https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-24-Jiang-Qiong-at-the-Ninth-Layer-of-the-Golden-Core-Stage/12574028/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-26-The-Grand-Assembly-of-the-Outer-Sect-Disciples/12574043/
Chapter 25: Have You Heard of the Yuan Ying Realm?
Chapter 25: Have You Heard of the Yuan Ying Realm?
Crunch.
A withered foot stepped out from the coffin, landing on a piece of charcoal and crushing it.
Gu An witnessed a ragged woman with disheveled hair emerge. Her body was emaciated to the point of exaggeration, as if all her blood and flesh had been drained. Her robe, once white, was now torn at the sleeves and pant legs. She wobbled as she walked out, resembling a vengeful ghost.
Jiang Qing slowly raised her face, her features equally withered. Her eye sockets were deep, and her eyes protruded in a frightening manner.
Her gaze fell on Gu An, causing him to lower his head in fright.
"Good disciple, thanks to your help in refining pills for me these past five years, my recovery has been swift..." Jiang Qing forced a smile, which only added to her horrifying appearance, and a foul breath escaped her mouth.
She no longer referred to herself as "this seat" but instead used "I," bringing their relationship closer.
Gu An forced himself to remain calm and said, "It is a disciple's duty. However, I have some confusion."
"Ask away."
As Jiang Qing replied, she tremblingly made her way towards the pill furnace.
Gu An watched her and asked, "Since refining pills can aid your recovery, why didn't you let my master help you before?"
Cheng Xuandan had believed that Jiang Qing had been dead for seventy years, which meant she had been hiding here for the same duration, unbeknownst to Cheng Xuandan.
Jiang Qing's smile didn't reach her eyes as she said, "Because I don't trust him. Your master became my disciple out of coercion, and his heart is wavering. I can't predict when he might betray me. Half of the disciples in these mountain caves were accepted by him."
Gu An fell silent.
He believed that Jiang Qing was telling the truth, especially after witnessing Meng Lang's fate.
Jiang Qing sat in front of the pill furnace and waved her hand, causing the piles of medicinal herbs beside her to fly into the furnace.
"Five years have passed. What level of the Qi Refining realm have you reached now?" Jiang Qing asked.
Gu An's apparent cultivation level was at the fifth layer of the Qi Refining realm, but Jiang Qing was certain that he had already attained the Foundation Establishment realm.
Gu An replied, "I'm about to reach the third layer."
"Too slow," Jiang Qing said, her gaze fixed on the pill furnace. "Don't neglect your cultivation in your daily life. Back then, when I was your age, I had already reached the Foundation Establishment realm at eighteen and formed my Core at forty. If I hadn't spent decades researching the Dao of pills and formations, I would have already attained the Nascent Soul realm by now. Have you heard of the Nascent Soul realm?"
Gu An nodded eagerly. "The Yuan Ying realm is where immortals dwell. It's rare to see them in the outer sect."
"Hmph, what immortals?" Jiang Qing scoffed. "They're just more powerful cultivators. Once I fully recover, I'll find a place to break through to the Yuan Ying realm. At that time, you'll have another backer at the Yuan Ying level. How does that make you feel? Excited?" The pride in her voice was unmistakable.
Her voice was alluring, a stark contrast to her ghastly appearance.
"Thank you for your care, Master. Is there anything I can help you with?" Gu An took a step forward and asked.
"Just watch me refine pills and keep me company," Jiang Qing replied.
She gestured for Gu An to sit beside her.
Gu An sat down but maintained a distance from her, his guard still up.
Regardless of how well Jiang Qing treated him, he would not let his guard down, at least not until she left.
Meng Lang's fate was a stark reminder, and he likely hadn't suspected Cheng Xuandan before his death.
Jiang Qing inquired about his background, and he did not hide anything. He briefly recounted the first half of his life, though he omitted any mention of the Ji family, simply stating that he was a servant who had been discovered to have spiritual roots and thus became a disciple of the Tai Xuan Gate.
They chatted for half an hour before Jiang Qing allowed Gu An to leave, promising a generous reward after the task was completed.
Gu An arrived as promised.
The third night arrived.
Gu An sat cross-legged across from the pill furnace, holding the Yin Yang manual in his hands. From time to time, he would ask Jiang Qing questions.
Jiang Qing, growing irritated, snapped, "Are you trying to deceive me, boy? You've reached the Foundation Establishment realm at such a young age, yet your comprehension is so dull?"
Gu An pouted, "Refining pills is one thing, and absorbing qi is another."
Jiang Qing suddenly fell silent, her attention captured by the pill furnace.
The furnace emitted more and more heat, and the vent holes on the lid turned an eerie dark green.
Gu An watched with trepidation. What kind of pill was she refining? Why did it feel like a toxic pill?
Jiang Qing's eyes shone with excitement, and she stopped speaking, her gaze fixed on the pill furnace.
Time passed slowly.
Gu An remained vigilant, ready for any sudden attacks from Jiang Qing.
After an unknown period, a dull sound emanated from within the pill furnace, and a smile appeared on Jiang Qing's face—a smile uglier than her tears.
She raised her right hand, extended two fingers, and with a flick, the lid of the furnace flew off. Her right hand reached in, grabbed a pill, and immediately popped it into her mouth.
So fast!
As if afraid Gu An would snatch it away.
After consuming the pill, Jiang Qing immediately crossed her legs and began to cultivate. In less than three breaths, a wisp of white gas appeared on the surface of her body.
Gu An stood up and slowly backed away, putting some distance between them.
More and more white gas appeared, swirling around Jiang Qing, obscuring her figure. At a glance, she resembled a zombie in the white mist.
Gu An began to probe her lifespan, alert for any sudden breakthrough to the Yuan Ying realm.
Jiang Qing's current lifespan began to extend, and it was the first time Gu An had witnessed such a phenomenon. The numerical representation of her lifespan was quite shocking.
He became intrigued by the pills Jiang Qing was consuming. What kind of miraculous medicine was this?
Jiang Qing's lifespan wasn't the only thing increasing; her aura was also intensifying. Soon, it surpassed the aura of a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment realm.
A true Golden Core realm cultivator!
Gu An keenly noticed that Jiang Qing's physical body was recovering, her figure plumping up like an inflating balloon.
There's something!
He patiently waited.
Gradually, the sound of Jiang Qing's breathing filled the cave, becoming increasingly heavy until it turned into a beast-like roar.
After a long while, Jiang Qing's heavy breathing suddenly stopped, and Gu An noticed that her realm had not broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, so he didn't feel as tense.
From within the white mist, Jiang Qing stretched lazily, showcasing her curvaceous figure, looking completely different from before.
She stepped out of the white mist, her hair still disheveled and her clothes tattered. But beneath her ragged outfit was smooth, white skin that made Gu An's face heat up in the dim cave, causing him to avert his gaze.
"It's been a long time since I've walked like this," Jiang Qing said nostalgically. She strolled up to Gu An, leaning forward with her hands pushing her hair aside, and asked, "Well, good grandson disciple, isn't your master beautiful?"
Gu An quickly glanced at her. Although her face was dirty, her features were indeed those of a rare beauty. In his experience, only the third young miss of the Ji family, Ji Xiaoyu, and the outer sect disciple Li Xuanyu could compare in looks.
"Master is indeed the most beautiful in the world. But disciple is more concerned about your health. Has your injury healed?" Gu An asked sincerely, bowing his fist.
Please leave as soon as you're healed!
"It will take a while longer to fully recover. I still need to rest for another five years," Jiang Qing said with a smile, her bright eyes observing Gu An, deep in thought.
Huh!
She suddenly struck out with a palm, fast as lightning, stopping just before his chest. The strong wind from her attack pulled at his robe, tugging it backward.
Jiang Qing asked with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Why didn't you dodge?"
Gu An's face turned stiff, and he said, "I didn't have time to react..."
In truth, that wasn't the case. In his eyes, Jiang Qing's movement was too slow. In an instant, he could have countered her spiritual power with his dragon might.
She didn't stop because she spared Gu An's life, but because she saved herself.
Jiang Qing couldn't help but chuckle, laughing so hard that she eventually ended up holding her stomach.
Gu An watched her laugh without interrupting.
After laughing for a while, Jiang Qing turned and walked towards the pill furnace, saying, "Rest assured, I wouldn't kill my own disciple. Back then, when Cheng Xuandan wanted to betray me, I still spared his life and even hid under his protection within the Tai Xuan Gate. As long as you treat me well, I will never mistreat you. If anyone bullies you, I won't stand idly by."
Hearing these words, Gu An couldn't help but laugh as well.
Jiang Qing walked in front of the pill furnace and turned to look at Gu An, saying, "Leave a new set of clothes here, and you can leave now. Come back tomorrow night, and I will teach you a spell."
Gu An immediately took out a set of his white robe from his storage bag and placed it gently on the ground. Then, he raised his hand to bid farewell to Jiang Qing and left.
After he disappeared into the darkness, Jiang Qing turned around, walked to the white robe, and lifted her hand to grab it out of thin air. She sniffed the robe and chuckled softly.
...
In the early morning, Gu An was leading the Medicine Valley disciples in their morning exercises.
Someone approached from the valley entrance.
It was Li Ya.
Li Ya was still dressed in black, and compared to five years ago, he exuded the aura of a powerful cultivator with surging momentum.
His arrival immediately drew everyone's attention.
"It's Senior Brother Li Ya!" Xiao Chuan exclaimed in delight.
Gu An immediately walked towards Li Ya and asked the others to continue their training.
As he approached Li Ya, he was about to speak when Li Ya interrupted, "Let's talk upstairs."
Hmm?
What's the matter?
Gu An tensed up. What could be so important that Li Ya came here in person?
He led Li Ya towards the attic and, after entering the room, closed the door.
Li Ya walked to the table and, with a wave of his hand, produced a rare Azure Vine Fruit that made Gu An stare in surprise.
"Four years ago, a Cangteng Fruit appeared in the Outer Sect's Pill Hall, and I bought it. But due to my busy tasks, I never had the chance to give it to you," Li Ya explained with a smile.
Gu An's expression turned strange.
Li Ya asked, "What's wrong?"
Gu An felt that he couldn't hide the truth, so he coughed lightly and said, "I sold this fruit to the Pill Hall."
To dispel suspicion, he had sold it at a low price, leading the Pill Hall's elders to praise him for his gratitude towards the sect.
The reason Gu An dared to sell it was because Li Ya had once mentioned that Cangteng Fruits were not rare in the Tai Xuan Gate. Although they were not found in the Outer Sect, they were abundant in the Inner Sect, which was said to possess all kinds of heavenly treasures.
He never expected that Li Ya would buy it back...
Li Ya sighed helplessly, "This matter is quite troublesome... This fruit can enhance one's qi and blood and is an extremely rare heavenly treasure. How could you sell it? How much did you get for it?"
"Twenty mid-grade spirit stones..."
"What? I paid ten high-grade spirit stones!" Li Ya exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.
One high-grade spirit stone was equivalent to a hundred mid-grade ones.
Both of them fell silent.
In truth, Gu An didn't feel that he had lost out. Thanks to the Cangteng Fruit, he had established a good friendship with Zhu Qingluo of the Pill Hall, who had shown him many conveniences over the past four years. However, facing Li Ya, he felt a bit embarrassed.
Li Ya said with a sigh, "Forget it, let's just consider it a contribution to the sect. Aside from this fruit, I have another matter to discuss with you."
(End of Chapter)
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