Stealing Immortal

Chapter 116: Chapter 115: Dragon Sound

The voice came without warning, transmitted through his Conscious Fish.

Alarm surged through Chen Qingyang, but he kept his expression neutral and continued walking forward, quietly retracting his Conscious Fish.

The voice sounded again. "Don’t go. I’m just curious, I mean you no harm. You have to understand, after being lonely for so very long, it’s only natural for me to be enthusiastic..."

The entity’s Qi Mechanism seemed unaffected in this place; it could track the movements of the Conscious Fish. If he recalled it now, he would expose his own position.

Chen Qingyang halted his action and instead directed the Conscious Fish toward the large hall in the distance.

A long, sorrowful sigh echoed through the cave. "Alas... I’ve been trapped here for many years. This Array is like a self-contained world, sealed on all sides. I don’t understand how you managed to get in."

Chen Qingyang immediately recalled that the only being trapped here was supposed to be the fallen True Dragon.

’Could its Divine Soul still be here? Is it mistaking my Conscious Fish for some strange creature that slipped in?’

Filled with curiosity, Chen Qingyang had the Conscious Fish stop moving. The voice immediately rolled in from all directions. "You don’t have to be afraid. I’m just lonely. Many years ago, I was as free as you are, able to soar anywhere. But then I was trapped here... alas..."

"I’ve been burned by the Earth Fire for so many years that my Divine Soul is on the verge of fusing with it. The process is agonizingly painful, and my power is constantly being siphoned away. I am truly a pitiful being..."

The voice rambled on, making Chen Qingyang even more certain. ’This is the True Dragon. I wonder if the Sect knows that its Divine Soul still exists.’

The Conscious Fish could not speak, so it could only wander about, hoping to find some trace of the True Dragon.

The voice immediately followed. "There’s no need to search. I am here. I am everywhere. If you wish to see me, come to the dragon’s head."

Guiding the Conscious Fish, he once again arrived near the dragon’s head he had seen earlier. This time, looking into its eyes, he could see a light shimmering within, as if it were a living thing.

’So this is him.’

"You see me now, don’t you?" the voice asked.

Chen Qingyang could not answer.

The voice continued, "You strange creature... just a ball of consciousness, without a body or the Three Souls and Seven Spirits. Quite a rarity. If you wish, I can gather the Qi of Li Yang Earth Fire from this place and fashion a body for you. That would be much more fun..."

It paused. "Heh, I forgot you can’t speak. But don’t doubt my ability to do this for a second. By absorbing the Li Yang Qi of this place, I’m about to form a Divine Soul Body of my own... I just don’t know how to get out! Alas!"

’I just overheard those sixteen Foundation Establishment Masters talking. They said the Qi of Li Yang Earth Fire here is getting weaker and weaker, much more so than ten years ago. Could it be that this True Dragon Divine Soul has been taking it all?’

"...Did you enter along with them when the Array opened today? If so, why didn’t the Array detect your presence?"

Chen Qingyang understood now. The creature was willing to ramble on for so long simply because it wanted to know how to escape.

’So the Void Bridge isn’t just an entrance; it also acts as a prison gate, keeping this True Dragon Divine Soul trapped.’

’Setting aside whether I even have the ability to help, I wouldn’t gain anything from it. In fact, I’d be making an enemy of the Sect. It’s best not to get involved. Besides, I’ve never even truly seen this True Dragon.’

He maneuvered the Conscious Fish back toward the large hall, having sensed that the True Dragon Divine Soul was wary of that place.

"Are you sure you won’t consider a trade? I can give you all the Separation Dragon Earth Fire here to forge a body and become immensely powerful... I can even... even give you other benefits... Hey, don’t go!"

The voice cut off completely once the Conscious Fish entered the hall. This must be the location of the Lock Dragon Array, a place the True Dragon Soul dared not approach.

The thirty-three Disciples holding Separation Huo Dragon Pearls were all inside. After Chen Qingyang entered last, the Conscious Fish quietly returned to his body. No one had any idea what he had been doing.

The sixteen Masters cast their technique again, and the heavy doors of the hall slammed shut.

The interior was vast. Aside from the Dragon-locking Tripod, only four stone pillars stood within, making the space feel empty and desolate.

The sixteen Masters stood on either side of the Dragon-locking Tripod. Lu Jinzhang stepped forward again. "Everyone, this is the Array Profound of the Lock Dragon. The Separation Huo Dragon Pearls are born from this very Dragon-locking Tripod. Over a thousand years, thirty-four Separation Huo Dragon Pearls have been created."

"This object gathers the Power of Li Yang Earth Fire and is the most crucial aid for a Pill Master to refine an Immortal Grade Elixir. Its value is self-evident. However, for every pearl that is born, the Power of Li Yang Earth Fire here weakens. Over time, this has broken the balance and destabilized the foundation."

"Therefore, every ten years, all the Separation Huo Dragon Pearls must be gathered together to reinforce this Array..."

After Lu Jinzhang finished, the middle-aged Daoist Nun stepped forward to add, "Originally, we Foundation Establishment Masters would hold the Separation Huo Dragon Pearls to perform the Array Building. However, we later discovered this was an excellent form of training for mastering the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, so the task was passed down to the Disciples, with us Masters providing assistance."

"However, since it is a form of training, genuine skill is required. If a Disciple’s comprehension is lacking and they cannot utilize the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl’s power, it will be reclaimed. You may all consider this an assessment."

’It happens once every ten years, and no new Separation Huo Dragon Pearls have been given out in the last few decades. That means, apart from me, everyone else has been here at least four or five times. No wonder Lu Jinzhang is so determined. If I make the slightest mistake, he can reclaim my pearl and find a way to hand-pick Lu Qing to receive it.’

"This assessment is divided into three steps: Enlightenment Method, Array Cultivation, and Yinlong. Each step requires..."

After her long-winded explanation, Chen Qingyang finally understood. The first step, the Enlightenment Method, was exactly as Kong Yuan had described. They would be taught the Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique and given three hours to comprehend it. Only those who grasped its key aspects would qualify for the Array Cultivation step. Those who failed would lose their Separation Huo Dragon Pearl.

As she finished, Lu Jinzhang’s gaze drifted over, as if by chance.

"Everyone, your three hours begin now."

As Lu Jinzhang gave the order, a screen of light formed within the golden flames continuously rising from the Dragon-locking Tripod. A Technique was inscribed upon it.

All the Disciples present sat down in meditation, closing their eyes to begin their comprehension. Only Chen Qingyang took the time to carefully read through the entire Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique before closing his eyes to contemplate it.

Fortunately, Chen Qingyang had done his homework. The Cultivation Technique wasn’t entirely foreign to him. After carefully studying it from beginning to end, he identified several key points.

With this in mind, he wasn’t in a rush to start cultivating. Instead, he mentally worked through all the parts he didn’t understand until they became clear.

In the blink of an eye, over an hour had passed. Feeling he had a basic grasp of the Dharma Gate, he quietly circulated his True Essence, attempting to cultivate according to the Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique.

’Unlike the outside world, everyone’s Qi Mechanism is suppressed here. We can’t absorb Spiritual Qi and can only rely on the True Essence already stored in our Dantian. Cultivation is incredibly slow. Anywhere else, I’d be confident of mastering the basics, but the risk here is too high. This must be part of Lu Jinzhang’s plan.’

As he looked up, Lu Jinzhang happened to glance over, and their eyes met.

Chen Qingyang wasted no more time. He narrowed his eyes, and small golden characters began to float before him.

[Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique: (46/600)]

Just reaching entry-level mastery required six hundred Immortal Seedlings. There was no time to hesitate. With a single thought, Chen Qingyang instantly brought this stage of the Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique to Perfection.

Nine streams of Golden Qi converged within his body, forming a vortex. A fiery glow emerged around it, resembling a blazing sun.

Kong Yuan had said that the most important aspect of the Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique was the "Nine Yang," not the "Separation Fire." The fiery sun in his body radiated a warmth that spread through his upper, middle, and lower Three Jiaos. This was the sign of having mastered the entry level—more than enough for the Array Building.

Chen Qingyang held the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl again. The flame within the pearl began to connect with the nine streams of Golden Qi in his body. Wisps of warmth spread from his palm, which he found he could even direct and circulate throughout his system.

’The benefits really are incredible.’ In a fight, he could borrow the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl’s power to supplement his own. For Alchemy, he could project an endless stream of Separation Dragon True Fire from his palms. ’No wonder they say it makes refining an Immortal Grade Elixir easy.’

’Third, most Pill Masters practice Fire Element Dharma Gates. If their True Essence could connect with this power, it would be like giving a tiger wings. Their cultivation speed would become incredibly fast, just like Liu Tao’s!’

[Nine Yang Separation Fire Technique: (1/1200)]

He saw that advancing the Dharma Gate to the next level would require 1,200. ’Fortunately, I’ve already mastered the entry level. That’s enough for now.’

For the remainder of the time, Chen Qingyang continued to hold the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, using it to nourish his body.

By the time Lu Jinzhang’s voice rang out again, his progress in the Dharma Gate had increased even further.

"Three hours are up! Everyone may stop!"

Lu Jinzhang’s gaze swept over Chen Qingyang once more. The renowned Steward of the Pill Institute was clearly targeting him.

Seeing that Chen Qingyang had also stopped and stood up, Lu Jinzhang turned to the other Masters with a consultative air. "Everyone, out of the thirty-four Disciples, at least thirty-three have done this several times before. There’s no need to test their comprehension, is there? To save time, shall we focus our inspection on... that one?"

Since he had phrased it as a question, the others could only assent. Lu Jinzhang then continued, "Junior Sister, you go."

Chen Qingyang watched the middle-aged Daoist Nun approach. "Chen Qingyang, use the Technique to activate this Separation Huo Dragon Pearl. Let me gauge your level of mastery. If you cannot do it, then we will have no choice but to reclaim the pearl."

As she spoke, she even performed a formal salutation, putting on a benevolent display of a senior guiding her junior.

"Yes, Master."

Chen Qingyang gripped the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl. A fiery light flickered on its surface, and then wisps of its Qi Mechanism flowed into his arm. ’The True Fire is entering my body. It looks like it worked.’

The middle-aged Daoist Nun’s expression changed. She shot a look at Lu Jinzhang. "Senior Brother Lu, he did it!"

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