Volume 4 Chapter 59: Departure

What would you feel if one day, thousands of people bowed to you in unison? Pride? Confusion? Or would you simply face it with calmness?

At this moment, Xu Qingfan watched the thousands of Qingxu cultivators bowing to him, yet felt none of those emotions; instead, he sighed softly in his heart, feeling a hint of regret.

To be honest, Xu Qingfan liked the Qingxu Gate very much. If he were not already a Deacon Elder of Jiuhua Mountain, he would have found a way to join them.

Although this sect had its flaws, such as Qingxu Gate members being somewhat boastful about their sect, these were minor compared to its virtues, especially its unmatched respect and devotion to the Heavenly Way, perhaps only surpassed by Penance Valley. Xu Qingfan’s own Jiuhua Gate was far inferior in this regard.

This is a sect composed of seekers and devout believers.

Even the overthrow of Qinglingzi was due to the Qingxu elders being misled by Liu Ziqing into believing that Qinglingzi was hiding something.

In Xu Qingfan’s eyes, such fights shouldn’t happen within this sect.

If a sect had a personality, its traditions would define it.

Watching thousands bow at this moment, Xu Qingfan truly admired Immortal Qingxu for creating the tradition of "Qingxu Preach" and cultivating such devoted disciples through it.

Unfortunately, Xu Qingfan knew the peace of "Qingxu Gate" was about to be broken. Under his plan, the "Death Spirit Pearl" would activate tonight, releasing an aura that would begin to corrode the giant trees trapping Immortal Zizhen, ultimately freeing him.

But even if Immortal Zizhen were freed, could he really reclaim "Qingxu Gate" smoothly?

To Xu Qingfan, it seemed unlikely.

First, Immortal Zizhen was currently in the stage of "three declines", a phase when even a master in the Mahayana Stage, as they merge with the Heavenly Way, experiences suppression of power due to Heavenly Way’s rejection. At that time, everything from Divine Sense, and Spirit Qi, to the body, is greatly weakened. Liu Ziqing said that Immortal Zizhen only had thirty percent of his peak power. Even with this, he could defeat Xuan Lingzi and Huanlingzi together, but it wouldn’t be easy.

Secondly, and most importantly, Liu Ziqing wasn’t easy to deal with. Although he was no longer a Mahayana Stage grandmaster, his intelligence was still crucial. Even if Immortal Zizhen managed to escape, without careful planning, he would still fall into Liu Ziqing’s traps.

However, Xu Qingfan believed that barring any major surprises, once Immortal Zizhen was freed, he would still be the final victor because, in most confrontations, between absolute intelligence and absolute strength, strength wins. Immortal Zizhen, with only thirty percent of his power, was still beyond Liu Ziqing’s reach, especially since he had already grasped their plan with support from Bailingzi and others.

However, Xu Qingfan also believed that even if Immortal Zizhen could regain control of the "Qingxu Gate," a fierce battle would inevitably occur with Liu Ziqing and his strong supporters.

In this fierce battle, some Qingxu elders might fall, but the ones who would suffer the most would be the ordinary Qingxu disciples bowing before Xu Qingfan. After the battle, "Qingxu Gate" would become the fourth sect among the six Holy Lands to suffer significant losses, following "Jiuhua Mountain," "Penance Valley," and the "White Lady Palace," which has already lost its Holy Land status.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan could only sigh silently, feeling quite helpless. This was not something he could control.

Just as Xu Qingfan was lost in contemplation, he saw Xuan Ling Zi and Huanlingzi approaching him with a group of Qingxu elders. Xu Qingfan was momentarily taken aback, then quickly went to greet them.

"Taoist Friend Xu’s lecture was truly enlightening, with many insights that had never occurred to us before, greatly benefiting us. On behalf of ‘Qingxu Gate,’ I sincerely thank Taoist Friend," Huanlingzi said unexpectedly as he led the elders to Xu Qingfan.

To Xu Qingfan’s surprise, when Xuan Ling Zi and Huanlingzi approached him with the elders, it was Huanlingzi who first offered words of gratitude and admiration.

Remembering the disdain in Huanlingzi’s eyes before the lecture, and seeing the genuine sincerity in his eyes now, Xu Qingfan knew Huanlingzi was speaking from the heart, without any pretense. Xu Qingfan quickly bowed in return, humbly saying there was no need to thank him.

Xuan Ling Zi smiled and said, "Huanlingzi’s words are entirely sincere. Your lecture just now clearly pointed out the goal and direction of our cultivation, much more impressively than our previous discussions at ‘Qingxu Dojo,’ making us feel quite ashamed."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "These insights were only a fortunate realization on my part, limited by my low level of power and understanding, and they are quite shallow. There might be flaws, so I ask the elders not to laugh at me. In the future, if the elders gain more insights, I might need to learn from you instead."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan say this, everyone present smiled slightly.

Then, Xu Qingfan began conversing with the other Qingxu elders about the "Way of Balance" he just mentioned. As Xu Qingfan had said, the Qingxu elders present were far more knowledgeable and skilled than him. They pointed out the shortcomings in his theory, which greatly benefited Xu Qingfan. In a short time, he got acquainted with several esteemed seniors from the "Qingxu Gate."

During this time, Xu Qingfan also met Bailingzi, the lean elderly leader supporting Immortal Zizhen and Qinglingzi, though he looked unremarkable, his eyes were calm and composed.

After Xuan Ling spoke, Huanlingzi’s face turned awkward, and though Xu Qingfan was engaged in discussion with the Qingxu elders, he noticed the odd behavior. While pondering about it, he saw Huanlingzi suddenly bite his lip, bow deeply to Xu Qingfan again, startling him.

"Elder, why is this?" Xu Qingfan quickly helped Huanlingzi and asked.

Huanlingzi replied, "Earlier, I looked down upon you, Taoist Friend, just because you are at the middle stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage and I said you were unworthy to preach at Qingxu. Now it seems I was wrong. My earlier bow was to thank you, and this time it’s to apologize."

Xu Qingfan thought to himself, "Although Huanlingzi lacks Xuan Ling’s grace, he is a sincere person."

…

After finally handling the formalities with the Qingxu elders, Xu Qingfan swiftly flew back to his abode, accompanied by Xuan Ling, Huanlingzi, Liu Ziqing, and Mo Ziliang, with much more pomp than when he arrived.

"Taoist Friend Xu has been at our Qingxu for three days now, yet hasn’t had the chance to enjoy the scenery of our ‘Ronghua Mountain.’ How about we have some elders take turns accompanying Taoist Friend to explore our Ronghua Mountain in the coming days?" Xuan Ling, standing beside Xu Qingfan on a floating cloud, said with a smile.

"Indeed, while I wouldn’t claim our ‘Ronghua Mountain’ to be the best in the world, I’m confident that after years of care by our ‘Qingxu Gate,’ it certainly stands out." Huanlingzi, though not as graceful as Xuan Ling, spoke sincerely.

Before, Xu Qingfan was suspected of spying on Qinglingzi, so although Xuan Ling invited him to ‘Qingxu Gate,’ he did not arrange for Xu Qingfan to see the sights and even had him secretly watched. But now, with Liu Ziqing’s reluctant help, Xu Qingfan had cleared the suspicion, and his recent speech earned the respect of all the Qingxu cultivators, making the invitation quite natural.

Hearing Xuan Ling’s and Huanlingzi’s invitation, Xu Qingfan felt a stir of interest in his heart, as he indeed yearned to see ‘Ronghua Mountain.’ He knew that soon ‘Qingxu Gate’ would face chaos, and many beautiful sights would vanish forever.

But remembering that the ‘Death Spirit Pearl’ would take effect that very night, Xu Qingfan resisted the urge and said to Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi, "Thank you both for your kind offer, but I must leave today."

"What? You’re leaving tonight?" It was Mo Ziliang who suddenly interrupted.

"Taoist Friend Xu, can’t you stay a few more days? After all, you only came down the mountain for leisure, there’s no urgent business. Wouldn’t it be better to stay longer and discuss the Dao with us?" Liu Ziqing suddenly asked. Ever since Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi appeared, Liu Ziqing had been keeping a low profile, but he couldn’t help asking upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words.

Xu Qingfan replied with a smile, "Esteemed seniors, I truly apologize, for I would like to stay in ‘Ronghua Mountain’ longer. But I have already agreed with ‘Qinghan Gate’s’ Venerable Xuhan to visit them in three days, and I cannot break my word. I hope you all understand. If I pass by ‘Ronghua Mountain’ again, I will certainly come to visit."

Xu Qingfan was telling the truth; he had indeed made such an agreement with Venerable Xuhan as a backup plan.

Hearing what Xu Qingfan said, the other four people sighed regretfully.

Afterward, Xu Qingfan returned to the house and talked with the four for a while before saying goodbye to everyone.

Although Liu Ziqing still doubted Xu Qingfan’s purpose in coming to "Qingxu Gate" and considered him a subordinate of Zhang Xusheng, intending to extract some information from Xu Qingfan, both Xuan Lingzi and Huanlingzi had already agreed to let Xu Qingfan leave, and with Xu Qingfan’s own willingness, he could say no more.

After Xuan Lingzi and the others escorted Xu Qingfan to the protective formation outside "Ronghua Mountain," just as Xu Qingfan was about to bid farewell and leave, Xuan Lingzi suddenly took out two items from his sleeve and handed them to Xu Qingfan.

When Xu Qingfan received them with both hands, he saw a pearl the size of a fist, emitting a faint white glow, and a token engraved with the words "Jiuhua."

"What are these two items, sir?" Xu Qingfan asked.

Xuan Lingzi smiled and said, "This white spiritual bead is called the ‘Calming Pearl’ and is considered a low-level Earth-grade artifact, capable of dispelling most of the confounding spells in heaven and earth. As for this token, it’s called the ‘Qingxu Order.’ As long as you hold this ‘Qingxu Order’ in the future, it will prove your identity and allow any Jiuhua disciples you encounter outside the mountain to assist you with tasks within their ability. Of course, Taoist friend, if you visit our ‘Ronghua Mountain’ again, you can use this token to notify us, and we will open the formation to welcome you."

Hearing Xuan Lingzi’s words, Xu Qingfan was slightly surprised and hurriedly handed the items back to Xuan Lingzi, saying, "Sir, these things are too valuable…"

But before Xu Qingfan could finish, Huanlingzi interrupted, "Taoist Friend Xu, you must not refuse this time. It has been our Qingxu tradition for thousands of years to present gifts to every elder who preaches to us."

Hearing Huanlingzi’s words, Xu Qingfan no longer declined. He quietly placed the "Calm Spirit Pearl" and "Qingxu Order" into his sleeve, then said to the four people before him, "Take care, esteemed elders."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s worldly farewell, Xuan Ling and the others didn’t realize there was another meaning behind his words; they assumed it was due to Xu Qingfan’s lack of contact with cultivators. Liu Ziqing thought Xu Qingfan was being theatrical but didn’t mind. Regardless of their thoughts, they didn’t expose him and smiled back at Xu Qingfan, saying, "Taoist Friend Xu, take care."

Xu Qingfan sighed softly in his heart, turned around, and swiftly flew away on the clouds.

Half a day later, Xu Qingfan arrived at the location of the "Qinghan Gate," as told by Venerable Xuhan. Looking at the mountain-protecting formation that appeared as a white mist, Xu Qingfan called out, "I am Xu Qingfan, a rogue cultivator from the Southern Wasteland, seeking an audience with Venerable Xuhan."