Stealing Immortal

Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Jingzhao

「Several days passed in the blink of an eye.」

Thanks to the two youths’ hard work, the small courtyard had been completely transformed.

The courtyard gate had been rebuilt with bamboo, needing only a plaque to look brand new. The dead leaves on the ground had long been swept away to reveal the bluestone slabs beneath. A row of vibrant bamboo was planted along the walls, complemented by decorative rocks and flowers.

The house had also been tidied up. The floors, walls, and any moldy spots were all repaired. The only thing missing was furniture, which was still being procured and would take some time.

Chen Qingyang lived in the Alchemy Room, the two youths stayed in another section, and the space between them was converted into a reception hall.

At last, he had a place of his own in the vast Tai Xu Sect.

"Senior Brother Chen, the food is ready. Would you like to eat?" Zhang Ping asked.

The sun sank below the horizon, and dusk settled in.

A tranquil desolation, a desolation that held the warmth of life—this was the unique romance of dusk.

Chen Qingyang shook his head. "No need. You don’t have to ask me from now on. Just eat by yourselves."

Ever since he entered the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining, he had completely lost interest in food. He could satisfy his hunger simply by meditating and cultivating.

A string of Merit Copper Coins contained one hundred coins. He pulled out ten and handed them to the pair. "From now on, use these Merit Copper Coins to buy your daily necessities. If it’s not enough, come and get more from me."

These past few days, Chen Qingyang had been busy with Alchemy and had no time for anything else. The two youths, however, had gotten to know many Miscellaneous Task disciples and learned a great deal.

For instance, they learned that Merit Copper Coins could be exchanged for daily necessities, among other things.

"Senior Brother Chen, we don’t need them for now. The things that Master Liu sent included all of this."

Chen Qingyang insisted, pushing the coins toward them. "It’s fine, you’ll need them eventually. Also, you must cultivate diligently in your spare time and break through to the next realm as soon as possible. When I have a moment, I will also refine some Elixirs suitable for you to take."

"Yes, Senior Brother Chen."

In the end, Li Sheng accepted the coins, because according to Zhang Ping, he was good with accounts.

Having been cooped up in the house for a long time, Chen Qingyang decided to go for a walk. But just as he reached the gate, he saw a visitor approaching.

It was a man who looked to be about thirty. He had a goatee, was tall and thin, and looked as if he had stepped right out of a painting. "Junior Brother, you must be the one who just moved into this courtyard. May I ask your name?"

Chen Qingyang sized him up. The man’s Cultivation seemed to be on par with his own, which meant he wasn’t from their branch of the sect. "I am Chen Qingyang."

The man asked again, "Junior Brother, I take it you are not a disciple of Master Jing Yuan?"

This was Master Jing Yuan’s Dao Field; anyone living here should naturally be his disciple. Chen Qingyang wondered why the man would ask such a thing. "Is there some significance to that?"

The man covered his mouth with his sleeve and chuckled for a moment. "Everyone knows that Master Jing Yuan only accepts Inner Sect Disciples. He would never have an Outer Sect Disciple like you. Besides... living here all alone, you look more like a gatekeeper."

’Come to think of it, he’s not wrong,’ Chen Qingyang thought. He was living right at the entrance to Master Jing Yuan’s Dao Field, while all the other senior brothers and sisters of this branch were up on the mountain.

"May I ask Senior Brother’s name, and which branch of the sect you belong to?"

The man replied, "My master is Master Water Moon. My surname is Tian, and my given name is Jingzhao. I’ve been here longer than you, so you can just call me Senior Brother Tian."

Chen Qingyang then said, "I’ve only just arrived and have never heard of this Master Water Moon. Is her Dao Field also nearby?"

The man shook his head. "No matter. In time, you’ll naturally come to know my master’s name. On the entire Cyan Bamboo Peak, Master Water Moon has the most disciples."

"I see. May I ask what brings Senior Brother Tian here today?" Chen Qingyang got to the point.

At this, Tian Jingzhao broke into a grin, his earlier seriousness vanishing completely. "Alright, I’ll be honest with you. I recognize you. I personally saw you take first place at the Pill Institute that day... You’re one lucky kid. With a Cultivation of only the Qi Refining Fifth Realm, you managed to figure out a Tier Four Elixir. And you even had Master Liu to back you up. Tsk, tsk, tsk... Not bad at all!"

His tone was filled with envy, and naturally, a hint of jealousy was hidden within. Although Chen Qingyang couldn’t remember him, he knew that Tian Jingzhao must have been among those at the appraisal session who called him just a lucky brat.

There were many people like this at the Four Golden Peaks. They often thought highly of themselves, yet reality fell far short of their expectations. Thus, they would always seek to assert their presence in one way or another, just as he had to say things like "Qi Refining Fifth Realm" and "you kid" to Chen Qingyang to make himself feel superior.

"So, does this mean Senior Brother Tian also refined a Tier Four Elixir that day? May I ask which one?"

Hearing this, Tian Jingzhao’s face twitched slightly. "...I’m not like you. I’ve always been steady and reliable. I chose the Tier Four Spring Rain Pill, which was a surefire way to get into the appraisal session, and with excellent quality at that."

Chen Qingyang was reminded of Lu Jinzhang. He hadn’t become his disciple in the end, which was a public slap in the face for Lu Jinzhang. With his personality, how could he just let it go?

His gaze sharpened as he secretly circulated his True Power. A faint, starry pattern appeared on Tian Jingzhao’s body, but it was blurry and its trajectory was unclear, as if some invisible barrier was obscuring it.

He pushed his power again, but a sudden sharp pain lanced through his chest. It felt like a punctured ball, all his Primordial Power leaking out. In his mind’s eye, an image flashed—a star in the night sky, its light being obscured.

This was the sign of "Obscured Brightness, a Body of Malice." ’Just as I thought,’ he concluded. ’This man came here with a purpose.’

"COUGH, COUGH!" Chen Qingyang coughed, taking a moment to regulate his breathing before he felt better. He had only dared to try this because he saw their Cultivation was similar. He never expected to suffer a backlash.

"Junior Brother, what’s wrong?"

Chen Qingyang shook his head. "It’s nothing. My Cultivation has just been causing a blockage in my Qi Mechanism recently. It will pass in a few days. Seeing the look on Senior Brother Tian’s face, I imagine you received quite a bit of praise from Steward Lu, didn’t you?"

Hearing this, Tian Jingzhao’s expression became smug. "Steward Lu did indeed praise me quite a bit. He is a man of considerable grace in how he handles matters."

Chen Qingyang nodded slightly. "I understand."

"I’ve heard about the wonders of the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl for a long time, but I’ve never had the chance to see it. Would Senior Brother Chen be willing to bring it out so I can take a look?"

How could one so easily show such a treasure to another? Even just looking was risky. And yet, Chen Qingyang wanted to show it to him.

He took it out from his robes, pinching it between two fingers in front of Tian Jingzhao. Tian Jingzhao’s eyes immediately locked onto it, and he reached out a hand, wanting to touch it.

But Chen Qingyang pulled his hand back, hiding it from view. "Surely Senior Brother Tian has seen enough!"

Being teased like this, Tian Jingzhao was naturally a little annoyed. "Junior Brother, you’re being awfully stingy. How could a single glance ever be enough?"

After saying that, his eyes darted about as if he’d just had an idea. "In that case, does Junior Brother know the Dragon Pearl’s greatest use?"

Chen Qingyang smiled at him. "Why don’t you... enlighten me, Senior Brother Tian?"

"Elixirs from Tier Six to Nine are extremely difficult to create. Besides skill in Fire Control, one also needs a sufficiently advanced flame. If you can attach this to a Pill Furnace using an Array or an Artifact Refining method, you’ll be able to refine such Elixirs. I’ve heard that with the Dragon Pearl, one can even refine an Elixir to the Immortal Grade."

’I only knew this thing was powerful, but I never knew how,’ Chen Qingyang thought. Now he was finally getting some clues. "And what kind of Array or Artifact Refining method would that be?"

Tian Jingzhao said, "Many can do it, but as for which method is best, I’m afraid only the Separation Dragon Pill Institute knows. After all, they have studied the use of the Dragon Pearl most deeply. Junior Brother Chen, you really missed out on a great opportunity!"

After these noncommittal words, he prepared to leave. "...I live not far from here. We should interact more in the future. I’ll take my leave for today!"

Watching his retreating back, Chen Qingyang began to circulate his qi again. The discomfort in his chest didn’t begin to ease until the next day.

His Starlight Body was only at the rudimentary level, and his opponent was at the same realm as him. How could he withstand such a power?

This also told Chen Qingyang that he was currently lacking in many Immortal Seedlings.

...

On Cyan Bamboo Peak, nearly every day was sunny. Only on rare nights did a few drops of rain fall, allowing one to see a rainbow bridge the sky the following day.

Chen Qingyang stood by the edge of a pond, gazing at his reflection in the water for a long while.

It was the face of a young man. At least, his appearance hadn’t changed much since he first entered the Tai Xu Sect. His brows had a heroic air, and his frame was tall and strong.

In the ten-odd days since his Cultivation broke through to the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining, his body had been constantly changing, finally settling into its current form.

"Junior Brother Chen! What brings you out for a stroll today? I went to your courtyard to look for you but you were nowhere to be found!"

Approaching from a distance was none other than Tian Jingzhao. It was unclear what schemes he was hatching, but he had been visiting frequently every few days, putting on a show of familiarity.

And Chen Qingyang, for his part, always played along whenever he came, having him over for tea in the Alchemy Room more than a few times.

Every time the man mentioned the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl, Chen Qingyang would take it out for him to see. But just as his hand was about to touch it, he would snatch it back, making Tian Jingzhao all the more covetous.

The man coveted his treasure, but wasn’t he also looking for an opportunity to scrape a little something off him?

"What is it today, Senior Brother Tian?"

Tian Jingzhao said, "Lately, I’ve always been the one bothering you at your place, Junior Brother Chen. You’ve never been to mine, have you? I’ve also acquired a treasure and would like to invite you over to appraise it."

Chen Qingyang asked, "What kind of treasure?"

"You’ll know when you get there, Junior Brother Chen. I’ve also had someone prepare a simple feast. You are my only true friend on this Cyan Bamboo Peak. You must do me the honor of coming tonight!"

Chen Qingyang thought for a moment. "Will it be just the two of us?"

Tian Jingzhao shook his head, a hint of complaint in his voice. "Junior Brother Chen, I said my *only* true friend. Don’t you understand?"

"Yes, yes, I understand. I’ll definitely be there."

Having received a satisfactory answer, Tian Jingzhao finally left.

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