In a modern city, inside an old-fashioned apartment. Sighing, Zhou Qing held a short sword over a foot long and two fingers wide. Its entire body was crystalline yellow, dotted with a few black specks. "Last month, I finally reached the realm of Qi Induction. It wasn't easy. I can wield a Flying Sword now, but getting one is too damned difficult! I used nearly five hundred pounds of fine red copper, three hundred pounds of red-haired steel, gold, silver, and jade powder that cost me hundreds of thousands. And after all that tinkering, I only made one. The quality is far too impure." Zhou Qing was a cultivator and the successor of the Refining Sect. As its name suggested, the Refining Sect specialized in crafting magical artifacts. It was an exceedingly small sect in the cultivation world, so small that other cultivation sects did not even know it existed. Zhou Qing had simply been lucky. Just after entering university, full of youthful passion and determined to do good deeds like Lei Feng, he gave a roadside beggar a bottle of mineral water and became the Refining Sect's heir. The beggar, who called himself Daoist Ling Yun, took him as a disciple. Yet after Zhou Qing studied cultivation under Ling Yun for a month, Ling Yun tossed him a copy of the Refining Compendium, stretched out his legs, and died. It turned out Ling Yun had clashed with a Shu Mountain Sword Sect disciple in Changbai Mountain over a piece of Yellow Cloud Crystal. After they fought, several disciples beat him so badly that when Zhou Qing saved him, he was already at death's door. Thus, Zhou Qing became the legitimate sect master of the Refining Sect. Though he was a commander without troops.
He had thought that, like the protagonists of countless fantasy novels, he had stumbled upon a miraculous opportunity and would henceforth reign supreme over heaven and earth. Who would have thought he would still have to keep his tail between his legs?
The night was cool as water. A bright moon hung high in the sky, shedding soft pale-blue light. It was midnight. On the balcony, Zhou Qing took out several translucent jade stones. Forming a few hand seals, he set up a small concealment array to prevent his aura from leaking while he cultivated. Ever since he began cultivating, Zhou Qing had made up his mind: until his strength became formidable, he would never reveal himself. Otherwise, he might end up like that old ghost Ling Yun.
Zhou Qing sat cross-legged within the array, his five hearts facing heaven. A beam of moonlight fell upon his head and vanished. Threads of cool energy flowed through his meridians into his dantian. Zhou Qing immersed himself in moonlight like flowing water, using the spiritual energy of the moon's radiance to temper his body, expand his meridians, and strengthen his true power.
Qi Induction was the first step for cultivators, cultivating a breath of true qi within themselves. Ordinary people who practiced qi cultivation needed five years before they could sense qi, and ten years before it flowed through all their limbs and bones. Yet drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body to temper one's flesh required decades of bitter effort.
Zhou Qing could be considered a genius. In only five short years, relying on the Refining Sect's second-rate cultivation technique, he had forcibly broken through the hundred meridians throughout his body and reached the realm of Qi Induction. The Refining Sect's qi cultivation techniques were second-rate, but its array formations were first-rate. Artifact refining was built upon the foundation of array formations. The methods recorded in the Refining Compendium—arrays, pill refining, talisman refining, and sword refining—were all exceptionally brilliant techniques for crafting magical artifacts. But even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice. To refine a slightly better Flying Sword, the steel, iron, and copper required would likely have to be measured in tons.
With no other choice, after graduating from university, Zhou Qing used his artifact-refining knowledge to dabble in antiques and jade. First, it made money. These days, without money, one could do nothing. Second, he hoped to rummage through piles of antiques and find a few treasures passed down by immortal predecessors. Every generation of the Refining Sect had been pitifully weak, but when it came to appraising treasures, no other sect could catch up even if their horses ran themselves to death.
After several years of struggling, Zhou Qing had accumulated a fortune of several million. He was not a tycoon by modern standards, but he had no worries over food or clothing. However, to refine a decent magical artifact, aside from heavenly treasures, jade was excellent for storing True Essence and carving array formations. A single fine piece of jade could easily cost over ten million. Over the years, Zhou Qing had only gathered a few small pieces of Lantian jade, enough to set up several weak arrays.
Awakening from meditation, Zhou Qing felt that his True Essence had grown a little fuller. "Mm! The Dao of Heaven stretches endlessly. No need to rush or grow impatient. One day, I will achieve the Great Dao!" His fingers intertwined. "Go!" The Flying Sword burst from the crown of his head, transforming into a streak of yellow light that circled around him. "The materials are poor. Being refined to this extent is already acceptable. My cultivation is still insufficient. If I could produce Samadhi True Fire and burn away the impurities, it could probably carry a person!" Zhou Qing thought to himself. Just imagining himself standing atop a Flying Sword above drifting white clouds, traveling through famous mountains and great rivers, filled him with longing.
"Hm! The primordial energy fluctuated slightly. Someone is using magic!" Having drawn the primordial energy of heaven and earth into his body, Zhou Qing naturally understood it fairly well. Though it had only fluctuated faintly, he still sensed it.
In modern society, whether cultivators, demons, monsters, or ghosts, all had merged into the cities, restraining one another. Several larger sects even had their own businesses in the mortal world. After all, resources now were far scarcer than in ancient times. Ancient cultivators could search for iron mines themselves to refine a Flying Sword, gathering the essence of the five metals, jade, and other raw materials. Modern mineral deposits belonged to the state. Want them? Fine, pay for them. Without money, one could not even become an immortal. As for supreme heavenly treasures, the major sects had long ago stripped them clean over thousands of years. Cultivation had an extraordinarily poor cost-performance ratio. Often, a spiritual herb that had grown for over a thousand years would be devoured in a few bites once a cultivator found it. Too many monks, too little gruel! If one occasionally appeared, a battle over it was unavoidable. Ling Yun had lost his life for precisely that reason.
After preparing cinnabar, Zhou Qing drew a Concealment Talisman on his chest to hide his aura, then slapped a Swift Travel Talisman onto his leg and quietly headed toward the source of the fluctuation.
"You juniors have gone too far!" The python spirit was furious. Over a five-hundred-year-old mature ginseng root, two fourth-generation Shu Mountain Sword Sect disciples had chased him for over a thousand miles. He had originally been a White Python in the deep mountains. After absorbing the essence of the sun and moon and cultivating for more than two hundred years, he had finally shed his original body and transformed into human form. He had discovered this mature ginseng in the Tianshan Mountains and had just picked it, preparing to consume it, when two Shu Mountain disciples arrived to seize it. His cultivation was more than twice as profound as theirs, but their magical artifacts and Flying Swords were far too formidable. The man and woman were both around twenty. The man wielded a cyan Flying Sword, its green light stretching several yards whenever it flickered. The woman did the same, but her sword light was violet. The violet and azure lights intertwined, shredding his demonic aura to pieces.
"A spiritual herb born of heaven cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of evil demons!" The young woman was tall and slender, with willow-leaf brows and a lovely face. Her clothing was fashionable as well, making her look exactly like a city beauty.
"Junior Sister, why waste words with him? Just kill him. It will count as slaying demons and eliminating evil." The young man's face was full of arrogance as he spoke impatiently.
"Ha! Ha! What a righteous and renowned sect. Even murder and treasure-grabbing are dressed up in such grand, righteous words!" The python spirit laughed in rage.
"You court death!" the young man roared. "Twin Swords Unite!" The man and woman shouted at the same time. Instantly, the violet and azure lights surged in power and twisted toward the python spirit. Piercing shrieks rang through the air, sending ripples outward as though space itself had been cut apart. The python spirit's expression turned extremely grave. With a strange cry of "Ha!" he spat out a jade-green orb the size of an egg. It was the Demon Core he had painstakingly cultivated!
Boom! Sword and core collided! Vast primordial energy exploded outward, and three figures were flung more than thirty yards away. The python spirit's face was white as paper. His lower body, once two human legs, had now become a massive white snake tail! His cultivation had fallen back by at least half! The python spirit gave a bitter smile as he looked at the unconscious young woman and the young man supporting himself with his sword, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Both sides had suffered grievous losses. With a flick of his tail, the python spirit rode a gust of demonic wind and fled. He was no kind-hearted creature and had initially wanted to go forward and kill them. But he feared the young man's dying counterattack. Besides, fighting in the city, even out in the suburbs, might draw the attention of cultivators. After a brief thought, he decided it was not worth it. He slipped away!
Seeing the python spirit depart on the wind, the young man sighed in relief. He retrieved the Flying Sword that the Demon Core had knocked away and walked over to examine the young woman's injuries. "Thank goodness. She was only knocked unconscious. Damn python spirit, it actually injured both Junior Sister and me. Once we recover, I'll invite a few more martial brothers. If I don't skin that beast alive, then I, Zhao Liang, am not human!" Just as he was making plans, agonizing pain struck his chest. Zhao Liang looked down and saw a yellow Flying Sword speckled with black spots piercing out through his heart. He could barely breathe! Zhao Liang turned his head with difficulty and vaguely saw a black-clad, masked figure. Then came boundless darkness.
Zhou Qing's strength had originally been far below Zhao Liang's. But Zhao Liang had just fought fiercely and suffered serious injuries. On top of that, Zhou Qing had deliberately concealed his aura and launched a sneak attack, succeeding in a single stroke. He swiftly collected the two Flying Swords.
After searching their bodies, he found two wallets, a secret manual, and several jade stones. In an instant, they had been stripped clean. The entire process took less than a minute! Someone was coming! Zhou Qing slapped two Swift Travel Talismans onto his legs and successfully made his escape.
Using an array to swiftly seal the spiritual energy within the two Flying Swords, Zhou Qing took a long detour and went to an internet café in the city, spending some time online. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he leave the café at daybreak and return home.
Murdering and stealing treasures—one could not be too careful with such things! If their sect learned of it, he would probably be beaten until not even bone fragments remained! Returning home, Zhou Qing was thrilled. His haul was substantial! After his excitement subsided, he calmed down and began thinking: he was currently just an ordinary person, so surely no one would suspect him. As for the items, there was no rush to use them. He could wait until the heat died down. He gathered up all the talisman paper and cinnabar he usually used for practice in one sweep.
For the next month, Zhou Qing did nothing. He did not even cultivate. Every day, he simply wandered around antique markets and conducted business. He ate, slept, and did all the things ordinary people did. Better safe than sorry, Zhou Qing thought. Soon, a month passed without incident. During the second month, Zhou Qing cautiously resumed cultivating at night. Another month passed without incident. Only then did he finally relax.
Inside the room, Zhou Qing picked up a two-foot-long sword that resembled autumn water and shone entirely with cyan light, examining it carefully. "What a fine sword! It was forged entirely from Prime Gold Essence, and even its hilt is made from the heartwood of hundred-year-old red sandalwood!" Zhou Qing sighed. Red sandalwood heartwood was extremely effective at restraining vengeful souls and ghosts. Made into wooden swords or command tablets, it was even better than century-old peachwood. But that was nothing. Prime Gold Essence was truly rare. Five hundred pounds of quality steel refined with Samadhi True Fire might yield no more than a single gram. When refining Flying Swords, adding just one or two taels would double the sword's quality. These two swords, each over two feet long, probably weighed over a dozen pounds combined. How much steel would that require? Moreover, only experts at the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation realm could produce Samadhi True Fire.
Daoist qi cultivation was divided into four stages: Qi Induction, Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, Spirit Refining and Returning to Emptiness, and Refining Void United Dao. At the end lay the achievement of becoming a Daluo Golden Immortal, indestructible through ten thousand calamities, eternal and undying.
The gap between every stage was enormous. Those at Qi Induction drew the primordial energy of heaven and earth into their bodies to temper their flesh. Their bodies became light as swallows, and they could shatter steles and split rocks. At the later stage, they could wield Flying Swords and travel a thousand miles in a day.
Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation was different. Using one's divine sense as a guide and one's physical body as a medium, one could drive all kinds of energy within the universe without relying on any magical artifact. With every gesture, one could unleash thunder, lightning, and Samadhi True Fire.
At Spirit Refining and Returning to Emptiness, one could live forever and escape the six paths of reincarnation. Refining Void United Dao was even more extraordinary, allowing one to move mountains and fill seas, traveling across the five lakes, four seas, eight wildernesses, and six directions with a flick of the fingers. Breaking through each stage was no easier than Jingwei filling the sea or the Foolish Old Man moving mountains.
"The Shu Mountain Sword Sect really is rich enough to rival a nation! Thousands of years of plundering are no joke. Even imitation Purple and Azure Twin Swords are immensely powerful. If they were the genuine Violet Firmament Sword and Azure Lock Sword, even Spirit Refining and Returning to Emptiness experts would have to contend with them! No wonder even the Myriad Year Blood Demon met his end beneath the united twin swords. Could it be that all Shu Mountain disciples who roamed the world used such fine Flying Swords? Then that old ghost Ling Yun did not die unjustly. Heh heh! I seized two excellent Flying Swords and a secret manual. My strength has greatly increased, so it counts as avenging old ghost Ling Yun." Zhou Qing was mistaken. Though they were imitations, there were only a handful within the Shu Mountain Sword Sect. Prime Gold Essence was not easy to obtain; even after a thousand years of accumulation, they had gathered only several dozen pounds. Only exceptionally talented disciples could receive them. Furthermore, Zhao Liang and his Junior Sister's families possessed enormous influence and wealth in the mortal world. The Shu Mountain Elders also cherished the pair greatly, which was why they had been granted the two swords. Otherwise, with their Qi Induction Stage - Mid Phase cultivation, how could they have seriously injured a White Python with two hundred years of cultivation? Once a Demon Core formed, one possessed the strength of the Qi Induction Late Stage. One was mid-stage and the other late-stage, but their cultivation levels differed by more than threefold.
The Soaring Sword Qi Art. Opening the old thread-bound book he had seized, even Zhou Qing, with his excellent composure, was startled. This was a profound cultivation method for Sword Immortals! Using the sword as a medium to communicate with heaven and earth and absorb energy, the better the sword, the faster the absorption—far faster than through the physical body. No wonder ancient Sword Immortals had run rampant! "So that's why those two brats reached the Qi Induction Stage - Mid Phase in just over ten years?"
A current of qi surged, and Zhou Qing drew the Azure Lock Sword into his body. The Violet Firmament Sword was meant for women, and Zhou Qing was not foolish enough to absorb it as well. Though he believed in never wasting anything, with his current cultivation, he had no way to erase the array formations on it and refine it anew. He could only set it aside.
Over the following days, Zhou Qing never took a single step outside. He hid at home and peacefully cultivated the Soaring Sword Qi Art with the Azure Lock Sword. The materials from that impure Flying Sword had also been refined into a square seal four inches across. Of the ancient treasures recorded in the Refining Compendium, the one Zhou Qing found most fascinating was the Heavenly Seal of Grand Saint Guangchengzi of Mount Kongtong. It could grow large or small. At its largest, it covered an area of a thousand miles; at its smallest, it was like a mustard seed. Under a single blow, even immortal experts at Spirit Refining and Returning to Emptiness would be destroyed beneath it. It truly possessed the power to ruin heaven and extinguish earth. This seal, named the Lesser Heaven Flipping Seal, had material issues aside. With Zhou Qing's Qi Induction Stage - Early Phase cultivation, most of the True Essence converted bit by bit from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was used to temper his body. He barely managed to use the remaining small portion to carve a Sumeru mustard-seed array into it, allowing the seal to grow or shrink. Yet even when Zhou Qing exerted all his strength, it could only expand from four inches across to one meter. It did not even come close to covering a thousand miles. The jade stones he had seized were also high-quality goods. One piece taken from his Junior Sister's body was actually black jade, the finest material for refining Invisibility Talismans. Naturally, Zhou Qing would not waste it.
The river breeze stirred gently, and the lingering light of the setting sun scattered specks of gold across the river's surface. Zhou Qing was filled with emotion. Thinking back on his five years of cultivation, he had been cautious in every matter, truly walking on thin ice. Zhou Qing knew well that the world of cultivators was one where strength reigned supreme. Mortal laws were scarcely better than waste paper in cultivators' eyes. Some powerful figures would kill people in the streets over a single disagreement. After all, they came without shadows and departed without traces. How could the police investigate them?
"Humph! What I seek is to do as I please. Yet without great strength, everything is empty talk. From this day onward, I will seize everything to increase my strength. Morality, righteousness, the Great Dao—let them all go to hell! As long as my power is strong enough, I am the Dao. I am heaven. Why is heaven and earth so powerful? Because they are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs! Gods, demons, immortals, Buddhas—they are all utterly illusory. Only eternal power is fundamental!" Zhou Qing's thoughts roiled and thundered like a tsunami, but his expression remained perfectly calm.
Strolling along the riverbank, he eventually arrived at Antique Street. This was City C's largest trading center for antiques, jade, and porcelain, and it was somewhat famous throughout Province H. As evening fell, pedestrians gradually headed home. The owners of the various shops pulled down their metal shutters, while the street vendors carefully packed away their wares. Zhou Qing quickened his pace and walked to a storefront facing the street. "He Zibo, when did you get back?"
"Mm, I took a trip to XZ and came home yesterday. I picked up some little things and was just about to call you tonight to appraise them. Then you showed up. Come in quickly, I'm closing up."
He Zibo had been Zhou Qing's university classmate. Since childhood, he had aspired to become a collector. After graduation, he opened this antique shop with his girlfriend, unlike Zhou Qing, who roamed everywhere conducting guerrilla operations.
"Where's Yang Jing?" Zhou Qing asked after entering and looking around. "Her? She went shopping with a few sisters. She won't be back until after nine tonight. Come take a look. I picked up some good stuff on this trip to XZ."
A dark-blue ** was densely carved with Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures. It was an object used by Tibetan Buddhist monks to pray for blessings. Some highly cultivated individuals infused such items with Buddhist power, turning them into magical artifacts that suppressed demons and expelled evil. Zhou Qing swept it with his divine sense but detected no fluctuations of magical power, so he knew it was merely an ordinary item. Still, it was quite old and exquisitely made, making it a fine folk handicraft. There were also several small, exquisite Tibetan knives and some antique ornaments rich with Tibetan flavor.
Zhou Qing casually selected several items, including the dark-blue **, and pushed them aside. He said to He Zibo, "Let me have these. How much?"
"Damn it! You do this every time. Why don't you call yourself Zhou the Skinner?" He Zibo laughed and cursed. "But you always manage to get a good price for them. Hell, you sell them for more than I do. I really don't know how you find all those suckers. Fine, cost price—2,300."
"Good! I'll take them. I'll give you the money tomorrow!"
"Don't rush off. Let's have a couple of drinks before you go. I happen to have a few bottles of beer here."
The moment Zhou Qing heard that, he hurriedly shook his head. "I'm not drinking with you. If Yang Jing comes back, she'll skin you alive." He Zibo had an atrocious alcohol tolerance, yet treated liquor like his life. His wife had scolded him countless times over it. Thinking of Yang Jing's terrifying temper, Zhou Qing could not help shuddering. He grabbed the items and rushed out the door, leaving behind a final remark: "Brother, you're committing a crime in the face of the wind!" He Zibo immediately felt deeply depressed.
After several months of cultivation, the Soaring Sword Qi Art had achieved modest success. The True Essence in Zhou Qing's dantian had grown abundant, and his physical body had become more than twice as strong. In just a few months, he had achieved more than in five years of bitter cultivation. Zhou Qing deeply lamented the importance of cultivation techniques. Yet he was still dissatisfied.
"Old man Ling Yun said that although the Shu Mountain Sword Sect is a major sect, it still ranks below Kunlun, the Celestial Masters, and Mao Mountain. This method of nurturing qi through the sword progresses quickly, but it is ultimately a side path, and its foundation is unstable. No helping it. If I cultivated on my own, it would probably take decades to reach the Qi Induction Stage - Mid Phase! Mm, I should go out and wander around. If I run into some weak Kunlun disciples, I can seize a few cultivation manuals. It isn't as if this is the first time I've done it. Their sect was passed down from the ancient Daoists. They must have good things."
Ding! Ding! Ding! The ** emitted clear, pleasant sounds as Zhou Qing slowly turned it. A tranquil Zen intent flowed through his heart. Strange... I found a treasure, Zhou Qing thought.
It calms the mind, stabilizes qi, and destroys inner demons. It is a Buddhist treasure! But why can't I detect the slightest fluctuation of magical power? And the writing on it seems to be lost ancient Sanskrit! It is strange to the extreme!
Since he could not understand it, he stopped thinking about it. Zhou Qing's nature was peculiar, but he was not an impetuous man. Knowing that the ** was no ordinary object, he tried thirty-six different methods for sacrificing and refining magical artifacts in succession. When the ** did not react in the slightest, he could only sigh. His mind once more immersed itself in the Soaring Sword Qi Art, as bit by bit, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed into Zhou Qing's dantian...
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