Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The news Ning Ling brought back allowed Qin Yu to relax a little. At the very least, it meant there was only a low chance that Purple Moon would try to do something to him.

“Qin Yu, I will protect you. When you are cultivating the Primordial Singular Energy Art you can stay in my mountain peak. Even if some people want to harm you, they won’t have the chance.” Ning Ling earnestly said.

“Then I’ll have to bother senior-apprentice sister.” Qin Yu didn’t decline.

Both of them suddenly fell quiet. A blush reappeared on Ning Ling’s face and she moved around restlessly a little.

Qin Yu said, “Ning Ling, is there some problem that makes things awkward for you?”

Ning Ling suddenly stood up and started speaking as she walked away. “Qin Yu, honorable master has reminded me that…that Primordial Singular Energy Art requires a pure yang body to cultivate. You…had better not think about such things!”

As she finished speaking, one could see her two fire-red ears from behind. Then, her figure flashed and she vanished through the chamber entrance.

Qin Yu was stunned for a moment before he bitterly smiled. It seemed that his previous performance had already caused Ning Ling to misunderstand things. Did she really think that he was someone that couldn’t even control their lower half? But as she recalled Ning Ling’s shy expression and how she timidly fled when she spoke…he discovered that he couldn’t help but feel a trace of disappointment.

Well, it seemed he wasn’t wronged at least…

After clarifying things, Ning Ling was clearly much calmer. She went out several times, constantly looking up information about the Primordial Singular Energy Art.

After sifting through the ancient texts of the sect and consulting some cultivators of Nineheaven Mirrormoon Palace, Ning Ling was left both worried and happy at the same time.

The Primordial Singular Energy Art did indeed allow one to transform the strength within their body like her master said. If one could cultivate it to a high level, then transforming the Undying Demon Body to the Ancient Chaos Body wasn’t too difficult at all.

But this cultivation method had extremely high requirements for a cultivator. Even when supported with all sorts of auxiliary treasures, there were many risks in cultivating it, even risks that endangered one’s own life.

Five days after returning to the Immortal Sect, Purple Moon descended from her mountain and personally delivered a Primordial Singular Energy Art jade slip and some supportive cultivation treasures.

“Qin Yu, you should know that these treasures are difficult to exchange for, even for me. If it weren’t for my disciple you would never have obtained these things! This is everything I can do for you. You had better be careful lest you lose your little life and harm my disciple!”

These words were cold and curt, but Qin Yu respectfully replied, “This junior will try his best and not disappoint Great Elder’s hopes!”

“Humph! The one you can’t disappoint is this stubborn disciple of mine!” Her eyes turned towards Ning Ling. “You must cultivate well. The future of my Nineheaven Mirrormoon Palace lies in your hands.”

Ning Ling sincerely said, “This disciple feels nothing but the highest gratitude for honorable master’s help. I will do my best to cultivate and repay master!”

Purple Moon smiled in satisfaction. She reached out a hand to pat Ning Ling’s head and then stepped away, vanishing from sight.

Qin Yu took out the jade slip and passed it to Ning Ling. She probed it with her divine sense, her complexion turning red as she looked through it. After a moment she opened her eyes and said, “Teacher already knew I wasn’t relieved earlier, so she left behind a message in the jade slip to laugh at me. But, this Primordial Singular Energy Art is exactly the same as the one I know. I don’t think teacher has done anything to it.”

She passed the jade slip back to Qin Yu and continued to sift through the numerous supportive cultivation treasures that Purple Moon gave him. Two hours later, she laid down the last bead and stretched her body, smiling, “There aren’t any problems. The quality of all these treasures is quite good. Master has put some thought into this.”

As she looked up, she saw Qin Yu in a daze, staring at her chest. Because she had stretched out her back, her movements had accentuated this part of her body. She blushed red and angrily said, “Qin Yu, since when did you become…such a lecher! You cultivate by yourself, I am leaving first!”

Qin Yu’s complexion was full of exasperation as well as helplessness. When it came to Ning Ling, he kept on losing control of himself.

He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. Then, he sat down and searched through the jade slip: Through the vast world, all myriad things are born. While their natures may be different, they originate from the same source. Eventually, all things share something in common…

After a long time, Qin Yu set down the jade slip. His expression shook, admiration and awe on his face. This Primordial Singular Energy Art involved all things within the heavens and earth. Its mysteries were so profound that they opened one’s eyes. The person who created this art in the past must have had an exceedingly high cultivation, a peerless powerhouse with boundless magic power.

Although the Primordial Singular Energy Art had an extremely high requirement in talent as well as a massive amount of supportive treasures, it was still a cultivation method that defied the heavens.

This was because its function was not just to help a cultivator transform the strength within their body, but it could also help a cultivator massively increase their strength.

This was because the key to the Primordial Singular Energy Art was to condense a breath of precelestial energy and then lower it into the dantian where it could continue to grow and expand. When the precelestial energy surpassed the strength within a person’s body, it would then begin to blend with it. During this moment of fusion while everything was blended in chaos and hadn’t yet divided, one could use this opportunity to change the attribute of their strength. When the attribute of strength changed, the precelestial energy would completely fuse into a person’s body, the same as doubling a person’s strength.

Moreover, one of the greatest advantages of the Primordial Singular Energy Art was in its cultivation speed. As long as a cultivator could withstand it and also had the support of sufficient treasures, then they could reach the large success stage in a dozen some years…in other words, in a dozen some years, a cultivator could double their strength!

If one disregarded the dangers, the Primordial Singular Energy Art was one of the best shortcuts for increasing one’s strength!

Qin Yu suppressed these thoughts. Lifting his hand, six jade boxes appeared in front of them. As he opened them each in turn, boundless auras emanated outwards.

Nine-colored lotus, mind cleansing grass, broken branch flower…these were all items needed to condense precelestial energy. Ignoring all else, just these six heavenly materials were incomparably valuable and extremely rare in the world. Their value simply couldn’t be calculated in spirit stones.

In the Land of Divinity and Demons, the Primordial Singular Energy Art could be considered one of the most tyrannical high-class cultivation methods. Even if a common cultivator obtained it, they could only read through it with tear-filled eyes.

If one considered this, the Great Elder Purple Moon was truly a good person.

Qin Yu deliberated things several times over before confirming that he had thoroughly grasped the method of condensing precelestial energy. Then, with a flick of his sleeves, the six treasures flew above his head, each one rapidly spinning around him.

A pale blue light gradually shined outwards, submerging his figure. Then, a giant blue cocoon formed around him, moving like a beating heart.

Outside the training chamber, Ning Ling walked out with a shy expression. Still, she didn’t feel relieved. She paced back and forth in front of the entrance, staring at the stone door.

The training chamber was completely sealed away. Even as the mountain master, there was no way for her to know what was happening inside. How was Qin Yu doing right now?

After searching for information these past several days, Ning Ling had also gained an extremely deep understanding of the Primordial Singular Energy Art. Although condensing the first breath of precelestial energy was the first step, it was actually the most difficult part of the first three levels. If there was even a small accident, the condensation of precelestial energy would fail and the impact created from the scattering energies would be enough to tear apart the meridians and cause immense damage to one’s dantian. Thinking of this, Ning Ling suddenly felt regret. She shouldn’t have rushed out in embarrassment, but should have stayed and reminded Qin Yu to be careful and that he absolutely could not be negligent about anything.

“Qin Yu, you have to be careful!”

Within the chamber, Qin Yu sat down cross-legged. As the big blue cocoon around him contracted and expanded, traces of blue energy entered his dantian sea, gathering in the skies above the great dao pedestal and the five Nascent Souls. As more and more blue energy entered his body, it gradually took on the shape of a round blue sun.

The moment this blue sun phantom appeared, the five Nascent Souls opened their eyes. They began to form hand seals. Then, the blue energy that entered his dantian seal was pulled up by these hand seals, moving towards that blue sun phantom at an increasingly fast pace.

This situation was actually somewhat similar to refining a pill.

The blue sun phantom was the pill and the blue energy in his dantian was the materials. Qin Yu suddenly developed a sense of familiarity and his movements seemed to become much more adept.

Hum –

Within his soul space, the purple crescent moon on Qin Yu’s soul began to emit an almost unnoticeable ringing. The purple light it released suddenly became much richer and his thoughts became clearer and more composed. It was like he had entered the state of consciousness of complete tranquility after activating the power of the burning heavens. This allowed Qin Yu’s control over the blue energy in his dantian sea to reach a peak, without any flaws apparent at all.

In a completely calm mindset, he didn’t feel the passing of time at all. When the last wisp of blue energy entered the blue sun phantom, Qin Yu took a deep breath and withdrew from this state.

Within his soul space, the purple moon had darkened and was less than half as bright as it was before. However, before Qin Yu could figure out what happened, a change suddenly began to happen with the blue sun. In his dantian sea, the blue sun phantom began to collapse in on itself.

The massive blue sun phantom shrank into a singular point. Then, it exploded from this tiny point, becoming a round blue sun phantom once again.

Pale blue light illuminated his dantian sea. The five Nascent Souls were bathed beneath this light, all of them revealing expressions of joy.

Qin Yu could feel a little bit of mist rising up this blue sun, constantly stretching and gathering again. This was the breath of precelestial energy.

He had succeeded!

The Primordial Singular Energy Art had an extremely high threshold for success. Just the first step alone had baffled countless people into submission. But, Qin Yu had actually smoothly succeeded on his first try.

Shua –

Qin Yu’s eyes opened. He revealed a thoughtful look. He kept thinking that there was some profound meaning to what happened to the crescent purple moon in his soul space.

Purple moon…blue sun…could there be some connection between these two things? But as he thought about it, he suppressed these thoughts. The purple moon came from the Ninerealm Holy Land and this blue sun was condensed from precelestial energy according to the Immortal Sect’s Primordial Singular Energy Art. There wasn’t any connection between the two at all.

Perhaps it was only a coincidence or perhaps it was because the blue sun’s strength had inadvertently touched upon the strength of the purple moon. These were all common things that occurred during cultivation.

Qin Yu sensed his condition and then his face lit up with surprise. For some reason he felt as if only a moment had passed, but he had actually been in cultivation for a full ten days! After such a long time without hearing anything, Ning Ling must be worrying about him. He stood up and walked forward. With a flick of his sleeves, the stone door to the chamber quietly opened.

A beautiful figure entered his eyesight, looking at him with joyful surprise. As she sensed Qin Yu’s aura, a dazzling smile lit up her face.

“Qin Yu, you succeeded!”

Qin Yu smiled. “I’m lucky to have not failed.” He suddenly noticed Ning Ling’s weary expression. He asked, shocked, “Could you have been waiting here these past ten days?”

Ning Ling wiped the hair away from her face. “The first step to the Primordial Singular Energy Art is also the key step. If I don’t stand guard here myself, I can’t feel at ease.”

Qin Yu was pained and also moved. He moved forward and hugged her. “Why did you do that? I was in the chamber and you couldn’t sense anything that happened inside.”

Ning Ling closed her eyes. She whispered, “At least I can feel at ease like this…” Her voice gradually lowered. As she spoke, she slowly lowered her head and finally fell asleep in his arms. She had waited anxiously these past ten days and her constant worrying had exhausted her mental state. She managed to persist until Qin Yu came out, but she finally gave in to her tiredness.

Qin Yu hugged her. “What a silly girl…” However, the feeling of being worried over so much by someone was actually quite good. He moved forward, dismissing the maids around him. Then, he placed Ning Ling on her bed and covered her with a blanket.

His eyes flashed. Qin Yu fell down beside her. “I’m also tired, I don’t think I can last any longer.” He closed his eyes, a happy expression on his face.

Outside of Ning Ling’s room, a maid listened to what happened. When she heard the two sleeping inside, her heart relaxed and she put away the golden purple bell in her hand. She turned and rushed away. As she went, she met and greeted two fellow workers. After excusing herself by saying she felt sick, she went and asked the steward for an early leave.

Once she returned to her residence, she closed the door and windows. Then, she took out a deep green bead from her storage ring and poured in her magic power.

Hum –

The purple bead emitted a faint light that condensed into an image in the air. The image asked, “What is it?” This voice belonged to Purple Moon.

The maid kneeled to the ground. “Great Elder, Qin Yu left seclusion today. He successfully condensed the precelestial energy and then brought mountain master Ning Ling to her room and stayed inside with her.”

“What? Why didn’t you stop them!?” The image trembled.

The maid hurriedly said, “Monitoring through the purple gold bell, this servant saw that mountain master Ning Ling and Qin Yu were only resting together, not doing anything excessive. You ordered me to not do anything that would alert Qin Yu unless it was necessary. After hesitating repeatedly, this servant decided not to make an appearance.”

The image was silent for several breaths of time. Then Purple Moon said, “You did well. Continue to monitor them.”

The light from the bead vanished. The maid carefully put it away, a helpless look on her face. The Great Elder’s task was not an easy one. She only hoped that Qin Yu could remain a good and honest person. Otherwise, if it were discovered that something happened to mountain master Ning Ling, she would not have a happy ending.

Within a grand hall, Purple Moon slapped her armrest. The giant chair beneath her suddenly shattered into countless fragments as an ice cold killing intent overflowed from her eyes. After a long time, Purple Moon took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the anger in her heart. But, her complexion still remained dark.

“Qin Yu, if it weren’t to avoid Ning Ling having any enmity against the Immortal Sect, I would have already killed you with a single palm! Humph! To cultivate a breath of precelestial energy in ten days, your cultivation speed isn’t slow at all! But the faster you cultivate, the closer your death is!”