Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 442 Luan Xiu administers medicine and Hong Gu obtains the elixir
"I've planned and guarded against everything all these years, but I never imagined that Junior Brother Pei would fall into demonic possession before you." This long sigh from Headmaster Kang caused Yuan Jin, who had rushed over, to give a bitter smile.

However, he knew that these words were not Kang Dabao's true intention, so he did not mind them at all. Instead, he comforted him, saying, "It's fortunate that Senior Brother not only gained prestige from his trip, but also specially invited Senior Luan over. Otherwise, Senior Brother Pei might have been in some danger this time."

"Hmm," Kang Dabao did not feel relieved by Yuan Jin's words of comfort. Going astray in cultivation is no small matter. Many true cultivators have fallen because of this, despite hundreds or thousands of years of hard work.

Strangely enough, even among ordinary cultivators, those who fall into demonic possession are rare and precious.

I don't know what good fortune Kang Da-zhang's Chongming Sect has received. They only have a few fellow disciples of the same generation, yet two of them have emerged. Pei Yi is just a minor Qi Refining cultivator.
Ye Zhengwen appeared much calmer than the other two. This was not because he had little relationship with Pei Yi. After spending so many years face to face on such a cramped little hilltop, how could anyone not develop some warmth and intimacy unless they were heartless?

"There's no use in being anxious. Even a third-level alchemist has personally taken action. What can we do? We must not lose our composure."

Kang Dabao was also blinded by concern, a fact he knew all too well. After being pointed out by Ye Zhengwen, he calmed down and turned to ask Duan Anle, who was standing to the side, "Has your master's wife arrived yet?"

The latter replied respectfully, "Just now, Aunt Yu'er, who was by my master's side, sent a reply, so she must have already left Qinghan Courtyard."

"Yes, call Yaoling and Zhu'er back and have them accompany your aunt along with your master's wife. Tell them to be careful with their movements; there's nothing serious to begin with, so don't make a big fuss about it."

"Disciple understands." Duan Anle bowed and accepted the greeting, then took out two more tokens and began to trace their meanings.

Ye Zhengwen looked at Duan Anle thoughtfully and thought to himself, "If we could ask Senior Luan to prescribe another tonic for Anle, he could try to establish his foundation within a few months. With the lesson learned last time, we should have a better chance of success."

It wasn't that Ye Zhengwen had the leisure to be distracted at such a crucial moment.

Rather, it's because Chongming Sect has made too many strides in the past few decades, and its own leader has progressed too quickly. Apart from Jiang Qing, who can be considered to be able to catch up with him, the other disciples can hardly provide much assistance.

If Sect Leader Kang were merely an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, and Chongming Sect were not a prominent sect dominating several counties, Pei Yi might not have developed such impatience, leading to a loss of composure and falling into demonic ways during his cultivation.

Just as Ye Zhengwen was lost in thought, a graceful figure entered the courtyard.

"Madam has arrived," Kang Dabao forced a smile. They were an old married couple, so there was no need for formalities. He simply asked softly, "My sister-in-law is a little anxious. I would appreciate it if you could come and keep her company for a while. There's nothing wrong with it. It would be better if Junior Brother Pei got sick from seeing his sister-in-law after he recovered."

Fei Shuhe glanced at Master Kang with a hint of reproach, then said crisply, "It is my duty, why do you need to 'invite' me, young master? Has Luan Gongfeng come out? I met him with my father when I was young, so I have met him once."

Kang Dabao knew what Fei Shuhe meant by those words. Since it was a request, if the amount was increased, Luan Gong would have to put in more effort.

However, since Luan Gongfeng was still in the cloud room guarding Pei Yi and had not come out, Fei Shuhe could not pay her respects. So she lent Kang Dabao a Guicang Jingzhao Ring, which her father had given her when she was young and which was said to have the wonderful effect of calming the mind, and then went to find Kuai Shi.

Not long after Fei Shuhe left, the door to Pei Yiyun's room was pushed open by a strong gust of wind.

"Bring in someone who can take charge,"

Kang Dabao had a bad feeling. There was no ease in Luan Gongfeng's tone, only impatience. Pei Yi's situation was probably not optimistic.

As he had expected, as soon as he entered the Cloud Chamber, he saw Pei Yi lying supine among seven life lamps. The lamps were all burning, but the flames were glowing with an eerie indigo.

On a celadon medicine jar on a floor tile, the semi-solidified amber-colored medicine juice meanders into a hexagram.

The several kinds of soup that Luan Gongfeng had just poured into his body had condensed into spider web-like golden threads under his skin. At this moment, those golden threads broke off inch by inch as if they were being corroded, turning into foul-smelling black water that seeped out from his pores.

Three talismans were affixed to his neck, and the vermilion runes on them were visibly fading to grayish-white at a rapid pace.

Although Pei Yi's original spiderweb-like purplish-blue veins had subsided, a thick black line of blood had appeared on his forehead, running straight from his brow to his hairline. His expression was ferocious, and he looked extremely painful.

"Senior Luan, who is my junior brother?"

"There's nothing I can do. I'm not good at this kind of thing," Luan Gongfeng said, his brows furrowed. After all, it was an order given to him by Fei Tianqin, the most respected elder, and he was having a hard time explaining himself for doing it this way.

Luan Gongfeng has been married into the Fei family for many years, and while he may not have been completely devoted to serving them, he has certainly made great contributions. If he were to offend Elder Fei Tianqin over such a trivial matter, then his hard work in accumulating merits and obtaining the resources for forming a core would be in jeopardy.

As for taking out one's own treasured possessions to save such a minor repairman? That would be an extremely bad deal. It would be better to go back and receive a mild reprimand, hoping to find an opportunity to regain favor in the future.

Thinking of this, Luan Gongfeng couldn't help but feel some dissatisfaction with the headmaster Kang who had asked him to make a house call.

It should be noted that in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, the status of a third-level alchemist is not low. To be precise, they are on par with most Golden Core cultivators in the world. Therefore, Luan Gongfeng, who is worshipped by people every day, has a temper that can hardly be called good.

If it weren't for the fact that Kang Dabao's previous victories were truly dazzling, and that he was now Fei Tianqin's favorite, the alchemist might have lost his temper on the spot.

Even so, Luan Gongfeng was still very displeased. He snorted coldly, "Sect Leader Kang, my Seven Star Soul Suppressing Array is originally used to heal the injuries to the primordial spirit. I'm afraid it will be difficult to maintain Junior Brother's condition for too long. Sect Leader Kang should think of a solution as soon as possible."

Kang Dabao, however, appeared somewhat calm and composed at this moment, and asked, "This junior is of limited knowledge and skills, and hopes that Senior Luan will not hesitate to give me guidance."

Luan Gongfeng shook his head and said, "It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I'm not good at this kind of thing and really can't help Sect Leader Kang. My life lamp oil costs six hundred spirit stones per case, and I need to use three cases every hour."

If Sect Leader Kang is willing to pay the price, I can manage for another day and night. If he is unwilling but has no other choice, I will go to Elder Tianqin to apologize.

"Senior Luan, what do you think of my jade ring?" The Grand Master Kang held the jade ring, still warm from the beauty's touch, in front of him. At first, Luan Gongfeng didn't think much of it, but after taking one look, he became serious.

After a moment of contemplation, a glint of light appeared in Luan Gongfeng's eyes. He nodded and said, "This jade ring is indeed quite good. Although it is not yet a magic weapon, it is certainly very beneficial for calming the mind and spirit. If Junior Brother Kang has this ring to help him, he might be able to hold on for another ten days or half a month. However, the lamp oil..."

Kang Dabao knew that few alchemists in the world possessed an otherworldly air and were all as mercenary as others, but those as unabashed as Luan Gongfeng were indeed rare. He immediately became suspicious: "What kind of lamp oil costs six hundred spirit stones per box? Is this old cultivator trying to take advantage of me?"

“No, according to the information I heard from Fei Wen before, this Luan Gongfeng is almost the best among the non-family members of the Fei family in Yingzhou when it comes to alchemy. He shouldn’t only have this kind of skill.”

Having figured this out, Master Kang immediately cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "My wife just said she wanted to come and pay her respects to you, senior. I wonder if you could let her in to discuss things with me?"

Luan Gongfeng raised his eyebrows slightly, clearly understanding, but still replied coldly, "That's not necessary. The noise is too loud and it's not good for opposing Junior Brother Kang, the Sect Leader."

Kang Dabao's expression remained unchanged, but he thought to himself, "That's it. Even in Yingzhou, this Luan Gongfeng is a figure of considerable importance, but Shu He's influence is somewhat lacking, making it difficult to control him. Therefore, there is only one way."

Just when Luan Gongfeng thought that Sect Leader Kang was about to give up, he heard the latter whisper in his ear. At first, the old cultivator was indifferent, but by the end, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

As Kang Dabao uttered his last word, Luan Gongfeng exclaimed in surprise, "You're not lying to me?"

"How could I dare to deceive you, senior? If you don't believe me, Xuanwei City is not far from here. You can send a second-tier message talisman to ask Ancestor Tianqin. If there are no accidents, you should be able to get back to me in half a day."

The hesitation on Luan Gongfeng's face gradually faded, and his gaze toward Pei Yi became much more serious.

The murmur was so low that only he could hear it, "The uncle of the Southern King's disciple?"

No one knows what happened to Luan Gongfeng after that. Kang Dabao only knows that after he left Yunfang as instructed by the former, Luan Gongfeng never asked him for a single fragment of spirit again.

The room remained brightly lit that night, and everyone in the courtyard waited anxiously until the sun rose. The door to the room opened again, and behind the threshold stood a familiar male figure.

The man spoke with his usual gentle and refined manner, his gentlemanly demeanor returning. Those in the courtyard saw him bow and say softly, "Junior brother is useless, causing the sect leader to worry."

"It's good that nothing's wrong."

“Not only is everything alright, but we can also try to establish our foundation.” Luan Gongfeng stepped out from behind Pei Yi, his tone still tinged with weariness as he spoke to Grand Master Kang.
"This time I've expended a great deal of resources, so Sect Leader Kang, the Foundation Establishment materials you've prepared must be of high quality!" ———— Liangyi Sect, Xiabo Mountain, Black Sand Peak
A bright red pill, resembling a solidified blood amber, was suspended in a large brass cauldron. Its surface was covered with intricate patterns resembling hundreds of thousands of red worms intertwined.

Peng Daoren sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, controlling the heat by making hand gestures with the elixir in the cauldron.

Suddenly, Peng Daoren's withered fingertips pinched up half a spider silk with a human face and injected the last "blood refining agent" into the elixir embryo. After a few strange noises, a three-foot-high ghostly blue flame immediately boiled up inside the bronze cauldron, so hot that the Daoists outside the cauldron twitched their faces incessantly.

Peng Daoren's face was deeply furrowed, as if bloodworms were wriggling within it, making him look extremely ferocious. However, even though the cauldron fire was scorching hot, it could not compare to the burning passion in his heart.

Over the past two hundred years, he has devoted himself to the cultivation of the Liangyi Sect, committing countless heinous acts and reaping countless lives. Only now has he finally gathered enough blood essence to refine the elixir. With the test about to be completed, how could he not feel anxious?

The Taoist priest inhaled the scalding heat of the elixir, and before anyone knew what he was pondering, he suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood essence.

Before the blood arrow even reached the cauldron, it was refined into vapor. The cauldron lid immediately flew open, and a tongue of indigo flame leaped out of the cauldron, engulfing Peng Daoren's blood vapor into the cauldron.

In an instant, the spiritual energy around the bronze cauldron surged wildly, the pill suspended in the cauldron spun rapidly, countless dark blood spots were thrown out, and countless blood energies were wrapped around the pill again.

Peng Daoren's face was beaming with joy. His fingers moved incessantly, forming the elixir-condensing hand seals. As the blood vapor in the room gradually dissipated until it was almost completely gone, the huge weight on the Daoren's heart finally lifted. He could not contain his joy and laughed out loud: "Haha, the elixir is complete!"

The Crimson Life-Extending Pill lived up to its reputation as one of the 106 most notorious pills of the world, registered in the Dragon Tiger Sect, the leading sect of alchemy. The moment the pill was completed, a string of blood-red lightning bolts exploded in the dome of Peng Daoren's alchemy chamber.

The moment the cauldron lid was overturned, seven resentful ghosts formed from blood energy roared through the air, each corresponding to an extremely ominous celestial direction.

Before long, countless pale white faces appeared on the surface of the pill, all of which were remnants of the essence that had not dissipated during the refining process.

Peng Daoren summoned the Myriad Souls Banner, which he had already refined into his natal magic weapon, and forcefully suppressed the backlash of karmic fire back into the cauldron. The banner trembled incessantly. If it weren't for the fact that this magic weapon was of extremely high quality, it would have been torn to pieces by the backlash.

Fortunately, the Crimson Life-Extending Pill is only ranked in the lower middle class among the 106 kinds of evil pills in the Dragon Tiger Sect's "Book of Evil Pills," and even with his peak Golden Core cultivation, Daoist Peng could barely suppress it.

If one wants to collect the pills after they are among the top ten, wouldn't it require the help of several True Immortals or even True Lords to do so properly? After finally calming down the remaining evil spirits of the refining materials, a large amount of mysterious light emanated from the palm of Peng Daoren's hand, enveloping the crimson pill in the center of the cauldron in his hand.

Even though he had managed to refine it by chance, it was the first time that Daoist Peng had seen the true appearance of the Crimson Life-Extending Pill. He couldn't help but stare at it intently for a while.

The formula for the Crimson Life-Extending Pill existed as early as the previous dynasty, but it has rarely appeared in the world since the founding emperor of this dynasty unified the country. However, such a pill with a long history is naturally full of stories.

Legend has it that although this elixir can extend one's life by two Jiazi (60 years), those who consume it must suffer the calamity of "blood calamity." According to the incomplete copy of "Nine Nether Elixir Record" obtained by Peng Daoren in his youth, within three days of swallowing this elixir, cinnabar-like blood will seep from the body, and red bone spurs will grow from the hair, which will damage one's consciousness and make it difficult to cultivate.

Even more bizarrely, every six years on the night of the new moon, the person who takes the pill will hear the wails of the creatures used as ingredients in the alchemy. Those who are not of firm mind will be disturbed by it, and it is not surprising that their Dao heart will be shattered and their body and Dao will be destroyed.

Peng Daoren stroked the golden threads moving around the outside of the pill, lost in thought, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: "It is difficult for people in this world to distinguish the truth from the falsehood of this legend, but the matter of taking the pill to prolong life is definitely true. Then my senior brother will probably not hesitate for a moment."

His mind was now completely focused on the fragrant pill in his hand, oblivious to the fact that within his natal magic weapon, which had just been suppressing karmic fire, a gaunt ghost soldier was struggling to leap out of the banner and secretly devour a large amount of remnant spirit from the cauldron to strengthen itself.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Grand Elder of the Liangyi Sect held a scalding hot jade bottle in his hand. Although his face remained calm, his slightly trembling hands betrayed his excited thoughts.

"Extending my lifespan by two Jiazi! Even if much of the blood and energy comes from the relatives and disciples of our sect around Xiabo Mountain, what is there to be reluctant about? My Puhong Valley is only one step away from becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator. In the past, I was only held back by my lifespan. Now, there is much to be done!! When my Liangyi Sect breaks free from the thousand-year shackles of the Zhaixing Tower, what are the small sacrifices made by these relatives and disciples?"

After the old cultivator calmed down for a while, he finally spoke up and praised, "Junior Brother Peng is indeed farsighted and insightful. Two hundred years ago, he already knew that we should stockpile resources to refine elixirs now. He has truly made a great contribution to our sect!"

"If it weren't for Senior Brother's shelter, I, a mere wanderer, would still be a lost soul somewhere, and how could I have such good fortune today?! I am of meager talent, and after many years of being a disciple, I can only repay Senior Brother with this pill. I am truly ashamed."

Peng Daoren spoke with such sincerity that his eyes were even reddening, yet the old cultivator opposite him was genuinely alarmed. If he hadn't still retained some reason, he would have almost smashed the jade bottle in his hand.

Over the course of two hundred years, Pu Honggu watched as Peng Daoren grew from an ordinary non-Buddhist Golden Core cultivator into a peak cultivator who could rival him. How could he feel anything but "fear" in his heart?
Heaven knows how much benefit this guy has gained from the many tragedies he instigated through the Two Elements Sect after joining it.
The fact that Pu Honggu knew of things like the Myriad Souls Banner, a top-grade third-tier magic weapon that was extremely close to a spiritual treasure, and one or two third-tier bronze corpses that could be compared to genuine Golden Core cultivators, was enough to move many Golden Core sects that had been passed down for thousands of years.

“However,” Pu Honggu lowered his head, the warmth from the jade bottle intermittently reaching his body, causing the old cultivator to sigh inwardly, “it’s all worth it. Once I reach the Nascent Soul stage, this fellow will be nothing more than a clown, easily dealt with! If he’s sensible, he can be reused; if he still harbors any evil thoughts, then he can be locked up and used as a pill slave.”

Even though he was extremely eager, Pu Honggu suppressed his desire to take the pill immediately. After all, he couldn't say he completely trusted this Fellow Daoist Peng. If he was going to take the pill, he needed to find a suitable time and properly test it before he could feel at ease.

Seeing that Pu Honggu carefully put the Crimson Life-Extending Pill away from his body, Peng Daoren pondered for a while before asking in a doubtful voice, "Senior Brother, I heard that Senior Bai of Zhaixing Tower seemed to have come out of seclusion some time ago and even met with Abbot Gelie of Benying Temple in Xuanwei City."

"Junior Brother Peng has been in seclusion these days, focusing on condensing his core, yet he still manages to stay so well-informed. That's truly remarkable."

"I originally intended to ignore everything that was going on outside, but the news was coming in too fast and too intensely, and it was hard to keep it all under control."

Peng Daoren's reply was quite witty, and Pu Honggu also gave him face by putting on a smile:

"It is true. Zhaixinglou did not try to cover it up, so even if Gelie wanted to, he couldn't. However, the reaction of the people Kuang Liuting left in Yunjiao Prefecture is a bit strange."

Peng Daoren became curious: "Senior Brother, could you tell me how strange it is?"

Old Xiu immediately stopped smiling, shook his head, and said slowly, "I can't explain it, but even if it's strange, it's not as strange as Bai Canhong going to Xuanwei City to help Fei Tianqin out of the predicament. Originally, I guessed that Bai Canhong would not choose either the Baokuang or Miewei factions."

While sitting on the sidelines and observing may not bring immediate gains, the risk of choosing sides after the situation becomes clearer is significantly lower. Among the thirty-three Nascent Soul factions of the Immortal Dynasty, only a few, like the Blood Sword Sect of the Two Rivers Road, dare to openly rebel. Most others, like the Star-Picking Tower before them, are in no hurry to take sides.

Peng Daoren frowned: "Does Senior Brother think this is a sign that the Star-Picking Tower has already sided with the Immortal Dynasty? If so, what should our Two Elements Sect do in the future?"

Pu Honggu understood why Peng Daoren was nervous. After all, although the laws and regulations of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty were now lax, it still needed to maintain some semblance of order. The methods used by the officials and clerks in the court were far more ruthless than those of the Zhaixing Tower.

The laws of life and death remained as they were, and even a Golden Core cultivator like Peng Daoren probably couldn't calculate how many lives he would need to repay the debts of bloodshed from the first half of his life.

Although they secretly enjoyed watching it, Pu Honggu and Peng Daoren shared the same stance: neither wanted Zhaixinglou to completely side with the Immortal Dynasty.

Back then, the mountain barbarians rampaged through the mountains, leaving most of the prefectures and counties of Shannan devastated and claiming the lives of countless immortals and commoners. The Liangyi Sect, as the local power, maintained a very good relationship with the two families of the Imperial Guards who had come from the capital region.
Shen Lingfeng, the chief administrator of Shannan Road who led the Imperial Guards to quell the barbarian rebellion back then, is now a Nascent Soul cultivator and a Golden Knife Prince Consort. If this guy drags him out to settle old scores in the future...
It's even more unrealistic to expect Bai Canhong to intervene. The Liangyi Sect's actions during that chaotic time were so significant that even the head of the Zhaixing Tower sent a message to inquire about their affairs.

As a result of this situation, Pu Honggu's mood has not been good lately. Especially after he went to visit Bai Canhong to try to get some accurate information, but was turned away, he was even more distressed.

Pu Honggu coughed a few times and then said, "To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. We still need to strengthen our defenses and diligently cultivate our inner strength. Recently, there have been many matters concerning the upper sect. Senior Bai is busy with countless affairs and may not have time to talk with us 'Three Managers' in the short term. After some time, I will go to the Xianyu family and the Yunshui sect to ask their respective leaders what their plans are before making further decisions."

Seeing that Master Peng nodded obediently, Pu Honggu then instructed, "Junior brother, you can have some fun with the demons in Cold Crow Mountain. As for when to make your move, we still need the sect's approval."

“Junior brother understands,” Peng Daoren replied respectfully. Seeing that Pu Honggu was about to leave, he quickly took out something from his robes: “These are turbulent times. How can we manage by merely cultivating internal energy without resorting to extraordinary means? Senior brother, take a look at this. Perhaps it can alleviate your worries.”

Pu Honggu nodded slightly as a thank you, then reached out to borrow it for a look. Upon seeing the two characters "Yi Yin" on the cover of the Daoist scripture, his expression turned solemn and his spirits lifted.

Peng Daoren took in Pu Honggu's reaction. The latter remained silent for a long time, and Peng Daoren did not urge him. He simply held his breath and remained silent.

After a long while, Pu Honggu seemed to have finally made up his mind: "This matter also needs to be considered carefully!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)