socalfunplaces Chapter 442: Grand Elder Jing's Concession
Chapter 442: Grand Elder Jing's Concession
Ever since Jing Bai had joined Mirage Palace and embarked on the Path to Immortality to begin his cultivation, over one thousand eight hundred years had passed up to the present day.
In fact, thirteen hundred years ago, during a visit to the Kongshan Sect, he had even beheld the venerable countenance of True Person Caiyun, Kong Yang.
Back then, Kong Yang had not yet been as feeble as he was in the final hundred years before his fall; rather, he had been in the prime of his Immortal Ascension Realm cultivation.
But even on that day, Jing Bai had not been as shaken as he was today.
Right before his very eyes, within the span of a few breaths, someone had crafted an immortal artifact from thin air?
Before today, the treasure hailed as the "Number One Bell Under Heaven" had always been the Mountain-Shaking Bell of the Kongshan Sect.
Throughout his entire life, Kong Yang had failed to leave behind even a single immortal artifact for the Kongshan Sect.
And today, the title of "Number One Bell Under Heaven" was bound to change hands!
Immediately afterward, the bronze bell began to shrink at a visible rate, then slowly rotated as it descended into the hands of the young man before him, who was clad in plain white daoist robes.
"Of course, I am willing to give face to the Mirage Palace."Chen Yan lowered his gaze slightly, letting his indifferent eyes fall upon the bronze bell in his palm:
"But I wonder, Fellow Daoist Jing, would you be willing to give face to Chen as well?"
"Of course!"
Jing Bai quickly replied, cupping his hands in a bow.
But this time, the depth of his bow was noticeably greater than before:
"For your brother's injuries, I am willing to offer three Nine-Turn Refining Truth Pills, along with a three-thousand-year-old Scarlet Blood Dragon Ginseng..."
"Do you think I care about such trivial odds and ends?"
Chen Yan said.
"Then... Senior, what is your intention?"
Jing Bai asked with a flattering smile.
Because Chen Yan had been continuously using the Hidden Immortal Art to conceal his cultivation level, Jing Bai could not determine exactly how strong Chen Yan was.
He had only inferred from Chen Yan's methods that the other party's cultivation level was certainly above his own, though definitely not by a full major realm.
Late-stage Unity realm, or perhaps its peak.
That was Jing Bai's estimation.
But when he saw Chen Yan move his divine sense and instantly create something out of thin air—and not just anything, but an immortal artifact—Grand Elder Jing realized he was wrong.
And horribly mistaken at that.
This was absolutely not the work of a Unity realm cultivator.
Not even an Immortal Ascension realm True Person could accomplish such a feat!
After all, the True Person Caiyun, who had fallen a thousand years ago, had exhausted his heart's blood just trying to refine a single immortal artifact to leave to the Kongshan Sect as a sect-protecting treasure.
But in the end, he had failed.
A task that True Person Caiyun had spent several thousand years failing to achieve—and this mysterious young man in plain white daoist robes had completed it in just a few breaths?
No one would believe such a story if it were told to them.
"Tell no one about having met me. As for how to explain what happened in Jiangdu Prefecture, figure it out yourself."
"Do you think I care about such trivial items?"
"I understand, sir."
The Grand Elder of Mirage Palace replied respectfully.
Chen Yan said nothing more, merely shifting his gaze slightly in the direction of Kang Zongdan.
Jing Bai immediately caught his meaning.
"Kang Zongdan."
He addressed the Kang Family patriarch, who had possessed his own youngest son's body, in a low voice.
"Your junior is here..."
The moment those words left Kang Zongdan's mouth, his entire gaze and expression instantly turned dull and vacant.
Mirage Palace's illusion arts, particularly those of Weaving Dreams Tower, were legendary.
Even back when Heavenly Summit Mountain was still the foremost sacred land for cultivation on Chenping Continent, Weaving Dreams Tower's secret illusion techniques were undeniably the best under heaven.
And Grand Elder Jing hailed from Return-Into-Emptiness Pavilion of Mirage Palace.
That did not mean he was unskilled in illusion arts—after all, illusion techniques had always been Mirage Palace's signature from start to finish.
It was just that once one's cultivation level reached a certain degree, the effectiveness of illusion arts was considerably diminished.
But erasing the memories of someone like Kang Zongdan, who had only just entered the Qi Circulation Realm, was still quite simple.
It was merely a matter of a single thought.
"Does this meet with Senior Chen's satisfaction?"
Grand Elder Jing continued respectfully.
Chen Yan nodded.
"Then, I shall take my leave now."
With that, Jing Bai's daoist robe sleeve gave a light flick, and his figure, along with Kang Zongdan in the courtyard, vanished without a trace.
Everything was within Chen Yan's expectations.
The moment he had recovered his cultivation, his spiritual sense had detected the other Unity realm cultivator in Jiangdu Prefecture—Jing Bai.
And Jing Bai had simultaneously detected him.
Whether Chen Yan killed that cold-faced, high-cheekboned man, or took the lives of Hua Yu and the other four Mirage Palace disciples, this Grand Elder Jing of Mirage Palace had never shown himself.
Nor would he.
Because the schemes that Jing Bai and the true mastermind behind him were plotting absolutely could not be known by low-ranking disciples like Hua Yu.
Even if Chen Yan had spared their lives, Jing Bai would have personally killed them.
Erasure of memories leaves traces.
Although those memories could not be recovered, if anyone detected them and became suspicious, the trouble would be enormous.
If Kang Zongdan had not been so vitally important, Jing Bai would have silenced him too.
So, Jing Bai was merely using Chen Yan as a blade to kill.
Chen Yan was well aware of this.
And that was precisely why he had felt anger when Jing Bai said things like, "Since Fellow Daoist has already killed my sect's disciples..."
Having gained an advantage while acting smug, treating me like a fool to toy with?
Seizing this opportunity, Chen Yan continued to verify just how terrifying the Great Derivation Art was when mastered to its peak level.
It was more than just an External Incarnation.
He had drawn upon all the natural spiritual energy within the entire Jiangdao Prefecture that he could command, using the Great Derivation Art to transform it into a bronze bell.
Then, employing the Clear Light of the Hidden Immortal Art, he inscribed onto the bronze bell some "inscriptions" that the cultivators of Chenping Continent could not possibly comprehend, as recorded in the Hidden Immortal Art.
And then, the lingering resonance of the immortal path emerged, accompanied by the bell's roar and faint, indistinct chanting.
An immortal artifact.
An indisputable immortal artifact.
And because this bronze bell had been derived and refined through Chen Yan's Hidden Immortal Art and Great Derivation Art, even though his current cultivation level was only the Unity realm, he could still easily activate it.
However, Chen Yan could not fully unleash its hundred-percent power.
Or rather, he could.
But if he did unleash that full power, his own meridians would shatter like broken glass, just like when he had once used Immortal Qi.
One must build an Immortal Platform atop one's Dao Foundation.
Only by establishing an Immortal Platform could one truly wield Immortal Qi.
At the same time, Chen Yan could feel that the lingering resonance of the immortal path from the bronze bell in his palm was slowly fading.
In about an hour or so, this bronze bell would completely dissipate and dissolve into the world.
Because the material used to forge it was insufficient.
Natural spiritual energy simply could not bear the majestic power of an immortal artifact.
Through the Hidden Immortal Art and the Great Derivation Art, Chen Yan could easily derive immortal artifacts.
But to truly manifest a genuine immortal artifact, one must use a suitable immortal artifact embryo capable of bearing the lingering resonance of the immortal path.