Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 595 At Qichi Hall, a discussion of swordplay and fortuitous encounters takes place; Kang Dabao deliberates on choices for his wife.

————Xuanwei City, Fei Family Residence

After deciding to rest in Xuanwei City for a while, Fei Nanying had been cultivating alone in the meditation room for a long time.

His cultivation of the "Thirteen Immortal Guardian Ascending the Tower Method" was difficult, so regardless of his aptitude and resources, he was far superior to his nephew-in-law. Moreover, he achieved alchemy earlier. However, judging from Fei Tianqin's previous observation, Fei Nanying seemed to have fallen behind Headmaster Kang in terms of cultivation.

The "Thirteen Immortal Guard Ascending the Tower Method" is known for its difficulty, and it can be considered a superior and impartial method even within the Immortal Dynasty. Before these battles, Fei Nanying could perhaps console himself with the fact that his foundation was solid.

However, this time their ancestor has frankly stated that although Kang Dabao comes from humble origins, his refined and condensed cultivation and his extraordinary skill in Taoist arts are among the best in his class within the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Even the usually discerning Ye Qing seemed somewhat surprised after hearing this.

"It has virtually no shortcomings."

Fei Nanying pondered the assessments given by Fei Tianqin and Master Kang, then sighed again, muttering to himself, "Where did this kid come from? He's clearly just mediocre, yet he doesn't even seem like a genius."

Despite his grumbling, Fei Nanying was still quite pleased. He felt that the greatest benefit he had gained from all the dirty and despicable things he had done with the Kuang family was that he had chosen a reliable son-in-law for the Fei family.
He was simply reciting Kang Dabao's so-called theories on alchemy.
"whispering sound,"

Fei Nanying chuckled, put away the profound incantation in his hand, sat up from the futon, and carefully examined the silk scroll he had just drafted.

After he finished reading it, his fingertips gently brushed across the paper, sealed it, and then he left the long-sealed chamber.

The guards at the gate were several of Fei Nanying's personal disciples. Although they were personal disciples, Fei Nanying had to take care of all the affairs of his family in recent years in addition to his own cultivation, so he had not been very good to his disciples. The relationship between the master and his disciples was self-evident.

However, this is not a problem, since even if scions of noble families take on disciples, they will eventually find it difficult to change their excessive selfishness and thus find it difficult to be conscientious and responsible.

When it comes to the word "closeness" among these direct disciples, Fei Nanying might not be able to compare with those of his adopted sons, such as Fei Enwen and Fei Bofeng.

Therefore, even though these talented disciples from other clans became disciples of Fei Nanying, the head of the Sheshan Hall, they were still subject to many restrictions, and their cultivation could not be improved.

From Fei Nanying's current perspective, most of his disciples only waste their lives in the Foundation Establishment stage, and even the possibility of obtaining a false Core Formation is extremely difficult to achieve.

Even if one's path is ordinary, staying in the Fei family as a son-in-law, enriching the bloodline of the branch and generating some spiritual roots, is indeed something one can do.

Not to mention that Ying Shanjun's treatment was quite generous. After all, he was a disciple who had been trained by Fei Nanying for over a hundred years. In the Fei family of Yingzhou, he was not lacking in prospects and could not be considered to have lost out.

Upon seeing Fei Nanying emerge from the pass, the leading disciple immediately bowed and respectfully said:
"Master, Ancestor Tianqin just sent a boy to instruct that after you finish your seclusion, you should go to Qichi Hall for a meeting."

"But what happened?"

"Young Master Kang from the eldest daughter's family came to pay his respects and hasn't left yet these past few days. He's been discussing Daoist matters with Fellow Daoist Jiang, Ancestor Tianqin, and Elder Donggu, and they seem to be having a very lively conversation. I heard from the maidservants that the Ancestor has even been drinking several dou of spiritual tea these past few days."

Hearing the joy in the disciple's voice, Fei Nanying knew that this was probably another generous gift from his nephew-in-law.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself again:
People from humble backgrounds often lack self-respect. Even though they are all Golden Core cultivators who can exchange cultivation questions with Fei Tianqin, they still humble themselves and associate with these worthless prospective sons-in-law of the Fei family.
If one were to put Fei Nanying into that situation, it would be difficult for him to do so.

After receiving the bows of his disciples, Fei Nanying sent out a talisman from his sleeve before slowly walking towards Qichi Hall. He walked slowly, but in just a few breaths, he arrived at the hall.

The guards at the gate were extremely solemn, not daring to be careless about any of the procedures. After verifying the jade token in Fei Nanying's hand, they opened the two heavy halberds that were crossed in front of them, revealing a gap in the spiritual barrier in front of the hall that was only the size of a person.

As soon as Fei Nanying stepped into the hall, he heard a burst of cheers.

The "Warm Cloud Incense" burning in the hall was a gift from the Imperial Palace, which the Gun family had just obtained. Amidst the rising smoke, the two elders, Fei Tianqin and Fei Donggu, sat in the main seats, while Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing accompanied them to the left and right.

The spiritual tea in the glass cups in front of them was still steaming. Beside the cups were several lustrous jade talismans, meant to be used for recording sounds and images.

"Nan Ying is here!" Fei Tianqin smiled and gestured for him to sit down as he entered. "It's been a long time since I've discussed philosophy with these two lads. I didn't expect to actually learn something from them. It's quite rare. You should listen to their opinions as well."

Kang Dabao looked up upon hearing the voice and saw Fei Nanying. He quickly concealed the strange look in his eyes, stood up and greeted him: "Your son-in-law greets your father-in-law."

His posture remained extremely respectful, and even the slightest hint of flattery in his tone seemed undiminished.

Even though Fei Nanying was very proud, he couldn't help but feel a little pleased to see that Master Kang was still so humble and obedient.

Fei Nanying received another bow from Jiang Qing. After Jiang Qing nodded and sat down, Fei Nanying glanced around and saw the Enlightenment Silver Seal on the table. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He had only seen this talisman before when he listened to the discussions between Ancestor Ye Ling and Ancestor Tian Qin. However, this time he was only discussing the Dao with a group of juniors, and the latter were actually willing to use it. He wondered what invaluable advice had been given during the discussion.

"What profound insights?" Fei Nanying asked as soon as he sat down, glancing at the silver seal script on the table, but his gaze was drawn to Jiang Qing by Fei Donggu, who had been silent and smiling.

"To hear Foundation Establishment cultivators discuss the Dao?"

Fei Nanying was slightly surprised. He knew that this boy was Kang Dabao's junior brother, and his swordsmanship was also rare, having already become a sword master.

However, even among the elders of the Rift Sky Sword Sect, it was rare for Fei Tianqin, the ancestor, to praise him to such an extent, and it was somewhat beyond his expectations.

But then he thought that this handsome young man had been spared from death by a late-stage cultivator like Wei Guze, and he became somewhat interested.

At this moment, Master Kang was completely focused. As soon as Fei Nanying's gaze changed, the former lightly tapped the low table beside him with his knuckles.

Jiang Qing, perfectly in sync, rose and bowed, his face pale but his voice strong: "This junior dares not claim to have profound insights, but I have only gained some superficial understanding from discussing the integration of sword scriptures with my senior brother and the two patriarchs."

Having finished speaking, Jiang Qing lightly raised his fingertips, and a jade slip containing the "Ten Treatises on the Qingfuzi Sword Classic" floated to the center of the table. As the spiritual light flowed, the four seal characters "Sword Qi Transforms into the Sea" shone brightly:
"I received this scripture from my elders when I was young. At first, I thought that 'nourishing the sword with qi' was the method of building a foundation. Only after refining the Three Talents Yuan-Nourishing Pill did I realize the true meaning of 'wearing out the leather bindings three times.' It is not that the sword scripture itself is mysterious, but that I have boldly integrated the strengths of various schools of swordsmanship with my own swordsmanship as the foundation, and thus made progress."

Elder Donggu was happy to chime in, even though he had already heard about it for a while. He stroked his beard, nodded, and asked, "Integrate the strengths of each school? And tell me how to integrate them?"

Jiang Qing then took three more jade slips, fragments of the *Blood Shadow Sword Manual*, the *Righteous Sword Canon*, and the *Shattered Jade Record*, which floated beside the Enlightenment Silver Seal, their spiritual light intertwining to form the nascent form of a pale blue sword shadow:
"The evil sword is swift in form but excessively impetuous; the righteous sword is solid and firm but lacks sharpness; the mediocre sword is weak and feeble but contains the subtle beauty of 'combining strength and gentleness'."

Previously, the ape used spiritual energy to imitate sword techniques, and the junior suddenly realized: one can use "Haoran" as a shell to wrap the sharpness of "Xueying"; and use "Suiyu" as a millstone to temper the foundation of sword energy into the sea—only by unifying these three methods can one achieve a complete understanding of sword principles.

Having said that, he subtly moved the spiritual energy at his fingertips, causing the three-slip spiritual light to shrink abruptly and intertwine with the Daoist rhyme of the silver seal script, transforming into a wisp of pale golden energy that outlined a semi-transparent sword shadow in the air. This shadow did not display any outward sharpness, but contained the weight of "keeping its sharpness within." When it landed on the table, it only caused the spiritual teacup to tremble slightly, without spilling a single drop of tea.

“This sword is named ‘Hun Yuan Zhen Xiao’,” Jiang Qing continued.

Fei Nanying's fingers tightened slightly, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

Within that sword shadow, the sharp, the righteous, and the lingering were intertwined, even resonating with the Daoist essence of the Silver Seal. Such comprehension far surpassed that of ordinary Golden Core sword cultivators who secluded themselves for arduous practice.

How many outstanding figures has this small Yunjiao Prefecture produced in the last hundred years? It is rare enough to have someone with the naturally born and nurtured Mingxing Xuanshu Body. Later, Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing also achieved great things and were no less than those from noble families. Such a situation is extremely rare.

Fei Tianqin was unaware that Fei Nanying's thoughts had already wandered elsewhere, but he praised again, "Nanying, listen! This is the true understanding of a cultivator! He is not bound by the views of any one school, and dares to integrate the wonders of good and evil. Although there are some inappropriate and laughable aspects, this ingenuity and courage alone are rare."

Upon hearing Fei Tianqin's further praise, Jiang Qing simply bowed and accepted it readily. The Grand Master Kang, however, was much more respectful: "Grandmaster, you flatter me. My junior brother..."

"Stop! I didn't praise you, why are you saying so much?"

Fei Tianqin's tone revealed some dissatisfaction. He didn't even look at Kang Dabao's embarrassed face. He just snorted coldly and then took a small sip of tea.

Normally, drinking tea with a pointed beak would seem comical to an ordinary person, but Fei Tianqin, this old bird, did it as if it were perfectly natural.

After Fei Tianqin finished sipping his tea, he glanced around the room and said to Fei Nanying, "Nanying, do you know that this young man wields a sword and is not bound by conventions? In the past, he was troubled by his sharp and impetuous nature, and he also struggled to maintain his principles, which led to stagnation. In the end, he understood the principle of 'combining strength and gentleness'."

The ape draws its qi and mimics the movements, inspiring thoughts of harmony; the elixir warms the meridians and protects the essence, aiding in the condensation of sword qi. The sword's shadow contains its light within, not relying on outward power, but concealing inner strength; the Daoist heart embraces simplicity and returns to truth, not boasting of its own gains, but wishing to pass on the wondrous methods to all.

The way of the sword is like a spiritual practice: stubbornness leads to narrow-mindedness, while flexibility leads to prosperity; isolated advancement leads to stagnation, while integration leads to enlightenment. This is the realm of a true swordsman.

Fei Nanying listened thoughtfully, nodding slightly, while Fei Tianqin, standing beside him, offered his praise:
"Not bad, not bad. Years ago, I, your ancestor, once discussed the Dao of Sword with that bird-like sect leader of the Rift Sky Sword Sect. That fellow's words were full of profound and mysterious principles, which were even more difficult to understand than Buddhist scriptures."

"What my young friend Jiang said today has enlightened me considerably. If I can advance further, I will certainly put those old friends to the test next time we face battle."

"Our ancestor was already invincible at the Golden Core stage. Now that he has made further progress, wouldn't he be able to fight against a True Person?" Fei Donggu, who was standing to the side, seemed to be in a good mood as well, and started joking.

Fei Tianqin wasn't annoyed by Fei Donggu's joke; instead, the joy in his eyes deepened.

"If that's the case, then that's good. Even if there's some improvement, it's just a minor difference like 'I used to be able to run by luck, and now I can walk more easily'."

This old bird knew that the reason he was able to benefit from Jiang Qingjian's teachings was because back in Bear Fall Peak, he and the latter had savored the "Ten Treatises on Qingfuzi's Sword Classic".

Fei Tianqin had been cultivating for thousands of years, but he had encountered many obstacles and made little progress in many directions. That's why he turned his attention to swordsmanship, which he had never been particularly talented at.

He had hardly made any progress over the centuries, but after meeting Jiang Qing, he gained a partial understanding.

The original owner of "Qingfuzi Sword Manual Ten Treatises" was not highly skilled, and the sword manual could only be described as solid and simple, with a shallow purpose. Therefore, even if an ordinary high-level cultivator had it in his hands, he would probably not bother to read it after glancing at it.

However, after Fei Tianqin read it carefully, he found that what was described above was indeed concise, pointed directly to the truth, and was captivating.

Of course, while this old bird is indeed extremely fierce, he is only a beginner in swordsmanship, and what he advocates may not necessarily be good.

However, this real benefit is genuine. At its level, it is not difficult to achieve a state of no fixed rules and to make connections between different things. This discussion has indeed increased its strength by a little, saving it many years of hard work.

This old bird, rarely in a good mood, immediately became generous again:

"This discussion on the Dao has been quite enjoyable. You two brothers are not stingy people, and you are even happy to share your most treasured skills with your ancestor. However, I cannot lose face."

Tell me, is there anything from my Fei family that you've taken a fancy to?

"Hmm, I almost forgot, wasn't Young Friend Jiang's outer core destroyed by that scoundrel Wei Guze? I did manage to collect a handful of those golden cores a while ago; would you like to take one or two back with you?"

Fei Tianqin was speaking with great enthusiasm when Fei Donggu coughed lightly, reminding him, "Ahem, Ancestor,"

After being pulled like that by the latter, the old bird seemed to have suddenly realized something, and the joy in his eyes faded considerably, and when he spoke again, his tone was much more subdued:
"Phew, I almost forgot that these golden pills have other uses. Brothers, don't worry, when I have some free time, I'll go outside and pick a few more."

Kang and Jiang dared not blame them, but they also did not shirk their responsibility. They bowed respectfully, and that was it, the matter was settled.

Fei Tianqin's good mood was ruined, and the atmosphere at the gathering suddenly turned cold. The two Fei family members who knew the inside story did not speak again, and the Kang brothers also just sipped their tea without saying a word.

Finally, Fei Tianqin broke the deadlock and spoke up:
"Since Nan Ying is here, then Kang boy, you don't need to hide anything anymore. Tell me, what is the reason that you specially brought young friend Jiang here to discuss the Dao with me, your ancestor?!"

Kang Dabao's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression, before he said, "Third brother, go wait outside first."

“It’s alright, we’re not exactly outsiders, let’s all listen.” Fei Tianqin made the final decision, then asked, “Where did you get this information from?”

"."

"It's better not to say anything," Fei Nanying stepped in to defuse the situation, saying frankly, "Your aunt returned to Yingzhou this time for the matter of forming her core, and I never intended to hide it from you."

It wouldn't be difficult for someone interested to find out. It's just that too many people would gossip, so I've kept it somewhat secret. Now that the time is right, I should tell you.

I have always regarded Shuhe as my own daughter, and I have witnessed her many meritorious deeds in the battles fought by Chongming Sect. This method of forming the Golden Core is extremely ingenious and has a high chance of success, so I just sent a message to ask Ancestor Ye Sui to grant Shuhe a share. However…”

Fei Nanying hesitated, but Fei Tianqin was much more decisive:

"But this opportunity is so precious that it might not come again for another thousand years. In any family, it would be passed down from son to daughter-in-law, not from daughter to son-in-law!"

This veteran was quite direct, asking the question straight to the point:
"There are only two chances. Ning Yue is a noblewoman of the Han family and a descendant of the Nascent Soul stage. As for the other one, you should know that if this opportunity is given to a Golden Core cultivator, the chance of him becoming an upper cultivator is quite high."

But if it were to fall to Shuhe, even obtaining a false elixir would be difficult. Since you wish to seize this opportunity for Shuhe, what are you willing to give up in return?!

(End of this chapter)