Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven: Quiet Cultivation in the Cave

(1/3)
White Emperor Cave.
Having repelled Heng Mo, who called himself the Supreme Master of Yin-Yang Harmony, Qingyuan tidied up briefly and made his way to White Emperor Cave.
Outside the White Emperor Cave, formations provided a defense, but this posed no difficulty for Qingyuan. He observed carefully and eventually found the flaws within the formation. There was no need to force his way through; by simply following the gaps in the flaw, he stepped directly into the cave.
The Master of White Emperor Cave was also a supreme master. According to Huamei, his surname was Meng, though his exact given name remained unknown. According to Heng Mo, the master of the cave had been murdered by him a month prior—which coincided precisely with the time Qingyuan had arrived at Mount Baikan.
Upon entering the cave, Qingyuan did not find the remains of its master. Most likely, they had been disposed of by Heng Mo, or perhaps he had perished outside rather than within the dwelling.
Originally a natural cavern with an exceptional terrain, it had caught the eye of the White Emperor Cave Master, who then established his immortal abode here.
Traces of carving were visible everywhere within the cave, suggesting that the master had dedicated considerable effort to the place.
Compared to the estates of ordinary affluent households, it appeared much simpler, aligning with the clean and tranquil asceticism practiced by many cultivators. However, in the details—the placement of objects, the turning of pathways, the positioning of the meditation mat, and even the axe-chiselled rune marks along the rock walls—everything was arranged with exquisite care.
Originally, there should have been some treasures and the like stored here, and faint impressions of their placements still remained. Most likely, Supreme Master Heng Mo had deemed them too valuable to leave scattered about and had taken them with him. Once those treasures were removed, the geomantic flow within the White Emperor Cave had suffered a drastic decline.
"Setting aside the superfluous, the terrain of this place is still quite decent."
Qingyuan toured the various chambers before finally returning to the depths of the White Emperor Cave.
This was a subterranean chamber.
In the center of the chamber lay a pool of water, from which wisps of white vapor curled upward.
At the very top stood a stone bed, neat, bright, and smooth, upon which rested a meditation mat. Carved behind it was a Taiji diagram of intertwining black and white, symbolizing the mutual generation of Yin and Yang.
Qingyuan stepped forward, looking down into the pool while sensing the piercing cold emanating from it.
"A frigid pool?"
A cold pool was formed by the convergence of subterranean yin qi and could be considered a form of baleful yin energy.
Initially, Qingyuan had only intended to briefly explore the White Emperor Cave before returning to his treehouse, considering that the heavy yin qi there might help slightly recover He Qing's true spirit. However, with this frigid pool available here, he might be able to leverage the chilling subterranean energy to benefit He Qing's true spirit.
Yet, subterranean cold qi possessed a rather peculiar nature among baleful energies.
Such yin qi might nourish the spirit and soul, but it also carried the risk of damaging them.
"I shall first use the ancient mirror for protection and observe for a period of time."
(1/3)

(2/3)
Qingyuan's thoughts turned. "The ancient mirror is a primordial spiritual treasure; protecting the true spirit should be well within its power. Once I confirm that the yin qi here causes no harm to He Qing's true spirit, I can retrieve the mirror and ponder its various wondrous uses."
...
Another period of time passed.
He cultivated with a tranquil mind.
During these days, his mind remained peaceful and free of pressure, bringing a sense of supreme freedom and ease.
In the past, there had been similar periods of cultivation, but lacking entry into the daoist gate, they had yielded no benefits. Now, with his dao achievement touching the realm of a supreme master and only a step away from breaking through, his contemplation of the Six Months Impurity-Cleansing Visualization and the Yellow Court Immortal Scripture over this period had granted him profound insights into the supreme master realm.
Yet, this final step ultimately required transcending the limits of the mortal body to achieve a status above ordinary men, which was no simple feat.
With Qingyuan now able to continue his cultivation and possessing the ancient mirror containing the earth-dragon pearl—thus dissolving the mortal peril of the earth-dragon entering his body—all hidden troubles had vanished. With his mind at ease, he felt no particular urgency.
Reaching the supreme master realm required the soul to condense and transform into an yin spirit, while true qi simultaneously solidified into magical power. Regarding this step, Qingyuan had merely grasped the initial clues.
As for He Qing, although the radiance of her true spirit grew increasingly strong and her soul gradually grew stouter, damage remained damage.
It was much like a bar of silver cut in half; even if the remaining half were refined into gold and made more valuable than the original bar of silver, it remained merely half a piece of gold rather than a restored whole.
Qingyuan felt quite helpless about this, though perhaps achieving a breakthrough would grant him the hope of aiding her recovery.
Aside from this, during his cultivation in the White Emperor Cave, he had also acquired another item.
Originally, all the high-grade treasures in the cave had been taken by Heng Mo, leaving behind nothing that could be called a treasure. But this item was different; it was merely a letter, hidden with extreme secrecy. Had Qingyuan not noticed subtle anomalies in the axe and knife marks on the rock wall, he certainly would have remained oblivious to it.
Although Heng Mo was a supreme master, he seemed rather unversed in formations, runes, or geomancy, and thus had failed to discover the letter. Of course, it was also possible that upon seeing the calling card Qingyuan had left outside, he had temporarily set aside matters within the cave to hunt down Qingyuan and establish his prestige.
"The letter states that at the end of the seventh month, a gathering will be held in Muyang City to discuss important matters. There will be heavy rewards, and it concerns both the position of the Conferment of Gods and the opportunity to attain the Dao and become an immortal."
Qingyuan could not help but feel astonished and skeptical. As for the so-called important matters, he had initially cared little for them, and he dismissed the heavy rewards entirely; yet upon reading the final two sentences, a subtle sense of strangeness stirred within him.
It concerned the Conferment of Gods?
It concerned the opportunity to attain the Dao and become an immortal?
The Master of White Emperor Cave was merely a fourth-tier supreme master who had not even stepped into the true immortal realm; how could he come into contact with matters of such magnitude?
And from whom did this letter originate?
(2/3)

(3/3)
Why would this person send such a letter to a fourth-tier supreme master?
Qingyuan had initially felt completely at ease cultivating here, but after obtaining this letter, his mind inevitably stirred with new thoughts.
Since it concerned the Conferment of Gods, it also concerned the heaven and earth itself; no cultivator, even one living in seclusion from the world, could remain unaffected. As for the subsequent opportunity to attain the Dao and become an immortal, it was the ultimate pursuit of all practitioners, surpassing all else.
Qingyuan pondered for a long time. Perhaps the sender of the letter had exaggerated the claims.
Regarding the place called Muyang City, Qingyuan had heard of it before. The caravan he had taken on his way to Luoyue County had been heading precisely to Muyang City.
Muyang City was a relatively prosperous and large city, quite famous within Southern Liang, but in the eyes of cultivators, it was merely a place of worldly clamor and dust.
"This matter... perhaps I should seek advice."
For a place like Muyang City, Bai Jieye should have been the most suitable person to consult, but after pondering for a moment, Qingyuan ultimately bypassed him, taking out the bamboo tube instead to question Huamei.
...
After channeling true qi into the bamboo tube,
Another charming voice reached his ears, beginning with a bout of playful teasing.
Ignoring this, Qingyuan directly inquired about Muyang City.
"Muyang City?"
Huamei sounded slightly surprised as she replied, "Why are you asking about that place?"
Sensing something unusual in her tone, Qingyuan asked, "You know of it?"
"There are countless ordinary mortals there; it's a place of mortal dust. Aside from those who have stepped out into the world to travel, or those whose temperaments simply incline them to dwell in the mundane realm, ordinary cultivators tend to steer clear of it."
Huamei said, "Sister has always stayed in Mount Fuzhong and has never been to Muyang City, so naturally, I am not familiar with the place. However, there have been some rumors surrounding Muyang City lately, and the atmosphere there seems genuinely rather delicate..." (To be continued.)
(3/3)