Stealing Immortal

Chapter 145: Chapter 144: The Route

Night had fallen. Inside the house.

Chen Qingyang’s forehead was shrouded in a rosy glow. After consuming an Earth Root Biochemical Pill, its medicinal power slowly spread out from his Dantian, stirring the Earth Vein Yin Fiend.

After the Elixir was fully refined, the True Essence in his Earth Root Acupoint had grown stronger.

By now, this acupoint pulsed with Profound Light and was brimming with True Essence. He was just one step away from being able to guide the Qi Mechanism within it up along the Ren and Du Meridians to trigger another change in his Mingtang Acupoint.

This second of the Nine Acupoints of Ascension was precisely Mingtang.

[Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual: (7827/8000)]

He was now truly just one step away from a Cultivation breakthrough. Finding some small opportunity here would be enough.

Once he broke through, he would need to find a way to advance his Great Soul Scripture. After that, there was the Tier Five Heaven Repairing Glaze Pill. He had to proceed in an orderly fashion to keep everything from falling into chaos. This would ensure he had sufficient Cultivation to finally Refine that Immortal Grade Elixir after breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

The Elixir’s original name was Glazed Heaven Repairing. Chen Qingyang now called it Heaven Repairing Glaze because he had researched and improved upon its original foundation.

Master Liu Pei had been right that day. This Elixir had already diverged onto a different path from the Nameless Elixir he had created. In the future, it would become a completely different kind of Elixir.

He continued to meditate until dawn.

Although the Spiritual Qi here was far less dense than on Cyan Bamboo Peak, he could make up for it by spending more time. This also meant he could save most of the Spirit Stones he had brought.

"Junior Brother, it’s time for us to set off!" Liu Tao said, leaning in close.

...

The mountain patrol was extremely simple; they just had to walk a full circle along a specific route. Chen Qingyang estimated the trip was about six hundred li. At their pace, it would take a little over three hours.

The terrain here was complex and vast. Three hundred Inner Sect Disciples seemed like a lot, but when they were actually put to use, it was like a lone boat in a vast ocean—pitifully few.

Therefore, the long-standing rule for patrols was to act alone. Each person carried a Sect Token, which could be used to transmit messages or, at a critical moment, to save one’s life.

Unlike the others, Liu Tao had Chen Qingyang accompanying her, adding one more person to her patrol.

They went deep into the mountains, far from any city or sign of human life. The narrow, winding paths left by woodcutters had long since disappeared behind them, leaving only dense forests and mountains in sight.

They found the first location, which was a small, stone-built temple. It looked exceptionally sturdy and was covered in vines. Inside was an altar.

Liu Tao held a Talisman from the Nine True Temple, threw it onto the altar, and then silently chanted a Magic Spell. Using his Conscious Fish, Chen Qingyang sensed a powerful Qi Mechanism drift away the instant the Magic Spell activated.

’He was curious.’ His Conscious Fish gave chase relentlessly, and after winding about, it arrived at another stone temple a hundred li away.

It turned out that each of these temples was a pillar for a massive Array and required regular maintenance.

After that wisp of energy reached this temple, it generated another one that departed. Chen Qingyang followed several in succession and eventually discovered that they all converged, seemingly heading in the direction of the Nine True Temple.

While wandering around yesterday, he had seen a rather impressive Array inside the temple. He had also asked the Daoists there, who called it the "Immortal Fate Spirit-Attracting Array." The Array had been set up by an expert from an Immortal Sect, and all the Spiritual Qi available for Cultivation in the Daoist Temple was generated by it.

This gave Chen Qingyang a bold idea. ’If the entire territory of the Tai Xu Sect were a chessboard, it must be dotted like stars in the sky with countless such Arrays.’

’They connect, covering the entire region, not only gathering Spiritual Qi but also serving as a defense against enemies.’

’What a grand undertaking. This couldn’t be the work of a single person. It must have been established over long ages, by generation after generation of the Tai Xu Sect’s Masters and True Monarchs.’

’To lock away all the Immortal Techniques across these tens of thousands of li of land into their own hands... If one day the Tai Xu Sect were to collapse, would this land then teem with new life?’

"What are you spacing out for?" It was Liu Tao, who, after finishing her task, saw Chen Qingyang standing motionless and called out.

"I was just thinking about something."

Chen Qingyang gave a perfunctory reply and then sent his Conscious Fish fifty li out from his position to act as a lookout.

Liu Tao sidled up to him. "What is it, really? Can you tell me in detail?"

Chen Qingyang waved his hand dismissively. "It’s about the Array. I don’t think you’d be interested, Senior Sister. Let’s just hurry to the next location."

"Hmph!" Liu Tao was annoyed. "You won’t even tell me, and you just assume I’m not interested..."

As they continued forward, they ventured deeper toward the Demon Sect Territory. Chen Qingyang had already been there with his Conscious Fish and felt there was no need to explore, so he directed it to push further ahead.

By the time the two reached the temple at the three-hundred-li mark, his consciousness had already seen the long-famed Great River.

It was dozens of li wide, flanked by mountains, and flowed from northwest to southeast. Crossing the river would mean entering the territory of the Yu Xiao Demon Sect.

"Alright, we should turn back now!"

Just as Chen Qingyang was admiring the scenery, he heard Liu Tao speak. He was about to recall his Conscious Fish when he saw two figures streak across from the other side of the river and vanish into the mountains in an instant.

Chen Qingyang didn’t have time to answer Liu Tao. He continued to track the two with his Conscious Fish. Their Qi Mechanisms were unique; they were definitely not Disciples of an Immortal Sect, but must be from the Demon Sect.

’What are they doing, crossing the border like this?’

’And their route perfectly avoids our patrol path, as if they’re extremely familiar with it.’

"Hey, Chen Qingyang, I’m talking to you!" Seeing him not respond, Liu Tao stomped on his foot.

Chen Qingyang snapped back to his senses and smiled at Liu Tao. "Senior Sister, I just zoned out. I was thinking about Elixirs... Yes, something very important."

"Hmph!" Liu Tao snorted. "First it’s Elixirs, then it’s Arrays. You made me think you’d lost your soul. Did you see some pretty girl on Cyan Bamboo Peak? You look quiet on the outside, but you’re actually full of sneaky thoughts!"

Ignoring Liu Tao’s teasing, Chen Qingyang said, "Senior Sister, don’t make fun of me. Let me lead the rest of the way."

Although Liu Tao was puzzled, she didn’t say anything. But as they walked on, she felt something was wrong. They were heading in the right general direction, but they had clearly deviated from the path.

"This isn’t the right way, is it? If you don’t remember it, you should just listen to me!"

Without turning back, Chen Qingyang just said, "Senior Sister, this path is correct."

’I’ve seen it clearly with my Conscious Fish. The two are at the Essence Condensation Realm. If we run into them and a conflict arises, I’ll gladly accept this Immortal Seedling.’

Although Liu Tao was doubtful, she saw that the route hadn’t deviated by much, so she decided to follow him and let him learn his lesson the hard way.

She just didn’t expect Chen Qingyang to stray further and further from the established route, even leading them in a large circle.

Seeing him still forging ahead without a glance back, Liu Tao got angry and stopped abruptly. "Wait!"

Chen Qingyang actually stopped, because his Conscious Fish had already detected that the two people were heading straight for them. They would run into each other any moment.

"What is it, Senior Sister?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

Liu Tao put her hands on her hips. Since she was quite a bit shorter than Chen Qingyang, she had to tilt her head up. "Chen Qingyang, you went the wrong way, you know that? We were supposed to be back by noon, but now we’ll probably be delayed until evening."

Chen Qingyang dawdled before finally saying, "So... what should we do?"

Liu Tao almost laughed out of exasperation. "What should we do? What else can we do! We go back, of course! There are still two Arrays we haven’t been to yet."

Not long after she said this, her expression suddenly changed. "Not good!"

Just as the words left her mouth, two people had already rushed up to face them.

The newcomers were also a man and a woman. The woman was flamboyantly dressed in red, while the man was elegant and stately in a crimson robe. They looked slightly surprised when they saw that Chen Qingyang and Liu Tao had noticed them.

"Senior Brother, didn’t you say we wouldn’t run into them on this route? What do we do now?"

The woman muttered quietly, thinking Chen Qingyang couldn’t hear, but his Conscious Fish had been following them the whole time.

The man, however, was nonchalant. "A mere Essence Condensation Realm and a... Qi Refining Eighth Realm? They don’t even qualify to be taken by my banner. I’ll just capture this woman today and make her the Main Soul in my Soul Banner. When Master finds out, the old man will be pleased."

The woman still felt it was improper and was about to speak, but the man gently pinched her cheek. "These pompous Daoists from the Daoist Sects claim their Daoist Techniques are unparalleled, but their methods are pathetic once a fight starts. My Soul Banner is now complete. Don’t you worry, Junior Sister."

The woman was completely obedient to her senior brother’s words. After his caress, she indeed had no more doubts.

Chen Qingyang now understood. They had long since familiarized themselves with the paths on the Tai Xu Sect’s side, allowing them to come and go as they pleased without running into anyone.

’But what did they come here for?’

"Junior Brother, those two mean us harm. When the fight starts, act according to the situation. If things go wrong, you leave first. I have my Flying Sword; I can hold them off for a bit."

In Liu Tao’s eyes, Chen Qingyang was still that Qi Refining Cultivator who couldn’t do without her protection.

Chen Qingyang didn’t argue with her, simply saying, "Senior Sister, let’s act according to the situation, then."

The moment he finished speaking, Demon Qi surged before them, accompanied by a ghostly, sinister wind. The man was now holding a Soul Banner, red on one side and black on the other. Its power was truly astonishing, causing Liu Tao’s face to pale. ’This is bad,’ she thought, ’we’re in serious trouble.’

"Junior Sister, stand back!"

The man held the Soul Banner in one hand and formed a hand seal with the other. He gathered a black cloud and was about to charge forward.

On her side, Liu Tao was giving similar instructions. "Junior Brother, remember to act according to the situation! I’ve already notified the senior brothers nearby. They’re on their way!"

As soon as she spoke, a flash of emerald fire appeared before her—it was the Cyan Simurgh Flying Sword. Liu Tao took the initiative and charged at her opponent.

A cold sneer appeared at the corner of the man’s mouth, as if he were extremely familiar with the business of killing. With a wave of his Soul Banner, he immediately enveloped Liu Tao within it.

In that moment, Liu Tao felt as if she were trapped in some kind of Array. Faint, unending screams filled her ears as distorted faces, formed from bloody energy, howled before her.

The opponent’s True Qi was extremely destructive. She had already pushed her internal Nine Flavors True Fire to its limit, but she still couldn’t resist.

In her despair, Liu Tao glanced back. ’Has Chen Qingyang gotten away?’

SWISH!

Suddenly, a rosy light flared, slashing through the bloody mist. A long sword, with the force of splitting bamboo, shot straight toward the man.

"You..." The man had truly not expected such a turn of events. He was startled.

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