Chapter Forty-Eight: Unexpected Affection

When Liu Piaopiao awoke, she stared blankly at the mangled corpse before her and the body of a Golden Core cultivator lying not far away. She could vaguely recall, just before losing consciousness, that Zhao Xin had stepped in front of her, shielding her with his own body. A disciple at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, facing a Golden Core cultivator head-on, all for her sake.

"Zhao Xin..." Liu Piaopiao murmured softly, uncertain whether she should feel grateful or mournful.

Her heart felt empty and hollow. Zhao Xin, whom she had just begun to admire, had died so abruptly. She didn't even stop to question how absurd it was for a Qi Refinement cultivator to battle a Golden Core cultivator to the death.

None of it mattered anymore. After all, everyone was gone.

Zhou Qi was gravely injured. Though the Golden Core cultivator's strike hadn't been at its peak, and the Myriad Beast Armor had absorbed part of the blow, had he not cultivated the first transformation of the Heavenly Mystery, his body would have exploded on the spot. As it was, he had barely avoided such a fate—his internal organs shattered, countless bones broken.

After painstakingly repairing his wounds, Zhou Qi returned to the Gate of Life and Death. The war between the Zhengyi Sect and their rivals no longer concerned him. He now had only one goal: to fully comprehend the Bewildering Immortal Grand Array.

He had already gathered all the necessary materials. If successful, it would become a formidable trump card. Unfortunately, there was too little demon enchantress blood; separated from the earth, it could only be used to inscribe the formation once.

Zhou Qi spent ten thousand low-grade spirit stones at the auction house to acquire a formation plate. According to the True Lord of Heavenly Mystery, inscribing the array onto the plate allowed one to activate it at any time by placing spirit stones atop it, eliminating the need to carve the formation on site.

After countless rehearsals and under the meticulous guidance of the True Lord of Heavenly Mystery, Zhou Qi finally decided to inscribe the Bewildering Immortal Grand Array, placing the demon core of the Heart-Questioning Illusion Wolf at the center of the plate as the array's focal point.

He dipped his finger in a drop of demon enchantress blood and began to inscribe the array. Having practiced this many times, he worked confidently, and before long, the formation was complete.

He then retrieved five high-grade spirit stones from the Medicine Immortal's Sanctum and placed them on the array. The Bewildering Immortal Grand Array could now be activated at any moment. Zhou Qi gazed at his handiwork with satisfaction, though he regretted being unable to test its power; the demon enchantress blood had been just enough for a single inscription. Whether it would prove effective would be revealed only in true battle.

The war between the Gate of Life and Death and the subordinate sects of the Immortal Companions Sect was drawing to a close. The subordinate sects, Falling Wind Valley and Immortal Dragon Garden, had both been eradicated, wiped from existence. The remaining subordinate sects were likewise devastated—more than half their elders and disciples dead, their resources exhausted. This single conflict had set them back hundreds of years.

Although the main sects, the Gate of Life and Death and the Immortal Companions Sect, had not intervened directly, the war among the subordinate sects was still a contest of foundation and resources. Whoever expended less in this struggle would have the upper hand in the final confrontation. Outwardly, both sides seemed evenly matched, each losing a subordinate sect, but only the two main sects themselves knew the truth of their losses.

Everyone sensed that the main sects would soon take the field personally. Elders and disciples ended their seclusion and returned to their sects—even Liu Ruicai returned to his own abode.

“Master, was this war really because of me?” Zhou Qi asked humbly.

“You are only one of the reasons. Who knows what madness possessed Long Chengye to insist on capturing you. But the more significant cause lies with the supporters behind the Immortal Companions Sect and the Gate of Life and Death in the Heavenly Dao Sect. They all want to see the two sects clash. Of course, that’s not the deepest reason. The true cause is the control of Spirit Mountain. Back when the right to Spirit Mountain was contested, the Immortal Companions Sect nearly won, only to fall short at the last moment. Now they see this as a chance to seize it again,” Liu Ruicai explained.

Spirit Mountain was a crucial industry under the Gate of Life and Death, yielding vast quantities of spirit stones every year. After turning over eighty percent to the Heavenly Dao Sect, the remaining twenty percent was kept for themselves—a considerable sum. The cultivation of the Gate of Life and Death, including its subordinate sects, depended on this share. The profits were immense.

Just as the True Lord of Heavenly Mystery had said, in the end, wars are fought for profit. Zhou Qi was merely a convenient catalyst. Without the approval of the Heavenly Dao Sect, these two powers would never have waged such a war. If the Heavenly Dao Sect ordered the Gate of Life and Death to hand him over, they would do so without hesitation, no matter how hard Liu Ruicai struggled.

Zhou Qi felt a sense of urgency. The intentions of those above were unfathomable; his life and death could be decided by others at any moment. Tomorrow, the Heavenly Dao Sect might command an immediate end to the war, demand the execution of the culprit, and leave Zhou Qi with no refuge in the entire Huangxuan Domain.

Yet he dared not break through the Qi Refinement stage now. Using a Perfect Foundation Establishment Pill to advance to Foundation Establishment might attract the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators. After all, since ancient times, few had used a Perfect Foundation Establishment Pill to break through, and the resulting commotion was never trivial. Such a breakthrough would be tantamount to announcing to all that the Medicine Immortal’s legacy was in his hands. Even the Heavenly Dao Sect might become envious, and he would become the enemy of the world.

“In your opinion, Master, when do you think this war will end?” Zhou Qi asked again.

“That’s difficult to say. It could be tomorrow, or it could drag on for a long time. Its end is no longer up to the Gate of Life and Death or the Immortal Companions Sect, but to the Heavenly Dao Sect. Once war breaks out, it’s no longer something the two sects can control,” Liu Ruicai sighed.

“Doesn’t the Heavenly Dao Sect worry that allowing the subordinate sects to weaken each other will diminish their own strength, leaving them unable to compete with the Immortal Xia Sect, the Daoist Order, or the Huangfu Clan?” Zhou Qi pressed. The fate of the subordinate sects would affect the strength of the main sects; surely their war would impact the Heavenly Dao Sect as well?

“Perhaps in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao Sect, the existence or absence of subordinate sects makes no difference to their power. After all, for a high-level cultivator, wiping out an entire sect is as easy as flicking a finger. Yet such things are rarely done. The elephant cares nothing for the life or death of ants—unless an ant becomes a real eyesore,” Liu Ruicai said wistfully.

Even those lofty Nascent Soul cultivators could sigh over the insignificance of mortals. Zhou Qi was at a loss for words. How far must one cultivate to truly look down upon the world? Perhaps only after attaining immortality. Yet the fates of the True Lord of Heavenly Mystery and the Medicine Immortal were both tragically bleak. In light of this, despair seemed unavoidable.

For cultivators, the further one walked down the path, the harder it became to cross each threshold. The distant mountain’s grandeur could not be known until one stood upon its slopes.

“Do not rush to break through the Qi Refinement stage,” Liu Ruicai finally said with grave sincerity after a long silence. “Wait until I gather all the materials for the second transformation of the Heavenly Mystery and temper your body. Besides, the Foundation Establishment Pill you won at the Five Sects Grand Competition is too crude; breaking through with it would hinder your future cultivation. When the time comes, I will find a superior Foundation Establishment Pill for your breakthrough.”

This sudden display of care and affection left Zhou Qi deeply unsettled. He agreed aloud, but waves of doubt surged in his heart. He had been so preoccupied with the struggle between the Immortal Companions Sect and the Gate of Life and Death that he had forgotten about the looming presence of Liu Ruicai himself.

What was his true aim? Was it to seize Zhou Qi’s body, or was Zhou Qi simply a source of comfort in his old age? Perhaps, soon, the true purpose would be revealed.