Volume 4 Chapter 37

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Volume 4 Chapter 37: Green Slip

Among the three wishes Liu Huaxiang left behind, obtaining the cultivation methods hidden in the tunnel and deciding whether to keep or destroy them was considered the easiest task. Xu Qingfan had witnessed some of these secret techniques firsthand and knew they possessed tremendous power.

However, firstly, these techniques required extremely cruel practices for cultivation, causing Xu Qingfan some reluctance. Secondly, Xu Qingfan had not yet mastered his own vital energy, let alone the nameless Spirit Qi Liu Huaxiang had passed on. Mastery is more important than a wide breadth of skills, so although the secret techniques were remarkable, Xu Qingfan didn’t feel strongly about them. Lastly, because he was saddened by Liu Huaxiang’s passing, he subconsciously avoided going to the top of Jiuhua Mountain, fearing it would bring back painful memories. Over the past thirty years, Xu Qingfan had not returned to the mountain peak to retrieve Liu Huaxiang’s belongings. He planned to accomplish Liu Huaxiang’s wish of choosing whether to cultivate or destroy the techniques when descending from the tunnel someday.

However, moments ago, Xu Qingfan sensed something unusual in the strange energy wave emanating from Zhang Hualing and the way his unusual injuries were healing.

After pondering, Xu Qingfan realized the most likely explanation for the anomalies around Zhang Hualing was that he had somehow discovered Liu Huaxiang’s secret techniques.

It seemed quite possible. Although the tunnel Liu Huaxiang mentioned was hidden, if Liu Huaxiang knew about it, there was a chance Zhang Hualing could discover it too. Encountering these techniques and secretly learning those that could heal him was plausible, especially considering Zhang Hualing’s frequent and unusual periods of seclusion over the years.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan furrowed his brows even more deeply.

Xu Qingfan was familiar with the techniques Liu Huaxiang left; they were exceptionally cruel, requiring a great deal of blood and souls. Even though he trusted Zhang Hualing’s character, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but worry. In life, it’s not the millions of possibilities that matter, but the one unexpected occurrence.

Moreover, these techniques were Liu Huaxiang’s legacy to Xu Qingfan. If they ended up in someone else’s hands, Xu Qingfan would feel he had failed Liu Huaxiang, who was watching from above.

As Xu Qingfan pondered silently, the familiar scenery of the Jiuhua Mountain summit appeared before his eyes, still covered with white snow and howling cold winds. Even the dilapidated huts where Liu Huaxiang used to live remained unchanged. Seeing this brought a touch of sadness to Xu Qingfan, who felt a connection with the unchanged scenery, lamenting the passing of time and the absence of his friend.

Shaking his head, Xu Qingfan didn’t dwell on these feelings, instead, he quickly walked to the spot mentioned in Liu Huaxiang’s letter, making hand gestures, then opened his eyes wide and commanded, "Open!"

As Xu Qingfan’s voice echoed, it seemed as if the heavens and earth trembled; the summit of Jiuhua Mountain shook relentlessly. Simultaneously, the ground split apart, and a vast, black tunnel suddenly appeared before Xu Qingfan.

Without hesitation, Xu Qingfan leapt into the tunnel.

The tunnel was remarkably deep, seemingly piercing through the entire Jiuhua Mountain. While inside, Xu Qingfan felt enveloped by darkness, with even the sunlight being swallowed by the endless blackness of the tunnel.

As he leapt into the tunnel, Xu Qingfan felt himself descend rapidly in continuous darkness, losing his sense of time and space. Unsure of how long or how deep he had fallen, Xu Qingfan hurriedly cast the "Feather Fall Technique" on himself, for even being at the Core Formation stage, he feared that the height would shatter him to pieces otherwise.

Finally, at the end of the darkness, Xu Qingfan felt a jolt as his feet landed on solid ground.

Immediately, Xu Qingfan made quick hand motions, conjuring several fireballs from the Phoenix Spirit Fire, which hovered around him to dispel the tunnel’s impenetrable darkness.

Under the light of the Phoenix Spirit Fire, the scene at the tunnel’s bottom became clear. Before Xu Qingfan lay a vast cavern, spanning several acres and reaching several stories high, seemingly hollowing out the entire Jiuhua Mountain. Around the edges of the cavern were large openings, which Xu Qingfan understood to be exits from Jiuhua, each leading to different destinations.

Once everything around became clear, Xu Qingfan instinctively looked up at the tunnel leading here, only to find it still shrouded in darkness, its end unseen. In his heart, he marveled at the immense effort and countless years it must have taken, even for a cultivator, to complete such a grand project.

With a slight sigh, Xu Qingfan didn’t hesitate any longer and turned to walk toward the south wall inside the mountain. When he reached the wall, he performed a series of hand gestures, and the wall opened up to reveal a narrow gap just wide enough for a person to pass through. Without delay, Xu Qingfan slipped inside.

Inside the gap, he was met with a bright light, revealing a secret chamber hidden within. At the top of the chamber was a large pearl that emitted a faint, milky-white glow, lighting up the entire room.

The chamber was simple, with only a stone table placed in the center, upon which rested a small wooden box.

Seeing this, Xu Qingfan quickly walked to the stone table and opened the wooden box, where he found a green slip containing recorded information. The green slip was enveloped in a layer of colorful light, a protective barrier set by Liu Huaxiang.

Observing the presence of both the green slip and its barrier, Xu Qingfan let out a long sigh of relief.

Holding the green slip, Xu Qingfan knew it contained the secret techniques left by Liu Huaxiang. Feeling curious, he closed his eyes and began to probe it with his Divine Sense, planning to take a preliminary look inside.

However, Xu Qingfan was surprised to find that his Divine Sense was blocked by the barrier outside the green slip, unable to access the recorded information. His expression turned serious.

Xu Qingfan had witnessed Liu Huaxiang’s skill in setting such barriers multiple times, finding them extraordinary. Not only were they incredibly strong, but they could also recognize individual Divine Sense and Spirit Qi signatures. For example, the barrier Liu Huaxiang had placed outside Xu Qingfan’s hut during his retreat recognized Xu Qingfan’s energy alone, allowing only him or Liu Huaxiang to pass freely. Liu Huaxiang had used the same technique on the letter he left for Xu Qingfan before his passing.

This time, Liu Huaxiang left these secret techniques for Xu Qingfan. With his habits and methods, the barrier should still recognize Xu Qingfan’s Divine Sense Spirit Qi waves. However, the current barrier outside the green slip was blocking Xu Qingfan’s Divine Sense. There was only one possibility: someone had breached the barrier outside the green slip, investigated the information inside, and then resecured it, unknowingly making a mistake that Xu Qingfan discovered.

"Does this mean the Sect Master is likely practicing the secret techniques here? But where did he get the essence blood and restless souls for them? Could it be, like Martial Uncle Liu, he secretly collected them from battlefields during the chaos? Hopefully, it’s just that. As long as he doesn’t fall into dark paths, everything will be fine. These matters can only be carefully observed over time."

Holding the green slip, Xu Qingfan murmured to himself.

Then, Xu Qingfan’s eyes suddenly widened, and he shouted at the green slip in his hand, "Disperse!"

As Xu Qingfan’s voice fell, the colorful glow surrounding the green slip disappeared instantly. After breaking the barrier, Xu Qingfan once again probed the information inside with his Divine Sense. He was relieved to find nothing missing or altered, tucked the green slip into his sleeve, and swiftly flew back to the top of Jiuhua Mountain along the original path.

…

After returning to his cave dwelling at the back of Jiuhua, Xu Qingfan showed no sign of his discovery. He continued his daily meditation and diligent practice of "Flourish Qi," while also visiting the front mountain a bit more often—partly to handle affairs related to the upcoming Jiuhua Gate competition and partly to gather more information about Zhang Hualing.

One day, while Xu Qingfan was meditating, his body suddenly shook as he felt his Dantian’s Spirit Qi surge uncontrollably. During the surge, Xu Qingfan felt his body resonating with the universe, and his meridians and Dantian became wider and stronger. Suddenly, a part of his Dantian seemed to crack open, releasing a vast Spirit Qi that quickly merged with the Withered Qi, Flourish Qi, Phoenix Spirit Qi, and unnamed Spirit Qi within him. Instantly, Xu Qingfan felt the four already powerful Spirit Qis increase in quantity significantly, and his Divine Sense also grew much stronger.

Xu Qingfan carefully felt the changes within him, and after a long time, he slowly opened his eyes, a hint of joy flickering in them.

Heaven rewards those who work hard. After years of diligent practice, Xu Qingfan finally reached the middle stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage. With his growing power, one of the ten sealed Spirit Qi placed by Niu Hualian inside him was unlocked. In an instant, Xu Qingfan’s level increased to nearly the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage.

Xu Qingfan silently praised himself with satisfaction. Through years of training, he realized that the powerful Spirit Qi sealed by Niu Hualian was incredibly beneficial. The integration of just one Spirit Qi saved him decades of hard practice. Although he had just broken through to the middle stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, his internal Spirit Qi reached nearly the late stage. Compared to cultivators who hadn’t received such a blessing, this progress was unimaginable.

Xu Qingfan knew the unsealing process would gradually increase. The first time unlocked one, the next breakthrough would unlock two, then three, and four. Once all were unwound, he would reach the Real Golden Core Stage, saving nearly two centuries of cultivating Spirit Qi.

Despite Xu Qingfan’s rapid progress, the gap in talent between him and Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan became more apparent. Over thirty years ago, after training in the "Jiuji Cave," Jin Qinghan had reached the middle stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, while Feng Qingtian was close to the late stage. By now, their strength had only grown, and Feng Qingtian might have reached the Real Golden Core Stage. However, since Feng Qingtian had been in seclusion for many years, Jiuhua Mountain had no knowledge of his progress.

"It seems I need to work even harder," Xu Qingfan murmured to himself.

At that moment, Xu Qingfan’s expression changed slightly. He noticed Ting’er had appeared outside, seemingly waiting for his meditation to end. Feeling curious, he stood up and walked to the door.

As he opened the door and saw Ting’er’s cold yet stunning face, Xu Qingfan smiled and asked, "Ting’er, what’s up? Do you have questions about your practice?"

Ting’er slightly shook her head, looked at Xu Qingfan, and softly said, "Uncle, I want to join the Newcomer Competition."