Chapter 403: Discussing Ranks with Others, the Jin Dan Dao, Who Else But Me?

Moonlight flowed in abundance into the room, reflecting the flying spring, with silver snakes dancing wildly, and spiritual energy gathered lightly from all directions.

In the Copper Sparrow Tower hall, the decadent atmosphere dissipated instantly, and clear, icy water vapor rushed forth from the three-foot flying spring, causing the air within the room to suddenly turn fresh.

At this moment, the change in spiritual energy had already drawn many people to approach, and behind Qian Chen, someone pushed the door and entered.

Qian Chen subconsciously turned his head to look, only to see an old man wearing a silk headscarf, dressed in a white single-layered robe, with phoenix eyes and sparse eyebrows, his demeanor refined and open. To his left was a man of about fifty, slightly taller, yet his style was stern and upright, every movement extremely self-respecting. Both were silently watching Xie Lingyun, who was speaking eloquently in the hall, listening intently to his commentary and critique...

Qian Chen did not need to turn his head; his spiritual sense could already envelop the Copper Sparrow Tower.

Only those who could trigger such a reaction in him just by approaching had to be at least of the Yin Spirit rank.

Moreover, for a Yin Spirit like Wang Yan, Qian Chen truly would not turn his head; their cultivation and magic power had to have some presence in Qian Chen's eyes to matter.

Xie Lingyun's spiritual sense perceived the two approaching, and he subconsciously straightened his back.

"The 'Grand Void Moon-Veiling Art' of Profound Void Mountain prioritizes clarity and spirit. Observing its external manifestations: fireflies rinsing jade, empty and dark clear fragrance, the spring striking the moon gate, sharing the toad's light. The three-foot flying spring is neither restless nor hurried, the water flow is light, spiritual, and gentle, the moon soul toad light is bright but not dim, spiritual but not cold; it can be called supreme rank."

"Although the external scenery is a natural manifestation, confined within a single room, the Dao essence is elegant and natural..." Xie Lingyun pondered slightly and nodded: "As such, it should be a third-rank pill manifestation!"

Once these words were spoken, even the true disciples of the immortal sects and noble families nodded slightly, feeling that Xie Lingyun's critique was fair and his comments exquisite.

"It's a pity, this kind of Jin Dan external manifestation is ultimately too small in spirit, confined within a single room. Even among third-rank Golden Cores, it shows a lack of foundation!" a disciple of the Huan family commented in a low voice.

Beside him, a disciple of the Kunming Sect, who had been on good terms with the Profound Void Sect for generations, glared and said: "Is a Jin Dan external manifestation judged by size? Brother Chu's external manifestation follows nature; although small, it fits the clear and spiritual manifestation perfectly..."

"Moreover, in the past, when Brother Chu formed his core, thousands of springs gushed forth, waterfalls flowed horizontally, the flying spring was like an empty pool reflecting the bright moon. Within dozens of miles, the bright moon in the water and the setting sun in the sky shone upon each other, glowing like golden paste, shimmering like candle silver. Like glazed ice, clear and reflecting outward, the fire sun washing away filth in the flames..."

The people in the venue began to argue over the 'big' and 'small' of the core formation manifestation.

The old man wearing the silk headscarf, acting casually, looked left and right. Seeing his companion beside him was stern and unsmiling, he quietly tugged at Qian Chen's sleeve and asked: "What do you think of this Jin Dan external manifestation?"

The old man beside him glanced slightly at Qian Chen and Wang Longxiang, his eyes condensing slightly, clearly having discovered something.

But this person was very deep, remaining calm on the surface.

Qian Chen had originally sensed their energy and glanced at them once. He realized that although these two posed some threat and their energy had a hint of pure yang, it was clear their Yang Spirit had not yet transformed successfully, and their magic power was light, not like those skilled in combat, but rather like cultivators with some Dao practice, so he ignored them.

He was currently quite surprised. During his time in Southern Jin, he had never seen many pill ranks evaluated properly. Wang Longxiang was naturally of the stature of a first-rank pill formation, and Xie Lingyun today also seemed to be of that caliber. Among the rest of the twenty-eight characters of the Divine Land, the pill ranks all matched the critiques.

He had assumed that the noble families' pure discussions and critiques should match his own deliberations.

But until today, seeing the pure discussion and critique in person, and with Xie Lingyun setting the verdict, he couldn't help but feel some doubt.

This Chu Wengong, although his magic power was clear and spiritual and his foundation solid, had a major flaw in the essence of his path. The Flying Spring Reflecting Moon Pill he formed had gone wrong at the final step.

He wondered why Xie Lingyun couldn't see it.

With someone beside him pressing for an answer, he pondered slightly and said low-key: "The Taiyin is not yet fixed!"

"Oh?" The old man's face showed surprise, he lowered his head in thought, and then his expression turned to shock. He turned to look at his stern companion beside him, only to see this person also nod slightly and say: "The Taiyin is not fixed, the path is flawed... Well said! The pill energy of the flying spring is naturally supreme rank; although the foundation is fine, the steps were disordered at the final stage of core formation."

Chu Wengong, sitting on the seat, had already slowly emerged from his meditative state, enjoying the flattery of the crowd. Hearing these words, his face turned pale, and he looked over toward this side.

When he saw the old man's appearance clearly, his face turned white again.

"The 'Grand Void Moon-Veiling Art' of Profound Void Mountain is an orthodox illusion technique, extremely profound. It can form a second-rank Jade Spring Moon Splendor Pill or a third-rank Flying Spring Reflecting Moon Pill. But at the final stage of core formation, there is a scene that is both real and illusory. If one is obscured by the illusion, the moon splendor flowing paste, the great medicine of the formed pill, will escape, losing a point of true essence from the pill. Because this ailment is extremely hidden and activates silently, six or seven out of ten who form this pill in Profound Void Mountain cannot escape this calamity."

The old man sighed: "Your Jin Dan external manifestation is good in every other way, except for one point: the moonlight reflected by the flying spring is scattered and shimmering, seeing only the light and color of the moon but not the true form of the full moon. You must know that in illusion-formed pills, among ten thousand illusions, the most important thing is a point of true intent. In the ten thousand illusions of the flying spring, the true intent is the bright moon in the sky. Only when the bright moon is fixed can the flying spring change unpredictably without losing its foundation."

"No matter how the illusion confuses others, one's own heart must remain unmoved. But your Taiyin is not fixed..."

The old man showed an expression of intolerance and shook his head: "You have already lost the foundation for a supreme-rank pill!"

Chu Wengong's face was deathly pale. Only then did he remember that after his pill was formed, he was summoned by his sect elders to check it, and the Sect Master had sighed: "The Taiyin is not fixed, the pill rank is flawed!" At the time, he was also somewhat anxious, but later, whether in his cultivation progress or when casting spells, there were no obstacles, so he privately thought it was just a small flaw and not a major issue. Moreover, his treatment as a true disciple was unaffected. Who would have thought that today, it would be cruelly exposed.

"Lord Zhongyi!" he stood up in terror and bowed deeply.

The old man sighed: "This is a Flying Spring Illusory Moon Pill, ranked fourth!"

Chu Wengong's face was miserable, his body swayed slightly, and he stumbled back several steps.

Everyone felt a sense of sympathy. Even the noble family disciples who disliked his arrogant demeanor did not show joy. For them, whether they could form a supreme-rank pill affected their path to the Yang Spirit and even the Nascent Soul. In this world, how many who form supreme-rank pills can achieve the Yang Spirit? Therefore, a flawed path was not a true fear for them.

And Central Land cultivators value fame and power. Because there is little fighting between various noble families and immortal sects, even if they do fight, as long as they have one or two powerful magic treasures, their combat ability is not necessarily inferior.

What people value is the future of the Great Dao, or rather, the future of the Great Dao in the eyes of others.

Therefore, when Central Land noble family cultivators talk about Dao practice, it is not that they all truly yearn for the Great Dao of longevity, but that their family power and reputation are tied to it, and the resources they receive are also based on it.

If Chu Wengong could wear the skin of a supreme-rank pill formation, then how would his reputation and resources differ from those who formed a supreme-rank pill? But today, once his reputation fell, the sect resources he received would drop another level. Profound Void Mountain has six major noble families, which have already become completely involutionary, and noble family resources are not lacking. But non-noble family disciples are destined to be suppressed in various ways. If these people formed a Flying Spring Illusory Moon Pill, the elders of the various families in charge of the sect would naturally pick at them and suppress them, setting it at the fourth rank. But Chu Wengong was a disciple of the six families, so someone lifted a hand slightly, letting him enjoy higher-tier resources.

But this was treatment he only had under the condition that his reputation did not fall.

Today, his background was leaked, and the sect could no longer cover it up. Although the six families were dominant, the other elders of different surnames would not let this opportunity go. After returning, they would definitely redefine the pill rank... His future was finished!

Pointed out by Yu Liang, Chu Wengong dared not hold a grudge, but he glared hatefully at Qian Chen, who had only said half a sentence.

Yu Liang was the head of the Yu family, his reputation was extremely heavy, and he was a Yin Spirit master, vaguely having the momentum to achieve the Yang Spirit, his status comparable to the head of his Chu family. He dared to satirize Wang Longxiang and Xie Lingyun because they were of the same generation, seen as youthful spirit, and the noble families did not blame him for this. But toward the elders of the noble families, no one dared to be so offensive.

Qian Chen sighed in his heart: "Innocent! I have already been so low-key, must I really defeat everyone here with one sword, then step on the table and leave behind the words that everyone present is trash?"

The group of noble family disciples who came with Chu Wengong all looked at Qian Chen with complex expressions, not lacking in a sense of shared hatred. The noble families present also felt Qian Chen was a stranger and were discussing in low voices.

The old man who had asked Qian Chen laughed twice, only then realizing he had ruined things. But being famous like this was not entirely a bad thing. He wanted to let Qian Chen become famous, so he took the opportunity to ask: "Which family's disciple are you, to have such amazing insight?"

Qian Chen said indifferently: "I am not from a noble family!"

At this time, Yu Liang, who had vaguely held Qian Chen in high regard, frowned slightly. He was serious and respectful of the law, strictly observing the distinction between the gentry and the commoners. He had originally wanted to promote this person, but now he extinguished that thought. This time, even the noble families were dissatisfied and developed hostility toward Qian Chen. On the contrary, the old man who had first questioned Qian Chen felt somewhat embarrassed.

He was Yu Liang's good friend, the noble family celebrity Wen Qiao. Because his personality was somewhat frivolous and unrestrained, and he liked vulgar words and coarse language, although he was a Yin Spirit master, he liked to gamble with big merchants in Yangzhou.

He once won a Yangzhou tycoon until he was bankrupt, but the next day he visited with all the wealth, apologized and laughed: "Just gambling! Not to break your family gate!" He returned all the wealth he won, and he never cared about the money he lost himself. Every time he even lost his magic robes and magic crown, he would ask Yu Liang to redeem him.

Wen Qiao laughed: "I have a precious rhinoceros mirror, yet I didn't notice anything unusual. It was only after you pointed it out that I saw through the ten thousand illusions, that the true reality was not fixed. How did you perceive it?"

"It should be luck!" Qian Chen's eyes were clear and calm, he said indifferently.

He adhered to being low-key, his own positioning was just to watch the fun, and he didn't want to be watched as the fun by others. If he once made a move, it would truly be that everyone present was trash!

Like that, it wouldn't be very polite!

At this time, Huan Xuan finally revealed his external manifestation. Outside the Copper Sparrow Tower, red clouds gathered in the sky, and flowing clouds fell, reflecting red light into the room. The rosy light was like flowing fire, illuminating the palaces and pavilions on this floor as if they were on fire.

Xie Lingyun subconsciously turned his head and looked at Qian Chen again. Just now, he, the host, had actually made a fool of himself, but because most of those present were noble family disciples, everyone felt a sense of empathy. Even the immortal sect gentry who had some estrangement felt more favorable toward him. On the contrary, Qian Chen was unanimously excluded by everyone.

Xie Lingyun steadied his mind: "Pill clouds flowing fire, moving in the blue sky, its manifestation has a yang pearl scattering fire, yin armor hiding treasure, pill energy like cloud essence water jade, dazzling dragon scales. It is truly supreme rank without a doubt!"

Although Wen Qiao knew something was wrong, his gambling nature made him itch, so he still turned his head to ask Qian Chen: "What do you think?"

"What do you mean by what do I think?"

Qian Chen felt this person loved watching the fun too much. Coincidentally, Qian Chen was also of this nature, like repels like, so he saw through the bad intentions in his heart very thoroughly, secretly annoyed: "If you dare to release your Yin Spirit external manifestation, I will let you know what a poisonous snake is!"

"Third rank lower!"

Qian Chen didn't feel the need to cover it up, lowering his own standard slightly to avoid shocking these people, and said bluntly.

Suddenly, the crowd exploded. Someone among the noble families sneered: "Pill clouds like burning clouds, falling like flowing fire, this kind of firepower is enough to melt gold and iron. Within the pill cloud fire color, there is a hint of pure green, I think it is because Brother Huan refined the Green Lotus Earth Fire malevolent qi of the Pill Cloud Blessed Land. Condensing malevolent qi and refining earth fire, refining gang and rosy clouds to stir up energy, gang and malevolent qi combined to melt pill clouds, this is the most supreme pill formation method."

"It should be the most supreme among third-rank Golden Cores, even Brother Chu... should be slightly inferior."

He felt that Huan Xuan's secret of condensing malevolent qi and refining gang was known to few, so he thought he had found Qian Chen's flaw and mocked: "Don't tell me someone thinks that because they guessed right once, their insight is better than everyone present!"

"So this also counts as condensing malevolent qi and refining gang?"

Qian Chen was speechless for a moment. Condensing malevolent qi and refining gang is the prerequisite for many supernatural powers of Heavenly Gang and Earthly Malevolent, and there are ones lower than second rank?

He really wanted to remind this person that not all condensing malevolent qi and refining gang is called condensing malevolent qi and refining gang. Gang and malevolent qi are like the clarity and turbidity of heaven and earth, transforming into Hunyuan, sprouting supernatural power seeds, only then is it called condensing malevolent qi and refining gang.

If they cannot be combined, gang and malevolent qi do not match, or even if the clarity and turbidity are mixed up, and the gang and malevolent qi cannot be melted into one to transform into innate primordial qi—that is called mixed gang and malevolent qi.

In this way, the malevolent qi and gang qi in the pill essence are still distinct, and can only be used to cast Dao techniques, without generating supernatural power seeds.

"You don't even know condensing malevolent qi and refining gang!" the person sneered: "Now we believe you were just guessing!"

Wang Longxiang raised his head slightly, a strange look appearing on his face—"Are these people serious?"

"In Taibai's sword technique, the move 'Heaven and Earth are the Bellows, Circulating in the Grand Ease', mixes clarity and turbidity, forming heaven and earth within a single sword, reversing the power of clarity and turbidity, turning all primordial qi into Hunyuan. If someone who casts such a sword doesn't understand what condensing malevolent qi and refining gang is, who else would?"

But he had always been taciturn in front of these people. Although he thought so, he did not speak out. Only Xie Lingyun noticed this strange look.

Qian Chen said calmly: "The Green Lotus Earth Fire malevolent qi is the essence of Wood, descending into the earth's lungs, steamed out by fire energy, so the color is like green clouds. And because Wood transforms the fire poison of the earth's lungs, the firepower is relatively pure, which can be called middle-rank Earthly Malevolent qi."

"And the Rosy Cloud Stirring Gang qi is pure fire energy bound by meta-magnetism, turning into clouds, so the rosy clouds can melt gold and iron..."

"So the Green Lotus Earth Fire malevolent qi has endless vitality, hiding the essence of Wood, while the Rosy Cloud Stirring Gang qi is meta-magnetic Gold energy. Gold overcomes Wood, so the gang and malevolent qi do not match and cannot be mixed. The pure green in this red cloud is exactly the impurity!"

"Originally, the Rosy Cloud Stirring qi could evolve meta-magnetic supernatural powers, and the Green Lotus Earth Fire malevolent qi could find a Wind Malevolent Gang, and also be able to generate fire and wood, turning into a burning wind! Only when the two are combined and refined, they hide restraint. During the fire calamity, one of the three calamities when transforming into a Yin Spirit, one must be especially careful. When the demon fire burns the body, it will definitely ignite the Wood energy hidden in the Jin Dan, counter-consuming the essence of meta-magnetism, and the Jin Dan has the danger of collapsing!"

Huan Xuan heard these words, his face was bloodless. Wen Qiao hammered his right palm and nodded repeatedly: "It is indeed so, it is indeed so... I only thought these two gang and malevolent qi were both of the cloud category, and thought they were very compatible, but I didn't see this hidden danger!"

Yu Liang beside him also frequently showed strange looks and glanced at Qian Chen.

"This is correct. When Brother Huan formed his core, the gang and malevolent qi restrained each other, leaving behind flaws and hidden dangers. The pill rank is only third rank lower!" Xie Lingyun glanced at Huan Xuan and sighed in his heart. For someone whose fundamental flaw was found by others, the hidden danger was extremely great. In the future, if someone wants to deal with Huan Xuan, they only need to sacrifice a magic treasure that can trigger his internal fire, and it will have miraculous effects.

Fortunately, noble families have various means to make up for it. Finding a sect to eliminate internal fire and suppress internal demons with water-attribute magic treasures will do.

Moreover, in the future, when breaking through the Yin Spirit and crossing the internal fire calamity, one can be prepared and find ways to eliminate hidden dangers. Compared to crossing the tribulation without any precautions, it is still countless times better.

Speaking of which, it was still Qian Chen's favor...

Huan Xuan was arrogant, but he still forcibly bowed and said to Qian Chen: "Thank you for your guidance, fellow Daoist!" ===== CHAPTER 404 =====