Stealing Immortal

Before long, day broke.

On the road to the Golden Summit, the snow had mostly vanished. Only a few scattered patches remained hidden in the shadows, along with a slight whiteness on the distant mountain peaks.

Not long after leaving the mountainside, Chen Qingyang noticed someone was secretly following him.

He paused briefly. After a moment of thought, he understood the reason. ’This must be the new Steward from the Profound Light Association that Hu Kai mentioned.’

But he didn’t know how far this person would follow him, where Hu Kai was, or whether their plan had begun.

He hadn’t heard a word from him since they last met.

Chen Qingyang pretended not to notice, walking up the White Jade Steps. The person was still there all the way to the Upper Golden Summit, only disappearing completely after he entered the Pill Institute. ’They’re undoubtedly trying to confirm what I’m up to.’

It was best not to act rashly until he received clear information from Hu Kai.

Inside the Alchemy Room, Liu Tao was nowhere to be seen, so he began his Alchemy on his own.

He had heard Liu Tao say that soon, she would no longer need Tier Three Qi-Introducing Pills. Her Dharma Gate was about to advance to the next level. Chen Qingyang wondered if he should learn how to refine the Warm Jade Pill. Otherwise, he would lose his usefulness to Liu Tao, and their cooperation would come to an end.

He worked from morning until noon. When the Elixir was finished, there was still no sign of her.

He then started experimenting with the other two elixirs. The Yang Replacement Powder should break through to Tier Two by tomorrow. Further advancements after that would likely not be so easy.

It was nearly midnight.

Just as Chen Qingyang was about to leave, he saw Liu Tao walking in from outside.

One could always tell if she was happy, angry, worried, or sad from her expression. Today, she was beaming. "Senior Sister must have come across some good news?"

Liu Tao asked back, "How did you know?"

Chen Qingyang pointed at her. "Isn’t it written all over your face?"

Liu Tao caressed her cheek, her smile radiant. "Hehe, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s just that after my Cultivation breakthrough, my master passed down the continuation of the Fire Control Three Acupoints. This True Skill is now called the Nine Flavors True Fire. If I can reach Foundation Establishment, I can cultivate a Pure Fire Yang Body."

Chen Qingyang asked, "Are these Nine Flavors related to the Nine Acupoints?"

Liu Tao said proudly, "Smart. When the Nine Acupoints are full, the Nine Flavors are complete. Forging the Nine Acupoints with fire is the wonder of this Cultivation Technique. This technique is considered superior even in the entire Tai Xu Sect."

Chen Qingyang could truly feel that with this one breakthrough, Liu Tao had crossed a huge threshold. It was all because the Fire Control Three Acupoints was so difficult to practice; she had been stuck for a long time. "I wonder how many disciples are in your lineage, Senior Sister?"

"Among the thirty-four Foundation Establishment Masters of the Four Golden Peaks, a total of nineteen have taken on disciples after Opening Veins. My lineage has forty-two disciples. Thirteen of them are in the Inner Sect. The Senior Brother with the highest Cultivation has already reached the Nine Acupoints and is half a step away from Foundation Establishment. You could say we’re the strongest lineage on the Four Golden Peaks."

He had heard there were over three hundred people on the Golden Summit, and Master Yun Ci alone accounted for so many.

"Then, Senior Sister, have you found out what Qi Xiuyuan has been up to lately?"

Liu Tao naturally assumed Chen Qingyang was worried for his own safety. "He’s no longer in seclusion, but he rarely comes out. He’s probably brewing some malicious plan. You must keep the Talisman I gave you close."

Chen Qingyang nodded. "Senior Sister, are you sure you can severely injure him with a single strike?"

Liu Tao was full of confidence. "Hmph, if he dares to try anything, he should know that even if I leave just a wisp of my True Power in his body, it will rot his bones and corrode his heart, causing him unbearable pain."

"Mm, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."

The sharp-witted Liu Tao noticed something off in his tone and immediately turned her head. "Hey, you old rascal, don’t you dare do anything reckless. Be cautious. Your first reaction upon seeing him should be to run, not to think about doing anything else."

Having spent so much time together, she had her own understanding of Chen Qingyang’s character.

"Don’t worry, Senior Sister."

By the time he descended the mountain, the sky was dark once more.

Chen Qingyang took a Tier Three Qi-Introducing Pill and sat under the same pine tree as before, meditating until dawn.

Thanks to the elixir’s effects, he felt he had gained a lot overnight. However, when he looked at the small golden characters, the progress bar hadn’t changed at all.

’Slow. It’s just too slow.’

Back in the small courtyard, the three youths across the way were busy making breakfast again. They had been sharing meals for nearly two months now and had never once had a conflict, which was quite harmonious.

While Chen Qingyang was in his room, Li Sheng approached him again.

"Senior Brother Chen, I didn’t see you come back last night. That Senior Brother named Hu Kai was looking for you. Yesterday, while I was at work, he asked me to give this to you!"

In Li Sheng’s hand was a small bamboo tube, which surely contained something like a paper slip.

’That guy is cautious enough. Now he won’t even show his face.’

Chen Qingyang glanced around. Seeing no one watching him for the moment, he snatched the tube and instantly tucked it into his sleeve. "You didn’t open it to look, did you?"

Seeing such caution, Li Sheng naturally understood the matter was serious. "I didn’t open it. I may not be talented, but I do have that much integrity."

Chen Qingyang stared at him for a moment, then said, "Don’t mention this to anyone, including the others in this courtyard... Also, if you see Hu Kai in the future, pretend you don’t know him."

Hearing Chen Qingyang’s instructions, Li Sheng asked no more questions. "Understood, Senior Brother Chen."

He was worried the youth before him would get dragged into this. Hu Kai was capable of plotting his elimination, and he was also capable of eliminating this youth afterward.

Back in his room.

With a light pinch, Chen Qingyang crushed the bamboo tube. He pulled out a paper slip from inside. It read, "When the moon hangs over the willow branch, proceed to this place. I will handle everything. There is nothing to fear."

On the back was a simple map, marking a location in a nameless valley.

It wasn’t close, and the area was quite desolate. People rarely went there.

After reading it, Chen Qingyang summoned a ball of flame in his hand, and the paper slip instantly turned to ash.

"Master, who is this Hu Kai?"

Xu Baoling’s Divine Soul was hidden in the room, so she had clearly heard the conversation at the door.

"He is a seed sown here by the Demon Sect."

Xu Baoling was surprised to hear this. "Then are you still going, Master?"

"Go? Of course I’m going."

"Then..." Xu Baoling hesitated. "Why not take me with you? I might be able to help."

As Chen Qingyang shook his head, a silver flame flickered at his fingertip. At that moment, the full power of his Qi Refining Fifth Realm cultivation was released.

"Fourth..." Xu Baoling was dumbfounded. "It’s the Fifth Realm."

"That’s right. At least here on the mountainside, I have few rivals. But..." Then, as if another thought occurred to him, Chen Qingyang added, "You should indeed come with me. I’m afraid Hu Kai might pull some other trick..."

"Mm."

...

The moon was dark and the wind was high—a perfect night for killing.

With the plan in mind, he descended the mountain very early, just as night fell.

Hu Kai’s calculation was indeed correct. The moment he reached the mountainside, he was locked onto by that same aura again.

Just like when he lured out Xu You, he used the same method. He first walked to the courtyard gate, paused for a moment, and then took off running.

He was extremely fast, and the aura behind him gave chase relentlessly. But throughout this pursuit, he still hadn’t detected any trace of Hu Kai.

Seeing that he was about to reach the end of the path, he had no choice but to stop.

"You Miscellaneous Task disciple, you certainly can run fast!"

Out of the darkness emerged a fair-faced youth, suspended in mid-air, with only the wind moving around him.

The address was strange. The term "Miscellaneous Task disciple" was very specific; it was almost always what Outer Disciples called them. A member of the Profound Light Association hiding among the Miscellaneous Task disciples probably wouldn’t have said it that way.

"Senior Brother is... from the Outer Sect?"

The youth snorted coldly. "You’re quite perceptive."

"Then... may I ask why Senior Brother is following me?"

The youth retorted, "If you didn’t know I was following you, why would you lead me here? Even now, you can’t escape my grasp, but... I suppose I can give you a chance to live."

His tone was slow and deliberate, as if victory was already his.

"What chance?"

The youth continued, "The Profound Light Association once had a member named Xu You, who disappeared without a trace. Then came Gong Yueshu, who died alongside an Outer Disciple. Do you know the specific reasons for these incidents?"

Unsure if he was a Profound Light Association member from the Outer Sect or something else, Chen Qingyang probed, "Is Senior Brother from the Law Enforcement Hall?"

"Hmph!" The youth was quite annoyed by this. "Compared to my master, what does the Law Enforcement Hall even count for?"

’Master?’

’Could it be a Golden Summit Foundation Establishment Master?’ This made Chen Qingyang even more confused. "I wonder, which one is Senior Brother’s master?"

"Old Miscellaneous Task disciple!" the youth cursed. "My master is a Golden Summit Foundation Establishment Master! How can his name be mentioned so casually? I ask, you answer. Where are all these questions coming from?"

Chen Qingyang patiently considered this. "The two you mentioned are indeed involved in a significant matter, and everything is related to Hu Kai. I wonder, did Hu Kai tell Senior Brother to come here?"

After hearing his words, the youth narrowed his eyes in thought. "You’re saying this has something to do with that Hu Kai?"

He could now be certain this was the person Hu Kai had mentioned. He just hadn’t expected it to be an Outer Disciple, let alone one connected to a Foundation Establishment Master. Things were getting more and more complicated.

"Those two died precisely because of that Hu Kai. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Insolence!" The youth didn’t believe him and was naturally even more furious. With a flick of his hand, a wave of True Qi instantly shot toward Chen Qingyang.

This was clearly the cultivation of the Fourth Realm of Qi Refining, not the First Realm of Qi Refining that Hu Kai had claimed.

When the dust settled, Chen Qingyang hadn’t been defeated as expected. He was still standing there, his Qi Mechanism as calm as ever.

"You..." The youth’s face paled in shock as he immediately sensed something was wrong. "Just who are you?"

"And who are you? Since you’re an Outer Disciple, why are you working for the Profound Light Association? Don’t you know that colluding with the Demon Sect is a capital offense?"

This youth was also quick-witted. Knowing his opponent was formidable, he activated a Wind Control Technique and tried to flee for his life. "Hmph, as if matters concerning a Foundation Establishment Master are for you to question!"

But Chen Qingyang had anticipated this. He immediately used the Void Step Introduction. His speed was astonishing, and he was in front of the youth in an instant.

With a light tap of his Sword Point, the youth died instantly. His face once again appeared in Chen Qingyang’s mind.

Even with his Fourth Realm Cultivation, he was still killed in a single blow. Chen Qingyang then searched his body but, as expected, did not find the Lotus Order.

Before leaving, he started a large fire, burning the corpse to ashes.

He took a look. This time, he had stolen 404 Immortal Seedlings. If he used all of them for his cultivation, a breakthrough wouldn’t be far off.