Chapter 165: Splashed-Ink Landscape and the Refining of the Nine Heavens Gale (Subscription Requested)

As if sensing the doubts in Lu Qian's heart, the Grand Prelate of Winter nodded and said,
"You guessed correctly. The Grand Prelate of Winter is indeed the position that governs the winter season."

The Nine Heavens Daoist Alliance was the product of a contest of strength among multiple factions, aimed at uniting the power of cultivators and maintaining order. The Supreme Sovereign of Heaven was elected every sixty years from the upper echelons of the major sects. Their responsibility was to harmonize the yin and yang and coordinate the various factions. Their authority was neither particularly large nor small; at the very least, they could not interfere in the internal affairs of the individual sects. Instead, this position would only hinder one's cultivation, wasting sixty years of precious time. Because most of their time was consumed by mundane matters, the leaders and heads of the major sects would not take on the role. It was generally left to elders of high prestige who did not participate in internal affairs. The Supreme Sovereign of Heaven for this sixty-year cycle was an elder from the Tribulation-Slicing Treasure Pavilion.

In contrast, the five subordinate Grand Prelates were somewhat more unfettered, each holding their own territory and sphere of influence. However, three months out of every year were exceptionally busy.

"Next month is winter, and winter blankets a million miles. Aside from countless Daoist soldiers and cultivators, we also require one hundred thousand sacrificial offerings to maintain the operation," Chiyin explained.

The grand array communicated with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to produce ice and snow, allowing the four seasons to rotate normally. If not for the cultivators maintaining the order of heaven and earth, this realm would likely have long since become a barren wasteland, with only one percent of the population surviving.

"We are not more prosperous or fertile than the north; it is simply that we know how to harmonize yin and yang," the Grand Prelate of Winter said with a helpless smile. "In recent years, maintaining the grand array has become somewhat difficult. Doubtless, it is because the number of cultivators has increased."

"I see..."

When Lu Qian first heard that the opening of the Water Eye would mark the outbreak of war in the cultivation world, he had harbored some doubts. Arriving here and witnessing the tranquility and prosperity, he had thought the conflict would never spread to this place. It seemed his thoughts had been far too naive.

Undercurrents were surging here as well, fraught with crises. To the west, the Square-Inch Demon Kingdom clashed with the local factions every year. The sects here were not particularly united either, engaging in endless infighting behind closed doors. This matter might well be the spark that ignited the tinderbox.

"What brings you two here today?" the Grand Prelate of Winter finally asked.

"Junior Brother Lu Qian has successfully cultivated the Primordial One True Water Qi-Refinement Chapter to Great Accomplishment."

"Oh?" Seeing the Primordial One True Water condensing in Lu Qian's hand, the Grand Prelate of Winter was slightly surprised. "Not bad. To achieve Great Accomplishment in two months—among disciples, your talent must be ranked first."

"I wouldn't dare claim such praise. I had some foundational experience beforehand, which is why I progressed so quickly," Lu Qian said with a smile.

That statement was indeed the truth; he had taken a bit of a shortcut with this cultivation method.

"From now on, you are my eighteenth disciple. My Daoist title is Master Taiyou; remember it well."

The Grand Prelate of Winter, also known as Master Taiyou, handed Chiyin a jade medallion. "This is the key to the Two Realms Lake. Take him there. I have important matters to attend to."

The moment his voice fell, Master Taiyou's figure vanished from the spot, arriving without a trace and leaving without a shadow.

"Finally, I can refine my Gang qi," Lu Qian let out a long breath in his heart.

Before the winds and clouds underwent drastic changes, he had to elevate his own cultivation to a certain level.

Channeling his True Essence into the jade medallion, it began to emit a brilliant radiance.

Swish!

The scene shifted.

The temperature plummeted abruptly.

When Lu Qian opened his eyes, he found himself in a bizarre world.

The edges of the world were a stark, boundless white. Before him lay a massive, pitch-black lake. Black mountains floated upon the water, casting dancing reflections. The background was pure white, with every single scenery rendered solely in shades of black. The lake water was like ink, and the distant mountains resembled a painting—like ink-wash landscape art rendered upon white rice paper.

Standing within this ink-wash painting, the two of them could not tell whether they were the viewers of the art or merely figures trapped inside it, being watched by others.

"I haven't been here in a long time. Every time I come, I am astonished. To think such a wondrous place exists in this world," Chiyin murmured, gazing at the golden hues surrounding them.

"Indeed," Lu Qian replied, lingering his gaze on the surroundings. It truly was an exceptional location.

"It is said this place is the fissure between the netherworld and the mortal realm, later captured by Master. If not for the harsh climate, it would make a magnificent blessed land of a grotto-heaven."

"Blessed land of a grotto-heaven" was a general term for minor worlds that existed apart from the mortal realm. It was said that the flow of time in some grotto-heavens was slower than that of the outside world. Many Daoists whose lifespans were nearing their end would choose to enter secluded meditation within them to slow the depletion of their physical lifespans.

A thousand zhang above the lake hung a mass of pure black dark clouds, which was where the Gang qi resided.

"Senior Sister, I am going to refine my Gang qi. Please wait here for a moment."

Lu Qian thought for a moment and condensed eighteen emerald-fire flying daggers in his hand.

"These are Emerald-Fire Flying Daggers, capable of autonomous self-protection. If danger arises, I must trouble Senior Sister to guard the array."

"How could that be necessary? I have my own magical treasure as well." Chiyin flicked her delicate hand, conjuring a five-colored fan. This fan was the Five Elements Fan, capable of unleashing the quintessence of the five elements to combat enemies.

"No need, just keep it with you."

Lu Qian did not easily place his trust in others. With him refining Gang qi up above while an expert watched from below, he would ultimately feel uneasy. Rather than relying on the camaraderie of fellow sect members, he preferred to rely on the exchange of interests.

Moreover, Lu Qian still held a trump card: the Great Refining God-General Manifestation Talisman, which was primed and ready within his sword pouch. With just a single thought, three Yellow Springs Nether Demons would launch a ferocious assault.

Had Chiyin known of these cautious maneuvers, she would likely have been heartbroken. Yet there was no help for it; the environment Lu Qian inhabited was simply that cutthroat.

His Yin Spirit flew into his physical body, transforming into a dragon-man form with purple hair, golden eyes, yellow scales, and sharp fangs. Gang qi was lighter and more ethereal than malignant qi, and thus it floated high in the air. Although light, its destructive power was far greater than that of malignant qi. Therefore, Lu Qian chose to ascend using his physical body.

The fish-dragon physique possessed tenacious vitality; as long as the injuries were not fatal, it mattered little how fiercely it was battered. The Yin Spirit was different—once its protective malignant qi was shattered and the soul body was exposed bare amidst the all-encompassing Gang qi, it would spell certain death.

Boom!

His physical body soared straight into the clouds.

All around him were billowing dark clouds composed of Nine-Nether Gang qi. However, perhaps because the altitude was still too low, the dark clouds appeared somewhat turbid.

As mentioned previously, Gang qi was light and ethereal, and the Gang qi at the highest strata possessed an even higher intrinsic quality.

With this in mind, Lu Qian broke through the void and flew upward once more.

The Profound Frost Yin Malignancy formed a five-mile-wide mass of roiling dark clouds that wrapped around his physical body as it forced its way upward. The Gang qi acted like countless blades, tearing at the malignant qi on his skin like a dull knife slicing flesh bit by bit, while his true qi continually replenished the consumption.

The higher he went, the purer the Nine-Nether Gang qi became, and its might grew increasingly tyrannical.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a hundred-zhang-tall Yin Demon formed entirely from Gang qi let out a furious roar and charged toward Lu Qian.

Screeech!

The Profound Frost Yin Malignancy condensed into an emerald-green flying sword, darting back and forth through the Yin Demon's body until it finally shattered it, causing it to dissolve back into pitch-black Nine-Nether Gang qi.

The Gang qi at a height of three thousand zhang was exceptionally light, faintly possessing a trace of spirituality as it took the shape of birds, strange beasts, and other fiends.

Lu Qian swept his hand through the empty air, capturing a zhang of Nine-Nether Gang qi, and circulated the Unfeeling True Water to refine it. The method of the Unfeeling Water was, in essence, a technique for condensing malignancy and refining Gang. The primitive method of condensing malignancy used by heterodox rogue cultivators without a foundational scripture was merely a crude, forced method of condensation. Authentic orthodox techniques, however, used true qi as the foundation to condense malignancy and refine Gang, causing the true qi to absorb a trace of the Gang-malignant energy, multiplying its power dozens of times over.

The Unfeeling True Water, having entered the realm of Minor Accomplishment, easily refined the Gang qi.

On the surface of his Yin Spirit, alongside the emerald-like malignant qi, floated pure, pitch-black Gang qi. The yellowish true water faintly carried a trace of bone-chilling coldness.

"The purity is still not enough. Higher!" determination flashed in Lu Qian's eyes.

Swish!

His physical body, trailing its five-mile-wide dark cloud, broke through the void and soared higher.

The higher they ascended, the more spirits and monsters formed from Gang qi appeared. The Gang qi grew increasingly explosive; on several occasions, it actually pierced through the malignant qi and breached the scales of his physical body, leaving behind chilling bloody gashes.

Flying up to an altitude of five thousand zhang, the Yin Demons formed from the Gang qi grew towering and massive. There were giant pythons a thousand zhang long, winged fowl with a thousand-zhang wingspan, humanoid Yin Demons, horse-faced and ram-headed fiends, and more...

The Gang qi here was even lighter, its pitch-black depths carrying a glint of crystalline purity. Some unformed Gang qi had gathered into hundred-mile-wide black clouds.

By this time, his physical body was covered in injuries, his scales marked by countless cuts.

"Now is the chance!" Lu Qian waved a large hand, capturing a hundred-zhang expanse of dark cloud.

The Unfeeling True Water circulated through its full celestial cycle with frantic speed, washing and refining the Gang qi drawn into his body.

The emerald-green, translucent Yin Spirit gradually solidified, becoming as substantial as a physical body.

During this process, Yin Demons also advanced to attack, but all were torn to shreds by either the sword pouch or the malignant qi. These Yin Demons were massive in size and single-minded in their attacks, making them quite easy to deal with, but their sheer numbers meant he had to hurry and complete his Gang-refinement.

As the Gang qi was refined and cleansed, the Yin Spirit and the Unfeeling True Water grew increasingly ethereal. The refined Gang qi, in turn, fed back into the true water; not only did the Unfeeling True Water become more ethereal, but its volume also multiplied at a terrifying rate, doubling in less than half an hour.

Time slowly slipped away...