Three Year Pact

After breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining, Chen Heng took the opportunity to enter seclusion in the underground quiet room beneath the small wooden house to consolidate his cultivation.

It was not until half a month later, when the old servant Uncle Fu repeatedly urged him to move out as soon as possible and head early to the cultivation cave abode the Household had prepared halfway up Jade Spring Mountain, that he finally did so.

Ever since Chen Heng had won the deciding battle, the old servant Chen Fu had become his personal servant, handling all manner of trivial matters for him.

This was also part of the Household's reward.

The cultivation cave abode the Chen Household had prepared for him was located within a tranquil bamboo grove halfway up Jade Spring Mountain.

It covered a full thirty mu and was the standard allotment for direct descendants of the Chen Household.

Moreover, this cave abode—Green Bamboo Lodge—stood beside a small waterfall and was rich in water vapour.

It was also not far from the Earth Fire Courtyard specially built by the Chen Household for alchemy and artifact refinement, practically adjoining Jade Spring Mountain's underground fire vein.

For Chen Heng, who was at mid Qi Refining, this was a rare cultivation sanctuary abundant in both water and fire spiritual qi.

Added to that were the thousand merit points issued through his identity token, a tremendous sum sufficient to exchange within the clan for resources supporting cultivation through late Qi Refining.

The Chen Household was using practical actions to placate him, a meritorious subject who had won the deciding battle for the Household.

These various measures greatly improved Chen Heng's impression of the Chen Household, despite his origins as an illegitimate disciple from a branch line.

But that was all.

Thus.

He settled down to cultivate in seclusion at Green Bamboo Lodge.

As for the twenty mu of spirit fields within the cave abode, he entrusted all of them to the old servant Uncle Fu, a Spirit Planter.

Chen Heng did not care much about this, chiefly because the Water Fire Defense Scripture he currently cultivated was incomplete.

The true essence he cultivated had not been unified into one stream. Instead, he possessed one current of water-element true essence and one current of fire-element true essence.

Even the magical power released from that true essence was rather volatile.

Other than when he used the Water Fire Heaven-Reaching Staff Technique, which shared the same origin, the two currents of true essence could be kneaded together.

At all other times, the two differing currents of true essence would only churn and collide against each other.

This made it easy for unforeseen mishaps to arise whether he refined pills, forged artifacts, or even made talismans, which were comparatively easier to learn.

It was even harder for him to get started than for ordinary people.

Furthermore, Chen Heng was an illegitimate disciple, so the Chen Household would hardly provide vast resources for him to practise with.

As for studying formations, one of the four mainstream arts...

He could only give a dry laugh.

There was an old saying in the cultivation world: how could one tell whether a cultivator possessed talent for formations? One need only see whether they could breathe and circulate qi. If they could, they were probably fated to have no connection with the Dao of formations.

This method was remarkably accurate, with a ninety-nine percent chance of being right.

As for peripheral arts such as spirit planting, beast taming, puppetry, and garment making, Chen Heng had some interest only in beast taming.

However, the more advanced beast-taming inheritances of the Southern Profound Domain were all monopolized by the Myriad Beast Sect, which occupied the Myriad Monster Mountain Range, one of the Three Mountains.

The Chen Household possessed no profound method for forming contracts with demon beasts, then nurturing those beasts to nourish the cultivator in return.

Chen Heng could only let the matter go.

After all, if one merely used a beast-control plaque to command demon beasts in battle, why not sacrifice them and turn them into a strand of Lu Qi to strengthen oneself?

Would that not be more immediate in effect, and more mysterious as well?

After cultivating in peace for half a month, a letter delivered by the old servant Uncle Fu—or rather, a challenge letter—shattered Chen Heng's tranquil cultivation life.

It had been specially sent over by Luo Yuyan of the Luo Family.

After all, the Chen and Luo Families were not on friendly terms.

Leaning against the second-floor windowsill, Chen Heng confirmed that the letter contained no problems such as poison before opening it. It bore a wind-element restriction and the words, "Three Year Pact."

The contents of the letter entered his sight.

"Respected Dao Brother Chen Heng:

Today, Yuyan used ink and brush as sword to issue Dao Brother a challenge letter.

At the summit of Little Bamboo Peak, Dao Brother borrowed the mundane method of concealed mechanisms and hid a Mysterious Iron Dagger within the staff.

Feigning defeat, you lured Yuyan into rashly pressing forward, leaving the central gate wide open and losing her guard.

Dao Brother then seized that fleeting chance, sending a dagger flying straight into my heart and turning defeat into victory!

Truly, you laid your plans step by step, inspiring heartfelt admiration!

Victory and defeat are ever-changing; Yuyan is not someone unable to accept defeat.

Yet this defeat was like a blazing stone lodged in my heart. For many days, it has left me unable to sleep through the night.

The road of immortality is long and winding, the way blocked and the journey far. A momentary victory or defeat proves nothing.

Three years from now will be the once-in-ten-years opening of the Azure Profound Sect to accept disciples.

Given Dao Brother's talent and brilliance, you will surely enter the sect.

Let this be our limit: when the day comes, you and I shall fight another battle upon the sect's Duelling Stage!

This battle shall not be for the disputes between our two Families, nor for the grudge between you and me.

I seek only to sweep away the dust and gravel from Yuyan's Dao heart through this battle.

If I lose again, I shall present Dao Brother with the lower volume of the Water Fire Defense Scripture for the Qi Refining realm, and reveal information concerning the cave abode of Water Fire Superior, aiding your Dao Path to flow freely onward.

If I win, the grievances between us shall be wiped clean.

When we meet again in the future, we may simply follow our hearts' desires in all things.

As it is said, the road of immortality is like rowing a boat against the current: if one does not advance, one retreats.

Wealth, companions, methods, and a place of cultivation are all indispensable.

Since Dao Brother cultivates the path of Water-Fire Harmony, you should know that suitable cultivation methods are not easily obtained.

I hope you cultivate diligently and do not betray this pact.

Three years hence, let us see whether your Dao of water and fire surpasses mine, or whether my Swift Wind Sword Dao pierces through the vault of heaven!

Though my Dao heart be veiled in dust, I shall never regret; I will polish my sword for three years and show it to you!

—Luo Yuyan!"

Having lived two lives, Chen Heng frowned slightly after reading the letter, inwardly unable to muster the strength to mock her. Could this Luo Yuyan be one of those legendary contrarians?

She had only narrowly escaped death thanks to the secret treasure known as the Death Substitution Charm Doll.

Yet she still wanted another battle with him.

However, he was very interested in the secrets of Water Fire Superior's cave abode.

The Fiery Eyes Water Ape Transformation, Water Fire Heaven-Reaching Staff Technique, and Water Fire Defense Scripture that he currently cultivated...

Had in fact all come from the secondary residence of Water Fire Superior, a Violet Palace rogue cultivator from a hundred years ago.

That secondary residence had been discovered in the depths of the Li River, one of the Four Waters adjoining the Moon Gazing Mountain Range.

It was a water estate, and the commotion it had caused back then had been considerable.

Many clan cultivators, Rogue Cultivators, and even cultivators from the Azure Profound Sect and Azure Water Palace had participated.

Many cultivators from the Chen and Luo Families had also taken part.

The scripture of the Water Fire Defense Scripture had been split into two amid the struggle between the two Families.

This cultivation method should have been newly created by Water Fire Superior at the time and was not yet complete.

Thus, it had merely been recorded in a scripture rather than engraved into a specialized inheritance jade slip.

This was also one of the sources of the enmity accumulated between the two Families.

In the end, amid the scramble among many parties, the several cultivation method inheritances and scripture classics obtained by the Chen Household were all incomplete.

Better than nothing, they could only be used to fill the Scripture Pavilion within the clan.

Chen Heng had only come to understand these old events after his status had risen.

However, he had not expected that the Luo Family now actually possessed information on the location of Water Fire Superior's cave abode.

Well, it was probably something like an incomplete map.

Otherwise, the Luo Family could not possibly abandon the inheritance of a Violet Palace Venerable.

Moreover, Luo Yuyan had set the location of their battle at the Azure Profound Sect.

Apparently, she did not intend to fight to the death, but simply to determine who was superior.

This showed considerable sincerity.

After his thoughts turned a hundred times, Chen Heng felt that he could agree to this matter.

Thus.

He took out his Talisman Brush, dipped it in cinnabar, and wrote a large character—"Agreed"—in an empty space on the letter!

He then instructed Uncle Fu to send it back by the original route.

At the same time, he had him go to the Scripture Pavilion and bring back a copy of the Illustrated Guide to Common Demon Beasts of the Southern Profound Domain.

Although he had only just broken through to mid Qi Refining.

He still needed to prepare in advance for plotting out his next strand of Lu Qi.

Especially after Chen Heng had deeply experienced the profound wonders of the Lu Qi enhancement Force Piercing Thousand Jin.

He had become increasingly eager for the Lu Qi bestowed by the mysterious arcane mirror within his sea of consciousness.

The path of cultivation certainly required keeping one's feet on the ground.

But if a shortcut with no side effects for the time being lay before one, who could refuse it?

Surely one could not insist on eating hardship when there was no need to.

What was more, he had no intention of losing the Three Year Pact with Luo Yuyan!