Volume 4 Chapter 49

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Volume 4 Chapter 49: Rumors

Three thousand seven hundred years ago, a legendary figure named Immortal Qingxu stumbled into the cultivation world because of a mysterious manuscript. Though gifted, he had a calm demeanor. Through a series of extraordinary encounters, he reached the Mahayana Stage in just three hundred years, a feat recorded only in legends beneath the Demon Ancestor. After perfecting his cultivation method, he created the "Art of Heavenly Spirit Alchemy" and "Thirteen Formulas of Qingxu," pioneering the practice of refining the Divine Sense Original Soul, which made him famous worldwide.

Later, the "Spirit Purging Cult" began causing chaos in the cultivation world, coveting Immortal Qingxu’s collection and knowledge, and attacked him with a crowd. Yet, Immortal Qingxu defeated them one by one. Feeling the chaos in the world, he emerged from seclusion and, with five close taoist friends, organized various schools of the cultivation world. Together, they defeated the arrogant "Spirit Purging Cult." He and his five friends became the Sect Masters of the six great Holy Lands.

From then on, Immortal Qingxu was hailed as the foremost in cultivation. Although deeply focused on his practice, he became famous across the land, attracting many to become his disciples. Feeling the difficulties of cultivation, he founded "Qingxu Gate," welcoming numerous disciples. Thus, one of the six great Holy Lands, "Qingxu Gate," officially emerged and quickly surpassed other schools like "Jiuhua Gate" and "Mercy Cloud Temple," becoming the leading school of the time.

Unfortunately, the "Art of Heavenly Spirit Alchemy" and "Thirteen Formulas of Qingxu" created by Immortal Qingxu were too advanced. Subsequent generations lacked his talent, understanding, and extraordinary encounters. As a result, in over two thousand years, no one in "Qingxu Gate" has mastered more than the first ten formulas of the "Thirteen Formulas of Qingxu," and only a few have achieved minor success in the "Art of Heavenly Spirit Alchemy."

Yet, even so, after Immortal Qingxu passed away, "Qingxu Gate" remained one of the six great Holy Lands, consistently producing Mahayana cultivators for thousands of years. The profound and mysterious nature of "Art of Heavenly Spirit Alchemy" and "Thirteen Formulas of Qingxu" within Qingxu Gate is evident.

In this generation, Qingxu Gate also has two Mahayana Stage experts, namely Immortal Zizhen, the master of the former sect leader, and his junior Immortal Xuanzhen. However, it is rumored that Immortal Xuanzhen disappeared suddenly eight hundred years ago, but the truth of this rumor is unknown.

Immortal Zizhen, on the other hand, has been in seclusion for the last three hundred years. It is said he reached the eleventh formula of the "Thirteen Formulas of Qingxu" three hundred years ago and is now in deep seclusion to perfect this advanced cultivation method.

The second task Liu Huaxiang left for Xu Qingfan was to deliver a letter to Immortal Zizhen, who is currently in seclusion.

Xu Qingfan assumed that the task left by Liu Huaxiang should be easy to complete, even though he didn’t know why Liu Huaxiang knew Immortal Zizhen. He figured even if Immortal Zizhen was hard to meet because of his seclusion, the mission would be complete by handing the letter to a disciple of Qingxu Gate and asking them to pass it on.

However, the unexpected encounter and conversation with Wan Yusheng left Xu Qingfan with some concerns. Changes in power within cultivation sects were usually ordinary; dissatisfaction with the Sect Master’s actions could lead to opposition and sometimes the establishment of a new leader, which was common among cultivation sects.

Yet, when this happened at Qingxu Gate, it left Xu Qingfan with a sense of something unusual.

Xu Qingfan was acquainted with the former sect leader Qinglingzi of Qingxu Gate. While training with Liu Huaxiang, although Liu Huaxiang never left home, he had deep understanding of everyone and every sect. During a discussion, Liu Huaxiang had given a high evaluation of Qinglingzi.

"Although not exceptionally powerful, he is astute and cautious, managing things fairly well. He might not expand ‘Qingxu Gate,’ but he is an excellent preserver."

Among the evaluations of Sect Masters from the Six Holy Lands, only Master Xu Heng of "Mercy Cloud Temple" was rated higher than him.

For such a person, it was hard for Xu Qingfan to believe he would incite discontent among his followers or be overthrown. More importantly, during the turmoil at Qingxu Gate, Immortal Zizhen, who was Qinglingzi’s master and who had always been in seclusion there, showed no reaction, which was not right. Even if Qinglingzi wasn’t his disciple, as a former sect leader of "Qingxu Gate", Immortal Zizhen should have reacted to power shifts. Especially since "Qingxu Gate" was his direct disciple.

According to Wan Yusheng, when the elders of Qingxu Gate combined forces to oppose and imprison Qinglingzi, Immortal Zizhen never appeared, which was quite astonishing.

It’s known that a cultivator who reaches the Mahayana Stage has an incredibly powerful Divine Sense; even during seclusion, every movement within hundreds of miles is known to them. With such heightened senses, how could he remain indifferent when his direct disciple was overthrown and imprisoned?

"Qingxu Gate, what exactly happened there?"

After bidding farewell to the Old Beggar, as Xu Qingfan flew towards "Qingxu Gate," he pondered silently in his heart.

Meanwhile, just in case, Xu Qingfan decided not to have the people of Qingxu Gate directly hand Liu Huaxiang’s letter to Immortal Zizhen. Instead, he planned to secretly observe around Qingxu Gate for some time.

If he truly discovered that something else was going on with "Qingxu Gate," then Xu Qingfan might have to sneak inside and secretly search for Immortal Zizhen.

…

Five days later.

Sixty miles south of Ronghua Mountain, where "Qingxu Gate" is located, there’s a place called "Huanbian Valley." The terrain is flat, lush with vegetation, and the scenery is beautiful and pleasing.

When Immortal Qingxu founded "Qingxu Gate," attracted by his title as the foremost immortal cultivator, over a thousand cultivators came to study under him. However, Immortal Qingxu selected only sixteen young cultivators, whose talents and dispositions were exceptional, to become his disciples.

Many of the rejected cultivators were unwilling to leave, so they built abodes near Ronghua Mountain, hoping that through continued cultivation, they might impress Immortal Qingxu and convince him to reconsider them as disciples.

Immortal Qingxu was moved by the sincerity of these cultivators, so every ten years he would gather them to teach and enlighten them. Over time, this teaching became a tradition at Qingxu Gate. Even after Immortal Qingxu passed away, this tradition continued. The number of cultivators near Qingxu Gate grew, making it the second largest gathering place for cultivators outside of Penance Valley.

This teaching session was called "Qingxu Dojo" in the cultivation world.

As the "Qingxu Dojo" gained fame, cultivators from all over Shenzhou Continent began to gather at Qingxu Gate every ten years to attend, not limited to those from Ronghua Mountain.

For rogue cultivators, attending the teachings at Qingxu Gate every ten years was a rare opportunity besides joining Penance Valley.

The event of "Qingxu Dojo" was held at a place known as "Huanbian Valley".

At this moment, it was the time for the once-in-a-decade "Qingxu Dojo" to begin. Usually hard-to-find cultivators were now heading towards "Huanbian Valley". The road to "Huanbian Valley" was filled with more than two hundred cultivators, with levels ranging from Lingji Stage to Qi Refining Stage. Besides the rogue cultivators from various parts of Shenzhou Continent, there were also many small sects and cultivation families arriving.

To show respect to Qingxu Gate, all cultivators would stop flying upon reaching a ten-mile radius around "Huanbian Valley" and walk instead.

Among this group of cultivators, three were also walking towards "Huanbian Valley", one of them being Xu Qingfan. However, Xu Qingfan had chosen to wear a black mask covering his face. With many cultivators known for eccentric personalities, though curious, others were not surprised.

"Senior Xu, how do you find the scenery in this ‘Huanbian Valley’?" a youthful cultivator with an attractive face asked Xu Qingfan respectfully.

"Majestic yet beautiful, it’s a rare scenic view," Xu Qingfan nodded and said.

"Haha, as long as you like it, Senior. The scenery of this ‘Huanbian Valley’ was not naturally formed. Originally, there wasn’t a single blade of grass here. The scenery Senior Xu sees was crafted by the masters of Qingxu Gate using wood-based techniques," a robust middle-aged cultivator said loudly.

Xu Qingfan nodded with a smile and said, "The masters of Qingxu Gate are truly admirable. No wonder many cultivators come here to listen when the ‘Qingxu Dojo’ starts."

The refined young man respectfully said, "Senior may not know this, but over the years, the cultivation world has been in turmoil, so fewer cultivators come here to listen. Fifty years ago, when I first came, it was bustling with no less than three thousand cultivators gathered in ‘Huanbian Valley.’"

Xu Qingfan’s expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly, "I see."

The two cultivators with Xu Qingfan, the refined young man named Ning Hai and the robust man named Han Wei, were cultivators from the branch "Xuhuan Gate" of the "Qingxu Gate," both at the early stage of the Lingji Stage.

Two days ago, as Xu Qingfan was heading towards Qingxu Gate, he encountered a conflict between cultivators on the way. From what he overheard, it was merely because two groups simultaneously discovered a low-level Earth artifact, and the refined young man and the robust man were from one of those groups.

Xu Qingfan originally had no intention of intervening in conflicts over uneven benefits, as he believed any cultivator who valued external possessions highly, even risking life or causing death for them, would not achieve great success and might not be of good character.

But just as Xu Qingfan was about to leave, he suddenly heard the refined young man threaten the other group of cultivators, claiming he was a disciple of the branch "Xuhuan Gate" under "Qingxu Gate" and was on his way to attend the "Qingxu Dojo." He warned that if something happened to him, his elders would take action.

Hearing the threat from the delicate young cultivator, Xu Qingfan felt a bit disdainful, but his heart was slightly moved, thinking that the identities of these two could be useful. So he saved them and gave them some spirit pills to heal their injuries. Remembering that he had represented Jiuhua Mountain in the Newcomer Competition of the cultivation world, Xu Qingfan wore a mask to conceal his face.

This mask was called the "Void Mask," which Xu Qingfan acquired for two hundred spirit stones from a marketplace after leaving Old Beggar. When worn, it could prevent other cultivators from seeing his face with skills like "Sky Eye Skill" or "Spirit Insight Technique." Although it was just a human-level middle-class magical item, it was perfect for Xu Qingfan.

After defeating the man in purple and his dozen followers, Xu Qingfan gained nearly two thousand high-grade spirit stones. Given the dangers of the cultivation world at this time, he purchased the "Void Mask" and also acquired the last two "Thunderbolt Pills" from the marketplace as a precaution.

Meanwhile, Ning Hai and Han Wei, upon realizing that their savior was a Condensed Core Stage cultivator, were extremely nervous, thinking Xu Qingfan might seize the Earth-level low-grade magical item from them. To their surprise, Xu Qingfan not only had no intention of taking it but even helped them heal, which eased their worries.

Once both had recovered, Xu Qingfan introduced himself to them as a rogue cultivator named Xu Fan from the Southern Wasteland. He explained that he had come out this time after hearing about the reputation of the "Qingxu Dojo" and asked them to guide him there.

Hearing this was exactly what Ning Hai and Han Wei wanted, knowing that traveling with a Condensed Core Stage cultivator like Xu Qingfan could bring them benefits. Moreover, having a powerful Condensed Core Stage ally like Xu Qingfan deterred any other cultivators from daring to act against them. They gladly agreed to help.

Along the way, the two continuously flattered Xu Qingfan, hoping to gain some favors from him. However, Xu Qingfan did not respond to their flattery but subtly inquired about matters related to the "Qingxu Gate." Unfortunately, as branch disciples of the "Qingxu Gate," they only bragged about how powerful it was and knew nothing concrete about its current situation, leaving Xu Qingfan wondering if they were deliberately playing dumb.

Nevertheless, Xu Qingfan learned some useful information from them, such as after Qinglingzi’s imprisonment thirty years ago, there was significant disagreement among the Qingxu elders who united to overthrow Qinglingzi about who should become the sect leader. As a result, the "Qingxu Gate" had not appointed a new leader yet, and important decisions were handled collectively by the council of elders.

Among these elders, two factions existed, led respectively by Xuan Lingzi and Huanlingzi.

This time, the representative from "Qingxu Gate" at the "Qingxu Dojo" was none other than Master Xuan Ling.

As they talked, the three of them had already arrived in "Huanbian Valley." Even from outside, "Huanbian Valley" appeared very beautiful, but upon entering, the scenery was even more enchanting.

"Huanbian Valley" spanned dozens of acres, with giant trees, strange rocks, exotic flowers, and rare herbs all around. In the middle stood a bamboo platform, presumably where Master Xuan Ling would speak. Around the platform, nearly a thousand cultivators sat, whispering to each other about the teachings or the fluctuations in the cultivation world in recent years.

Close to the bamboo platform, a few elders caught Xu Qingfan’s attention. It wasn’t just because they were the closest to the platform, or because there seemed to be a clear space around them in the crowded area. It wasn’t even because these elders, unlike others sitting on the ground, had bamboo chairs. What really stood out was that among the thousand cultivators in "Huanbian Valley," only two had reached the Condensed Core Stage. One was a silver-haired elder who might even be a match for Xu Qingfan himself.

After introducing Xu Qingfan to the beauty of "Huanbian Valley," Ning Hai and Han Wei led him towards the center. Pointing at a plump elder among the seven surrounding the bamboo platform, they said to Xu Qingfan, "That’s our master, Sect Master Venerable Xuling of ‘Xuhuan Gate.’ Just like you, he has reached the Condensed Core Stage."

Seeing Ning Hai’s proud look, as if it was he who’d achieved the Condensed Core Stage and not his master, made Xu Qingfan shake his head slightly. However, he kept a straight face and softly asked, "Oh? And who are those beside him?"

Han Wei replied, "They are experts from various sects under ‘Qingxu Gate,’ like our ‘Xuhuan Gate.’ Two of them are rogue cultivators from near ‘Qingxu Gate,’ here to listen to the teachings, just like our master."

As Han Wei spoke, he pointed out the identities of the elders to Xu Qingfan. The silver-haired elder, who particularly caught Xu Qingfan’s eye, was the most renowned rogue cultivator near "Qingxu Gate," known as the "Iron Old Man."

As they spoke, the three of them reached the elders. Since Ning Hai and Han Wei were disciples from a ‘Qingxu Gate’ branch, they were privileged to sit closer to the bamboo platform during the discourse. They sat not far behind the seven elders.

Noticing someone approaching, the seven elders turned their heads to look at Xu Qingfan and his companions. Upon seeing Xu Qingfan, they were slightly taken aback, clearly realizing that Xu Qingfan possessed cultivation on par with theirs, and then they stood up to greet Xu Qingfan.

Among Condensed Core Stage cultivators, even if they are enemies, they maintain a basic level of respect, as they all understand how much time and effort is required to reach the Condensed Core Stage. So even those who use their Condensed Core Stage abilities for nefarious deeds have qualities worth acknowledging.

Therefore, upon realizing Xu Qingfan’s Condensed Core Stage cultivation, the seven elders disregarded their status and stood up to welcome Xu Qingfan, causing a stir among the cultivators in "Huanbian Valley," who believed a significant figure had arrived.

"I am Xu Fan, a rogue cultivator from the Southern Wasteland, pleased to meet you, taoist friends."

As the seven elders approached, Xu Qingfan bowed first and spoke.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan, the seven elders’ eyes flickered with doubt. Unlike Wan Yusheng, whom Xu Qingfan met previously, these elder’s experiences made them harder to deceive. They could tell that Xu Qingfan’s youthful appearance indicated he had cultivated for less than two hundred years.

Whether rogue cultivator or disciple of a small sect, reaching the Condensed Core Stage in under two hundred years is extremely rare. Such individuals are usually well-known, but this self-proclaimed "Southern Wasteland rogue cultivator" was unknown to them.

Despite their doubts, the seven elders remained composed, bowing in return and introducing themselves. After the introductions, Venerable Xuling looked at Ning Hai and Han Wei with a questioning gaze, since this unheard-of expert was brought by his two disciples.

Seeing his master’s questioning look, Ning Hai discreetly moved his lips and used the "Secret Sound Transmission" technique to recount the events to Venerable Xuling.

Upon hearing Ning Hai’s account, a hint of joy flashed across Venerable Xuling’s face. It was clear he was pleased that his disciple had inadvertently discovered a low-tier Earth-level magical artifact and brought it back. For these small sects, any Earth-level artifact is incredibly precious.

After listening to Ning Hai’s tale, Venerable Xuling bowed once more to Xu Qingfan, expressing gratitude, "Thank you, Taoist Friend Xu, for saving my two inept disciples. There shall surely be a future recompense."

Xu Qingfan nodded with a smile and said, "It was no trouble at all, not worth mentioning."

Initially, Xu Qingfan wanted to explain that he intervened because he couldn’t stand the other’s arrogance and rude attitude. However, recalling Ning Hai’s and Han Wei’s similarly boastful and arrogant demeanor when vying for the Earth-level artifact, he found himself unable to voice that excuse.

Venerable Xuling said, "Regardless, Taoist Friend Xu, you have greatly aided our ‘Xuhuan Gate.’ In the future, we will certainly treat you with the honor of a distinguished guest."

Xu Qingfan politely replied, "You are too kind, Venerable One."

At that moment, an elder nearby asked Xu Qingfan, "Taoist Friend Xu, have you come to ‘Huanbian Valley’ to listen to the teachings?"

This elder was the Sect Master, Immortal Taishou, of ‘Huanling Sect,’ another branch sect of ‘Qingxu Gate.’

Xu Qingfan nodded and said, "Indeed. I’ve been in secluded meditation in the Southern Wasteland for over a century, but my progress has stalled. Feeling that isolating myself was no longer effective, I decided to travel. I heard about the ‘Qingxu Dojo’ event and thought it might be beneficial for me."

The previously silent "Iron Old Man" suddenly interjected, "Locking oneself away while cultivating can easily lead to stagnation, but dear Taoist friend, since you have only just begun your journey in cultivation, there’s no need to hurry."

His voice was like the grating of metal, hoarse and piercing.

Xu Qingfan bowed and thanked him, "Thank you for the reminder, Taoist friend."

Another elder called for his disciple to bring an extra bamboo chair to place beside the seven elders’ seats. The eight of them sat together and began to discuss their experiences in cultivation.

While discussing cultivation with the seven elders, Xu Qingfan appeared focused and occasionally spoke. However, he was somewhat distracted because he was there to gather information about the "Qingxu Gate," not to discuss cultivation. Although discussing cultivation was indeed something Xu Qingfan enjoyed, the seven elders had cultivation levels on par with Xu Qingfan’s own, and in some aspects, even lower. They hadn’t cultivated in a sacred place like Jiuhua Mountain as Xu Qingfan had, so their insights, while precious to them, held little new information for him. In contrast, Xu Qingfan’s casual remarks sometimes sparked new realizations for the elders.

"Iron Old Man," though silent, was observant. Noticing Xu Qingfan’s distraction, he asked, "Taoist Friend Xu, do you have something troubling on your mind?"

Xu Qingfan was slightly moved, then showed a hesitant look on his face, slowly asking, "May I ask, respected Taoist friends, does the ‘Qingxu Dojo’ provide unified teachings for cultivators in ‘Huanbian Valley’?"

Venerable Xuling nodded and said, "Yes, that’s correct."

Xu Qingfan frowned and asked, "So who is the esteemed speaker visiting ‘Huanbian Valley’ this time, and how will they present their teachings? I noticed that cultivators attending here range from the Qi Refining Stage to the Lingji Stage, and even include us Condensed Core Stage cultivators. How will the speaker deliver teachings that benefit us all?"

Immortal Taishou chuckled and said, "I suppose it’s Taoist Friend Xu’s first time hearing someone lecturing. This time at ‘Huanbian Valley,’ we have Xuan Lingzi, one of the two great masters from ‘Qingxu Gate,’ speaking. It’s said that he reached the Golden Core Stage four hundred years ago, and his understanding of the Heavenly Way is extraordinary. Though each lecture covers just the basics of the transformation of Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi and cultivation techniques, both those of us at higher levels and those still in the Qi Refining Stage can gain insights. I’ve attended thirteen lectures now, each time learning something new."

Venerable Xuling added, "Moreover, today is merely the first lecture. Tomorrow, Elder Xuan Lingzi will gather us to resolve our doubts individually."

Xu Qingfan felt slightly intrigued, sensing a great opportunity to gather information, but maintained a calm expression and clapped his hands with a smile, saying, "I see, that puts my mind at ease."

Pausing for a moment, Xu Qingfan casually asked, "Xuan Lingzi is one of the two great masters of ‘Qingxu Gate.’ Who, then, is the other master? Could it be the sect leader of ‘Qingxu Gate’?"

At Xu Qingfan’s question, the seven elders looked at each other in surprise.

Xu Qingfan explained, "I’ve been in seclusion for over a century in the Southern Wasteland and haven’t left. It’s quite amusing that Venerable Xuling’s two disciples were the first cultivators I met since descending the mountain. I don’t know anything about the current state of the cultivation world, so please forgive me if my question was inappropriate."

The crowd realized this and eagerly explained the current state of the cultivation world and even the mortal world to Xu Qingfan, sharing news he indeed hadn’t heard before.

When speaking of ‘Qingxu Gate,’ the ‘Iron Old Man’ sighed heavily and said, "We don’t know what Qinglingzi did to cause such outrage that he was imprisoned. There’s still no explanation."

Hearing the ‘Iron Old Man’ say this, the other six elders sighed as well. During Qinglingzi’s time as the sect leader, they indeed benefited greatly. Yet, out of caution, they sighed but didn’t comment on the ‘Iron Old Man’s words.

Just when everyone was sighing, Immortal Taishou hesitated, and after a long pause, said, "I do know a little about why Senior Qinglingzi was imprisoned."

Hearing Immortal Taishou’s words, everyone was surprised and began to ask him the reason.

Immortal Taishou explained, "I heard from a nephew, who was accepted as a disciple by ‘Qingxu Gate’, that Qinglingzi angered everyone because he concealed some crucial parts of the secret arts ‘Art of Heavenly Spirit Alchemy’ and ‘Thirteen Formulas of Qingxu’. This caused the elders’ power levels to stagnate for years. Eventually, an elder noticed something was peculiar since, while other Qingxu elders’ progress halted, Senior Qinglingzi advanced rapidly, almost reaching the Mahayana Stage. His cultivation method differed significantly from the other elders’, so when this was revealed, it caused an uproar, leading to Senior Qinglingzi’s imprisonment."

"Is it true?"

Hearing Immortal Taishou’s words, everyone was surprised and asked.

Based on the impression Qinglingzi had left before, no one could believe he would do such a thing.

Xu Qingfan was even more puzzled; if Qinglingzi had indeed behaved this way, then Immortal Zizhen would not have remained silent during the Qingxu turmoil.

Immortal Taishou replied, "This is just what my nephew heard; whether it is true or false is unknown."

As everyone was preparing to continue the discussion, they suddenly saw a strong but gentle green light rising from the south. Within the glow, a large cloud carried several people toward "Huanbian Valley."

"Qingxu Preach" is about to begin.