Chapter Three: The Tenant in the Sea of Souls

A grand commendation ceremony concluded in such a manner.

Zhou Qi’s refusal to advance to the rank of inner disciple made him a temporary celebrity within the Zhengyi Sect, and his peers began to view him in a new light.

Returning to his modest courtyard in the outer sect, Zhou Qi, now a third-level Qi Refining disciple, was reminded that he must complete sect tasks each month to earn a single low-grade spirit stone; the outer sect never nurtures idlers.

Winning two hundred spirit stones was a considerable fortune. For now, no one coveted it, but once the attention faded, he could no longer count on safety. It was wiser to convert wealth into strength.

Four people lived in the courtyard, including Li Gang, who had been expelled from the sect. The other two were Zhao Fei and Ming Yu, one at the fourth level of Qi Refining, the other at the fifth.

Outer sect disciples rarely interacted, mostly secluded in cultivation or searching for spiritual herbs, arduously fulfilling their sect duties.

When Zhou Qi returned, both men happened to be present. He handed each five low-grade spirit stones, thanking them for their previous kindness.

They declined, unwilling to accept, the image of Li Gang being crippled still fresh in their minds. They had never truly shown Zhou Qi any care; had Li Gang not acted quickly, it might have been one of them who suffered.

Yet Zhou Qi insisted, forcibly giving them the stones, declaring that fate had brought them together and hoping they would communicate more as fellow disciples sharing the courtyard.

With no choice, the two accepted the spirit stones and departed, each claiming to have sect tasks to attend to and would not return for two months.

Zhou Qi spent another five spirit stones on fine tea for the outer sect steward, finally feeling at ease to cultivate in his courtyard.

The Qi Refining stage focused on absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into vital force stored in the dantian.

Progress had been slow, mainly due to the lack of spirit stones to absorb; he could only rely on ambient spiritual energy. Now, using the Zhengyi Sect’s cultivation method, Zhou Qi slowly converted spirit stones into spiritual power, his vital force growing visibly, though it was uncertain how long it would take to break through to the fourth Qi Refining level.

“Boy, your cultivation method is too crude. The speed at which you absorb spiritual energy is far too slow.” An ancient voice echoed in his mind.

Who was speaking? Zhou Qi was startled, glancing around. The courtyard was empty.

“No need to look. I am within your soul sea,” the elderly voice continued.

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“Possession? Senior, spare me!” Zhou Qi immediately thought of those old monsters who possessed young people, panicking at the idea that his hard-earned second life might be taken over, his will erased and his body usurped.

“Hmph. Your frail body holds no interest for me. Rest assured, I am merely one-tenth of my soul, forced to temporarily reside in your soul sea,” the voice explained.

“Senior, what’s going on? Shouldn’t you pay some rent for living here?” Zhou Qi asked, reasoning that as the current owner of this body, a little rent wasn’t unreasonable.

“What is rent? My name is Celestial Xuan Sovereign. I was ambushed by enemies and, unable to escape, performed the great soul-splitting technique, dividing myself into ten. One part fled here by chance and entered your soul sea. You awoke me by cultivating, the fluctuations in spiritual energy stirred me. Don’t worry, I won’t reside in your soul sea without compensation,” Celestial Xuan Sovereign replied.

“Senior, please feel free to stay. If you have any requests, let me know.” Zhou Qi thought to himself: if this old monster, who survived being split into ten, resides in his soul sea, killing him would be a trivial matter.

“I can impart to you cultivation methods and guide your path, but you must help me restore my soul and rebuild my immortal body so I may exact my revenge,” Celestial Xuan Sovereign said grimly. “But…”

That “but” made Zhou Qi uneasy. There truly was no such thing as a free lunch. Whoever could injure Celestial Xuan Sovereign must be formidable.

Zhou Qi shook his head, refusing, “Senior, you may stay as long as you wish, but I am weak and unlikely to help you achieve your grand designs.”

“In truth, your refusal matters little. Unless I regain three-fifths of my soul, I cannot leave your soul sea, and the other soul holders will seek you out, aiming to devour my portion. When my soul was split, ten new wills were born—each desires to be the primary will and will try to kill you to absorb me. In other words, we’re now grasshoppers tied together: your strength gives me hope of recovery; your weakness dooms us both,” Celestial Xuan Sovereign said unhurriedly.

So that’s how it is? Would he have to help defeat the other nine soul holders, and face Celestial Xuan Sovereign’s enemies?

“Do not worry. With my guidance, you will quickly grow strong, and dominating the Yellow Xuan Domain will be no challenge,” Celestial Xuan Sovereign tempted.

Zhou Qi hesitated. He wanted to refuse, but it seemed pointless. He could only bow and say, “I am willing to follow your instructions, Senior.”

“Very well. I shall teach you the Xuan Heaven True Art. This method is extremely powerful—provided you have enough spirit stones, cultivation will be as effortless as eating and drinking. You will easily outpace the other prodigies,” Celestial Xuan Sovereign declared. Instantly, a new cultivation manual appeared in Zhou Qi’s mind.

After imparting the technique, Celestial Xuan Sovereign’s voice weakened noticeably, saying he would soon sleep again. If Zhou Qi needed anything, he should mention it quickly, and pay attention to medicines or artifacts that could restore soul power.

Zhou Qi considered for a moment and said, “Senior, since this method allows such rapid cultivation, I fear others may grow suspicious. Please grant me a technique to conceal my cultivation level.”

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Celestial Xuan Sovereign thought Zhou Qi was excessively cautious. With only Qi Refining cultivation, who would notice him? Still, he imparted a concealment technique. After passing on the method, Celestial Xuan Sovereign fell into slumber.

“Senior? Senior…” Zhou Qi called softly several times, but received no answer. Left with no option, he began to practice the Xuan Heaven True Art.

Harnessing the technique for cultivation, he found, as promised, the speed of absorbing spiritual energy increased by countless times. Ten minutes later, he broke through to the fourth Qi Refining level.

Zhou Qi’s confidence soared. The sensation of breaking through left him clear-headed and refreshed, without the slightest fatigue. He immediately resumed cultivation.

Three days later, he reached the fifth Qi Refining level.

Six days after that, the sixth.

By absorbing spirit stones with the Xuan Heaven True Art, just as Celestial Xuan Sovereign had said, progress was astonishingly swift. When 185 low-grade spirit stones were exhausted, Zhou Qi finally attained the seventh level, his vital energy abundant as a spring—utterly incomparable to his previous third-level self, all within just half a month.

Such progress was unimaginable for Zhou Qi; breaking through four levels in half a month was likely unheard of.

If word got out, suspicion would inevitably follow, and those with ulterior motives might kill him for the technique—a trope all too familiar from novels. He hurriedly cultivated the concealment method.

Afterward, Zhou Qi’s displayed cultivation appeared to be at the sixth level—impressive, but not wildly extraordinary.

He practiced Fireball Art, Taiji Seal, and Five Elements Step, blending these foundational skills together. Especially Five Elements Step; mastery allowed him to evade enemy attacks—winning was secondary, survival paramount.

Qi Refining cultivators could fly on swords, but their vital energy could not sustain flight for long. Zhou Qi experimented, ultimately conceding defeat; sword flight could only be used for decisive strikes or escapes, not prolonged flight or battle.

Nevertheless, Zhou Qi was satisfied. As an ordinary modern man, being able to conjure fireballs and fly on swords—what more could he ask for?

Yet the trauma of bungee jumping lingered; Zhou Qi dared only fly a meter or two above the ground, fearing his energy might fail and send him crashing down.

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