought it was you, Senior Brother… In all these years, when have we ever had a problem like this?”

Seeing her looking so pitiful, Yao Jingzhi felt he had been too harsh and pulled her into an embrace. “Perhaps today’s events disturbed my concentration. That brat, Chen Qingyang… I will not let him get away with this!”

The woman hugged him back. “Senior Brother, will Master Miaoyou be pleased with you then? Will you be able to win his favor?”

Yao Jingzhi said, “He will be. If only… Jian Yu were also willing to perform Dual Cultivation with me!”

The woman wasn’t the least bit angry. She just smiled. “In that case, I’ll guide her from the side. Who knows, she might be clumsy.”

…

‘I wonder who this guy’s master is,’ Chen Qingyang mused, ‘to let his disciple act so unscrupulously, chasing after every skirt.’

There were no more dramatic scenes to watch, just them whispering sweet nothings to each other. Chen Qingyang grew bored, left the area, and continued his survey of Sun-piercing Peak.

He was always methodical when it came to this sort of thing.

First, he spent a full two hours, from sunset until the stars glittered in the sky, observing all the places with abnormal Star Power to determine the Array’s critical nodes.

It connected to the Star Map above and reached down to the Earth Spirit below, with nature’s spiritual energy flowing through its center. The sheer scale of it surpassed even that of Xu Ling.

A web of crisscrossing lines, both thick and thin, spanned the entire Sun-piercing Peak. Chen Qingyang’s body was brimming with vibrant Star Power, and starlight flashed from the Xuanji point within him. As he gazed around, everything became perfectly clear.

Using Wind Control, he traveled onward. A moment later, he found an extremely hidden mountain hollow where a lone palace stood.

His physical body dared not approach, so he sent his Conscious Fish instead. Beneath the palace, a White Jade Tower stood, concealed by thick vegetation and massive boulders.

This was an Array Building.

He performed another Dharma Gate, allowing the Conscious Fish to permeate the structure. He worked from night until day, and at last, he perceived the Array World within. The fish seemed to merge with it, swimming back and forth as it searched for the critical nodes where the Qi Mechanism was densest.

This was a critical step. Besides the Sumeru Secret Realm, there were other places on Sun-piercing Peak that the Circulation of Stars Demon Suppression Array had to protect. One wrong turn could lead to a great deal of trouble.

Thanks to his previous experience, his progress was smooth. After another busy day and night, he finally located the Sumeru Secret Realm.

As he drew near, he sensed the dense Spiritual Qi within. The barrier was right before him, and with a slight push, he passed through it.

He took one look around, and his first sensation was dizziness. That was immediately followed by a profound sense of wonder that filled his heart. The sight was so stunning that even Chen Qingyang’s physical body, far away, gasped in amazement.

Jing Shu had described many things about this place, but she had never described this.

This was a four-sided space; the entire world was like the interior of a cube. There was a top and bottom, a front and back, and a left and right, each forming its own surface.

On each of these surfaces were mountains, rivers, plants, palaces, and towers. There were even vast fertile plains and cultivated Spirit Fields.

Each surface was a world unto itself, and they did not interfere with one another. Each had its own gravity, making it feel as if one were walking on flat ground.

Right in the center floated a continuous mountain range. From these mountains, six rivers plunged downward, forming six spectacular waterfalls that shimmered with iridescent light. Each one crashed onto one of the six surfaces, carving out a deep pool.

The saying “the celestial river pours into the mortal realm” could not begin to describe such a sight.

All the Spiritual Qi in this place converged upon the Suspended Island, as did the fine threads of Star Power.

Chen Qingyang deduced that if the Grand Array that drew upon the power of the Earth Deity had an Array Profound, it had to be on this Suspended Island.

Of all the peaks he had visited, the Sumeru Secret Realm on Sun-piercing Peak was the most magnificent!

After admiring the scenery for a moment, Chen Qingyang landed on the nearest surface. The sensation was bizarre; looking up, he could see the sky, but amidst the blue and the white clouds were the faint, inverted images of mountains, pavilions, and kiosks from the opposite surface. Other than that, it felt completely normal.

Filled with curiosity, he flew across this landscape, searching. He saw people planting Spirit Grass, people engaged in Cultivation, and others performing Artifact Refining… but he saw no sign of the rumored Cave Mansions.

‘These are fated opportunities. How could they be so easy to find?’

He traveled for nearly four or five hundred li before reaching the edge of the world, which appeared as an azure, star-dusted curtain hanging before him. Chen Qingyang stepped onto another surface. After exploring three or four of the faces, a new thought occurred to him.

‘This is the Sumeru Secret Realm, after all,’ he mused. ‘All the Cave Mansions must be manifestations of an Array. Perhaps they won’t even open until the Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference begins.’

‘I could probably find them by tracing the ley lines of the Array, but that would be extremely time-consuming and isn’t necessary right now. I’ll just wait for the Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference to begin and come take another look then.’

As for the Suspended Island in the center, Chen Qingyang absolutely dared not approach it now. Sending just his Conscious Fish over would be too conspicuous. If a Foundation Establishment Master were there, they would discover it with a single casual scan.

He was better off waiting until the Tai Xu Elemental Separation Conference began. At that time, thousands of people would be gathered together, all of them practitioners of the Cultivation Sect’s Techniques. Amidst the crowd, who would possibly notice one extra aura?

His plan set, he did not linger. He employed his technique and exited the Sumeru Secret Realm.

It was still nighttime.

Recalling his Conscious Fish, Chen Qingyang headed straight for Cyan Bamboo Peak.