Chapter 140: Three Years!

Azure skies stretched out for ten thousand miles, with vast and hazy clouds drifting above.

Upon Yunti Peak.

Sitting cross-legged on a cyan-white meditation mat that emitted a faint, serene fragrance, Qi Xiu had a lush and thriving vineyard of Cloud Grapes spread out before him.

The Cloud Grapes blossomed once every nine months, bore fruit every nine months, and ripened once every nine months.

Every time the harvest season arrived, the disciples of Yunti Peak were responsible for organizing manpower to pick the grapes, store them properly, and keep them for future sale.

In the blink of an eye, more than three months had passed since he arrived at the Divine Firmament Sect.

Although he was a newcomer, because all the other disciples of Yunti Peak—save for Daoist Yunxiong—were currently traveling abroad, only Qi Xiu and Ge Ping remained behind on the peak.

Consequently, the task of harvesting the Cloud Grapes naturally fell upon their shoulders.

After a brief division of labor, Qi Xiu took charge of the five vineyards on the eastern foothills.

While the task of picking the Cloud Grapes sounded simple, it carried a certain degree of danger.

The Cloud Grape spiritual fruits were formed by absorbing the vital essence of thunder and lightning.

They had to be plucked with extreme gentleness, without any haste.

Otherwise, the thunder essence would be stimulated and churned, causing an instantaneous explosion that would trigger a chain reaction, destroying the entire vineyard.

Their job as cultivators was to prevent accidents while the workers harvested the grapes.

Once any grapes were agitated, they had to deal with them swiftly to avoid endangering the entire orchard.

While keeping an eye on the harvesting process and quietly practicing his cultivation, Qi Xiu flicked his fingertips gently, transforming a series of Spirit Pill Talismans into medicinal power that dissolved into his body.

To achieve perfection in the Dao within the Secret Meaning of the Primordial Dragon and Tiger True Scripture, one needed to condense three hundred and sixty-five Primordial Pearls.

This meant that for Qi Xiu to reach the perfection of the Dao-Entry realm, he would need to spend three hundred and sixty-five times more time and effort than ordinary cultivators.

Fortunately, the concentration of spiritual Qi within the Divine Firmament Sect was far richer than the outside world, and coupled with the assistance of the Spirit Pill Talismans, Qi Xiu estimated he could condense one Primordial Pearl every three months.

That amounted to four per year.

Calculated this way, for him to reach the peak of the Dao-Entry realm, he would still need...

Eighty-nine years!

"By that time, I'll be a little over a hundred and ten years old." Tucking his hands into his sleeves, Qi Xiu wore a thoughtful expression.

The average lifespan of a cultivator in the Dao-Entry realm ranged from one hundred and eighty to two hundred years, varying greatly depending on the cultivation method practiced.

Those who practiced profound wood-element scriptures like Ge Ping generally enjoyed much longer lifespans; barring accidents, living for three hundred years was entirely possible.

Qi Xiu quietly calculated the time he had spent practicing since stepping onto the path. All in all, it had only been a little over three years, not even four.

As for direct disciples of major sects like the Divine Firmament Sect, who were nurtured from the womb, progressed smoothly, protected by elders, and accompanied by true scriptures and elixirs throughout their journey, wanting to reach this realm would still take nearly a decade.

The reason he was able to reach this stage in just over three years, aside from the miraculous enhancement of his proficiency system, was also related to his several fortuitous encounters and acquiring a medieval demonic sect artifact like the Spirit Pill Pouch.

"Entering the Dao in a decade, stained with blood in a century. After entering the Dao, going into seclusion for several years or even decades is completely normal. In truth, this is the normal pace of cultivation. The years of cultivation are long, and the path of the Dao is boundless. I should get used to it."

With calm eyes, Qi Xiu rubbed the Flood Dragon Bracelet on his thumb.

He possessed the miraculous proficiency system to rely on. To others, the lengthy and monotonous cultivation was not boring to him at all. Moreover, with no other worries to distract him, as long as he focused on his practice and increased his skill proficiency...

Wasn't this precisely the life he had dreamed of for so long?

...

There are no years in the mountains; winters end without marking the time.

With a calmed mindset, Qi Xiu gradually grew accustomed to his identity as a major sect disciple.

As one of the seventy-two pillars of the Divine Firmament Sect, Yunti Peak required its disciples to handle only the affairs of their own branch, freeing them from participating in other sect matters.

Months passed.

Once all the Cloud Grape spiritual fruits had been harvested, Qi Xiu grew completely free and began a monotonous yet self-contented lifestyle.

After the Secret Meaning of the Primordial Dragon and Tiger True Scripture advanced to the third realm, it began to govern all other arts. As long as he cultivated the Secret Meaning, the other techniques he practiced would also progress.

However, the governing effect only applied to cultivation techniques. Miraculous skills like calligraphy, alchemy, and painting could not be elevated through the Primordial Dragon and Tiger True Scripture.

In the blink of an eye, spring departed and autumn arrived. Qi Xiu stayed on Yunti Peak for three whole years.

...

Crack-rumble!

Heavenly thunder roared, shaking the firmament!

"Hmph!"

On Yunti Peak, an angry snort resounded across the mountain peak.

"Seventh Master! The Peak Master requests your immediate presence at Guanshan Cliff!"

A graceful and gentle lotus sprite arrived before Qi Xiu's courtyard, much like the tree spirit Bailing who served under Ge Ping.

This lotus sprite, named Qingyi, was responsible for attending to Qi Xiu's daily needs.

"Understood."

A calm reply came from within the room.

As the wooden door pushed open, Qi Xiu stepped out clad in a light blue robe.

His sleeves fluttered like flowing clouds and moving water. His ink-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall to his waist, carrying a hint of softness with its slight waves.

Between his brows showed a steady and wise composure, and his eyes were clear and bright, as if they concealed endless wisdom.

Three years had passed, and Qi Xiu's transformation could be described as earth-shattering.

During these three years, he had not slackened in his cultivation simply because he was sheltered within the Divine Firmament Sect by a major sect.

On the contrary, having no other distracting factors to worry about, his dedication to cultivation became even more intense.

Throughout the three years, aside from some chores arranged by Daoist Yunxiong, he poured all his time into cultivation. Miraculous skills like calligraphy, alchemy, and painting were not neglected in the slightest.

By now, thirty-six Primordial Pearls had condensed within his body—more than double the speed he had originally anticipated.

Such an unprecedented and terrifying cultivation base startled even Daoist Yunxiong.

After all, even a Dao-Body master like him who had practiced for hundreds or nearly a thousand years had never witnessed anyone accumulate such an abyss-like depth of true quintessential Qi while still in the Dao-Entry realm.

"Did Master say what this is about?"

Stepping out of the room, Qi Xiu loosened his rolled-up sleeves, revealing several faint, undulating golden chains winding around his arms.

"The Peak Master did not explicitly state it, only telling Seventh Master to go as quickly as possible."

Nodding thoughtfully, Qi Xiu waved his hand to dismiss Qingyi. He then leaped into the air, transforming into a surging, violent, and tyrannical sea of fire spanning several miles wide, flying straight toward Guanshan Cliff at the peak of Yunti Peak.

...

At Guanshan Cliff, where clouds churned and thunder rumbled, Daoist Yunxiong sat quietly in cross-legged meditation, clad in a purple robe with his eyes closed.

Behind him stood a towering, thousand-foot-tall Saintly Wrath Thunder Vajra with six arms holding various thunder weapons. Above its head roared a thousand layers of thunderclouds, flashing with waterfall-like lightning. Its mere aura was enough to suppress thousands of evil spirits.

"Master."

Riding his fire cloud to the edge of Guanshan Cliff, Qi Xiu looked up with a slight frown at the terrifying six-arm Vajra, which emanated an infinite, destructive aura akin to a world-destroying deity.

What happened to make the old man fly into such a rage?

"You're here."

Hearing Qi Xiu's voice, Daoist Yunxiong slowly opened his eyes, and the boundless, god-like thunder might of the six-arm Vajra behind him dissipated accordingly.

"Sit."

With a wave of his sleeve, a meditation mat suddenly appeared before Qi Xiu.

"How has your cultivation been recently? Do you have any difficulties that require your master's guidance?" With calm eyes, Daoist Yunxiong looked at Qi Xiu and spoke slowly.

"Thanks to Master's blessing, everything has been going well lately."

"Mm. Among my seven disciples, you are the most reassuring. Unlike your sixth senior brother, who shows no diligence in his cultivation whatsoever, but proves quite adept at playing the romantic and falling in love. Relying on his status as a direct disciple of the Divine Firmament Sect, he actually dared to meddle in mortal affairs, plunging into the secular court and becoming a provincial prefect!

"Hmph! With that dog brain of his, acting as a prefect? Eating shit would suit him better!"

Suddenly enraged, lightning surged violently in Daoist Yunxiong's eyes. The surrounding space seemed to sense the fury of this Dao-Body master, gathering endless thunderclouds out of thin air, with vast heavenly thunder resembling a world-ending tribulation—terrifying to the extreme.

After a brief loss of composure, Daoist Yunxiong reined in his emotions and regained his calm.

"Number Seven, your sixth senior brother has been blinded by lust, his mind and spirit clouded. If he remains outside any longer, he will surely stain the reputation of our Divine Firmament Sect.

"Doesn't he pride himself on being a direct disciple of the Divine Firmament Sect, invincible in the Dao-Entry realm, capable of crossing realms to fight and bathe in blood?

"Take my token now and go. Bring that rebellious disciple back to the sect!"

"What if Sixth Senior Brother is unwilling to return with me?" Qi Xiu paused and asked after a moment of silence.

"Then fight! Beat him until he submits, or beat him to death!"

"Disciple obeys!"

Accepting a silvery token from Daoist Yunxiong—engraved with an ancient thunder pattern on the front—Qi Xiu turned and left.

...

"Master summoned you?"

Just as he returned to his courtyard, Qi Xiu ran into his fifth senior brother, Ge Ping, who was waiting for him with a smile.

"Mm."

"It's about Number Six, right?"

"How did you know?" A hint of surprise crossed Qi Xiu's face, as he hadn't expected his fifth senior brother to be so well-informed.

"I guessed it."

With his hands behind his back, Ge Ping paced leisurely and said, "Number Six is a direct-line disciple, naturally talented, entering the Dao at age nine, and achieving the three flowers gathered atop the crown to reach the peak of the Dao-Entry realm by seventeen.

"Yet, precisely because he was too young and everything came too easily, his temperament became unruly and ignorant of worldly affairs. That's why Master sent him down the mountain to travel, broaden his horizons, and temper his character.

"Judging by this, however, the kid not only failed to temper his Dao heart in the mortal world, but became entangled in it instead. Master is sending you to save him, aren't you?"

"Sixth Senior Brother interfered in mortal affairs and broke the rules; Master told me to bring him back," Qi Xiu replied flatly.

"I knew it, Master still couldn't bear to—"

"Dead or alive."

"W—What?"