newbobooks Chapter 230 The Sect Faces Difficulties, the Taira Clan Reappears
Chapter 230 The Sect Faces Difficulties, the Taira Clan Reappears
Chapter 230 The Sect Faces Difficulties, the Taira Clan Reappears
These nearly one hundred pages of text were all inscribed in the jade slip with divine sense, and each page detailed the cultivation experience of Qi Chongdou, the body refinement master from two thousand years ago:
Back when he was at the peak of the Refining Realm, in order to break through to the Marrow Cleansing Realm,
He deliberately imitated the methods of ancient cultivators, using special forces of heaven and earth to temper his physical body, and even tried to use his physical strength to draw upon and drive the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in actual combat.
The cultivation path he followed was the Solar Essence Fire Body Refinement lineage, which had some connection with the body refinement tradition of the Qi Kingdom's royal family.
When Qi Chongdou was at the peak of the Refining Realm, he exhausted the fire crystal power accumulated around him and finally condensed a fire crystal marrow that was entirely crimson and whose energy fluctuations reached the quasi-fourth level.
It was this Fire Crystal Marrow that allowed him to touch the threshold of the true power of the sun in the world.
After that, he used the Fire Crystal Marrow as a guide, refining his physical body and tempering his physique with his internal energy.
While attempting to harness the power of heaven and earth for his own use, he gradually explored the path of marrow refinement, approaching the fourth-order body cultivation level.
The notes did not contain detailed records of the complete cultivation method. Instead, they contained Qi Chongdou's cultivation ideas, experiments, and experiences summarized after many failures during the body refining process.
Even so, these notes still gave Chen Yi considerable inspiration.
He is not far from condensing a hundred strands of lightning crystal marrow. What he lacks most right now is a cultivation direction for breaking through to the fourth level of body refinement.
Although he had not been able to consult the renowned late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, True Monarch Hanshan, who was famous for his dual cultivation of body and technique, seeing Qi Chongdou's exploration diary now was of little use to him.
This notebook was like a key, opening a door for Chen Yi to the fourth-order body refinement realm, making his previously vague cultivation direction clear.
"Brother Ji, you've really put your heart into this."
Chen Yi ran his fingertips along the spiritual scroll inscribed with notes, a hint of warmth flashing in his eyes, and he murmured a sigh of gratitude.
The exact value of this "Immortal Martial Arts Exploration Notes" is hard to determine, but Ji Wuchen's thoughtfulness in remembering his needs has certainly earned him a favor.
He then took a blank spirit tablet, condensed a wisp of magic power at his fingertips, and quickly drew runes on the tablet. He soon wrote a reply to Ji Wuchen, infused it with his divine sense, and sealed it with his exclusive magic power mark:
Brother Ji, thank you very much for this gift.
Senior Qi Chongdou's cultivation notes were quite inspiring for Chen's path of body refinement.
If any similar body-refining cultivation methods come up in the future, I hope Brother Ji will keep an eye out for them for me.
In addition, Chen has a friend who previously practiced the [Refining God Technique] and is now close to the peak of the second level, but is struggling to find a follow-up technique.
I wonder if Brother Ji would be able to help me search for the cultivation technique? The price will be set according to Brother Ji's wishes.
Ten days after the letter was sent, Chen Yi received a reply from Ji Wuchen.
He removed the seal, probed with his divine sense, and Ji Wuchen's words came clearly:
Brother Chen, the third level of the Refining God Technique is a controlled cultivation method, circulating only within a few top sects and forces in the Central Plains. Anyone who cultivates this method must undergo resource verification and identity registration, and the rules are extremely strict.
Although my Ji family has a copy of this method, it is really inconvenient to show it to others so easily, especially if it is requested by Brother Chen's friend.
Since it involves family rules, I cannot make an exception.
Of course, if the "friend" Brother Chen mentioned is you, then I, Ji, will go to great lengths to find him for you.
However, this method is too special to transmit details in a jade slip. We can discuss the specifics when we meet again.
Upon receiving the letter, Chen Yi felt both joy and worry.
The good news is that the Ji family did indeed possess the third level of the [Refining God Technique], which at least gave that friend some hope for his cultivation.
What's worrying is that practicing this method is so troublesome; not only do you have to register and file a record, but you also have to have your qualifications reviewed, with numerous rules and regulations.
Moreover, judging from Ji Wuchen's tone, even if he were to find a solution for him, it would probably take a lot of effort—in that case, he would owe Ji Wuchen another favor.
"That's enough."
Chen Yi gently put down the spiritual scroll. "If you have too many lice, you won't feel itchy. If you owe someone a favor, so be it. You can repay it slowly in the future."
He retrieved the spiritual tablet again and wrote a reply:
[That friend of Chen's is extremely close to Chen, so Brother Ji can just consider it as something that Chen needs for his own cultivation.]
Therefore, I, Chen, will await your good news, Brother Ji.
After the letter was sent, there was no further news from Ji Wuchen. Chen Yi remained calm and continued his cultivation in the cave as usual, quietly waiting for news.
Several more months passed in this peaceful manner when Chen Yi suddenly received a summons from Yue Qingqiu. The meeting place was the council hall of the new sect leader, Xingmu Zhenren.
Upon entering the main hall, a sense of solemnity already permeated the air.
The pillars of the hall are carved with cloud patterns and starlight designs of the Star Moon Sect, and a faint spiritual fragrance lingers in the air, making the spiritual energy more concentrated than in ordinary places.
Yue Qingqiu sat in the head seat, while Xingmu Zhenren sat to the side. Chen Yi followed etiquette and sat down in the seat below.
This was not the first time Chen Yi had met Master Xingmu. The cave dwelling where he had temporarily resided originally belonged to Master Xingmu. Later, when he moved into a third-tier high-grade spiritual vein cave dwelling, he had already returned the original cave dwelling intact.
This Master Xingmu looked to be in his prime, around three hundred years old, wearing a dark green Taoist robe embroidered with dark gold spirit wood patterns;
His face was resolute, and although his temples were streaked with gray, he did not look old at all. Instead, he exuded a sense of composure that came with experience in the world.
His magical power was concentrated and did not dissipate, and one could faintly feel a restrained sense of pressure, clearly indicating that he was a cultivator with extremely strong combat power.
Chen Yi estimated that the other party might not be far from breaking through to the late stage of Core Formation.
"Master Chen, the sect has been facing some difficulties in various aspects lately."
Yue Qingqiu sat at the head of the table, her gaze tinged with worry.
"Under the covert influence of certain forces, some high-level resources that sects could previously obtain easily are now much more difficult to acquire."
Even the immortal cities and spirit lakes under the sect's jurisdiction have recently experienced various changes, consuming a lot of energy.
She paused, glanced at Xingmu Zhenren beside her, and then continued:
"Recently, my junior brother Xingmu and I went to great lengths to exchange for two sets of Tier 3 puppet materials, three sets of materials for Azure Thunder Brew, and some Tier 3 mid-grade beast pill making materials."
"We hope that Elder Chen can successfully transform these materials into finished products. In this way, our Star Moon Sect can maintain its position in the trading of high-level resources."
As she finished speaking, Yue Qingqiu's gaze fell on Chen Yi, full of expectation.
Xingmu Zhenren immediately stood up and took out three storage bags from his sleeve.
The bag was surrounded by a faint spiritual energy, and one could vaguely sense the pure aura of the materials inside. He stretched out his arm slightly and handed the storage bag to Chen Yi: "Thank you for your trouble, Venerable Chen."
Chen Yi reached out and took the storage bag. As his fingertips touched the bag, a quick scan with his divine sense revealed the weight of the materials inside. They were indeed some of the higher-level materials he had requested when he left the Mountain Sect for the Monster Beast Mountain Range.
Having occupied the sect's third-tier high-grade spiritual vein cave, it was only right that he lend a hand now that the sect was in trouble.
Moreover, his cooking and puppetry skills are currently in a period of rapid improvement, and these materials can come in handy.
So he accepted the gifts and slowly nodded, saying, "You've worked hard, Fairy and Sect Master. As a member of the sect, I, Chen, will do my best."
"Okay." Yue Qingqiu nodded in satisfaction.
"Furthermore, this person is a descendant of Senior Brother Xinghe. He has a good talent for spiritual sense and wants to learn a puppetry technique."
"I wonder if Venerable Chen would be willing to impart some of his knowledge?"
After finishing their business, Yue Qingqiu sent a telepathic message to the door, and a handsome late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator walked over.
"Disciple Pingdong greets Senior Yue, Sect Leader, and Senior Chen."
The monk walked into the hall, his back straight, and bowed respectfully to the three people, his voice clear and powerful.
Hearing that the surname was also Ping, Chen Yi was slightly surprised.
He had known for several years that the original sect leader, Xinghe Shangren, was named Ping Xinghe, and that he belonged to the same family as Ping Xingye and was of the same generation.
Even the current sect leader, Master Xingmu, is from the Ping clan.
Looking up, Ping Dongsheng had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, red lips and white teeth, a tall and straight figure, and a handsome appearance, which was in no way inferior to Chen Yi.
He wore a moon-white Taoist robe with light gold star patterns embroidered on the hem. His late-stage Foundation Establishment mana was condensed and did not dissipate. When he stood in the hall, he was like an unsheathed green sword, exuding a pure and sharp power.
Ping Dong's spiritual sense was extremely well concealed; without close inspection, one would only think he was at the level of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.
But Chen Yi remained unmoved, a faint golden glint flashing in his eyes as his Insightful Eyes activated silently.
As he scanned Ping Dong's body, he keenly caught the moment when the other looked at Yue Qingqiu, and a very subtle fluctuation of divine sense flashed by.
The degree of refinement of that fluctuation clearly exceeded the level that an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator should possess.
"The Taira clan has produced another genius."
Chen Yi exclaimed in admiration.
Knowing the Ping clan's background, he wasn't surprised to see Ping Dong's talent.
He did not object to Yue Qingqiu's request. After all, taking on an apprentice, not a disciple, was not a troublesome matter for him.
His current residence, a third-tier high-grade spiritual vein cave, is divided into inner and outer sections.
The inner area has the richest spiritual energy, where he and his two spirit pets live and cultivate daily. Only Hu Mingyue, with his special permission, can occasionally enter to report matters and deliver messages.
The outer area consisted of spacious meditation courtyards and workshops, used as residences for the servants and apprentices of the manor.
Furthermore, he already had several apprentice chefs and puppeteers under his command. He usually provided them with basic texts and cultivation tips, then let them explore on their own.
Those who are willing to work hard will naturally make progress. Only those with exceptional talent and temperament that he finds appealing will receive occasional guidance from him, and of course, this also depends on Chen Yi's mood.
Seeing Chen Yi nod in agreement, Ping Dong immediately bowed again, a polite and grateful smile on his face.
But the smile seemed somewhat forced to Chen Yi.
There wasn't much genuine joy in Ping Dong's eyes; instead, there was a hint of barely perceptible melancholy.
"Pingdong, if you want to learn puppetry from me, you will have to start from scratch, just like the other apprentices."
Chen Yi raised his hand, gesturing for him to stand up. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"When you can independently create a second-tier puppet, I will give you individual guidance."
Furthermore, once you enter my cave, you must abide by the rules I have set:
Don't look at what you shouldn't see, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't say what you shouldn't say. Do you understand?
"Disciple understands!" Ping Dong straightened up, his voice clear and bright. "Disciple will certainly abide by the rules set by Venerable Chen, devote himself to cultivation, and never let down the Ancestor, Uncle Yue, and Venerable Chen!"
He deliberately included Yue Qingqiu's name in his speech, and while speaking, he quickly glanced at Yue Qingqiu, subtly observing her expression.
But Yue Qingqiu merely rested her fingertips on the edge of the jade table, her beautiful face expressionless, only a hint of weariness in her eyes. Lately, sect affairs had been numerous and complicated, leaving her exhausted.
"This matter has nothing to do with me. You just need to live up to Senior Brother Xinghe's expectations."
Yue Qingqiu's voice was soft and languid.
After Ping Dong withdrew, Chen Yi, seeing that there was nothing else to do in the hall, also got up to take his leave.
After leaving the council hall, he summoned the Crimson Soul Sparrow, which flapped its wings and flew with him and Pingdong towards the cave.
Upon arriving at the third-tier high-grade spiritual vein cave, Chen Yi directly brought Ping Dong to Hu Mingyue, then took out two jade slips containing introductory knowledge about puppetry from his storage bag and handed them over, speaking casually:
"Arrange his accommodations according to the rules of the manor. These two jade slips are the basics for beginners. Let him study them on his own first."
After saying that, he stopped paying attention and turned to walk towards the inner area's cultivation room.
Even the outer perimeter of his cave dwelling drew upon the spiritual energy of a third-grade low-level spiritual vein.
Wisps of spiritual energy lingered in the courtyard, several times more concentrated than the cultivation dwellings of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. This environment alone was a cultivation ground that many Foundation Establishment cultivators longed for.
When Ping Dong first saw Hu Mingyue, he was momentarily stunned.
Hu Mingyue was dressed in a light blue dress. Her face was bright and beautiful, and her temperament was cool and composed. She was in no way inferior to Yue Qingqiu in terms of elegance.
A flash of amazement crossed his eyes, which immediately turned into a warm smile. He stepped forward, took out a jade bottle from his robes, and handed it over in a solicitous tone:
"Greetings, Junior Sister Hu. My name is Ping Dong. I hope you will take good care of me in the future. This bottle of 'Concentration Pill' is not very valuable, but it can help Foundation Establishment cultivators stabilize their spiritual sense. I hope you won't find it too expensive."
When Pingdong sees a beautiful woman, his true nature is revealed.
Hu Mingyue merely frowned slightly, not taking the jade bottle, her tone indifferent:
"No need for formalities. The rules in this manor are strict. I have arranged for you to stay in the westernmost courtyard, which is on the far side. You may cultivate here on your own."
Remember, without permission, you are not allowed to enter any important area within the cave, especially not to approach the inner area where Chen Gongfeng resides.
As soon as she finished speaking, she led Pingdong toward the west courtyard, her attitude distant throughout, unmoved by his attempts to be friendly.
Ping Dong was led by Leng Mo to the west courtyard in that corner. When the courtyard gate creaked shut, the polite smile on his face vanished instantly, and a shadow of gloom appeared in his eyes.
"That guy surnamed Chen actually has such a stunningly beautiful maid hidden away!"
"Hu Mingyue's appearance and temperament are no less than Yue Qingqiu's."
He only made her a servant to do mundane tasks, and she managed to resist any temptation—it's such a waste!
"Hmph, now that I have returned, I will first capture Hu Mingyue. Once my cultivation has been restored, I will then go and retrieve Qingqiu."
"This Star Moon Sect will eventually be mine!"
In truth, he was unwilling to join Chen Yi's cave abode. Initially, he thought that with the connection of the ancestor Xinghe Shangren, the best way out would be to directly become a disciple of Yue Qingqiu.
That way, he could spend every day with Yue Qingqiu, cultivating their feelings under the flowers and moon. Once he successfully formed his core, he might be able to win over this fairy from the sect.
Furthermore, by leveraging Yue Qingqiu's influence, they can quickly establish themselves within the sect.
Unexpectedly, when the Star River Ancestor privately discussed the matter with Yue Qingqiu, she politely declined.
Yue Qingqiu said that she had to deal with the complicated affairs of the sect and concentrate on breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, so she had no time to teach her disciples.
Furthermore, as a female cultivator, if she were to accept male disciples, it would inevitably lead to gossip and damage the sect's reputation. Therefore, she ultimately recommended him to Chen Yi.
The thought of how groveling he had been before Chen Yi today, and the fact that he could only live in this small courtyard on the very edge of the outer area of the cave, filled Ping Dong with even more resentment.
"ridiculous!
This third-grade high-quality spiritual vein cave was something I reluctantly agreed to do for Yue Qingqiu back then!
Now look what's happened! Chen Yi has taken over the cave, and I've become a dependent apprentice!
"But so what if it's on the outskirts of the capital?"
I only need to lie low for decades, and the day I return to the Nascent Soul Realm will be the day I regain control of the Star Moon Sect!
At that time, Hu Mingyue and Yue Qingqiu will both have to kneel down and lick my feet.
If this Elder Chen is sensible, I'll give him a job making puppets; if he's not, I'll just kill him!
Time flies, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, Yi sent a message to Xingmu Zhenren and Yue Qingqiu, inviting them to meet at his cave.
In the main hall of Chen Yi's cave dwelling,
The hall was filled with the aroma of tea and wisps of mist, and the three of them sat on the jade table.
Chen Yi gestured to his assistant Ping Dong to hand several storage bags to the two of them.
"Sect Leader Xingmu, Senior Yue, these are some things I've recently refined. I would be grateful if you could take a look."
Master Xingmu was the first to receive the storage bag. The moment his divine sense probed into it, he leaned forward abruptly, his eyes suddenly brightening, and he exclaimed in a low voice:
"Huh, Venerable Chen, there are actually two low-grade third-tier puppets here?"
Yue Qingqiu also probed her storage bag with her divine sense, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised, her eyes filled with surprise:
"Back then, Master Chen said that he could reach the third-tier puppeteer within twenty years. Now, it has only been fifteen years, and he has actually succeeded."
This is truly a pleasant surprise.
The two examined the puppets carefully and found that the joints of one of them were slightly sluggish and the transmission of spiritual energy was also slightly impaired, so it could only be considered a second-best of the third-tier low-grade puppets.
But instead of being disappointed, Master Hoshiki admired him even more:
Although one of them was a defective piece, it was precisely this "imperfection" that made Chen Gongfeng's exploration of breaking through from the second-tier to the third-tier technique even clearer.
This proves that his skills are the result of real practice, even more so than simply presenting a perfect finished product!
They then examined the several bottles of beast pills in the storage bag. The beast pills inside were lustrous in color and their spiritual energy fluctuations were rich and mellow, all of them being of mid-grade third rank.
Moreover, its quality far surpasses that of ordinary beast pills of the same rank, and it is only one step away from becoming a high-quality product;
As for the two bottles of [Azure Thunder Brew], the liquid was clear, with faint, subtle thunder patterns flowing within. The thunderous spiritual energy surged but was not harsh. Its quality was even a notch higher than that of the Beast Pill, almost a high-grade third-tier product, and nearly reaching the edge of a high-grade third-tier product.
The main reason Chen Yi was willing to demonstrate several improvements in his skills this time was that his skills in cooking and puppetry had greatly improved.
More importantly, as his body refinement cultivation entered the late stage of the third tier, his requirements for the quality of cultivation resources also increased significantly.
Providing low-level finished products slowly as before, relying solely on acquiring near-third-tier puppet resources, mid-grade third-tier beast pills, and thunder brew resources, is no longer sufficient to support his body refining cultivation.
With his current mid-stage Golden Core cultivation, Chen Yi can protect himself in most situations in the cultivation world.
No longer do they need to tread on thin ice like ordinary martial artists and those in the Qi Refining stage, even having to hide their cultivation of the Vajra Skill.
He only needs to conceal his top-tier body-refining lightning crystal core, his divine soul abilities, and a few supernatural techniques such as concealing his breath, healing, and perceiving the world.
Skills that determine his status within his sect and the resources he acquires no longer need to be overly concealed.
Because under reasonable circumstances, the more he exposes, the more resources he will gain.
Moreover, even with so much released, it still didn't reach his true skill level.
In addition, Ping Dong, who entered Chen Yi's cave, was indeed exceptionally talented in puppetry, and repeatedly brought surprises to Chen Yi.
In just three years, he had reached the basics of second-tier puppetry skills, and even when Chen Yi was crafting third-tier puppets, he was able to help him refine some simple puppet parts.
Seeing this, Chen Yi dumped all the time-consuming and laborious rough and tiring work on him.
This assistance saved Chen Yi a lot of time. Moreover, these puppets were originally tasks assigned to the sect, not for his own use. Even if some processes were not handled by him, it would not affect Chen Yi.
This time, when reporting to Master Xingmu and Yue Qingqiu, Pingdong also temporarily accompanied Chen Yi.
When it came time to demonstrate and explain the two third-tier puppets, Ping Dong took over. Holding the puppet parts, he explained the basic process and details of the crafting in a clear and organized manner, with just the right amount of respect on his face, as if he were an apprentice assisting Chen Yi.
However, Ping Dong's heart was far from calm as it appeared: he was genuinely surprised that Chen Yi could advance to the third-tier puppeteer so quickly.
He originally thought that he had reached the level of a second-tier puppeteer in just a few years, which made him a prodigy among his peers and enough to attract the attention of the sect.
His earlier plan was to first quickly surpass Chen Yi in puppetry skills, then advance to the Golden Core stage as soon as possible, and gradually replace Chen Yi's position in the sect.
After that, he systematically took down Hu Mingyue and Yue Qingqiu, and eventually gained control of the Star Moon Sect.
It seems that plans can't keep up with changes.
Chen Yi has improved so quickly; he didn't notice it at all when he was investigating Chen Yi more than ten years ago.
"Master Chen, this is wonderful! Not only have you successfully crafted a third-tier puppet, but you've also brought genuine [Azure Thunder Brew] and a third-tier beast pill!"
Yue Qingqiu's voice was filled with genuine joy.
"With these three items, our Star Moon Sect will have three more categories of high-quality products!"
These items are of superior quality and could easily be sent to the auctions in the subordinate immortal cities as the grand finale treasures, which would greatly enhance the sect's prestige.
As she spoke, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and the weariness in her eyes was washed away by a smile.
"Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief."
Such a look of surprise was extremely rare on Yue Qingqiu's face.
In recent years, sect affairs have been complicated, and she always has a bit of worry between her brows, rarely even showing a smile.
But today, facing Chen Yi, she broke into an extremely sweet smile.
A smile curved her lips, revealing a dimple like a clear spring filled with moonlight, pure and gentle.
The male cultivators present were momentarily stunned by what they saw.
(End of this chapter)