"What do you mean by that?"
Chunyu Zhi's voice was filled with doubt.
Naturally, she would not ponder such trivial matters.
To her, even if it concerned the Sword Sect's tribulation and the matter of the Danxia Old Mother’s schemes, the first thing she would do is directly strike at the Demon Suppression Cave.
Perhaps even today, she would not think that the insinuations of a small Qi Refining Stage cultivator were worth contemplating.
However, Chu Weiyang's expression gradually became serious.
He seemed to be deeply contemplating something.
"After all, she is a cultivator from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, entirely different from others. While I may not have seen any fierce techniques in her battles, once she opens her mouth, every word is like a bloodless knife!
This girl named Qinghe, along with her master, that cultivator named Shi Yuting, are probably not of one mind! Qinghe said her master was on the way to Dao City to meet me, but through her vague imagery, she gave me a sense of being entangled in a conspiracy!
She wants me to flee Dao City! Yes, her master isn’t arriving at this very moment, and Qinghe has just left. She even left me time to escape! No! She doesn’t want me to flee; she doesn’t want me to meet her master!
Or rather… she doesn’t want her master to meet me!"
Upon hearing Chu Weiyang say this, Chunyu Zhi initially let out a scoff, as if to mock Chu Weiyang's fanciful thoughts.
But soon after, her voice suddenly stopped.
After a moment of silence, Chunyu Zhi almost incredulously asked, "Heavens! How can such a small girl be so cunning? She is so perceptive! In the blink of an eye after you captured her, she managed to arrange everything so thoroughly and speak so ambiguously…
In the past, even when I saw those I disliked at the mountain gate, I only thought of competing with them in a duel, to determine victory or death…"
Chunyu Zhi seemed to be greatly shocked.
At this moment, Chu Weiyang stroked the spine of his sword, a thought flowing through his mind, but it did not transmit through the restrictions to the sword.
So, a mere Qi Refining Stage cultivator could live well in the vast Jing'an Dao City; yet you, a direct disciple of a Golden Core Grandmaster, a cultivator who has refined numerous pills, have long since become a remnant soul of true spirit, residing within your sword…
The difference might just be that little bit of cunning.
But Chu Weiyang also understood that if he were to say this to Chunyu Zhi, who knows what kind of awkwardness would arise.
Thus, in the brief silence, Chunyu Zhi seemed to accept the shock of enlightenment, and she returned her focus to the matter at hand.
"So what do you think? She wants you to escape, her master wants you to stay here. Will you leave or not? Choose one, and you will offend the other; this time, you will truly make an enemy!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Weiyang flicked his fingers, lightly tapping the edge of his sword.
"I will not comply with anyone's wishes—!
Zhi girl, you should understand that since the day I escaped from the Demon Suppression Cave, whether it be the Sword Sect, Tingchang Mountain, Dao City, or the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, whatever profound causes and effects are spoken of, in my eyes, they hold no weight compared to the thread of life before me!
If I must accompany someone in circles, wasting my spirit and time, waiting for the foul qi to accumulate and seal my meridians, who will pay for my life? The elders of the Sword Sect? Or the Danxia Old Mother of Tingchang Mountain? Or perhaps these two who are preparing to scheme against each other?
In fact, I should have understood this principle long ago when I was working in the Danhe Valley. Fleeing ninety thousand miles, every step is a fight for life; I cannot stop for a moment, cannot take a breath! Even if it’s just for an instant, the chaotic matters will wrap around you!
This vast Dao City should be a support from behind, not a comfortable place to settle! I should have entered the sea long ago, Zhi girl, I should have entered the sea long ago! I am not afraid of the heavy crises; I… I fear facing the vast unknown of the outer sea…"
As he spoke, Chu Weiyang's emotions surged.
He tightly gripped the sword hilt, the cold light flowing through the bright yellow and silver of the sword body, as if sharp sword qi was slicing through the layers of things that wanted to entangle him!
He is a sword cultivator! He has received the orthodox sword methods taught by Ma Sandong!
The sword in hand should be the embodiment of his thoughts!
The edge of the sword should be the courage of his spirit!
That vast spring should never bring gloom, confusion, confinement, or difficulty in taking a step…
That vast spring is the birth of all things! It is the fervor that connects heaven and earth, traversing the universe! It is the boundless freedom of the wild under the countless stars!
A hundred-foot railing stands over the sea, embracing a lifetime with the mountains.
The shadows of the sky follow the tides, and the spring beauty brings rain to the tower!
His emotions surged, that fervent thought was like the overwhelming essence of spring, a blazing flame shooting towards the heavens.
In a daze, Chu Weiyang almost forgot himself, stretching his limbs, as if dancing, and in that natural and innocent movement, he brought forth the harmony and nature of the universe!
Boom—!
The boundless Dao sound roared in Chu Weiyang's ears and heart like continuous thunder!
The great bell rang out from the void, each sound shaking his limbs and bones, vibrating through his entire meridian system.
In an instant, the sword wheel sun suspended above his dantian suddenly shone brightly! The unique sword intent of the "Spring Time Sword" flowed within the hazy halo, and upon closer inspection, six faint sword intents spun around, suddenly soaring into the sky, following the vibrations that resonated through his limbs, charging straight towards the central meridian!
It was vast, as if the sun was rising!
Following closely was the mist-like Yuanqi magical power!
At the same time, the thunderous roar in his ears seemed to overlap with the beating of Chu Weiyang's heart, and in a daze, it felt as if this thunder was coming from the heart of the Scarlet Palace, from the core of the Dao body.
The intense beating of his heart almost made Chu Weiyang's broad chest tense—
Boom! Boom! Boom—!
Just as the sword intent sun, carrying the magical power mist, was about to continue soaring into the sky along the central meridian, within the scarlet heart chamber, the boundless heart fire transformed into a surging torrent, as if five phoenixes were singing together, descending from the nine heavens, from the starry sea!
It was not the thunder of heaven or the fire of earth.
Just as two torrents were about to collide within the central meridian, the heart fire suddenly spun, wrapping the six positive sword intents and the magical power mist, and then, at an angle, it charged straight into the stomach's dan ding!
In an instant, the "Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique," which had become almost instinctual, was activated.
Chu Weiyang knew that Yuanqi magical power could enter the dan ding for re-refinement, a method to continuously purify the magical power, but he had never considered that this six positive sword intent could also ascend into the stomach's dan ding, to be refined again by the furnace fire.
Changes had already begun to unfold.
As the strands of heart fire emerged from the dan ding, wandering through the five organs and chakras, Chu Weiyang's heart was filled with astonishment!
No spiritual light flew out from the sword intent to enter the five organs; instead, starting from the five organs, some of the foul qi that had accumulated in Chu Weiyang's limbs was drawn forth!
It was as if a hundred rivers were returning to the sea, as if a hundred birds were flocking to the phoenix.
Those strands of foul qi, accompanied by the heart fire's circulation among the five organs and chakras, were almost seamlessly refined into the sword intent.
In an instant, the spiritual light within the heart fire surged!
It was the most inconspicuous Spring Sword Intent among the six positive sword intents! It was also the foundation of the Spring Time Sword!
At this moment, accompanied by the infusion of one strand after another of foul qi, finally, at a certain moment, with the sudden surge of spiritual light, the Spring Sword Intent birthed a second strand!
Two identical sword intents spiraled within the heart fire!
And this change seemed to be just a prelude; soon, successive bright lights were born in harmonious order—
Six transformations into twelve, twelve transformations into twenty-four!
Upon looking, what drifted within the heart fire was a miniature yet vast river of sword intent!
At this time, those newly born strands of sword intent were still weak, still "greedily" inhaling and refining the foul qi that surged from the five organs and chakras.
These foul qi might just be the tip of the iceberg accumulated in Chu Weiyang's limbs, but with such changes, Chu Weiyang surprisingly felt a genuine sense of relaxation originating from his depths.
In a daze, Chu Weiyang was almost brought to tears.
It was as if he had struggled from the depths of despair to now, finally recalling what it truly felt like to live well.
At the same time, Chunyu Zhi's voice also passed through the sword's restrictions, reaching Chu Weiyang's heart.
"Sword cultivator… Alas! Chu Weiyang, steady your mind! When the sword intent undergoes transformation, it is the best time for you to advance to the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Stage! Do not worry about the consumption of pills! At this moment, there will definitely be no turbulence of foul qi in your meridians!"
Almost as soon as Chunyu Zhi's voice sounded, a flash of inspiration struck Chu Weiyang, and he almost simultaneously had the same thought.
With a twist of his wrist, he swallowed down several pills.
Hundred Herb Breaking Calamity Pill! Dragon Tiger Returning Essence Pill! And that nameless treasure pill from the Qian Kun pouch!
The steaming medicinal power soothed the already delicate and weak changes of the foul qi, and then, the rich Yuanqi followed the river of sword intent, circulating within the five organs and chakras.
One above, blazing sun!
Ten thousand below, vast sea of clouds!
Because, within this boundless and overwhelming might, the Yuanqi magical power suspended in the central meridian seemed to pour down like an ocean, flowing towards the qi sea and dantian.
Swish—!
Yuanqi circulated, the qi sea formed a vortex.
Swish—!
The sea eye overlapped, marking the ascent to a new realm.
Swish—swish—swish!
Accompanied by the final thunderous roar that resonated in the void, it was the moment when the fifth qi sea vortex was born!
Following that, what descended again from the central meridian was a more dazzling sun, a vast halo of sword intent, and the galaxy suspended above the qi sea!
In place, when Chu Weiyang opened his eyes again.
He looked up at the still gray sky, the countless voices of the crowd still ringing in his ears, but Chu Weiyang felt that the barriers had been broken, and before him lay a broad road!
Who would have thought that in a moment, it was merely himself who had set his own intention.
But the changes that spun from body and mind had taken a step onto the fifth layer of the cloud stairs!
That was the halfway point of the Qi Refining Stage, and also the halfway point of Chu Weiyang's fight for life!
Thus, still looking up at the sky, Chu Weiyang grinned and silently laughed aloud!
Half an hour later.
Outside Dao City, at the dock by the seaside.
Amidst the bustling crowd, the scattered cultivators came and went, and in the distant rippling waters, boats were docking and departing.
At this time, Chu Weiyang blended into the crowd, walking towards the dock.
At this moment, it was no longer quite appropriate to call him a young man.
Upon closer inspection, Chu Weiyang had undergone a significant transformation; his long hair was completely gray and withered, and his pale face was filled with wrinkles.
Upon closer look, there were even scars and bruises on the edges of his cheeks that resembled bloodstained patterns.
At first glance, he appeared to be an ugly old man who had once practiced the demonic sect's cunning methods, relying on those methods in his youth, indulging in reckless pleasure, and now, after his vitality had waned, he had to repay his debts in the years that followed.
The backlash from the demonic sect's methods must have been quite severe; the ugliness on his face was secondary.
At this moment, Chu Weiyang leaned heavily on a cane, needing to sway three times for every two steps he took.
Yet at this time, Chu Weiyang was silently hurrying along, exchanging spiritual light with Chunyu Zhi.
"Zhi girl, it seems we were right just now. As we walked out, that girl Qinghe indeed did not keep watch anymore. The time from her departure to Shi Yuting's arrival in Dao City was precisely the time she left for me to escape. But she also did not expect that I was heading to the outer sea; the ancient cultivation cave that Dong Heng mentioned is my first stop!
Regardless of whether it is the Five Qi Essence Blood or the ancestors of the Pan Wang Sect, I will burn this platform first! Ha! When the time comes, let’s see what these people have left to perform! On that day in Lingqiu Mountain, a group of Golden Core Grandmasters fought and killed each other, yet they did not take my life. In this boundless outer sea, this vast misty expanse, in this chaotic world, there must be places where their filthy causes and effects cannot reach!"
Breaking the golden lock to release the dragon, this is ninety thousand miles, and also a step forward.
Just as he was saying this, before Chunyu Zhi's voice could be transmitted through the restrictions, suddenly, the crowd erupted with a commotion, and dense whispers filled the air.
In an instant, the noise grew louder, and at the same time, a group of cultivators tacitly retreated to both sides of the bluestone path.
Chu Weiyang followed the flow, "struggling" to move his body, and after finally steadying himself with the cane, he leaned forward to look through the overlapping figures.
It was a boat that had docked at the pier.
Layered prayer flags cascaded down from the boat, and amidst the shadows, a graceful figure walked through.
A fragrant breeze wafted over.
For no reason, even though no one spoke, and even though he had not seen the figure behind the screen on the boat last time, at this moment, Chu Weiyang had a vivid premonition that the person before him was Shi Yuting!
Upon this thought, Chu Weiyang lowered his head, struggling to lean on his cane, hiding his figure within the crowded crowd, inching towards the dock.
Amidst the layered prayer flags, Shi Yuting, wearing a hood, was completely shrouded in heavy coverings.
As she walked, she was actually gliding through the air.
Just as her figure intersected with Chu Weiyang's in the crowd, Shi Yuting suddenly paused.
"Eh?"
She seemed to be looking around in some confusion, but no matter how she searched, she could not see anything.
It was precisely during this moment of distraction that Chu Weiyang, leaning on his cane, swaying his white hair, had already walked far away.
"Zhi girl, it truly is the marvelous methods of Tingchang Mountain…"