Chapter 73: Chapter 56: Jiang Yi’s Reply to the Old Man Below the Couch

Jiang Yi stood at the entrance to the Quiet Chamber. Having undergone the refinement of water and fire, he was suffused with Spiritual Qi, and the last, insignificant traces of “Mortal Intent” from his original body had been completely washed away.

The youth’s eyes now gleamed, his skin was like jade, and his every move pulsed with a vibrant Qi Mechanism. There was a subtle sense of harmony about him that made people want to draw near.

He was like a hidden crane among the clouds, a wandering Immortal beneath the forest trees.

“I owe my current achievements entirely to Grandpa for arranging the ritual.”

Jiang Yi bowed deeply once more. His deferential manner brought a radiant look to Yang Xun’s face, who grinned from ear to ear.

Just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly cut in.

“Brother Yang, what a stroke of luck!”

Master Lu truly had a knack for being disagreeable, choosing this exact moment to speak up.

“My dear nephew, to ascend to the Five-Layer Floors at such a young age in a single attempt. I see your Daoist nature is profound and your innate aptitude is exceptional. To remain in the Qianji Sect as a mere Mortal Servant would be a great waste of your talent.

Brother Yang, have you considered sending him to the Yin Puppet Sect? I know a few Elders there and can guarantee your nephew a supplementary spot on an Inner Peak.”

Yang Xun’s eyes narrowed, his smile not reaching them. He said:

“Thank you for your kind offer, Master Lu. I have already found a path for Ah Yi and secured his position. We are just waiting for the start of spring next year for him to ascend the Qingyun Road.”

“Haha, if Xuan’er weren’t better suited for the Yin Puppet Sect, I would have sent him to the Qianji Sect so the two of them could be companions.

Your nephew is steady and composed. He would surely be a good friend and help Xuan’er mature.”

Master Lu’s tone was regretful, but then it shifted.

“I recall Sect Leader Liu has been away for many years, searching for a Superior Spiritual Mechanism that is compatible with him. He must be intending to challenge the Twelfth Layer Floors!”

Yang Xun, knowing full well that the more one says, the more one might err, didn’t elaborate and replied perfunctorily.

“I am but a Servant in the Outer Sect. How would I know the Sect Leader’s whereabouts?”

Master Lu sighed lightly.

“These Inner Sect and Branch Sect Dharma Lineages of ours… in the end, they are private enterprises. It’s difficult for them to last beyond three generations.

Everyone hopes for those at the top to fall, yet fears they won’t have a chance to rise.

It’s not easy for a Qi Cultivation Lower Cultivator to secure a future.”

Yang Xun sneered inwardly. He had no time to listen to this old dog’s sentimental ramblings, so he found a quick excuse and left with Jiang Yi.

Watching the backs of the grandfather and grandson recede into the distance, the smile on Master Lu’s face quietly vanished.

“To think that childless old bastard would stumble upon a Dao Material for free!

If only we could have poached him for the Yin Puppet Sect. With the Lu Clan’s resources, we could control his Cultivation supplies and make him a great asset for you, Xuan’er.”

Lu Xuan, who had been silent until now, furrowed his thick brows and gritted his teeth.

“Grandpa, on what grounds?! He’s about my age, and I haven’t even broken through to the Fifth Layer yet! How is he worthy of getting there first?!”

Master Lu’s expression softened as he consoled him in a gentle voice.

“It was just a fluke. A single grain of gold found in a vast desert of gravel will never amount to much.

Yang Xun has already emptied his coffers. He’s given everything he possibly could.

He himself has been stuck at the Fifth Layer, wasting away most of his life. How could he possibly be able to cultivate a successor?”

Master Lu reached out, ruffled his precious grandson’s hair, and chuckled.

“How could that Jiang the Kid possibly compare to our Xuan’er? Grandpa has prepared several portions of Spiritual Energy for you. As soon as you break through the Celestial Gate and enter the Fifth Layer, you can absorb them into your Primordial Inner Mansion. I guarantee you’ll go straight to the Sixth Layer.

Don’t mind his temporary lead. In a few more years, Xuan’er, you’ll be able to suppress him for a lifetime!

Just like how Grandpa has Yang Xun under my thumb right now.”

Hearing these words, Lu Xuan finally felt a bit better and snorted lightly.

“The Qianji Sect! Sooner or later, I’ll enter a Branch Sect Dharma Lineage like Illuminating the Dark or True Gu, and I’ll befriend members of Dao Races like the Fu Clan and the Kang Clan.”

Master Lu just smiled. He knew his precious grandson had been doted on at home for a long time. Back when he first began his Daoism studies, he was always surrounded by fawning attendants, which had fostered his pride and arrogance.

In truth, Lu Xuan knew how to be polite when facing peers from the local clans. But Jiang Yi was a mere mortal, no better than a blade of grass, practically from the same stock as the tenant farmers and servants who had served their clan for generations.

This was like a young master being put on equal footing with a servant—worse, the servant was even ahead of him in Cultivation. It was indeed an incredibly vexing situation.

“Since my precious grandson has such ambition, the clan will certainly provide its full support!”

Master Lu knew Lu Xuan had an impetuous nature and lacked tempering. But he was his own child, after all. If he could help him endure less hardship, that was for the best.

There was still a long road ahead; they could just cultivate him slowly.

…

…

“What a glorious feeling! Well done, Ah Yi!”

Back in their room, Yang Xun was still glowing with pride. He clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

“That old dog Lu Ting is always going on about his Dongping Lu Clan. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he came from some great Dao Race.

Now that he’s seen you break through the Celestial Gate and reach the Fifth Layer in one go, he must feel as awful as if he’d swallowed a fly.”

Jiang Yi simply smiled, letting Grandpa Yang Xun enjoy his happiness.

’This was a joy bought with over four hundred thousand talisman coins.’

“Since your breakthrough to the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer went so smoothly, there’s no need for us to linger in Sanhe District. We should return to the Qianji Sect at once and start planning for a supplementary spot on an Inner Peak.”

Yang Xun was incredibly gratified. The more he looked at Jiang Yi, the more pleased he was. At his age, his own path of Cultivation was already cut short, leaving him with little to hope for.

For a junior to be so promising and bring him glory was truly one of life’s greatest joys!

“The True Masters of the Taifu Sect have sealed off a three-thousand-li area. The Cloud Ships and Land Ships probably aren’t running. We’ll have to travel by Armored Horse and rough it for two days.”

Jiang Yi’s eyelids lowered, as if he were mulling over what to say.

Within his gleaming eyes, a brilliant golden light shone, and dense, tadpole-like characters began to leap forth one after another.

He had been in seclusion in the Quiet Chamber for five days; of course he wouldn’t let the Celestial Book sit idle.

He had deliberately made three requests, both for Grandpa Yang Xun and for his own Cultivation.

[I beg the Celestial Book, show me if a Qi Cultivation Ninth Grade Technique can be improved.]

[Yes.]

…

[I beg the Celestial Book, show me how the “Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique” can absorb more Spiritual Energy.]

[Ding Fire is soft within, its inner nature is Zhao Rong. It is vigorous but not fierce, waning but never exhausted. You may take corresponding Spiritual Objects as offerings to elevate its grade. The specifics are as follows…]

…

[I beg the Celestial Book, show me a feasible method without hidden dangers, preferably presented as text.]

[In the heavens, Ding Fire is the light of stars and the moon. On earth, it is the flame of a candle or a furnace. When vigorous, it is a furnace; when weak, a candle. Therefore, it requires a Yang Flame Object to burn its…]

He had made three requests, and all were answered.

Jiang Yi was now full of confidence. He began to choose his words carefully, considering how to convince Grandpa Yang Xun that he was a one-in-ten-thousand Refining Talent.

“Grandpa.”

“Hmm?”

Yang Xun sat upright on the couch, looking down at Jiang Yi. Seeming to sense his hesitation, he said in a deep voice:

“There’s no need for secrets between us. Just say whatever is on your mind.”

Jiang Yi said with a serious expression:

“The spiritual refining of the Pool of Fire and Water allowed my spirit to illuminate my Primordial Gate, making me comprehend many profound principles I never understood before.

This is especially true for the ’Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique’. It seems to have quite a few omissions and flaws.”

Yang Xun’s hairless brows knitted together. If Jiang Yi had dared to make such an arrogant, empty claim before breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, he certainly would have been displeased.

Although the “Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique” was only a Qi Cultivation Ninth Grade technique, it included the secrets of refining the Primordial Essence of the internal organs and opening the Primordial Gate.

Every single word held a deep meaning, requiring days, or even years, of diligent study to grasp.

’But how old is Jiang Yi? How long has he even been in Cultivation? And he’s already critiquing it?’

“Explain.”

Yang Xun’s fingers tapped lightly as he considered how to gently advise Jiang Yi to be more down-to-earth without crushing his spirit.

“For example, the ’Qi Gathering Chapter’ of the Fire Control Technique only mentions how to circulate Spiritual Energy with the properties of ’Mingtang,’ ’Zhao Rong,’ and ’Inner Softness’.

In reality, the uses of Ding Fire are vast. It can be used for forging or for guidance. Besides the properties mentioned, it can also absorb those like ’He Flame’ and ’Gold Casting’. It just requires some changes to the refining process…”

There was a moment of silence in the room.

A look of disbelief flashed in Yang Xun’s eyes. He had studied the “Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique” for a full fifty years and considered himself thoroughly versed in it.

Even though Jiang Yi had “enlightened” him on his understanding of the studies before, that was merely about a few cultivation chokepoints.

But this was completely different!

The youth kneeling below the couch was speaking, with every word, on how to improve the Technique and elevate its grade.

This was a Daoist discourse from a commanding height, a top-down lesson on “Touching Stone into Gold”!

“Tell me… slowly and in detail.”

Yang Xun’s throat was dry. He unconsciously rose from the couch, letting Jiang Yi take his place upon it.

This was a Cultivator’s reverence for the Dharma—the technique itself.

Jiang Yi calmly took his seat on the couch and spoke from beginning to end for a full day and night.

When the sun rose again, the room was utterly silent.

Yang Xun felt as if his mind had been suddenly opened. Flashes of comprehension lit up his eyes, causing even his Primordial Inner Mansion to stir.

“So that’s how it is! That’s how it is… Ah Yi, does this lecture of yours have a name?”

Jiang Yi coughed lightly and replied with composure.

“It has no specific name. But if I had to give it one, it would be ’Answering the Questions of the Old Man Below the Couch’.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep