Four Great Cultivators

Seeing that Yunxiu seemed to recognize the strange markings, Qin Fei asked about them casually.

He had always felt that the markings were unusual, and now that he had heard Yunxiu say they were a form of writing, his premonition grew stronger.

Yunxiu thought nothing of it and readily admitted that she did.

"Naturally, I recognize them. They're a special form of small seal script used by my sect. All its inheritors must learn it from childhood."

"Oh? What is this seal script used for?"

Qin Fei put on a curious expression.

"I don't know either. The sect was destroyed long ago, and the relevant records were lost. After all these years, only our line remains, passed down to a single disciple in each generation. But my master insisted that I learn it, so I did."

"Fellow Daoist Qin, since you're interested in these characters, why not come with me to the secret realm? There might be an answer there."

Yunxiu did not forget to persuade him.

Qin Fei shook his head and explained:

"I don't want to risk my life for treasures I can neither see nor touch. Fellow Daoist Yun, there's no need to persuade me further."

"But I am interested in these characters. Could you teach me?"

Yunxiu smiled faintly and said:

"That's easy. Fellow Daoist Qin, you've saved my life time and again. I ought to repay you. Those characters aren't difficult to learn, so ask whatever you wish."

Qin Fei's heart leaped with joy at her words.

He brought Yunxiu to the pile of scrapped puppets and devoted himself to learning from her.

He searched through the puppets, asking about the characters one by one, and finally compiled them into his dictionary.

The two spent the following days asking and answering questions.

After his divine soul had been strengthened, Qin Fei's memory was astonishing. He soon mastered all the characters recorded in the dictionary.

Yunxiu's injuries had also almost completely healed, and the day came for her to leave.

"Thank you for these past few days, Fellow Daoist Yun."

Yunxiu waved a hand and gave him a grateful smile.

"I should be the one thanking you, Fellow Daoist."

She bowed respectfully and continued:

"I've imposed on you for many days, so I won't stay any longer. Fellow Daoist Qin, if fate allows, we'll meet again."

She knew Qin Fei was steadfast and would not accompany her to the secret realm. There was no point in staying any longer, so she prepared to go alone.

Qin Fei saw her to the door and cupped his hands before returning alone.

Yunxiu truly was Qin Fei's lucky star.

Their first meeting had not been very pleasant for either of them, but he had relied on the Heavenly Craft Creation Pavilion to obtain the Divine Soul Sensing Chapter.

The marvels of that technique were the sole reason his Divine Sense now far surpassed that of cultivators at the same stage, allowing him to control so many puppets at once.

Now, at their second meeting, Yunxiu had taught him this unknown seal script.

Though he had yet to discover what it was used for, Qin Fei always felt there was more to these characters than met the eye.

He returned to the pavilion and reviewed the characters he had learned over the past few days, but his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

He understood what the individual characters meant, but he did not know the correct order in which to arrange them.

As a result, he still could not tell what the characters meant when combined.

Could I have guessed wrong?

No, since the Heavenly Secrets Sect required its disciples to learn it from childhood, there must be a deeper meaning. I simply haven't discovered it yet.

Qin Fei sighed helplessly. He could only set the characters aside for now and study them another day.

Just then, Tang Zhan sent him a message.

He said that after honing himself in the military camp for a long time, Tiezhu had finally broken through to Late Qi Refining, and they had arranged to celebrate.

A trace of delight appeared on Qin Fei's face. Tiezhu had also broken through to the late stage; their team was growing stronger and stronger.

He changed his clothes and quietly went out.

The Gathering Immortals Pavilion had been rebuilt after the last attack.

The rebuilt structure was even grander, and the entire building had a magnificent, opulent air.

This was hardly a restaurant. It was more like a money-burning den.

At the entrance to the Gathering Immortals Pavilion.

A group craned their necks as they waited for Qin Fei to arrive.

"Look at you, Tiezhu! You've finally reached the late stage. I'd say you have a good chance of reaching Foundation Establishment."

"Everyone, please stop teasing me. I've been stuck at the bottleneck to the late stage for so many years.

"If I hadn't relied on the power of the Law Artifact Brother Qin gave me to render great service in the military camp and earn a few Stage-Breaking Pills, I probably still wouldn't have broken through."

"By the way, didn't Brother Qin start trying to break through the bottleneck to the late stage too? How is that going?"

"I don't know. He's been in seclusion for some time. Since he agreed to meet us this time, he must have a result. Let's wait and see."

Qin Fei did not keep them waiting long. Before long, he appeared at the entrance to the Gathering Immortals Pavilion.

When everyone sensed his Qi, their eyes lit up.

"Way to go! Brother Qin has reached Late Qi Refining too. Our little gang is getting bigger and stronger."

"Tiezhu, if you don't know how to speak, don't. It's a team, not a gang."

Though they joked with one another, they were overjoyed.

Of the six friends, all but Old Zhang and Xu Meiniang had now become great cultivators at the late stage. It was truly a cause for joy.

When the group entered the Gathering Immortals Pavilion, even the proprietress became a little more welcoming.

Wang Hu and Tang Zhan were at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, while Qin Fei and Tiezhu were at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. With four great cultivators at the late stage, even an ordinary small gang might not have such a lineup.

Old Zhang and Xu Meiniang were also happy from the bottom of their hearts.

Though the two lagged far behind in cultivation, one had seen his path of cultivation cut off long ago. Though he still wished to advance, he had come to accept it. The other had a large belly, and her heart and eyes were filled with the child she carried. How could she have any thought for cultivation?

Led personally by the proprietress, the group arrived at the sixth floor of the Gathering Immortals Pavilion.

It was their first time coming up here. The entire floor contained only two private rooms.

The room had an antique elegance, with carved dragons and painted phoenixes. A grand octagonal table stood in the very center, and even the ordinary chairs had been replaced with grand armchairs.

"Please enjoy your meal, honored guests. All food and wine are twenty percent off today. We hope you'll visit often."

The proprietress warmly invited everyone to sit, then tactfully withdrew.

"Does Late Qi Refining get you this kind of treatment? I've been to the Gathering Immortals Pavilion no fewer than a hundred times. How come I've never heard of it?"

Wang Hu was somewhat suspicious.

"She probably took us for people from some major power. There have been so many Rogue Cultivators coming from elsewhere lately, and I've seen quite a few Azure Wood Palace disciples too."

Tang Zhan's words piqued everyone's interest.

"Isn't your Azure Wood Palace fighting on the front lines? Those disciples still have time to come here and explore the secret realm?"

"What you may not know is that the fighting on the front lines operates on a rotation. It hasn't reached the point of forced conscription yet. Disciples who rotate out have nearly a year of rest, so naturally they can come if they want to."

"So that's how it is."

Understanding dawned on everyone, and afterward, they took the rare opportunity to exchange insights into cultivation.

With Tang Zhan and Wang Hu, who had reached the late stage earlier, explaining things without holding anything back, Qin Fei and Tiezhu both benefited greatly.

Even Old Zhang and Xu Meiniang listened with keen interest.

But when it was Tiezhu's turn to share his insights, his words repeatedly left everyone deep in thought.

Cultivation in the military camp emphasized actual combat, killing, and seeking survival amid danger. It was indeed different.

But when Qin Fei's turn came, it was a different picture altogether.

He had explored cultivation entirely on his own, and his thinking was often unrestrained. Some of his ideas were rather laughable, while others soared like heavenly steeds across the sky.

By the end of the exchange, everyone had nodded along repeatedly.

"We should exchange insights more often in the future. By comparing and verifying our understanding, we're sure to climb another step in cultivation."

"That's right. If one day we all become Foundation Establishment cultivators, even the Lin and Lu Households will have to treat us courteously when they see us."

Everyone laughed at those words and raised their cups with a surge of bold spirit:

"I believe that day will come sooner or later. Cheers!"