Stealing Immortal

Chapter 143: Chapter 142: Tier Five

He returned under the light of the stars and moon.

Bathed in moonlight, Chen Qingyang once again held the Heaven Repairing Glaze Pill Formula in his hand.

It was unclear what material it was written on or what had damaged it. A faint Qi Mechanism pulsed from its surface, but otherwise, it seemed unremarkable. He also had no idea where Liu Pei had obtained it.

After a glance at its contents, an unbearable curiosity seized him. He found a nearby mountain peak and sat on a rock, facing the bright moon with a pine forest at his back, and began to study it in meticulous detail.

The formula listed several Immortal Grasses that were also in Liu Pei’s version, but two of them were different. ’Liu Pei must have run into problems when he followed this formula exactly,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ’He probably found that it wouldn’t form a pill and decided to make his own alterations.’

Having refined so many elixirs, Chen Qingyang was familiar with the properties of most Immortal Grasses. Extrapolating from this pill formula, he concluded that the next several Immortal Grasses in the sequence would also have to be changed.

A flash of inspiration struck him. Perhaps this could offer a completely new approach.

He pondered all night. Just as a golden light flashed before his eyes, he saw that the time had come for Yin and Yang to converge between heaven and earth. A ray of light streaked across the horizon, illuminating the world.

The night of intense thought had been mentally draining. Chen Qingyang cleared his mind and meditated for a while. By the time he opened his eyes, the sun was already high overhead.

Instead of returning to his courtyard, he went straight to Gentle Breeze. Upon seeing Shopkeeper Wang, he asked to buy a few Immortal Grasses on credit.

Shopkeeper Wang was a straightforward man. He prepared the requested Immortal Grasses in exchange for Chen Qingyang owing him three Spirit Yang Breaking Yuan Formulas in the future.

"Senior Brother Chen, if you ever need anything, just ask. My humble shop is a small business, built on relationships and trust. With your skills, I know I’ll always come out ahead in any deal with you..."

The man was a master of changing his tune. He had one speech for extending credit and a completely different one when it came to closing a deal.

Chen Qingyang thanked him. "Shopkeeper, I’d also like to ask about something else. If I wanted to buy a Pill Furnace, how many Spirit Stones would that require?"

"Tsk, tsk!" Thinking a big sale was at hand, Shopkeeper Wang clicked his tongue. "With your Alchemy skills, Senior Brother Chen, you can’t settle for a low-quality Pill Furnace. A good one costs more than a Flying Sword, you know."

’Tens of thousands of Spirit Stones... these things are certainly not cheap.’ The thought made him appreciate the Pill Furnace that Master Jing Yuan had gifted him. It was a truly significant favor.

"How many Spirit Stones are we talking about? I can start preparing. It doesn’t have to be top-tier; I’m a bit tight on funds at the moment."

Shopkeeper Wang nodded. "That’s true. No one ever feels like they have enough money. The price of a Pill Furnace fluctuates, but for a decent, ordinary one, you should prepare ten to twenty thousand Spirit Stones, Senior Brother Chen. I’ll keep an eye out for a good deal for you over the next few days. When I find one, you can pay with either Spirit Stones or elixirs."

Chen Qingyang cupped his hands again. "Thank you for your trouble."

He bid the shopkeeper farewell and, a short while later, returned to his courtyard.

A quick glance showed Zhang Ping, Li Sheng, and Hong’Er bustling about. Today was the day they were finishing the roof on the new house.

Finishing the roof of the bamboo house wasn’t too complicated. After setting the wooden beams, they laid down layer after layer of thatch and then secured it. The winds on Cyan Bamboo Peak were never very strong anyway; it just needed to keep out the rain.

Back in his Alchemy Room, he started to rewrite the pill formula with a brush and ink. As he wrote, he continued to mull it over in his mind, making modifications wherever he found a flaw.

The dosage of each ingredient, the processing methods, the Fire Control... everything required careful consideration.

For three straight days and nights, he worked. He refined a batch of the elixir, and while it was a success, Chen Qingyang was far from satisfied. After more contemplation, he fired up the Pill Furnace once again.

After eight sleepless days of trial and error, he finally loaded the furnace with a new batch of ingredients. He then executed his Fire Control Skill, meticulously guiding the elixir’s refinement.

He performed every step with extreme caution, terrified of making a mistake. He focused on his mental calculations, continuing for a full twelve hours before finally reaching the "Late Fire" stage.

After working day and night, Chen Qingyang was physically and mentally exhausted. If this batch showed no improvement, he would have no choice but to give up for now and try again another day.

Throughout this process of deduction, his now-powerful Divine Soul played a significant role. He could perceive what ordinary people could not, comprehend what they could not, and calculate what they could not...

He glanced into the Pill Furnace. ’At least the elixir isn’t ruined,’ he thought with a bit of relief.

This "Late Fire" stage lasted for quite some time. When the elixir was finally complete, Chen Qingyang took it out to examine it. It wasn’t just the color that had changed—the elixir’s medicinal properties seemed to have ascended to a whole new level, undergoing a qualitative transformation.

[Tier Five Nameless Elixir: (1/10,000)]

When he looked at the small golden text, he saw that it had indeed become a Tier Five elixir.

’The progress bar is filling up so quickly! It’s saved me a ton of Immortal Seedlings.’ The power fed back from the Great Soul Scripture was clearly manifesting. The old Chen Qingyang would never have possessed the insight required for these kinds of deductions.

"You, come and try it!"

Hearing his voice, Xu Baoling descended from the altar. She took the elixir in her hand and began its refinement.

A faint luster emanated from her body. Chen Qingyang waited for a long time.

When the light faded, she opened her beautiful eyes in surprise. "Master, the increased potency is one thing, but more importantly, this elixir... it’s very nourishing."

"Nourishing?" Chen Qingyang asked.

Xu Baoling nodded. "Yes. It feels like water flowing through the body, like a welcome rain after a long drought. It nourishes both my meridians and my Divine Soul, making them stronger. This kind of subtle enhancement is something many elixirs can’t achieve."

"I believe... since the Heaven Repairing Glaze Pill is meant to repair the Divine Soul, it should have this kind of effect. Although I’ve never seen what the real one is like, I’m certain that you are getting closer and closer to it, Master."

Her words were crucial; they gave Chen Qingyang a clear direction. "Excellent. I suppose I’ll have to set off in a few days, won’t I?"

Xu Baoling had been keeping track of the time for him. "In three days. You’re exhausted, Master. Why don’t you start meditating and cultivating? I’ll wake you when it’s time."

Chen Qingyang nodded. "Alright."

...

「In the height of summer.」

The weather was scorching, the vast sky a cloudless expanse of blue. Suddenly, two figures streaked across it, leaving a trail of white vapor in their wake.

Chen Qingyang was dressed in green robes with a sharp sword strapped to his back. Tucked inside his clothes was the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, and he carried a cloth pouch containing several thousand Spirit Stones.

Beside him, Liu Tao wore the Vermilion and Purple Attire of an Inner Sect Disciple. Her Flying Sword was hidden up her sleeve, and she also carried a cloth pouch, likely filled with a change of clothes and other necessities. After all, the journey was expected to last three months.

The last time he left the Sect, he had traveled due south. This time, their path was also southerly but veered west, taking them in a completely different direction.

Chen Qingyang asked her, "Senior Sister, have you ever been to Nine True Mountain?"

Liu Tao glanced back. "I haven’t. I only know that further southwest from Nine True Mountain lies the territory of the Yu Xiao Demon Sect. That Demon Sect is every bit as powerful as our Tai Xu Sect, far beyond what the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace could ever hope to match. You must be cautious when we arrive. Don’t go looking for trouble. We just need to stay for three months, and then we’ll come back."

Liu Tao had repeated this warning countless times, as if terrified that Chen Qingyang would stir up trouble. It couldn’t be helped; the first impression he had made on her was just too profound.

"Does that mean we’re likely to clash with people from the Demon Sect?"

Liu Tao replied, "It’s possible. But Xuanwei Master is in charge of everything, so we just need to follow his orders. I heard he has a deep friendship with my own Master, so I doubt I’ll be assigned to any of the truly dangerous tasks."

By now, the two of them had been traveling for six full days. At a speed of over a thousand miles a day, they had already covered a vast distance of thousands of miles.

Despite traveling so far, they had only seen one or two Cultivation Immortal Mansions, and all of them were Lower Institutes of the Tai Xu Sect. They only received a sliver of Spiritual Qi because they were under the protection of the Tai Xu Sect’s arrays. Otherwise, the main Sect would absorb all the surrounding Spiritual Qi, leaving behind a land completely devoid of resources for Immortal Cultivation.

Chen Qingyang was now desperate for a chance to clash with other cultivators. He could only hope for an opportunity once they reached Nine True Mountain.

He had spent all of his Immortal Seedlings on the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual. His body was brimming with abundant True Essence, and he was just one step away from his next breakthrough.

Furthermore, armed with the Qianxue Sword and the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, he estimated that he would be hard-pressed to find a worthy opponent within the Essence Condensation Realm.

"That’s good. I hope this trip goes smoothly. But Senior Sister, if you run into any trouble, please be sure to talk to me about it. Even if I can’t solve it myself, I can at least help you brainstorm a solution."

Liu Tao nodded. "Alright."

When night fell again, the two were travel-worn and dusty. They found a city to rest in for the night. This place was within the territory of the Yong Kingdom, which bordered the Jin Kingdom to the southwest.

After bathing and changing their clothes, they felt refreshed. They used the Spirit Stones they carried to restore their Primordial Energy before continuing their journey to Nine True Mountain the next day.

Beneath the Tai Xu Sect were the so-called "Five Clans and Ten Kingdoms." These five top-tier Immortal Cultivation Clans and ten kingdoms were all vassals of the Sect. Any other Cultivation Immortal Mansions were considered Lower Institutes of the Sect.

After another seven consecutive days of travel, during which they passed through three different kingdoms, they finally entered a vast, sprawling mountain range.

They could see no end to the path ahead, nor could they see the road from which they came. There were only endless green peaks and ancient trees that blotted out the sun. When they occasionally descended into a canyon, they found it sealed off by a tangled web of vines and branches, isolating it from all outside life. "Untrodden by man" was the most fitting description.

"Junior Brother, we’ll definitely make it there tonight, so there’s no need to rest in the mountains."

Chen Qingyang didn’t have a care in the world, as Liu Tao had done her homework in advance, ensuring they would spend very little time roughing it in the wilderness.

"Senior Sister, is Nine True Mountain at the very end of this range?"

Great mountains and great rivers often served as natural geographical boundaries.

Liu Tao nodded. "That’s right. It’s in the southwestern part of this vast mountain range. Just as we’re about to leave the mountains, we’ll find a valley. It’s surrounded by nine peaks of varying heights, with a Daoist temple in the center. The mountains are called Nine True Mountain, and the temple is called the Nine True Temple."

Sure enough, just as Liu Tao had described, they continued onward until evening. The dense mountains began to thin out, giving way to a massive river valley. In the center of the valley, they could see the sparse signs of human settlement.

There, on the mountainside flanking one side of the river valley, stood a magnificent and imposing Daoist temple.

Directly below the Daoist temple lay a city of moderate size.

It seemed this was the frontier of the Tai Xu Sect’s sphere of influence.

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