Meanwhile, Yun Feng brought Yan Mingqiu and Chenhan back to Yucang Peak and summoned Yan Mingqiu for a private talk.
Inside the apothecary, Yun Feng sat upright in an armchair while Yan Mingqiu stood before him.
Looking rather displeased, Yun Feng demanded, “You’d better give me a reasonable explanation, otherwise I won’t allow you anywhere near the Duel Stage. The Duel Stage was created by our founding patriarch. Once activated, a barrier forms around its perimeter, and it can only be unlocked when three keys are turned simultaneously keys held separately by the three elders. Without those keys, even with my Deity Transformation stage cultivation, I have no way to open it. If anything happens to you on that stage, I won’t be able to save you.”
Yan Mingqiu rubbed his hands together, hesitating. “Master, there’s something I haven’t told you yet.”
Yun Feng prompt: “What is it?”
“Didn’t you tell me to go clean the founding patriarch’s study every day? Well, one time, I accidentally fell asleep hugging an alchemy furnace. Then, the patriarch’s spirit appeared. He manifested in my sea of consciousness and said, ‘I am the founding patriarch of the Medicine Spirit Sect. I have a legacy transmission do you want it?'” Yan Mingqiu said, doing his best to imitate the patriarch’s solemn tone.
Yun Feng slapped his palm against his thigh, excitement flaring in his eyes. “The patriarch’s legacy! Generations of us searched for it for so long without finding a trace, only for you to stumble upon it by sheer luck. Did you agree to it?”
Yan Mingqiu shook his head. “No.”
Yun Feng felt a sudden tightness in his chest as he began pounding his fists against it in despair. “You are completely out of your mind!”
“That happened three years ago. Ever since then, every time I go to the patriarch’s study, I fall asleep, and the patriarch starts refining pills right inside my sea of consciousness. While refining, he explains the medicinal formulas step-by-step. I couldn’t help but observe out of curiosity. Every single day without fail, the patriarch comes to my consciousness to refine pills, repeating it over and over again. Now, even if I close my eyes, those formulas and refining steps are etched clearly into my mind. It’s just that… I’ve never actually tried practicing them myself.”
Alchemists elevate their cultivation by refining pills and comprehending pharmacological principles. To suppress his own advancement, Yan Mingqiu had merely memorized what he saw mechanistically within his consciousness, deliberately avoiding any deep comprehension of their mysteries.
Yun Feng understood the reasoning behind his caution. “You’ve steadfastly refused to cultivate all this time—were you still worried that your demonic bloodline would awaken? I’ve told you before: whether you are human or demon, you are my disciple. I don’t care what anyone else thinks or says. In my eyes, it doesn’t matter if you’re human or demon; what matters is that your heart is good.”
Half of Yan Mingqiu’s bloodline was demonic because his biological father was a golden-winged roc demon.
His mother had sealed his demonic bloodline the moment he was born. As long as he did not form a Core, his demonic lineage would remain dormant, allowing him to live out his life as an ordinary mortal.
However, the moment his cultivation reached the Golden Core stage, his demonic bloodline would instantly awaken, transforming his core into a demonic one.
Lowering his head, Yan Mingqiu whispered, “Yes, Master. I only ever wanted to be an ordinary person, even if it meant staying in the Qi Condensation stage for the rest of my life. But… I can’t do that anymore. This time, I want to elevate my cultivation to the early Foundation Establishment stage. I am going to defeat Lin Pu.”
Yun Feng fell into deep thought. “Leaping across two entire realms in the span of a single month is unprecedented. But since you possess the one-in-a-millennia heavenly fire spiritual root, coupled with the founding patriarch’s legacy in your grasp, it isn’t entirely impossible. Spend this coming month in seclusion right here in the apothecary.”
Nodding, Yan Mingqiu replied, “Understood. I’ll go have a word with Chenhan first.”
When Yan Mingqiu tracked down Chenhan, he found him standing right outside his bedchamber door alongside another visitor the senior head disciple, Mu Jiusi, who was a direct disciple of Sect Leader Immortal Zhulan.
Mu Jiusi possessed elegant, refined features and a tall stature. Being six years older than Yan Mingqiu, he carried a distinctly more mature air.
Chenhan and Mu Jiusi stood back-to-back, the atmosphere between them thick with a strange, subtle tension.
Softly, Yan Mingqiu called out, “Senior Brother.”
Unlike Lin Pu, Mu Jiusi possessed a strong moral compass. As a thoroughly upright second-generation cultivator, he had always treated Yan Mingqiu quite decently.
Seeing Yan Mingqiu approach, Chenhan immediately rushed over to his side. “Mingqiu, it’s late. It’s time to sleep.”
“Hold on, you two sleep together?” Mu Jiusi caught the alarming implication instantly. Every pore on his body prickling with unease, he stepped forward and pulled Yan Mingqiu away.
A wave of confusion washed over Yan Mingqiu, unsure where to even begin explaining.
Mu Jiusi pressed on, “Mingqiu, who is this?”
Yan Mingqiu: “He’s someone my master brought back a guest of Yucang Peak.”
Mu Jiusi: “What’s his name? What sect is he from?”
Yan Mingqiu shook his head. “He suffered injuries and amnesia, so he doesn’t remember. I gave him the name Chenhan.”
Setting up a soundproofing barrier to enclose the two of them, Mu Jiusi warned, “Mingqiu, it pays to be cautious of strangers. You really should arrange a separate room for him.”
Yan Mingqiu had originally placed Chenhan in his own room simply for convenience in tending to his injuries. Now that Chenhan had recovered significantly, it was indeed time to set him up with his own quarters.
As the senior head disciple, Mu Jiusi loved lecturing others, and once he started, he could go on indefinitely. Fainting at the prospect of a long sermon, Yan Mingqiu nodded hastily. “Right, I know.”
Mu Jiusi: “As long as you understand. Keep a close eye on him during the day for any suspicious behavior, too. With the protective barriers growing thin lately and demons running rampant, the world is in turmoil—don’t let your guard down.”
Dropping his gaze, Yan Mingqiu asked, “Is there anything else, Senior Brother?”
Mu Jiusi: “Oh, right. I came here today for another matter, and it’s quite important: you must not go to the Duel Stage. I will intercede with my master and ask him to cancel this match.”
Yan Mingqiu shook his head. “I’m going. Besides, my master has already agreed.”
“How can that be? How could Immortal Yunshang possibly agree to this?”
“Senior Brother, are you still feeling guilty over what happened three years ago? Honestly, I’ve never blamed you. Lin Pu used your name to lure me out, but you were completely in the dark. You don’t need to carry any of that guilt; you did nothing wrong. The one who was wrong was Lin Pu.”
Mu Jiusi shook his head. “No, I am at fault. I shouldn’t have lent him my voice-transmission talisman.”
Raising his gaze to meet Mu Jiusi’s pale eyes, Yan Mingqiu said firmly, “Challenging Lin Pu is a decision I made entirely on my own. To be honest, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. A person only gets to live once, and going through the motions like a zombie isn’t truly living. Ever since I issued that challenge, I feel like I’ve finally come back to life. For the very first time, my life has a purpose. So, Senior Brother, please don’t try to talk me out of it anymore.”
Hearing this, Mu Jiusi lowered his gaze in silence, a brief, heavy quiet settling between them.
A moment later, Mu Jiusi looked up and whispered softly, “Alright.”
Dropping the soundproofing barrier, Mu Jiusi turned and left.
Chenhan hurried right over. “Was he trying to talk you out of going to the Duel Stage? Is that stage really that dangerous? I’m sorry, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to challenge him. I was just too reckless; I simply couldn’t stand watching him bully you.”
A look of distress crossed Chenhan’s face as he lowered his head.
Maintaining his composure, Yan Mingqiu replied, “It’s not dangerous at all. Trust me, I’m going to beat him.”
Chenhan lifted his head. “Mm, I believe you. You’re going to beat him until he begs for mercy on his knees, just to see if he ever dares to bully you again.”
Yan Mingqiu smiled. “Deal.”