Chapter 83: The Miserable Master Qingyun

Southern Heaven Immortal Cultivation Realm.

The Domain of Ten Thousand Mountains.

Bordering the Southern Sea, yet in stark contrast to its vast expanse of water, this region was a sprawling labyrinth of towering peaks, rugged and majestic. Mountains rising tens of thousands of feet pierced the clouds, their summits lost to sight.

Deep within an unnamed range in this domain, a grand formation enveloped a cave dwelling by a tranquil pool. Inside, Bian Qingyun sat pale-faced, his robes wrinkled and disheveled, hair in tatters, his expression clouded with worry. He gazed inward, surveying himself; within the sea of his dantian, a golden core riddled with cracks spun slowly. Each rotation sent a chill emanating from the fissures, sweeping through his meridians, the icy aura battering his internal channels.

Bian Qingyun shivered, his storage ring flickering as jade bottles flew out—only to fall to the ground. He caught but one in his hand. Staring at his last healing pill, he paused, stunned.

“Good Master, good Master—three centuries by your side, beset nine times by enemies...”
“You truly are a good Master, vanishing without a trace. Are you really dead?”

Swallowing the pill, Bian Qingyun steadied his mind and began refining its power. Yet his complexion did not improve; his wounds were too severe, and only a top-grade third-tier Dragon Transformation Pill could restore him.

Above the mountains, a sharp cry echoed. An Ice Spirit Crane, gleaming white and wreathed in cold mist, soared through the sky. Atop the crane stood a middle-aged woman in snowy robes, her black hair simply gathered behind her shoulders, her attire flowing, emanating a fierce, cutting aura.

She surveyed the mountains, forming hand seals. A radiant, snow-white spirit sword shot forth from within her, singing as it unleashed dazzling sword light, filling the world with boundless cold. Snowflakes and ice crystals drifted down, each infused with sword energy, coalescing in midair into a colossal sword that cleaved toward the mountain below.

Thunder roared.
Crack!

The mountains crumbled, revealing a swirling formation beneath. Under the impact of sword energy, the array split open with a deep fissure.

Bian Qingyun, in the midst of healing, felt the overwhelming chill of the sword energy, as if descending from the heavens, and was instantly alarmed.

“Qi Yuhuan, I never offended you—my Master stole your Master's True Water Pill, refined for five centuries, and you chase me endlessly! Why?”

A golden bead flew up, blocking the remnants of the sword energy, and Bian Qingyun leaped away without hesitation.

“Bian Qingyun, Ziyang the old wretch is dead. As his disciple, you should join him!”

Qi Yuhuan’s gaze was icy, her sword moving with her hand, and once more, a brilliant sword light unfolded in the heavens, cleaving toward Bian Qingyun from the void.

“Your ugly Master is dead, but mine is not so easily defeated.”

Once again, Bian Qingyun summoned his life-bound magic bead to resist the sword energy, retreating swiftly as he defended himself. In his current battered state, he was no match for Qi Yuhuan.

Under the relentless sword energy, his bead wailed, recoiling into his hand, dragging him down into the mountains.

Qi Yuhuan guided her spirit crane in a streak of rainbow light, pursuing him to the shattered gorge. She unleashed another sword strike, rending a deep fissure in the mountains. Yet within the crack, there was no sign of Bian Qingyun.

“Indeed, the rotten Master breeds rotten disciples. He learned none of the art of battle, but is a master of escape.”

“Let’s see where you run.”

Qi Yuhuan tapped her Ice Spirit Crane beneath her feet.

“Crane, find him.”

“Understood.”

The Ice Spirit Crane flapped its wings, gathering sword energy, chill, and the lingering aura left from Bian Qingyun’s healing. All condensed into a glowing orb, which the crane drew close.

“He hasn’t gone far.”

Moments later, the crane spoke, spreading its wings to stir up a gale, vanishing in a streak of light toward the horizon.

...

“Phew...”

“That wretched woman—I will repay this debt!”

Ten thousand miles away, Bian Qingyun tumbled from the void, suppressing his spiritual power, cursing furiously. Several Golden Core cultivators had besieged him; all had ceased but this relentless woman.

After their recent clash, two more cracks had appeared on his golden core—at this rate, it would soon shatter to dust.

All thanks to that cursed Ziyang, his Master. Why must he bear the blame?

A Nascent Soul elder with a fire spiritual root—what business did he have stealing a True Water Pill refined for five centuries?

Shameless.

Now, wherever they went, master and disciple were beaten.

Surveying his surroundings, Bian Qingyun flew toward a small mountain.

He had barely settled when a piercing cry sounded overhead. Sword light froze the surrounding vegetation, crashing down upon the hill.

From beneath the cleaved mountain, Bian Qingyun summoned his life-bound bead, conjuring billowing flames to strike at Qi Yuhuan. Energy erupted as fire clashed with sword light, but the flames were quickly consumed by the sword’s power.

Bian Qingyun’s face twisted in ferocity, ignoring the sword energy splashing across him, charging with his bead toward Qi Yuhuan—determined to perish together.

“Qi Yuhuan, you forced me—let us die together!”

“Hmph—”

Qi Yuhuan sneered, her three-foot sword slashing forth a white arc, conjuring a scene of falling snow that enveloped Bian Qingyun.

Sword energy, sharp enough to rend the sky and earth.

“Damn—”

Bian Qingyun’s ferocious expression changed.

He hadn’t bluffed her!

In a flash, his hands formed complex seals, flames bursting from within him to form wings, pulling him away in flight.

“Wretched woman, this isn't over!”

Qi Yuhuan, formerly calm, heard his curses and her eyes flickered white. Ice particles formed in the void, gathering into countless ice swords, then stacked into a crystalline ice crane.

The ice crane spread its wings, piercing the sky, crashing into Bian Qingyun’s flaming form.

Sizzling—

Ice and fire collided, humming through the heavens. Bian Qingyun cast defensive spells repeatedly, but the sword energy within the ice crane was terrifying, much of it piercing his defenses.

“Ugh—”

He spat blood, rapidly forming seals; his dim flame wings blazed anew.

“Great Cycle Crimson Fire Escape!”

A burst of flame exploded, propelling him like lightning, leaving a trail of blood mist in the air.

“Pursue him.”

Qi Yuhuan showed no emotion at Bian Qingyun’s escape. Ziyang had always been adept at fleeing; among his many disciples, those who ran slowly had long since met their end.

...

Bian Qingyun fled desperately, ignoring the cracks in his golden core. If he slowed, his core would be dug out.

Thus, he escaped from the Domain of Ten Thousand Mountains into the Southern Sea. It wasn’t out of foolishness—he had every reason to avoid the vast Southern Sea. The truth was...

To the north, his Master had debts as well.

The tale was one of endless tears.

In the northern domains lay a great Nascent Soul sect called Taiyi Sect. During their last Five Elements Immortal Palace expedition, his Master Ziyang, that calamity, hid in the shadows to steal a fortune discovered by a Taiyi Sect elder. He failed to seize it and managed only to offend the sect.

When his Master was besieged, Taiyi Sect’s Nascent Soul elders were chief among the attackers. If Bian Qingyun fled north and was discovered, they would surely not hesitate to crush a mere Golden Core cultivator.

Following Ziyang had been nothing but hardship.

How did he know all this so clearly? Because his Master was thoughtful—every time he stirred up trouble, he would inform Bian Qingyun, warning him to be cautious and avoid running into enemies.

Where else could one find such a caring Master?

...

Jiuhua Mountain.

The Peaceful Cave Dwelling.

Shen Lian was still receiving the inheritance of a second-tier, low-grade alchemist. Properties of herbs, pill recipes, refining experience—all flooded his senses. For over half a month, he could recite a string of pill names with ease.

“Foundation Establishment Pill...”

“Heavenly Spirit Fruit, Jade Marrow Ganoderma... Threefold Refining Method for Foundation Establishment Pills...”

...

Tap tap tap.

Shen Lian knocked on his own head, shaking himself from the sea of alchemical knowledge. Advancing to second-tier, low-grade alchemist, as expected, he received the recipe for Foundation Establishment Pills, as well as a special method for condensing them.

Sadly, over the years, he hadn’t collected the ingredients.

A single low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill could sell for twenty thousand—at auctions or the black market, prices soared higher.

A flash of light on his wrist, and a crimson pill furnace appeared—three-footed, double-eared, topped with a large lid, carved with patterns of a flying fish beast from the ocean.

This was the Crimson Fish Pill Furnace.

He had spent five thousand two hundred spirit stones to purchase it, which included an embedded Fire Augmentation formation, boosting flame temperature by ten percent.

Such productive magical tools cost far more than ordinary combat equipment.

Unleashing the Crimson Fish Pill Furnace, it was three feet in size; Shen Lian tapped it with his sword inside and out, satisfied that the craftsman had not cut corners—the furnace mouth had even been reinforced.

A second-tier alchemist was already a cultivator of considerable status. In a Foundation Establishment family, they would spare no expense to draw earth fire and build a pill room for the alchemist.

Shen Lian glanced at his own cave dwelling, a bit shabby, lacking earth fire. Fortunately, his fire spiritual root was strong, he possessed true fire enhanced by divine abilities, and had purchased some spirit charcoal—enough for his current needs. If necessary, he could always capture a fire-breathing spirit beast as a pill assistant.

He infused spiritual power, beginning to refine the Crimson Fish Pill Furnace. This inheritance included a special fire refinement technique for pill furnaces, helping the alchemist strengthen control.

Once the furnace was refined, Shen Lian sat cross-legged, savoring the methods for Spirit Gathering Pills and True Essence Pills—both crucial for his cultivation, and his first priority to refine.