Chapter 146: Tranquil Heart Aura Bamboo

"Escort the two of them down and make them face the wall in contemplation for thirty years. No one is permitted to visit them without my permission!"

Upon returning to Yunti Peak of the Divine Firmament Sect, Daoist Yunxiong gave a sweep of his broad sleeve. Gan Xingba and Nian Yiyi were sent tumbling down like gourds. Several sprite-like creatures transformed from rattan vines hurriedly stepped forward to hoist the pair up, staggering step by step as they ran toward the Cliff of Contemplation at the back of Yunti Peak.

"Thirty years should be just about enough for the Sixth Senior Brother to break through to the Blood-Stained Realm, shouldn't it?"

Standing beside Daoist Yunxiong with his hands tucked into his sleeves, Qi Xiu looked clear-eyed, bright, and translucent.

"You brat, you're just like your Second Senior Sister—sly as a fox. Nothing ever escapes the two of you."

Hearing Qi Xiu's remark, Daoist Yunxiong turned sideways and cast a sideways glance at his youngest disciple.

"Those born with profound fortune undergo great tribulations while also enjoying boundless blessings. Once the child Xingba passes this trial, he will smoothly break through to the Blood-Stained Realm. Come to think of it, we really ought to thank those villains of the Gao family. The Myriad Wonder Body of Yin Essence is a miraculous physique not easily found. Back when Xingba was born, in order to ensure a bright future on his Daoist path, his father had him ingest three Spirit Crow Golden Pills. Although this divine medicine made Xingba's physique extraordinary, allowing him to achieve twice the result with half the effort in cultivation and far surpass ordinary people, it also made him arrogant, impulsive, and restless, to the extent that he has yet to fully digest all the medicinal power to this day. Now, with this Myriad Wonder Body of Yin Essence harmonizing yin and yang with him, he will be able to completely digest the residual medicinal power of the Spirit Crow Golden Pills within his body and break through to the Blood-Stained Realm in a single stroke."

Leading Qi Xiu to a crescent-shaped, crystal-clear azure pool, Daoist Yunxiong beckoned for him to sit down together.

"Xiuer, on this trip to Jiang'an Prefecture, did you figure out why the Gao family went to such great lengths and pains to push Xingba into becoming the Prefect of Jiang'an, and even had Old Fourth Gao, a grandmaster of the Daoist Avatar realm, secretly escorting him and guarding his path?"

The pool water was tranquil, resembling a bright mirror, until a withered leaf fell at that moment, stirring layer after layer of ripples.

After a brief moment of silence, Qi Xiu slowly spoke:

"Because of the current situation in Dianchuan Province."

A flash of unusual expression crossing his eyes, Daoist Yunxiong asked with keen interest:

"Do elaborate."

"Descending the mountain this time, this disciple found that the situation in Dianchuan Province has deteriorated countless times compared to four years ago. Demons and heretical cultivators are utilizing the Sacred Heart of Fierce Might to wildly expand [Evil Domains] and erode normal territories, leaving the entire Dianchuan Province scarred and battered. Moreover, even if the lands occupied by demons and heretical cultivators are recaptured, they can no longer be inhabited by ordinary people, turning them into utter wasteland, barren land, and dead land. If this continues, Dianchuan Province will become like a mulberry leaf being nibbled away, with more and more territory lost and the common people having nowhere to stand. As the Military Commissioner of Dianchuan, the Gao family naturally does not wish to see this situation persist. However, the Gao family's strength alone is not enough to sway the situation of the entire Dianchuan Province. Therefore, they set their sights on all the sects and noble clans within the province. The earlier Exorcism and Demon-Slaying Decrees merely required the sects and noble clans to protect their own small spheres of influence, with everyone sweeping the snow from their own doorstep, failing to effectively curb the nibbling encroachment. The Gao family's current plan is to compel all sects and noble clans in Dianchuan Province to enter the world in full force, unifying and marshaling the entire province's strength into a single rope. Only in this way can the dire situation in Dianchuan Province today be curbed or even reversed. And the Sixth Senior Brother is the catalyst for them to launch this plan. Escorting him and building his reputation—the Gao family's painstaking efforts are not aimed at the Sixth Senior Brother, but at my Divine Firmament Sect!"

"Hahaha, good disciple, good disciple!"

Having listened to Qi Xiu's analysis, Daoist Yunxiong stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his eyes filled with gratification:

"If Xingba had even half—no, even a third of your wits—he wouldn't have been used as a tool by others while remaining happily oblivious."

Standing up to gaze at the unrippled pool water, Daoist Yunxiong's expression turned solemn:

If you hadn't arrived in time, investigated thoroughly, and stopped that foolish boy, if he had truly accepted the imperial decree and ascended to the Roll of Officials, the Gao family would have immediately pushed him to the forefront. You saw those sixty-nine Three-Poison Infant Pool Arrays in Jiang'an Prefecture, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"The Three-Poison Infant Pool Arrays gather the filth of the mortal world to condense an extremely yin and evil substance known as [Infant Marrow]. This [Infant Marrow] is lethal poison to anyone else, but for the Myriad Wonder Body of Yin Essence, it can increase the concentration of yin elemental blood within the body. Xingba's cultivation was able to grow so rapidly precisely because that woman fed him her own yin elemental blood. If he had taken the stage, those sixty-nine Three-Poison Infant Pool Arrays in Jiang'an Prefecture would have been his debut performance: The new prefect valiantly shattering the demonic array, saving tens of millions of people in Jiang'an from the abyss of misery! At that time, the Gao family would have simply added fuel to the fire at the opportune moment, turning a fait accompli into reality. Even if our Divine Firmament Sect refused to acknowledge it, the people of the world might not believe us."

"As the Military Commissioner of a province and a high-ranking frontier official, how could Gao Tianxiong resort to such despicable means?" Qi Xiu said slowly.

"It might not be Gao Tianxiong's idea. That white tiger is advanced in years, senile and muddle-headed, and having lost his son in his old age, he lacks descendants to pass on his legacy. Undercurrents have long been surging within the Commissioner's Mansion, treacherous and unpredictable. The Gao family is no longer the Gao family it used to be."

Mentioning Dianchuan Military Commissioner Gao Tianxiong, Daoist Yunxiong's eyes flashed with a hint of sorrow. That was once one of the twelve heroes of the Great Xuan Dynasty, capable of suppressing an entire province single-handedly. Who would have expected him to end up facing such desolate regret in his twilight years.

"Master, you mentioned earlier about issuing a challenge to the Gao family. Are we really going to war with them?"

Recalling what Daoist Yunxiong had said to that old man of the Gao family, Qi Xiu touched the thumb ring on his hand. As a veteran, time-honored major sect of the righteous path, the Divine Firmament Sect possessed a profound heritage and unfathomable strength. Meanwhile, the Gao family, as a military commissioner's clan, was the supreme power of a province. Would these two behemoths really go to war so easily?

"War is out of the question, but a challenge will still be issued. This represents the attitude of my Divine Firmament Sect. I have already reported this matter to the Hall of Rectification, and they will handle it themselves. You deserve the primary credit in this matter; when the Gao family's compensation arrives, this master will surely secure a generous reward for you."

In his words, Daoist Yunxiong made one meaning clear: the Divine Firmament Sect and the Gao family would not go to war, but the Gao family must lower their stance and admit their mistake, reclaiming the face the Divine Firmament Sect had lost. Moreover, compensation was mandatory. As for whether the compensation would be heavy or light, that was a matter for the higher-ups of both factions. However, judging by Daoist Yunxiong's demeanor, the Gao family was likely to suffer a massive bleeding this time.

...

With this matter settled, Qi Xiu resumed his secluded cultivation on the mountain. By nature, he was steady and composed, preferring tranquility over activity. After embarking on the path of cultivation, he had been forced to run about due to various circumstances and never found peace. Now, with the protection of the sect and no longer needing to worry about safety issues, his inner shut-in attributes were fully unleashed. He immersed himself body and soul in cultivation, spending his days grinding skill proficiencies and reading all kinds of ancient texts and records to relieve mental fatigue.

Half a year passed thus.

Fifth Senior Brother Ge Ping arrived outside the courtyard and found Qi Xiu.

"You're leaving the mountain?"

Hearing that Ge Ping had come to bid farewell, Qi Xiu was somewhat surprised. Ge Ping shared a very similar personality to his—steady and quiet. Perhaps related to his mastery of the grand Wood Dao True Scripture manual, when all of Daoist Yunxiong's other disciples descended the mountain to travel and temper themselves, only Ge Ping remained on the mountain. And now, this senior brother, as quiet as a primeval forest, had actually taken the initiative to propose descending the mountain for a journey.

"Yes, I have to go. In fact, three years ago when you came to Yunti Peak, my cultivation had already reached the Great Perfection of the Dao-Entering Realm for quite some time. Over all these years, I've concentrated on cultivation and tried various methods, yet I've been unable to make my cultivation advance even a fraction of an inch. I am eighty-five years old today. The hundred-year mark for the Blood-Stained Realm is approaching; if I cannot break through to the Blood-Stained Realm within fifteen years, my life will only be able to halt at the Dao-Entering Realm."

With a trace of helplessness, Ge Ping spread his hands. Actually, he didn't want to leave the mountain either. The sect was pure and tranquil, while the world outside was turbid and chaotic. Yet his master had told him that if he wished to break through to the Blood-Stained Realm, he still needed an opportunity of fate. Just like little Sixth Gan Xingba, who had encountered this tribulation with the Gao family to find the opportunity to break through to the Blood-Stained Realm. If he stayed in the sect indefinitely, even if he cultivated for another eighty years, he might still fail to break through.

"I see. I never expected there was such a backstory to this."

Nodding thoughtfully, Qi Xiu muttered inwardly: When I break through to the Blood-Stained Realm, will I also have to undergo such a trial?

"Then has Fifth Senior Brother decided where to go?"

"Not yet." Lowering his head with an embarrassed laugh, Ge Ping looked somewhat sheepish: "I entered the sect at the age of thirty-five, and in the blink of an eye, fifty years have passed.沧海桑田 (Time brings great changes to the world); descending the mountain now, I'm afraid I might lose my way the moment I step out the door."

"Indeed, the changes outside are quite significant now."

Recalling the scarred and battered scenes he had witnessed outside half a year ago, Qi Xiu felt a deep sense of resonance. In just three years, such massive changes had taken place. Senior Brother Ge had not descended the mountain for fifty years. Re-entering the world now, he would probably be unable to tell east, west, south, or north.

"Coming to see you today, aside from bidding farewell, there is also something I wish to entrust to you."

"Senior Brother, please speak."

"I am descending the mountain to travel and seek the opportunity for breakthrough, and I do not know when I will return. I must temporarily ask you to take care of the lark in my courtyard for a while. Her temperament is lively and somewhat noisy; if she guards the courtyard alone for a long time, I'm afraid she'll be stifled into illness." Ge Ping smiled lightly.

"Such a small matter is no problem. Tomorrow I will have Qingyi fetch her over, and the two of them can keep each other company."

"Also, take this."

Taking out a palm-sized, entirely verdant, jade-like delicate bamboo joint from his sleeve, Ge Ping handed it to Qi Xiu: "The magic artifact for warding off inner demon disturbances that I found for you previously was not ideal. This is a spiritual root I cultivated myself—the Serene Heart Spiritual Light Bamboo. It is much more useful than that artifact. Keep it on you at all times; if any inner demons invade, this precious bamboo will naturally emit light as a warning and protect your divine soul."

"This is a bit too precious." Looking at the Serene Heart Spiritual Light Bamboo handed over by Ge Ping, Qi Xiu did not reach out to take it. Magic artifacts capable of warding off inner demons were extremely costly, and this Serene Heart Spiritual Light Bamboo was a rare spiritual root, undoubtedly of immense value.

"We are fellow disciples; acting like this makes you seem distant." Forcibly pushing the Serene Heart Spiritual Light Bamboo into Qi Xiu's hand, Ge Ping stood up and cupped his fists: "With today's parting, who knows when we shall meet again. Junior Brother, let us part here, take care."

With a solemn expression, Qi Xiu also stood up and returned the salute by cupping his fists: "May Senior Brother find your opportunity soon, take care."

...

(End of this chapter)