Chapter 250 : Only Lacking the East Wind

Chapter 250: Only Lacking the East Wind

Old Turtle lifted his head, half-closed eyes slightly opening as he seriously examined the arrivals.

One of them wore a frost-colored cross-collared ruqun. Petite in stature with delicate features, she revealed sweet dimples, exuding a fresh and lovely temperament.

The other had her hair coiled into a simple bun, bearing a dignified appearance. Clad in a deep purple long dress that outlined her shapely figure.

From a cultivator’s perspective, the talents and auras of these two girls were rather ordinary. They couldn't be considered prodigies—unqualified even to enter the Yuqing Immortal Sect.

However, from a human aesthetic standpoint, the two were undeniably beautiful in appearance, figure, and temperament—true first-rate beauties.

"‘What is your relationship with Chen Beiwu?’" Old Turtle grew interested, his tone no longer as cold as before.

Upon hearing this, Xu Ziqing revealed a gentle smile. "‘Senior knows Beiwu? We were his high school classmates and good friends.’"

Good friends? Just how good?

From that single sentence, Old Turtle keenly sensed this gentle girl was not simple.

Heroes often fell for beauties.

That brat was certainly lucky with women.

Sensing Old Turtle’s gaze, Xu Ziqing's expression remained unchanged, her smile still warm and graceful.

"‘Very well, since you're friends of Chen Beiwu, this seat shall make an exception.’"

Old Turtle shifted aside to clear the mountain path, and said indifferently, "‘Proceed straight up the nine thousand jade steps—someone will come to guide you into the sect.’"

With that, Old Turtle closed his eyes and slowly lay down.

Unlike Chen Beiwu, the two mediocre cultivators weren’t qualified to be personally guided by him.

Xu Ziqing and Xu Lingling exchanged a glance, gave their thanks, and began climbing the mountain.

As they walked the path, Xu Lingling sighed slightly. "‘Beiwu really has face, to even make the mountain spirit of Yuqing Immortal Sect bend the rules.’"

"‘It's normal. Geniuses always receive certain privileges no matter where they are.’"

Xu Ziqing pressed her lips together. "‘Besides, Chen Beiwu is ranked third on the Yuqing Rising Stars List—he’s a flawless Foundation Establishment prodigy.’"

Xu Lingling glanced at her best friend, momentarily at a loss for words.

As the news gradually spread, the two women slowly understood.

The once unreachable "moonlight" who sat behind them in class was now a peerless genius far beyond their reach.

Most people would find such disparity difficult to accept.

But neither of them were ordinary. Their thoughts remained unchanged.

The path up Yuqing Mountain wasn't steep. Soon, a mountain gate came into view—its steps paved with jade, the gate shrouded in pale clouds, flanked by coiled-dragon jade pillars.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Without the guidance of Yuqing Mountain's spirit, the mountain gate’s restriction test was activated. But as Xu Lingling and Xu Ziqing walked up the jade steps, they felt nothing at all—no reaction in their dantian or transformation of their internal mana.

The nine thousand jade steps were simply too long, and with no use of mana allowed, it took them two quarters of an hour to reach the familiar figure standing beneath the gate.

Yuanshi Ancestral Qi!

Chen Beiwu stood still, staring dazedly at the plaque above the mountain gate.

Perhaps it was due to the Nine-Breath Chaos, or maybe it was his Divine Power’s instinctive ability to glimpse fate, but he could clearly see a wisp of purple auspicious cloud Qi hidden within the pale-silk plaque.

Chen Beiwu speculated: unlike the strands of purple Qi around sect ancestors or the Battle Demon Ape, the purple cloud Qi in the plaque likely came from the Yuanshi Ancestral Qi that the Yuqing Mountain Spirit had once mentioned.

Yuanshi Ancestral Qi could refine acquired into innate—left behind by figures like the Dao Venerable Yuanshi. It was a primordial source Qi far superior to Earthly Sha Qi or Heavenly Gang Profound Qi. Even Divine Transformation True Venerables would covet it.

If he could obtain that wisp of Yuanshi Ancestral Qi, forming the Yuanshi Golden Core in the future would no longer be a fantasy, but inevitable.

Unfortunately, though he could clearly see the location of the Yuanshi Ancestral Qi, he had no way to draw it forth.

‘Could it be that I must cultivate the Yuqing Nine Revolutions Yuanshi Pill Canon to minor completion before I can draw out the Yuanshi Ancestral Qi?’ Chen Beiwu’s mind churned with speculation.

"‘Beiwu.’"

"‘Long time no see, Beiwu.’"

Hearing the voices, Chen Beiwu returned to his senses and turned to look behind him.

It had been nearly a year since their last meeting, and both Xu Lingling and Xu Ziqing had changed significantly.

The change wasn’t just in appearance, cultivation, figure, or temperament—but, most crucially, in fate.

Fate could change.

Back in sophomore year, Xu Lingling’s fate was a gloomy blue-black. But now, it had transformed into orange—clearly, she had overcome a fateful tribulation.

Xu Ziqing’s fate had remained unchanged—a light orange hue.

Apparently, even with a subpar exam performance, entering one of the Seven-Nine Upper Sects meant Xu Ziqing still had a chance to form a Golden Core in the future.

"‘Long time no see.’" Chen Beiwu smiled, unbothered about exposing the Five Elements Mountain in his body.

Though the Yuqing Immortal Sect had many powerful cultivators, Nascent Soul True Monarchs were elusive figures, rarely seen.

Ordinary sect disciples only encountered them during lectures.

Moreover, Nascent Soul True Monarchs wouldn’t casually scan sect disciples with divine sense.

The reason was simple—it was rude, like publicly stripping someone bare, easily causing offense.

After all, most sect disciples in Yuqing Immortal Sect were notable geniuses from prestigious backgrounds.

Chen Beiwu’s recent absence from class was merely out of caution.

He didn’t want his Earthly Sha Qi within the dantian to be noticed and have to use the Lucky Blind Box as an excuse for its source.

"‘You’ve become so strong now!’" Xu Lingling couldn’t help but exclaim.

Even though Chen Beiwu had restrained his aura, she could still feel an indescribable pressure.

It wasn’t because Chen Beiwu bore her ill will, but rather the instinctive fear of a weak lifeform standing before a stronger one—a difference in life essence itself.

"‘You’ve reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment?’"

Xu Ziqing blinked in disbelief. The gentle smile she always maintained finally cracked.

Though she had mentally prepared herself, realizing the vast chasm between their strengths still stirred her emotions.

‘Ten years for Foundation, a hundred for Core.’ This was a common saying in the Thirteen Immortal Sects.

It meant that under normal circumstances, a prodigy of the Thirteen Immortal Sects would establish their Dao Foundation within ten years and attempt Golden Core formation within a hundred.

But Chen Beiwu’s cultivation speed was simply monstrous—just one year after entering the sect and he was already planning for Core Formation.

So this was the true weight of a flawless Foundation.

"‘You two are overreacting. The Foundation Establishment stage really isn't that difficult for you.’"

Chen Beiwu wasn’t surprised. To explain his cultivation progress more plausibly, he had deliberately used the Phantom Concealment Pendant to mask his realm at late-stage Foundation Establishment.

"‘Let’s go. Since you’ve finally made it to the Yuqing Immortal Sect, I’ll give you a tour.’" Chen Beiwu shifted the topic and took the initiative to lead the way.

Upon hearing this, the two girls' eyes lit up slightly and they closely followed behind him.

The Upper Three Immortal Sects ranked just below the Five Great Grotto-Heavens. It was no exaggeration to call them top-tier sects in the Immortal Alliance. Perhaps they might even encounter Companion Beasts of Earthly Sha Treasure Beast or Heavenly Gang Mystic Beast level on campus.

"‘That’s the third on the Rising Stars List, the flawless Foundation Establishment prodigy Chen Beiwu?’"

A tall female cultivator in a bright red palace robe paused as her gaze landed on the three figures in the distance, curiosity glinting in her eyes.

Upon hearing Senior Sister Ye’s question, a few of the disciples nearby inwardly cried out in alarm.

Ye Xinya—ranked seventy-ninth on the Yuxu Rankings, at mid-stage Golden Core cultivation—hailed from the Lingyuan Ye Clan.

Though Senior Sister Ye’s cultivation and combat strength placed her in the mid to lower range of the Yuqing Immortal Sect rankings, lacking even the qualifications to compete for sect chief...

The Lingyuan Ye Clan was a True Venerable aristocratic clan whose mere stomp could shake the entire Lingyuan Prefecture. The clan had three Divine Transformation True Venerables guarding it.

Its heritage far surpassed that of ordinary True Venerable clans and even had some connections with the Dao Venerable Immortal Clan—Tianyuan Yu Clan.

According to rumors, the second-generation sect master of the Yuqing Immortal Sect came from the Tianyuan Yu Clan.

That the Lingyuan Ye Clan could be distantly related to the Tianyuan Yu Clan showed how powerful they were within the Immortal Alliance.

As the brightest pearl of her generation, Ye Xinya easily attracted the pursuit of geniuses throughout the Yuqing Immortal Sect.

These sect disciples clustered around Senior Sister Ye and had eagerly joined the formation society she created, all in hopes of clinging to the power of the Lingyuan Ye Clan—and, ideally, winning her favor.

Yet now, this very pearl showed interest in a rising freshman. A sense of crisis was inevitable.

"‘Yes, Senior Sister Ye.’" Someone nodded helplessly.

"‘He does look quite handsome.’"

Ye Xinya smiled charmingly and suddenly turned, a fragrant breeze trailing behind her.

"‘Today’s society activity ends here. I'm feeling a bit tired.’"

As soon as her words fell, a streak of light flashed from her storage ring, transforming into a luxurious flying boat and whisking her away.

Flawless Foundation Establishment cultivators were rare and destined to form first-grade Golden Cores.

Within the Yuqing Immortal Sect, there was no telling how many noble daughters from True Venerable clans had their eyes on Chen Beiwu—this juicy piece of meat with a clean background and simple origins.

Ye Xinya was no exception.

Of course, even making an approach had to be done with finesse. Being too forward would ruin the beauty of it.

Thinking of this, a slight smile curved Ye Xinya’s lips.

The best way to build rapport was through the classic "beauty saves the hero" scenario—but that was far too cliché.

So Ye Xinya chose a different route: the fairy saves the hero.

As for where Chen Beiwu's crisis would come from? She had her ways.

What she hesitated about was whether to enter the stage herself—or let her younger cousin from the clan do it.

Unbothered by the looks around them, Chen Beiwu eventually brought Xu Lingling and Xu Ziqing into the dining hall. Spending two hundred Spirit Yuan, he ordered four meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup, then selected a private room.

"‘The cave dwellings in the Nine Refinement Sect are well-designed, but the spiritual vein concentration is only at lower-third-tier level.’" Xu Ziqing spoke up, "‘After we eat, can you take us to see your cave dwelling?’"

At that, Xu Lingling’s eyes also showed anticipation.

"‘Then you’ll be disappointed,’" Chen Beiwu smiled. "‘I live in the Jiuyue Cave Residence. Its spiritual vein concentration is also lower-third-tier.’"

"‘Huh?’" Xu Ziqing was surprised. "‘Aren’t sect disciples in the Upper Three Immortal Sects allowed to have fourth-tier cave dwellings at most?’"

"‘Nothing comes free in the sky—not even Spirit Stones. If sect disciples want to reside in a cultivation cave with better spiritual veins, they need to initiate a Cave Dwelling Challenge.’"

Chen Beiwu explained, "‘But for the sake of flawless Foundation Establishment, I’ve skipped nearly all classes this year. I don’t even have enough credits to issue a challenge—so I’ll have to wait.’"

After some small talk, Chen Beiwu got to the main point and solemnly took out a Spirit-Sealing Box from his storage pouch.

Seeing this, Xu Lingling’s heart skipped a beat.

If she wasn’t mistaken, the item inside the box was the egg of the Scarlet-Patterned Scorchfire Serpent, a treasure beast of the Earthly Sha level.

She carefully took the box and opened it. Inside, the Earthly Sha treasure egg matched ancient records perfectly.

However, the life force it emitted was extremely strong—it would take some effort to seal it properly and prevent leakage.

"‘For you.’"

Sensing Chen Beiwu’s trust, Xu Lingling reciprocated, directly handing over five specialized jade bottle artifacts used for storing Earthly Sha Qi.

Opening them one by one, Chen Beiwu saw that the five strands of Earthly Sha Qi were: Metal-Essence Sha, Withering-Vitality Sha, Deep-Night Sha, Blazing-Flame Sha, and Thick-Earth Sha.

Among them, Metal-Essence Sha and Blazing-Flame Sha were of the highest quality—even among superior-grade Earthly Sha Qi, they were top-notch.

Withering-Vitality Sha, Deep-Night Sha, and Thick-Earth Sha were of lower quality, barely qualifying as superior-grade.

According to the Immortal Alliance Official Website's pricing, this set of Five Elements Earthly Sha was worth around 160,000 Spirit Yuan.

But factoring in the difficulty of reserving high-grade Earthly Sha and the waiting time, its real value could easily double—comparable to the inherently deficient Scarlet-Patterned Scorchfire Serpent egg.

Carefully putting the jade bottles away, Chen Beiwu let out a breath of relief.

Strictly speaking, cultivating the Yuqing Nine Revolutions Yuanshi Pill Canon only required a set of superior-grade Five Elements Earthly Sha Qi.

However, he had—through an unexpected twist and with the help of the sect’s ancestor—discovered an alternative, somewhat unorthodox method to cultivate the canon to perfection.

That was to first cultivate the Taiyi Pill Forging Method of the Five Great Emperors, forging the Five Elements Mountain.

Then use superior-grade Five Elements Earthly Sha Qi to condense the Five Elements Treasure Radiance.

Finally, use the Yuanshi Ancestral Qi to refine the Taiyi Golden Core into the Yuanshi Golden Core.

As for directly condensing the Yuanshi Golden Core?

Even though Chen Beiwu had excellent comprehension and could understand Divine Powers, he estimated only a thirty to forty percent success rate—far lower than the first, unorthodox path.

‘All is ready except for the east wind.’ Excitement welled up in Chen Beiwu’s heart.

Next, he only needed to venture deep into the Yuqing Mountains and gain recognition from the Five Qi Vine. Then he could begin his closed-door cultivation, using the Yuqing Nine Revolutions Yuanshi Pill Canon to attempt Core Formation.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Just then, three light knocks came from the private room door.

Startled, Xu Lingling quickly stowed away the Scarlet-Patterned Scorchfire Serpent Egg into her storage ring.

Better safe than sorry.

Earthly Sha treasure eggs were incredibly valuable—enough to tempt even Golden Core True Persons into action. The fewer who knew about it, the better.

"‘Come in.’" Chen Beiwu frowned slightly.

He’d already said there should be no interruptions once the dishes were served—so why was someone knocking now?

Buzz!

Ding Xu pushed the door open and strode inside.

"‘Who are you?’" asked Chen Beiwu.

The stranger’s attire was unfamiliar—he had no impression of him.

"‘I’m Ding Xu, Vice President of the Seeking Immortality Society.’" Ding Xu offered a slight bow.

"‘Never heard of you. You can leave now.’" Chen Beiwu waved his hand dismissively.

The name “Seeking Immortality Society” already sounded like a scam—he couldn’t be bothered, not when he was catching up with old classmates.

"‘Wait!’"

Ding Xu’s eyes flashed as he stared at Chen Beiwu and declared, "‘Our president, Shen Yuanbao, is willing to offer thirty credits—just to challenge you to a duel.’"

At this, both Xu Lingling and Xu Ziqing looked at Chen Beiwu.

"‘It’s nothing.’" Chen Beiwu shook his head at the two, then looked at Ding Xu. "‘I said—you can leave.’"

"‘And the third-ranked on the Rising Stars List doesn’t even dare to accept a challenge? Could it be you’re afraid of President Shen?’" Ding Xu braced himself and spoke.

He had no choice—Chen Beiwu was elusive and had only attended one elective course. After months of waiting to issue the challenge on Shen’s behalf, he was burning with frustration.

He couldn’t barge into Chen Beiwu’s cave residence, and his previous challenges had all been ignored. This was his one chance—he wouldn’t give it up.

Chen Beiwu said nothing, merely lifted his gaze and looked at Ding Xu.

That single glance caused Ding Xu’s body to stiffen violently, pupils constricting as the light vanished from his eyes.

Pfft!

A second later, Ding Xu spat blood and staggered back several steps.

Then—thud!—he dropped to one knee, trembling all over, unable to stand.

‘A single glance knocked out a Foundation Establishment cultivator? So this is the power of the third-ranked on the Rising Stars List!’

Xu Ziqing took a deep breath to calm her excitement and turned to her stunned best friend.

Xu Lingling was rubbing her temples—clearly doubting her own spiritual sense.

Her divine sense had told her Ding Xu’s aura was as vast as a mountain and as deep as the sea.

Yet this very Foundation Establishment prodigy didn’t even qualify to make Chen Beiwu lift a finger.