Stealing Immortal

Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Cangming

"Indeed. Senior Sister, don’t you think this Great Soul Scripture seems to have an extraordinary origin?"

Liu Tao shook her head. "Not before today. In fact, I thought it was a curse. Practicing it messed with my mind and kept my Cultivation from breaking through. I’m sure it was the reason."

’That was true. I still remembered how she’d been a bit unhinged when I first met her. She only fully recovered after her Cultivation broke through.’

"Senior Sister, I have a gut feeling. If we can break through this mural, we’ll definitely find the Great Soul Scripture!"

Liu Tao raised her Flying Sword and stabbed straight at the wall. CLANG! She staggered back two steps as a layer of golden light erupted from the mural, spreading out from the center. The mural itself was completely unharmed.

She looked surprised. "This... is an Array?"

"That’s right. This isn’t a dead end. An Array is blocking our path."

Liu Tao added, "Then behind this Array... could it be the Dao Field of the Great Soul Scripture’s original owner?"

"That’s possible."

"You’ve been studying Arrays lately, haven’t you? Why don’t you try to break it."

Staring at the mural, Chen Qingyang fell into deep thought. The Golden Carp beside the Thirty-Three-Tiered Tower was incredibly brilliant, irresistibly drawing his gaze.

He suddenly recalled that it was almost identical to the Conscious Fish from his visualizations. ’Could this be the key to getting inside?’

"Senior Sister, let’s back up a little."

"Why? Did you figure out the trick?"

Chen Qingyang said, "I can give it a try."

The two of them immediately retreated about ten zhang. Liu Tao watched Chen Qingyang curiously, but seeing him just standing there motionless, she decided not to disturb him and simply waited.

At that moment, his Conscious Fish had already taken flight, pressing against the Golden Carp on the mural. It was a perfect fit, and they merged into one.

It was as if Chen Qingyang had lost his connection to the Conscious Fish; it vanished after merging with the mural.

Just as he was growing puzzled, the Golden Carp’s body emitted a fierce golden light. The mural began to ripple like the surface of water, sending waves spreading outward. He walked forward and reached out his hand, finding he could push it deep inside and feel a whole other space beyond.

Liu Tao grabbed him. "Be careful. I’ll go first."

Chen Qingyang replied, "It’s not dangerous, Senior Sister."

His connection to the Conscious Fish had returned, so he had a rough idea of what lay beyond. After he vanished into the mural, Liu Tao followed close behind.

It was like an Underground Palace, with ever-burning lamps. A high flight of steps before them seemed to stretch to the clouds. The pillars on all four sides were carved with various rare and exotic beasts. In the very center stood a thirty-three-tiered tower—the same one from the mural, but now as a physical sculpture.

Chen Qingyang’s Conscious Fish had already scouted the area and detected nothing unusual, so he began to lead Liu Tao up the steps.

"Why use such elaborate measures to hide a mere Cultivation Technique? What secret do you think is really hidden here?"

’She has a point. First, it uses a fragmented scroll to lure someone into practicing, then uses the results of that practice to break this Array.’ After thinking it over, Chen Qingyang shook his head. "Senior Sister, let’s not waste time guessing. We’ll go up, take a look, and then leave."

Liu Tao then asked, "So how did you break the Array? It was so cleverly hidden that I didn’t even realize it was an Array at first, yet you saw through it at a glance?"

Chen Qingyang explained, "Senior Sister, I just felt that the Golden Carp was especially eye-catching. After probing it a little, I realized the secret lay with it."

"Mm." He couldn’t tell if Liu Tao truly believed him or was just pretending, but since the end result was right there before them, it wasn’t a good time to ask any more questions.

The two of them walked up the steps.

After what felt like a long time, they finally reached the top.

This was a high platform with only a single screen placed in the middle. On the screen was a painting of the same tower from the mural, but this time, it included three words: "Cangming True Monarch."

Many other items were scattered across the floor. A closer look revealed they were Magical Artifacts, but they had lost all their Spiritual Qi and were now just scrap metal.

In front of the screen sat a meditation cushion, with a golden scroll resting on it. Chen Qingyang walked over and slowly picked it up. He couldn’t make out the dense, tiny characters that followed, but the very first line read ’Great Soul Scripture Volume Two’. ’This has to be it.’

Liu Tao leaned over and glanced at it, but her expression wasn’t as happy as one might expect. "You were right, it’s here. But I don’t particularly like this feeling of being led by the nose."

"Indeed. If this whole place is a scheme set up by this Cangming True Monarch, then we’re just puppets on his strings. I wonder who this True Monarch is?"

Liu Tao said, "Every Golden Core True Monarch possesses immense power. Regardless of who he is, we have to be careful."

"Mm." Chen Qingyang opened the scroll. After reading it through just once, he had memorized every single word. He then rolled it back up and placed it on the meditation cushion, returning it to its original state.

"Senior Sister, when you first obtained the Great Soul Scripture, what was it like?"

Liu Tao replied, "Just a few scattered pages. I even had to piece them together in the right order myself. Compared to this Volume Two, it looked completely unremarkable."

Chen Qingyang said, "Since we’ve memorized the contents, let’s put the scroll back where we found it. We should even go back to where we were before, write out a copy of Great Soul Scripture Volume One, and put it back in its original place."

"Someone else will eventually get the Great Soul Scripture and find their way here, and then we’ll no longer be tied to this chain of cause and effect. As for why it was set up this way, there’s no need for us to dwell on it. Let’s just pretend it has nothing to do with us."

Hearing this, Liu Tao couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up. "You really know how to take all the benefits without any of the karmic consequences, and you make it sound so noble. So, you do know how we get out of here, right?"

Chen Qingyang said, "We just go back the way we came."

Sure enough, when they reached the spot where they had entered, the mural was still shimmering like water. As he passed through, he didn’t forget to take a closer look, but he still couldn’t discern the Array’s Profound Secrets or its Array Base. He couldn’t even tell where the Array Building was located.

Once they passed through, the mural was hard as stone again when they touched it. The two quickly left the chamber, returned to the spot where they had first discovered the Great Soul Scripture, and wrote down Volume One from memory, scattering the pages on the floor.

Afterward, they returned to Duling City and checked into a different inn, planning to rest for a day and recover their strength before crossing the Great Marsh again on their way back.

While Liu Tao meditated beside him, small golden characters floated in front of Chen Qingyang.

[Chen Qingyang]

[Qi Refining Ninth Realm]

[One-Origin Sword: (3/20000)]

[Great Soul Scripture (Volume Two): (7/1000)]

[Tai Xu Star Pivot Purple Micro True Skill (Starlight Body): (5/3000)]

[Dragon and Tiger Fighting Calamity Pill: (51/100)]

[Tier One Nameless Elixir: (19/600)]

[Tier One Qi Gathering Pill: (76/100)]

[Available Immortal Seedlings: 3292]

’This trip was risky, but the rewards were immense. Not only did I break through two realms, but I also accumulated so many Immortal Seedlings. Once I get back and obtain a Cultivation Technique, I might even be able to break through directly to the Essence Condensation realm.’

’Of course, the safest option would be to wait another year or so and focus more on Elixirs. Otherwise, advancing my Cultivation this quickly is bound to attract trouble.’

’Looking at the Great Soul Scripture, it now shows "Volume Two." I wonder to what extent I can cultivate my Divine Soul this time, or rather, what the upper limit of this second volume is.’

After a night’s rest, the two left Duling City early the next morning. They traveled without stopping, crossing the Great Marsh once more, and by the morning of the third day, they had returned to Fish Town Pier.

"Now that we’re here, our lives are no longer in danger. We’re exhausted from traveling for days on end. Why don’t we rest here for the night? It’ll be a quick trip back to the Sect from here."

Chen Qingyang nodded. "Alright."

They landed and found another inn. They had barely settled in when they heard an attendant say that a Daoist was outside asking to see them.

When they went downstairs, they saw a man who appeared to be in his forties. He had a long beard, a Peach Wood Sword on his back, a golden Eight Trigrams symbol embroidered on his chest, and a pair of Eight-Threaded Cloth Shoes on his feet. He had the distinct air of a Quanzhen Daoist.

When the Daoist saw the two of them, he first sized them up for a moment, then spoke. "Might I ask if you two are from the Tai Xu Sect?"

Liu Tao replied, "We are."

Upon hearing this, the Daoist bowed with his hands clasped. "I am a Disciple of the Purple Sun Temple on Purple Sun Mountain. Greetings, Senior Brother, Senior Sister!"

Chen Qingyang sized him up. ’His Cultivation is around the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining. He must hold a significant position in the Purple Sun Temple.’

He’d long since heard from Liu Tao that Xuanwei Master was stationed at the Purple Sun Temple on Purple Sun Mountain. The temple housed dozens of Daoists who practiced Cultivation Methods year-round. They weren’t considered Disciples of the Tai Xu Sect, but belonged to the Sect’s Lower Institute. Every Xuanwei Master stationed there had the responsibility of teaching these Daoists.

"What is your business here?" Liu Tao asked directly.

"Two days ago, I was ordered by Xuanwei Master to patrol this area when I discovered that the local Immortal Cultivation Clan, the Yao Clan, had been wiped out. My investigation only turned up mentions of two experts from the Upper Sect having visited. Seeing you two arrive today, I thought I would make some inquiries to clarify the matter."

This was no small matter. According to their original plan, they were supposed to make a trip to Purple Sun Mountain to explain things to Xuanwei Master. Telling this Daoist now would save them the trouble.

Liu Tao replied, "That Yao Zhi knew we were on a mission from the Sect to collect a Water Spirit Immortal. He colluded with someone from the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace called Master Wufang, intending to take our heads as a pledge of allegiance. Fortunately, we discovered his plot in time and exterminated his entire clan..."

After hearing Liu Tao’s explanation, the Daoist looked surprised. "Alas... The Yao Clan had operated here for a long time and gained a measure of good fortune, leading to the emergence of cultivators within their ranks."

"Also, due to the influence of the local terrain, the only ones in the clan who could refine Qi were that father and his four sons. After several hundred years, their Cultivation had stagnated, and they were facing the end of their lifespans. I suppose that’s why they took such a desperate risk..."

Hearing his lament, Liu Tao breathed a sigh of relief. "So you were already aware of their situation. That saves me a long explanation."

The Daoist bowed with clasped hands again. "From what I know, that Master Wufang’s methods are not to be underestimated. He was dispatched by the Demon Sect and has always had designs on our territory. For Senior Sister to have eliminated him has actually saved us a great deal of trouble."

With the matter clarified back and forth, they were saved a trip to Purple Sun Mountain. After the Daoist left, the two of them rested and recovered their strength until the next day before heading back to the Tai Xu Sect.

「A few days later.」

「Four Golden Peaks Golden Summit.」

Chen Qingyang and Liu Tao were both covered in dust, having traveled for days on end to finally return.

"Junior Brother, once I go to the Merit Tower to exchange this for Merit points, we’ll split them fifty-fifty, just like we did with the Elixirs."

At this moment, the Water Spirit Immortal was in Liu Tao’s hand.

Chen Qingyang shook his head. "There’s no need. You should keep it all, Senior Sister. After all, you put in the most effort on this trip."

Liu Tao pursed her lips, then thought of a solution. "Alright then. Let’s just say I’m holding them for you. When you need them, you can come find me to ’catch up,’ and while you’re at it, pick up some Merit points?"

Chen Qingyang replied, "Alright."

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