Chapter 74: Fifteen Layers

Qin Yue obtained another suit of armor.

This piece was truly exceptional—so much so that even Ling Jinsong, the sect master, warned him repeatedly and with great seriousness.

“This is a genuine Third Realm treasure armor—the only one in the sect. I’m lending it to you privately, so whatever you do, don’t breathe a word about it!”

The Third Realm... Celestial level. Wearing it, one could withstand the attacks of a Human Immortal.

Qin Yue was secretly delighted, but his face revealed nothing of it. He even looked at Ling Jinsong with a touch of helplessness. “This is too valuable. If possible, I’d prefer to wait until my cultivation advances before accepting it.”

Faced with someone who might change his fate, Ling Jinsong no longer concealed anything. He forced a bitter smile. “My brother, the reason the Celestial Gate is opening this time is likely because the recent natural omens alarmed those above, so they’ve sent people down to investigate.

No one can guarantee how long it will remain open—perhaps a year or two, maybe three or five. If you can’t find a way to ascend to the Human Immortal realm during this window, and must rely on yourself to reach the Human Immortal peak and knock at the Celestial Gate, who knows how many years it might take...

Just do your old brother this favor. In the coming days, my medicine garden is open to you at all times.

By the way, the juice from the Ninefold Rebirth Polygonum is extraordinary as well. Only about a hundred pounds can be collected each year—take a few dozen pounds with you later. If you’re short of anything, just ask!

On the final floor of the sect’s Sutra Repository, there are countless ancient texts. If you wish to learn anything, they’re yours.”

Qin Yue could only nod, albeit reluctantly. Secretly, he thought, this hypocrite trusts me so much—most likely because he knows I can help Vice Sect Master Yue Mingxi evolve the Enlightenment Tree!

So be it. With both the sect master and vice sect master backing him, his position in the Zhaoyang Sect would be unassailable.

He decided to seize the opportunity and said to Ling Jinsong, “Sect Master, I’ve discovered that the Ice Abyss people possess a very unique bloodline. Nurturing them could be of great benefit to us. But do you know what their ancestors did to make a righteous sect like ours suppress their descendants for generations beneath the Ice Abyss and brand them as sinners, regardless of debate?”

If even the sect master didn’t know, then perhaps the truth had truly been lost to time.

Ling Jinsong hesitated slightly, then replied, “Since you’ve asked, I won’t hide it from you. If you want to know exactly what crime the ancestors of the Ice Abyss people committed, I must confess—I don’t know either.”

Qin Yue: “...”

Ling Jinsong continued, “But the reason Zhaoyang Sect was founded was largely because of them! Our founder possessed so many celestial laws—such as the Northern Ocean Breath Devouring Art and the Falling Leaf Sword Scripture—all to ensure the suppression of that race.”

“A race now reduced to a few thousand, whose bodies are inferior even to ordinary folk, yet requires all this?” Qin Yue asked.

“Don’t underestimate them. As you said, their bloodline is special. If they’re given the chance to cultivate, the probability of producing geniuses far exceeds other peoples.”

Ling Jinsong couldn’t help but advise, “I know you’re kindhearted and can’t bear to see them suffer, so you’ve taken them under your protection. Whether they’re useful or not doesn’t matter—so long as it pleases you. But you must never let them cultivate! Otherwise, even I may not be able to protect you. Especially with envoys from the Celestial Gate arriving soon—you must keep them well hidden and out of sight.”

“So, our sect is merely the jailer, and the true will comes from the Celestial Gate?” Qin Yue asked in surprise.

“In theory, yes,” Ling Jinsong nodded. “I’ve asked the reason myself. As you said, suppressing the Ice Abyss and other groups has brought us much criticism, but there’s never a clear answer. Supposedly, these peoples are all connected to the ancient Cataclysm of the Severed Heaven.”

“The bloodline of the losers of the divine war?” Qin Yue murmured.

“That’s a possibility,” Ling Jinsong replied.

“If so, why not simply wipe them out in ancient times?” Qin Yue muttered.

“Perhaps some beings were merely defeated, not destroyed,” Ling Jinsong guessed, following Qin Yue’s train of thought, then added with a chuckle, “You’re asking about this now—are you hoping to get people from Elder Xue Feng?”

Qin Yue shook his head. “I just feel that we’re all human. Why must this sin be borne by their kind for generations?”

Ling Jinsong seemed to think of something, and patted Qin Yue’s shoulder gently. “You’re still young. Don’t get bogged down in these things. In this world, much is neither black nor white—especially in the cultivation world. If you can’t grasp that, you’re bound to suffer!”

Recalling that this so-called hypocrite sect master personally controls a team of demonic cultivators, Qin Yue nodded lightly. “You’re right—it’s something I’ll need to come to terms with, in time.”

...

The first thing Qin Yue did upon returning to his cave was to summon Old Yu.

“Brother Yu, I have a favor to ask—help me refine some pills!”

Elder Yu stared in shock at the jar full of dark red Ninefold Rebirth Polygonum juice and the hundreds of Dao-tier medicinal herbs laid out on the ground.

“Whose medicine garden did you clear out?”

Not a single lower-tier spirit herb—all were Dao-tier treasures, brimming with spiritual energy. Even some inner sect elders with little seniority might not have this much in their entire gardens!

“What have you gotten yourself into?” Elder Yu couldn’t help but give Qin Yue a long, searching look.

He’d thought that this young man, bearing the mantle of Green Bamboo Garden, was already fortunate to avoid assassination by the ancient enemies involved in the Green Bamboo Garden massacre. But this? This was far more than just “getting by”—he’d only made an offhand remark earlier.

Which elder would ever allow Qin Yue to clear out their garden?

And those Ninefold Rebirth Polygonum juices—besides the sect master, no one else could provide them. Not even Yue Mingxi!

“I did the sect master a small favor,” Qin Yue replied casually.

In truth, he hadn’t done anything yet, except give Ling Jinsong hope of becoming immortal in the near term.

These treasures were nothing. If Old Yu knew that Qin Yue was now wearing the only Third Realm treasure armor in Zhaoyang Sect, his jaw would probably drop.

“Fine. I’ll have someone bring my pill furnace here!” Elder Yu was not only adept with herbs and plants, but also a skilled alchemist.

“There’s no need. Just take everything with you. Keep whatever you can use yourself, and bring the rest back to me when you’re done,” Qin Yue said generously.

As for the matter of the Ice Abyss people not being allowed to cultivate, he had Xu Liang go to the sect’s engineering department to request an expansion of his cave.

He intended to turn his mountain into a cultivation ground—eventually, Dong Zhuang, Ye Yu, and the fourth and youngest sisters would all train there.

The Ice Abyss bloodline, top-tier scriptures, and these extraordinary resources—he wanted to give them the same conditions as the sect master’s direct disciples!

Elder Yu gazed at Qin Yue for a long while without speaking.

At last he chuckled. “Fine, I’ll accept you as a little brother! Don’t worry, I know my own needs—I have plenty of high-grade pills. I’ll be sure to deliver every single one that’s due to you!”

Qin Yue asked, “Brother, what’s your current realm? Where are you stuck?”

Elder Yu replied, “My cultivation isn’t low—I’m but a step away from becoming a Human Immortal.”

Qin Yue drew in a sharp breath, surprised that this stubborn old man was so powerful.

“Surprised? I’m not much of a fighter, though—cultivation and combat experience are two different things. It’s a pity my scripture isn’t the best. I joined Zhaoyang Sect hoping to break through, but after so many years, nothing’s changed...”

He hadn’t realized Elder Yu was so formidable. After some thought, Qin Yue said, “They say people from the Celestial Gate will arrive soon.”

Elder Yu waved his hand and smiled. “They might be interested in you, but not in an old fellow like me. Don’t worry about me, and don’t feel you owe me anything. I like you, so I’m happy to help!”

He paused, then said meaningfully, “Elders do enjoy great freedom, able to do as they please on their own turf—but you should still be careful.”

Qin Yue nodded. “Thank you for the warning, brother!”

Elder Yu took the items, waved, and left.

...

He had little time to cultivate during the day. Just after Elder Yu left, Chai Shanze came again to fetch him.

Seeing Qin Yue, Chai Shanze looked apologetic. “Elder Qin, I’m sorry. My master is just like this...”

Qin Yue waved it off as nothing and followed him to Yue Mingxi’s medicine garden.

Chai Shanze waited outside while Yue Mingxi and Qin Yue strolled through the garden, conversing as they went.

Qin Yue didn’t hide the fact that the sect master had asked him to help the Ninefold Rebirth Polygonum advance, though he didn’t mention the treasure armor.

After all, the piece Yue Mingxi had given him earlier wasn’t low in grade either—wearing both would only make him safer.

“I guessed as much. He used your friend Hu Yan from the Constabulary as a pretext to win you over—clearly, it was all for that superlative herb,” Yue Mingxi said, without blaming Qin Yue. As a guest elder, it was Qin Yue’s duty to serve the sect master as needed.

It just felt a bit unfair—originally, Qin Yue only needed to seek immortal soil for him, and now Ling Jinsong was involved as well.

The forbidden grounds weren’t places just anyone could go. One more task meant one more uncertainty.

Damn him—always competing with me since childhood, yet I never manage to win...

But this time, I must get ahead!

He’d invited Qin Yue mainly to confirm the matter. On leaving, he generously let Qin Yue select dozens of Dao-tier medicinal herbs.

...

Several days later.

Late one night.

After absorbing a great number of spirit stones and the essence of Dao-tier medicinal herbs, Qin Yue finally broke through to the “fifteenth level”!

Through inner vision, he could see the pill in his dantian had turned a deep purple.

It remained a pill, showing no signs of transformation!

The moment of breakthrough, intense light burst from the purple pill, forming a net of purple lightning around his body!

As soon as he opened his eyes, a flash of purple aura flickered and vanished.

He opened his palm, purple lightning dancing about, and as he activated the purple pill, he felt a terrifying power surge through him.

His entire vitality, spirit, and energy reached an unprecedented peak!

Unable to restrain himself, he took the spirit-testing stone, performed an escape technique, and quietly left his cave.