Chapter 275 - 260: True Self

Without turning around, she tilted her head slightly. "And thank you for the elixirs."

She said it from the heart.

'Someone so resourceful, who could rescue me from the Yong Kingdom, a prodigy in the Alchemy Dao with such a meticulous mind... How could my disciple possibly be his opponent? The only reason she's alive today is because he showed mercy.'

Seeing that her attitude had softened slightly, Chen Qingyang continued with his questions. After all, this matter was extremely important to him, and quite urgent.

"Master, please don't take offense, but I have one more question."

Perhaps having learned her lesson from their previous encounters, Yun Ci's tone was no longer as harsh as before. "Go ahead."

"I'd like to know, among the Sect's eleven Golden Core True Monarchs, is there one who looks extremely young, like a teenager?"

Yun Ci grew curious. "Why do you ask?"

"Purely out of admiration. I hope Master can enlighten me."

But to his surprise, she turned her head away. "I don't know."

This put Chen Qingyang in a difficult position. He couldn't tell if she genuinely didn't know or was deliberately making things hard for him. "Master..."

Just as he was trying to figure her out, Yun Ci let out a soft laugh. It was clear her mood had improved considerably since last time.

"There is indeed such a True Monarch. His appearance is remarkably youthful, completely different from the other ten. He's one of a kind."

'One of a kind... that must be him, then.'

Chen Qingyang said, "Could Master tell me this True Monarch's name, and which peak he cultivates on?"

Perhaps driven by curiosity, Yun Ci no longer kept her back to him, but turned to look at him with a smile.

Her cold demeanor was gone, replaced by a girlish air. Chen Qingyang couldn't help but steal another glance.

"What, are you planning to go and study directly under the True Monarch?"

He could only feign meekness. "Master, please don't tease me. How could I possibly be qualified? It's merely admiration!"

Yun Ci said, "Although I don't know why you're asking, I'll tell you anyway. He is the Peak Master of Feixian Peak. His name is Cheng Tian, and he is also the youngest True Monarch in our Tai Xu Sect."

Feixian Peak, True Monarch Cheng Tian.

'But I don't know anyone on Feixian Peak. Besides, I need to get close to this True Monarch and learn his whereabouts... I'm afraid even a Foundation Establishment Master would find that difficult.'

Seeing Chen Qingyang frowning in thought, Yun Ci added, "What, do you really want to visit him? That True Monarch is currently in seclusion on Xu Lingfeng. If you want to pay him a visit, you'll have to go to Xu Lingfeng."

A smile played on her lips. 'Why do I get the feeling this Master is teasing me again?' he thought. 'Does she find it this amusing to make fun of others?'

"And if I were to do just that, what channels would I need to go through?"

Yun Ci tilted her head, feigning contemplation. "Unless... you reach the Foundation Establishment realm like me. Then you'd have the opportunity to become a True Monarch's disciple."

That was practically a joke. If he could afford to wait that long, Chen Qingyang wouldn't be in such a hurry.

"Then... does Master know when True Monarch Cheng Tian usually leaves Xu Lingfeng?"

As expected, he was met with more of Yun Ci's mockery. "Do you take me for one of his disciples? How would I know? Why don't you go ask Senior Brother Jing Yuan? His cultivation is high, so he's bound to know a lot."

'If I could just go and ask him, I wouldn't be going through all this trouble. I'd have asked him for the Universe in the Sleeve long ago,' he thought.

After all that trouble, he had gotten nothing.

Chen Qingyang was faced with two choices: either continue to wait, or take a gamble that True Monarch Cheng Tian would leave, or that his attention would lapse for even a moment.

Chen Qingyang had no choice but to cup his hands in a salute. "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I'll leave twenty elixirs here today. That should be enough to last you three months. After three months, I will return to deliver more."

Hearing the words "three months," Yun Ci didn't turn back, merely giving a slight nod. "Mm, thank you for your trouble."

Her tone was once again flat, her voice cool and detached.

...

By the time he left, night had fallen, and the wind and snow had grown fiercer.

He sent his thoughts to the Conscious Fish for a moment. There was still no movement outside the Copper Mirror.

After a long period of deliberation, he decided to keep observing. Who could have known True Monarch Cheng Tian would be so persistent?

At the first light of dawn, Zhang Ping was already busy in the Spirit Field behind the small courtyard. Chen Qingyang was also bringing a batch of elixirs into the final "Late Fire" stage.

After returning the previous day, he hadn't been able to calm his mind enough for cultivation, so he had decided to refine elixirs instead.

Last time at the Fulu Workshop, he had selected a Jiang Palace Essence Pill, intending to study it and use it to advance his cultivation. This elixir was also more valuable than the Earth Root Biochemical Pill and could be exchanged for a good number of Spirit Stones.

But after his recent trip, his cultivation had advanced so quickly that this elixir was now useless to him. Even if he continued to study it, the gains didn't seem particularly great.

After all, the Earth Root Biochemical Pill he was refining was already Tier Five, whereas he would have to start from scratch with the Jiang Palace Essence Pill, which wouldn't be worth anything at all.

By the time the "Late Fire" stage was complete, the sun was high in the sky, and the day was bright.

Chen Qingyang summoned Xu Baoling. "Tomorrow, you will personally go and pay a visit to Master Yun Ci. I've already spoken with her, and she will personally perform a Transmission for you."

Hearing this, Xu Baoling was a little surprised. "Master agreed so easily? That doesn't sound like her, at least not toward me. She shouldn't be... after all, I'm just an unworthy disciple."

Chen Qingyang simply said, "Then what do you think the reason is?"

Xu Baoling couldn't figure it out, so she could only give a wry smile. "Perhaps it's because you have a great deal of influence, Senior Brother."

Chen Qingyang nodded, taking it as an admission. "I think you should focus on tomorrow, and on what you're going to say when you see your master."

"You're right. I at least need to let my master know that this is my choice, and that walking the path of the Mountain and River Daoist Lord is far more suitable for me than the Alchemy Dao."

"But there is one thing you must remember clearly!"

Xu Baoling asked, "What is it, Senior Brother?"

"You absolutely must not mention to Master Yun Ci that I used elixirs to increase your cultivation. If she asks, just say that you figured it out through your own cultivation."

Chen Qingyang didn't want her to know how easily he could produce such elixirs, otherwise the gratitude Yun Ci felt would diminish considerably.

Although he didn't want any favors from her for the time being, there was no guaranteeing what the future might hold.

Xu Baoling thought for a moment and understood. "Don't worry, Senior Brother."

After that, Chen Qingyang sat down to cultivate. By the time he opened his eyes again, it was the next day, and Xu Baoling had already left.

He started refining another batch of elixirs. Although this Earth Root Biochemical Pill was Tier Five, its difficulty was far lower than the Qianxue Soul Returning Pill. Therefore, this batch also yielded five pills, meaning he could gather thirty in just a few days.

He would also make a trip to the True Register Elixir Platform to retrieve the pill formula for advancing his Dongming Mirror cultivation, and from then on, he would focus his research on that.

Not only would it be more valuable, but it would also be of great benefit to his own cultivation.

Since his last cultivation breakthrough, his progress in the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual had increased by twenty-eight thousand, nearly double the amount of the previous time. It was clear he needed to consume many more of these elixirs.

In the afternoon, after finishing the batch of elixirs and resting in meditation for a while, Xu Baoling floated in through the door.

As a Divine Soul Body cultivating the Righteous Great Divine Dao, and with an Eighth Realm Cultivation in Qi Refining, she was almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person if one didn't look closely.

"Senior Brother, I'm back!"

She seemed extremely relaxed. She must have gotten some things that had been weighing on her for a long time off her chest after seeing Yun Ci.

"How did it go?"

"After Master performed the Transmission of the True Skill, she didn't mention a single word about cultivation. Instead, she taught me a principle."

Chen Qingyang asked, "Let's hear it."

"She said that all cultivators should be proud in adversity, humble in prosperity, and wise in times of peace. There are many things in this world that are unattainable, many encounters that are not meant to be, and life does not always go as one wishes. One must learn to be at peace with whatever comes, yet never lose the heart to seek enlightenment everywhere. Only then can one truly see one's true self, and truly see heaven and earth!"

'There's some truth to that,' he thought. 'But it sounds more like something Yun Ci was telling herself. It seems she has finally come to terms with her own tribulation.'

"Our Sect's most profound Dharma Gate is called Returning to the Tai Xu. That concept, 'Returning to Truth,' is the most difficult thing to achieve in cultivation. Throughout history, there have been countless talented individuals, and countless people of great ability, but pitifully few have achieved true greatness. Without cultivating one's true self, how can one ever glimpse the Great Dao? Your master is absolutely right!"

Xu Baoling looked at him with a brilliant, charming smile. "You know, I'm starting to think you sound just like my master!"