Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 744: Four Palace Chess Valley

With everything prepared, a Black Horn Flower was tossed into the Pill Furnace.

As soon as the petals touched the Sword Qi, they were instantly shredded into fine powder, and Impurities, like black sand, were flung out of the field by the Sword Qi.

The other auxiliary Medicinal Pills were also thrown in one by one; the Impurities were decomposed, and the remaining Medicinal Liquid hung suspended in the core of the Pill Furnace.

Under the scorching of the Fenru Karma Fire, it gradually contracted, transforming into a jade-green liquid droplet.

Song Yan frowned slightly, his Divine Sense perceiving that the Medicinal Power was dissipating too quickly. He immediately adjusted the intensity of the Sword Qi, and a buzzing tremor instantly resounded within the Pill Furnace.

He flicked his finger, and half a moon-bearing lotus seed glided into the Pill Furnace.

The lotus seed, upon encountering the Sword Qi, actually trembled slightly like a living thing. Its outer lotus skin peeled away, fully revealing its moon-like core.

Song Yan’s Sword Art suddenly changed. The Sword Qi within the Pill Furnace transformed from rigid to gentle, slowly drawing out the lotus seed’s essence like a spring breeze caressing willows.

The lotus seed merged with the previous Black Horn Flower’s Medicinal Liquid, instantly bursting forth with silver light, and a ’hissing’ abnormal sound emanated from within the Sword Qi field.

This was a sign of conflicting Medicinal Properties.

"This is bad." Song Yan exclaimed in a low voice, his sword-fingers rapidly tracing.

The Sword Qi within the Pill Furnace suddenly divided, separating the silver light into countless fine streams like a skilled butcher carving an ox.

At the same time, the toad’s lid vibrated violently, spontaneously spewing out a cool Sword Qi, forcefully suppressing the chaotic and rampant Medicinal Power.

This was the regulating effect of the Sword Pill Furnace, and also what Song Yan considered the most ingenious part of Chen Yi’s design.

This Pill Furnace, specifically designed for Sword Dao Alchemy, not only could capture the surrounding dissipating Sword Qi, reducing the pressure of Sword Qi injection for the Cultivator, but it could also store a portion to automatically suppress dissipating Medicinal Power at critical moments.

This allowed the Cultivator to have enough time to react and make corrections or adjustments.

Once the state of the Medicinal Liquid gradually stabilized, Song Yan seized the opportunity and instantly withdrew all the Sword Qi.

The temperature of the Medicinal Liquid plummeted, and four Medicinal Pills gradually solidified.

Within the Sword Dao Pill Furnace, faint wisps of gray mist could be seen.

Amidst the pervasive burnt smell, four Medicinal Pills rolled out. One of them was a Low Grade finished Medicinal Pill, while the other three were all waste Medicinal Pills.

This was still thanks to the efficacy of this Pill Furnace; otherwise, it would have been an entire batch of waste Medicinal Pills again.

Although Song Yan’s Divine Sense had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, it already far surpassed Level 9 Qi Refining.

Even someone like himself required such a great expenditure, and he couldn’t help but once again lament the difficulty of the path of Alchemy.

Song Yan first took out the finished Medicinal Pill, observed it carefully for a while, and then temporarily put it away.

Then he turned his gaze to the three waste Medicinal Pills. Their surfaces were covered with cracks, and in the blink of an eye, their Spiritual Power had almost completely dissipated.

He picked them up and observed them carefully: "The Sword Qi was too strong, and the Medicinal Properties of the lotus seed were not fully activated..."

The toad on the Sword Pill Furnace made a "gurgling" sound, emitting a wisp of green smoke.

This scene felt a bit mocking.

Song Yan curled his lip.

For the next month, he continued his alternating life of Cultivation and Alchemy.

Without the worry of searching for Luo Zhen Vine, Song Yan’s state of mind broadened considerably, and his success rate in Alchemy rapidly increased.

He made a total of four attempts. The first time, there was a slight error, and all failed.

The second time, he still only managed to form one Medicinal Pill, but in the third and fourth attempts, he successfully formed three each.

He had successfully formed seven Wu Xiang Pills in total.

This success rate was already close to fifty percent.

There was one last moon-bearing lotus seed left, and Song Yan planned to try two more times before he truly began refining the Foundation Establishment Pill.

During this period, something else happened.

That was, Xiao Ju finally Broke Through to Level 4 Qi Refining, officially becoming a Cultivator in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.

While it was cause for celebration, Song Yan once again considered in his heart the matter of imparting the Sword Planting Technique to Xiao Ju after his Foundation Establishment.

"I always feel that Xiao Ju is even smarter than me. Passing on this Sword Planting Technique to her can be considered finding a good Disciple candidate for the Sword Sect."

In the past, when Song Yan considered himself a Disciple of the Sword Sect, he always felt very lonely.

It was as if this long road ahead, with countless Karma and mysteries belonging to the Sword Sect, had to be unraveled by him, an ordinary and unremarkable person.

This feeling was especially strong after he had entered the Sword Sect ruins under the guidance of the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat.

"Now that the Sword Sect is in decline, having more Sword Dao seeds means more paths."

"The path of a Sword Cultivator is sharp and exposed, inevitably attracting jealousy and covetousness. If I die on the path to immortality, Xiao Ju can still pass on these things, and the Legacy will not be broken."

Song Yan thought to himself... On this day, at the entrance of Lanxi Cave.

Song Yan and Wang Ke were already waiting here. Xiao Ju stood behind them, seemingly waiting for someone.

Seeing people approaching in the distance, she stepped forward and said softly, "Senior Song, Brother Liang and the others have arrived."

Not far away, at a bend in the mountain path, Liang Feng and Hu Qing slowly approached.

Liang Feng and his wife had decided early on to attend the competition. To secure a spectator seat for Hu Qing, Liang Feng had pulled many strings.

Song Yan had remembered this matter that day and specifically mentioned it to Liang Feng, arranging to go together.

"This must be Fellow Daoist Wang Ke, right?"

Seeing Wang Ke nod, Liang Feng’s tone was gentle: "My wife is very fond of chess, and hearing that Fellow Daoist Wang has advanced to the finals of this competition, I am truly impressed."

Hu Qing, however, said nothing, merely giving a gentle bow.

"Not at all, not at all, it’s just a hobby."

The group walked out of Lanxi Cave.

Liang Feng was naturally talkative, and Wang Ke was not an introverted person, so the two chatted casually along the way.

Hu Qing and Xiao Ju also chatted and laughed.

Ever since Xiao Ju learned some Go, she would play chess with Hu Qing when Song Yan was in seclusion Cultivating or doing Alchemy.

Over time, the two became very familiar with each other.

In stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere, Song Yan here was slightly apprehensive.

He had rented a Flying Spiritual Artifact.

Today was his first time using it.

Only Xiao He knew about this, so she remained silent.

In fact, after Song Yan left Yi River, he had a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.

Originally, he had saved them, hoping to try his luck buying Luo Zhen Vine.

Now, he had sufficient financial resources to purchase a Flying Spiritual Artifact without affecting the refinement of the improved Foundation Establishment Pill.

But people’s mindsets are very strange.

Now, with his sudden stroke of luck, having unexpectedly obtained the spiritual object he had longed for, he was reluctant to spend his Spirit Stones on a Flying Spiritual Artifact.

Having saved a large sum of Spirit Stones, he might as well save even more.

He wanted to use all these Spirit Stones for Cultivation, to impact the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The Flying Spiritual Artifact he rented was called the "Red Dust Dipper," a vermilion-lacquered, gold-painted flying carriage-shaped Spiritual Boat.

Walking to an open space, Song Yan lightly coughed and took out the control jade talisman for the Red Dust Dipper.

As Spiritual Power was injected, a several-zhang-long flying carriage appeared out of thin air.

Crimson gauze curtains hung from the roof, and golden bells adorned the four corners.

It was very grand, but slightly... flamboyant.

But there was no choice; most of the Flying Spiritual Artifacts rented here had very luxurious appearances.

The Red Dust Dipper was already the cheapest Spiritual Artifact he could accept.

"It will take about three hours to reach Bei Ya Mountain."

Song Yan said, "Although the Red Dust Dipper is not as fast as some Flying Spirit Beasts, it is stable..."

He glanced over and saw Xiao He squatting by the flying carriage, scraping the golden patterns on its body with her small hand.

He immediately flicked her on the head.

Everyone boarded the carriage. Song Yan, as instructed by the shopkeeper, injected Spiritual Power into the jade talisman, then placed the Spirit Stones one by one, and finally dropped three Spirit Stones into the central slot of the driving console.

The Red Dust Dipper slowly ascended.

"Phew—"

Song Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Controlling this Flying Spiritual Artifact was not as troublesome as he had imagined.

Xiao He leaned by the window.

She watched Mount Shouyang gradually shrink and then suddenly turned to ask, "Yan Yan, what if we run out of Spirit Stones while flying?"

The interior of the Spiritual Boat instantly fell silent.

Song Yan silently put another Spirit Stone into the Formation Plate.

The Red Dust Dipper’s speed was indeed not fast, but it flew steadily, with almost no noticeable shaking.

With nothing else to do, the group set up a chess game inside the carriage.

Hu Qing and Xiao Ju played against each other, while the other three watched.

Song Yan was still studying the controls of the Red Dust Dipper. Since it was his first time piloting it, he always felt uneasy if he wasn’t watching.

Fortunately, two hours passed without incident, and they finally arrived within the boundaries of Bei Ya Mountain City.

They didn’t encounter any ambushes on the way. It seemed that the Cultivators who had been targeting Wang Ke retreated when they saw him with a group.

The Red Dust Dipper slowly descended, and the group exited the flying boat one by one.

Coming from the direction of Lanxi Cave this time, Song Yan was not very familiar with the area. Fortunately, Liang Feng and Hu Qing were locals, so guiding the way was not a problem.

To avoid encountering people from Linghua Valley and causing unnecessary trouble, the two had also disguised themselves well.

As the Chess Competition approached, many local Cultivators were greeting outsiders.

They saw two Cultivators, one male and one female, dressed in Bei Ya Mountain City Daoist robes, walking towards them.

The man was about thirty years old, wearing an indigo blue long robe. The woman looked to be in her twenties, with a light gauze skirt and a smiling gaze.

The male Cultivator was the first to cup his hands, his voice deep: "Greetings, Fellow Daoists. I am Zhou Ming, an attendant of Bei Ya Mountain City, and this is my Junior Sister, Tian Mei."

"Greetings."

Xiao He was also in human form at this moment. Seeing everyone’s actions, she also performed a proper bow.

"May I ask what brings you, Fellow Daoists..."

Even without the Chess Competition, Bei Ya Mountain usually had a considerable flow of Cultivators.

As the man spoke, his gaze swept over everyone, lingering for a moment on Wang Ke’s coarse cloth attire.

A Mortal?

Wang Ke, upon hearing this, straightened his clothes and took out a name card from his Pregnant: "I am Wang Ke, from Yunmeng Mountain. I am here to participate in the finals of this Chess Competition."

As the name card unfolded, two phantom chess pieces, one black and one white, floated up, which were the special entry credentials for the competition.

"So it’s Fellow Daoist Wang!" Tian Mei’s eyes lit up.

She took out a bamboo scroll from her qiankun bag and unrolled it, upon which many pieces of information immediately appeared.

Zhou Ming also seemed to have heard of this name.

This person was not a Mortal. While organizing the list of participants, he had heard many people talk about this strong chess player, a hot favorite to win.

There were rumors that he was a Disciple of some reclusive Sect, whose cultivation had been Sealed by his elders.

There were rumors that he had been injured by evildoers and lost all his cultivation.

No one knew.

Liang Feng also stepped forward at this moment, taking out two jade talismans: "I am Liang Feng from Lanxi Cave, and this is my wife, Hu Qing. We have been invited to observe the competition, and these are the spectator credentials issued by our Cave Heaven."

The spiritual patterns belonging to Lanxi Cave flowed on the jade talismans.

After Zhou Ming verified the credentials, his attitude became even more cordial: "Fellow Daoist Wang, as one of the eight chess players in the finals, and Fellow Daoist Liang and his wife, as specially invited guests, you may all, according to the rules, reside in the Shanyang Other courtyard."

Song Yan had heard of Shanyang Other courtyard from Yan Xun. It was a top-tier residence under the Yan Family, used to host important guests.

Previously, if the Cave Abyss Sect group had not stayed in Linghua Valley, they would have also gone to Shanyang Other courtyard.

Tian Mei smiled sweetly: "The finals will be held in Four Palace Chess Valley in five days. May I ask if you wish to go to the Chess Competition venue first to familiarize yourselves with the environment, or go directly to the Other courtyard to rest?"

Wang Ke was a bit impatient, but he still turned his head and looked at Song Yan: "How about we go to the venue first to take a look?"

Song Yan, who had been lost in thought at the back of the crowd, suddenly saw everyone’s gaze focused on him and felt a little bewildered.

He waved his hand: "Do as you please."

Who cared about any Chess Competition or small chess gathering? Song Yan only wanted to get his Luo Zhen Vine.

Liang Feng exchanged glances with his wife and said warmly, "My wife and I are tired from the journey and would like to settle down at the Other courtyard first. If Fellow Daoist Song is interested, you might as well go to the venue with Fellow Daoist Wang."

Song Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded, gesturing to Zhou Ming and the other: "Thank you both for leading the way."

Zhou Ming and Tian Mei were also very perceptive people.

Although they couldn’t discern the depth of Song Yan’s cultivation, seeing the situation, it was clear that he was the leader of these people, so they naturally didn’t dare to neglect him.

Zhou Ming immediately formed a hand Seal and summoned a cloud carriage: "Please follow me, everyone. My Junior Sister will escort Fellow Daoists Liang and Hu to the Other courtyard."

Four Palace Chess Valley was not in the city, but in a nearby Spiritual Mountain.

The cloud carriage didn’t fly for long before landing on a mountain path.

Nestled amidst the mountains, a secluded valley lay quietly.

At each of the four corners of the valley stood a bluestone chess pavilion. The eaves of the pavilions were carved with the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise respectively, and chess sets were placed within each pavilion.

In the center was a huge stone wall. Nineteen vertical and horizontal lines on the stone wall glowed faintly with spiritual light, and a special white jade chessboard was placed below it.

This was the special chessboard that would be used for the final match. The game played by the two people below would be displayed on the giant stone wall, visible even from a distance.

"This is Four Palace Chess Valley," Zhou Ming said, his voice filled with pride. "Legend has it that this chess valley was built by the second city lord of Bei Ya Mountain City using a Four Symbols Formation."

"This Spiritual Jade chessboard in the center is quite interesting. The scene on the stone wall will change with the players’ moves. You’ll see for yourselves on the day of the finals."

At this moment, there were already twenty or thirty people in the valley.

By the eastern chess pavilion, several attendants dressed in Bei Ya Mountain City attire were using their Spiritual Power to construct something.

Wang Ke strolled around, and Song Yan followed him.

Xiao He and Xiao Ju were also a little curious, lingering for a moment by the giant stone wall next to the central Spiritual Jade chessboard.

Not far away, a Cultivator in a green robe saw Zhou Ming and slowly walked over.

Song Yan casually glanced up, but his heart was startled.

"Fellow Daoist Rong?"

The man heard the voice and turned his head, looking at Song Yan, his eyes also revealing a look of pleasant surprise.

"Fellow Daoist Song!"

This person was none other than Rong Xiaofeng, Wu Huaguo’s Dao Companion.

Since their farewell at Lin Qinglong’s tomb several years ago, they had not seen the couple again.

Song Yan had originally intended to visit them during the Flower Festival trip to Bei Ya Mountain, but he had been delayed by various matters at the time.

He never expected to meet again, and in this chess valley, of all places.