pdf-ebookys Chapter 59 Geng Metal's Sharpness, Refining Qi to Level 7
Chapter 59 Geng Metal's Sharpness, Refining Qi to Level 7
Chapter 59 Geng Metal Sharpness, Seven Levels of Qi Refining
Zhao Tieshan held a bronze mirror and stood in front of the crowd. Wherever the mirror light swept, the strength or weakness of the cultivators' qi and blood could not be hidden.
When the mirror light fell upon Chen Yi, his heartbeat remained steady, the golden radiance within his body remained perfectly still, and all his vital energy was contained within the secret acupoints beneath the earth, circulated through his Breath Concealment Technique.
The bronze mirror only reflected the normal blood and qi fluctuations of a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining.
Zhao Tieshan frowned slightly, thinking to himself:
"That body cultivator was able to kill Dong Chang'an, so his strength must be at least in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, or even close to the middle stage. He couldn't have hidden it so perfectly. It seems it wasn't him."
In fact, Chen Yi's Breath Concealment Technique is not without its flaws.
If Zhao Tieshan were to actually get close and use swords or other magical weapons to scratch everyone's skin, he would definitely be exposed.
In that case,
He could only unleash his power at the last moment, severely injuring Zhao Tieshan and then escaping for his life.
Zhao Tieshan wasn't stupid. After discovering during the day that the body cultivator's strength could threaten a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, he didn't resort to such a reckless method that would offend everyone.
The cultivation world is full of opportunities, and many people have secrets. If he were to uncover a hidden demon in the mortal realm who is cultivating his mind, he would truly be facing certain death.
He simply used his divine sense and the sect's magical artifact for testing physical strength to scan everyone as usual.
"Fairy Qin," Zhao Tieshan turned to Qin Chengcheng beside him, his tone calm, "the people from Miaoyin Pavilion have all checked, and there are no problems."
Upon hearing this, Qin Chengcheng's eyes flashed with a hint of relief and joy, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly, but she quickly regained her cold demeanor: "Steward Zhao, you've worked hard."
As Zhao Tieshan turned to leave, a profound meaning flickered in his eyes.
"The person hasn't been found, but Qin Chengcheng's reaction... ha, she definitely knows something."
He strode out of the Myriad Sounds Pavilion, already having a plan in mind: "That body cultivator is well hidden, and he can't make a move for now, but Qin Chengcheng's unusual emotions definitely indicate something is wrong."
As long as we keep a close eye on this direct descendant of the Myriad Sounds Pavilion, we'll find that person. He's discovered some secrets at the bottom of the lake and won't leave for the time being; we still have time to maneuver."
His inspection of Miaoyin Pavilion was not just about finding that hidden body cultivator; Qin Chengcheng and the others' reactions during the inspection were also within his key investigation scope!
After returning home, Zhao Tieshan found Xu Shixian and asked:
"What's the story behind that fat Liu reporting this? Does he have a grudge against Chen Yi?"
Xu Shixian recalled instructing Dong Chang'an to deal with Chen Yi, but he wouldn't admit it was his own idea. He said:
"Senior brother, it must be because Chen Yi's cooking skills are so outstanding that he snatched the position of chief spiritual chef from Fatty Liu and gained the favor of the female cultivators of Miaoyin Pavilion. That's why he took the opportunity to sow discord and wanted to use Dong Chang'an to get rid of Chen Yi."
However, Chen Yi was timid and cautious, remaining hidden in the market town and never giving them a chance to strike.
"I see. I was wondering how Chen Yi, an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, could be related to that Body Cultivator, since his Qi and blood showed no reaction and he was timid as a mouse."
Fatty Liu sowed discord and used others to do his dirty work; this matter cannot be let off lightly.
Later, find an opportunity to punish him, make his magical power stagnate, and he won't be able to cultivate for at least six months. Consider it a warning.
"Okay, senior brother. I think we should also teach Chen Yi a lesson."
This man is very cunning. He asked me to deliver second-tier demonic beasts to Fairy Qin. I delivered three or four, but I still couldn't hold her hand. Fairy Qin doesn't like demonic beasts at all, unlike what he said. I think those demonic beasts just became practice for Chen Yi's cooking skills!
Zhao Tieshan glanced at him and said calmly, "Don't make a move against Chen Yi until you can find any leverage over him."
"You are a true disciple of the sect, yet you got into a fight over a female cultivator and used that as an excuse to punish a Qi Refining cultivator, needlessly losing face."
"Alright." Xu Shixian sighed, but then quickly let it go. After all, if he really attacked Chen Yi, it might displease Qin Chengcheng, which would be a loss.
After all, Dong Chang'an, who used to do the dirty work for him, is no longer around.
"Senior brother, is Miaoyin Pavilion truly clean and untouched?" Xu Shixian asked again.
Zhao Tieshan's gaze was deep as he slowly shook his head:
"Of course not, there's definitely something wrong with Miaoyin Pavilion."
At least Qin Chengcheng definitely knew the situation.
However, given our current situation, we cannot take action against Qin Chengcheng unless we arrest her and interrogate her rigorously.
"That won't do!" Xu Shixian exclaimed urgently, "I'm going to marry Qin Chengcheng, we can't torture her!"
Zhao Tieshan glanced at Xu Shixian, a look of disdain flashing across his mind. A man who wants to achieve immortality cannot be influenced by personal feelings. When it comes to the crucial moment, even the person next to him in bed cannot be trusted, let alone someone he cannot pursue.
But he didn't say any of that; instead, he changed his approach:
"As a direct disciple of Miaoyin Pavilion, not to mention her reputation and appearance, her status is almost the same as mine, so of course I can't touch her at will."
But it's not impossible. If we handle it well, not only will our Jade Dragon Sect win the beauty's heart, but I will also achieve great merit. It's killing two birds with one stone."
"What's the solution, Senior Brother? Please tell me," Xu Shixian asked curiously.
"Propose marriage," Zhao Tieshan said calmly. "Have your master or sect leader propose marriage directly to Miaoyin Pavilion."
With such a great reputation, why is Qin Chengcheng still unmarried? Isn't that just the reason why Sect Master Lin of Miaoyin Pavilion is waiting for the right offer?
If our Jade Dragon Sect is willing to pay a sufficient price, we might be able to move her.
"By then, the people will be ours, and the secret will surely come to light."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shixian immediately became excited: "Great! That's wonderful! I'll go and beg my uncle to give more in betrothal gifts!"
Zhao Tieshan glanced at him and sneered inwardly.
Where does your confidence come from, you spoiled brat who rose to power through elixirs? I said the sect would make sacrifices to marry her, not that the person would necessarily be you.
But he didn't show it on his face, and simply said, "This matter needs to be considered carefully, so don't rush to make a fuss about it."
"By the way, Senior Brother, what should we do with this market town? Dong Chang'an is dead, so this branch of the Dong family has no Foundation Establishment cultivators left."
Why don't we take back this market town? It can generate at least a thousand or eighty spirit stones in revenue each year.
Zhao Tieshan shook his head: "No. The Dong family is affiliated with our Jade Dragon Sect and pays us a considerable amount of tribute every year. If we were to directly take over this market, it would damage our reputation, and other affiliated families would easily become disloyal."
I have reported Dong Chang'an's death to the sect and suggested that another Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Dong family be sent here to take charge of the situation.
"Senior brother, then all that effort we put in, wouldn't all these resources in this vast market just be a wedding dress for the Dong family?" Xu Shixian said unwillingly.
"Of course not. The shops in this market don't make much money. The real valuable things are that second-tier spirit vein and the second-tier spirit mine at the bottom of the lake."
"The spirit mine is inhabited by demonic beasts, and the Dong family is unable to mine it. In the end, they will have to ask the sect for help. At that time, the resources will naturally belong to the sect."
He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Moreover... I suspect there's something more to that spirit mine."
"What? You've made a new discovery?!" Xu Shixian exclaimed in surprise.
Zhao Tieshan lowered his voice: "That second-tier ice spirit ore might just be the surface. I recently investigated and discovered abnormal spiritual energy deep within the vein. I'm afraid... there's much more than just an ordinary spirit mine hidden beneath!"
Xu Shixian, breathing rapidly, said, "Senior brother, we need to act quickly!"
"Otherwise, what do you think was the reason I sent a message to the sect requesting the transfer of a group of disciples? Could it really be to capture that traitor's body cultivator?"
However, there's no rush. Let the Dong family stabilize the market first, then send them to scout ahead and explore. We can simply stay behind and oversee the overall situation.
"Senior brother, you have great foresight and profound wisdom!"
After Dong Chang'an's death, the Jade Dragon Sect quickly stabilized the market order, and Xu Shixian personally took temporary charge of the situation.
The rogue cultivators all fawned over Xu Shixian, the true disciple of the sect. Hao Youren and Old Hu jointly offered him a century-old spiritual tea, hoping to become Xu Shixian's disciple.
Xu Shixian hosted a banquet to win people over, and during the meal, he offered a tempting incentive: "If you do your job well, you might still have a chance to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill!"
Everyone was extremely excited.
Two days later, Hao Youren and Lao Hu went to find Chen Yi together.
As soon as Hao Youren entered, he tugged at Chen Yi's sleeve and said, "Brother Chen! Why didn't you go to the banquet that Young Master Xu invited us to? He said he wants to select some independent cultivators from the market to work for him, and those who perform well will have a chance to be rewarded with Foundation Establishment Pills!"
"Even if you don't get the Foundation Establishment Pill, with your abilities, Brother Chen, next time the young master hosts a banquet, try your hand at cooking. Perhaps that will catch his eye."
"It would be good to reach the late stage of Qi Refining sooner. You and I are mortals. Without the help of a benefactor, how long would it take to break through the seventh level of Qi Refining on our own?" Old Hu, who came along, added.
They still hoped to leverage Chen Yi's culinary skills to build connections and exchange for resources.
Chen Yi clasped his hands and shook his head: "You two seniors flatter me. I am approaching forty and have long since lost my ambition. I am content to be a stable cook at Miaoyin Pavilion."
"Brother Chen! That's a true disciple of a sect! We rogue cultivators are lucky to even have one chance to reach the Foundation Establishment stage in our lifetime!"
Hao Youren was anxious.
Old Hu gave a wry smile: "I'm over fifty, if I don't gamble now, it'll be too late."
Foundation Establishment Pills are the only chance for ordinary independent cultivators to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, but such resources are absolutely monopolized by sects and major powers, and the vast majority of independent cultivators will never see one in their lifetime.
Chen Yi remained very calm, and shook his head, saying:
"Even if there were Foundation Establishment Pills, they would be out of my reach. What right do I, a worthless mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, have to take Foundation Establishment Pills? Just because I can cook a few dishes?"
Fellow Daoists, think carefully: we want the other party's Foundation Establishment Pill, but what does the other party want?
Does he want us to serve him for the rest of our lives, or our lives?
Hao Youren opened his mouth, his sleeves drooping limply.
They understood perfectly well that the Foundation Establishment Pill was a bait, and they knew that even if these rogue cultivators tried to get close, they had little chance of obtaining it.
But for a cultivator who has spent their entire life cultivating, the only chance to change their fate is right before them.
Who could refuse?
The two left in silence, each making their own choices. Chen Yi could not stop others from pursuing that elusive opportunity.
Chen Yi watched their retreating figures and could only sigh softly.
Who in this world doesn't want to break through social barriers and climb the social ladder?
But how easy is it for those in the upper class to provide opportunities for those in the lower class to break through social barriers?
In that case, who will risk their lives for them?
They only throw out one bait, giving everyone a glimmer of hope. Sometimes, they might choose the best-performing dog to join them, letting that person bite the bait and get promoted, thus motivating the ignorant.
Chen Yi knew that working for his superiors would not end well; once he was exploited to the point of exhaustion, he would be discarded.
In fact, Hao Youren had already experienced such a fate once when he was still a mortal martial artist. He thought he had seen through it all, but when the time came, he still couldn't escape it.
This may be destiny.
Several days later, the uproar surrounding Dong Chang'an's death had completely died down, and the sect cultivators no longer investigated the matter of the plundering cultivator.
In the dead of night, Chen Yi slipped into the lake like a ghost.
The lake water was icy cold, but his water-walking technique made him as agile as a fish.
His newly mastered concealment technique allowed him to perfectly disguise himself as a first-tier tortoise-snake beast underwater, evading all the sect's law enforcement hall disciples who were carrying out underwater missions.
Dong Chang'an's storage bag was unearthed from the cave that was originally marked.
Golden light flowed from Chen Yi's fingertips, breaking through the restriction he had left behind.
"Nourishing Spirit Pills, Jade Marrow Pills," he counted his spoils, his eyes gleaming.
These second-tier pills are too potent for ordinary Qi Refining cultivators to consume, and they are also too precious for them to sell in the market.
But for Chen Yi, who possesses the system, it is the best supplement.
After taking his belongings, Chen Yi returned to his room in Miaoyin Pavilion.
In the quiet room, Chen Yi placed the pill in his palm, and the system's [Absorb] ability activated, breaking down the medicinal power bit by bit—
The Nourishing Spirit Pill transformed into a silver stream of light and entered between his brows, allowing his consciousness to relax as if bathed in a spring breeze.
Jade Marrow Elixir transforms into emerald green energy to nourish the meridians, while water-based spiritual energy surges like a stream.
The blue spiritual mist from the Qi-restoring pill sank into the dantian, filling the void in mana.
In particular, the herbal essence contained in these pills perfectly compensated for the deficiency of wood element spiritual power in his "Turtle Breathing Water and Wood Technique".
"At this rate, I'll definitely reach the late stage of Qi Refining within two months!" Chen Yi felt the surging magical power within his body and was secretly delighted.
Currently, his physical cultivation is at its highest level, and his spiritual sense is close to the Foundation Establishment stage; only his magical power cultivation lags behind.
Now, once the threshold of the late stage of Qi Refining is broken, the accumulation of magical power is only a matter of time.
During the period between the seventh and ninth levels of Qi Refining, he also needed to plan for Foundation Establishment.
In addition,
He also had two other spoils of war: a fragment of a bronze shield covered in cracks, and a cold, blue flying sword.
These two items, the bronze plaque, are broken and worthless now.
That flying sword was worth several hundred spirit stones, but in the market controlled by the Dong family, there were almost no channels for its sale.
Chen Yi's current cultivation level doesn't support him leaving Dongjiafang Market for too long in the short term to go to another immortal city to dispose of his dirty laundry. Besides, the journey is dangerous, and being in an unfamiliar place, he might encounter accidents.
It's better to just devour it to increase your strength.
After focusing his mind, he lightly touched the shield fragment with his fingertip, and a system notification flashed in his mind: [Detected Gengjin essence, currently absorbing it].
The metallic essence within the fragments was slowly extracted, transforming into fine golden threads that seeped into Chen Yi's right arm.
A faint "clanging" sound came from deep within the bones, like refined iron being repeatedly forged.
—Although this bronze shield is only a high-grade magic weapon, a small amount of black iron refined gold was added during its forging, which is a rare tonic for Chen Yi.
As the golden light swirled, dark golden patterns appeared on the surface of his right arm bones, and a sharp aura faintly emanated from his skin, creating a subtle whistling sound as it cut through the air.
"Although the shield contains less of the Geng metal essence, it has given my golden radiance an extra layer of sharpness."
Chen Yi flicked his finger, and a golden light flashed, instantly creating a cut about an inch deep on the stone wall of the quiet room.
Then, he turned his gaze to the Frost Soul Flying Sword.
The sword's blade is sculpted like ice crystals, its entire body a deep blue, and even breathing near it causes frost to form.
This sword is made primarily of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron, tempered with ice soul stone. It is a fine example of a superior magic weapon, just one step away from being classified as top-grade. Even a cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment would find it quite powerful.
He placed his hands lightly on the sword.
[Cold Iron Essence Detected]
[Ice Soul Spirit detected.]
System prompts appeared one after another, and then began to devour them.
As the absorption ability activated, the sword's dimming speed was significantly slower than that of the bronze shield.
Chen Yi absorbed this superior-grade flying sword more slowly.
The immense power of cold metal surged into Chen Yi's body like a torrent, causing ice crystals to condense in his meridians wherever it passed.
"hiss--"
Chen Yi gasped, his bones cracking like popping beans. The golden markings on his right arm flickered wildly, gradually turning a bronze hue!
The most astonishing change occurred on the surface of the bones—the originally dark iron bones were stained by the power of cold gold, gradually emitting a dark blue luster, and each flow of magic power would condense fine frost patterns on the surface of the bones.
When the last wisp of sword spirit was devoured, the flying sword degenerated into an ordinary low-grade magic weapon flying sword, and it was the kind with cracks.
Chen Yi opened his eyes, a sharp, icy blue light flashing in his pupils.
He pointed his fingers like a knife and gently sliced across the stone table in front of him.
"laugh--"
The stone table split silently in two, its cross-section smooth as a mirror and covered with a thin layer of frost.
"The cold metal generates the sharpness, making it even more potent!" Chen Yi could not hide his joy.
The essence of this flying sword actually increased his Iron Bone progress by one-tenth! You should know that for ordinary body cultivators to advance from "Iron Bone" to "Bronze Bone", it usually takes several years of hard work.
Moreover, the newly acquired Ice Soul attribute complements the original Frost Bone attribute. Now, even his casual strikes have a frostbite effect. If he unleashes his full power, he can even temporarily freeze the bloodline of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Chen Yi got up and stretched his limbs, and the faint sound of clashing weapons could be heard around him.
"My bones now possess the attributes of four elements: cold, fire, illusion, and metal."
With a slight thought, his right fist suddenly gleamed with a bronze luster. Before the fist was even extended, the candle flames three zhang away were extinguished by the dissipating sharp energy!
If I were to encounter someone like Dong Chang'an, who is in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, I would surely take his life within three punches!
Late at night, more than a month later, the quiet room was suddenly filled with spiritual energy.
Chen Yi sat cross-legged in the formation, his magical power swirling around him like a vortex. Within his dantian, the seventh vortex of spiritual energy finally took shape, forming a perfect cycle with the other six vortices.
"boom!"
The invisible barrier was breached, and his magical power instantly surged by 50%, with a noticeable improvement in its quality.
Chen Yi opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and restrained: "Seventh level of Qi Refining, accomplished."
At this moment, his divine sense was approaching the Foundation Establishment stage, his physical body had reached the Bone Refinement stage, and his magical power had entered the late stage. With these three combined, his true combat strength was no less than that of a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator from a sect!
Even when facing a freak like Xu Shixian, who is a walking treasure trove, Chen Yi wouldn't be intimidated. His fists were already capable of withstanding all kinds of magical artifacts.
Of course, Chen Yi would be out of his mind to go up against someone like that.
He enhances his body's defense to ensure his survival in dangerous situations, not to engage in fierce battles with others.
If you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet.
We should have the necessary strength, but we should avoid taking action if possible.
Winning is not fighting.
Outside the window, the first rays of morning light pierced through the clouds.
Chen Yi concealed his aura and reverted to being the ordinary Chef Chen.
He was in a good mood.
Thinking of trying something different, he suddenly remembered that there was a hairy beast in his pet pouch.
When the Crimson Flame Sparrow saw the light of day again, it was on a spirit wood cutting board, next to a magical kitchen knife ready to chop off its head at any moment.
Chen Yi scanned the bird's body with his divine sense and was slightly surprised. There were strands of golden threads flowing inside the Crimson Flame Bird's body, which was clearly a characteristic of a superior bloodline!
The bloodline of a demon beast is similar to that of a cultivator's spiritual root. A superior bloodline is similar to a cultivator's superior spiritual root. Normally, one can cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage and has a slight chance of breaking through to the Core Formation stage, but this requires a great stroke of luck.
This damned bird's bloodline is two levels higher than Chen Yi's spiritual root.
"No wonder I was able to advance to the second tier. Not bad, eating you will improve the quality of my golden radiance and my body refining progress to some extent."
Chen Yi satisfiedly heated the oil in the wok.
Seeing this scene and sensing the aura of the beast token on Chen Yi, Chi Yan Que...
It immediately urinated, its eyes pleading, one wing drooping and the other wing making a bowing gesture, begging Chen Yi to spare its life.
Chen Yi frowned, somewhat annoyed that the bird had dirtied his desk.
When the firebird noticed that Chen Yi had stopped moving, it thought that the trick had worked, and immediately not only urinated, but also made a gesture as if to defecate.
"If you dare to pull me out, I'll chop your head off right here!" Chen Yi said, his voice icy as he reached for the cleaver.
The firebird stiffened, then suddenly began frantically pounding the cutting board with its still-functioning left wing, its head banging incessantly like it was being pounded.
"Oh?" Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. This feathered beast wasn't lacking in intelligence. He grabbed the beast token and infused it with his magic power, immediately sensing a vague message: [Don't eat me, I can work. Find treasure.]
Upon closer inspection, Chen Yi discovered that this firebird possessed considerable abilities.
It can manipulate fire, and its fire spells can reach the second-tier low-grade level.
What is even more outstanding is its flight speed. It can also change lanes suddenly while flying at high speed, and its flight ability reaches the middle level of the second tier, which is considered to be among the best among birds.
Hmm. Keeping it around wouldn't be bad as a henchman. It can be used for scouting and reconnaissance in the air, bringing back monsters and such. It can also provide some support in battle.
"Alright, I'll keep you for now. Take this healing pill, heal your wounds, and then go out to find food and cultivate properly."
If your injuries don't heal within a month, I'll eat you.
If you can't bring me back any second-tier monsters, spirit mines, spirit herbs, or other things that demonstrate your usefulness within six months, I'll eat you anyway.
If I ever fail to break through my cultivation level and advance in the future, I'll eat you alive!
Chen Yi laid down three rules for it, and every word he said filled the firebird with fear.
Its eyes were filled with tears, and its heart was filled with bitterness. It had almost lost its life after being given a new owner.
On the surface, it should be grateful and thank Chen Yi for saving its life.
The Crimson Flame Sparrow swallowed the healing pill in one gulp, which Chen Yi then stuffed back into his storage bag. A strong surge of demonic energy emanated from the bag.
This was the first time in its life that the bird had taken such serious care in healing its wounds.
P.S.: These are just two transitional chapters; the exciting plot will follow soon.
(End of this chapter)