Chapter 45: Yi Changqing

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Three days later, on an early morning outside the gates of Divine Weapon Pavilion…

“The weapon has been mended,” Ji Lingchen announced, handing a long sword wrapped in black silk to Lu Xuan.

“So soon?” Lu Xuan, a connoisseur of swords, was slightly surprised as he took it. Weighing the weapon, he instantly recognized the meticulous craftsmanship that had restored the mystical blade to perfection.

Wan Zhucang had indeed taken great care in reforging the Phoenix Blood Sword.

“Thank you,” Lu Xuan expressed, skillfully performing a spell to tuck the Phoenix Blood Sword into his sleeve.

Ji Lingchen dismissed the thanks with a wave of his hand and inquired, “Where are you planning to go next?”

Lu Xuan pondered for a moment, “To Sancai Academy, perhaps. There’s a celebration happening there soon. A visit seems fitting.”

Lu Xuan had studied and once taught at Sancai Academy, though it was a memory from long ago. The current headmaster, a direct disciple of the former, was nearly five thousand years old. Lu Xuan had known the old headmaster well. His disciple, now leading the academy, was merely a youth back then.

It’s worth mentioning that Sancai Academy had seen challenging times over the past few millennia. The old headmaster, who had reached the Crossing Calamity Stage, had a disciple whose talents were somewhat lacking, leaving him at the pinnacle of the Mahayana Stage.

Cultivation is fundamentally a matter that delves into the mysteries of mystical world.

A cultivator at the pinnacle of the Great Mahayana Stage, upon enlightenment, would enter the Tribulation Transcendence phase. During this phase, a cultivator can sense the approaching Tribulation necessary for ascension to immortality.

For instance, Cheng Hongtan, after reaching the peak of the Mahayana Stage, descended the mountain to gain worldly experience. In just two years, she faced the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.

Similarly, Ji Lingchen reached the peak of the Mahayana stage in his thousandth year. He spent three thousand years refining himself and was now on the verge of achieving the True Immortal status.

However, the successive headmasters of the Sancai Academy, lacking both luck and innate talent, faced different fates. One halted at the completion of the Crossing Calamity Stage, while the other remained circling at the peak of the

Mahayana Stage.

“Indeed, the anniversary of Sancai Academy is a significant event in the cultivation world. It’s not to be missed,” Ji Lingchen nodded, expressing a desire to attend, though his duties at Sky Sword Mountain and the impending True Immortal Tribulation demanded his presence elsewhere.

Over these three days, the Divine Weapon Pavilion, bolstered by the presence of external sect experts, had hosted a grand Weaponry Convention. Lu Xuan, showing little interest in the weapons, had casually browsed the event with

Cheng Lingzhu. However, the gambling stone activity had piqued his interest.

Regrettably, the stones provided were of little value, aligning with the Pavilion’s non-professional status. Even with Lu Xuan’s luck, only a few ordinary spirit jades had been uncovered.

As Lu Xuan and Ji Lingchen casually conversed at the gate, a commotion arose in the distance.

“Brother Yi Changqing has returned! Brother Yi Changqing is back!”

“It’s Brother Yi, and that’s his treasure carriage!”

“Let’s hurry over, or we’ll miss our chance!”

“No one’s going to beat me to it! I’ll take the task of protecting Brother Yi!”

Lu Xuan looked towards the noise and saw a large treasure carriage halting. From it descended a group of robust men, each wielding a mystical weapon, forming a tight human wall.

A man in green robes stepped off the carriage. As he walked, female cultivators tried to approach him stealthily but were soon revealed by a bellow from the leader of the men, their techniques forcing the women to keep their distance.

“Is this fan meeting always so exaggerated?” Lu Xuan remarked.

“If they were truly fans, Yi Changqing would be laughing in his dreams,” Ji Lingchen commented. “Just watch.”

Yi Changqing moved forward, casually tossing various high-grade mystical treasures as he went.

Surrounding male disciples rushed forward, vying for the magical treasures Yi Changqing had tossed. Outnumbering the female disciples, they pushed them to the edges. This naturally incited discontent among the female disciples, and a scuffle ensued. Amidst the chaos, the burly men seized the opportunity to capture several female cultivators, presenting them before Yi Changqing.

Yi Changqing formed a seal with his hands and pressed it against the foreheads of the captured female disciples. Those marked by his palm immediately showed signs of dejection and slinked away.

This peculiar spectacle unfolded just outside the Divine Weapon Pavilion’s gates. Once past the gates, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Yi Changqing and his bodyguards.

“Yi Changqing is a pitiful figure,” Ji Lingchen sighed. “He possesses the Xuan

Yin body.”

Lu Xuan, taken aback, instinctively questioned, “Isn’t he a man?”

“That’s precisely why he’s pitiable,” Ji Lingchen replied.

Unlike Lu Xuan, who had long remained sequestered in the Dao Evolution Sect, Ji Lingchen, a renowned figure in Beiyuan, was well-versed in local secrets.

“The Xuan Yin body is of no use to men but offers immense opportunity to women,” Ji Lingchen explained. “Any woman who unites with Yi Changqing can forcibly extract his Xuan Yin essence. This would significantly ease their cultivation path, removing all obstacles.”

“So these women are after his Xuan Yin body?” Lu Xuan understood.

Given the daylight, the more sinister aspects of such an act couldn’t be pursued. However, Lu Xuan knew of techniques that required mere physical contact to steal certain bloodlines and physiques.

While the Divine Weapon Pavilion’s female cultivators lacked such advanced methods, those from Spirit Charm Sect might manage it, though the latter likely possessed similar techniques. Using secret methods, even a mere touch could siphon a sliver of Xuan Yin energy into their own bodies.

“The Divine Weapon Pavilion doesn’t prohibit private fights, but murder is severely punished. Yi Changqing could not lethally retaliate against them, resorting instead to secret techniques for restraint. Anyone marked by his palm is unable to draw bloodline essence from him, ” Ji Lingchen observed, watching Yi Changqing’s retreating figure.

“The Xuan Yin body, though useless to him, is linked to a cultivator’s core essence. If taken before his ascension, it would damage his foundational path, barring him from higher cultivation realms.”

“That’s quite tragic, isn’t it?” Lu Xuan expressed sympathy.

“Indeed,” Ji Lingchen nodded. “There are rumors that even the Saintess of

Divine Weapon Pavilion wants to take action against Yi Changqing.”

Though a core disciple, Yi Changqing was not considered a major figure. His late master had left behind limited connections and wealth, barely enough to protect his disciple. If the Saintess of the Divine Weapon Pavilion indeed overpowered Yi Changqing and obtained his Xuan Yin body, the sect would likely side with her.

Escaping outside the sect posed even greater risks. While the sect’s rules offered some protection, countless female cultivators in the outside world would eagerly prey upon Yi Changqing. Fortunately, for men, the Xuan Yin body held no benefit, allowing Yi Changqing to interact safely with male cultivators. His circle of acquaintances, thus, was exclusively male..