Promise!

Chapter 215, triple

As life settled down, time flew by like a white horse galloping past a crack in the wall, and three years passed in a flash. The year 59 of the Qian Yuan era had arrived.

During these three years, Zhuang Jin led Chen Yun and the other women on a tour of southern Yunnan and several neighboring prefectures, including Donghu and Huaihua. They not only visited the counties in these prefectures, but also ventured deep into some places along the Mangcang Mountains.

However, perhaps due to unforeseen circumstances, they never found any traces of immortals.

This is normal. The area of ​​the Great Qian Nine Provinces, when converted, is about 48 million square kilometers, which is larger than a single continent in my previous life. The number of immortal relics is estimated to be no more than a hundred, making them as difficult to find as finding a needle in a haystack.

Today, the Great Qian Dynasty has 1.1 billion people. Looking back over the past 800 years, there have been hundreds of billions of people. But how many of them are as lucky as those recorded in history books?

Zhuang Jin and his group also visited the site of the immortal's relics in Donghu Prefecture, which was the origin of the broken, mid-grade Qingyuan Pot. However, a great war broke out over the Qingyuan Pot back then, and later someone dug three feet into the ground. Hundreds of years have passed, and the world has changed drastically. Now, it is impossible to distinguish it at all. It can only be said that they went with high hopes but returned disappointed.

On this day, in the mountains and forests outside Changning County, under the jurisdiction of Huaihua Prefecture, there was a waterfall several miles away.

The waterfall is twenty or thirty feet high, but because of the rugged cliffs and the layered scenery around it, it creates the visual effect of "a waterfall plunging three thousand feet". The water of the waterfall looks like a galaxy falling in the sunlight, and the water vapor fills the air, as if it is producing purple smoke.

Chen Yun and Yu Qingjun, barefoot and with their snow-white feet, waded downstream in the stream, picking up pebbles and seashells.

"Sister Qing seems to have something on her mind lately!"

"It must be related to my husband. The one who tied the knot must untie it. I'll ask my husband about it later!"

Shen Xujun showed the finished painting to Mu Qing: "Sister Qing, your furrowed brows are so prominent that even the brushstrokes in the painting can't smooth them out! It seems that you've been writing something lately. Our husbands take us on trips to enjoy the scenery, how joyful it is! Why let those sentimental words affect your mood?"

“Jun is right.”

Mu Qing sighed softly, nodded slightly, but her gaze never left the pool.

There, the waterfall cascaded down, accumulating into a pool. On one of the large rocks, Zhuang Jin sat cross-legged, cultivating, surrounded by water vapor, as if he were an ethereal being.

hum!
At one moment, the bluish-purple mist above the waterfall swirls, a manifestation of the convergence of heaven and earth's vital energy, appearing here as if purple clouds are rising from the east.

This scene drew the attention of Chen Yun and the other women.

……

The time was slightly earlier than expected.

'After three years, has the accumulation of the second level of the Innate True Qi Realm—Qi-Moving Thunder Sound—finally been completed?'

Half a month ago, this trend had already begun, and it was just a little short. But that little bit was like "looking at a mountain and running until the horse dies," and it was always difficult to achieve perfection. Zhuang Jin was not impatient or anxious. He continued to cultivate and refine his resources in his daily practice. Finally, after practicing today, he felt that his dantian and dantian were filled with strands of innate true qi, which rose and fell and circulated repeatedly under the vortex of innate true qi.

"It took three years to accumulate enough for this level of cultivation. Besides the lack of resources to accelerate cultivation, the problem also lay in the availability of cultivation supplies. That broken mid-grade Qingyuan Pot could only nurture medicinal herbs for nearly a hundred years at most, which was barely enough for the second level of the Innate True Qi Realm. I imagine it would be difficult to continue even at the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm—Qi Refining Like a Rainbow.'"

'However, that's something to consider after the breakthrough. Today, let's focus on breaking through to the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm—Qi Refining Like a Rainbow!'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, closed his eyes and circulated his cultivation technique. The speed of the Qi vortex in his dantian broke through another level. The Ren and Du meridians, which connect the human body with the outside world, frantically drew in the primordial energy of heaven and earth and poured it back into his body.

At this moment, if one could directly observe the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, one would find that as he was like a whale sucking up water, a void appeared in the spiritual energy above this place, causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within several miles to surge in and fill it.

boom!
As a massive amount of primordial energy from heaven and earth enters the body, it is transformed into innate true energy through the Xuan Guan acupoint, flowing through the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, and finally converging in the dantian. In an instant, the sea of ​​qi surges and the innate true energy, which is as volatile as cotton wool or mist, boils violently, and the vortex of innate true energy spins wildly.

Just like the overcast skies and flying sand of summer, after a long period of brewing, raindrops finally fall. At a certain moment, the innate true energy, like cotton wool or mist, breaks through an invisible barrier and finally begins to liquefy.

One drop!
Two drops!

Three drops!

……

Under the operation of the Black Fiend Technique, the completely liquefied silver-white innate true qi settled in the dantian, turning into a small vortex. Then, the speed of liquefaction of the innate true qi suddenly increased, and the liquefied innate true qi caused the vortex to expand... forming a positive feedback loop.

A full quarter of an hour later.

'The third level of the Innate True Qi Realm has been achieved!'

Zhuang Jin opened his eyes and felt that the innate true energy in his dantian, which was originally like mist and wisps, had now completely liquefied, making him stronger than ever before.

His understanding of the innate realm of merging with heaven and earth naturally reached a new level, achieving the great success of "Free and Easy Wind Control," breaking through to the perfect level in an instant.

Swish!
Zhuang Jin rose gracefully, using the wind created by the turbulent airflow from the waterfall and the buoyancy of the water vapor to soar seven zhang into the air.

In mid-air, the Azure Lotus Sword behind him suddenly came out of its sheath. With a flick of his wrist, the Tai Xu Sword Technique also broke through the limit of its completion and reached perfection. In an instant, it split into sixteen sword lights, which suddenly merged into one as they rotated around his body like gears.

Swish!
A streak of silvery-white sword light fell towards the waterfall.

This is precisely the mark of the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm—Refining Qi Like a Rainbow!
Under this sword light as sharp as a bolt of lightning, the entire waterfall was cut off for a moment. With a deafening roar, lotus flowers bloomed in the void, and the reflection of the green lotus flowers in the pool was mirrored in the sky.

"what?!"

Chen Yun and the other women looked on in astonishment, not only at this miraculous scene, but also at the waterfall that was cut off after the sword strike, and the fleeting opening that appeared behind it!

'Beyond the waterfall, there's another world—a Water Curtain Cave? Could it be the remains of immortals?'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, and with a flash, he entered the water. A voice followed, "Yunniang, Qing'er, Jun'er, Qingjun, please wait a moment. I will go and check first. If there is no danger, I will then bring you in."

Swish!
He descended through the curtain of water, and found the cave floor surprisingly dry, without a drop of water. On the cave walls, some green vines and moss grew.

Zhuang Jin's martial arts intuition told him that there were no living beings in the cave, but he did not let his guard down and remained extremely vigilant. In a place that might be related to that immortal, no amount of caution was too much.

After going in seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters), we could see the innermost part of the cave, and we did not encounter any danger.

'It seems this is indeed the ruins of immortals, but only of the lowest grade.'

Legend has it that the lowest-grade immortal relics contain only the low-grade Qingyuan Pot, but there is no danger there. However, the mid-grade and high-grade relics are full of trials.

At the very back, there was a stone platform. There should have been something on the platform, but it was empty at the moment.

"It seems this is indeed a relic of immortals, but some lucky ones arrived earlier than me and got there first."

Zhuang Jin's gaze swept across the stone platform and looked at the stone wall on the other side, where there was a character 'Dao', which emitted a hazy light and had an ethereal and otherworldly air, filled with an indescribable divine charm.

The moment he saw those words, his mind seemed to be struck, and he stood there stunned, as if a voice as clear as the morning bell and evening drum had reached his ears: "What is the Way?"

Zhuang Jin subconsciously recalled the passage from the *Tao Te Ching*: "The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the constant name. Nameless, it is the origin of heaven and earth; named, it is the mother of all things… Profound and mysterious, the gateway to all wonders!"

'No, this is Lao Tzu's Tao, not my Tao!'

"Summoning wind and rain, riding the wind through the void, traveling from the North Sea in the morning to Cangwu in the evening, riding the true nature of heaven and earth, controlling the changes of the six qi, to roam the boundless realm, riding on the wings of immortals, embracing the bright moon for eternity... Moving mountains and filling seas, seizing stars and grasping the moon, achieving immortality and living as long as heaven and earth?!"

'No, this is what I seek, this is the result, but it is not the Way.'

At this moment, a series of images suddenly flashed through Zhuang Jin's mind: transmigrating into a beggar, struggling to even get a bite to eat, painstakingly saving money to learn martial arts... getting married... In the early 50th year of the Qian Yuan era, upon first arriving in the county town, Chen Yun was plotted against by Zhao Bin and Miao Shao...

'The path my heart leads me to is the Way. When I first transmigrated, it was to obtain what I desired; then, it was to protect what I desired. What's next?'

'It's about possessing all of this forever, it's...immortality!'

Zhuang Jin understood immediately. At this moment, his mind was clear and pure, his spirit as bright as a polished mirror. His spirit influenced his matter, and his innate true energy seemed to flow more smoothly and effortlessly. After regaining his senses, he looked at the stone wall and bowed respectfully.

Afterwards, he took Chen Yun and the other three women to see the character 'Dao'. However, they did not gain any insight from it. They guessed that it was a special case of their own, a sudden enlightenment by chance, and not a common occurrence.

The cave was empty, which disappointed them slightly, but the word "Dao" alone allowed them to glimpse a trace of the immortal's demeanor from eight hundred years ago, making the trip worthwhile.

Chen Yun and the other girls tried to find the mechanism to see if the lucky one had missed it or if a fairy had hidden it, but unfortunately they didn't. It can only be said that they were destined to meet but not to be together.

This trip was one of the more noteworthy among the many travels over the past three years. With Zhuang Jin's breakthrough and the subsequent learning that Shen Xuchen had broken through to the Innate Realm, Zhuang Jin and his group began their return journey.

……

On the return trip.

In the past few days, Zhuang Jin has spent little time cultivating and more time with Chen Yun and the other girls.

This was quite rare in the previous three years, and even more than two years before that, because: the cultivation method given by Shen Xianhong was the complete version of the Black Fiend Technique in the Innate True Qi Realm. As before, it was enough to break through to the Innate Gang Qi Realm. However, as mentioned before, after the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm, the effect of the low-grade Black Yuan Pill, which is mainly made of nearly a hundred-year-old black jade grass, was much worse, and was better than nothing.

To solve this problem, we must go to the state capital.

—In fact, it was only because Zhuang Jin did not have any bottlenecks that he was able to barely break through to the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm. If it were someone else, even if they had enough talent, they would be stuck at the second level of the Innate True Qi Realm due to external circumstances.

That day, based on what Zhuang Jin himself had realized and what Chen Yun had said, he went to find Mu Qing; Mu Qing also happened to be looking for him, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"Qing'er!"

"Husband!"

The two spoke in unison, looked at each other and smiled.

“What I’m talking about with my husband is the same thing. I’ve been preparing something for him recently.”

Mu Qing paused for a moment, then asked first, "My husband has reached this level, and he has probably realized that his cultivation resources are limited and he can't make any further progress. He is going to the city. What are your thoughts on this, my husband?"

"That's right. We must go to the state capital, but it's not appropriate to take you with us. We can only separate for the time being, or even temporarily sever contact."

Zhuang Jin is currently at the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm, just one step away from the Innate Gang Qi Realm. This level is indeed at the top in the state city, but it is not the ultimate combat power. Bringing Chen Yun and the other girls along would only add to his weaknesses and would be irresponsible to them.

The temporary severance of contact is also for protection purposes. If they maintain close contact after arriving in the state capital, it may sometimes bring them danger.

“That’s right, but it’s far from enough. For your own sake and for ours, my husband should completely cut off all contact after he goes to the prefectural city, as if we don’t exist.”

Mu Qing looked at Zhuang Jin and explained, "I know my husband's ambition. He is going to the city not for enjoyment, but to pursue a higher realm of martial arts. However, the powerful families in the city will not allow an individual who could overthrow their power to appear."

"Just like in Yunnan Prefecture, if it weren't for the Medicine King Gang, my husband wouldn't have had the opportunity to rise to power..."

As she spoke, she abandoned her usual aloofness and languor, her expression becoming unusually serious: "Let me tell my husband about the aristocratic families I know."

"If powerful clans rise and fall in a hundred years, which is considered long-lasting in the eyes of the common people, then aristocratic families live and die with the nation, passing down their legacy from generation to generation. Although some aristocratic families in the past were destroyed by accidents along the way, those that still exist today are those that have been passed down from eight hundred years ago. Their profound heritage is unimaginable to ordinary people."

"If this is the case for aristocratic families, then it goes without saying that for powerful clans, the extraordinary class in the Great Qian Dynasty is strictly hierarchical. The innate level is a huge dividing line. Once you reach this level, you will have all kinds of status and enjoy all the glory and wealth. But if you want to break through to the next level, you may challenge or threaten the status of aristocratic families. Then you will face a strict and unimaginable pressure caused by the accumulated problems of the Great Qian Dynasty over the past eight hundred years."

“As I mentioned before, the Mu family is a branch of aristocratic families that emerged two or three hundred years ago. I know some of the secrets of aristocratic families, and my father also served as an official in the prefecture for a period of time. I have also made many observations... In recent days, I have been recording my understanding of the prefecture and the various situations that my husband may face in the future, and deducing a glimmer of hope to break through the blockade... My husband can use this as a reference.”

Mu Qing took out a book, a thick stack of books.

In fact, making this decision was quite difficult for her. Personally, she naturally hoped to stay with Zhuang Jin forever, but doing so would go against her wishes and push Zhuang Jin away, meaning that Zhuang Jin would leave, they would be separated for a long time, and their contact would be cut off.

But just as Zhuang Jin said, "If love between two people is meant to last, why should they be together every day and night?" Mu Qing would rather suffer the pain of separation and longing herself than let Zhuang Jin's wish be fulfilled.

Zhuang Jin looked at Mu Qing, sensing her feelings, and her emotions were complicated and hard to express: "Thank you, Qing'er, but don't tell Yunniang and the others about this yet."

“How could Sister Yun not have noticed? When it comes to love for her husband, she is the one who loves him the most, even I am not as good as her… Sister Jun may not be as good as her either… Although we are reluctant to part, we will still support our husband.”

As Mu Qing spoke, she looked at Zhuang Jin and blinked, "My husband's talent should not be wasted."

Zhuang Jin looked at Mu Qing, her eyes questioning.

Mu Qing nodded slightly: "Not only me, Sister Yun also has a guess, and I have tried to probe Sister Jun, but I only have a vague idea, and it has not yet taken shape."

She had read Zhuang Jin's information and, based on the time it took for him to break through each realm, she had already made some guesses. After being married for several years, she had largely confirmed it, but she didn't know what level Zhuang Jin's talent could reach.

Shen Xianhong and Mu Yuantu are not stupid; they also have ideas. They just believe that Zhuang Jin has a certain talent, like all meridians being open, and there are no bottlenecks below the innate level.

"My husband need not tell me the specifics. I should be even more careful in the future."

Zhuang Jin nodded solemnly, "Thank you for reminding me, Qing'er."

……

Several days later, Zhuang Jin and his party returned to Yunnan Prefecture.

……

(End of this chapter)