Chapter 279: Mutual Complement

After breaking through, Cheng Daocai immediately took over the elixir shop.

He alone was enough to handle everything inside and out.

Of course, elixir refining still required He Pingsheng's hands.

Qiao Huizhu said she would come over, but traveling from the Free and Easy Immortal Sect to Hongshi City by sword-flight is no short journey—it takes several days.

He Pingsheng took advantage of these days to enter a short period of secluded cultivation.

On one hand, he continued to familiarize himself with the 【Huanhuan Jiji Jing】.

On the other, he took out the fifth-rank array, the 【Tianyue Shen Array】, and studied it.

Last time, after obtaining Lin Zifang's family array scripture and strengthening it, he gained two copies: one was the 【Tianyue Shen Array】, the other the 【Darì Shen Array】.

Though there were two, in truth, mastering either one was sufficient.

They were nearly identical.

He Pingsheng chose to study the 【Tianyue Shen Array】.

Because he felt Hongshi City was too far from the Free and Easy Immortal Sect; mastering the divine array sooner would allow him to set up a teleportation array sooner.

If he could establish a teleportation array between Hongshi City and the Free and Easy Immortal Sect, wouldn't that save days of flight?

Not only faster, but safer too.

…

Free and Easy Immortal Sect!

Yushu Peak!

The entire Free and Easy Immortal Sect had twelve peaks.

Yushu Peak was no ordinary place—it was exalted beyond compare, far surpassing the status of Biyun Peak where Qiao Huizhu resided.

This was because the peak master of Yushu Peak was a Nascent Soul Elder.

Yushu True Person!

Yushu True Person had only recently ascended to Nascent Soul, with less than a century of cultivation since.

His cultivation base was merely Nascent Soul Stage Two.

He had decent talent—a single Wood Spirit Root—and his cultivation had always flowed smoothly until the Nascent Soul stage, where he finally understood what 【Heaven's Dao is impartial】 truly meant.

A single spirit root certainly grants blazing speed during Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation.

But after reaching Nascent Soul, the limitations of a single spirit root became apparent.

For a Nascent Soul cultivator to break through, one must not only condense immortal spiritual energy to overcome physical barriers, but also comprehend the laws of heaven and earth to overcome the Dao barrier.

Only by breaking through both physical and Dao barriers can one advance further.

Yet a single Wood Spirit Root can only comprehend Dao arts related to Wood.

This greatly reduces opportunities.

For example, suppose a sudden opportunity arises—a primordial Dao essence born of heaven and earth—but it is of the Fire attribute.

A Wood cultivator cannot comprehend this Dao essence.

That is the limitation.

Yet a cultivator with all five spirit roots can comprehend all Dao arts in this world.

This is what is meant by: "Above Nascent Soul, all beings are equal."

At this moment, in the grand hall of this Nascent Soul elder, one person knelt.

It was Wuqiong Dao Ren, clad in white robes, ethereal and otherworldly—the top Foundation Establishment disciple of Yushu Peak, and its senior disciple among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Rise," the Nascent Soul elder said, waving his hand casually: "This matter is indeed troublesome."

He was referring to Zhang Qi being imprisoned by the city governor's mansion.

In Hongshi City, the Free and Easy Immortal Sect's status was indeed exalted, its power immense.

But the city governor's mansion represented the Liang Empire.

This was an extension of the imperial family's authority.

Since they were at fault, they dared not oppose the city governor's mansion.

"Master!" Wuqiong said: "I believe the key to this matter lies entirely with Xu Kunlun!"

"If he gives a firm nod, my brother will be released without trouble!"

"Hmph…" Yushu True Person sneered: "Isn't this your own doing? Sending Zhang Qi to provoke them? Do you think I didn't know?"

"But Zhang Qi is also an idiot—why did he start a fight inside someone's elixir shop?"

"I recall the city governor's mansion has designated dueling grounds for cultivators!"

"Why not set up a fighting platform? Wouldn't that be better?"

Wuqiong bowed: "It's all my fault. But what should we do now?"

"Hmph…" Yushu True Person said: "Bring me the fragments. Let me see them."

Wuqiong respectfully pulled out a vial and handed it to his master.

The vial had been given to him by He Pingsheng.

Inside were the shattered remnants of elixirs.

"Open…" The Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual sense surged forth, drawing every shard from the vial into the void, suspending them in midair.

A miraculous sight occurred.

Under the Nascent Soul spiritual sense's manipulation, the countless fragments reassembled into whole elixirs in less than ten breaths.

Indeed—thirty-six elixirs, not one missing, not one extra.

Twenty-four were Juyuan Elixirs!

Twelve were Chaoyuan Elixirs.

And all were top-grade quality.

"This boy didn't cheat you," the old Nascent Soul said: "Thirty-six top-grade elixirs indeed."

"Six million is slightly expensive, but not outrageous."

"What can you do when you're the one who needs something?"

"Give it," Yushu True Person waved his hand, tossing out a storage bag: "Inside are six hundred middle-grade spirit stones. Take them to Xu Kunlun."

"Get Zhang Qi out as soon as possible."

"Yes…" Wuqiong Dao Ren joyfully accepted the storage bag, then looked at the floating elixir fragments and asked: "Master, what about these…?"

"Useless!" Yushu waved his hand, and the fragments were instantly flung outside the door: "Once shattered, spiritual energy is gone!"

"This time, pay for a lesson."

"I don't care what grudge you hold against Xu Kunlun."

"But I know his wife resides on Biyun Peak."

"Yushu Peak cannot be overshadowed by Biyun Peak—we must reclaim this honor!"

"Go."

With a sweep of his sleeve, the Nascent Soul cultivator sent Wuqiong flying out of the hall.

The hall slammed shut, the array sealing.

…

Several days later!

Qiao Huizhu arrived at the elixir shop.

"Husband… I'm sorry!" As soon as she saw He Pingsheng, Qiao Huizhu's face filled with remorse: "It's all my fault—I just learned I caused you trouble, so I came right away!"

"Husband, are you alright?"

"Did they do anything to you?"

Qiao Huizhu looked tense.

He Pingsheng smiled: "Don't worry—nothing happened."

"You know, fighting is forbidden in Hongshi City—they can't touch me."

"Mm," Qiao Huizhu nodded.

"How are you?" He Pingsheng asked, looking at her: "Is your cultivation at the Free and Easy Immortal Sect going well?"

"Sigh…" Qiao Huizhu said: "The Free and Easy Immortal Sect is excellent in every way."

"But there are some overreaching fools who keep daydreaming about winning me over."

"But don't worry!" Qiao Huizhu smiled, then pulled a book from her bosom: "Once I break through this bottleneck—"

"Those delusional fools won't dare dream anymore!"

Plop…

The book was placed before He Pingsheng.

On its cover were five large characters: 【Huanhuan Jiji Jing】.

Qiao Huizhu stepped to the counter, gazing at He Pingsheng with sultry eyes.

He Pingsheng smiled, tucked away the 【Huanhuan Jiji Jing】, and said: "Alright… let's try. Whether we can break through is still uncertain."

After all, Lin Zifang broke through using this scripture by absorbing others' essence.

Mutual complementation is another matter entirely.