Three Year Pact

After Chen Heng broke through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, he took the opportunity to consolidate his cultivation in the quiet underground room of his small wooden house.

It wasn't until half a month later that his old servant, Uncle Fu, repeatedly urged him to move out of the area as soon as possible and head to the cave dwelling prepared by the family on the mountainside of Jade Spring Mountain for his cultivation.

Ever since Chen Heng won the decisive competition, the old servant Chen Fu had become his personal servant, handling various trivial matters for him.

This was also considered part of the family's reward.

The cultivation cave dwelling prepared for him by the Chen Family was located in a serene bamboo forest halfway up Jade Spring Mountain.

It occupied a full thirty mu, which was the standard for direct disciples of the Chen Family.

Furthermore, this cave dwelling—Green Bamboo Lodge—was adjacent to a small waterfall, with abundant moisture.

It was also not far from the Earth Fire Courtyard, specially built by the Chen Family for alchemy and artifact refining, which was essentially connected to the underground fire veins of Jade Spring Mountain.

For Chen Heng, who was in the Mid Qi Refining stage, this was a rare and excellent cultivation spot with abundant Water and Fire spiritual energy.

Coupled with the one thousand merit points issued with his identity token, it was also a substantial sum, enough to exchange for resources within the clan to cultivate to the late Qi Refining stage.

The Chen Family was taking practical actions to appease him, a meritorious minister who had won the decisive competition for the family.

These various measures significantly changed Chen Heng's perception of the Chen Family, a concubine-born disciple from a branch family.

However, that was all.

Thus, he settled down and cultivated diligently in Green Bamboo Lodge.

As for the twenty mu of spiritual fields within the cave dwelling, they were entirely handed over to the old servant Uncle Fu, who was a Spirit Planter, to manage.

Chen Heng didn't pay much attention to this, mainly because his current cultivation method, the Water Fire Defense Scripture, was incomplete.

The true essence he cultivated was not unified into one, but rather two separate streams: one of Water element and one of Fire element.

The mana outputted along with the true essence was also quite volatile.

Except when casting the Water Fire Heaven-Reaching Staff Technique, which originated from the same source, the two streams of true essence could be combined.

At other times, the two different streams of true essence would only clash and agitate each other.

This made it prone to accidents whether he was refining pills, forging artifacts, or even making talismans, which were relatively easier to handle.

It was much more difficult for him to get started compared to others.

Moreover, Chen Heng was a concubine-born disciple, and the Chen Family would not provide him with abundant resources for practice.

As for learning formations, one of the four mainstream technical arts...

He could only chuckle at that.

There was an old saying in the cultivation world: How to judge if a cultivator has talent in formations? Just observe if they can breathe and absorb spiritual energy. If they can, they are likely not destined for the path of formations.

This method was quite accurate, with a 99% chance of being correct.

As for auxiliary arts such as Spirit Planting, Beast Taming, Puppet Crafting, and Clothing Making, Chen Heng only had some ideas about Beast Taming.

However, the more advanced Beast Taming legacies in the Southern Profound Domain were monopolized by the Myriad Beast Sect, which occupied one of the three mountains, the Myriad Monster Mountain Range.

The Chen Family did not possess such profound methods of forming contracts with demonic beasts and then feeding back to the cultivator by nurturing them.

Chen Heng could only give up on this.

After all, if it was just simple control of demonic beasts using a beast taming token, why not sacrifice them and turn them into a stream of Lu Qi to augment oneself?

Wouldn't that be more direct and mystical in its effect?

After half a month of peaceful cultivation, a letter delivered by the old servant Uncle Fu, or rather, a challenge letter, shattered Chen Heng's tranquil cultivation life.

This was sent by Luo Yuyan of the Luo Family, who had specifically entrusted someone to deliver it.

After all, the relationship between the Chen and Luo families was not friendly.

Chen Heng leaned against the window frame on the second floor. After confirming that the letter did not contain any poison or other issues, he opened the letter, which was sealed with a Wind Elemental restriction and bore the words 'Three Year Pact'.

The content of the letter then came into view.

"To Daoist Brother Chen Heng, Today, Yu Yan wields ink as a sword to send a challenge letter to Daoist Brother.

At the peak of Little Bamboo Peak, you used the common method of hidden mechanisms, concealing a Mysterious Iron Dagger within your staff.

You feigned defeat, luring Yu Yan to blindly advance, leaving her guard down and her defenses open.

Daoist Brother then seized this fleeting opportunity, launching the dagger, piercing directly towards the heart, and turning defeat into victory!

It can be said that every step was meticulously planned, earning my admiration!

Victory and defeat are common; Yu Yan is not incapable of accepting defeat.

However, this defeat has been like a sharp stone pricking my heart, and for many days, I have been unable to sleep soundly.

The path of cultivation is long and arduous; a single victory or defeat cannot determine the outcome.

Three years from now is the day of the Azure Profound Sect's triennial opening for disciples.

I believe that with Daoist Brother's talent and potential, you will surely be able to join the sect."

With this as the limit, you and I shall battle again on the sect's dueling stage!

This fight is not for the disputes between our families, nor for our personal grudges.

It is solely to clear the dust and gravel from Yuyan's Dao heart.

If I lose again, I will offer you the lower volume of the Water Fire Defense Scripture for the Qi Refining stage, and reveal the location of Water Fire Superior's cave dwelling, to help your Dao path flourish.

If I win, our grievances will be settled.

From now on, we can meet and act as we please.

As the saying goes, the path of cultivation is like sailing against the current; to not advance is to fall back.

Wealth, companions, Dharma, and land are all indispensable.

Daoist Brother, since you cultivate the path of water and fire complementing each other, you must know that suitable cultivation methods are not easily obtained.

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

Three years from now, let's see if your Water Fire Dao is superior, or if my Swift Wind Sword Dao pierces the heavens!

My Dao heart, though clouded, I regret not; I will polish my sword for three years to show you!

---- Luo Yuyan!

Chen Heng, having lived two lives, finished reading the letter and frowned, unable to help but think, Is this Luo Yuyan the legendary contrarian?

She had only survived by chance thanks to the secret treasure, the Death Substitution Charm Doll.

And yet, she still wanted to fight him again.

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

Currently, the Fiery Eyes Water Ape Transformation, Water Fire Heaven-Reaching Staff Technique, and Water Fire Defense Scripture he cultivated all originated from the separate dwelling of a Violet Palace rogue cultivator from a hundred years ago, Water Fire Superior.

This separate dwelling was discovered deep within the Li River, one of the Four Waters adjacent to the Moon Gazing Mountain Range.

It was a water mansion, and the commotion it caused at the time was considerable. Many family cultivators, rogue cultivators, and even cultivators from the Azure Profound Sect and Azure Water Palace were involved.

There were also many cultivators from the Chen and Luo families involved at the time.

The scripture of the Water Fire Defense Scripture was split in two during the struggle between the two families.

This cultivation method was likely created by Water Fire Superior at the time and was not yet complete.

Therefore, it was only recorded in a scripture and not inscribed onto a dedicated inheritance jade slip.

This was also one of the sources of the animosity between the two families.

In the end, after much contention, the cultivation methods and scriptures obtained by the Chen Family were all incomplete.

Better than nothing, they could only be used to fill the sect's scripture repository.

Chen Heng only came to understand these old matters after his status improved.

However, he never expected that the Luo Family would now have information about the location of Water Fire Superior's cave dwelling.

Ah, it should be some kind of incomplete map.

Otherwise, the Luo Family wouldn't have given up on the inheritance of a Violet Palace Superior.

Furthermore, Luo Yuyan chose the Azure Profound Sect as the location for their battle.

It seemed she wasn't aiming for a fight to the death, but simply a contest of skill.

This move could be considered quite sincere.

With his thoughts racing, Chen Heng felt that this matter could be agreed upon.

And so.

He took out his brush, dipped it in cinnabar, and wrote a large "Agreed" on the blank space of the letter!

Then, he instructed Uncle Fu to return it the way he came.

At the same time, he asked him to go to the scripture repository and bring him a copy of the "Illustrated Guide to Common Demonic Beasts of the Southern Profound Domain."

Although he had just broken through to Mid Qi Refining, he needed to prepare for the next Lu Qi.

Especially after Chen Heng deeply experienced the marvel of the [Force Piercing Thousand Jin] Lu Qi's enhancement, he had become increasingly eager for the Lu Qi bestowed by the mysterious Profound Mirror in his sea of consciousness.

The path of cultivation certainly requires one to be grounded.

But if a shortcut with no temporary side effects were placed before them, who could refuse?

One couldn't just suffer hardship for no reason.

What's more, he didn't want to lose the Three Year Pact with Luo Yuyan!