Chapter 52: On Lotus Serenity Peak
……Several days later.
Eastern Abyss Sect. Lotus Tranquility Peak.
Song Yan and Li Qingfeng sat by the courtyard near the lake, with Gu Qingqing seated across from them.
“Gu… Junior Sister Gu, this Lotus Tranquility Peak is filled entirely with female cultivators. Wouldn’t it be… improper for Senior Brother Song and me to wait here for Senior Sister Qin?”
Li Qingfeng spoke hesitantly. “Perhaps we should go wait at the Outer Disciples’ Miscellaneous Affairs Hall instead.”
“No, no need.”
Gu Qingqing shook her head and smiled gently. “It’s fine. Senior Sister Qin said she is currently reporting to the elders about the demonic cultivator at Peach Blossom Wharf. She will be back soon.”
When she smiled, her eyelashes curved delicately, and faint dimples appeared on her cheeks.
“If you don’t mind, please help yourselves to some pastries from Lotus Tranquility Peak.”
This was Song Yan’s first time on Lotus Tranquility Peak.
Truth be told, this place where the sect’s female cultivators resided was indeed like an eternal spring, with pleasant scenery.
The flowers and grass seemed to all be tended by dedicated outer disciples.
Xiao He had long since wriggled out from Song Yan’s sleeve and was playing about everywhere.
The fact that Song Yan owned a small snake spirit beast was no longer a secret.
“……”
In the flower-bordered courtyard, female cultivators occasionally passed by. Seeing male cultivators on the peak, they could not help but glance over with curiosity, pointing and whispering.
“Who are those two male disciples…? How are they here?”
“Don’t know… Oh? Junior Sister Qingqing is here too.”
“My, that junior brother is quite handsome.”
“He looks somewhat familiar…”
These female cultivators conversed freely in their own territory, with no need to conceal their voices or use spiritual transmission, allowing the three in the courtyard to hear every word clearly.
Gu Qingqing burst out laughing.
“……”
Song Yan did not think much of it. As Xiao He had said, she had been praised as a handsome youth since childhood throughout the surrounding villages.
Li Qingfeng, on the other hand, had grown up in the mortal imperial palace. From a young age, his master had taught him never to have any contact with palace maids, or he would be severely punished.
This mixture of curiosity and fear toward women had followed him all the way to the immortal mountain and the Dao gate.
“Gu… Junior Sister Gu, do you know what Senior Sister Qin summoned us here for?”
“That… I’m not sure either.”
Gu Qingqing’s tranquil and gentle expression showed a hint of confusion. “Logically speaking, the mission should already be complete, and the rewards for us three outer disciples should have been distributed.”
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
“Ah, Senior Sister Qin is here.”
A streak of ice-blue light arrived from the east, descending to Lotus Tranquility Peak as the sword light was lowered. A jade-like foot stepped down, and with each step, lotus flowers bloomed.
Seeing Qin Ying’s bearing once more, it was still breathtaking.
She landed in the courtyard and walked toward them.
“Greetings, Senior Sister Qin.”
“Greetings, Senior Sister Qin.”
Qin Ying nodded. “The reason I have summoned you here concerns the matter at Peach Blossom Wharf some days ago.”
“Although the sect has credited me with the final blow that eliminated the demonic cultivator, I, Qin Ying, am not someone who covets fame and profit.”
“Had the two of you not devised a brilliant strategy to disrupt the Blood Refining Formation, I fear none of us would have survived…”
Qin Ying spoke at length, her tone as cold as ever. “All the spoils from this battle are here.”
“Each of you may choose one item to take.”
The three of them were shocked upon hearing this. These were the spoils of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
While they hesitated, Qin Ying spoke again. “Items that should be surrendered to the sect—the heretical artifacts, such as that Blood Refining Ancient Scroll—have already been deposited in the External Affairs Hall.”
“Do not overthink it or hesitate. Just pick one and take it.”
“Yes…”
Then, the three of them looked toward Song Yan.
In the battle against Jiang Xiao alongside Qin Ying, all three had risked everything and used their trump cards in order to survive.
But if one were to calculate carefully, there was no doubt that Song Yan—who had disrupted the main eye of the Blood Refining Formation with his black sword and had assisted Qin Ying in breaking through Jiang Xiao’s protective spiritual robe—had made the greatest contribution.
Li Qingfeng came second, and Gu Qingqing third.
The three had been through life and death together. Letting Song Yan choose first met with no objection. He did not put on airs and opened the Cosmos Bag.
How could one refuse free gifts?
There was a great deal inside. Beyond Jiang Xiao’s own demonic artifacts, it also contained cultivation resources and spiritual items he had accumulated over the years at Peach Blossom Wharf—plundered from disciples of various sects and wandering cultivators he had butchered.
Protective magical artifacts, spirit-refining pills, mysterious talismans, and even a peculiar pale cyan spirit stone.
A mid-grade spirit stone!
In the cultivation world, spirit stones were classified into many grades. The spirit stones Song Yan usually used were all low-grade.
The spiritual qi of low-grade spirit stones was impure and mixed with mineral impurities. Their advantage was abundance, but relatively speaking, the actual amount of usable spiritual qi was quite low.
As for mid-grade spirit stones, their spiritual qi purity was nearly ten times that of low-grade spirit stones, and their absorption efficiency went without saying.
In the various marketplaces and spirit stone banks across the cultivation world, there were exchange channels for different grades of spirit stones. The official exchange ratio was one to one hundred.
However, because high-quality spirit stones possessed a purity of spiritual qi and special functional properties that low-grade spirit stones could not replace, the actual exchange price was typically marked up by thirty to fifty percent.
This was bad!
Song Yan looked at the dazzling array of items and thought to himself that this was troublesome.
He wanted all of them.
But since he could only choose one, there was no doubt…
His gaze fell upon the black flying sword.
Though Song Yan was retracing the path of ancient sword cultivators, making an external flying sword less critical, among natal flying swords there was also the concept of a “sword body.”
If he could obtain a suitable sword body, his natal flying sword could wield far greater power.
“Come to think of it… why wouldn’t Senior Sister Qin keep such a fine weapon for herself first?”
“Instead offering it as a reward for us to choose from…”
Judging from the sword’s might during that day’s battle, it was certainly not a low-grade magical artifact.
It was indeed puzzling, but Song Yan had no interest in trying to divine the specific thoughts of any woman other than Xiao He.
So he did not hesitate further and selected the flying sword.
“Senior Sister, I’ll take this one.”
“……”
Qin Ying looked at the flying sword, and a wave of dread surged in her heart—but she quickly suppressed it.
In truth, placing this sword here had been a deliberate choice on Qin Ying’s part.
First, this flying sword’s affinity was incompatible with her own techniques, making it of little use to her. Moreover, the demonic resonance it had produced that day had genuinely unsettled her.
Second, Song Yan had used some unknown method that day to seemingly establish a connection with the flying sword. It was clear he had some affinity with it.
As for Li Qingfeng, with his peculiar technique and kitchen-utensil magical artifacts, the talismans or that mid-grade spirit stone among these items would suit him best.
Junior Sister Gu Qingqing had a gentle temperament and disliked combat. She would not choose this flying sword either.
In plain terms, this sword…
Had been left for Song Yan by Qin Ying herself.
Now the Qin clan elders were growing ever more aggressive, demanding that she recruit elders and cultivate loyal followers within the Eastern Abyss Sect.
Master had previously placed great importance on Song Yan, and in this battle he had truly shown his brilliance—his sword control was exceptionally talented…
This person was practically a blank sheet of paper delivered right before her eyes.
“This sword…”
To Song Yan’s surprise, Qin Ying appeared to hesitate.
“The demonic cultivator is dead, but this sword still carries a trace of evil. I worry…”
She paused for a moment, as though coming to a decision. “Actually, it is fine. But… you must agree to one condition.”
?
Song Yan was puzzled. Why not simply state the condition directly? As an insignificant outer disciple, how could he possibly refuse?
“When you reach the late stage of Qi Refining in the future and are promoted to inner disciple…”
Qin Ying maintained her expressionless, icy demeanor.
“You must enter under my tutelage and take me as your master.”
“Huh?”
Not just Song Yan—even Gu Qingqing and Li Qingqing were stunned on the spot.