Stealing Immortal

Chen Qingyang turned around. Liu Tao was standing at the entrance of the Alchemy Room, her gaze seemingly filled with a hint of resentment.

He gave Lin Qingxuan one last look, but her figure had already vanished at the end of the White Jade Dao. He then turned and walked back.

"Heh!" It was a cold laugh. "So this is the ’youth’ you mentioned? What kind of young man grows up to look like a girl... You know, she’s actually quite pretty!"

Chen Qingyang could only remain expressionless. "Sigh. Young man, young woman—it makes no difference to me."

"Heh!" Liu Tao laughed coldly again, her eyes dancing over Chen Qingyang. "The old boy isn’t so old anymore. You’ve got a certain immortal air about you now. When I first joined the Sect as a little girl, I used to love watching people like you... You seem so dependable, yet so profound and mysterious!"

When it came to things like this, the most effective explanation was no explanation at all. "Senior Sister, I need to prepare for Alchemy!"

Liu Tao raised a hand. "Hold on. Let me tell you something first. After the Elixirs are refined, you’re coming with me to Gentle Breeze tonight. I can’t store the Elixirs we’ve accumulated anymore. If I just leave them around, I’m afraid they’ll lose their medicinal properties. Let’s exchange them for Spirit Stones first!"

Before Chen Qingyang could speak, she slammed her hand on the table, her nose wrinkling fiercely. "Remember, what I say goes. You are not allowed to refuse!"

Chen Qingyang: "Alright."

Beside the Pill Furnace, on the shelves.

While he was away today, Liu Tao clearly hadn’t been idle. The shelves were packed with all the necessary ingredients. After all, they were Tier Four Elixirs, and the amount of raw materials required was immense.

The two of them stopped talking and got to work. It wasn’t until night fell that Chen Qingyang finally had time to sit behind the round table and sip his tea. Through the window, a brilliant river of stars was visible.

Star Maps, Purple Stars, a chessboard...

’The mysteries of Daoist Techniques are truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.’ Chen Qingyang looked left and right, but he couldn’t figure out how it could be used to evade disaster, calculate the future, or perform acts like "Picking Stars and Entering the Array, bringing Chaos of Heaven and Earth."

What he had seen last night was clearly the other party trying to track him down. He thought about it for a long time but decided not to tell Liu Tao, lest it invite more trouble.

"What... are you thinking about?" At some point, Liu Tao had landed behind him.

"Nothing much, just matters of the Alchemy Dao."

But Liu Tao didn’t believe him. "No, no, no. That’s not what it looked like to me. You must be thinking about that poor girl who joined Zhang Wenyuan’s faction, wondering if there’s a way to save her."

This time, she was actually wrong. Chen Qingyang didn’t want to discuss it and simply asked, "Senior Sister, have you finished counting the Elixirs?"

At that moment, the other end of the round table was covered with Jade Boxes of all sizes, all filled with Elixirs. Liu Tao had been meticulous, labeling them by Tier Two, Three, and Four.

"All counted! Just the Tier Four Elixirs alone amount to twenty-one. One Tier Three, and the rest are twenty-four Tier Two. This is going to be a huge pile of Spirit Stones!"

Chen Qingyang glanced over. "Senior Sister, let’s head out then!"

Liu Tao found a piece of cloth. Chen Qingyang gathered all the jade boxes, bundled them up, and slung the pack onto his back. There weren’t actually that many Elixirs; the bulk came from the fact that each Elixir needed a Jade Box for storage, and at most, only three could be placed in a single box.

"I’ve heard that Foundation Establishment Masters have a technique called Universe in the Sleeve, which can hide a small mountain in one’s sleeve and even capture people and souls. I wonder if that’s true?" Chen Qingyang asked Liu Tao.

"It’s not that exaggerated. If you could really fit a small mountain inside, that would be the work of a Golden Core True Monarch. As for the Universe in the Sleeve Divine Power you mentioned, you can start practicing it once you’ve opened the Sixth Acupoint Dongming of Essence Condensation. If Senior Sister Leng’s Cultivation improves a bit more, she’ll be able to do it. As for us, we’d better just carry this pack on our backs!"

Chen Qingyang nodded lightly. "That’s fine."

After leaving the Pill Institute, Liu Tao once again used the Yang Yao Step. Before long, they landed at Gentle Breeze in the mountains. The two didn’t linger on the path but headed straight for the bamboo building.

It was the same person as last time, who didn’t even lift an eyelid. "Feel free to browse."

THUD!

Such a heavy pile of things being placed on the counter really gave the man a start. He quickly looked up and said, "Oh my, it’s you two distinguished guests! I presume you’ve prepared quite a few Elixirs this time?"

Seeing that the bundle contained one Jade Box after another, he became even more enthusiastic.

Chen Qingyang opened the cloth bundle, took out a single Tier Four Elixir to show him, then carefully wrapped the rest back up, looking as if he was ready to leave at any moment.

The man didn’t look at the Elixir first. Instead, he pointed at the bundle. "Oh my, my... Don’t tell me this is all filled with Elixirs?"

This was precisely the effect Chen Qingyang was going for. "Examine this one first, then we’ll talk."

"Alright, I’ll take a look." Holding the Elixir up, he narrowed his eyes slightly and quickly identified it. "Mm, it’s a Yang Replacement Powder, at least Tier Two or higher!"

He then brought it to his nose for a sniff, his expression showing a hint of surprise. After checking it several more times, he exclaimed, "My goodness, it’s a Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder! You two are truly skilled. You must be from one of those mountain peaks famous for the Alchemy Dao, right?"

At this, Liu Tao slammed the counter. "You don’t need to ask about that. Just tell us about last time..."

Before she could finish, a hand tugged at the corner of her sleeve. She turned to see it was Chen Qingyang.

"We do indeed have quite a few of these Elixirs, but if we’re not satisfied with the price, we won’t be leaving them here today."

’He’s only starting to haggle now?’ Liu Tao was completely taken aback. She never would have expected the silent Chen Qingyang from last time to pull a stunt like this.

The man’s eyes darted around, and he put on a troubled expression for a moment. "Hehe, why the rush? Everything is negotiable. How about I offer one thousand and fifty for this Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder?"

Seeing how easily the price was raised, Liu Tao was about to accept the good offer, but she felt Chen Qingyang tug on her dress again.

"This Pill was extremely difficult to come by. We expended an immense amount of effort. If we can’t get a worthy price for it, we’ll take it back right now. Twelve hundred, not a single coin less. If the Shopkeeper can agree to this, there will be plenty of opportunities for us to cooperate in the future!"

"Twelve hundred... you’re really driving a hard bargain!" The man across from them fell silent, just shaking his head repeatedly.

Liu Tao, however, felt her heart pounding. On one hand, she hoped the man would hurry up and agree; on the other, she was afraid they’d have to lug the Elixirs back with them today.

After a short wait, the other party still hadn’t made a decision. Chen Qingyang actually started packing up his things, about to snatch the Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder back from the man’s hand.

"Wait... with such a big deal on the table, why be in such a rush? My surname is Wang; you can just call me Shopkeeper Wang. Why don’t we sit down and discuss this properly?"

The shopkeeper didn’t let go, so Chen Qingyang simply pried it from his grasp. After packing it away, he started to pull Liu Tao toward the exit.

"Hold on, how many do you have?"

Chen Qingyang stopped. "Twenty-one."

"My, that’s quite a lot..." Finally, just as Chen Qingyang was about to step out the door, the shopkeeper relented. "Twelve hundred it is, then! I’ll take a small loss to make a new friend!"

With that, it wasn’t just Liu Tao who breathed a sigh of relief; Chen Qingyang did as well. He had genuinely been prepared to walk away.

While the shopkeeper was inspecting the goods, Liu Tao gave Chen Qingyang a thumbs-up. "Incredible."

At last, Shopkeeper Wang finished his calculations. "...A total of twenty-eight thousand and eighty. If there are no issues, our deal is done!"

Chen Qingyang nodded. "No problem. I was wondering, do you have any Flying Swords you could show us?"

Just a moment ago, Shopkeeper Wang was heartbroken over the extra money he’d spent, but now, thinking he could earn it right back, he was all smiles. "This way, this way! To the second floor!"

It was indeed different up here. Not only was the decor elegant, but the space itself seemed much larger.

On the long table, besides fragrant tea and fruits, there was also a pleasant incense wafting wisps of blue smoke.

"I can see you two aren’t short on Spirit Stones, so naturally, you’ll want the best Flying Sword—one that is at least a graded item... And as luck would have it, I have just the one. This Sword is truly remarkable, with an impressive origin..."

As he chattered on, he presented a Flying Sword to the two of them.

It was about a foot long and snow-white, with complex patterns carved into its surface and eight pieces of Dao Rhyme Text inlaid upon it. A light flick of a finger sent the Sword ringing, and a fiery halo of light rippled outward like a wave. Liu Tao’s gaze was more than just captivated; her hands couldn’t help but reach for it.

"Senior Sister, take a closer look. This Sword is called Cyan Simurgh. It’s of the Fire Element, making it perfect for someone proficient in the Alchemy Dao. Its meaning is auspicious, too! As the ancient saying goes, ’A Cyan Simurgh waits in silence for three thousand years, until it meets a kindred soul and sings to the nine heavens...’"

Chen Qingyang didn’t know much about this Sword, only that Liu Tao truly loved it. She especially couldn’t put it down after hearing its meaning. "How many Spirit Stones?"

Shopkeeper Wang was very cautious with his quote. He pinched his fingers, calculating, and finally said with a pained expression, "Eighty thousand... For something this good, it has to be at least eighty thousand. Last time someone asked, I wouldn’t even discuss a price below one hundred thousand!"

’I’m still short fifty-two thousand. In terms of Tier Four Elixirs, that’s at least forty pills... which would take about ten-odd days. That’s not too long.’

Just as she was about to agree, she heard Chen Qingyang speak again. "Seventy thousand. I’m not willing to pay a single coin more. If that works, we’ll leave these Spirit Stones as a deposit and pick up the Flying Sword in twenty days!"

"Seventy thousand!" Whether he was just acting or was genuinely shocked, Shopkeeper Wang’s eyes went wide. "That’s very difficult... I’ve never..."

Seeing Chen Qingyang poise to leave, he hurriedly grabbed him. "Alright! Let’s just say we’re making a friend!"

...

After haggling so fiercely and seeing her beloved new item, Liu Tao was still feeling a mix of emotions as they walked out of the bamboo building.

"Do you think... that was a bit too ruthless... But it was also great... Hehe, that Flying Sword is so beautiful..."

Chen Qingyang stopped. "Senior Sister, wait for me here. I forgot to settle a small detail with him. I’ll be right back."

"Mm."

Chen Qingyang stormed back into the bamboo building. Shopkeeper Wang was cheerfully directing someone to put away all the Spirit Stones. When he saw it was Chen Qingyang, his expression immediately turned serious. "Ah, brother, business is tough!"

Chen Qingyang said, "Don’t worry, I’m not going back on our deal. I wanted to ask if you could procure a certain Cultivation Technique for me."

Shopkeeper Wang puffed out his chest. "What kind of question is that? Is there anything we can’t do?"

"The Cultivation Technique is called the Tai Xu Star Pivot Ziwei Scripture."

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Wang waved his hands frantically. "Impossible, impossible! How could we dare to violate the Sect’s laws? Why don’t you ask for something else?"

...

The night was deep.

In a small hut on the mountainside, Chen Qingyang, who was in the middle of meditation, felt his consciousness spin out of control as a bizarre scene appeared in his mind.

A deep, azure void, crisscrossed with lines like latitude and longitude, resembling a massive chessboard.

Countless stars dotted its surface, forming all sorts of Star Maps. Beyond the board, a pair of invisible hands seemed to be trying to manipulate everything...

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

And everything vanished.

"Master, what’s wrong?" Xu Baoling, who was beside him, had naturally noticed that something was amiss.

Chen Qingyang was silent for a moment, not planning to tell her. "It’s nothing. Continue your Cultivation."

Seeing this, Xu Baoling didn’t press further. In his mind, the name "Tai Xu Star Pivot Purple Micro True Skill" surfaced.

Three days later, the Star Disc appeared a second time, and the great hand drew even closer to him.

Chen Qingyang was certain: Master Xuan Gui was plotting against him.