Chapter Twenty-Two: Junior Brother Zhou Is a Little Shy

If Long Feiyu knew what Han Qiaoman was thinking, he would probably have gone mad by now. The way he was looking at Zhou Qi grew increasingly intense, his mind consumed with thoughts of persuading Zhou Qi to leave the Gate of Life and Death. Even Xia Shu, standing off to the side, could sense something was amiss—she thought perhaps her own charm was lacking, but it turned out that wasn’t what he was interested in at all.

“Junior Brother Zhou, why don’t we go out training together? It would be a good chance to discuss our cultivation insights,” Long Feiyu suggested. His words stunned everyone present.

“I’m sorry, Brother Long, but I must decline,” Zhou Qi responded. If his strength was above Long Feiyu’s, perhaps it would have been different. But to go out with him now would be courting death.

Long Feiyu immediately sensed his error—he’d been too hasty. Since Zhou Qi possessed a soul fragment, he must know that only one of them could ultimately survive. How could he possibly agree to train together so easily? If he did agree, Long Feiyu would need to be on his guard, as Zhou Qi must have something up his sleeve.

Han Qiaoman couldn’t stand the direction the conversation was taking; the atmosphere was becoming more and more skewed, and it seemed as if they were openly flirting.

“Brother Feiyu, may I ask what brings you to the Gate of Life and Death today?” Han Qiaoman changed the subject.

Long Feiyu, naturally, could not reveal his true intentions. It seemed he would have to throw out this bombshell—he didn’t believe Zhou Qi could remain unmoved.

“It’s like this: my sect, the Gate of Immortal Companionship, has discovered a cave mansion left behind by an immortal. We realized that we couldn’t claim it by ourselves. Furthermore, our sect has traditionally not gotten along with the Sword Immortal Sect or the Infinite Sect, so I’ve come to invite the Gate of Life and Death to join us in exploring the immortal’s cave,” Long Feiyu said, his tone unhurried.

What? The news stunned everyone. An immortal’s cave mansion was a treasure trove: immortal artifacts, elixirs, cultivation techniques, immortal stones—anything from such a place could bring boundless benefits. There were stories of a declining sect in the Xuan Domain stumbling upon an immortal’s cave and instantly rising to prominence. Others had received gifts from immortals and advanced by several major realms in cultivation.

Immortals were a distant concept to them; though they believed immortals existed, no one had seen one. Anything connected to immortals became the stuff of legend.

Could the Gate of Immortal Companionship really be so generous, sharing such news?

“An immortal’s cave mansion? Is this true?” Han Qiaoman asked gravely. This was no trivial matter.

“It’s true. This immortal was especially skilled in alchemy; it’s said there may even be a legendary Perfect Foundation Pill inside,” Long Feiyu replied, watching Zhou Qi for a reaction. Seeing that Zhou Qi remained unmoved, he added, “Unfortunately, the cave mansion has a restriction: only those in the Foundation Establishment stage and below may enter, and those at that level are limited in their strength. That’s why I’ve come to your sect, seeking those skilled in formations or breaking restrictions to join the exploration.”

What? A Perfect Foundation Pill, and only Foundation Establishment cultivators could enter? Instantly, many disciples present were filled with regret, wishing they hadn’t advanced so early.

Yet Zhou Qi still showed no sign of interest. To him, this cave mansion seemed almost tailored specifically for him; such an obvious lie—how could he possibly believe it?

In fact, the immortal’s cave was real, but the Gate of Immortal Companionship never intended to share it. However, Long Feiyu could think of no other way to lure Zhou Qi out. For his own sake, he had to sacrifice some sect interests—after all, his father was the sect master; it should be fine, right?

“Very well. I’ll report this to my father. If it proves true, the Gate of Life and Death will owe your sect a great debt,” Han Qiaoman said.

“Naturally, we won’t be sharing the news for nothing. I’ve only come to inform you; as for how the spoils are divided, that’s a matter for your father and mine to discuss,” Long Feiyu replied, deciding to leave it to his father. The news was already out; if Han Yuanzheng came to call, there would be no hiding it. Better this than making empty promises himself.

“That concludes our gathering for now. I must go report this to my father,” Han Qiaoman announced. She had originally planned for Xia Shu to show Long Feiyu around, but it seemed he wasn’t interested in her. Though she felt somewhat awkward, she turned to Zhou Qi, “Junior Brother Zhou, why don’t you accompany Brother Feiyu and show him around the sect?”

Long Feiyu was delighted.

Zhou Qi’s expression changed at once. He hurriedly said, “Senior Sister, that won’t do. Master has sent word that something has changed during his closed-door cultivation and I must return to my quarters immediately.” With that, he used his movement technique and vanished in a flash.

Han Qiaoman could only apologize to Long Feiyu, “Junior Brother Zhou is probably shy and couldn’t accept it just now. Please understand. I’ll have Xia Shu go with you instead.”

“...” Long Feiyu realized there had been a misunderstanding.

Zhou Qi, running swiftly with his movement technique, cursed Han Qiaoman under his breath. What was wrong with her? Asking him, a man, to accompany another man—he wasn’t some hired companion, and more importantly, his life was on the line.

Only after returning to Liu Ruitai’s abode did Zhou Qi ask, “True Lord, what do you think?” Earlier, by the lakeside, the True Lord Tianxuan had concealed himself to avoid being tracked by the other’s aura. Zhou Qi believed Long Feiyu had done the same, or else they would have had to fight on the spot.

“He is certain that a piece of my soul resides within you,” the True Lord Tianxuan replied.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking about the immortal’s cave mansion—and the Perfect Foundation Pill,” Zhou Qi clarified. The other party must have been sure, or he wouldn’t have tried so hard to lure him.

“My collection is far superior to any so-called immortal’s cave. It’s just that your cultivation is still too low. The Perfect Foundation Pill does exist. Whether a cultivator’s foundation is perfect depends on two things. First, the size of their spiritual sea; most cultivators reach the ninth level of Qi Refinement and have to form their foundation because they’ve reached their limit. But the Xuantian Method is different—it allows you to reach the tenth level, fully tapping your potential in the Qi Refinement stage. The second factor is the quality of the Foundation Pill. The one you earned at the tournament was merely a lower-grade pill. It can help you form your foundation, but advancing beyond the Nascent Soul stage would be very difficult. The Perfect Foundation Pill, however, allows for flawless foundation establishment, fully unleashing the potential of the Foundation stage, making future cultivation much smoother,” the True Lord explained.

There were actually ten levels in the Qi Refinement stage, and even a Perfect Foundation Pill? Zhou Qi had thought that reaching the peak of the ninth level would let him catch up, but now he realized his thinking was too simplistic.

“What do you think, True Lord? Should we explore this immortal’s cave?” Zhou Qi asked. Now, he and the True Lord were in the same boat.

“Of course we must. If there really is a Perfect Foundation Pill, we can’t afford to miss it. And with my experience, breaking any formations or restrictions won’t be a problem,” the True Lord replied calmly.

“But Long Feiyu will surely try to kill me during the expedition. What should I do?” Zhou Qi worried.

“No matter. Your top priority is to increase your strength. It would be best if you could reach the tenth level of Qi Refinement before exploring the cave. If you then acquire the Perfect Foundation Pill and break through to Foundation Establishment, you’ll have no reason to fear Long Feiyu,” the True Lord said.