Chen Qingyang smiled. “Master can’t even look after his own disciples, how could he possibly have time for this? Don’t worry, Senior Brother.”
“Right now, there are only three Miscellaneous Task disciples there. I promise the total will not exceed five. I plan to have one of them cultivate the Five Elements Fire Technique, and the other two cultivate the path of the Mountain and River Daoist Lord. As for which specific Dharma Gate to use, I’ll leave that up to you, Senior Brother. That way, we can be certain we’re not violating the Sect’s rules!”
At this point, it seemed there was nothing more Shen Chongzhou could say. “I have one condition: you can only perform the Transmission for these three Miscellaneous Task disciples. If there’s even one more, I’m out, and you can take this Earth Deity back. I’ll just have to bear the reputation of being someone who doesn’t keep his word!”
Since he had put it that way, what could Chen Qingyang do? He was in a situation where he had no choice but to concede. Agreeing was his only option. “Alright, I’ll do as you say, Senior Brother. When will you perform the Transmission?”
Tilting his head, Shen Chongzhou thought for a moment before pulling three booklets out of his sleeve.
Chen Qingyang saw the titles on the covers: Wind-Riding Void Transformation Technique, Purple Flame Soaring Skill, and Earth Vehicle Spirit Nurturing Technique.
“As you can see, a Wind Control magic, a Fire Element Cultivation Technique, and one for Spirit Planting are all here. These are all fundamental Dharma Gates I’ve carefully selected. They can be taught to the Miscellaneous Task disciples.”
“The time is right for them to begin their Cultivation. In the future, they can use these as a foundation to cultivate other things. You can pass these three on to them on my behalf.”
Chen Qingyang was a bit stunned. “Senior Brother, don’t tell me you already knew I was going to bring you the Earth Deity. Otherwise, how could you have prepared all this in such detail?”
Shen Chongzhou shot him a glare. “You brat, that’s nonsense. As the First Senior Brother of this lineage, I naturally keep a few extra Cultivation Techniques like these on hand. If Master were to take on a new Child attendant, it would be my job to transmit the techniques… Besides, who knows when I might need them myself.”
Chen Qingyang nodded solemnly. “That makes perfect sense. It seems I was overthinking it. In that case, I’ll go perform the Transmission today. I’ll leave all the matters with the Sect to you, First Senior Brother.”
This also saved Chen Qingyang the trouble of having to choose the Cultivation Techniques himself. The judgment of a Foundation Establishment Master like his First Senior Brother was certainly reliable.
…
When he left, he left the Jade Box there as well.
The sun had climbed a little higher, and the world suddenly seemed to grow more vibrant.
When Chen Qingyang arrived at the Four Golden Peaks Golden Summit, the timing was perfect.
Not too early, not too late. He wouldn’t make Yun Ci feel he was tardy, nor would he disturb her by being too early.
There was no need for an announcement; Qingfeng led him inside. Looking at Chen Qingyang again, the attendant no longer seemed to be holding something back.
It was as if he was no longer curious about the matter.
Knowing Chen Qingyang was coming, the Master had not donned her Daoist Robe. Instead, she wore a long satin dress that shimmered like water, embroidered with silvery, auspicious clouds. It flowed like water to the ground, trailing behind her, and traced the lines of her figure up to a high collar that accentuated her long, slender neck.
Upon closer inspection, the Master was quite well-endowed.
The lamps had been removed, and she sat quietly before the window. This indicated she no longer needed the Array to control the Qi Mechanism in her body; her Cultivation had recovered remarkably well.
“Mas—”
Just as he was about to bow in greeting, she called out, “You’ve been lying to me, haven’t you?”
Her expression had turned exceptionally cold, no longer the usual mix of pride and petulance. It was the look of someone who had been deceived and was now resolute.
Chen Qingyang wasn’t completely clueless; he immediately understood. She had noticed the changes in his Conscious Fish again.
He just hadn’t expected her to be so sensitive about this matter. Chen Qingyang’s expression grew serious. “Why don’t… you let me explain?”
Yun Ci said nothing, only glancing at him, her gaze seeming to say, ‘Let’s hear what you have to say for yourself.’ “That’s right,” Chen Qingyang admitted. “I saw the True Dragon again last night, received a boon from it, and my Cultivation advanced another step!”
“Hmph. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about why you lied to me. Didn’t you promise me emphatically yesterday that you wouldn’t go see that dragon again?” It was as if the only thing she cared about was the lie itself.
“Master, you misunderstand. Yesterday, I truly had no intention of contacting the True Dragon again. But it came to me of its own accord, and it was only in that sudden moment that I changed my mind.”
Yun Ci’s expression didn’t soften. Chen Qingyang’s mind raced, feeling as though he was summoning all the wit and intelligence he possessed for this moment. “That True Dragon’s name is Zhu Lie. It was originally the spirit of the Dragon Pool at Chaotian Temple. After being left behind in this world, it cultivated in the True Dragon Cave, only to be schemed against by our Daoist Sect, which then occupied its lair.”
“I’ve received its help, and I promised that after I break through to Foundation Establishment, I would help it in return. That’s all there is to it. If you’re perceptive, Master, you might be able to sense that it hasn’t left any of its will in my Divine Soul. It knows that even if it did, you would just refine it away. So, it has started to choose equal cooperation with me.”
He finished speaking, but her expression still hadn’t softened. Chen Qingyang, however, was proceeding cautiously, about to deliver his most crucial point. “This True Dragon Fire benefits both me and you, Master, so why wouldn’t I take advantage of it? I only changed my mind last night. I had no intention of hiding it from you; in fact, I was planning to tell you today. Master, please don’t misunderstand!”
His plea was earnest, tinged with a hint of grievance. Yun Ci finally spoke. “Don’t you realize this is no different from bargaining with a tiger for its skin?”
Seeing his words were having an effect, Chen Qingyang pressed on, “Think about it, Master. That day I saved you, when your life hung by a thread, wasn’t that also like bargaining with a tiger for its skin?”
This… In the end, Yun Ci was a reasonable person. Unable to refute his point and unwilling to speak, she simply gave a small nod.
Seeing his chance, Chen Qingyang added, “Look at me. From being a Miscellaneous Task disciple on the Four Golden Peaks to now, haven’t I always been doing this sort of thing—bargaining with a tiger for its skin? Otherwise, where would my Immortal Fate have come from? I’m afraid this part of my nature is hard to change.”
As his words fell, Yun Ci’s expression finally softened completely. “You have your reasons for doing this. I just don’t want… you to lie to me. Because I… um… have never lied to you, have I?”
Chen Qingyang started to turn the tables. “Rest assured, Master, I would naturally never lie to you. However, I would also like to offer a piece of advice. In the future, Master, you needn’t be so hasty. You’ve already misunderstood me once before. This is the second time.”
“Hmph!” A soft huff, but it was clear her anger had subsided. She turned away and was silent for a long moment. “I want to know, what state is that dragon in right now?”
“It’s trapped in the True Dragon Cave. Only a wisp of its Divine Thought can get out. Its real body can’t move.”
Yun Ci said, “Then you must still be careful. If you truly manage to achieve the Dao by relying on this True Dragon in the future, it wouldn’t be unacceptable to let it go free. Just don’t let those True Monarchs find out, or you’ll be in big trouble… Just consider it another one of your Immortal Fates.”
As expected of a Master. She was surprisingly open-minded about such things.
Chen Qingyang found it a bit strange. ‘It feels like someone’s suddenly taken charge of me.’
“Indeed.”
“Also… you must tell me every time after you see the True Dragon. If it dares to pull that trick again, I’ll help you refine it away once more, to let it know for good that such ploys are useless. If it dares a third time, we’ll have to find a way to eliminate it, or at least severely injure it!”
She slightly narrowed her Phoenix Eyes, looking extremely domineering.
It was just like the first time he had seen her, carrying a sword up the mountain to kill Xuan Gui.
And the second time he had seen her, outside Nine True Mountain, her white robes whiter than snow as she slew a Demon Sect Master with a single slash of her sword.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Master. In that case… let’s hurry up and cultivate!”
Yun Ci pointed a finger. “Sit down. Close your eyes!”
Chen Qingyang did as he was told. In an instant, the room was once again filled with scattered Spiritual Qi, manifesting as states of ice and fire.
Their Qi Mechanisms intertwined, as if recounting a tale of destiny.
An unknown amount of time passed. He only felt his Cultivation constantly rising. Thanks to the True Dragon Qi, Yun Ci’s Cultivation also seemed to have improved a great deal.
Chen Qingyang looked at her. Her eyes were lightly closed, her expression serious.
This session of “Dual Cultivation” lasted for another five or six days.
For the next three or four months, Chen Qingyang lived a life of taking True Dragon Fire from the True Dragon and merging Yin and Yang with Yun Ci. His Cultivation grew at an extremely fast pace.
Of course, Yun Ci’s progress in Cultivation surpassed his, changing practically day by day.
She cultivated an Extreme Yin and Cold Method, yet had obtained the Fire Dragon’s True Qi. This combination of the Pure Yin and Pure Yang Path was like adding wings to a tiger. Coupled with the insights gained from her recent tribulations, her injuries had long since healed.
One day, while they were cultivating, Chen Qingyang suddenly felt her aura turn violent and tyrannical, forcefully trying to push him away.
When he opened his eyes, he felt as if he were sitting in the middle of a frigid chill. The entire pavilion was covered in white, which was still pouring outwards…
Yun Ci sat there unmoving. A blooming Ice Crystal Lotus formed from a halo of light, its sixteen petals supporting her at its center.
Paired with her silvery-white long dress, she was the very picture of the line, “A beauty in the north.”
‘Is… she about to break through to the next level of her Cultivation right in front of me?’