Chapter 69: Inhaling a Single Breath of True Fire!

"Thank you, Miss Wen, for your guidance; this old man has taken note."

Jiang Ye bowed respectfully to Wen Yueyao with a cheerful smile, his thanks sincere.

"Haha, I merely shared a bit of trivial knowledge with Elder Jiang; no need to thank me."

Seeing how receptive he was, Wen Yueyao’s face broke into a satisfied smile.

The two continued toward Juding Peak, walking at a steady, unhurried pace.

Jiang Ye fell silent for a moment, then asked again:

"By the way, Miss Wen, this old man is curious: since true qi is based on the Five Elements, can cultivators cultivate multiple types of true qi? Why do all the cultivators on Tianyangfeng practice only fire-element true qi?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Yueyao’s lovely oval face showed no surprise—only an expression of “I knew you’d ask this.”

She laughed brightly, her voice clear and crisp:

"Elder Jiang, you’ve hit the nail on the head."

"Cultivators can indeed train multiple types of true qi—there’s no inherent restriction."

"But..." Her tone shifted, growing more serious as she continued:

"For ordinary cultivators, nurturing even one type of true qi is already extremely difficult; nurturing a second is far harder still."

"Even if one somehow manages to cultivate two elemental true qis, their future cultivation will become vastly more difficult."

"Many have tried this path, hoping to cultivate multiple true qis to strengthen their foundation—but all got stuck at the early Golden Core stage, unable to advance a single step, and ended up losing more than they gained."

Jiang Ye nodded slowly, as if understanding. "So that’s how it is..."

Since multiple true qis could be cultivated, he had no intention of holding back.

What was impossible for ordinary cultivators was effortless for him, whose insight was extraordinary.

Seeing his expression, Wen Yueyao assumed he was reflecting on the hardships of the martial path, and added with a smile:

"Still, there have been successful cultivators—for instance, our top two transmission disciples, Sister Hua, is a genius who cultivates two elemental true qis!"

At this, Jiang Ye’s aged eyes flickered with a hint of surprise. "The top two transmission disciples..."

He had heard from Lu Ming and Chen Lili before: the top two names on the transmission list were twin sisters.

But these twin sisters were elusive, rarely seen within the sect, so the most renowned transmission disciple in Tianqing Sect was still Jin Hai.

"Besides those two Hua sisters, there is one other person in the sect who cultivates multiple true qis."

Wen Yueyao spoke, her face filled with genuine admiration, her voice lowering slightly: "Our Sect Master."

She paused, her eyes brimming with reverence: "Everyone says I have exceptional talent—but compared to the Sect Master, I’m but a mayfly gazing at the blue sky."

"Our Sect Master cultivates multiple true qis?!"

Jiang Ye’s face showed clear astonishment.

It seemed true geniuses were never lacking in this world.

Jiang Ye smiled faintly and shook his head. "Miss Wen, I’ve heard you achieved Golden Core after only seven days of Qi Condensation—such speed is unmatched in Tianqing Sect. With your talent, cultivating multiple true qis shouldn’t be difficult for you, right?"

At this, Wen Yueyao’s lovely oval face showed rare seriousness and resolve.

She shook her head slightly, her voice crisp:

"Elder Jiang, you’re mistaken."

She paused, her gaze drifting toward the distance, as if gazing along her own martial path.

"I’m too impulsive—I want to accomplish everything at once. Such a nature is unsuited to cultivating multiple true qis."

"For me, focusing all my energy on one path and breaking through realms as quickly as possible is the right way."

Jiang Ye paused, then his eyes lit with approval.

He hadn’t expected this girl to understand herself so clearly.

To know others is wisdom; to know oneself is enlightenment.

In a sense, this was already a clear Dao-heart.

"It seems Miss Wen’s martial path will lead her far."

Jiang Ye praised softly, his tone sincere.

"Hahaha, thank you for your blessing, Elder Jiang!"

Wen Yueyao laughed brightly, her smile as radiant as ever, then bowed slightly: "I also wish you good fortune in exchanging for the Qi Condensation method—and may you achieve Golden Core soon!"

Jiang Ye’s aged face broke into a smile as well; the two exchanged glances and smiled warmly, the atmosphere harmonious.

As they walked and chatted, their pace quickened, and soon they arrived at the Administrative Hall of Juding Peak.

The hall doors stood open; as soon as they stepped inside, Gongsun Hong—who had been sitting with eyes closed, resting—suddenly stirred, slowly opening his eyes.

Before Wen Yueyao could speak, he rose instantly, his thin face beaming with courteous smiles as he stepped forward to greet them:

"Congratulations, Miss Wen, on achieving Golden Core! I haven’t had the chance to offer my congratulations yet."

Wen Yueyao’s current status and position were no longer comparable to ordinary transmission disciples.

The girl smiled faintly and waved her hand. "Master Gongsun, you know I dislike formalities. Today I’ve come to ask you to transfer thirty thousand merit points to Elder Jiang."

As she spoke, she pulled out her transmission token and handed it over along with Jiang Ye’s executive token.

"A trivial matter, Miss Wen, please wait a moment."

Gongsun Hong took the tokens, his demeanor noticeably more courteous than last time.

He also greeted Jiang Ye: "Elder Jiang, are you still comfortable in the herb garden? If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask."

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Thank you for your concern, Master Gongsun. I’ve adapted well to the herb garden."

"Good, good—glad to hear it."

Gongsun Hong chuckled, his hands still busy: "If you ever wish to relocate, come see me anytime. The Administrative Hall may not have much, but we can handle such conveniences."

As he spoke, he completed the merit transfer and returned both tokens with both hands.

"Thank you, Master Gongsun."

Wen Yueyao took the tokens, glanced at them briefly, then tucked them away.

Without delay, they left the Administrative Hall and continued up the mountain path toward the Scripture Tower.

Under Wen Yueyao’s guidance, a three-story ancient tower soon came into view.

Its walls were built of grayish stone bricks, with upturned eaves and bracket sets, radiating the weight of centuries.

Above the entrance, three bold, ancient characters danced across the plaque—Scripture Tower!

The brushstrokes were archaic and powerful, each stroke seeming to hold a mysterious resonance.

"We’re here, Elder Jiang!"

Before entering, Wen Yueyao lowered her voice to whisper to Jiang Ye: "The elder guarding the Scripture Tower is named Zhong—he’s a bit eccentric. Be careful when you meet him."

"Eccentric?"

Jiang Ye blinked slightly.

Then Wen Yueyao led him inside the tower.

The first floor was dim, lit only by a few flickering oil lamps in the corners, casting dappled shadows across the bookshelves.

An elderly man with white hair and a long beard sat behind a desk, reading intently; his beard hung to his chest, and he looked even older than Jiang Ye.

He was utterly absorbed, eyes glued to the page, seemingly unaware of their arrival.

Wen Yueyao cleared her throat softly and stepped forward, speaking gently: "Master Zhong, Elder Jiang wishes to exchange for a Qi Condensation method."

After a moment, the old man slowly lifted his head, his cloudy eyes shifting slightly as he glanced at them.

Seeing Wen Yueyao, the transmission disciple, Zhong Lao’s demeanor differed sharply from Gongsun Hong’s—he showed no change in expression, only replied coolly: "He wants to exchange for a Qi Condensation method. Why are you here?"

Jiang Ye and Wen Yueyao both froze.

This old man truly was eccentric.

Wen Yueyao opened her mouth to explain, but Zhong Lao had already turned his gaze to Jiang Ye.

He gave him a quick up-and-down look, his voice still flat: "The Qi Condensation methods are on the second floor. Hand me your token—go up and choose for yourself."

Jiang Ye glanced at Wen Yueyao; seeing her slight nod, he stepped forward and handed over his executive token.

Zhong Lao took the token, made a single mark in the ledger beside him, then nodded toward the stairs nearby:

"Go up."

Then he lowered his head again, returning to his unreadable book, ignoring Jiang Ye completely.

Jiang Ye felt no anger—only bowed slightly, then turned toward the stairs.

As he passed Wen Yueyao, he whispered:

"Miss Wen, I’ll go up to choose the Qi Condensation method. You don’t need to wait—I’ll head back myself."

"Alright! Elder Jiang, I’ll take my leave then."

Wen Yueyao was a straightforward woman; she nodded without further ceremony and walked out.

Before stepping through the door, she glanced back at Jiang Ye, thinking to herself: "Which Qi Condensation method will Elder Jiang choose...? Probably the Furnace True Fire Qi Condensation Method."

Jiang Ye climbed the wooden stairs slowly.

Before ascending, he glanced at the bookshelves on the first floor and saw they held mostly foundational martial arts—like the Mountain Shattering Fist that Liu Qingshi and others learned—essentially low-grade.

"So the good ones are on the upper floors."

He murmured to himself, stepping steadily upward to the second floor.

As soon as he entered, a faint herbal scent filled the air—the special herb fragrance used to prevent insect damage.

Rows of neatly arranged bookshelves stretched before him, labeled with categories: fist techniques, palm techniques, sword arts, saber arts... clearly organized and abundant.

In the center, three bold characters stood out—Qi Condensation Methods.

Jiang Ye hurried forward, scanning the shelves.

In the fire-element true qi section, three ancient tomes lay quietly, their covers bearing different inscriptions, each radiating the weight of time.

The "Molten Furnace True Fire Qi Cultivation Method" had a dark red cover, faintly patterned with furnace flame motifs.

The "Earth Vein True Fire Qi Cultivation Method" had a deep brown cover, its patterns resembling fissures and rock strata.

The "Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Method" had a golden-red cover, faintly glowing with shifting light.

Jiang Ye’s gaze settled on the last one; without hesitation, he reached out and took it down.

He opened the first page, and a pattern met his eyes.

A great sun hung high above the nine heavens, radiating myriad rays as if ready to burn through the paper.

Turning further, he found the Qi cultivation movement diagram.

The diagram marked the human meridians and the path of true qi flow, accompanied by dense, tiny annotations.

At dawn, when the great sun rises, face east and draw in the morning sun’s fire. The morning sun is gentle, nurturing the foundation.

At midday, when the great sun hangs high, face upward and draw in the noon sun’s fire. The noon sun is fierce, strengthening the meridians.

At dusk, when the great sun sets, face west and draw in the evening sun’s fire. The evening sun is warm and soothing, solidifying the root.

Jiang Ye’s eyes scanned line by line, and the ancient light in his gaze grew brighter.

Morning fire, noon fire, evening fire.

Within a single day, three kinds of fire, three kinds of transformation.

For ordinary martial cultivators, understanding this would be as hard as climbing to heaven.

But for him…

A faint smile curled at Jiang Ye’s lips.

This is the one!

Jiang Ye took down the "Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Method" without hesitation, holding it in his hands.

His fingertips traced the golden-red patterns on the cover, as if feeling the searing heat of the great sun radiating through the paper.

He did not rush downstairs but walked slowly among the bookshelves on the second floor, his gaze sweeping over rows of Qi cultivation methods marked by different elemental affinities.

Metal, wood, water, earth—the four elemental Qi techniques stood in four rows, each radiating its own unique aura.

His gaze lingered longest on the wood-element Qi techniques.

A book with a lush green cover, its patterns like ancient tree rings, lay quietly there, bearing seven archaic characters: "Green Wood Longevity Qi Cultivation Method."

He reached out and took it down, flipping through it idly.

The introduction clearly stated: This method nurtures the body with the vitality of green wood; when perfected, it extends lifespan and preserves youth.

“Extend lifespan…”

A flash of sharp light passed through Jiang Ye’s ancient eyes.

For his seventy-year-old body, the lure of “extend lifespan” outweighed even the promise of increased combat power.

He silently memorized the book’s location and sighed inwardly:

“Too bad I don’t have enough contribution points yet… When I gather enough, I’ll complete all four elemental Qi methods.”

The latter halves of these Qi cultivation methods seemed obscured by secret techniques—flipping further revealed only blank pages.

Otherwise, with his extraordinary comprehension talent, he could have begun practicing right here, without needing to exchange for them.

Zhong Lao still sat behind the desk, engrossed in an unnamed book.

Jiang Ye walked up to the desk and gently placed the Qi cultivation method upon it:

“Master Zhong, I’ve chosen. I wish to exchange for this Qi cultivation method.”

Zhong Lao glanced sideways, his eyes landing on the golden-red cover.

A cryptic smile suddenly appeared on his wrinkled face.

He set down his book and spoke slowly, voice hoarse and flat: “Since you’re an old man with little time left, I’ll warn you—this is the hardest Qi cultivation method in the sect. You may die before you cultivate even a single wisp of fire Qi.”

Jiang Ye looked at him, his expression calm as still water.

He had figured it out: the old man’s so-called bad temper was really just sharp-tongued cruelty, enjoying making others squirm.

His voice remained equally calm, unwavering: “I choose this one.”

“Fine.”

Hearing Jiang Ye’s confirmation, Zhong Lao said no more. He picked up the "Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Method," rose, and walked into a small room beside him.

About a cup of tea’s time later.

Zhong Lao emerged, holding a thin booklet—the printed copy of the "Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Method."

“Take it.”

He handed Jiang Ye the printed copy, speaking coolly: “You know the rule—do not leak it outside, or you will die.”

“Understood!”

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, tucking the copy into his robe.

He said nothing more, merely bowed to Zhong Lao, then turned and walked toward the door.

Back at Tianyangfeng.

Jiang Ye wasted no time. He immediately took out the printed copy of the "Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Method" and began practicing.

He wanted to see just what made this method—the most difficult to cultivate fire Qi—so hard.

He lowered his gaze, turning page by page, examining every detail.

From the general outline to the essential principles, from the meridian movement diagrams to the breathing techniques, he left nothing unexamined.

His extraordinary comprehension talent revealed itself fully—what others needed days of repeated study to grasp, he understood after a single reading.

After about a cup of tea’s time, he closed the copy and placed it beside him.

It was just as the sunset hung, not yet fallen.

The clouds on the horizon blazed golden-red; the white sun, no longer scorching as at noon, had softened into warmth, like a massive fireball about to sink beyond the horizon.

The sunlight fell upon him—not blinding, not searing—only perfectly soothing warmth.

Jiang Ye lifted his head, gazing directly at the setting sun.

Following the breathing rhythm recorded in the method, he adjusted his breath.

Deep inhale, slow exhale, mind sinking, Qi harmonizing, intention unified.

One, two, three…

His breathing grew steadier, longer, as if subtly aligning with some cosmic rhythm.

His spirit gradually sank into a profound, empty clarity; all external sounds—the wind, the insects—faded from perception, leaving only the warm sun above.

Slowly, the sun in the sky began to change in his vision.

No longer an ordinary sun, no longer a brilliant orb.

Within the light, a silhouette faintly emerged…

“Is that… a Golden Crow?!”

Jiang Ye’s spirit trembled.

It was a three-legged divine bird, its entire body ablaze with golden flame, wings spread wide, blotting out heaven and earth.

It hung silently in the nine heavens, overlooking all things, its fiery eyes piercing through all illusions. That majesty, that boundlessness, stirred an instinctive urge to kneel and worship.

And in that instant,

what he inhaled was no longer air—but a thread of searing true fire.