Chapter 324 - 155: Arrangements (Part 2)

"The Penglai Immortal Sect?"

Liang Cheng nodded.

"The Spiritual Qi there is rich. It can extend one’s life. If you go, I’ll be able to focus on my Cultivation with peace of mind."

Lady Ning looked at him for a long while before finally nodding.

"Alright."

"I’ll go with you."

Liang Cheng turned to Yang Wei.

"Master..."

Yang Wei glanced down at Yang An in his arms and fell silent for a moment.

"Alright."

"I’ll go with you."

...

「Half an incense stick later.」

Zhao Yuan and Li Mu arrived in a hurry.

Following behind them was another figure: Zhou Hu.

He had just come to the Martial Arts Academy to visit Yang Wei and happened to walk into the situation.

"Senior Brother Liang!"

"Junior Brother Liang!"

Liang Cheng looked at them and got straight to the point.

"I’ve now become a Direct Disciple of the Penglai Sect. I can bring Follower Disciples into the sect with me, and they can be officially registered regardless of their Cultivation level."

"Are you willing to enter the Penglai Sect with me?"

Zhao Yuan trembled.

Li Mu’s mouth fell open, but no words came out.

A moment later, they both dropped to their knees.

"We are!"

"We are willing to follow you, Senior Brother!"

Liang Cheng accepted their bow and helped them up.

"Get up."

He looked at Zhou Hu.

"Senior Brother Zhou, what about you?"

Zhou Hu was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"My aptitude is poor. If I went, I’d just be wasting a spot."

"I’d rather stay at the Martial Arts Hall in Linhai Town, take on apprentices, and pass down Master’s legacy."

Liang Cheng looked at him but didn’t press the matter.

’To each their own,’ he thought.

He looked toward the entrance.

A figure was walking over slowly.

Lu Qingzhou.

Liang Cheng said, "Senior Brother Lu, are you willing to go with me to the Penglai Sect?"

Lu Qingzhou was slightly taken aback, then gave a bitter smile.

"I’m too old. Even if I went, it would be difficult to make any further progress."

"Even if I got lucky and broke through to the True Qi Realm, I’m afraid that would be my limit."

He shook his head.

"It’s better if I don’t go. Otherwise, I’ll just bring you shame."

Liang Cheng fell silent upon hearing this.

He looked at the two men before him. Zhou Hu was at the Transformation Force realm, stuck at a bottleneck for many years. Lu Qingzhou was similarly trapped at the Transformation Force Peak; an old injury from a previous breakthrough attempt had left him unable to break through to the next realm.

Lu Qingzhou had once been considered a prodigy.

But even prodigies have their limits, and the Martial Dao has its end.

At that moment, Liang Cheng suddenly raised his hands.

He placed them on both men’s shoulders at the same time.

Zhou Hu and Lu Qingzhou froze.

The next moment—

BOOM!!!

The Pill Force within Liang Cheng’s body erupted, drawing upon the vast Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. He guided and converted this power, forcing it to surge madly into the two men’s bodies!

Using himself as a conduit, he drew in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and forcibly infused it into Zhou Hu and Lu Qingzhou!

Zhou Hu’s pupils contracted. The shackles within his body shattered with a roar!

The bottleneck was broken!

He had reached the True Qi Realm!

Lu Qingzhou also shuddered as his years-long bottleneck, like paper mâché, was instantly obliterated by the vast Spiritual Qi!

His True Qi coalesced. He had successfully broken through to the next realm!

The two of them stood frozen, staring at their hands in disbelief.

True Qi...

It was really True Qi!

Liang Cheng withdrew his hands, his expression unchanged.

"This is all I can do."

Zhou Hu trembled all over and suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Junior Brother Liang... I..."

Liang Cheng quickly helped him up.

"Senior Brother Zhou, there’s no need for this."

Zhou Hu looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"I thought I’d never have a hope of reaching the True Qi Realm in this lifetime..."

Lu Qingzhou also gave a deep bow.

"Junior Brother Liang, words cannot express my gratitude for this great kindness."

Liang Cheng waved his hand dismissively.

"You’ve helped me along my journey."

"It’s only right that I help you now."

He paused.

"Unfortunately, with my current Cultivation, this is as far as I can help you. Without some great fortuitous encounter in the future, I’m afraid it will be difficult for you to advance even an inch further."

Zhou Hu shook his head.

"To be able to enter the True Qi Realm is already a blessing from the heavens."

"How could I dare to ask for more?"

Lu Qingzhou nodded in agreement.

"It’s enough."

"More than enough."

...

「Evening.」

「In the courtyard.」

The San Ya couple stood before Liang Cheng.

San Ya kept her head down, while her husband, Li Tieniu, stood beside her, wringing his hands nervously.

"Brother Cheng..."

Liang Cheng looked at her.

"San Ya, are you and your husband willing to come with me to the Penglai Sect and take care of my mother?"

San Ya was silent for a moment, then she shook her head.

"We’re not martial artists. If we went, we’d just be a burden."

She looked up at Liang Cheng.

"Being able to spend these years at the Martial Arts Academy has already been an incredible stroke of luck. The Penglai Sect is too far away."

"We want to go back to Linhai Town and live our own lives."

Liang Cheng watched her for a long time, then nodded.

"Alright."

He took out a bottle of Elixirs and handed it to Li Tieniu.

"These Pills can extend your lives. You two should take one per year."

"If you run into any trouble, you can go to the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall and mention my name."

Li Tieniu took it, nodding repeatedly.

San Ya glanced at Liang Cheng. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.

She turned and left.

...

「At the Alchemy Room, on the back mountain of the Martial Arts Academy.」

The doors to the Alchemy Room were tightly shut. A single, dim yellow lantern hung from the eaves.

Liang Cheng stopped outside the door and bowed respectfully.

"Elder Huang, Liang Cheng requests an audience."

After a moment, a lazy voice drifted out from within.

"Come in."

Liang Cheng pushed the door open and entered.

The Alchemy Room was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs. Beside the Pill Furnace sat the familiar, gray-robed figure.

Elder Huang was holding a cattail-leaf fan, fanning the furnace fire intermittently without even looking up.

"You’ve formed your Core?"

"Yes."

Only then did Elder Huang look up at him.

A sharp glint flashed through his murky old eyes.

"Not bad. You gathered your Blade Intent faster than I thought you would."

Liang Cheng stared intently at Elder Huang, still unable to see through him.

He couldn’t see through him back in Lin Wu City, and he still couldn’t see through him now, even after Breaking Mortality and Forming his Core.

’Just what is this Elder Huang’s Cultivation level?’

Liang Cheng didn’t dwell on it and spoke directly.

"Elder Huang, this Disciple has now entered the Penglai Sect and has been accepted as a Direct Disciple by the Peak Master of the First Peak."

"A Direct Disciple can bring Followers into the sect. Regardless of their Cultivation, they can directly enter the Outer Sect of the Penglai Sect."

"This Disciple would like to invite you, Elder Huang, to come with me."

The fan in Elder Huang’s hand paused for an instant before resuming its motion.

"Not going."

Liang Cheng was stunned.

"Elder Huang..."

Elder Huang waved his hand dismissively.

"I left the Penglai Sect years ago. I’ve been in this Lin Wu City for decades and have gotten used to it. That place... too many rules, too much trouble. I’m not going."