An Explanation
Qixia Mountain, Purple Empyrean Golden Palace.
Su Yao had just returned from Mount Lao and stepped into the mountain gate when he was swept up by a beam of azure light and carried straight into the Golden Palace.
When he came to a stop, he saw Qingzhu standing in the hall, her four hooves pacing restlessly on the white jade floor, her Azure Jade eyes filled with an unusual solemnity.
Before Su Yao could speak, Qingzhu eagerly said:
"What about Mount Lao? Did you see Zique and Danqiuzi?"
Su Yao bowed respectfully and said:
"I did meet Danqiuzi Supreme True Person in Mount Lao, and we talked quite a bit. The Abbot of Zique wasn't in Mount Lao, but I ran into him when I was passing by the East Sea."
Qingzhu's expression shifted slightly, and she quickly asked, "Did Danqiuzi say anything?"
"I offered a few words of praise, saying that the junior's cultivation had improved significantly, and we discussed the details of the Nanzhao affair. We had a brief discussion on the Dao, and then there wasn't much more to talk about." Su Yao paused, then added, "I also had quite a few conversations with several Great True Person from Mount Lao, mostly about the Nanzhao war and my insights into the Dao Path."
Qingzhu nodded, her expression softening slightly, and then asked, "Zique is going to the Purple Mansion Continent to seek gold, so it's normal to run into him in the East Sea. Did Zique ask anything?"
After a moment of contemplation, Su Yao recounted his conversation with Zique on the East Sea.
Upon hearing Qingzhu, a complex expression flashed in Qingzhu's Azure Jade- colored eyes.
He remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking, his voice carrying a hint of guilt:
"Su Yao, this matter has nothing to do with Qizhenzi. I arranged it all myself. You can hate me or resent me as you please in the future."
He paused, then lightly tapped his four hooves twice on the white jade ground, as if organizing his thoughts:
"Qixia Temple can't wait any longer; nobody knows how much longer Xicheng can stall that devil."
Su Yao looked up at Qingzhu.
Qingzhu avoided his gaze, looking towards the vast sea of clouds outside the hall, and Xuanyin lowered her voice:
"Xicheng witnessed the glory of my Qixia Temple. When he was cultivating, my Qixia Temple still had immortals—at that time, Immortal Guiyuan was still alive. Although he Subsidiary Rank Rainbow Clouds Consort, he could still fully unleash the power of Purple Rosy Cloud Robe, Ask Amid the Clouds, and Heaven-Piercing Pillar with his immortal status and Secret Method. But later, He Guiyuan..."
Qingzhu's voice paused slightly, as if she had swallowed something extremely heavy:
"Due to the tense situation, Qing Taizu suddenly ascended from Li Fire Dao of Li Huo to the Human Dao Attainment Position, and his influence affected the entire world. Guiyuan had no choice but to hastily seek the Dao Lord before his Three Flowers were fully perfected, and in the end, he failed at the last moment, perishing and his Dao dissipated."
Upon hearing this, Su Yao's expression remained unchanged, but the fingers hidden in his sleeve clenched slightly.
Immortal Guiyuan.
The five generations of patriarchs of Qixia Temple.
He had seen that wooden plaque at the Return to Truth Hall and knew that Guiyuan had "died" rather than "gone to outer space."
Qingzhu continued:
"At that time Guiyuan's cultivation could not advance any further, so he wanted to go to the outer heavens. However, Xicheng was still a long way from obtaining the Rainbow Cloud Fruition. So Guiyuan, Qizhenzi, and I discussed it and agreed that Guiyuan would leave after Xicheng ascended the position... But the actions of the Taizu caused Guiyuan to die prematurely. Xicheng had not yet completed his cultivation and had to go to seek the Cinnabar Clouds Subsidiary Rank."
He paused, a hint of weariness creeping into his voice:
"Then various things happened. Xicheng failed to cultivate properly, and the Blood Devil backlashed him. At that time, there were also unexpected changes in Jade Void... Xicheng was a proud person, and it was impossible for him to lower his head and beg for help. So he thought of the True Lord of the Prince of Han, who held the remaining Remaining Rank of Li Fire, and asked him to help him seize the Emperor Position, and then use the power of Li Fire and Human Dao to deal with the Blood Devil. In the end, he failed, and I, Qixia, also offended Great Qing. In the end, it was only after Qizhenzi agreed to guard against the demons of the South Sea that the matter was dropped."
Su Yao listened silently, piecing together these past events in his mind. He now understood why True Lord Xicheng was trapped in Zhongnan, why he had drifted apart from Jade Void, and why he had asked Baihezi to borrow the treasure.
Qingzhu paused for a moment, then continued:
"I thought the best outcome would be for Xicheng to die, for Qizhenzi to bow down to Jade Void and preserve Jade Pillar Grotto-Heaven. But I never expected you to come along."
He turned his head, his Azure Jade eyes fixed on Su Yao:
"Once you ascend to the Rainbow Cloud Fruition, you can stand within the Jade Pillar Grotto-Heaven and unleash the power of the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. This is enough for Qixia to protect itself for a period of time. Moreover, Xicheng didn't use much of the items from the Five Elements Secret Realm attached to the Jade Pillar Grotto-Heaven back then; those items should be enough for you to quickly cultivate the Five Elements and become an immortal."
Upon hearing this, Su Yao nodded. He didn't ask what the "Five Elements Secret Realm" was; since Qingzhu had mentioned it, she would naturally take him there in the future. He also didn't ask what was needed to "ascend to the Rainbow Cloud Fruition," since Qingzhu had already said so, and He had already provided the necessary methods and spiritual objects.
Seeing him nod, Qingzhu's expression relaxed slightly, and she asked again:
"You have now cultivated the dual Divine Ability of body and life, ' Rosy Cloud Feather Wanderer,' and the divine Divine Ability, ' Color Pierces the Thoroughfare '... What remains are the dual Divine Ability of body and technique, ' Rosy Clouds Red City,' the Divine Ability of technique, ' Heaven-Weaving Shuttle,' and the Divine Ability technique, ' Half Farewell to Heaven.'"
He paused, his tone becoming solemn:
"Of these, you should cultivate ' Heaven-Weaving Shuttle ' and ' Half Farewell to Heaven ' for the third and fourth paths, and ' Rosy Clouds Red City ' should be the last. This Divine Ability is the ultimate skill of Qixia, the culmination of the work of the two Heavenly Venerable, Yun Zhongzi and Caiche."
Su Yao's gaze narrowed slightly.
He naturally knew about "Rosy Clouds Red City," the dual Divine Ability of the Rainbow Clouds Sect's life-saving techniques, which was also the culmination of the Rainbow Clouds Sect's methods.
Qingzhu continued:
"From the time of Patriarch Yun Zhongzi until Caiche's departure, Zhongnan was the land of Daoists, the largest gathering place of immortals in the world West Kunlun, Purple Mansion Continent, and Penglai Island. Dao is for immortals, and the city is for Daoists to reside in—therefore, this Daoist Divine Ability is the last."
He paused, a hint of arrogance creeping into his voice:
"Since the founding of Qixia Mountain, we have distributed many of the Rainbow Clouds Sect's Cultivation Method, but this particular Divine Ability Cultivation Method, including lower-level Divine Ability Cultivation Method, has never been leaked out. This is the fundamental reason why outsiders to the Rainbow Clouds cannot master it."
Su Yao nodded, understanding in his heart. The Rainbow Clouds Cultivation Method that Qixia Temple had spread out were all Outer Dao; the true core had always been firmly held in the hands of Qixia Temple itself.
Qingzhu said:
"After you marry Zilin, accelerate your cultivation. I've found someone to refine several batches of great elixirs, and with dual cultivation, it should be enough for you to cultivate five Divine Ability to perfection within three hundred years and prepare to seek gold. I've used my reserves to provide the gold-seeking method and the necessary spiritual items; that's more than enough."
Upon hearing this, Su Yao cupped his hands and said, "This disciple understands."
But what he didn't say was that he felt he wouldn't need three hundred years.
After achieving the Purple Mansion Second Divine Ability, if he weren't afraid of being discovered by outsiders, he would have already achieved the third Divine Ability.
All of this is because of the Prism.
The Prism that came into this world with him.
Deep within his Qi Sea, the illusory Prism was slowly rotating. Su Yao immersed his mind in it and felt a faint warmth pulsating within the Prism, like a seed buried deep in the earth, waiting for the spring breeze.
"Heaven-Weaving Shuttle"
"Half Farewell to Heaven".
"Rosy Clouds Red City".
He had already glimpsed the key to cultivating the three Divine Ability from the Prism when he had achieved the second Divine Ability.
The threshold that outsiders would need a hundred years of arduous cultivation to reach in the path of Rainbow Clouds is nothing more than a thin sheet of paper for him. If he hadn't deliberately suppressed his progress and kept his skills hidden, he would already be at the level of the Purple Mansion Third Divine Ability.
The reason he's not in a hurry to break through is because the time isn't right yet; it would be too conspicuous.
What is needed for the time being is a Su Yao with "two Divine Ability," not a Su Yao with "three Divine Ability." At least on the surface, he must maintain a "normal" cultivation speed—otherwise, the foundation of Qixia Temple, the secret of the Prism, and his true trump card will be exposed to the eyes of various forces prematurely.
The Prism brought him into this world, Prism accompanied him from infancy to becoming Purple Mansion True Person. But what is the Prism, where did Prism come from, and how many secrets Prism holds that he has yet to uncover? He still doesn't know, yet the Prism has helped him so much.
He only knows one thing.
Prism gave him was never just "the speed of cultivation".
Prism gave him was "time".
What others take thousands of years to traverse, he can complete in a hundred years; what others take five hundred years to Divine Ability, he can master in fifty years. And this "extra time" is his true trump card to deal with those hidden players beneath the surface, those high and mighty figures, and those impending calamities.
Seeing his silence, Qingzhu assumed he was worried that the three-hundred-year period was too short, so she added:
"Don't be too hasty. Things on the Dao Path cannot be rushed. The three-hundred-year period is the bottom line I've set for you; you just need to maintain a steady pace."
Su Yao looked up at Qingzhu's Azure Jade- colored eyes, which were full of concern, paused for a moment, and then nodded slightly.
"Disciple understands."
He offered no explanation.
The matter of the Prism cannot be discussed.
You can't tell anyone.
Qingzhu nodded, seemingly relieved that a great weight had been lifted from his heart. He turned and walked out of the hall, his four hooves clattering softly on the white jade floor.
After taking a few steps, he turned back and said:
"By the way, I'll take you to take inventory of the things in the treasure cave another day."
Su Yao responded.
Qingzhu said no more, his figure flickered, and he transformed into a streak of green light, disappearing into the depths of the back mountain.
Su Yao stood in the Purple Empyrean Golden Palace, the mountain wind outside the hall blowing through the hall, making his robes flutter slightly.
He looked down at his palm, where a faint rainbow light flickered. It was the lingering effect of "Color Pierces the Thoroughfare," the aura he should have possessed after acquiring his second Divine Ability.
After a moment, Su Yao withdrew his gaze and closed his palms.
The rainbow light faded away.