Stealing Immortal

The spring day was exceptionally warm.

From this day forward, not a trace of cold remained in the world. All living things burst forth with vigor. Chen Qingyang, too, felt as if his body had been revitalized with new life, but...

Every time he thought of Lin Qingxuan, his heart ached. Being burdened by the Stealing Immortal and scheming against his own comrades was one thing, but repaying a debt of gratitude was another matter entirely.

Unfortunately, the news he'd learned from Leng Yueru the previous night confirmed that there was still no trace of her.

More than half of Master Xuan Gui's disciples had already pledged allegiance to Master Yun Ci. The rest were just holding out for a better offer, trying to squeeze out more benefits. According to Leng Yueru, Master Xuan Gui's faction was well and truly finished.

Leng Yueru had even questioned every single one of the newly defected disciples, but none of them had seen Lin Qingxuan. The ominous feeling in Chen Qingyang's heart grew stronger. 'Only death could make a person disappear so completely!'

'So be it.' In the current situation, all he could do was repeat that phrase to himself; there was nothing for it but to let things be.

The morning sun was brilliant, its golden light blanketing every inch of the small courtyard. Two boys sat at the stone table, shoveling down their breakfast. Chen Qingyang stood with his hands behind his back, his own back turned to them.

"Senior Brother Chen, are you sure you don't want a bowl?" Zhang Ping's voice came from behind him.

"No, thank you." He'd been taking too many elixirs lately, and with a heavy heart, he had no appetite.

"There's something I need to tell you both directly," he said after a slight pause.

Li Sheng, being an extremely sensitive person, paused with his bowl in hand, a bad feeling creeping into his heart. Zhang Ping, however, asked, "Is it about you, Senior Brother Chen?"

Chen Qingyang shook his head gently. "Junior Sister Lin is missing. I'm afraid it's not looking good for her."

Though he was extremely reluctant, he didn't hide the truth from the two of them.

"But..." Zhang Ping was clearly agitated. "That can't be right, Senior Brother Chen! How can someone just disappear from the Immortal Sect? Especially from the Golden Summit—isn't that supposed to be an Immortal Sacred Land?"

Chen Qingyang didn't answer him right away. A brief silence fell over the courtyard.

It was Li Sheng who stood up and patted Zhang Ping's shoulder. "Senior Brother Chen, can you tell us what happened? I just want to know why."

Chen Qingyang said, "That Outer Disciple, Zhang Wenyuan, violated the Sect's rules and was taken in for questioning by the Law Enforcement Hall. The thirteen other miscellaneous task disciples from the same courtyard are all fine, but Junior Sister Lin is the only one missing. I've asked people to search for her, but four days have passed with no results. I couldn't keep this from you, so I'm telling you the truth."

"Then..." Li Sheng started to ask another question, but Chen Qingyang turned around, cutting him off.

"The reasons behind this are very complicated. If you are able to reach Qi Refining in the future, I will tell you everything. If not, then you don't need to ask any more questions!"

Stunned, Li Sheng fell silent.

Zhang Ping also hung his head for a long time before he began to accept the situation. He, in turn, started to comfort Li Sheng. "Missing, with no body, doesn't necessarily mean she's dead. Senior Brother Chen is right. If you want to understand what happened, you need to get strong first!"

After speaking, he gathered his bowl and chopsticks to get back to his duties. "Senior Brother Chen, I'm going to get to work!"

He took a few steps, then looked back. "Hold on to that letter from Junior Sister Lin. Let it be a memento for you. After my mother died, I held on to the wooden hairpin she used to wear as my memento. As long as you have something to remember them by, life won't be so bitter."

The older one gets, the more one experiences of the world, and the more truths one understands. The only thing that fades is emotion, which gradually gives way to indifference.

This is why the young are less cold than the middle-aged, the middle-aged less cold than the old, and the old less cold than those immortals who have lived for hundreds or even thousands of years.

At least, that was how Chen Qingyang understood it in that moment.

Walking to the foot of the White Jade Steps, he ambled his way up, slowly arriving at the Golden Summit.

The one guarding the Cloud Scripture Jade Pavilion today was the same youth as before. He didn't recognize Chen Qingyang, and after a quick glance at the Pill Institute token, he paid him no further mind.

Chen Qingyang had a clear goal. After entering, he went straight to the section for Arrays. Since he had this convenient access, he might as well make use of it.

Compared to the Pill Formulas, the Arrays here were pitifully few—only seventeen in total. The vast majority of them weren't even independent arrays; they were either for gathering fire in a Pill Furnace, gathering Qi for Spirit Plants, or even for things like pest control in a Cave Mansion. They were all minor techniques, so to speak.

Chen Qingyang searched and searched, unwilling to waste time on anything meaningless. He finally settled on an Array called "Liu Family Ancestral House Incense and Candle Prayer Skill for Gathering Blessings." The name was certainly a bit odd.

This was an Array of the Divine Dao, capable of altering feng shui, gathering Yin Spirits, fulfilling great wishes, and nourishing the ancestral Yin Spirit with incense and candle offerings.

For a normal Cultivator, it was almost completely useless. Even when Xu Baoling was alive, it would have been the same for her. Now, however, it could be of great use.

Moreover, the Array's difficulty was moderate, and the required materials didn't seem too complicated, making it perfect practice for a beginner like Chen Qingyang.

As for why he chose to study an Array, besides the boon granted by the Stealing Immortal, he also wanted to give himself more life-saving measures for the long years of cultivation ahead. After all, he had caught a glimpse or two of what a Foundation Establishment Master was capable of.

When he left the Cloud Scripture Jade Pavilion, the youth, just as he had expected, didn't ask a single question and simply let him leave. He had already memorized the contents, so there was no need to keep the paper.

In the Alchemy Room.

Liu Tao was guiding a furnace of Warm Sun Pills into the "Late Fire" stage. Ever since her cultivation breakthrough, she could skillfully refine three of these Tier Two Elixirs at once.

Chen Qingyang sat beside her, sipping tea. He didn't need to perform any alchemy today; he had already gathered the forty-four Tier Four Yang Replacement Powders the day before. He was just waiting for the right time to go to Gentle Breeze and retrieve the Cyan Simurgh.

She gave two of the three elixirs to Chen Qingyang and kept the last for herself. "Senior Sister, this elixir is most suitable for you right now. One is enough for me!"

Liu Tao didn't stand on ceremony and took the other one back. "You said you've paid off all the elixirs you owed me, and you've already perfected the Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder. You're not going to stop coming here now, are you?"

Chen Qingyang thought for a moment. "I'll still come, but not as often. I need to enter seclusion to sort out my thoughts and prepare for the elixir competition in my best condition. Even among Tier Four Elixirs, there must be a difference between good and bad."

A look of reluctance crossed Liu Tao's face, but she really had no reason to expect to see Chen Qingyang every day. "Alright, then. I'll prepare the ingredients for the Dragon and Tiger Fighting Calamity Pill for you. You can come and refine them here at my place, okay? That way, when you've just moved to Cyan Bamboo Peak and don't have a Pill Furnace, you won't let your greatest skill go to waste!" This was the best excuse she could rack her brains to come up with.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll still have to refine the Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder. We may have the Flying Sword, but we're still short on Spirit Stones. Don't we still have to go down the mountain to find the remaining parts of the Great Soul Scripture in the future?"

For some reason, Liu Tao became a little bashful. Hearing Chen Qingyang's words, she hurriedly said, "You're right, Junior Brother. As for Gentle Breeze, let's wait until it's dark to go. We shouldn't let anyone see us together!"

"Mm, alright."

The night was hazy, and the evening breeze was intoxicating.

A pleasant scent drifted from Liu Tao, carried on the gentle wind, seeping into Chen Qingyang's nostrils.

The two of them traveled by Wind Control, her in front, him behind. After a short while, they drew near and landed on the ground.

They went nowhere else, heading straight for Gentle Breeze.

Inside the bamboo building.

Without even turning his head, Shopkeeper Wang was just about to utter his usual line when—CLANG—a pile of things was thrown down in front of him. Realizing what it was, his face immediately lit up with joy. "You two! You're back before the twenty days are up! Truly brilliant! It's not often my humble abode is graced by such skilled Pill Masters!"

After finishing his pleasantries, he led them to the second floor. This time, he didn't inspect each elixir carefully, as if he already trusted their quality.

"Forty-four elixirs, for a total of fifty-two thousand, eight hundred Spirit Stones. The excess is... hmm, are the books correct?"

He even did the accounting with extreme speed this time. Liu Tao said impatiently, "That's right, that's right! Now hurry up and bring out the Flying Sword!"

A miscellaneous task disciple went to fetch it and returned shortly after, holding a brocade box. He opened it to reveal the Flying Sword. Liu Tao took it in her hands, stroking it carefully. She flicked the blade, and a ripple of light pulsed out as the sword let out a clear, ringing hum.

It was currently an ownerless object. After she took it back, she could refine it day and night with her True Essence. It would then recognize her as its master, and the sword would move with her thoughts.

"Mm, it's the Cyan Simurgh Sword. You little rascal, you didn't dare try to pull a fast one!"

Shopkeeper Wang yelped, "Senior Sister, how could you say such a thing? We run a reputable business here! If anything happened to you two at my establishment, I'm afraid the name 'Gentle Breeze' would be ruined forever. And this is within the Sect, no less..."

Liu Tao waved her hand, cutting him off. "Junior Brother, we have the sword, let's go back!" She was clearly eager to return and begin the sacrificial refinement.

Chen Qingyang said, "Wait a moment, Senior Sister. I have a few more things to say... Shopkeeper, how do you feel about this business arrangement?"

As if knowing that this question was leading somewhere troublesome, Shopkeeper Wang immediately forced a pained smile. "Ai, the profit margins are too thin. All this hard work, and it's really just for the publicity..."

"In that case, we won't bring any more elixirs here in the future."

Shopkeeper Wang's expression immediately switched back to a smile. "Now, that's not necessary! We'll continue doing business as always. I'll buy your elixirs at a high price."

Chen Qingyang continued, "Then I'd like to ask a favor of you, Shopkeeper Wang. I need a book on the subject of astrology. I was wondering if you could gift one to me?"

Thinking it was going to be some extraordinary request, Shopkeeper Wang breathed a sigh of relief when he heard it was just a book. "Cui Xiang! Go and bring me all the books we have on the subject of astrology... No, don't bring them up. Just pack them all up and let our Junior Brother take them with him. And don't be stingy!"

His efficiency was absurdly high. Chen Qingyang had only asked for one book, but now he had a whole pile.

"What do you need these for?" Liu Tao asked, growing suspicious.

"I just want to broaden my knowledge, Senior Sister."

Liu Tao shook her head. "No, that's not it. You're definitely hiding something from me..."

It took Chen Qingyang quite a bit more effort to explain everything to her.