Xu Ziqing sighed and ultimately decided not to ask.
He still did not know exactly what would happen at the Dragon Ascension Gate Gathering, so making elaborate preparations now would truly be premature. Besides, when the time came to pass through the Dragon Ascension Gate a year from now, could he simply choose not to go?
Everything could wait until he got there.
Once he had settled on this, Xu Ziqing stopped dwelling on the matter.
For now, he only had to wait another half month.
Fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye.
Early that morning, Su Xin arrived on a scarlet flying sword like a streak of light, landing on a stone cliff that jutted from the edge of Lingqiao Mountain.
The handsome youth in red looked vigorous and heroic, every inch a favored son of heaven. “Brother Ziqing, hurry out! Are you ready?”
Xu Ziqing had just emerged from his quiet chamber. Seeing Su Xin, he smiled faintly. “Brother Su, you’re here early.”
Xu Ziqing had not wasted these past several days. Since he did not know exactly what circumstances awaited him at the Dragon Ascension Gate Gathering, he had used the half month to purchase a considerable number of supplies at the Trading Hall. He intended to remain on Tenglong Peak and then stake everything on reaching Foundation Establishment and entering the great world. After that, he most likely would never return to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. He therefore had to think through every preparation carefully.
By now, he had exchanged many beast cores other than wind-attributed demon cores, together with various beast hides, for talismans, pills, spiritual pearls, and other useful items. He had also stocked up on spiritual herbs and seeds that he did not currently possess but might need later. Only then did he feel somewhat reassured.
Seeing Xu Ziqing looking refreshed and knowing how seriously he was taking the journey, Su Xin smiled. “Brother Ziqing, you’re practically glowing. You must be quite confident.”
Xu Ziqing’s expression remained gentle. “I can only do my best.” Knowing Su Xin was impatient by nature, he added, “Brother Su, wait a moment. I need to give Qingfeng and Miaoyue a few instructions first.”
Su Xin understood perfectly well why. He snorted and said, “Brother Ziqing, you’re still as kindhearted as ever.” Then he stepped aside and waited, collecting his thoughts.
Qingfeng and Miaoyue had been standing respectfully nearby. Hearing Xu Ziqing’s words, they followed him at once and stopped before him to await their master’s instructions.
Seeing how restrained they were, Xu Ziqing softened his tone further. “I’m leaving today for the Dragon Ascension Gate Gathering, and I may not return. You two have served me for a long time and worked hard. I’ll give each of you one item, to bring this period of master and servants to a proper close.”
Qingfeng and Miaoyue exchanged a glance, both overjoyed.
Servants like them naturally had their own channels of information and had long known about this important event. Given their master’s talent, they had expected him to leave for the great world. Once he did, the two of them would likely be assigned to serve other cultivators. They had finally found a gentle master, and there was no knowing what temperament the next cultivator might have. Naturally, they had been reluctant to part with him.
They had never expected their master to show them even greater generosity. In the past, simply serving a cultivator without being beaten or tormented had counted as good fortune. Who would have imagined that their current master would actually give them gifts? Anything that slipped through a cultivator’s fingers would likely be an immensely precious treasure to martial artists such as themselves.
The two immediately bowed. “Many thanks for Immortal Master Xu’s reward!” Then they raised both hands over their heads respectfully.
Xu Ziqing understood their nervous reverence and did not make things difficult for them. With a sweep of his sleeve, he placed the gifts in their hands.
Both Qingfeng and Miaoyue felt their hands sink under the unexpected weight. Xu Ziqing said nothing more, merely smiled, and walked back toward Su Xin.
Su Xin had already grown impatient. The moment Xu Ziqing approached, he caught him by the sleeve and leapt. In an instant, the two were standing together atop the flying sword, which shot through the air a heartbeat later.
Only then did Qingfeng and Miaoyue dare lower their hands and inspect what they had been given.
Qingfeng held a black rod about the length of an index finger, its entire surface gleaming with dark light. Miaoyue, meanwhile, held a small porcelain bottle that also felt unexpectedly heavy.
The two exchanged a glance. After a brief hesitation, Qingfeng bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the rod. The blood seeped into it, and the rod instantly expanded in the wind until it stood taller than a man. Three characters were inscribed upon it: “Heavenheart Staff.” It weighed a full two thousand jin.
Elio’s Notes: Jin (斤) is a traditional Chinese unit of weight. Its exact historical value varied; the modern Chinese jin is 500 grams, so two thousand jin would be about one metric ton.
Qingfeng had been trained by the Rogue Cultivator Alliance and was himself a ninth-level martial artist, so he naturally possessed some discernment. At first glance the staff seemed unremarkable, but a faint spiritual radiance ran through it. Its shaft was smooth and rounded, cold light flashing across its surface, and it was extraordinarily heavy. The material from which it had been forged was clearly Profound-Light Iron, something even low-level cultivators could use.
Among martial artists, a weapon forged entirely from Profound-Light Iron was worth a fortune and nearly impossible to obtain. Yet such a weapon was now in his hands. Qingfeng could scarcely contain his gratitude.
Miaoyue was knowledgeable as well. Seeing Qingfeng’s delight, she could not help feeling some anticipation of her own. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the stopper from the bottle, and a clean fragrance immediately filled the air. She peered carefully at the liquid within and cautiously tipped a single drop into her palm.
The moment the liquid emerged, it formed a perfectly rounded bead that rolled across her hand. It gleamed like mercury, countless motes of light fine as dust flowing through the drop.
Miaoyue’s eyes widened. Qingfeng had already cried out, “Silver-Pearl Dew!”
Anyone who practiced martial arts inevitably injured the meridians within their body over time, causing hidden injuries to accumulate. If they were fortunate enough to enter the Innate Realm, those injuries might heal. If not, the damage could shorten their lives and hinder further progress in martial arts. Women’s meridians were finer and more delicate than men’s, making female martial artists even more vulnerable to such injuries. For that reason, many female martial artists died young, while very few ever achieved true success.
There was, however, a miraculous medicine capable of removing a martial artist’s hidden injuries without leaving any future consequences: Silver-Pearl Dew. Yet it was exceedingly rare. Even martial families with Innate-Realm experts might possess none at all, much less servants like them. Most cultivators looked down from high above. Even if obtaining such dew was not difficult for them, how many would bother to acquire it for a servant?
Miaoyue drew a deep breath, her eyes already reddening.
Qingfeng stood beside her. This time, no words were necessary. Both dropped respectfully to their knees, gazed toward the direction in which Xu Ziqing and Su Xin had flown away on the sword, and bowed until their foreheads touched the ground.
Together they said, “May Immortal Master Xu’s immortal path be smooth, and may he soon become an immortal and a sage!”
The journey to the Tenglong Mountain Range was not only long. As one drew near, many dangers and obstacles also barred the way.
For that reason, those attending the gathering were usually accompanied by senior cultivators. This time Su Xin’s cultivation had not yet met the normal threshold, so the gatekeeper’s rules required that someone accompany him in any case.
Su Xin had come to fetch Xu Ziqing, but the two of them were not traveling alone. They still had to wait for the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s escorts and the other cultivators who had received quotas.
Thus they went to the Elders’ Hall in the Inner Alliance to await the others.
Just then, several streaks of colored light crossed the sky, some carrying an austere presence and others a mysterious air. Before long, they all descended to the ground.
They were five or six talented cultivators, all under fifty and all at Qi Refinement layer 9 or higher. Each radiated conspicuous spiritual light and an impressive pressure.
Xu Ziqing noticed that every one of them carried a magical artifact of excellent quality, treasure-light gleaming from each. The men were handsome, the woman beautiful, their spiritual energy overflowing in a conspicuously proud display. There was even one whose cultivation Xu Ziqing could not see through at all, suggesting that this person’s cultivation might already be at Qi Refinement layer 10.
As Xu Ziqing studied them, they studied him in return.
Every cultivator who had received a quota was a disciple of one of the elders. Their spiritual roots and innate talent might be somewhat inferior to Su Xin’s, but they were still among the very best. Their selection for the Dragon Ascension Gate Gathering was fully expected and beyond dispute.
Xu Ziqing, however, was different.
He had not entered the Rogue Cultivator Alliance in childhood. In fact, he had joined the Outer Alliance only two years ago. None of them had heard of him making any contribution to the Alliance, nor did they know of any reason he should be trusted. Yet this very person had somehow received one of the limited quotas.
It was genuinely surprising.
Stranger still, although some of their masters and the other elders had clearly been displeased, they had not stopped it, or perhaps they had tried and been overruled by the Alliance Leader. In any case, these favored disciples had heard Xu Ziqing’s name several times but knew very little about him. The Alliance Leader and elders remained evasive whenever his affairs came up, lending him an air of mystery that inevitably invited speculation.
Speculation was one thing. Letting it show would be foolish.
The Rogue Cultivator Alliance was enormous. There were certainly other cultivators who met the basic requirements, yet these few had been chosen. Clearly they carried great expectations and were expected to form ties with other exceptional young talents. None of them were foolish enough to behave rudely.
Thus, after briefly assessing Xu Ziqing, they all nodded to him in greeting.
To their eyes, he seemed no more than an ordinary, mild-mannered youth. They truly could not understand why the Alliance valued him so highly.
Su Xin had remained beside Xu Ziqing the entire time and naturally saw exactly how his senior brothers and sister were regarding him. Raising an eyebrow, he first said to Xu Ziqing, “Brother Ziqing, these are Elder Hu’s disciple, Senior Brother Ran Xingjian; Elder Hua’s disciple, Senior Brother Hui Feizhang; Elder Chen’s disciple, Senior Brother Min Caizhe; Elder Qin’s disciple, Senior Brother Tong Yuansi; Elder Zhao’s disciple, Senior Brother He Jinghui; and Elder Bai’s disciple, Senior Sister Zhuo Hanyan. Senior Sister Zhuo Hanyan is the strongest among them. She’s already at Qi Refinement layer 10, only one final step from Foundation Establishment.”
Xu Ziqing understood that Su Xin was introducing him to everyone and appreciated the gesture. He smiled. “I am Xu Ziqing. Greetings, fellow Daoists.”
He was not a member of the Inner Alliance, after all, so he could not address them as senior brothers and sister.
Su Xin tugged Xu Ziqing’s sleeve again and grinned at the six cultivators. “Senior brothers, Senior Sister, I’m young, and Master said you’re all supposed to look after me. But this brother of mine is only a few years older than I am, so while you’re at it, why not look after him too?”
Tong Yuansi, who seemed relatively straightforward by nature, said, “We’re all from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. If he really is younger than us, there’s no harm in looking after him a little. But I’m only twelve years older than you. What about Fellow Daoist Xu?”
Su Xin smiled smugly. “My Brother Ziqing only just turned twenty this year. Well? He’s younger than all of you, isn’t he?”
At those words, the cultivators all started and exchanged glances.
To reach Qi Refinement layer 9 at only twenty years old, what kind of talent was that? Other than Su Xin, whose spiritual roots had only recently been purified, everyone present was over thirty. They had cultivated for more than ten years longer than Xu Ziqing.
If that was the reason the Alliance Leader valued Xu Ziqing, then it was no longer difficult to understand.