Chapter 398: Peak Master |
Chen Qing carefully examined the puppet once more.
The puppet was expertly crafted and, as Shan Jiwen had said, was indeed a rare asset.
With a thought, he had the puppet stand guard at one side of the meditation chamber.
"It's still early."
Chen Qing picked up the pale blue fishing rod and leisurely left the small courtyard.
Today, the wind at Jade Wave Pool was quite strong, with waves rippling across the water's surface. Ordinary people would likely have difficulty catching anything.
Chen Qing still chose his familiar old spot, but was in no hurry to cast his line.
He silently circulated his technique, starlight faintly flowing at his fingertips, then gently flicked, the Star Vortex Dragon-Drawing Formula quietly executing.
The fishing rod lifted lightly, the silver line cutting through the air and entering the water.
"Senior Brother Chen's skill at integrating techniques into the art of fishing truly opens our eyes."
"Sigh, don't even mention it. I've sat here withering for two hours and haven't even seen a single treasure fish scale."
"Two hours is nothing. I've been here from early morning until the sun started setting in the west, a full four hours, and my fish basket is still completely empty!"
Several nearby fishing enthusiasts who had been packing up with sighs couldn't help but stop and watch, their eyes revealing unconcealed envy.
"Better than nothing."
Chen Qing put away his fishing rod, picked up his fish basket, and turned to head toward Myriad Techniques Peak.
Luo Zhixian's small courtyard remained tranquil.
The old servant opened the door and, seeing the fish basket in Chen Qing's hand, nodded slightly and stepped aside to let him enter.
In the study, Luo Zhixian wasn't practicing calligraphy but stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the distant mountains in the twilight, pondering something.
"Master." Chen Qing spoke respectfully from outside the door.
Luo Zhixian turned around, his gaze falling on the fish basket in Chen Qing's hand, and nodded, "You had leisure time today."
"This disciple just received a new rod and went to try his luck, but unfortunately the fish weren't biting well today, so I only caught two." Chen Qing handed the fish basket to the old servant, then stepped into the room.
Luo Zhixian gestured for him to sit, then seated himself by the tea table.
The old servant soundlessly served hot tea, then quietly withdrew.
"You've come at just the right time."
Luo Zhixian picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and said slowly, "There's something I need you to handle."
"Please instruct me, Master." Chen Qing's expression became serious.
Luo Zhixian drew a plain white slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it over.
Chen Qing received it with both hands. Opening it, he saw several dish names and a wine name listed: Roasted Spirit Deer Meat, Steamed Cold Pool Silver Perch, Eight Treasure Spirit Mushroom Soup, Thousand-Year Snow Lotus Cake, and a pot of thirty-year 'Rippling Pool Spring'.
All were dishes that required considerable effort, and that 'Rippling Pool Spring' was even a specialty of Rippling Pool Town.
"Tomorrow is Junior Martial Brother Hua's birthday. Help me prepare these foods and deliver them."
Luo Zhixian's expression was somewhat complex, but it quickly returned to normal.
Junior Martial Brother Hua, the only person in all of Tianbao Upper Sect whom Luo Zhixian would address this way.
Prison Peak's Peak Master, Hua Yunfeng.
Chen Qing put the slip away, "This disciple understands and will have everything prepared."
Luo Zhixian said nothing more, "Go then."
Chen Qing bowed and took his leave.
Returning to his small courtyard on True Martial Peak, Chen Qing summoned Qingdai and Zisu.
"What are Senior Brother's instructions?" the two women asked in unison.
Chen Qing took out the slip and handed it to them, "Tomorrow we need to prepare these wines and dishes. If the ingredient storage lacks anything, go purchase it now."
"Yes."
The two took the note and immediately went to make arrangements.
Chen Qing returned to his meditation chamber and sat cross-legged.
Hua Yunfeng... this Peak Master who had imprisoned himself in the depths of Prison Peak for decades seemed to have quite a history with his master.
He put aside these thoughts and circulated the Supreme Void True Scripture, focusing on cultivation.
The next day, the weather was clear and pleasant.
Chen Qing carried the prepared food boxes and Rippling Pool Spring to Prison Peak's Blackwater Abyss Prison.
Chen Qing didn't see Master Qiku.
According to usual patterns, at this hour, Qiku should be in his stone chamber reciting sutras.
Chen Qing expertly made his way to the outside of Qiku's meditation room and indeed heard sutra recitation coming from inside.
He waited quietly for a moment. When a passage of scripture was finished, he spoke, "Master Qiku."
The sutra recitation in the meditation room stopped, and the wooden door opened silently.
Qiku sat on his meditation cushion, his entire aura perfectly harmonious and peaceful. Seeing Chen Qing, he nodded slightly, "For what purpose has Benefactor Chen come today?"
Chen Qing cupped his hands, "This disciple has come on his master's orders and needs to go to the sixth level to pay respects to Martial Uncle Hua. I've come specifically to inform the Master."
Qiku looked at Chen Qing, then said slowly, "You may proceed, but you must remember that the one on the fifth level, though locked by layers of restrictions, can still spread his intent through the malevolent qi. Do not speak much with him, and certainly don't be deceived by him."
"The malevolent qi invading your body can be refined using your techniques, but if your mind is disturbed by him, that would be a great problem."
"This disciple will remember." Chen Qing responded solemnly.
"Go then." Master Qiku waved his hand and closed his eyes again.
Chen Qing withdrew from the meditation room, took a deep breath, and walked toward the stairs leading to the deeper levels below.
This was his first time venturing below the third level of Blackwater Abyss Prison.
The deeper he descended, the dimmer the light became.
The malevolent qi permeating the air gradually thickened, bone-chillingly cold. If it were an ordinary early True Origin realm expert, they would probably already need to circulate their True Origin with full power to resist.
Within Chen Qing's body, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body spontaneously activated. His blood and qi furnace rumbled softly, and a layer of pale golden glow emanated from his body, continuously refining and absorbing the invading malevolent qi.
He clearly felt that under the tempering of this pure malevolent qi, his physical strength was actually improving bit by bit.
Before long, he reached the fourth level.
The number of cells here was clearly fewer than the upper levels, but each one was more solid, and the restriction runes on the doors were several times more complex.
Behind the heavy stone doors, eerie aura fluctuations could faintly be felt. Though most were weakened, one could still sense their former strength.
Those imprisoned here were all vicious individuals at the late or even peak True Origin realm. Though corroded by malevolent qi for many years with greatly damaged cultivation, their remaining auras were still not to be underestimated.
Chen Qing's steps were steady as he quickly passed through the fourth level corridor.
He could feel several obscure intents quietly extending from behind the cell doors, sweeping over him.
The stairs leading to the fifth level were even steeper, with black ice crystals condensed at the edges of the stone steps, a manifestation of malevolent qi becoming substantial after reaching a certain density.
Chen Qing descended the last step and his view suddenly opened up.
The layout of the fifth level was completely different from above.
There were no densely packed cells here. The entire level was shockingly spacious, with only a massive stone prison standing in the center.
The surface of this stone prison was carved with dense, layer upon layer of sealing runes. Golden, azure, and black flowing light slowly circulated among the runes, firmly locking the entire stone prison.
The prison's only entrance was a black iron gate.
The malevolent qi permeating the entire fifth level space was more than ten times denser than the upper levels!
This viscous, ink-like, almost liquid malevolent qi continuously seeped out from the cracks of the stone prison, writhing like living things as it drifted upward, as if the stone prison itself were a terrifying source of malevolent qi.
Chen Qing merely stood at the entrance and felt his blood and qi circulation slightly sluggish, his skin experiencing needle-like icy stinging pain.
He had no choice but to push the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body to its limit. Pale golden blood and qi radiance emanated from his body, forming a thin light barrier around him, which finally held back the all-pervasive icy malevolent qi.
"Oh? Today brings a rare visitor."
A low voice sounded.
The voice came from that massive stone prison.
Chen Qing's heart tightened as his gaze turned toward the black iron gate.
The voice didn't come through the door cracks but rang directly in his consciousness.
"Disciple of that old fellow Qiku?" the voice sounded again, its tone revealing no joy or anger.
Chen Qing steadied himself and said, "I am not Master Qiku's disciple. I am a True Disciple of Tianbao Upper Sect's True Martial lineage, Chen Qing."
"Hmph!" A cold snort came from the prison, shaking the surrounding malevolent qi into tumult.
"True Martial lineage? Jiang Lishan is quite good at training people, sending a wet-behind-the-ears brat down here to die?"
As the words fell, Chen Qing suddenly felt an ice-cold, bone-chilling intent lock onto him!
"Whoosh!"
The ink-black malevolent qi seeping from the prison cracks suddenly surged, like sharks scenting blood, frantically gathering and transforming into an extremely thick torrent of malevolent qi that rushed straight at Chen Qing!
This malevolent qi torrent was not only extremely dense, but also contained a trace of incredibly pure cold evil power. Wherever it passed, even the air condensed into fine black ice crystals.
Chen Qing dared not be the slightest bit negligent. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body erupted!
"Hum!"
The pale golden radiance around his body blazed brilliantly. The blood and qi furnace phantom faintly emerged behind him, its scorching yang aura like an erupting volcano, boldly colliding with the cold malevolent qi!
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle!"
The dense black energy was continuously refined by the pale golden blood and qi, but the subsequent malevolent qi seemed endless, surging forward wave after wave.
Chen Qing's feet rooted to the ground, his form stable as a boulder. The blood and qi within his body surged like the Yangtze River, dissolving the invading malevolent qi layer by layer.
This caused his physical strength to increase at a perceptible rate, and his blood and qi became increasingly condensed and pure.
[Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body: Seventh Layer (11247/80000)]
[Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body: Seventh Layer (11253/80000)]
"Hmm?"
The existence within the stone prison seemed to notice the anomaly and let out a light sound of surprise.
"This Buddhist body refinement technique of yours is somewhat strange. Within the extreme yang, it actually contains a trace of the deep sea's overwhelming continuity. It's not the pure Great Sun Hall school."
Chen Qing's heart tightened.
This person, though sealed by layer upon layer of restrictions, could still sense the subtle characteristics of his technique through the malevolent qi, even detecting the integrated Giant Whale Overturning Seas Technique!
This perceptive power was truly astonishing.
He didn't respond, only circulated his technique with full power, resisting the malevolent qi while continuously refining and absorbing it.
"Interesting..."
The voice murmured, and the malevolent qi torrent's assault gradually eased, finally receding like the tide and transforming back into faint black mist permeating the space.
"Boy, what's your relationship with Qiku? Did he teach you all these techniques?"
"The techniques were obtained through this one's own fortuitous encounters and have nothing to do with Master Qiku." Chen Qing said in a deep voice, still maintaining vigilance.
He knew well that such terrifying existences imprisoned for countless years had inscrutable minds, with every sentence potentially hiding traps.
"Fortuitous encounter? Heh..." Low laughter came from the prison, but no further questions followed.
Chen Qing turned and quickly walked toward the stairs leading to the sixth level.
Only after stepping onto the descending stairs did that blade-like cold feeling gradually disappear.
Chen Qing's brows furrowed tightly as he pondered inwardly.
The one on the fifth level was definitely a Grandmaster realm giant, and definitely not an ordinary Grandmaster.
His cultivation seemed to have been sealed by some method by more than half, yet could still generate such terrifying malevolent qi.
Was he the person the two Great Snow Mountain Dharma Kings had allied with the Demon Sects to attack Prison Peak and rescue?
What was this person's identity?
What kind of deep connection did he have with Great Snow Mountain?
Chen Qing shook his head and temporarily suppressed these questions.
As Master Qiku had warned, such existences were definitely not something he could provoke or speculate about now.
Knowing too much might actually be more dangerous.
He collected his thoughts and, following the spiraling downward stairs, walked toward the sixth level of Blackwater Abyss Prison.
Unlike the fifth level's overwhelming malevolent qi pressure, the sixth level's aura was even more obscure and difficult to fathom.
The space here wasn't large, roughly the size of an ordinary hall.
No cells, no torture instruments, not even any extra furnishings.
The air was abnormally clean, so clean it almost created an illusion.
As if this place wasn't the bottommost level of Blackwater Abyss Prison, but some secluded place of quiet cultivation isolated from the world.
Chen Qing's gaze was instantly drawn to the figure in the center.
There was no meditation cushion, no stone platform.
Hua Yunfeng simply sat cross-legged directly on the ground.
He still wore that old, loose gray leather robe, his hunched, thin frame appearing particularly lonely.
But unlike the hasty glimpse on the third level last time, observing closely now, Chen Qing's heart suddenly experienced a palpitation.
Hua Yunfeng had no powerful aura emanating from his body, not even any obvious True Origin fluctuations.
He just sat there quietly, as if truly just a skeleton draped in robes.
But Chen Qing felt that his entire being seemed to have truly become one inseparable whole with this sixth level of Blackwater Abyss Prison, with this Prison Peak, and even with the pulse of the deeper earth.
That sense of 'existence' itself brought a weight and vastness far surpassing any external aura or pressure.
Mysterious and profound, unfathomably deep.
Chen Qing collected his thoughts, stepped forward several paces, stopped about ten feet from Hua Yunfeng, and respectfully bowed with cupped hands, "Disciple Chen Qing pays respects to Martial Uncle Hua."
Hua Yunfeng slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes deeply sunken in their sockets remained calm and waveless as an ancient well, but the moment they opened, Chen Qing felt as if the entire stone chamber's light dimmed slightly for an instant.
"I have some impression of you."
Hua Yunfeng said slowly, "Last time... during the baleful calamity, you were on the third level. You handled yourself fairly calmly."
Chen Qing's heart tightened slightly, but his face maintained respect, "This disciple's duty, I dared not be negligent."
Hua Yunfeng nodded slightly, his gaze moving to the food box and wine jar Chen Qing carried, "What brings you here?"
Chen Qing placed the food box and the jar of thirty-year Rippling Pool Spring on the ground in front of Hua Yunfeng, then cupped his hands again, "This disciple comes on my master's orders to deliver some food to Martial Uncle Hua."
"Your master?" Hua Yunfeng's ancient well-like face showed a slight frown, "Who is your master?"
"My master is the Myriad Techniques Peak Master, Luo Zhixian." Chen Qing answered clearly.
"Senior Martial Brother Luo?" Hua Yunfeng was slightly stunned upon hearing this.
He fell silent for a moment, his gaze returning to the food box and wine jar on the ground, his voice seeming to soften somewhat, "Today..."
"Master said today is Martial Uncle Hua's birthday." Chen Qing continued.
"...Birthday?" Hua Yunfeng murmured the word, "It's kind of Senior Martial Brother Luo... to still remember."
He said nothing more, extending his hand, which was just skin stretched over bone, and gently opened the food box lid.
Chen Qing guessed it.
These were probably truly his favorite things... from back then, or perhaps from a very, very long time ago.
And that jar of mud-sealed, aged Rippling Pool Spring.
Hua Yunfeng picked up the wine jar and caressed the rough mud seal for a moment before breaking it open.
A clear yet mellow floral wine fragrance spread out, not overly strong.
He didn't use a cup but directly tilted the jar to his mouth and drank.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he closed his eyes for a moment.
"Senior Martial Brother Luo is thoughtful." He set down the wine jar.
Chen Qing stood quietly to the side.
Hua Yunfeng picked up a piece of spirit deer meat with chopsticks and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly.
His movements were very slow, and he ate very carefully.
After finishing this piece of meat, he set down the chopsticks, his gaze turning to Chen Qing again, and asked, "How has Senior Martial Brother Luo been lately?"
"Master is well in all respects." Chen Qing answered respectfully.
"Well... that's good."
Hua Yunfeng nodded.
He said nothing more, only took another drink of wine.
Chen Qing knew he should take his leave.
He cupped his hands again, "Please enjoy, Martial Uncle Hua. This disciple takes his leave."
"Go then." Hua Yunfeng waved his hand, his gaze not withdrawing.
Chen Qing turned and walked toward the way he came.
Just as he was about to head toward the fifth underground level, Hua Yunfeng's voice suddenly came from behind, "Wait."
Chen Qing's steps halted as he turned, "Does Martial Uncle Hua have further instructions?"
Hua Yunfeng looked at him, his withered palm extending.
An object slowly rose and fell into his palm.
He raised his hand and extended the object toward Chen Qing.
"Take this."
Chen Qing stepped forward and received it with both hands.
It felt slightly heavy and cool.
It was a small sword.
About three inches long, presenting a dull gray color throughout, neither metal nor wood, its material indiscernible.
The sword body had no luster whatsoever. Its design was ancient and simple to the extreme, without a guard, without a tassel, not even showing traces of having been sharpened, like a piece of stubborn stone roughly ground into a sword shape.
"Martial Uncle Hua, this is..." Chen Qing was puzzled.
"Consider it a meeting gift."
Hua Yunfeng's voice remained flat, revealing no emotion, "It may be useless, or perhaps... at some point in the future, it can help you ward off some trouble. Just keep it."
Though Chen Qing's puzzlement only deepened, an item taken out by someone of Hua Yunfeng's stature was definitely no ordinary object, even if it looked plain.
He solemnly put away the gray small sword and bowed, "This disciple thanks Martial Uncle for the generous gift."
"Go then." Hua Yunfeng waved his hand again and closed his eyes.
Chen Qing hesitated no longer and turned back to the fifth level.
In the sixth level stone chamber, silence returned.
Hua Yunfeng still sat cross-legged. More than half the dishes in the food box before him remained, and more than half the wine jar as well.
He sat with closed eyes for a long time, then suddenly reached out again to pick up the wine jar and tilted his head back to drink a large mouthful.
The clear wine liquid slid down his throat, bringing a trace of long-absent warmth.
After a long while, an extremely light sigh sounded, "Senior Martial Brother Luo, oh Senior Martial Brother Luo..."
"In this world, anyone can go kill Senior Martial Brother Li..."
"Anyone except... me."
The sigh scattered into the dim light and darkness, leaving no trace.
Only that hunched, withered figure remained, merged as one with this prison's deepest level.
As if decades had always been thus.
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