Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

Seeing her persistence, Chen Qing stopped declining.

Nie Shanshan then took out another package, which contained an exquisite set of winter clothes. "I made these for you in my spare time," she said softly. "I tailored them to your size. Xu Wang Mountain gets cold in the winter, so I hope they fit."

Chen Qing accepted them, a warmth spreading in his heart. He cupped his fist solemnly. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister."

After some small talk, Nie Shanshan remarked with a sigh, "Even though we’ve entered the Inner Sect, becoming a Core Disciple of the Four Veins will still take time and dedicated effort."

There were only two ways to enter the Four Veins. The first was to possess exceptional talent and receive a recommendation from one of the Four Veins’ Elders, or to be accepted as a Direct Disciple, just like Senior Sister He.

The second was to follow the conventional path: cultivate to the Late-stage Astral Force, serve the Sect for a full ten years, and then pass an assessment to become eligible to apply.

After all, the Four Veins were custodians of the Sect’s most profound secrets—the Four Great True Scriptures—so the screening process was incredibly strict.

Chen Qing nodded; he was already aware of this.

Nie Shanshan was talented, but she still had a long way to go if she wanted to enter the Four Veins directly.

On all of Xu Wang Mountain, there were currently no more than ten people who could enter the Four Veins and access the core Martial Arts.

Chen Qing smiled. "It’s only a matter of time before you become a disciple of the Four Veins, Senior Sister Nie."

Nie Shanshan gave a faint smile. "I hope so."

Her eyes held a mix of yearning and steady resolve.

Suddenly, Nie Shanshan remembered something. She took a letter from her robes and handed it to Chen Qing. "Oh, right. This letter came from the Sect. Master asked me to pass it on to you."

’A letter from Chu Jinyun?’

Chen Qing’s heart skipped a beat as he took the letter.

’For the Wutai Sect to go to the trouble of sending a letter all the way to the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect... it must be about Li Lao Deng!’

He carefully put the letter away, chatted with Nie Shanshan for a little longer, and then saw her off.

After Nie Shanshan had gone, Chen Qing closed the courtyard gate, returned to his Quiet Chamber, and finally opened the letter.

Sure enough, it contained only four large words: Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill!

Chen Qing saw it and understood immediately.

’This is Li Lao Deng’s way of reminding me to fulfill my promise.’

He hadn’t forgotten, but the price of the "Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill" was staggering—a full six thousand Contribution Points. It was one of the highest-grade Great Pills available within the Sect.

He had already looked into it. The pill was personally refined by an Alchemy Master from Danxia Peak. The materials were rare and the process was complex. A new batch was said to be started only once every ten years, with each one yielding a mere five to eight pills.

Six thousand Contribution Points was practically the cost price offered to the Sect’s own disciples. Considering its efficacy and rarity, it was essentially priceless on the open market.

"I can’t be careless about Li Lao Deng’s business," Chen Qing muttered to himself.

The immediate priority was to gather enough Contribution Points to redeem the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill.

’At the same time, this is a good chance to ask Li Baichuan about the origins of the True Martial Seal... and whether he knows anything about the mysterious Purple Light in my mind.’

’Li Baichuan is unfathomably profound; maybe he can shed some light on these mysteries.’

’Then again,’ Chen Qing thought, ’the Purple Light is too important. Even a True Essence Realm master like Luo Ziming came to investigate me personally. Asking Li Baichuan about it so rashly would be an unknown risk.’

He pushed the thought aside for now. ’I’ll focus on getting the Elixir first and try to subtly inquire about the True Martial Seal.’

’First, I need to figure out how to get the Contribution Points and obtain the Elixir. I’ll worry about the rest later.’

Chen Qing settled his Heart and Spirit. He decided to go to the Dharma Transmission Hall on True Martial Peak and ask Elder Pei Tingchun about the lost Martial Arts of the True Martial Lineage—specifically, the True Martial Seal.

Without delay, he got ready and made his way back to the Dharma Transmission Hall on True Martial Peak.

The hall was as simple and solemn as before. Elder Pei Tingchun sat cross-legged on a central hassock, his aura seemingly one with the grand hall itself.

Sensing Chen Qing’s arrival, he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was as calm as still water.

"Disciple Chen Qing pays his respects to Elder Pei," Chen Qing said, cupping his fist in salute.

Pei Tingchun glanced at him. "Are you here today because you’ve hit a bottleneck in your cultivation and need my guidance? You know the rules."

The implication was clear: guidance came at the cost of Contribution Points.

Chen Qing quickly replied, "Elder Pei, I haven’t come for guidance today. Rather, I have some questions about the Sect’s history that I hoped you could answer."

"Oh?" Pei Tingchun raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "What is it?"

Chen Qing gathered his thoughts before speaking in a low voice. "I was recently looking through the texts of our lineage and discovered that some of our True Martial Lineage’s most powerful Martial Arts seem to have been lost to time. I grew curious... about the True Martial Seal, for instance."

Upon hearing the words "True Martial Seal," Pei Tingchun gave Chen Qing a long, hard look. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "You’ve noticed that, have you? What’s your interest in it?"

Chen Qing admitted openly, "I practice the spear, but I’m also interested in Seal Techniques and fist arts. I read that this particular Seal Technique was described as profound, an Unparalleled Martial Art. It feels like a great pity that it was lost, which naturally made me curious."

At his words, Pei Tingchun’s expression relaxed somewhat, though a complicated look flickered in his eyes. He let out a soft sigh. "This matter isn’t exactly a top secret among the Sect’s leadership, but it is considered taboo for ordinary disciples. Since you’ve asked, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. It might keep you from unknowingly crossing a line and getting into trouble later."

He paused, his voice dropping. "The loss of the True Martial Seal is, in fact, connected to one person. Two hundred years ago, our True Martial Lineage produced a once-in-a-generation genius named Li Qingyu."

’Li Qingyu!?’

Chen Qing’s Heart and Spirit tensed. He focused, listening intently.

"His talent was the kind seen once in a century... no, once in several centuries! At the time, everyone in the Sect considered him the undisputed successor to the position of Sect Leader. They believed he would lead the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect to even greater heights."

Pei Tingchun’s tone was filled with unconcealed regret. "But who could have imagined that in the end... he would betray the Sect!"

"On the day he defected, he... killed many of the Sect’s masters. Our True Martial Lineage suffered grievous losses, but the other three veins—Jiuxiao, Xuan Yang, and Jade Celestial—also had many casualties. You must understand, our True Martial Lineage was at its absolute peak back then, the undisputed leader of the Four Veins. After that catastrophe, our top-tier combat power was devastated, creating a gap in our legacy. To make matters worse, the other three veins held a deep grudge over the matter. Overt and covert ostracism and suppression followed, leading to the True Martial Lineage’s gradual decline."