Chapter Thirty-Five: This Immortal Is Rather Unconventional

Watching the Medicine Immortal’s lingering soul transform into a mark upon the token before him, Zhou Qi could not help but sigh deeply. Who would have thought that a lofty immortal could endure such a tragic existence? How far must a cultivator go in their path before they can truly grasp their own fate?

Was it the same for True Lord Tianxuan? The Medicine Immortal as well? Was it simply a matter of power not being high enough? They were both immortals who stood above the masses, capable of moving mountains, suppressing seas, plucking sun, moon, and stars—yet in the end, they met such wretched ends.

As the saying goes, wherever there are people, there is strife. The battles of immortals can last hundreds of thousands of years, with untold lives lost in their wake. The people at the bottom lament the injustice of the heavens, but those at the top see rigid divisions below them and equality above. The fault does not lie with individuals, but with a broken society.

“Now that you control the Medicine Immortal’s Sacred Palace, if you don’t deal with Long Feiyu now, when will you?” True Lord Tianxuan’s words drew Zhou Qi from his thoughts.

Reaching out with his spiritual sense into the token, Zhou Qi felt that the entire Sacred Palace was under his command. With a mere thought, he could travel anywhere within it. He saw Han Qiaoman searching for flames in a sea of fire—her clothing reduced to tatters, revealing her graceful form. Yet her condition was dire, the flames having burned her nearly to death; she would not survive much longer.

Zhou Qi moved his mind, mobilizing the Sacred Palace to send a thread of life force into Han Qiaoman’s body. She was instantly restored, and then Zhou Qi summoned a particularly fine flame, gentle and tame, to float before her.

Han Qiaoman, convinced only death awaited her, was stunned when her injuries vanished in an instant. The flame before her radiated warmth, as if calling out, “Come refine me!”

A sudden sense of being watched made her bare skin prickle with goosebumps. Alarmed, Han Qiaoman quickly dressed herself and began refining the flame.

Elsewhere, Long Feiyu, Gao Shiyu, and the others were already at the alchemy platform, concocting pills. Of the eight who had been refining medicine earlier, only one or two remained; the rest, presumably, had been teleported away.

With others present, it was inappropriate to move openly against Long Feiyu—otherwise, everyone would know the Sacred Palace was in Zhou Qi’s hands, and as a mere Qi Refining cultivator, he could never keep hold of such a treasure.

Zhou Qi extended his spiritual sense elsewhere, hoping to catch sight of Jiang Yiyi. Sweeping upward from the first floor, he saw vast quantities of spirit stones and herbs, and many peerless magical weapons and pills.

At last his search reached the ninth floor—wait, something was amiss. A man in a black robe was breaking a restriction, attempting to seize an immortal medicine; he was just about to succeed.

Someone stealing pills? That would not do. Zhou Qi’s thought moved him instantly to the ninth floor, though he did not reveal himself.

No sooner had he arrived than the man paused, gazing toward Zhou Qi’s hidden location. “Since you’re here, don’t bother hiding. Are you the Medicine Immortal himself, or his inheritor?”

To be discovered so easily was vexing. Zhou Qi had no choice but to reveal himself, his face dark. “Fellow Daoist, is stealing pills really the right thing to do?”

“Forgive me, fellow Daoist. My name is Di Yi. I am compelled by circumstance—my humble wife’s grave injuries remain unhealed. I heard that the Nine Heavens Spirit Severing Pill could help, so I came to seek one. I did not expect the Sacred Palace to already have a master. I mean no offense.”

Saving his wife? Zhou Qi, still haunted by the Medicine Immortal’s tragic fate, couldn’t bear to see another such misfortune. He decided to be the fool for once—besides, it seemed he could not stop this man anyway; even without Zhou Qi’s intervention, he would have succeeded. Not to mention, Di Yi’s cultivation was unfathomable; to breach the Sacred Palace’s many restrictions and reach the ninth floor was no small feat. Zhou Qi might as well earn his favor.

“If it’s to save your wife’s life, what’s one pill? Take it. But such acts of theft are not to be encouraged.” With those words, Zhou Qi unlocked the restriction on the Nine Heavens Spirit Severing Pill, sending it floating before Di Yi.

“You’re giving it to me just like that? Do you have any idea how valuable it is? You don’t want anything in return?” Di Yi could hardly believe it. If it were so easy, he wouldn’t have needed to steal.

“No pill, no matter how precious, is worth more than a life. Take it, brother, and save your wife,” Zhou Qi said casually.

Di Yi stood there, stunned, then respectfully collected the pill and bowed deeply. “May I ask your name, fellow Daoist? From now on, you are my most important friend.”

“My name is Zhou Qi. Brother Di Yi, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Zhou Qi replied with a smile.

“Brother Zhou, until we meet again!” Di Yi memorized the name, and with that, vanished, though Zhou Qi had no idea how he left.

Surveying the ninth floor, Zhou Qi saw it was not large, clearly reserved for the most precious treasures. Though he had just inexplicably given away a pill, saving a life was worth more than building seven pagodas of merit. The Tianxuan Continent might not believe in such things, but Zhou Qi did.

Immersing his spiritual sense into the token again, he searched for his heart’s desire—the Perfect Foundation Establishment Pill. At last, on the fifth floor, he found more than a dozen of them, each personally refined by the Medicine Immortal, bearing nine pill lines—the finest of the finest.

Now all that remained was to reach the peak of the tenth level of Qi Refinement. He lacked neither spirit stones nor pills, and had no fear for his life. The Sacred Palace was under his control; Long Feiyu could be dealt with at any time.

Knowing that what True Lord Tianxuan desired most was that other soul fragment, Zhou Qi searched the Sacred Palace for several pills to restore the soul. These pills were far more effective than refining herbs. After Zhou Qi consumed a few, True Lord Tianxuan stopped him, explaining that a remnant soul could only be strengthened so much; taking more was wasteful. Zhou Qi had to relent.

Once Long Feiyu finished refining the ten medicinal herbs, Zhou Qi would teleport him to a desolate land and deal with him slowly. Ever since they’d met, Zhou Qi had felt like a frightened bird, a knife ever at his throat.

But Long Feiyu was too cautious—after two failures, he no longer dared act, instead watching others and trying to learn from their successes, terrified of failing again.

This was troublesome. After Han Qiaoman finished subduing the flame, she too was teleported to the alchemy platform. Seeing Long Feiyu there, her enemy, she was filled with rage. She was at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, and Long Feiyu was only at the third. She had been humiliated by him in the cave, her disciples slain. Now, vengeance was all she desired.

Startled, Long Feiyu prepared to flee. Zhou Qi was even more alarmed, fearing Han Qiaoman would ruin his plan. He was forced to disguise his voice as aged and stern: “The Medicine Immortal’s Sacred Palace forbids fighting. Violators will be expelled!”

Only then did Han Qiaoman stop, fearing expulsion and the loss of her chance at inheritance.

So, the Sacred Palace truly was conscious. Han Qiaoman recalled that eerie feeling of being watched—could the Medicine Immortal have been spying on her? Was that how she was saved in time? She couldn’t help but feel that this immortal was not very proper!

Gao Shiyu was muttering as well, feeling as if she too had lost her innocence.