46: Chapter 46 Su Qinghan's Visit

At three quarters past midnight.

Deep underground, the xuanyin water Spiritual Vein suddenly surged violently, sending an extremely dense burst of chilling Yin Qi erupting from the depths of the Spirit Spring Cave!

This surge of chilling Yin Qi was far too massive, directly slamming into the Formation nodes of the Spirit-Severing Formation!

The balance of the Five Elements circulating within the Formation was shattered!

Qi Yang's perception locked dead onto the node undergoing the most violent shift. Three feet to the left of his front, at the location of a fist-sized Formation core, the originally stable, circulating five-colored spiritual light began to sway violently.

The Metal and Water spiritual energies suffered a brief disruption due to the overwhelming Yin Qi, causing the node's overall defense to drop by at least seventy percent at that instant!

This flaw only lasted for about half an incense stick of time before the Formation repaired itself, restoring its impenetrable defense.

"Half an incense stick..."

Qi Yang calculated quietly in his mind.

Half an incense stick's time was enough for him to use a combination of Earth and Water spiritual energies to bore an opening just wide enough for one person through that weak node, slip inside to collect the water, and return the same way!

But the premise was that he had to time everything precise down to a single breath.

A moment too early, and the flaw wouldn't have appeared yet.

A moment too late, and the Formation would already be repaired.

Either way meant certain death.

"Next full moon night."

Qi Yang clenched his fists, a terrifying glint bursting from his cloudy old eyes.

Over the coming month, he had plenty of things to do.

Continue raising his cultivation. The chilling Spiritual Qi in the tunnel was a superb Cultivation resource for him; combined with the Five Poisons Nourishing Spirit Art and the supreme poison herbs ripened by the black gourd, he was confident he could thoroughly make a Breakthrough to the Qi Condensation 8th Layer within a month!

Refine a few life-saving items—just in case an unexpected variable occurred while forcing his way through the Formation, he needed a backup plan.

Inquire about the detailed internal layout of the Spirit Spring Cave; merely squeezing in wasn't enough, he needed to know where the essence of the xuanyin water coalesced so he could head straight for the target upon entering, without wasting a single drop.

Qi Yang returned to the secret room along the tunnel, changed back into his tattered hemp robes, and headed back up to the surface.

The sky in the east was already turning pale white with dawn.

Shouldering his hoe, he walked into the Nether Grass Field as usual and began another day of labor...

On an evening eighteen days away from the next full moon.

Qi Yang was crouching on the field ridge, using a small trowel to loosen the soil around the nether grass.

As he worked, his perception remained spread across a radius of a hundred feet.

Suddenly, a familiar aura approached from the direction of the stone steps above the hillside.

Qi Refining Ninth Layer, Three-element Profound Spiritual Root.

Her spiritual energy was pure and condensed, tinged with a sharp Sword Intent.

Su Qinghan.

Qi Yang didn't raise his head, continuing to put on an act of loosening the soil.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, finally stopping three paces behind him.

"Old man."

Su Qinghan's voice came from behind. It was cool and detached as usual, yet carried a hint of warmth Qi Yang had never heard before.

Only then did Qi Yang hunch his back and stand up. Turning around, he revealed his deeply wrinkled old face and grinned. "Why has Fairy come to a place like this? The chill from this nether grass is heavy; Fairy's precious body shouldn't catch a cold."

Su Qinghan stood there wearing the white inner Sect robes of Jianzhi Peak, with an emerald-green longsword hanging at her waist—its quality vastly superior to what she had before.

Her aura was even sharper and more ethereal than when she was in the outer Sect, yet the look she gave Qi Yang carried an indescribable complexity.

"I came to see you."

Su Qinghan spoke in a calm tone, but her words caused Qi Yang to freeze slightly in surprise.

"I heard that fat dead weight named Jiang from the Spirit Plant House assigned you to this terrible place. I originally intended to speak up for you, but..."

She paused, a shadow flickering in her eyes.

"A while back, I was overwhelmed with my own troubles."

Qi Yang naturally knew she was referring to Senior Brother Chen Daoyuan's matter.

"Fairy overstates it; this old man is doing quite fine here."

Qi Yang patted the dirt off his clothes, assuming the contented, cheerful demeanor of an old farmer.

"Although this place is a bit cold, it's quiet and free of bothers. It's much better than back in the outer Sect, where those deacons were extortionists coming every few days."

Hearing this, the corner of Su Qinghan's mouth twitched imperceptibly.

She walked over to a blue stone on the field ridge and sat down, unbothered by the dirt. Her eyes swept across the Nether Grass Field wafting chilling white mist, her brow furrowing slightly.

"In an environment like this, a Qi Condensation Third Layer person will die if they stay for long."

"Rest assured, Fairy, this old man is tough."

Qi Yang squatted back on the ground to continue loosening the soil, speaking casually.

Su Qinghan was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking up, "Senior Brother Chen Daoyuan suffered Qi Deviation. Did you know?"

The small trowel in Qi Yang's hand paused slightly before he nonchalantly resumed digging the soil.

"I heard. Wasn't it the Sword Qi in his Meridians going wild? Tsk, a Qi Condensation 11th Layer Prodigy ruined just like that. This Cultivation World is truly fickle."

Su Qinghan stared at the back of Qi Yang's head, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.

"Fickle?"

She let out a cold laugh.

"Senior Brother Chen Daoyuan Cultivated the Scarlet Gold Burning Heaven Sword Technique for five years without a single mistake, yet he suddenly suffered Qi Deviation right when he was coercing me. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?"

Qi Yang turned around, looking at her with a bewildered expression. "Does Fairy mean... someone harmed him?"

Su Qinghan met his gaze for a few breaths before finally looking away.

"Forget it. No matter who did it, I owe them a life."

She stood up, retrieved a Storage Pouch from her sleeve, and tossed it directly onto the dirt in front of Qi Yang.

"Inside are two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, three bottles of Grade-1 supreme healing pills, and a Grade-1 supreme cold-resistant robe."

Su Qinghan's voice reverted to its usual coldness.

"I am now Peak Master Wu Lie's Named Disciple and receive a fixed Spirit Stone allowance every month. These are nothing to me. Take them—consider it..."

She paused, as if weighing her words.

"...consider it rent."

Qi Yang looked at the Storage Pouch on the ground, his mind unaffected, yet his face bunched into wrinkles of deep gratitude.

"Fairy's great kindness, this old man..."

"Enough, don't be cheesy."

Su Qinghan interrupted him, turning around to walk toward the stone steps.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped. Without turning back, her voice sounded exceptionally clear and crisp in the evening wind.

"Old man, the inner Sect isn't like the outer Sect. The people here have dirtier hearts and harsher methods. Stick to your farming and don't provoke people you shouldn't."

"If anyone bullies you..."

"Come to Jianzhi Peak to find me."

With that, Su Qinghan's figure vanished into the dusk on the hillside.

Qi Yang squatted in place, gazing in the direction she departed, a flicker of complex emotion passing through his cloudy old eyes.

This girl was actually quite loyal and valued ties.

Unfortunately, in this Cultivation World, people who valued loyalty were often the first to die.

He bent down, picked up the Storage Pouch, tucked it into his breast pocket, and went back to loosening the soil.

He could indeed use the two hundred Spirit Stones and healing pills, but what truly caught his attention was a piece of information Su Qinghan had inadvertently revealed.

She said she was Peak Master Wu Lie's Named Disciple.

Named Disciple meant she could enter most areas of Jianzhi Peak, including Jianzhi Peak's Library Pavilion!

In Jianzhi Peak's Library Pavilion, there was a duty shift roster for each of the inner Sect's Forbidden Grounds, publicly accessible for all Inner Sect Disciples to consult so they could organize their daily Cultivation and accept quests.

The detailed internal map of the Spirit Spring Cave was among them as well.

"I can't let her get it for me."

Qi Yang immediately discarded the idea.

Su Qinghan was far too clever; if he aroused her suspicion, the future troubles would be endless.

But he could go himself.

Jianzhi Peak's Library Pavilion was closed to outer Sect handymen, and equally closed to inner Sect handymen.

But Qi Yang had an identity—he was Su Qinghan's husband in name!

An official marital relation recorded by the Sect!

Although this identity was a joke in everyone's eyes, it did grant Qi Yang a minuscule privilege: he could enter the public areas of Jianzhi Peak under the pretense of visiting family.