Chapter 109: Chapter 107: Probing! The Foundation for Seeking the Dao
When the Three Sects Masters saw the Holy Sect Masters wave their hands and send all their disciples out of the Peach Garden, their expressions changed abruptly.
’It’s a trap!’
Meanwhile, outside the Wuji Holy Sect.
Layer upon layer of world-barriers erupted from the ground, sealing off the area.
Within this region of Heaven and Earth, a new "lesser world" was carved out.
Six figures stood in confrontation. Their clashing auras caused thunder to roar from the heavens and fire to erupt from the earth. Terrifying phenomena, like the very creation of the world, churned ceaselessly within this newborn pocket of space.
To shape Creation, to birth worlds with a thought!
Such is the power of a Golden Core True Monarch!
...
"Just like that, we’re out?"
One moment, he had just stepped out of the mystical peach forest and returned to the tree hollow on the twelfth floor. Before Qi Yun could even find a new, quiet place to settle, he suddenly felt the world turn upside down.
When he came to, he was already back in the Holy Sect’s Outer Mansion.
Beside him were the other Outer Mansion Disciples, all equally bewildered.
CRACK-RUMBLE—
Just as Qi Yun was feeling surprised and confused, the peach tree that stretched across the Taixu Mirror Heaven, obscuring nearly half the Wuji Holy Sect, began to shake violently.
The violent motion sent ripples surging through the entire Taixu Mirror Heaven.
The massive commotion drew the eyes of every Holy Sect Disciple, who all looked up to watch.
They saw boundless power erupting from the peach tree, manifesting as magnificent, surging phenomena. The occasional roar or sharp cry echoed from within, signaling that an earth-shattering battle was underway.
"Looks like the Masters have started fighting."
A familiar voice sounded by his ear. Qi Yun turned to see a tall, imposing figure covered in bloodstains standing beside him.
It was none other than Yue Rong, who hadn’t been seen since their time at the Old Dragon Pool.
But Yue Rong was in a truly wretched state. His entire right arm was gone, severed at the shoulder. His body was covered in bite marks, and a large hole was torn in his abdomen, revealing his pulsing organs. Even one of his eyeballs had been gouged out.
With injuries so severe, an ordinary Cultivator would already be on the Naihe Bridge, drinking their soup.
But as the direct son of a Master and a cultivator of the Devouring Demon Technique, Yue Rong’s Life Force was clearly far stronger than that of an ordinary Cultivator.
"How did you end up so battered?" Seeing Yue Rong again, Qi Yun was far more composed. ’This opponent, who once felt so overwhelmingly powerful, is someone I could now suppress with a flick of my wrist.’
"Eighteen Zombie Alliance Cultivators, plus sixty Armored Corpses. They were a bit of a handful, yeah." Grinning, Yue Rong’s single eye roved over Qi Yun.
Unlike the other Outer Mansion Disciples, who were all injured to some degree...
...Qi Yun’s condition was absurdly good.
Aside from some minor damage to his clothes, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were at their absolute peak. He didn’t show the slightest hint of exhaustion.
Moreover...
At that thought, an invisible, formless ripple suddenly descended upon Qi Yun.
The next instant!
An incredibly sharp Abyssal Iron Spike, glinting with a cold light, was pressed to Yue Rong’s forehead, threatening to pierce right through his skull.
"Hoh hoh, I knew I wasn’t mistaken... You broke through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, too." Gazing at the spike at his brow, Yue Rong smiled nonchalantly, but inwardly, he was reeling.
He was only able to break through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer so quickly because his father was a Foundation Establishment Master who poured vast resources into him.
’But how did Qi Yun manage it?’
’Could it be that he has a Master supporting him, too?’
"I see you haven’t had enough of a beating..." Being tested so brazenly by Yue Rong, Qi Yun’s eyes narrowed, a red glint appearing within them.
During his time in the Peach Garden, he had slaughtered no fewer than a hundred Three Sects Cultivators, not to mention his frequent use of the Nanming Sword Demon’s method.
His body was steeped in so much Evil Qi it had nearly solidified.
The moment his killing intent stirred, the surroundings seemed to dim. As the target, Yue Rong felt every hair on his body stand on end as a profound sense of crisis screamed warnings in his mind.
But the next second, a startled look crossed Qi Yun’s face. With a great wave of his sleeve, he withdrew the ink-black Iron Sand, turned without a word, and strode away.
"This kid’s progress... it’s ridiculously fast."
Staring with his one eye, Yue Rong let out a soft chuckle. A smile of pure excitement slowly spread across his scarred face.
"Fast progress is a good thing. The faster you improve, the more excited I get.
Junior Brother Qi, I hope that one day, I’ll get to kill you... or you’ll get to kill me!"
...
Striding down the main street of the Outer Mansion, Qi Yun gently rubbed his knuckles.
A moment ago, in the instant his killing intent had flared...
...a faint yet incredibly clear blood-red Talisman Seal had appeared directly on his Taixu Jade Order—it was a message from the Blood Demon Master, Deng Yin!
Moving swiftly, he soon returned to his private courtyard within the Holy Sect’s Outer Mansion.
Pushing open the slightly weathered wooden door, the sight that greeted his eyes made Qi Yun’s gaze narrow.
There, by the small courtyard’s stone table, sat the Blood Demon Master, Deng Yin.
He held a cup of steaming tea, with several spirit fruits laid out on the table. His leisurely attitude made it seem as if this were his own private garden.
"You’re back?" The Elder Master put down his teacup and looked up, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"It seems your trip to the Peach Garden was quite fruitful indeed."
He looked Qi Yun up and down, a flicker of imperceptible surprise in his eyes.
Qi Yun’s aura was now deep and stable, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were full, and he even faintly exuded a sense of wholeness that surprised even the Master.
Clearly, his Cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, far beyond what it had been when he left.
"Now, you don’t blame this old man for making you wade into these muddy waters, do you?" Deng Yin chuckled, his tone teasing.
He had chosen Qi Yun as one of the Pathfinder candidates.
Naturally, he hoped this diamond in the rough could withstand the pressure and shine all the brighter for it.
A smile appeared on Qi Yun’s face as he heard this. He cupped his hands and said:
"Master, how could you say such a thing? This disciple insisted on entering the Peach Garden on his own.
One must accept both the opportunities and the risks. How could there be any talk of being forced?
This disciple feels nothing but gratitude."
"Tactful and shrewd, bold yet meticulous." Deng Yin lightly tapped his fingers on the stone table and nodded slowly.
"It is only right that you have achieved so much, far surpassing your peers."
"The Master overpraises me; this disciple is unworthy," Qi Yun said humbly, then changed the subject. "I wonder, did the Master summon this disciple back for some important matter?"
Hearing this, Deng Yin did not answer directly. He slowly took another sip of tea, then raised his deep eyes that seemed to see through a person’s heart, looking at him with that same half-smile.
"It wasn’t I who was looking for you... rather, you have some business with me, don’t you?"
Qi Yun was taken aback at first, subconsciously about to deny it. But then he caught on, and the look of astonishment on his face quickly melted into a knowing smile. He spoke candidly:
"The Master truly knows me best."
With that, he flipped his palm, and the True Qi in his body surged slightly.
In an instant, a vast, sea-like, and utterly pure Life Essence Qi spread out, filling the entire courtyard.
That Longevity Peach, bright and alluring, tender-pink and flawless, and the size of a large bowl, was taken out from his Storage Magical Artifact and held in his palm!
A rosy light shimmered around it, and a rare fragrance filled the air. A single whiff was enough to make one feel utterly relaxed, as if they’d grown several years younger.
Gazing at the Longevity Peach in Qi Yun’s palm—shimmering with rosy light, emitting a rare fragrance, and seemingly condensing the purest life essence of Heaven and Earth—even a veteran Master like Deng Yin, who had lived for centuries and seen countless Exotic Treasures, could not stop a flicker of shock from crossing his eyes.
Feeling that immense Life Essence Qi from across the yard, he let out a long sigh after a moment.
"As expected of a world-altering divine object that can defy the heavens, change fate, and extend one’s life...
The power of this single peach, if used on a Foundation Establishment Master, would extend their life by more than two hundred years. That is no exaggeration."
His voice trailed off for a moment before the Elder Master lifted his deep, abyss-like eyes.
"This is a full two hundred years of life. Enough to give the dying a new lease on life, to allow those whose path to the Dao is at a dead end to glimpse its secrets once more.
...Aren’t you tempted?"
Faced with this soul-searching question, Qi Yun’s expression showed no sign of struggle or pretense. Instead, he wore a candid smile:
"Anyone who isn’t tempted by two hundred years of life...
is either a Saint or a fool.
Of course this disciple is tempted."
But then he continued, his voice steady and firm, filled with an unshakeable resolve:
"But this disciple is willing to trade these two hundred years that are within my grasp for one thing!"
"Oh?" The peculiar light in Deng Yin’s eyes intensified, and he leaned forward slightly, showing immense interest.
"Trade it for what?"
Qi Yun’s gaze was scorching, as if it had substance. He spoke four words that rang with conviction:
"A Dao Seeking Foundation!"
Those four words landed with immense weight, shattering the silence of the small courtyard.
Qi Yun’s answer clearly made Deng Yin’s expression shift. He then shook his head with a laugh, his tone carrying a hint of an elder’s admonishment to a junior:
"You are only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer now. Although your progress is swift, the Foundation Establishment Realm is still far out of reach.
To gaze at the mountain peak before your own footing is stable is a great taboo in Cultivation."
But Qi Yun shook his head firmly at these words, his eyes showing no hint of confusion or wavering:
"Master, this disciple is not being overly ambitious.
This disciple firmly believes that I will achieve Foundation Establishment within my lifetime!
Since that is the case, then the Dao Seeking Foundation that leads to the Great Dao is an indispensable item on this disciple’s path of Cultivation, something that must be planned for in advance.
This disciple doesn’t want to wait until I’m at Qi Refining Perfection to start digging a well when I’m already thirsty. I don’t want to miss my chance."
Gazing at the soaring ambition and absolute confidence in the young man’s eyes, Deng Yin was momentarily dazed, as if seeing the figure of an old acquaintance.
That same stubbornness, that same unswerving pursuit of the Great Dao—they were identical.
After a moment of being lost in thought, a truly pleased smile slowly spread across the Elder Master’s withered face.
The smile seemed to thin the bloody Evil Qi that clung to him, replacing it with a look of pure admiration.
"A fine ’Sure Foundation Establishment.’
For that spirit alone, this old man will make an exception and help you this once."
He calmly scanned the young Cultivator before him.
"What you cultivate should be that Innate Qi Heart Method, right?
This Heart Skill is of the highest order—vast, profound, and aimed directly at the Innate Qi.
Once you establish your foundation, it will be an Upper Grade Dao Foundation!
But correspondingly, the required Foundation Establishment Object is extremely rare and difficult to find."
"But, as luck would have it..." Deng Yin paused, a knowing glint in his eye.
"Within our Holy Sect, there happens to be one person who holds a Dao Seeking Object of the Innate Attribute that meets your requirements.
This old man will personally go and negotiate with him.
To trade the Longevity Peach in your hand for it."
Hearing this, Qi Yun was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed in thanks, "Thank you, Master."
Waving his hand, the Elder Master got up to leave. But after taking a single step, he stopped and asked thoughtfully:
"One more thing. You took out this Longevity Peach so openly in front of this old man. Weren’t you afraid this old man would snatch it from you?"
"Afraid? I was scared to death. But in the end, this disciple’s gamble paid off," Qi Yun said with a faint smile.
He had dared to take out the Longevity Peach in front of the Blood Demon Master, and it was indeed a gamble.
But he wasn’t betting on whether the Blood Demon Master would snatch his Longevity Peach.
The Blood Demon Master suffered from an incurable affliction.
A few more years of life would not be a benefit to him, but rather a form of torture.
Instead, he was betting on whether this Master’s uninvited visit was a test... or perhaps, a trial.
The result was obvious: he had won the bet.
"Hahaha, what a gambler!"
Throwing his head back with a hearty laugh, the Elder Master’s eyes shone with a different kind of light:
"This old man was wrong before. You’re not just bold and meticulous.
You... you have the audacity to swallow the heavens!"
’Without the ambition to devour the heavens, how can one possibly cultivate and seek the Dao?’
’This kid... I chose the right one.’
...
