Stealing Immortal

Stepping outside the small courtyard, the grass along the path was a vibrant green. Spring had arrived so suddenly.

On the small path halfway up the mountain, long before the White Jade Steps leading to the Golden Summit came into view, dozens of black-clad Law Enforcement Disciples bustled about. The miscellaneous task disciples heading to work all saw them and cautiously gave them a wide berth.

A woman in a veil stood right in the center. With her heroic and formidable bearing, who else could it be but Leng Yueru?

Chen Qingyang had planned to walk around her, but her head turned, and it was clear she had seen him. He had no choice but to approach, bowing with his hands clasped. "Greetings, Senior Sister Leng!"

He couldn’t see her gaze or expression, but her voice was full of solemnity. "I’ve never asked. What realm of Qi Refining are you in?"

With the Great Soul Scripture concealing his Qi Mechanism, an ordinary person would have only seen him at the First or Second Realm of cultivation. But this was Leng Yueru. He had to aim higher. "To answer Senior Sister, I am currently at the Fourth Realm of Qi Refining."

She didn’t seem surprised by his answer. "You must have just broken through. Your Qi Mechanism is that of the Qi Refining Realm, but it’s extremely unstable, isn’t it?"

Her words sent a jolt of alarm through Chen Qingyang. Such a subtle fluctuation in one’s Qi Mechanism was almost subconscious. It could be caused by one of two things: deliberate concealment or a recent breakthrough.

Fortunately, she had only considered the second possibility.

"That’s right. I recently obtained a pill formula from Senior Sister Liu and am studying the Yang Replacement Powder. Once I get some results, I can participate in the alchemy competition." Since Liu Tao had been promoted to a Chief Steward of the Pill Institute, it was plausible for her to pass some pill formulas down to him, her miscellaneous task disciple.

"Good! You’ve thought it through. Your time with Li Qianxue wasn’t wasted. Most people don’t understand that a master is the greatest opportunity on the path of cultivation. You could say a master accounts for half of one’s success."

"Also, I know of Cyan Bamboo Peak. Its Peak Master is a Golden Core True Monarch. Under his protection, that place is a true Immortal Sacred Land. The Spiritual Qi there far surpasses that of these Four Golden Peaks. Your future in the Alchemy Dao will be boundless if you cultivate there!"

He could tell her words were filled with goodwill. He wondered if this had something to do with the fleeting encounter with Li Qianxue she had mentioned.

Chen Qingyang said, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. And thank you for lending me the Gold Coin Sword to keep me safe!"

Hearing this, the woman behind the veil seemed to smile. She then waved her hand, and the Law Enforcement Hall disciples moved swiftly, vanishing from the path in the blink of an eye.

"In that case, I have something else to ask you."

Chen Qingyang bowed with his hands clasped. "Please ask, Senior Sister Leng."

"All this time has passed, so you must have witnessed the Gold Coin Sword’s power by now. What disaster did it ward off for you? Can you tell me about it?"

As she spoke, her posture relaxed. She sat down in a nearby pavilion, one hand resting on her cheek. Behind her were cliffs, ancient Cangsong pines, and a deep valley where a gentle breeze blew.

Chen Qingyang knew, of course, what Leng Yueru was referring to. Master Xuan Gui’s Star Divination Technique was common knowledge. Since she had brought it up, there was no need for him to hide it any longer.

"Senior Sister is truly prescient. Just last night, I saw a chessboard in the starry sky and saw Master Xuan Gui plotting against me."

"Excellent!" Leng Yueru was quite pleased with his attitude. "The fact that you could remain clear-headed and sense his presence while Master Xuan Gui was performing his inference is truly remarkable. It shows the strength of your Power of the Divine Soul. Perhaps that’s also why you’re so skilled in the Alchemy Dao."

What Leng Yueru said was exactly what Chen Qingyang was thinking. "Senior Sister, you truly think of everything. It was all thanks to this Magical Treasure that I was able to repel him. Otherwise, I would have been exposed long ago!"

When Leng Yueru relaxed, though her face was hidden, she exuded a sense of tranquility. She waved her hand. "You don’t have to thank me like that. You only repelled him. He won’t give up so easily."

Chen Qingyang thought for a moment before asking the question that had been nagging at him. "Senior Sister, I know there’s a struggle for the Golden Core, but it shouldn’t be to the point where a Foundation Establishment Master considers me this important, should it?"

Leng Yueru lifted her veil and smiled, a smile like the ever-deepening spring breeze. "This matter is like viewing flowers in a fog. Master Xuan Gui vaguely saw only you; just as I, in that same vagueness, saw only the Yu Xiao Demon Sect. As for how the two are connected, I’ve made no further progress."

At this point, Chen Qingyang naturally had to ask how far she’d gotten with her evidence. "Senior Sister, if I may be so bold as to ask, what’s the status of the investigation?"

"SIGH!" Leng Yueru let out a soft sigh. "Not ideal. The Yu Xiao Demon Sect is elusive by nature, making it very difficult to find who is colluding with Master Xuan Gui. Plus, he’s known for being infallible, always one step ahead of you. I’ve turned the Golden Summit upside down and searched the entire mountainside, but I’ve still come up with nothing."

"Even that... Senior Brother Wang, who we captured last time, turned out to be just a sacrificial pawn after interrogation. He even misled my investigation."

He could see she was somewhat worried. "There’s no need to worry, Senior Sister. This is something that will resolve itself when the time is right!"

Leng Yueru, however, just looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. "Forget it. You should go."

"Yes."

’It feels like she had some purpose for being here, but she stopped herself at the last moment.’

Regarding this whole affair, Chen Qingyang felt he was truly being wronged. He had clearly rejected Hu Kai’s attempts to recruit him, yet he still couldn’t escape it.

Perhaps it was just as Leng Yueru said: in the struggle between the two factions for the Golden Core, every last bit could determine victory or defeat. Maybe from the moment Li Qianxue reached Foundation Establishment, things were no longer under his control.

He was naturally a little later than usual arriving at the Golden Summit today.

As for Liu Tao, her mind was fixated on a Flying Sword, so she was practically waiting for him to arrive. Of course, she had to ask what he’d been up to. Chen Qingyang didn’t mention a single word about anything important but rambled on about a whole lot of trivial matters.

After a flurry of activity and more alchemy, he finally stopped, and it was deep into the night once again.

"...You know, back when we did the math at Gentle Breeze, how many more elixirs did we say we needed?"

After carefully inspecting the elixirs, Liu Tao was storing them in a Jade Box. Chen Qingyang sat behind the round table, sipping tea and recovering some of his Primordial Energy.

"About fifty-two thousand Spirit Stones, which comes out to forty-four Tier Four Yang Replacement Powders!"

Across from him, Liu Tao fiddled with the Jade Box for another moment. "I’ve calculated it. We’ve managed to save up another eighteen these past few days, so that leaves twenty-six. Nine days should be enough..."

Chen Qingyang first nodded, then asked, "Senior Sister, is the alchemy competition in about a month?"

Hearing this, Liu Tao couldn’t help but feel a little wistful. "Yes. When the time comes, I’ll have to recommend you from the Pill Institute. In all these years, our Four Golden Peaks has never recommended anyone to participate. You’ll be the first..."

She paused here for a moment. "Don’t worry, I’ll arrange everything for you. You just need to focus on your alchemy. Nothing will get in your way."

Chen Qingyang raised a hand in thanks. "You don’t have to worry either, Senior Sister. We’re both cultivating in the same Immortal Sect, so we’ll have plenty of chances to see each other in the future. By the way, there’s one more thing I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Chen Qingyang said, "I’ve recently made a little headway with the Great Soul Scripture. I was wondering where you learned this cultivation technique, Senior Sister? I want to see if I can find the continuation."

Liu Tao immediately broke into a smile. "Are you serious?"

Chen Qingyang nodded.

After a moment of silence, an idea seemed to strike Liu Tao. "Junior Brother, I found it when I was out on an expedition. The terrain there is rugged and hard to find. But don’t worry, once you’re settled in at Cyan Bamboo Peak, we’ll go together!" After saying this, she looked at him with an expectant gaze.

Chen Qingyang said, "Then thank you, Senior Sister."

As he was leaving today, Liu Tao gave him two more Warm Sun Pills. She had found some time recently to fire up the Pill Furnace a few times, and after using some herself, she always made sure to save some for Chen Qingyang.

Star Moon had vanished behind the clouds at some unknown point. Outside the reach of the lamplight, the world was pitch black.

At the entrance to the Pill Institute, a row of willow trees cast swaying, dancing shadows in the candlelight. A slender figure stood beneath them, motionless.

Her posture made it seem as if she were merging with the willow tree, making her presence difficult to detect.

Seeing Lin Qingxuan again today, her complexion was the same as ever, but the fatigue in her eyes had lessened, replaced by a kind of resolve.

’Perhaps after the initial trials, she has found a new goal, or maybe she has simply learned to endure.’

"Junior Sister Lin, are you waiting for me?"

"Mm." Lin Qingxuan nodded lightly.

Chen Qingyang glanced back. "This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s walk a bit further."

The two of them started walking, and before long, they turned onto a side path and stopped beneath a pine tree.

He knew Lin Qingxuan well enough to know she wouldn’t have waited this long unless it was something urgent. "Junior Sister Lin, go on. What’s happened?"

Lin Qingxuan looked at him, her expression slightly anxious. "Senior Brother Chen, that Zhang Wenyuan wants to harm you! I waited until no one was around to secretly warn you. You shouldn’t go down the mountainside anymore."

Chen Qingyang was surprised. He hadn’t expected this at all!

All along, his attitude toward Lin Qingxuan had been to help if he could, but only on the condition that it didn’t violate his principle of "less trouble is better than more." Who would have thought she would risk her life to tell him this.

’To think, the kindness I showed her was so little, yet she took it as everything. SIGH!’

"Don’t rush. Just explain it to me slowly."

Lin Qingxuan took a long breath, as if to calm herself. "That Zhang Wenyuan cultivates the Star Divination Technique. I hear it’s incredibly powerful. Yesterday, for some reason, he became furious, shouting about who that old miscellaneous task disciple by Li Qianxue’s side had colluded with, and why even his Master couldn’t figure it out."

"I immediately thought of you, Senior Brother Chen. But I didn’t know the full situation, so I didn’t dare to join the conversation or ask questions. However, another senior sister next to him said it would be better to just kill this old miscellaneous task disciple first, and then everything would come to light. Senior Brother Chen, you must be careful!"

Looking at Lin Qingxuan, a new thought formed in Chen Qingyang’s mind. ’Maybe I can find a way to save her? Even if it’s just one attempt that doesn’t bring trouble upon myself.’

"Did you hear anything else that was strange?"

Hearing this, Lin Qingxuan thought for a moment. "That senior sister was probably the strange part. I heard from the older disciples that no one had ever seen her before. And Zhang Wenyuan’s attitude toward her wasn’t like how he treats other miscellaneous task disciples."

"Then... what did she look like?"

Lin Qingxuan added, "Her behavior was frivolous, not like someone from a righteous sect."

When one woman describes another as frivolous, it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s truly frivolous; she’s more likely just charming and bewitching.

"Mm." After nodding, Chen Qingyang took out one of the Warm Sun Pills from his robes and gave it to her. "This elixir is extraordinary. After you take it, it can nourish your meridians and might even speed up your breakthrough. Then you’ll be able to escape the life of a miscellaneous task disciple... It might even replenish your lost Essence Qi!"

Remembering what happened with the Qi Gathering Pill last time, Lin Qingxuan didn’t refuse. With tears welling in her eyes, she was unable to speak and just nodded.

"Wait!" Just as she was about to leave, Chen Qingyang grabbed her sleeve. This time, he pulled out the Warm Jade Scroll. "You must carry this with you at all times. Don’t let anyone see it. It can save your life at a critical moment... I’m only lending it to you for now!"

’With the Gold Coin Sword protecting me, I have no use for the scroll right now.’ Chen Qingyang truly had no reason to continue standing by and doing nothing.

"This..." Not knowing what it was, Lin Qingxuan naturally hesitated.

"Don’t overthink it. Hurry back now!"

"Mm." Glancing back every few steps, Lin Qingxuan departed.

Chen Qingyang glanced toward the distant Pill Institute. ’With Liu Tao’s kind and generous heart, she probably won’t be angry, right?’