Chapter 150: The Seven Emotions and Six Desires

Although Ge Qian possessed formidable strength, in Pozhan’s eyes, he was still nothing more than an ant. This was because an immense gulf separated the Core Formation stage from the Nascent Soul stage, a difference as vast as heaven and earth. Pozhan could have easily suppressed and killed Ge Qian using sheer pressure alone.

Therefore, he merely channeled a trace of his spiritual power, intending to snatch back Niu Sanlong's primordial core so that Niu could undergo soul-seizure and recover to his original state after a decade or two of cultivation.

However, he never expected that Ge Qian’s Daoist techniques would be so bizarre, allowing him to seize the primordial core in the blink of an eye.

Pozhan was flying into a rage. This was a blatant disregard for his dignity as a venerable Nascent Soul grandmaster. Given his status, wherever he went, he was greeted with utmost reverence; when had he ever been treated with such disrespect by a mere Core Formation cultivator?

Rising abruptly, he unleashed a heaven-shaking pressure that rolled toward Ge Qian to crush him.

Although Qin Chuchu remained seated, her expression turned frosty. Her spiritual pressure materialized into a giant fist, fiercely smashing into Pozhan’s oncoming pressure.

Pozhan’s face flushed red, and he let out a muffled grunt before obediently sinking back into his seat, clearly having suffered a heavy loss.

With a quick roll of his eyes, he thought to himself that this vixen Qin Chuchu was indeed formidable, having actually cultivated her spiritual pressure to the point of materialization, which caused him to suffer internal injuries.

Nonetheless, he said coldly, "Grand Priestess, you are far too partial. You saw it yourself—he was utterly disrespectful to a Nascent Soul cultivator. Am I not even allowed to administer a slight punishment?"

Unmoved, Qin Chuchu replied, "I believe it was you who broke the rules by forcefully snatching a junior's spoils of war. How does that differ from a common bandit? Aren't you afraid of losing your standing and becoming the laughingstock of the entire world?"

"You..." Pozhan was left completely speechless.

Having narrowly escaped death and now fully awake, the primordial core in Ge Qian’s hand cried out in desperate anguish, "Supreme Elder, save me! No matter what, I am an Elder of the Beast Taming Sect. Even if I haven't achieved greatness, I've put in hard labor. Considering all the times I've risked my life for the sect, you cannot just stand by and watch me die!"

Hoping to spare Pozhan further embarrassment, Jiuhua angrily shouted, "Shut your mouth, Niu Sanlong! You absolute coward. The Supreme Elder told you to return just now, but you refused. Now you're howling like a madman—what kind of man are you? You might as well self-detonate and die in a blaze of glory!"

A whirlwind stirred in Ge Qian’s palm, and the primordial core vanished, swallowed whole by the Chaos Beast.

Ge Qian had no intention of giving Niu Sanlong a chance to self-detonate. He smiled faintly at Jiuhua and said, "Fellow Daoist Jiuhua, what a clever scheme. You sacrificed your own sect brother to heavily injure me, only to return to the Beast Taming Sect and advance to the Nascent Soul stage, leaving the Supreme Elder to shoulder the infamy of standing idly by while a Great Elder was murdered. Not only will this ruin his reputation, but it will also breed resentment among the subordinates, won't it?"

"Ge Qian, stop talking nonsense and sowing discord! That is not what I meant!" Jiuhua hastily defended herself, though hatred for Ge Qian took deep root in her bones, giving birth to a venomous plot in her heart.

She thought to herself, *Don't be so arrogant and smug, Ge Qian. Your high-profile slaughter has already exposed your strength. Once I exaggerate your aptitude and power and report it to the Sorcerer-Demon King, when his senior self makes a move, even the Heavenly Star Sect will be uprooted. Perhaps, as a reward for this achievement, I will also gain the Sorcerer-Demon King's favor, receive guidance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and trample that arrogant Liu Xixi underfoot forever. What a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.*

At this thought, she could not help but look exceedingly pleased with herself.

Pozhan glared at Ge Qian with a gaze as cold and venomous as a viper, saying, "Brat, remember this: you will regret your foolish actions today. For a young man to be too sharp-edged is rarely a good thing."

Without changing his expression, Ge Qian replied, "Thank you for the guidance, Senior. Ge Qian never regrets anything he does, because the path one has walked cannot be retraced. Rather than wasting time on regret, it is far better to face things with courage."

"Hmph! Grand Priestess, I have truly witnessed the hospitality of your Heavenly Star Sect today. I only hope that during the upcoming trip to the Myriad Demon Mountain, your Heavenly Star Sect won't turn into cowardly turtles, too afraid to show their faces before the cultivators of the world. Farewell!" Pozhan stood up and said sarcastically, trying to salvage a shred of his dignity.

Qin Chuchu also stood up gracefully and said, "This matter can only be decided by the Sect Master. Daiyue, see our guests out."

Daiyue was overwhelmed with astonishment by Ge Qian’s methods, yet she remained somewhat puzzled. Given Ge Qian's usual low-profile demeanor, why would he make such a formidable enemy for himself?

Hearing the Grand Priestess's instruction, she dared not delay and said, "Senior Pozhan, please follow me."

With that, she tore through the air and departed.

Gritting his teeth, Pozhan swept up Jiuhua and the remaining two early Core Formation cultivators and gave chase through the void.

After Pozhan left, Qin Chuchu turned to Ge Qian and said, "If you have any plans, speak your mind."

Ge Qian detailed everything he knew to Qin Chuchu—though he did conceal a few details—and laid out his intentions and ultimate objective.

Finally, he proposed his strategy: infiltrating the Myriad Demon Mountain, rescuing the Myriad Demon King, and disrupting the Sorcerer-Demon King's sacrificial ritual.

Qin Chuchu’s alluring eyes flashed as she said, "The Sorcerer-Demon King's mind is unfathomable. What percentage of certainty do you have?"

"Grand Priestess, I only have a fifty percent certainty. Even a tiger nods off sometimes; I am merely a flea on the tiger's back and will not easily draw its attention," Ge Qian replied.

Qin Chuchu nodded. "The path you walk is your own choice; I am merely here to assist from the sidelines. You must judge the situation yourself. Sect Master Senior Brother is currently cultivating a formidable secret technique and will not come out of seclusion anytime soon. The Heavenly Star Sect is temporarily under my administration. For this trip to the Myriad Demon Mountain, I shall accompany you."

"Thank you, Grand Priestess. I will return to make preparations. The half-year period will pass quickly, and we must set out three months in advance," Ge Qian said with a slight frown.

The Grand Priestess replied, "Very well. I, too, must prepare a few supreme divine weapons."

Instead of returning to the Chaotic Ridge, Ge Qian left the Heavenly Star Sect and entered a bustling secular metropolis. He resolved to experience the hardships of the mortal world, savor the seven emotions and six desires, and prepare for condensing his human core. Although three months was terribly short, he did not want to waste a single day.

That day, disguised as an ordinary martial arts swordsman, Ge Qian entered Yancheng, the capital of the Zhao State.

Living up to its reputation as the capital of Zhao, Yancheng spanned thousands of miles, boasting a thriving economy and a massive population.

Ge Qian rented a room in an inn. Sitting quietly inside, the sword Qi of the seven emotions and six desires in his Dantian swam about merrily. Cultivators in the realm of immortality focused single-mindedly on the Dao and harbored deep obsessions, causing their seven emotions and six desires to gradually fade away.

Here in the mortal realm, however, a rich tapestry of passions abounded. The six desires—forms, sounds, scents, tastes, touches, and mental dharmas—and the seven emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire—were everywhere.

These worldly auras were slowly drawn into Ge Qian’s Dantian, blending seamlessly into his sword Qi of the seven emotions and six desires.

That evening, after finishing a meal—having abstained from mortal grain for many years—he found the lingering taste tonight endlessly nostalgic.

Suddenly, a wave of grief and indignation washed over him, flowing directly into the sorrowful sword Qi within his Dantian.

*Who is feeling such profound sorrow? Let me go take a look; where there is sorrow, there is also joy.*

His figure twisting and blurring, Ge Qian vanished from the spot and reappeared on a bustling street. Weaving through several alleys, he arrived at a secluded lakeside where he spotted a frail scholar. With a slender figure and tattered clothes, the young man was beating his chest and weeping bitterly, looking utterly desolate.

Appearing silently behind him, Ge Qian asked, "My friend, weeping here in the dead of night disturbs passing travelers. Isn't that somewhat inappropriate?"

Startled, the scholar turned to look. Seeing Ge Qian, who wore a gentle, completely harmless smile and looked at him amiably, the scholar choked out, "Who are you to meddle in other people's business? I'm crying my own tears; what does it have to do with you? Do I not even have the right to cry?"