Transferring the Core Fire

"Didn't Madam say before that she wouldn't be taking on any disciples for the time being in order to avoid getting involved in karma?"

After the three leaders, the old, middle-aged and young, including Sect Leader Kang Da, passed by, Qi Buxiu looked at the beautiful woman sitting in the hall with great surprise and asked a question.

Chu Yanran glanced at him lightly and shook her head. "Black Shoes has already said so much, and we still owe that Kang kid a favor, so how can I refuse?"

Qi Buxiu didn't know what she had discussed with the Daoist Black Shoes, and was about to ask when he heard the beautiful woman speak again:

"It's nothing more than agreeing to be a 'Registered Disciple,' giving them this Cultivation Method and some pills to get by. They don't even expend any mental energy, so how can they talk about 'cause and effect'?"

"Madam has great foresight," Qi Buxiu said. He was only curious and wouldn't pry. He simply accepted whatever Chu Yanran said.

"Regarding the people from the Earl of Nan'an's Residence," Qi Buxiu finally dropped the bombshell, setting aside the other matter.

But before he could finish his sentence, he saw Chu Yanran frown, so he changed his tone and carefully asked, "Has Madam not yet made up her mind?"

"Yes, it's a difficult decision to make." The beautiful woman sighed softly, then said:

"I thought that after I reached the Core Formation, I could roam freely with you, living a carefree and unrestrained Rogue Person. But the situation in Shannan Circuit is truly troublesome now, and there are likely to be many storms ahead. If we continue to fight alone, we will inevitably attract attention sooner or later, which is not ideal."

"Madam, the world is so vast, and we..." Master Qi's kind words of comfort were only half-hearted, Chu Yanran sighed again, "Of all the twenty-seven circuits and over four hundred prefectures in this world, which place can be considered peaceful?!"

Qi Buxiu was clearly aware of the reasoning Chu Yanran was making, so he simply frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Then Madam still prefers us to go to the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court?"

The beautiful woman did not give a direct answer, but instead replied in a crisp voice, "In short, the Liangyi Two Instruments Sect is not to be trusted. The reason why Star-Picking Pavilion chose Cloud Horn Prefecture to let Kuang Liuting, that evil star, do his deed, and why they did everything without regard for anything else, must have a reason."

The newly opened peak of his family's residence likely holds a great secret, making even the Star-Picking Pavilion want to use the pretext of the arrival of a member of the royal family sent by the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty to turn their attention there.

When it came to the Black Sand Peak of the Two Instruments Sect, Master Qi had something to say, "There are few cultivators in the entire Shannan Circuit who don't know that their peak is a notorious den of iniquity. Surely they wouldn't make it so obvious, would they?"

Chu Yanran shook her head slightly and said in a low voice, "The Lord of the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion has always been indifferent. He usually only associates with a few people of the same rank and has not appeared in public for many years."

He doesn't concern himself with any major or minor affairs in Shannan Circuit, and he doesn't even touch the affairs of the tower. Now, besides him, who else in the Star-Picking Pavilion can inspire such fear in the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect?

Not to mention, the one who was taken to Black Sand Peak by the Two Instruments Sect two hundred years ago—although the outside world doesn't know his background, there are frequent rumors that he's a formidable figure who can rival the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect. Therefore, it's only natural that his family has some confidence."

"Does Madam think that Kuang Liuting was deliberately placed in Cloud Horn Prefecture Star-Picking Pavilion?" Qi Buxiu's face showed a slight surprise, but Chu Yanran smiled and shook her head, "How could I True Person guess what a person is thinking? It's just a joke, so please don't take it seriously, sir."

"Yes, yes," Qi Buxiu nodded hastily, then added ingratiatingly:

"This time, Kang Dabao brought me some 'Su Xue Mi' (Plain Snow Honey) produced by his sect. It's said to have an excellent flavor. When mixed with spirit wine and served warm, it tastes extraordinary. I'll go and make a cup for my wife now, so we can finally taste this long-lost country flavor."

With her husband being so considerate, Chu Yanran naturally agreed. However, seeing Master Qi leave the hall with a smile in her eyes, she carefully cast the restriction.

At this moment, Madam Qi's smile vanished instantly, and after a flash of inspiration, a blank Jade Slip appeared in her hand.

As soon as the Jade Slip appeared, the beautiful woman's expression turned extremely serious. Using her finger as a knife, she placed it an inch away from the Jade Slip and clearly engraved the following: "Black Shoes will likely be heading to the outer seas in recent years to seek an opportunity to Core Formation fortuitous opportunity. The building should make plans and schemes early to ensure success when the time comes."

After finishing the carving, the beautiful woman exhaled a fragrant breath, turning all the jade shavings on the ground into smoke that disappeared into the surroundings. She stretched out her five slender, snow-white fingers again, and with a sweeping motion in the air, the space in front of her cracked open, revealing an invisible black hole.

After swallowing the Jade Slip, Chu Yanran withdrew her hand seals and murmured for a while. Then, a vortex of Spiritual Qi reappeared above the black hole, slowly filling the surrounding black gaps until it was back to normal.

Just as Chu Yanran finished doing these things, Master Qi's voice came from outside the hall again. "Madam, Madam, this wine..."

----Officer's Temple

"I still find it strange that Madam Qi's test for Yi'er was far too simple," Sect Leader Kang Da, sitting in front of the Daoist Black Shoes, his face still showing the astonishment he had just experienced upon leaving the Qi residence.

The Daoist Black Shoes picked up his teacup, covering most of his face, and spoke:

"You rascal, you're just too fussy. Brother Yi isn't bad-natured, and Chu Yanran still needs to repay your favor by taking him in as Registered Disciple. He can only receive instruction from her for half a year every five years. Why are you making such a fuss?"

Kang Dabao was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself, "Uncle Black Shoes never thinks so simply. What's wrong with him today?"

Although he was surprised, Sect Leader Kang Da rarely showed any sharpness in front of his elders, so he simply responded in a low voice and did not argue further.

Kang Changyi, who had just been given the title of 'Golden Core Disciple', stood behind his father's seat, but his face did not show much excitement. He listened to the elders' conversation, but remained obedient and did not utter a word, which showed that this boy's character was indeed not bad.

The two had only been drinking tea for a short while when the host appeared.

Qin Sufu, dressed in casual clothes, entered the hall and bowed repeatedly before apologizing, saying, "There's a talisman I haven't figured out yet, which is why I'm delayed. I hope Uncle and Brother Kang won't blame me."

"Are you making talismans again, Brother Dao?" Kang Dabao asked curiously, because this skill was taught to Qin Sufu by Sect Leader He, and the latter's talent in this field was not bad, much better than that of the Sect Leader Kang Da brothers.

Many years ago, before Qin Sufu had even reached the Foundation Establishment, he was already a rare First-Tier Superior-Grade talisman master in Pingrong County. However, after being persuaded by Lord Shan, he temporarily put aside this art and Yixin on preparing for Foundation Establishment.

In truth, Lord Shan did indeed have a life-saving grace towards Qin Sufu.

Not only did he teach him cultivation, but he also went to great lengths to help him establish the Fish Mountain Fellow Cultivators Association to earn resources for Foundation Establishment. Finally, with exceptional foresight, he pulled Qin Sufu to join the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court formation, which was short of manpower at the time.

Despite Qin Sufu's relatively fast cultivation speed, he is now already a mid-stage cultivator.

But if he hadn't joined the service early, he probably wouldn't even have been able to compete for a position with the two gatekeepers he met at the Sect Leader Kang Da gate, let alone become a close advisor to the Earl and a high-ranking official in the state court.

In truth, his decision to become his Yue Household's son-in-law was somewhat against his will.

Being unworthy of one's position is extremely dangerous in this state court. Unfortunately, people like Zhu Tong from the capital are unwilling to spend any money to pay their respects. No wonder they ended up under the Yue Household, who are willing to grant any request.

Kang Dabao had known about Qin Sufu's difficulties before, so even though the two had a good relationship, they had almost no contact since Qin Sufu got married, for fear that she would be treated coldly by her Yue Household.

After all, in the eyes of the remaining three members of the Yue family in Han City Yue Household, he, the Sect Leader Kang Da, could hardly be considered a positive figure.

This can be seen from the fact that, despite the fact that the two families, who were already close friends, did not have Qin Sufu's Yue Household come out to pay her respects when the elder, the Daoist Black Shoes, arrived in person.

As soon as Qin Sufu appeared, Kang Dabao smiled apologetically and said, "I have indeed troubled you, fellow Daoist. I am preoccupied with worldly affairs and have little freedom. I will leave after paying my respects to Lord Shan."

Qin Sufu's face flushed slightly at first, but after a few breaths it turned as red as a jujube. Just as he was about to say something tough, he was interrupted by Sect Leader Kang Da:

"Yi'er, this is your Uncle Qin Household. When I was away making a living, he took good care of me. Son, quickly go and pay your respects. In the future, when we meet again, be sure to greet him properly."

This wasn't the first time Kang Changyi had met Qin Sufu, but he was still quite young the last time and didn't remember him very well. Hearing his father's earnest words, he immediately bowed deeply and said respectfully, "This humble one, Changyi, greets Uncle."

Qin Sufu stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "Good, my nephew, you are indeed a handsome man, just like your father in his prime."

The Sect Leader Kang Da remained unfazed by the flattery, while Kang Changyi almost thought his uncle was cursing him. However, when Qin Sufu took out the pill, the look of astonishment on Kang Changyi's face vanished.

"Three Dew Azure Cloud Pill?" Kang Dabao murmured. He had obtained one of these pills from Tie Xishui years ago, and it was indeed quite good, just what Kang Changyi needed at this moment.

Sect Leader Kang Da knew that Qin Sufu was extravagant and frivolous, and besides, times had changed. Kang Dabao was long past the point of treating such a rare First Tier pill as some extraordinary treasure.

Therefore, Kang Dabao was not embarrassed at all and simply told Kang Changyi to thank him properly.

Although only Kang Changyi benefited from the event, the atmosphere was much better than before. After a brief chat, Qin Sufu pulled the two aside and began discussing cultivation.

Despite Qin Sufu's high position, he has far fewer close associates than Sect Leader Kang Da. The latter can always find someone to discuss Dao with whenever he wants, making him much more comfortable than Qin Sufu.

These three True Cultivators in the hall had different lineages, but they were brought together by Sect Leader He. When they discussed the Dao, they were almost completely open with each other, which made Qin Sufu extremely happy.

Most of the time, it was the Daoist Black Shoes was talking, while the two younger ones sat listening attentively.

Later, Sect Leader Kang Da would occasionally offer his insights, which would also brighten Qin Sufu's eyes, and sometimes even give him a sense of sudden enlightenment.

In contrast, Qin Sufu rarely spoke up in debate this time. This change greatly surprised Qin Sufu, who, like He Dezong, was used to being a leader among his peers.

It is true that he has not held a sermon with Kang Dabao for a long time, but if we go back 30 or 40 years, when the two of them were expounding the Dharma, it was entirely thanks to his words of encouragement that the latter could blush and utter some untenable personal opinions.

Back then, how could we have imagined that Sect Leader Kang Da would be as eloquent as he is today?

Qin Sufu was unaware that his sworn brother had the assistance of three jade pendants, enabling him to express such profound insights.

I simply thought Kang Dabao was a late bloomer, and I felt half gratified and half envious, but not jealous. I just smiled and listened attentively, absorbing those invaluable insights and experiences.

This discourse on the doctrines and teachings lasted for three whole days.

This lecture was quite obscure for Kang Changyi, who had not yet reached the Late Qi Refinement. He gained far less than the other three and could only rely on rote memorization to digest it properly when he returned.

The four words "wealth, land, law, and companion" are indeed indispensable. After discussing them for three days, even the Daoist Black Shoes felt that he had gained a lot.

With the help of the jade Kang Dabao was naturally well-connected. Qin Sufu, having been influenced by Lord Shan since childhood, was knowledgeable and discerning. The two of them could often utter witty remarks that moved even the Daoist Black Shoes.

The woman Lady Yue even came to visit out of curiosity, but Qin Sufu, who was busy scrutinizing the details, scolded her severely with a stern face, then slammed the door and left, never to return.

If it weren't for a servant bringing news three days later that the long-bedridden Lord Yin Shan had finally regained consciousness, this Daoist gathering would likely have been difficult to end anytime soon.

Upon hearing this news, everyone dared not be negligent and immediately dispersed the Daoist gathering, gathering before the couch of Lord Yin Shan.

Ignoring the other two, Lord Yin Shan's clear eyes widened instantly the moment he saw Sect Leader Kang Da enter the bedroom.

Then, with great effort, he managed to force a smile, "Kang boy, you've come too?"

"Greetings, Lord Shan." Kang Dabao could tell from Lord Yin Shan's emaciated and lifeless appearance that his condition was much worse than when Qin Sufu had spoken at the Kang Changxi banquet.

The sight made Sect Leader Kang Da's heart tighten, and even the Daoist Black Shoes showed a rare look of worry.

Lord Yin Shan's smile widened even more, "Ahem, when Qin boy went out last time, he brought me back a map of the scenery of the seventeen counties of Cloud Horn Prefecture Court. I looked at it one by one, and of the seventeen counties, only the two counties under your Chongming Sect are the most peaceful and prosperous, truly the best among all the counties, which is remarkable."

"You flatter me, Lord Shan. I am but a humble servant." Sect Leader Kang Da's modest words were stopped by Lord Yin Shan with a smile. The latter looked him over for a long time before finally speaking, "I am about to die."

Qin Sufu, who had remained silent until now, could no longer hide his emotions, and two lines of tears fell. "Lord Shan!! I still have spirit medicine, and I have already Yue Household to send Foundation Establishment to search for it in the Cold Crow Mountain Range! It only takes..."

Lord Yin Shan chuckled lightly, showing more composure than the others in the hall. "I, Yin, merely Qi Refinement, have actually reached the age of one hundred and sixty-seven. I don't know what great fortune I have received, so why should I be sad? Moreover, with you all here, I can say that I have successors, and at least I haven't lived in vain."

"Lord Shan, there must still be longevity-promoting spiritual items at Kuang Liuting. This disciple... this disciple can..." The Daoist Black Shoes couldn't help but promise.

"Ha, enough said, enough said. Otherwise, you'll just end up owing that Earl of Nan'an a huge favor again." After laughing, Lord Yin Shan stared at the Daoist Black Shoes and asked softly, "You've made up your mind, haven't you?"

The other three monks were completely baffled by this question, but the Daoist Black Shoes adopted a solemn expression, nodded slightly, and that was his response.

"In that case, I must not be a burden to you." Lord Yin Shan chuckled again, glancing briefly at the Daoist Black Shoes, who was practically grinding his teeth but remained silent.

Lord Yin Shan stopped looking at him and turned his gaze back to Kang Dabao, saying gently, "I have something I'd like to leave for you. Since you're here, there's no need for Qin boy to make a special trip to find you."

The latter was still pondering the riddle between Lord Yin Shan and the Daoist Black Shoes when he heard Lord Yin Shan speak. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and respectfully replied, "Lord Shan!"

"Haha, you little rascal, you're just like that kid He back then. You never know how to politely refuse anything good." Lord Yin Shan finally managed to laugh and scold after putting in all his strength.

Seeing that Qin Sufu's eyes held no resentment and the Daoist Black Shoes's High Antiquity calm and composed, he felt quite gratified. After thinking for a moment, he abandoned his original plan and explained:

"You're different from other cultivators. Even when you're forced into a corner, you still retain a compassionate heart. Therefore, this thing of mine is only suitable for you."

As soon as Lord Yin Shan finished speaking, the Daoist Black Shoes and Qin Sufu showed a slight blush on their faces, but then they understood.

Leaving aside Kang Changyi's face full of curiosity, even the Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't guess what the Lord Shan was talking about. However, he didn't rush to ask, but simply knelt down in front of the Lord Shan's bed and waited for him to speak.

After a long while, Lord Yin Shan seemed to have finally regained his strength to speak. At this moment, his face was serious as he said in a low voice, "I would like to try to transfer the Barbarian Demon Core Fire within me to you."

"The Barbarian Demon Core Fire?!" Even though Sect Leader Kang Da was known for his composure, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon hearing what Lord Yin Shan said.

"It is the primordial Core Fire left within me by that lowly half-demon hybrid from back then. It can be used for alchemy, weapon crafting, combat, and skill transfer. My Qi Refinement is only at the Qi Refining stage, so it has been buried for a long time. Giving it to you may be of great benefit." Lord Yin Shan nodded almost imperceptibly, but when he spoke again, his tone carried a hint of heaviness:

"I obtained this Core Fire of immortality because I cared for the common people, and it should be passed on to the next person who cares for the common people."

"This junior dares not accept such praise from Lord Shan!" Sect Leader Kang Da's expression turned solemn as he bowed deeply.

A strange flush appeared on Lord Yin Shan's face. He coughed lightly and said, "Heh haha, don't be so happy, kid. This is such a rare thing to happen to me. I can hardly find it in any ancient books."

Therefore, this method of extraditing the source was devised by me alone, and whether it will succeed or not is still uncertain. At most, I can only guarantee that this method will not harm your life.

Given the cautious nature of Sect Leader Kang Da, he should be extremely wary of whether this old cultivator intends to use some rare and powerful body-snatching Secret Method.

Even if it were Higher Vehicle secret technique that only Nascent Soul True Person could use, given Kang Dabao's personality, he would still be somewhat cautious. But for some reason, Lord Yin Shan didn't need to say anything more; with just a simple statement, the Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't muster the slightest doubt.

"Protect the Dharma, I'm afraid if we delay any longer, we won't even be able to try." Lord Yin Shan forced a laugh again, and then gestured to the Daoist Black Shoes and Qin Sufu.

Without delay, the two suppressed their grief, pulled Kang Changyi to the outside, and immediately joined forces to set up a spirit-infused restriction.

As soon as the restrictions were set up, the old cultivator inside seemed to suddenly gain strength.

Lord Yin Shan stood up, his withered fingers gripping the stone table, his knuckles pressing against Kang Dabao's wrist pulse. The glowing red-hot animal oil candle cast their swaying shadows on the wall.

"Just bear with it!"

Lord Yin Shan's deep voice boomed in the room, followed by a sudden surge of energy from the meridians on the side of his neck, and crimson -Core Fire gushing from his palms, each enveloping a small pool of Golden Core essence.

As he murmured, the two streams of Golden Core essence merged into one, like molten glass, about to surge into the wrist meridians and acupoints of Sect Leader Kang Da.

A muffled groan escaped Kang Dabao's throat; beneath the charred flesh of his wrist bone, golden-red flame patterns were frantically climbing along his blood vessels.

Lord Yin Shan summoned a jade bottle with ice-crack patterns, flicked his finger, and the jade bottle trembled wildly in the void, shaking out three drops of transparent spiritual dew, which finally suppressed the golden-red fire patterns slightly.

Kang Dabao felt that if he hadn't cultivated the Primordial Ancient Body to the Minor Accomplishment Realm, he would have been burned to ashes by the fire pattern in an instant. Only with the help of the spiritual dew was he able to escape from the scorching, deathly situation.

Lord Yin Shan placed his other hand on Sect Leader Kang Da's shoulder, and a small wisp of thin mist rose from his messy hair. As the mist spread, the hair on his arm, which had slipped off his sleeve, was gradually eroded away, revealing his original smooth skin.

The beautiful scene was short-lived. After only a short while, the thin fog became thicker and thicker, and cracks like those on porcelain slowly appeared on Lord Yin Shan's arm, with bright red blood seeping out uncontrollably.

Kang Dabao was also feeling unwell. The effects of the three drops of spiritual dew seemed to have worn off, and he felt as if the Golden Core essence that had entered his body was about to roast him thoroughly from the inside out.

However, at this time, Lord Yin Shan had finally successfully nurtured the wisp of spiritual mist.

With a flick of his finger, spiritual mist slowly descended from the sky above the assembly sea, completely enveloping the burly body of Sect Leader Kang Da. Without pausing, it seeped into the latter's body through his pores and acupoints, calming the burning heat that threatened to boil over his body.

Time passed very slowly; with each inch the Core Fire advanced, the old cultivator's eyes dimmed a little more.

As he worked, he worried that Kang Dabao would get up in pain and he wouldn't be able to hold him down. So he whispered a reminder: "Just bear with it! Don't move, or all your efforts will be wasted!"

Finally, when the last wisp of essence was injected into the meridians of Sect Leader Kang Da, Lord Yin Shan finally let out a long breath. After a loud "bang," a mid-grade Spirit Artifact at his waist could no longer withstand the load and shattered, scattering into dozens of shimmering blue stars that flew everywhere.

Even at this point, he was in no hurry to rest, but simply watched Kang Dabao, whose expression kept changing, with expectant eyes and remained silent.

The three people outside were equally concerned, and six pairs of eyes were constantly fixed on Sect Leader Kang Da.

Then, after only a short while, everyone heard a cry of pain. Immediately afterwards, they saw Kang Dabao, who had been sitting upright with his eyes closed, spit out a jet of blood, lose all his strength, and collapse to the ground.

"Father!" Kang Changyi immediately changed, and he was extremely panicked.

Lord Yin Shan quickly removed the barrier, Kang Changyi was about to go and take a look, but Qin Sufu stopped him.

Although the Daoist Black Shoes was also anxious, he saw that Lord Yin Shan was staring at Kang Dabao's wrist, which was covered in sweat, and after examining it carefully, he remained silent for a long time.

"Lord Shan, what is this?" The Daoist Black Shoes couldn't hide his anxiety and couldn't help but ask.

"It shouldn't be anything serious. His body is much stronger than the average person's, so his injuries aren't too severe. He should wake up later. You should take a look too." Lord Yin Shan shook his head and made way for the Daoist Black Shoes.

The Daoist Black Shoes examined the items carefully before he was relieved.

Turning his head, he saw that Lord Yin Shan had already slumped back onto the couch. The old monk's eyes were now devoid of any light, and he was only muttering, "It's a pity that I still couldn't leave much for the common people of this world."

However, none of the anxious crowd knew that a certain change was taking place somewhere in Kang Dabao's Dantian.