manynovel Chapter 215 Hirano, the Chief, A Rift in the Lovers' Relationship
Chapter 215 Hirano, the Chief, A Rift in the Lovers' Relationship
Chapter 215 Hirano, the Chief, A Rift in the Lovers' Relationship
After being explicitly rejected by Chen Yi in public, both Yuqiong Zhenren and her female disciple Su Wan looked rather displeased.
The blush on Su Wan's cheeks faded, leaving only an awkward paleness.
A hint of displeasure flashed in Master Yuqiong's eyes, but because she needed his help, she couldn't show it on the spot.
She forced a smile, her tone somewhat stiff:
"Since Fellow Daoist Chen has made up his mind, then I will come to bother you again in two years, so as not to disturb your peaceful cultivation."
"Su Wan, let's go."
The master and disciple turned around and quickly walked out of the main hall, mounting the white-winged winged horse outside the hall.
As the Pegasus took off, it lingered, turning its head to look at the spirit pet pouch at Chen Yi's waist.
It keenly sensed that the bag contained a high-grade beast pill that could attract it, and its aura was even purer than the ones it had taken before.
"Waaah... Master, does True Master Chen not like me?"
After flying away from Chen Yi's cave, Su Wan finally couldn't help but cry out, her voice filled with grievance.
Master Yuqiong frowned, pondering as he rode his flying horse:
"Chen Yi has been with the Star Moon Sect for two years, and I have never heard of him getting close to any female cultivators."
Besides the older servants and Foundation Establishment apprentices, the only other person in his cave was Hu Mingyue, a young and beautiful female cultivator.
Although he is taking care of the daughter of an old friend, and that girl is still a virgin, in my opinion, he is probably "nurturing" her, waiting for Hu Mingyue to master the "Moon Technique" before harvesting the moon spirit essence she has accumulated..."
"I see! So, Master Chen rejected me because I'm not a virgin?"
Su Wan suddenly realized, and her tone became more resentful.
The speculations and analyses made by the master and disciple when they left were overheard by some cultivator and quickly spread among cultivators at all levels of the Star Moon Sect.
The rumors that "Master Chen is a germaphobe, only likes to 'raise' juniors, and looks down on female cultivators who are not virgins" spread like wildfire and became anecdotes discussed privately within the sect.
Chen Yi naturally heard about these rumors soon after, but he didn't take them to heart.
When Hu Mingyue came to report with some concern, he simply smiled faintly and spoke calmly:
"Let them say what they want; time will tell."
Mingyue, you don't need to care about these gossips—in Uncle Chen's eyes, you will always be a niece who needs his care; he has never had any other intentions.
He changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious:
"In addition, you must also keep to your own duties, avoid being tempted by external factors, and focus your mind on spiritual practice."
Remember this: in the world of cultivation, cultivation level is the foundation of everything. Appearance and rumors are all meaningless; only strength can protect you.
Standing before him was Hu Mingyue, a beautiful and youthful woman.
Her light blue disciple's robe accentuated her snow-white skin, and her long, black hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, hanging down her shoulders.
Her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, and her clear eyes seemed to hold the moonlight, possessing both the liveliness of a young girl and the composure gained from years of experience.
She listened to Chen Yi's words and nodded vigorously:
"Don't worry, Uncle Chen. They may not understand you, but don't I?"
Aunt Qin and Aunt Ning are both rare beauties in the world. In terms of appearance and cultivation, how can these female cultivators in the sect compare?
It's perfectly normal that Uncle Chen looks down on them.
"You little rascal, you even dare to tease your uncle!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi made a gesture as if to raise his hand to knock her head.
He abruptly changed the subject, his expression turning serious:
"Go back and cultivate properly right now!"
How's your cultivation of that ancient foundation-building technique your father taught you going?
I can warn you, although that method provides a solid foundation after one has established their foundation, the probability of death is far too high.
"If you're not at least 70% certain, you'd better take the Foundation Establishment Pill obediently. No recklessness allowed, understand?"
He deliberately adopted a fierce tone, but his eyes revealed concern.
Hu Mingyue lowered her head, a rare hint of warmth appearing in her usually deep and cold eyes, her voice soft yet firm:
"Mingyue understands."
My cultivation is progressing well so far. I'm only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and it's still a long way from Foundation Establishment.
"Once I reach the peak of Qi Refining, I'll ask Uncle Chen for specific advice on how to establish my foundation."
"Okay, go ahead."
Chen Yi nodded, watching her turn and leave, and sighed inwardly—Old Hu entrusted his daughter to him, and he was determined to protect her and ensure her safe cultivation, and he absolutely could not let her get into trouble due to recklessness.
Two years later, Chen Yi turned 88 years old.
In recent years, he has remained in his cave, focusing on his spiritual practice. His days have been peaceful and uneventful, and he has never done anything out of line.
He always completed the sect's annual task of producing two bottles of Azure Thunder Brew on time, never delaying.
He occasionally took on tasks to make third-tier beast pills and second-tier high-grade puppets, and delivered them with high quality and quantity, thereby accumulating a lot of cultivation resources.
Chen Yi has now collected enough materials for two sets of near-Tier 3 puppets.
He secretly calculated that it was about time to start making a standard near-Tier 3 puppet.
In the past two years, his Golden Core cultivation power has been operating at full capacity in his cave, absorbing far more spiritual energy than ordinary Core Formation cultivators every day, and occasionally taking up the spiritual energy of the main cave's veins.
Having been at the Star Moon Sect for four and a half years, even if Chen Yi was initially unaware, he now knew the origins of the cave dwelling he resided in.
The main cave next to Chen Yi's residence is related to Ping Xingye, another Golden Core genius of the Star Moon Sect and the chief disciple of Star Peak.
Although Ping Xingye is away from home most of the year and no longer uses this cave dwelling, it is still inhabited by his family and disciples, so he is essentially occupying their spiritual vein resources.
"So, I was using the resources of the Chief Golden Core cultivator..."
Chen Yi understood and secretly made a mental note of the matter. He wondered what kind of person Ping Xingye was and whether the other party would cause him trouble.
During this time, he also heard that the main battles in Qi had come to an end, and apart from some cultivators from Zhongzhou who stayed behind to assist in the defense, most of the participating cultivators were already on their way back.
Hirahoshino might be among them.
Through his ability to "perceive the heavens and earth," Chen Yi also sensed some dynamic changes in the cultivation world:
In recent years, every now and then, a faint but obvious fluctuation of demonic energy would appear in the southern direction, which would then quickly disappear.
He guessed that the demonic power was weak because of the great distance and the resulting fluctuations.
It is highly likely that the fourth-tier demon kings who destroyed the sealing formation of the secret realm are being found and killed one by one by the Nascent Soul cultivators of Zhongzhou, in order to deter other demon races and serve as a warning to others.
As for the evil and filthy demonic aura in the world, it suddenly subsided and weakened significantly a few months ago, but it did not completely disappear.
"If my guess is correct, the filthy demon realm should have been largely driven back by the cultivators of Zhongzhou and Qi Kingdom, who joined forces with them to drive it back into the demon realm."
But the passage between the secret realm and the demon realm has already been opened, and it may never be able to be completely closed again.
"If even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator can't close the passage... then the entire Qi Kingdom, and even the entire Great Qing cultivation world, has been targeted by the Demon Realm. They probably won't give up this 'fat piece of meat' easily."
Chen Yi knew that this conclusion would soon spread throughout the upper echelons of the cultivation world.
"Cultivation needs to be more urgent... If one day the entire Great Azure cultivation world is swallowed up by the filthy demon realm, where can I escape to?"
Chen Yi was also unable to answer this question at the moment.
With his current abilities, he simply cannot achieve cross-dimensional travel;
If the Great Qing cultivation world truly falls within a few hundred years, even with the system's assistance, he will be unable to resist the overwhelming forces of heaven and earth, and will still be unable to escape his doom when the time comes.
"Focus on your cultivation first; there's no time to worry about things that are so far away."
Even if the sky falls, there will be powerful beings with profound cultivation to hold it up.
If things really come to a head, maybe we can ask Lao Hu for help. If we escape with Lao Hu, we might be able to survive...
Chen Yi suppressed his worries and focused his attention back on the present.
Then, he summoned Hu Mingyue and gave her instructions:
"Go to the sect's mission hall and issue a new mission—take on the production of some near-Tier 3 puppets, with priority given to orders for rat-type, turtle-type, and snake-type puppets."
He planned to use the opportunity of making puppets to further familiarize himself with the craft of near-third-tier puppets, and at the same time accumulate more high-level materials to prepare for his future attempt to become a third-tier puppeteer.
Two months later, a massive fleet of flying ships crossed the Monster Mountain Range and sailed back into the Central Plains.
One of the flying boats was the first to dock at the Qingyun Cave Heaven's base.
Three days later
A condensed beam of light from a small flying boat departed from Qingyun Cave Heaven and flew straight toward Xingyue Sect's Star Peak, eventually landing on the eightieth floor of Star Peak, which is the core area of a fourth-order spiritual vein.
The airship's cabin door opened, and a tall figure stepped out.
The man was handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, yet he exuded a sharp, sword-like aura. It was a sharpness forged in the fires of war, like a meteor poised to strike, ready to shatter any prying gaze with just a little effort.
This person was none other than Ping Xingye, the chief disciple of Xingfeng, who had just returned from the battlefield of Qi.
Five years of war have further advanced Ping Xingye's cultivation. His magical power has been honed to the peak of the Golden Core stage, and he can no longer advance beyond the Core Formation stage. He is only one step away from the Nascent Soul stage.
But at this moment, his brow was slightly furrowed, clearly troubled by something.
Because there was a tiny but stubborn mark of filth and demonic thought between his eyebrows.
The mark originated from the final battle on the Qi battlefield, where he, along with two other peak Golden Core geniuses, joined forces to kill a Nascent Soul stage demon king.
In the midst of the fierce battle, the essence core within the Demon King's body suddenly exploded, releasing several marks imbued with terrifying demonic power.
One of the stings landed precisely on his brow, and no matter what methods he used, he could not dispel it.
After returning, Ping Xingye made a special trip to Qingyun Cave Heaven to seek an audience with the Nascent Soul Grandmaster, Qingshan Patriarch, in this area.
Even with the cultivation level of the Green Mountain Ancestor, he could not completely remove this demonic mark. He could only pass on a suppression technique to temporarily seal the mark deep between his eyebrows.
The ancestor also specifically reminded him that he must not rashly attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage before completely resolving this mark, otherwise the demonic thoughts might take advantage of the situation and leave irreparable hidden dangers in his foundation.
This is the root of Heira Hoshino's inner turmoil.
Back in his cave, Ping Xingye immediately noticed dozens of communication talismans piled on the table, all messages sent by disciples of the sect and their families during this period.
He casually picked one up, infused it with magical power, and immediately his disciple's respectful report rang out:
"Senior brother, during your absence, the temporary cave dwelling you previously provided for Fairy Yue Qingqiu was occupied by a stranger surnamed Chen."
The other party also had two spirit pets with them, and their daily cultivation consumed a great deal of spiritual energy, even causing unstable fluctuations in the spiritual veins of your cave..."
"Hmm? They actually occupied that cave dwelling? What does Qingqiu mean by this?"
Hirahoshino's brows furrowed instantly, his already irritated mood becoming even more unpleasant.
That cave dwelling was a temporary cultivation place he had specially cut out from his own fourth-tier spiritual vein cave dwelling, prepared specifically for Yue Qingqiu to come and meet him in secret. Now, however, it has been occupied by outsiders brought by Yue Qingqiu, and it has even affected the stability of the spiritual vein of the main cave dwelling.
He was already troubled by the demonic imprint, and upon hearing his disciple's "complaint," his anger flared even more. He spoke in a deep voice to the empty hall:
"Summon that Chen, the retainer who's occupying this cave, to come see me immediately!"
"My name is Chen Yi. I greet Chief Hoshino."
In a hall on the seventieth floor of Xingfeng, Chen Yi met Ping Xingye.
This Golden Core genius and Nascent Soul cultivator from the Star Moon Sect was tall and handsome, but his brows carried a lingering melancholy, which was slightly different from the rumored image of him as "sharp as a shooting star," but made him appear more composed.
Although Hirahoshino had deliberately concealed his aura, Chen Yi, with his extraordinary divine sense, could still clearly perceive the surging magical power fluctuations within him.
That was the unique weight and refinement of a Golden Core peak cultivator, mixed with an extremely sharp aura of star power, as if it could tear through the void at any moment.
Chen Yi secretly compared his own magical power with that of his opponent, and felt that his cultivation was like that of an ordinary mud house.
Hirahoshino's strength, on the other hand, was like a sturdy building several stories high; the difference between the two was nearly tenfold, and they were not even in the same league.
"No need for formalities, Mr. Chen. Please have a seat."
Ping Xingye waved his hand casually, his tone indifferent, indicating that Chen Yi should take a seat in the guest room.
After Chen Yi sat down, he secretly activated his senses and discovered that there was a stellar fluctuation in the depths of Hirahoshi's gaze, which was fixed on him.
It seems they are using secret methods to examine their magical aura, the malevolent energy emanating from their bodies, or what might be called their level of purity.
When Hirahoshino's secret technique swept over Chen Yi's soul imprint and he sensed that the number of dead souls on his hands was only in the single digits, his sharp eyes softened noticeably.
In the world of cultivation, cultivators inevitably get their hands dirty when they travel the world, but the number of dead souls is so small, which is enough to prove that Chen Yi is not a treacherous cultivator. He is restrained in his daily actions, and his magical power is also moderate and peaceful. He walks the righteous path of the Xuanmen.
Hirahoshino's guard quietly lowered a bit.
Well, since he is an offering recognized by the sect and has not committed any evil deeds, there is no need to be overly critical.
"I've heard that Master Chen possesses two spirit pets, so his daily cultivation requires a significant amount of spiritual energy?"
Hirahoshino spoke first, his tone calm and even, without a trace of blame, as if it were just a casual question.
Chen Yi dared not take it lightly. He had long guessed that Ping Xingye's disciples or family members must have informed him of the occupation of the spiritual vein. The fact that the other party brought it up now meant that he wanted to give an explanation for the matter.
He immediately stood up and bowed to Hirahoshino in apology:
"I'm sorry, Chief Hoshino."
Chen was unaware beforehand that the spiritual vein of this cave was related to the chief cultivator. His lack of restraint during cultivation led to excessive consumption of spiritual energy, disrupting the cultivation of the chief cultivator's family. "I will reduce this in the future..."
"No need."
Hirahoshino raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable fairness.
"You are a Core Formation True Person, a third-tier spiritual chef, and a second-tier high-grade puppeteer. Your contributions to the sect over the years far exceed those of my few good-for-nothing disciples."
"This is not your fault; it's the sect's failure to provide you with a suitable spiritual vein training ground. Just focus on your cultivation and don't worry about the spiritual vein depletion."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi bowed again to express his gratitude, but did not mention that he had already issued a quasi-third-tier puppet making task and was about to be promoted to a quasi-third-tier puppeteer.
The two chatted casually for the rest of the time, with Ping Xingye asking questions and Chen Yi answering.
Ping Xingye's questions seemed casual, but in fact they contained hidden meanings. From Chen Yi's cultivation experience in Qi State to the entire process of the appearance and changes of the Lake and Sea Secret Realm, everything was to verify whether his origins were true and whether they matched the information known by the sect and what he had learned in Qi State over the past few years.
Chen Yi was well-prepared for this, and his response was clear, detailed, and without revealing any flaws.
Ping Xingye did not find any obvious flaws in Chen Yi's response.
During the conversation, the communication talisman at his waist suddenly lit up. After being infused with magical power, the supplementary information from his disciple made him slightly startled.
The message mentioned that Chen Yi was already able to create near-Tier 3 puppets.
He looked up at Chen Yi, a hint of surprise in his eyes. The slight resentment he had felt earlier over the occupation of his cave had quietly dissipated, and his attitude had noticeably softened.
"Master Chen, it turns out you can already make near-third-tier puppets. I underestimated you before."
Regarding the matter of the spiritual vein cave dwelling, I will discuss it with those two mid-stage Core Formation elders later and coordinate a new, independent cave dwelling with abundant spiritual energy for you, so that you no longer need to occupy the previous one.
If you encounter any difficulties in your spiritual practice in the future, you are welcome to come to me for help.
Qingqiu spends most of her time cultivating on Moon Peak, so she's not as well off as I am in handling many matters on Star Peak.
"Thank you, Chief Ping." Chen Yi stood up again, cupped his hands, and spoke respectfully.
Seeing this, Hirahoshino became even more inclined to win him over:
"In addition, if you have a female nun you like, you can let me know and I will help you match them up."
Unfortunately, all the female cultivators at Moon Peak who have reached the Core Formation stage have already found their partners. If you are interested, you should set your sights on outstanding disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage.
"But don't worry, once you've chosen your Daoist partner, I will personally present you with a Crystallization Pill as a congratulatory gift during the grand ceremony."
These words, though seemingly casual, were actually an olive branch extended by Hirahoshino.
The value of a near-third-tier puppeteer to the sect is self-evident, and he needs to win them over with tangible benefits, since the contract Chen Yi signed with the sect does not include the production of high-level puppets.
"Thank you again for your kind offer, Chief Ping." Chen Yi maintained his polite refusal, "However, I am currently focused on my cultivation and have no plans to find a Daoist partner at the moment. I hope you will understand."
"Well, this varies from person to person, so do as you please."
Heijiro didn't try to persuade her any further, and waved his hand.
"There's nothing else important. Go ahead and focus on your cultivation at my Star Moon Sect."
Chen Yi turned and left the palace, thus ending his first meeting with the Chief of Xingfeng.
Throughout the process, he played himself almost flawlessly—his descriptions of his background, experience, and abilities were all impeccable, which ultimately earned him Hirahoshino's approval.
The only thing that made Ping Xingye slightly uncomfortable was that Chen Yi had taken over the cave dwelling he had specially prepared for Yue Qingqiu.
However, Chen Yi has stated that he was "unaware of the matter beforehand," and Ping Xingye has promised to coordinate the new cave dwelling as soon as possible, so the matter can be considered completely over.
Chen Yi knew that the core reason why Ping Xingye was willing to settle this matter so easily, and even offered him a "big pie" to win him over, was because of his ability to advance to the quasi-third-tier puppeteer.
"Indeed, interests and strength are the core of the cultivation world; everything else is secondary."
He secretly reviewed the situation, but also breathed a sigh of relief.
After passing Hirahoshino's first test, he was finally able to relax a bit and not be as restrained as before during his subsequent training at the Hoshimoku Sect.
……
After Chen Yi left, Ping Xingye closed his eyes and pondered for a long time in the hall, seemingly sorting out the details of today's meeting, or perhaps weighing the subsequent arrangements.
A moment later, a faint golden starlight emanated from his body as he left Star Peak and flew straight towards Moon Peak, a hundred miles away.
Upon arriving at Moon Peak, he stopped outside the protective array of the spiritual vein cave on the second-highest level.
This cave was Yue Qingqiu's residence. He waited outside for about a quarter of an hour before a soft moonlight shone from the center of the formation, slowly opening an entrance to welcome him in.
"Qingqiu, why are you only starting the formation now?"
Stepping into the cave, Ping Xingye looked at Yue Qingqiu walking towards him, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible annoyance.
Long ago, when the two were deeply in love, Yue Qingqiu even gave him the array plaques from her cave's grand formation.
But in recent decades,
Hey--
Ping Xingye sighed inwardly. He had only made a small mistake that any male cultivator would make, yet Qingqiu still wouldn't forgive him.
(End of this chapter)