Volume 4 Chapter 50

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Volume 4 Chapter 50: Invitation

Under the clear, bright sky, a green light shone from the southern horizon onto the bamboo platform in "Huanbian Valley." Following the green light, a large auspicious cloud flew towards "Huanbian Valley," moving deceptively fast, arriving above the valley in the blink of an eye.

On top of the cloud stood an old man with hair as white as a crane’s, yet a youthful face. Although his expression was kind and gentle, his gaze was exceptionally sharp. Xu Qingfan couldn’t discern the old man’s cultivation level but was certain he had at least reached the Golden Core Stage. This must be Xuan Ling, the one organizing the sermon.

In addition, there were six other cultivators of either the Fake Golden Core Stage or the Real Golden Core Stage, standing on either side of the old man.

Seeing Xuan Ling’s arrival, everyone stopped their discussions and led the entire "Huanbian Valley" of cultivators to rise and respectfully bow toward Xuan Ling.

As the crowd paid their respects, Xuan Ling and his companions descended from the cloud and landed on the bamboo platform. He first scanned all the "Huanbian Valley" cultivators, pausing slightly on Xu Qingfan, seemingly curious about his identity. Then, along with the six behind him, returned the bow to "Huanbian Valley," before sitting cross-legged on the platform.

Only after seeing Xuan Ling and his group sit down did Xu Qingfan and the others return to their seats.

Without the slightest pause or any formal introduction, Xuan Ling began his sermon as soon as all the "Huanbian Valley" cultivators were seated. His voice, though soft, flowed grandly across the venue, as if the speaker was right beside them. Moreover, his words carried a unique rhythm, drawing everyone into it effortlessly.

Just as Venerable Xuhan and others mentioned before, what Xuan Ling taught were the most basic principles of cultivating immortality and the cultivation methods, yet he explained them in an easy-to-understand manner, with some insights that Xu Qingfan never imagined. Xu Qingfan found it very beneficial. Looking at others, whether it was masters like Venerable Xuhan "Iron Old Man" from the Condensed Core Stage or those Qi Refining Stage cultivators sitting on the edge of "Huanbian Valley", everyone appeared deeply engrossed, clearly having their own realizations through Xuan Ling’s explanations.

As the teachings went on, days passed like a moment, with the sun rising and setting, night turning to day. Compared to the vast and mysterious realm of immortal cultivation and the Heavenly Way, the day’s teachings were but a drop in the ocean.

As Xuan Ling fell silent, every face in the "Huanbian Valley" showed a sense of longing, clearly yearning for more.

After a long silence, Xuan Ling spoke again, "Next, my six junior brothers will continue to teach for two more days. Then, for the remaining three days, we’ll have a question and answer session. If you have any questions in these ten years, feel free to approach my six junior brothers for clarification."

With that, Xuan Ling turned his gaze towards Xu Qingfan and the others and said, "You eight friends of profound skills, please follow me."

Saying this, Xuan Ling flew towards a mountain peak outside of "Huanbian Valley". Venerable Xuhan and others followed him on their clouds.

Xu Qingfan knew that the next teaching session was intended solely for cultivators like themselves from the Condensed Core Stage.

As he flew swiftly with Xuan Ling, "Iron Old Man," and others towards the mountain peak, Xu Qingfan quietly organized the information he had gathered in his mind.

"I had heard people say ‘Qingxu Gate’ is the true orthodox of mystical schools. At first, I was skeptical, thinking that my Jiuhua’s cultivation methods and profound skills are no less. But now I see, the true essence of the school lies not only in the depth and mystery of its teachings but more in the heart of the sect itself. The ‘Qingxu Preach’ might only be rivaled by the ‘Mercy Cloud Temple’ in its universal compassion for all. Though Xuan Ling didn’t teach any advanced cultivation technique from ‘Qingxu Gate,’ the insights on the Heavenly Way and immortal cultivation were undeniably genuine. Just this spirit of selfless guidance for cultivators everywhere outshines Jiuhua by far."

Then Xu Qingfan thought, "I just can’t believe that a cultivator from such a school would commit an unprovoked act of rebellion. However, from the information obtained from Immortal Taishou, it seems that the elders of Qingxu were responsible for Qinglingzi’s detention. And from the situation that Wan Yusheng described, only Qinglingzi’s closest disciples and a few friendly Qingxu elders supported Qinglingzi and left the ‘Qingxu Gate.’ In a school like this, it wouldn’t be surprising for one or two ambitious people to emerge, but I can’t believe all the elders would be such people. If that’s the case, it makes sense that Qinglingzi might have hidden key parts of the ‘Art of Heavenly Spirit Alchemy’ and ‘Thirteen Formulas of Qingxu,’ causing outrage among them."

"So, does this mean I can give Martial Uncle Liu’s letter directly to Xuan Ling? It’s puzzling that Immortal Zizhen hasn’t appeared amidst all the ‘Qingxu Gate’ turmoil. Well, I should perhaps probe Xuan Ling a bit before making a decision."

As Xu Qingfan pondered, a group of nine had already flown to the top of the mountain peak.

Upon arrival, Xuan Ling immediately found a spot and sat down cross-legged, and Venerable Xuhan, ‘Iron Old Man,’ and others also sat down in front of Xuan Ling.

Seeing everyone settle down this way, Xu Qingfan quickly sat next to the ‘Iron Old Man’ and looked towards Xuan Ling, awaiting his teachings.

But this time, Xuan Ling did not start teaching immediately as he did before. Instead, he first glanced at the eight people before him and then said to ‘Iron Old Man’ and the others, "Congratulations to each of you, taoist friends, for advancing in your cultivation levels over the past ten years."

Immortal Taishou laughed, "It’s because of the teachings from Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi every decade. Without them, trying to advance just by ourselves would take much more effort."

Xuan Ling smiled, "I merely spoke on topics everyone already knew. Your achievements are due to your own understanding and hard work."

Turning his head towards Xu Qingfan, Xuan Ling smiled and said, "The other seven are old friends, but this is the first time I’ve seen this taoist friend. May I ask what you are called? I believe this is your first time attending the ‘Qingxu Preach’?"

Xu Qingfan smiled and said, "I am Xu Fan from the Southern Wasteland, a wandering cultivator, greetings to the elder."

After pausing, Xu Qingfan continued, "I have been cultivating in the Southern Wasteland for a long time, but recently I’ve found that my skills have not improved despite several secluded training sessions. So, I decided to travel and seek opportunities, and I heard about the grand event ‘Qingxu Preach,’ which led me here by chance. I didn’t expect the elder’s teachings to be so profound and insightful, greatly benefitting me."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan sat on the ground and respectfully saluted Qinglingzi.

Xuan Lingzi carefully observed Xu Qingfan, his eyes flickering with green light, then nodded and said, "I see that though your body contains various Spirit Qi, each follows its own path, and each is quite mysterious. However, I cannot discern your sect’s origin. It seems, friend, that you are cultivating more than one method, is that so?"

Upon hearing Xuan Lingzi’s words, Xu Qingfan was slightly surprised, realizing that Xuan Lingzi possessed an ability to perceive the attributes of a cultivator’s method. He felt lucky that it was him, for any ordinary Jiuhua disciple would have had their identity revealed immediately.

Astonished but maintaining composure, Xu Qingfan displayed a hint of surprise and nodded, "Indeed, my ancestral master once stumbled into a valley by accident, thinking it was the end, but unexpectedly discovered the corpses of four cultivators. From those corpses, he found four methods of cultivation, which is why I practice all four simultaneously."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but blush, as he was not accustomed to lying and lacked cleverness in this regard. In desperation, he borrowed content from a worldly fantasy novel he had read.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s explanation, Xuan Lingzi merely nodded, showing no suspicion, as this was the only explanation that made sense for Xu Qingfan’s body containing four distinct types of Spirit Qi. However, he was unaware of Xu Qingfan’s unique fortune and how it had made him an anomaly.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, the other seven people showed a look of realization, having resolved their earlier doubts about Xu Qingfan’s identity through his conversation with Xuan Lingzi.

Xuan Ling suddenly said to Xu Qingfan, "Your master’s luck is truly remarkable, having obtained four such mysterious cultivation methods at the same time. However, I must kindly advise you that it’s best to focus on mastering just one method before branching out into others. Otherwise, trying to master all four simultaneously could lead to conflicts between the Spirit Qi, which might not be worth the trouble."

Xu Qingfan bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for the advice, elder."

Xu Qingfan understood Xuan Ling’s advice, but couldn’t help but smile wryly. He knew the truth of Xuan Ling’s words, yet felt helpless about his situation. The "Withered Qi" within him was too strange and powerful, absorbing the Spirit Qi of the world even without active cultivation, but it was also harmful to his body. Therefore, Xu Qingfan had to cultivate the "Flourish Qi" and "Phoenix Spirit Qi" within him to counteract it.

As for the nameless Spirit Qi cultivation method taught by Liu Huaxiang, Xu Qingfan couldn’t abandon it. Although he hadn’t discovered its purpose yet and it was very slow to cultivate, Liu Huaxiang had repeatedly urged him to persist, and out of respect for Liu Huaxiang, Xu Qingfan had no choice but to continue.

Consequently, Xu Qingfan ended up cultivating four streams of Spirit Qi at the same time. Fortunately, with the balance between "Withered Qi" and "Flourish Qi," he had not yet noticed any signs of conflict among them.

Xuan Ling then began teaching again without further pleasantries. This time, unlike previous sessions, his tone was deeper and more contemplative, covering more profound topics, particularly focusing on understanding the Heavenly Way and creating divine abilities.

This teaching session lasted five days, with Xuan Ling speaking slowly and calmly. Xu Qingfan and the others found themselves frowning, suddenly realizing, rejoicing, or worrying, each lost in their thoughts as Xuan Ling’s explanations led them into their world. For a moment, even Xu Qingfan forgot his original purpose and was consumed by thoughts of his cultivation.

On the third day, the "Iron Old Man," who had seemed only half awake, suddenly opened his eyes, golden light flashing within, and let out a great shout, changing the very weather. He had realized another aspect of the Heavenly Way and created his own divine ability through Xuan Ling’s teachings.

Seeing the "Iron Old Man" achieve such success, everyone congratulated him with envy, while he stood up and bowed deeply to Xuan Ling, then nodded to the others. The group then continued to listen to Xuan Ling’s teachings.

Five days later, Master Xuan Ling stopped explaining, and everyone gradually woke up from the wondrous world of cultivation in the Heavenly Way.

Seeing everyone deep in thought, Master Xuan Ling smiled and said, "For those cultivators below the Condensed Core Stage, there is a session to clear doubts during the ‘Qingxu Preach.’ However, for cultivators like us at the Condensed Core Stage, we must resolve our own uncertainties about the Heavenly Way and cultivation to find our own path. Otherwise, we merely follow someone else’s path. Therefore, we skip the doubt-clearing session."

Hearing Master Xuan Ling’s words, Xu Qingfan and the others stood up and bowed to him in gratitude for his teachings.

Particularly Xu Qingfan, while listening to Master Xuan Ling, didn’t gain enlightenment like the "Iron Old Man," creating new supernatural abilities, but he benefited the most among everyone.

Xu Qingfan was not new to listening to teachings. Previously, while spending time with Liu Huaxiang, Liu Huaxiang often preached to him.

Honestly, regarding the understanding of the Heavenly Way and cultivation, Xu Qingfan felt that Master Xuan Ling didn’t necessarily surpass Liu Huaxiang. In many ways, Liu Huaxiang’s teachings penetrated more deeply than Master Xuan Ling’s.

However, Liu Huaxiang had always practiced the Jiuhua Mountain cultivation method and some secret techniques left by Zhang Xusheng, whereas Master Xuan Ling was devoted to the "Qingxu Gate" lineage. Their differing cultivation methods led to vastly different understandings of the Heavenly Way and cultivation.

Listening this time made Xu Qingfan reevaluate his pursuit of the Heavenly Way from a different perspective. Moreover, he gained a new understanding of the relationship between Spirit Qi and the mind.

Although this time listening did not increase the Spirit Qi within Xu Qingfan or give him new supernatural insights, its future benefits for his cultivation were beyond words.

So this time, Xu Qingfan’s bow of gratitude to Xuan Ling was completely sincere.

"I suppose the teachings and answers at ‘Huanbian Valley’ are nearly finished by now. Let’s head back," said Xuan Ling.

Upon hearing Xuan Ling’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.

It was then that Xu Qingfan remembered his purpose for coming here. Although he was grateful for Xuan Ling’s selfless teachings and felt Xuan Ling wasn’t ambitious, his curiosity about Immortal Zizhen remained. After hesitating slightly, Xu Qingfan decided to probe further.

With this thought, Xu Qingfan showed a hint of hesitation on his face, just enough for everyone to notice.

Xuan Ling was the first to notice Xu Qingfan’s hesitation. He valued this young cultivator and asked, "Taoist Friend Xu, is there anything else you’re wondering about?"

Seeing the elder in front of him filled with concern, Xu Qingfan felt ashamed. He wasn’t one to play games, especially not in front of a senior like Xuan Ling. But to fulfill Liu Huaxiang’s last wish, Xu Qingfan had to be cunning just this once.

Pushing down his guilt, Xu Qingfan showed a look of longing and bowed to Xuan Ling, saying, "I once heard from my master that Immortal Zizhen of ‘Qingxu Gate’ is one of the rare grandmasters in the cultivation world, having reached a significant stage hundreds of years ago. When my master traveled in the prosperous Middle-earth, he even received guidance from Immortal Zizhen. But it wasn’t until later that he realized Immortal Zizhen’s identity. Senior Xuan Ling, might you introduce me to Immortal Zizhen so I can express my master’s gratitude?"

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s request, Xuan Ling’s gentle smile remained as he softly replied, "I’m afraid that’s not possible this time. Master Uncle Zizhen went into seclusion three hundred years ago and hasn’t emerged since. Us juniors haven’t seen him in three hundred years either."

Xu Qingfan’s face looked gloomy as he said, "So it is—unfortunately, I have no chance to witness the elegance of Immortal Zizhen."

Xuan Ling merely smiled slightly and then said to everyone, "Let’s go."

With that, Xuan Ling led the way, flying on a cloud towards "Huanbian Valley." Xu Qingfan and the others quickly followed.

As they flew, Xu Qingfan thought to himself, "When I mentioned Immortal Zizhen earlier, Xuan Ling showed no change in expression. His words carried the right amount of respect and admiration for Immortal Zizhen. Could it be that I was overthinking?"

After thinking for a long time, Xu Qingfan concluded that Xuan Ling showed no signs of anything unusual, not even a flicker in his eyes. Clearly, Immortal Zizhen was still in seclusion, cultivating in the "Qingxu Gate." Xu Qingfan probably imagined things before.

With that thought, Xu Qingfan decided to reveal his true intentions to Xuan Ling and hand over Liu Huaxiang’s letter, asking Xuan Ling to pass it to Immortal Zizhen. By doing so, Xu Qingfan would complete Liu Huaxiang’s second dying wish.

"No, Xuan Ling’s attitude wasn’t right earlier."

But just as Xu Qingfan was about to reach Xuan Ling’s side, a different thought suddenly crossed his mind.

When Xu Qingfan told those lies earlier, Xuan Ling seemed too calm, and it was this that made Xu Qingfan feel something was off.

With Xu Qingfan being a rogue cultivator of no status, even though he was at the Condensed Core Stage, he was still insignificant in front of Immortal Zizhen. Therefore, suddenly requesting to see Immortal Zizhen would naturally surprise anyone.

Yet, on the contrary, when Xu Qingfan asked to see Immortal Zizhen, Xuan Ling Zi did not show any surprise at all. Instead, he maintained his usual calm demeanor, as if he were hiding something.

And it was precisely because he concealed it so well that it revealed a flaw.

Moreover, after hearing that Xu Qingfan’s master had once been saved by Immortal Zizhen, under normal circumstances, Xuan Ling Zi should have followed up on Xu Qingfan’s words and inquired further. Xu Qingfan had already prepared his response in his mind. However, Xuan Ling Zi did not ask and instead subtly urged everyone to end the topic. Isn’t that quite strange?

"Could it be that there really is something fishy about the ‘Qingxu Gate’ concerning Immortal Zizhen?"

After this sermon, Xu Qingfan had a very good impression of Xuan Ling Zi in his heart, so he also hoped that Xuan Ling Zi would not have any ulterior motives in this matter, because that would suggest that the overthrowing of Qinglingzi’s confinement by the ‘Qingxu Gate’ was not entirely honorable.

"Moreover, if there really is something fishy, how will I deliver Martial Uncle Liu’s letter to Immortal Zizhen?"

With these complex thoughts in mind, Xu Qingfan followed the group to "Huanbian Valley."

Then, Xu Qingfan and the other eight people, along with Xuan Ling Zi, returned to their respective positions, and Xuan Ling Zi announced the end of this "Qingxu Preach."

Although they knew very well that the "Qingxu Preach" would still take place ten years later, the more than a thousand cultivators in "Huanbian Valley," including Xu Qingfan, felt a sense of inexplicable loss in their hearts.

After the "Qingxu Preach" ended, Venerable Xuhan, "Iron Old Man," and others invited Xu Qingfan to stay at their abodes or sects for a while. Just as Xu Qingfan was about to decline, he suddenly noticed a cultivator approaching him, who happened to be someone who had previously stood behind Xuan Ling.

The person came to Xu Qingfan’s side, bowed slightly, and said, "Taoist Friend Xu, my senior brother Xuan Ling invites you to stay at our Qingxu Gate. Would Taoist Friend Xu be willing?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingfan’s first feeling was joy, and the second was that trouble was approaching.

It seems that Xuan Ling may have suddenly noticed a flaw earlier, and this invitation might actually be a sign of suspicion toward Xu Qingfan.

After hesitating slightly, Xu Qingfan smiled faintly and said, "I would be delighted."