I tamed beasts and achieved immortality in the world of cultivation.

Chapter 149 Xiao Chunu's Request [Please Subscribe!]

One day later, Danxia Peak.

An antique courtyard is nestled among green pines and cypresses. Several unidentified spirit fruit trees grow in the courtyard, with a few green and red fruits hanging from their branches. A faint medicinal fragrance wafts in the air.

Chen Qing sat at the stone table, his gaze sweeping over the petite figure opposite him, and he sighed inwardly.

Xiao Chunu.

The little girl who used to puff out her cheeks and argue with her brother is now at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Her aura is calm and restrained, but her baby face still bears some traces of her younger self.

He was 28 years old when he began his foundational work.

Chen Qing remembered that he had estimated that she would break through in ten years at most, and now it had indeed come true.

The talent of having dual spiritual roots is no joke.

With his three spiritual roots and thanks to system feedback and many opportunities, he was three years ahead of Meng Xingzhou, whom he met in Yunzhou Market. However, Xiao Chunu was a full five years ahead of him.

"Junior Brother Chen, stop staring at me like that, have some tea." Xiao Chunu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and teased with a smile, "What, is there something on my face?"

Chen Qing snapped out of his daze, gave an awkward smile, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then turned to look at the two people beside Xiao Chunu.

To Xiao Chunu's left sat a female cultivator who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a slender figure and a gentle face; to her right sat a male cultivator with a jade sword hanging at his waist, a handsome face, and a gentle smile on his lips.

Both were dressed in moon-white Taoist robes and were at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Xiao Chunu put down her teacup and introduced, "This is my ninth senior sister, Huo Yunjing, and this is my senior brother from Faxiang Peak, Zhao Heng. Both of them are at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage."

Huo Yunjing nodded slightly, while Zhao Heng smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. His gaze swept over Chen Qing imperceptibly, and his smile was warm: "I've often heard Junior Sister Xiao mention Junior Brother Chen, saying that he's excellent at raising fish and chickens. Meeting him today, I can see that he is indeed a very honest person."

That was said politely, and the tone was impeccable.

Chen Qing smiled and waved his hand: "Senior Brother Zhao, you flatter me. I'm just making a living at Qinghe Lake."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Qing picked up the spirit tea and took a sip, only to see Xiao Chunu's smile gradually fade, and a trace of worry appear between her brows.

"Junior Brother Chen, I won't beat around the bush with you." Xiao Chunu put down her teacup and said seriously, "My brother has been missing for almost ten years since we parted ways in the 'Linyuan Secret Realm,' without a trace."

Chen Qing remained silent, the teacup in his hand hovering in mid-air.

ten years.

Of course he remembers.

Back then, when they were dividing the spoils in the drizzle, one of them went south and the other went north. He even teased Xiao Chunan, saying, "Don't die in the north."

Looking back now, that joke actually sounds rather harsh.

"Five years ago, I asked my master to investigate the Blood Spirit Abyss, but the trail went cold once he entered the territory of the Qian Kingdom." Xiao Chunu's voice lowered a few decibels. "Although my master is a Golden Core True Monarch, she is a top-ranking True Monarch in the sect. The Qian Kingdom is in complete chaos right now, so she shouldn't take too much risk."

"Now that I have broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and my cultivation is stable, I want to go there in person."

As Xiao Chunu spoke, she took out a palm-sized compass-shaped magic artifact from her storage bag. It was entirely white jade, with a drop of crimson blood embedded in the center, which was faintly shimmering with a ghostly light.

"My brother and I are twins. This Blood-Guiding Compass" was crafted by my master. As long as my brother is alive, it can sense direction when you get within a certain range of him."

"Junior Brother Chen, you and my brother are best friends. I want to ask you, could you—"

As she spoke the last few words, Xiao Chunu's voice lowered, as if she was unsure whether she should say it or not.

Chen Qing took the compass, examined it for a moment, and handed it back to Xiao Chunu without speaking.

This morning, while he was consulting Zhou Ruoqing and Shen Tu Yu about cultivation methods after Foundation Establishment, he suddenly received a telepathic message from Xiao Chunu.

Fu said that he needed to come to Danxia Peak to discuss something important.

This must be the matter.

But—going to Qian Kingdom is quite risky.

Since the Blood Soul Sect suffered a great loss in the "Spirit Abyss Secret Realm", it has been hiding in the You Kingdom. In recent years, there have even been rumors that the great cultivator in the late Nascent Soul stage, "Ancestor Blood Netherworld", is nearing the end of his life. The five kingdoms under the Blood Soul Sect are becoming increasingly chaotic, and even the main base, the You Kingdom, is showing signs of disorder.

Rogue cultivators, demonic cultivators, sect outcasts, fugitives, and creatures from secret realms mingle together, engaging in murder and robbery with more enthusiasm than ordinary sect disciples when completing tasks.

Xiao Chunu's Golden Core master, True Monarch Lingyun, is considered one of the top disciples in the Lingyun Sect.

Actually, going to the demonic realm wouldn't be a big problem. After all, Chen Qing himself has a copy of the "Hidden Spirit Technique." How could someone who has cultivated for over three hundred years not have anything of their own?

But ultimately—

Xiao Chunu is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and Lingyun Zhenjun has twelve disciples. It's not worth it for Lingyun Zhenjun to risk going to the demonic realm for Xiao Chunu.

Chen Qing has just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and his realm has only just stabilized. He hasn't even formally started practicing the "Azure Lotus Sword Technique" yet.

At this critical juncture, it's extremely risky to rashly venture into the demonic realm. What if we were to run into a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator...?

As a late-stage demonic cultivator, what use is a novice who has just established his foundation and hasn't even mastered his cultivation techniques?

On the other hand, Xiao Chunan is an old friend he has known since he was ten years old.

A friendship spanning over twenty years.

He had actually considered going to the Qian Kingdom in the north to search for something long ago, but that was after his cultivation was stable and his preparations were complete.

Now that Xiao Chunan is trapped in the north with his life hanging in the balance, can he, as her brother, just watch Xiao Chunu take a senior sister and a senior brother on an adventure without doing anything himself?

Chen Qing remained silent for a while before raising his head and slowly saying, "Sister Chu, it's not that I don't want to go. It's just that I've only just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and I haven't even started practicing the Foundation Establishment techniques yet. Going to the Qian Kingdom empty-handed like this would be too risky."

Xiao Chu's expression darkened slightly.

"But one," Chen Qing held up one finger, "one year."

"My duty to guard Qinghe Lake expires in a year. This year is enough for me to completely stabilize my cultivation and also to master the Foundation Establishment stage techniques. At that time, I will accompany you to the Qian Kingdom."

Xiao Chunu's eyes lit up, then she hesitated and said, "But a year—"

"My brother has been missing for almost ten years." She bit her lip and said softly, then looked up, her expression more resolute. "You're right, we've waited so many years, waiting another year won't hurt. If we rashly venture into the demonic realm..."

"If everything is not prepared, it might actually cause problems."

As she spoke, she took out three jade pill bottles from her storage bag and pushed them in front of Chen Qing.

"Junior Brother Chen, these are three bottles of Spirit-Nourishing Pills," just the right amount for those in the early stages of Foundation Establishment. Since you agreed to accompany me on this trip, consider this part of your payment. It will help you improve your cultivation and give you more protection when you get to the Qian Kingdom."

Chen Qing looked at the three porcelain bottles but did not reach out.

The Spirit Nourishing Pill is a pill for improving cultivation during the Foundation Establishment stage. A bottle at Danxia Peak is priced at four hundred spirit stones, and it would be 30% more expensive outside. Three bottles together are equivalent to a top-grade first-tier magic weapon.

Zhao Heng's gaze lingered on the three bottles of pills for a moment before returning to Chen Qing's face, his smile still gentle.

Chen Qing smiled and pushed the porcelain bottle back: "Sister Chu, I've known Brother Chu for so many years. Even if you hadn't asked me today, I would have gone to find him sooner or later. I can't accept this pill."

"But"

"There's no 'but' about it." Chen Qing stood up, his tone unusually resolute. "Back then, I always ate the fattest carp from your brother's fishpond. Just for this fish, I have to go too."

Xiao Chunu was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, her eyes slightly reddening.

"That's settled then. I'll come looking for you a year from now. We'll go to Qian Kingdom together and bring Brother Chu Nan back." Chen Qing cupped his hands in greeting, then bowed to Huo Yun Jing and Zhao Heng before turning and striding out of the courtyard.

The courtyard gate closed gently.

The courtyard remained quiet for a while.

Huo Yunjing watched the figure in the moon-white Daoist robe disappear outside the courtyard, picked up her teacup, and chuckled lightly: "Miss Chu, this Junior Brother Chen is quite a good person. He didn't want the three bottles of Spirit Gathering Pills, and he even dared to go with us to Qian Kingdom to wade into troubled waters. Such courage and character are rare in the sect."

Xiao Chunu put the pills back into her storage bag, her gaze still fixed on the direction of the courtyard gate, a slight smile playing on her lips: "I've known him for twenty-two years, and he's never asked me for anything or offered me anything. My brother has a good eye for making friends."

"But that's not what surprised me the most."

"Oh?" Huo Yunjing looked puzzled.

"He has three spiritual roots: earth, wood, and water." Xiao Chunu turned her head, a complex look flashing in her eyes. "He has three spiritual roots and achieved Foundation Establishment at the age of thirty-two, only five years later than me, who has two spiritual roots."

Huo Yunjing paused slightly in her teacup, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes: "It's indeed rare for someone with three spiritual roots to reach Foundation Establishment at this age. And he's a disciple of Beast Taming Peak, right? It seems this Junior Brother Chen has quite a bit of good fortune."

Xiao Chunu nodded noncommittally.

Zhao Heng remained silent, quietly holding his teacup, his gaze fixed on the golden ginkgo leaves outside the courtyard gate, the smile on his lips still gentle.

He hasn't taken a second sip of that tea yet.

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