Volume 4 Chapter 65

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Volume 4 Chapter 65: Purple Clothes

After Xu Qingfan took the "Ascension Pill", he immediately felt it transform into a mighty and pure energy the moment it entered his stomach. This energy quickly spread throughout his body, merging seamlessly with the four threads of Spirit Qi he already possessed.

The process of refining the "Ascension Pill" went smoothly. The pill itself was made up of the purest elemental energies of the world, so combining and refining it was naturally not difficult for him. The Spirit Qi within the pill fused effortlessly with Xu Qingfan’s own Spirit Qi, and as all the pill’s energy dispersed, he found his internal Spirit Qi had increased by more than thirty percent.

Xu Qingfan didn’t know how much time had passed, but suddenly he felt a surge through his body, the aura around him swelling with power. The Spirit Qi in the air became denser, and he sensed his meridians and dantian had expanded and become sturdier. His connection to the world grew stronger, and his mind, lost in a state of clarity, intensified rapidly.

It wasn’t the first time Xu Qingfan experienced this. He realized that with the aid of the "Ascension Pill", he had broken through to the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage.

The advancement in his level was due partly to the increase of Spirit Qi within him and partly to his growing understanding of the Heavenly Way. Both were essential. Xu Qingfan’s Spirit Qi had already reached the peak of the middle stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage. He had deepened his understanding of the Heavenly Way by listening to the teachings of Xuan Ling, and discussing with people like Mo Ziliang, Iron Old Man, and Venerable Xuhan, which unknowingly prepared him for this breakthrough.

And the moment Xu Qingfan reached the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, two of the ten seals Niu Hualian placed within him unexpectedly broke. These transformed into powerful Spirit Qi threads, just like the energy from the "Ascension Pill", and integrated quickly with his own Spirit Qi, further increasing it.

In terms of Spirit Qi within his body, Xu Qingfan had incredibly advanced from the peak of the middle stage to the pinnacle of the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage in such a short period of seclusion, a feat that was astonishing. Now, if his understanding of the Heavenly Way kept pace, with a few more years in retreat, he could soon reach the Real Golden Core Stage.

…

It is unknown how much time has passed, but Xu Qingfan gradually fused the "Ascension Pill" with the Spirit Qi sealed within him by Niu Hualian, and after stabilizing his realm at the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, he slowly opened his eyes.

In front of him, sunlight filled the entire bamboo house.

Although Xu Qingfan had broken through from the middle stage to the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage this time, saving him centuries of effort compared to ordinary cultivators, there was no joy in his eyes; instead, there was a faint worry.

Xu Qingfan wondered if he was progressing too quickly, too smoothly.

Cultivating immortality is an act against the heavens, fraught with extraordinary hardship, and the difficulty increases as one progresses. This is the Heavenly Way’s obstacle for cultivators defying the natural order, yet it is also the necessary training for a cultivator. Only through this training can a cultivator’s state of mind keep pace with their own cultivation.

But ever since Xu Qingfan entered the Condensed Core Stage, due to consecutive opportunities, he reached the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage in less than forty years. Even reaching the Real Golden Core Stage only requires understanding the Heavenly Way and a few secluded practices. Is this a blessing or a curse for him?

Xu Qingfan shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it further, but secretly resolved to be more cautious about it in the future.

Then, Xu Qingfan activated the Formless Spirit Qi within him and began to observe closely.

When Liu Huaxiang taught Xu Qingfan the "Indefinite Sutra," he didn’t mention it was the sect’s core cultivation method of Jiuhua Mountain. After cultivating, Xu Qingfan didn’t discover anything remarkable about the nameless Spirit Qi besides its extremely slow cultivation speed. Thus, he didn’t pay much attention to it, but due to Liu Huaxiang’s last wishes, he continued practicing it, even though most of his focus had already shifted to the "Flourish Qi" and "Withered Qi."

But now that he understood the Spirit Qi he had previously ignored was actually the renowned "Indefinite Sutra" from Jiuhua Mountain, Xu Qingfan realized he couldn’t overlook it any longer. So once he reached the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, he began to closely observe this Formless Spirit Qi. It’s important to know that this Formless Spirit Qi might be comparable to the "Flourish Qi" and "Withered Qi" within Xu Qingfan, perhaps even slightly stronger than the "Phoenix Spirit Qi."

As Xu Qingfan advanced his cultivation level, the amount of Formless Spirit Qi also increased by about thirty percent. Yet, it remained as unremarkable as before, not allowing Xu Qingfan to detect anything unusual about it. The lack of any attributes from the five elements made it seem like it existed outside of them. Xu Qingfan had noticed this before, but as the Formless Spirit Qi grew larger, this characteristic became increasingly apparent.

After a long while, Xu Qingfan murmured, "I should try using some spells."

Saying this, Xu Qingfan rose from the bamboo bed and walked outside.

Outside, there was a grove of bamboo, quiet and serene in its simplicity.

Xu Qingfan exhaled deeply as the Formless Spirit Qi inside him began to circulate slowly, then he shouted softly, "Great Wood Technique!"

Xu Qingfan started with the wood-type spell he was most familiar with.

Yet after a long time, just as with Xu Qingfan’s many previous attempts, there was no reaction in front of him.

Xu Qingfan furrowed his brow slightly and continued to try out the other four elemental spells he knew. Whether it was fire, water, or gold and earth spells, using this Formless Spirit Qi still resulted in no response.

"It’s still the same as before. It hasn’t changed at all despite its power; I still can’t use any spells with it," Xu Qingfan softly muttered to himself as he gazed at the tranquil green bamboo before him.

In the end, Xu Qingfan decided to temporarily give up on exploring the uses of the Formless Spirit Qi until he returned to Jiuhua, where there were more resources about the Indefinite Sutra. Besides, he was currently cultivating "Flourish Qi" and "Withered Qi," and it was unwise for a cultivator to be distracted with multiple practices.

"I should focus on perfecting the ‘Formula of Life and Death’ first."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan stepped out of the bamboo grove.

When Xu Qingfan passed through the barrier and arrived at Ronghua Mountain, he found two Qingxu disciples meditating outside. Upon seeing Xu Qingfan, they quickly stood up. It was clear they had been assigned by Qingxu Gate to await Xu Qingfan’s return.

"Congratulations on completing your retreat, Senior Xu."

The two Qingxu disciples bowed respectfully to Xu Qingfan.

Then, one of the Qingxu disciples said, "I will go inform Martial Uncle Mo. Please wait a moment, Senior."

With that, the disciple swiftly flew off into the distance on his magical item.

Xu Qingfan smiled and nodded, then asked another Qingxu disciple, "May I ask, Taoist friend, how much time have I spent in seclusion this time?"

The disciple respectfully replied, "Reporting to the elder, you have spent a full hundred days in seclusion this time."

Xu Qingfan nodded silently.

Just then, a few auspicious clouds suddenly drifted from afar, moving faster than they seemed, and in the blink of an eye, descended before Xu Qingfan. Upon closer inspection, Xu Qingfan saw that it was Mo Ziliang and two Qingxu elders he had met a few times before.

Upon seeing Xu Qingfan, the three Qingxu elders paused, evidently noticing the change in Xu Qingfan’s cultivation level. Three months ago, Xu Qingfan was clearly just in the middle stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, and now, after just over three months in seclusion, he had reached the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, almost on the verge of the Real Golden Core Stage. Naturally, they were quite astonished.

However, these elders were seasoned and experienced. Although surprised by Xu Qingfan’s rapid increase in strength during this period, they understood it was a private matter for Xu Qingfan, so they maintained a calm demeanor and simply congratulated him. Even Mo Ziliang, who was not very worldly, refrained from questioning under the gaze of the other two elders.

Seeing this scene, Xu Qingfan also sighed in relief inwardly, as explaining such a matter would indeed be troublesome.

After offering his congratulations, Mo Ziliang asked, "Taoist Friend Xu, what is your plan after this seclusion? Will you stay at Ronghua Mountain for a while longer, or continue your travels?"

Xu Qingfan smiled and said, "I came out of the Southern Wasteland to travel across the Shenzhou Continent, so it is not convenient for me to stay at Ronghua Mountain much longer. After bidding farewell to Elder Zizhen, I shall continue my journey, and I hope you, my Taoist friends, will understand."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Mo Ziliang sighed regretfully. "Qingxu Gate" had recently undergone significant changes and there was much to be done; hence, it was inconvenient to persuade Xu Qingfan to stay. Regretfully, he said, "In that case, I must ask you, my Taoist friend, to take care of yourself."

After a pause, Mo Ziliang continued, "However, Master Uncle Zizhen can’t be seen because on the very day Taoist Friend Xu went into seclusion, Master Uncle Zizhen suddenly left the mountain, and his whereabouts are unknown. Before leaving, he left a message for you, saying that the current situation in the cultivation world is unpredictable and advised you to return to the mountain as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary troubles."

Hearing Mo Ziliang’s words, Xu Qingfan nodded silently, though puzzled in his heart. With the recent losses to "Qingxu Gate’s" strength, Immortal Zizhen should logically remain to guard against unforeseen events. Yet, his sudden departure raised questions about his intentions.

Although Xu Qingfan did not know the specific purpose of Immortal Zizhen’s departure, he vaguely felt it might be related to a letter from Liu Huaxiang, remembering the strange expression on Immortal Zizhen’s face upon reading it.

Despite Mo Ziliang and others’ attempts to persuade him to stay, Xu Qingfan insisted on leaving the mountain that very day. After all, he had been away for more than six months and thought it best to fulfill Liu Huaxiang’s last wishes and return to the mountain soon.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s determination to leave, Mo Ziliang reluctantly bid him farewell from "Ronghua Mountain." Before Xu Qingfan left, Mo Ziliang handed him over a thousand spirit stones and dozens of bottles of elixirs, which Immortal Zizhen had arranged to give to Xu Qingfan before his departure.

Xu Qingfan understood this was the offering he was entitled to as an Honorary Elder of Qingxu. Knowing he could not refuse, he accepted them without further courtesy and bid farewell with clasped hands to the elders of Qingxu, who watched him leave with reluctance.

"Next, I should fulfill Martial Uncle Liu’s third wish. Compared to the previous two, this one should be much easier. Hopefully, it won’t bring any additional trouble."

After leaving "Ronghua Mountain," Xu Qingfan flew swiftly on a cloud towards the north of Ronghua, pondering these thoughts.

Just as Xu Qingfan was lost in thought, a sudden change occurred.

To the left of Xu Qingfan’s body, the air rippled strangely, and before he realized it, a figure in purple dashed out with frightening speed towards him.

Xu Qingfan was shocked, and though he tried to resist, it was too late. The figure moved so quickly that all Xu Qingfan could do was slightly turn his body. Pain shot through his chest, and by the time the purple figure had passed, his chest was a bloody mess.

Fortunately, Xu Qingfan reacted swiftly. Although his chest wound looked severe, it was only a flesh wound. If he had been a moment slower, his heart would have been taken out.

Fighting through the searing pain, Xu Qingfan quickly circulated his "Flourish Qi," causing the wound on his chest to stop bleeding and begin to heal.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingfan turned to where the purple shadow had passed, and saw two figures in purple standing about thirty feet away on his right, watching him with amusement.

Their outfits were identical to the purple-clad figure Xu Qingfan had previously defeated!