The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 84

With Elder Qi Yu’s participation, A’Ling’s current mission was like comparing heaven and earth to their previous trip to Zhuoling Mountain.
Lan Fushang hadn’t expected that none of the supplies she’d brought along would be used on the journey.
Gu Jingyang was also unaccustomed to it. It was hard to go from luxury to frugality. Last time, she had become accustomed to Lan Fushang’s meticulous care, enjoying a comfortable journey. With Shi Qingqian’s involvement afterward, their comfort level had been elevated even higher.
But this time was different.
Although Elder Qi Yu hadn’t forbidden them from resting, upon arriving at their destination, she merely dismounted her sword and did not sit or lean against anything.
She stood straight by their resting area, quietly waiting for them.
For some reason, A’Ling felt an inexplicable respect for Elder Qi Yu, more so than for elders in the mortal realm.
But this was the cultivation world; they were all cultivators. Elder Qi Yu only maintained an elderly appearance, not truly being the ‘infirm and weak’ kind of old.
Moreover, although Elder Qi Yu was a medical cultivator, she was in the Golden Core-Nascent Soul stage. Her combat strength wouldn’t be weaker than Gu Jingyang or A’Ling.
Gu Jingyang didn’t know why A’Ling was so respectful of her.
Seeing Elder Qi Yu not resting, A’Ling also only recovered a little spiritual energy before standing up like Elder Qi Yu, waiting for everyone.
When A’Ling stood up, Shi Qingqian naturally did too and announced they would continue forward.
And so, their seven-person team, day and night, took less than two days to reach their destination – Pi Lingyun Valley.
When they arrived, the sun was just rising in the east, casting a soft, golden light.
The group, while flying on their swords, looked down at Pi Lingyun Valley shrouded by the Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier. The chilling ghostly aura made everyone bathed in sunlight involuntarily shiver.
Especially Zhao Shan and Xing Yanchu. Whether it was the hardship of traveling day and night or something about this place that startled them, they both started swaying precariously on their suspended swords.
“What’s wrong?”
A’Ling, with a stern face, glanced at the two who had suddenly started swaying. She wondered if they were going to cause trouble just as they arrived.
Speaking of which, she didn’t know why they had insisted on bringing these two people, who clearly weren’t good for anything, this time.
Xing Yanchu hadn’t wanted to come either, but the last time he had falsely accused A’Ling of having demonic energy, it had caused the Abode Masters to lose many valuable items. If he didn’t receive some punishment, he feared he would be targeted in the future.
He rubbed his arms vigorously; goosebumps had already erupted all over them. “I, I don’t know, I just felt something, very cold.”
Colder than when Shi Qingqian imprisoned him in the Jiu Wei Water Prison.
A’Ling raised an eyebrow. She had also involuntarily shivered just now, but after a moment, the coldness had completely vanished without a trace.
These two were shivering a bit too exaggeratedly.
She turned to look. Shi Qingqian appeared unaffected. Elder Qi Yu also showed no abnormality. Gu Jingyang, A’Ling had seen, had shivered just like her. As for Lan Fushang, though her entire body wasn’t swaying like Zhao Shan and Xing Yanchu, she was trembling slightly.
It was likely related to cultivation.
A’Ling thought that those with lower cultivation might be more severely affected by the ghostly aura.
With that thought, A’Ling scornfully glanced at Zhao Shan. He was at the Nascent Soul stage, yet he wasn’t as good as Lan Fushang, who was only at the Core Formation stage.
Zhao Shan felt A’Ling’s contemptuous gaze and gnashed his teeth. First, he was injured by A’Ling, then imprisoned by Shi Qingqian. Now that his injuries had just healed, he had to fly on his sword day and night. It was already good enough that he had enough spiritual energy to not fall.
Shi Qingqian had, from the beginning, noticed that the barrier of Pi Lingyun Valley indeed had cracks. She had used her spiritual energy to look down into the abyss beneath the barrier through those cracks.
It was pitch black. Although she couldn’t hear anything, Shi Qingqian inexplicably felt as though she could hear the mournful, piercing screams like those of crying ghosts.
Shi Qingqian silently recited the Heart-Clearing Mantra, asking everyone to wait for a moment while she flew a hundred zhang higher.
This time, though she couldn’t see the fine cracks, she could get a better overview of the area.
The entire Pi Lingyun Valley was encircled by continuous mountains, forming a perfect circle when viewed from above.
She knew that Pi Lingyun Valley had existed since the founding of Mystic Crane Mountain. No one knew how it was formed.
However, this place, used to suppress ghostly fiends, had not existed since ancient times. Speaking of which, this matter was also related to the person at the Qiongdian Peak.
The Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier above the valley was set up by him.
From a high vantage point, the Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier looked like an arched dome, precisely covering Pi Lingyun Valley, emitting a majestic, dark purple spiritual light.
The three array manors that triggered the barrier were respectively located in the east-southeast, west-southwest, and due north. The interlocking crimson spiritual lights formed a dazzling triple pyramid under the sun.
When viewed from above, these three pyramids looked like seals suppressing the Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier.
“Something’s not right.”
Gu Jingyang flew her sword to Shi Qingqian’s side and said.
She looked at the triple pyramids superimposed on the circular valley below, her brow furrowed.
Shi Qingqian had seen them when Gu Jingyang flew up, as well as the people following behind her.
Gu Jingyang had come up because Shi Qingqian had been gone for so long, and she was worried something had happened to her. As for A’Ling, she had followed to join the excitement.
A’Ling looked curiously at the strange scene below. She also felt something was odd, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
In her previous life, she had never seen the scene below from such a high vantage point. From their height, the two diagrams appeared to overlap, with the circle below and the three pyramids above.
“What’s not right?” A’Ling tilted her head to ask Gu Jingyang. She couldn’t see what was strange.
Gu Jingyang wasn’t entirely sure. “Generally speaking, in human geomancy or cultivation formations, whether it’s the four directions, four seasons, or four corners, everything emphasizes completeness. According to the concept of complete four corners, these three pyramid array manors are missing a piece.”
“What would happen then? Is this formation not working? Missing a corner? Should we ask the Peak Master to add another corner?” A’Ling asked worriedly when she heard that the formation was incomplete.
Shi Qingqian’s voice sounded in time, “No need. This formation is very powerful. Three legs stand in a tripod, three pyramids like nails; incompleteness is completeness.”
“Huh?”
A’Ling’s brow furrowed. Was Shi Qingqian speaking human language? She felt like she heard it, but also didn’t.
She couldn’t understand the meaning of her words at all.
After hearing this, Gu Jingyang looked thoughtful. She lowered her brows and gazed at the seemingly incomplete formation below. After observing for a while, inspiration struck.
It was indeed like that. Gu Jingyang nodded slightly. Incompleteness is completeness.
After understanding, she explained to A’Ling, “When the moon is full, it wanes; when water is full, it overflows. If all four corners were complete, the power of this formation would be too immense, easily backlashing. Perhaps powerful ghostly fiends could benefit from it. As it is now, it’s just right. It can suppress the ghostly energy within the valley without allowing this ghostly energy to devour excess spiritual spells and become fiendish.”
After speaking, Gu Jingyang sincerely sighed, “Saint Venerable Dao Rong, he’s truly formidable.”
A’Ling raised an eyebrow. Why did it turn to Saint Venerable Dao Rong?
“This formation was set up by him?” A’Ling asked.
Gu Jingyang nodded. “Yes.”
She had heard her mother say before that although Saint Venerable Dao Rong originated as a sword cultivator, he was proficient in spellcasting.
Just by seeing this one formation, Gu Jingyang’s heart was already full of admiration. Saint Venerable Dao Rong truly lived up to his reputation.
Shi Qingqian thought of the Demon Subduing Barrier on Demon Mountain that could detect demonic energy. That was also set up by the person at the Qiongdian Peak. He was indeed not a simple figure.
With that thought, Shi Qingqian glanced at A’Ling’s wrist. A’Ling still had the sacrificial demon core of a thousand-year great demon within her magic artifact. She wondered if that person already knew.
A’Ling didn’t have much of a reaction to this. She looked at the formation below and thought that even the most powerful people had their occasional oversights, otherwise, why would they need them to repair this formation?
Shi Qingqian had finished her investigation. After leading Gu Jingyang and A’Ling to rejoin the others, they all descended to their destination – in front of the Dust Spirit Array Manor.
A’Ling looked up at the mountain that towered into the clouds. When viewed from the sky, the mountain didn’t appear so grand and majestic.
Shi Qingqian produced the [Dawnfire Radiance Tokens] given by the Peak Master. A beam of spiritual light lit up, and the mountain body suddenly opened from the inside out, revealing a cave entrance four people wide and two people high.
Just now, no one had been able to find the entrance to the array manor. It turned out that the entrance was part of the mountain itself.
The mountain looked imposing enough from the outside. Unexpectedly, upon entering and seeing the interior, which was as vast as if an entire mountain had been hollowed out, everyone held their breath in unison.
This was clearly not a naturally formed cave dwelling.
What was most breathtaking was that the cave walls, reaching to an unseen height, were densely covered with glowing runes.
A’Ling only looked up for a moment before feeling as if her feet and hair were being pulled, one pulling down, the other pulling up.
The force on her feet made it impossible for her to move even half a step forward. The force on her hair made her scalp tingle all over, and even her entire face felt painfully contorted.
A’Ling tightly clutched her chest. Her heart also felt as if it were instantly grasped by a pair of hands and being squeezed hard.
The runes that covered the cave walls, connected from end to end, were too many and too dense. Seen this way, they looked like a tangled mess twisted into a menacing pattern. A’Ling was protected by a temporary barrier, otherwise, she might have knelt.
Although she couldn’t discern what the runes depicted, when the patterns came together, they gave her the impression of Buddha’s print appearing, an oppressive pressure that made it impossible to look directly at.
A’Ling lowered her head, no longer daring to look recklessly.
The others were not much better. After their initial bold, ignorant gazes, they all lowered their heads.
Shi Qingqian lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the ground. There were even suppression runes on the ground. Unlike those carved on the cave walls, the runes on the ground were drawn with a single stroke using Dragon Marrow.
Elder Qi Yu slightly lowered her head and said to the group, “These array runes cannot be viewed in their entirety. If we are to repair them, we must examine them bit by bit. The task is arduous, why don’t we each take a section and begin here?”
To Elder Qi Yu’s suggestion, A’Ling immediately wanted to agree. However, Gu Jingyang first held her hand, interrupting her intention to agree.
A’Ling looked at her doubtfully. Gu Jingyang leaned closer and whispered in A’Ling’s ear, “Qingqian is in charge of this matter. We should listen to her.”
“But Elder Qi Yu is right. This task looks like it will take considerable time. It would be better to start early,” A’Ling said, speaking for Elder Qi Yu.
Gu Jingyang squeezed A’Ling’s hand, “Let’s hear what Qingqian has to say.”
After Elder Qi Yu finished speaking, she also looked at Shi Qingqian. Although her expression didn’t seem to be asking for an opinion, her attitude indicated that she knew Shi Qingqian’s approval was needed for this matter.
Shi Qingqian noted the runes on the ground in her heart and looked up at everyone.
She neither agreed nor refused Elder Qi Yu’s words.
“Let’s talk outside,” she said.
With that, she led the way out.
Zhao Shan and Xing Yanchu were the first to follow. They had only glanced at it just now before kneeling straight down. After finally standing up, Elder Qi Yu said it was time to work.
Xing Yanchu mentally cursed this old woman who had appeared out of nowhere. Even a donkey had to be fed before being driven, right? They had rushed here, as if they were being hurried to their deaths.
Gu Jingyang pulled A’Ling with one hand and tugged the kneeling Lan Fushang with the other, following Shi Qingqian out.
A’Ling looked back. Elder Qi Yu’s brow was tightly furrowed, and she seemed displeased. But in the end, she followed them out.
A’Ling’s heart eased slightly.
After they exited the Dust Spirit Array Manor, the mountain gate closed automatically, once again making it impossible to discern the cave entrance.
Outside the manor, the sunlight felt as if all the discomfort within their bodies had dissipated.
A’Ling’s breathing became much smoother.
Shi Qingqian saw that the last person to exit the array manor, Elder Qi Yu, had also come to their side. She composed herself and began to outline her arrangements.
“The repair of the array manor is unlikely to be completed in a day or two. We will rest here for today and make our own plans. Tomorrow, we will enter the array manor and divide the repair areas.”
Hearing her arrangement, Zhao Shan and Xing Yanchu breathed a sigh of relief. They immediately stopped caring about anything else and went to find a suitable place to rest.
A’Ling hesitantly looked at Elder Qi Yu and found that she didn’t seem displeased after hearing Shi Qingqian’s words. A’Ling was slightly relieved.
She hurried to find a spacious mountain cave, wanting them all to live together, but Elder Qi Yu refused. She had already found her own place.
A’Ling felt a pang of disappointment.
However, her unhappiness didn’t last long. After Elder Qi Yu accepted the hot soup she sent over, A’Ling’s mood improved.
“A’Ling really likes Elder Qi Yu?” Lan Fushang asked curiously.
Gu Jingyang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. She placed the set-up table on a flat surface, walked over to Lan Fushang, who was ladling soup, took the soup she had ladled, and looked at A’Ling, who was smiling beside her.
“Did something happen that we don’t know about? Why are you being so good to Elder Qi Yu?”
A’Ling pursed her lips. “No, everyone came out together, so we should take care of each other.”
“Then why aren’t you going to take care of Zhao Shan and Xing Yanchu? They are also with us,” Gu Jingyang said deliberately.
A’Ling glared at her. How could she make such a comparison? Those two trash, she was lucky not to have buried them.
A’Ling always worried that these two would ruin things again this time.
Gu Jingyang placed the ladled hot soup on the table. “If we hadn’t entered Mystic Crane Mountain together, I would suspect you two knew each other beforehand.”
A’Ling helped set out the bowls and chopsticks, pouting. “Not at all, we just have good eye contact.”
Shi Qingqian, who had just landed her sword, happened to overhear their last conversation. She mulled over the words ‘good eye contact.’
Almost instantly, she thought of Jin Siliu. Elder Qi Yu and Jin Siliu did have some similarities.
Shi Qingqian put away her sword and glanced at A’Ling. She thought that if A’Ling hadn’t chosen to cultivate spiritual arts and had chosen medical cultivation instead, based on her investigations, she felt A’Ling would have liked Elder Qi Yu at that time.
But now, a cold glint flashed in Shi Qingqian’s eyes. The Peak Master of the Medical Cultivation Peak might have issues. This suddenly appearing Elder Qi Yu was likely not simple either.
Gu Jingyang saw Shi Qingqian return from her reconnaissance. As lunch was also ready, she announced that it was time to eat.
A’Ling picked up a plate of pastries and was about to walk out when she turned and said, “I’ll take this to Elder Qi Yu. Wait for me.”
Without waiting for Gu Jingyang to say anything, she ran towards the cave Elder Qi Yu had found.
Shi Qingqian watched her slightly joyful back. After thinking for a moment, she decided not to tell A’Ling and walked over to Gu Jingyang.
Gu Jingyang looked at Shi Qingqian with concern. “Don’t you think A’Ling is a little unusual?”
Shi Qingqian didn’t think A’Ling was acting unusually. She knew A’Ling’s complicated feelings for Jin Siliu and guessed it was because Elder Qi Yu resembled Jin Siliu.
“Be careful of Elder Qi Yu, she’s not simple,” Shi Qingqian warned.
Lan Fushang happened to be walking towards them with half of the pastries A’Ling had taken, and her heart leaped upon hearing this.
If Elder Qi Yu had issues, A’Ling, would she be alright?
Gu Jingyang nodded. “I know, I’ll be careful.”
She then looked at Lan Fushang. “You be careful too.”
Lan Fushang saw Gu Jingyang’s solemn expression and earnestly replied, “I will. Should I warn A’Ling?”
Gu Jingyang hesitated.
Shi Qingqian spoke, “She never thinks the worst of people.”
She didn’t learn her lesson even after suffering setbacks.
It wasn’t entirely true, though. It seemed only with her was it different. Before, no matter what she did, A’Ling always seemed convinced she wanted to harm her.
It was only after Zhuoling Mountain that things changed.
And she had even secretly channeled true energy to her in the middle of the night.
Shi Qingqian’s lips twitched slightly at this thought. She was so foolishly selfless. While others weighed every act of kindness, expecting gratitude in return, A’Ling’s heart was so unguarded it was reckless.
Nevertheless, it was quite good, as she could protect her after all.
After a day and night of rest, on the second day, Shi Qingqian led everyone into the Dust Spirit Array Manor again.
This time, following Elder Qi Yu’s suggestion, Shi Qingqian divided the ridiculously large cave, where one couldn’t see the west from the east, into corresponding areas based on individual abilities.
Each person needed to re-engrave the runes in their assigned area with spiritual energy, following the original traces.
“How is this ever going to be finished! I knew that Peak Master of Medical Cultivation had no good intentions. What’s the difference between this and being in prison?!”
Xing Yanchu looked at the vast cave and the complex runes. In here, he felt as small as an ant.
He had originally thought that the Peak Master of Medical Cultivation had deliberately let them off the hook by coming up with this form of punishment.
Now, it seemed that she was a person with a snake’s heart hidden beneath a Buddha’s mouth. With these dense runes, it would take them at least three to five years to repair them.
He was about to curse again, but suddenly he couldn’t make a sound.
He looked up in surprise. Elder Qi Yu was looking at him with displeasure.
He immediately realized that this person was also a medical cultivator. He immediately softened his attitude and looked at Elder Qi Yu as if begging for mercy, hoping she would lift the silencing spell.
But Elder Qi Yu no longer looked at him. She had already begun to diligently repair the barrier in her own area.
Zhao Shan looked at him sympathetically and felt fortunate that he had learned his lesson. He now only cursed in his heart. To return as soon as possible, he resigned himself and buried his head in his work.
The rest of them had already started their repairs after hearing Shi Qingqian’s arrangements.
A’Ling channeled spiritual energy into her palm, carefully engraving along the original patterns. She didn’t feel this was a particularly difficult punishment.
These talismans were originally a required practice for their spiritual arts cultivation. And for some reason, as she redrew these spell patterns, her heart became exceptionally peaceful.
Before long, she felt the flow of energy within her body becoming smoother, and the spiritual energy within the cave was continuously flowing into her inner core.
Soon, she felt a sense of lightness, as if she were floating among the clouds. Her use of spiritual energy also became much smoother.
Immersed in the repair task, A’Ling didn’t notice that the white bone bracelet on her hand seemed to be breathing rhythmically.
Saint Venerable Dao Rong watched the scene transmitted through the Jiaoying Mirror. Gazing at the people as minuscule as ants in the deep, sea-like array manor, he smiled faintly.
As the image gradually zoomed in, he saw the diligently working A’Ling, and the curve of his lips deepened.
Clutching the divine sense awakening talisman in his hand, he looked at the white bone bracelet in the image, which seemed to breathe with his every squeeze and release. A very light chuckle escaped his lips.
This person was working diligently. He hoped she would speed up, ‘repair’ this formation sooner, as there were rewards for completing the task.
After three months of working from dawn till dusk, A’Ling and the others found that the complex project had not made much progress. The only change was that everyone had adapted to this lifestyle.
Although a few ghostly fiends occasionally escaped from the barrier, they were all dealt with by Shi Qingqian in the first instance.
Therefore, nothing major had happened in these three months. They had worked from winter to spring, and by now, the foothills of Pi Lingyun Valley were covered with mountain flowers of various colors.
During these days, Lan Fushang also discovered many delicious foods that were only available in spring. She thought of improving everyone’s meals.
She spoke to Shi Qingqian about wanting to end today’s mission early, and Shi Qingqian agreed.
A’Ling was absorbed in her repairs and didn’t notice this. Gu Jingyang, upon hearing this, asked for leave with Shi Qingqian, wanting to accompany Lan Fushang.
Although nothing had happened in the past three months, they still couldn’t completely let down their guard.
Lan Fushang didn’t want to trouble Gu Jingyang.
“Actually, I can manage by myself.” Lan Fushang said hesitantly after they exited the Dust Spirit Array Manor.
She felt a little guilty about Gu Jingyang accompanying her.
Gu Jingyang’s lips curved upwards, smiling innocently. “I’m tired, so I’m sneaking in a little break. Let’s go.”
With that, she walked ahead, and Lan Fushang had no choice but to quicken her pace to follow. Looking at Gu Jingyang’s retreating back, her heart warmed.
The two arrived at a spot on the eastern side of the valley. Lan Fushang had been here once before. At that time, the wild vegetables had only just sprouted, and she had been thinking about them.
“Great! They’ve grown into such a large patch.”
It was Gu Jingyang’s first time seeing someone so happy about finding wild vegetables. She found it amusing.
She looked around and saw a cluster of bright red, thumb-sized wild fruits not far away. “Can those wild fruits be eaten?”
Lan Fushang looked up and smiled, “Yes, they are Hu Tui Zi. They’re sweet and sour.”
Gu Jingyang heard that they were edible. Seeing that they weren’t too far away, she asked Lan Fushang to stay and dig for wild vegetables while she went to pick the wild fruits.
After collecting a basketful, Gu Jingyang returned to find Lan Fushang. She saw that Lan Fushang had already finished long ago, leaning casually against a tree with a smiling face, her eyebrows slightly raised as she waited for her.
Gu Jingyang approached and saw that the basket in Lan Fushang’s hand was only half full. “Is this enough?”
She didn’t know what these vegetables were for, but looking at the foothills, there were still many more.
Lan Fushang hooked a finger and swept a strand of hair from her forehead. Her eyes and brows were filled with the sparkling beauty of spring ripples.
“I’m tired~”
The three simple words were spoken with a playful, almost coquettish tone.
As she spoke, she gently hooked her arm around Gu Jingyang’s arm, shifted from her leaning position, and rested her head against Gu Jingyang’s neck.
All of this happened so suddenly. Gu Jingyang looked at her hooked arm and raised her eyebrows high.
“What’s wrong?”
Gu Jingyang felt a warmth on her neck. She turned her head and saw that Lan Fushang had rested her forehead against her shoulder and neck.
“I’m so tired, I can hardly walk…”
Gu Jingyang trembled all over, not understanding why Lan Fushang was suddenly acting like this.
She hesitantly took the basket from Lan Fushang’s hand, tilted her head as much as possible to create some distance, and said, “Then let’s go back quickly.”
Gu Jingyang walked forward, forgetting that Lan Fushang was still holding her arm.
Lan Fushang was pulled along, stumbling slightly. “Look at you, you almost made me fall.”
Gu Jingyang quickly apologized. “Yes, I’m sorry.”
She quickly took out her Moonfall Sword and swiftly carried them back.
“Let’s go wash these things by the river first~”
Lan Fushang tugged on Gu Jingyang’s sleeve and whispered in her ear as they reached the small river near their lodging.
The hot breath emanating from her words drilled directly into Gu Jingyang’s neck.
Gu Jingyang’s body stiffened. The Moonfall Sword plummeted rapidly. She quickly channeled spiritual energy again, just managing to prevent the two of them from falling embarrassingly.
But it wasn’t much better.
Gu Jingyang dismounted the Moonfall Sword and stumbled, almost kneeling on the ground. She quickly wiped the sweat that had dripped from her temples after flying for such a short while.
Suddenly, she felt a cool sensation on her face.
She turned her head and saw Lan Fushang rolling up her sleeves, her nimble fingers moving like fish in the water, playfully splashing cool river water towards her.
Seeing the water droplets splash onto Gu Jingyang’s face and neck, and even wet some of her clothes, Lan Fushang furrowed her delicate brows. She withdrew her hand from the water, appearing very apologetic. “I wanted to play a joke with you, but I didn’t expect to wet your clothes. Let me wipe them for you~”
As she spoke, she moved closer to Gu Jingyang’s arm and took out a handkerchief to wipe Gu Jingyang’s face. Seeing that her collar was wet, she even blew into it slightly.
“It must be uncomfortable for this part to be wet. How about you take it off, and I’ll blow on it for you so it dries faster~”
Without waiting for Gu Jingyang to respond, she reached out and tugged at her collar, intending to take off her clothes.
Gu Jingyang suddenly tightened her grip on her unbuttoned outer garment. Just as she was about to question Lan Fushang about what she was doing, she suddenly heard A’Ling’s shocked voice from not far behind her.
“What are you doing?”