Chapter 52: Dan Chenzi

As immortal light surged violently from Qiling Mountain, piercing the clouds, many secrets were no longer hidden.

The Seven Immortal Sects and families from all regions could no longer resist their longing.

Within an extremely short time, the entire Qingyun Realm was thrown into turmoil; the Qiling Ruins had clearly become the focal point of all cultivators’ attention.

As word spread, more rumors about the ruins continued to leak out.

“It is said the malevolent energy within the Qiling Ruins has already spilled beyond Zhongzhou and is spreading outward—it suppresses spiritual energy flow and blocks the connection between mortal and celestial, making cultivation impossible.”

“What about Ji You…?”

In the Dao Enlightenment Hall of the Heavenly Book Academy, Lu Qingqiu, Qian Yunxiao, and others were all discussing fervently.

Their families had already sent people to the ruins and knew many details; for days they had been talking of nothing else.

Without the Heavenly Book, Ji You had already lost any advantage in cultivation.

Now that they heard the malevolent energy blocked cultivation, they could only shake their heads in pity.

Just as the crowd continued debating, a storm suddenly gathered in the center of the enlightenment hall—spiritual light began howling and surged into the clouds.

Soon, flashes of lightning began to streak through the layered clouds.

All turned their gaze to the center and saw Chu He floating in midair, in a state of enlightenment.

In moments, a faint but oppressive aura spread outward.

Then—BOOM!—light erupted around Chu He; his ninth spiritual light condensed at his forehead and swiftly gathered into his third eye.

At this sight, everyone widened their eyes.

Chu He had broken through to Tongxuan!

Soon after, a streak of immortal light shot from within the inner courtyard and landed in the enlightenment hall.

The arrival was a middle-aged man, towering and imposing, clad in a black robe embroidered with gold; he looked at Chu He and nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing this, everyone present recalled the night Ji You had sensed the Heavenly Book.

That time, too, the two abbots of Zizai Hall and Jixiang Hall had descended from the sky, shattering the Dao hearts of countless disciples.

But this man’s aura was even more terrifying than Zuoyangyang and You Yingqiu’s—like one who had already attained the mysterious realm pursued by countless others.

He was Fei She, abbot of the Budust Hall of the Heavenly Book Academy, half-step toward the Linxian Realm.

At this sight, all disciples rose and bowed.

Chu He had now fully stabilized his breakthrough; his Tongxuan Upper Realm cultivation base had transformed his aura entirely, radiating the ethereal presence of the Zhufa Realm.

“Does the Chu family’s talent mean the Budust Hall has been directly stirred—intending to name him a personal disciple?”

“Chu He hasn’t even entered the inner courtyard yet—this violates protocol.”

“Still, in the history of the Heavenly Book Academy, there have been disciples who became abbots’ personal pupils immediately after entering the inner courtyard—but those were all prodigies of unparalleled brilliance.”

“Is Chu Brother not a prodigy? Ji You sensed the Heavenly Book, yet still can’t match his pace!”

At this moment, Cao Jingsong arrived, standing on the stone bridge, gazing at Chu He’s transformed aura with a worried expression.

He had also heard of the ruins’ cultivation-blocking malevolent energy; he knew now that Chu He’s entry into the inner courtyard was inevitable.

With his hands behind his back, he watched as the instructor beside him, Ma, beamed and bowed to other instructors in congratulations, his heart sinking.

Pei Ruyi was also in the enlightenment hall; seeing Instructor Cao, he came over and bowed.

“Instructor, I’m leaving for Qiling tomorrow.”

“You’re going too?”

Pei Ruyi nodded: “Something strange has emerged in Qiling.”

Instructor Cao fell silent for a long while: “Wait here.”

“Instructor?”

Cao Jingsong waved him off and walked toward the back, where several instructors he was close to stood.

Pei Ruyi saw him smiling broadly, handing over silver taels, then finally pulling out a pouch and placing it before him.

“When Ji You left, I gave him a pouch—this one is yours.”

“This… this isn’t right. How can an instructor give students silver?”

Cao Jingsong’s face turned stern: “Unknown lands are the most dangerous. The malevolent energy suppresses spiritual energy—take more spirit stones and elixirs. If you meet Ji You, help each other. If you don’t, at least survive.”

Pei Ruyi looked at the money in his hand: “We’ll come back safe.”

“If you truly return safely, and Ji You refuses to come back, say he died inside.”

“?”

Pei Ruyi blinked in surprise: “How could he refuse to come back?”

Cao Jingsong sighed: “He has no loyalty to any immortal sect. He’s always muttered that if not for that Qiu girl, he’d have become a bandit on the mountain long ago—and in truth, he’s proven it with his actions.”

“But the Seven Immortal Sects punish defectors harshly. Unless he’s dead, he can never escape.”

“Yet even if he returns, if he can’t enter the inner courtyard, it’s meaningless.”

“Honestly, I already regret bringing him into the Heavenly Book Academy. A rustic self-cultivator like him never belonged here.”

After speaking, Cao Jingsong looked toward Chu He, radiant with triumph in the enlightenment hall.

Meanwhile, in Room Three, East Wing, second floor of the Beisha Town Relay Station.

Ji You’s golden spiritual sense surged upward, straining to break free of the land’s restrictions, sweat drenching his forehead.

As he refined his spiritual sense, the darkness far above grew clearer.

But for some reason, unlike during his enlightenment in the Heavenly Book Academy, after surpassing his spiritual sense’s limit, he felt no ease or freedom—only a creeping, chilling pressure pressing in.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, exhaled softly, and felt his head spin.

Yuan Chen was still in his room, watching him, astonished.

For some reason, he felt Ji You’s aura had grown even larger than before; even meeting his gaze brought sharp pain.

“They say you can’t cultivate here—how are you doing this?”

“I’m not enlightening. I’m just training my spiritual sense—it does nothing for my realm.”

Yuan Chen pondered: “What’s the use of training spiritual sense?”

Ji You refused to elaborate; after resting a long while, he spoke: “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to Hongshan Mine, then leave with the miners.”

“Leave? You’re really not going into the mountains?”

Ji You fell silent, his heart torn.

Since cultivation was impossible here, even if they escaped, he might never enter the inner courtyard. The best plan was to rescue the people and flee—take Old Qiu’s family into the wilderness to hide their names.

There was another plan: claim that during the rescue, they found a mysterious object—something the immortal sects were seeking.

Then slip away with it hidden on his person, get ambushed on the road, nearly die, spend years healing, and form a bandit stronghold.

The plan was perfect.

Ji You pulled out a rope he’d found in town: “Before we leave tomorrow, tie our waists together—I’ll kill ahead, you pick up behind.”

“Pick up what?”

“My arrows. I bought every one.”

Yuan Chen’s mouth twitched—he thought: I’ve never met such an unusual cultivator.

But thinking of their tied waists, Yuan Chen pursed his lips: “Then we’re sworn brothers in life and death?”

“Want me to raise your pay?”

Yuan Chen didn’t raise the pay—he merely bowed slightly: “Since we’re sworn brothers in life and death, I’ll be honest: Ji Brother, I’m a disciple of Yu Danzong, Dao name Dan Chenzi. The carriage you saw on Wanzhuo Mountain that night? My sister Yuan Caimei was escorting it. I’m here to find her.”

Ji You fell silent for a moment, then looked up: “Yu Danzong? Then why can’t you even hold a sword?”

Yuan Chen extended his palm—colorful light surged wildly: “Alchemy differs from cultivation. We don’t wield killing arts—we learn alchemy from the Immortal Cauldrons. I can’t kill, but with me, you won’t die.”

Ji You stared at him a long while, thinking: This guy’s a healer. “Why are you so sure your sister was brought here?”

“Not long ago, a man drenched in malevolent energy, like a demonic spawn, came to our sect, demanding a new elixir be modified—he offered a fortune. My sister immediately recognized it was made from living humans and refused.”

“Because he was so strange, our sect sent people to follow him secretly. We found he ended up here.”

“Then our sect’s carriage was ambushed on Wanzhuo Mountain—and my sister vanished.”

Ji You nodded, then fell silent for a long while.

(Still not telling me to go live? I really want to burst with updates—please follow and read… or2)

(End of Chapter)