Chapter Seventy-Eight: Between Harvests

Huang Qingyang was truly at a loss for words this time. He thought to himself, “This Lei Xiang is a real prodigy, able to guess nearly everything I have in mind. It seems there’s no need to beat around the bush with him. I’ll simply pass on the Qinghuang Inheritance to him and let him carry forward the Ten Thousand Talismans and bring glory to our sect, help me retrieve the Spirit Rod, and finally destroy Queen Qing and my other enemies. That’s far better than letting the Qinghuang Divine Art die out with me, with no one to avenge the Qing Spirit Clan.”

Having made up his mind, he spoke, “Lei Xiang, your analysis is correct. I have decided to take you as my disciple and pass the Qinghuang Divine Art to you. But you must promise me, once you master the Spirit Rod, you will help me kill Queen Qing.”

Lei Xiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Combining Queen Qing’s account with Huang Qingyang’s current situation, he deduced that the person who tried to steal the Spirit Rod centuries ago was none other than the elder before him. Sensing the powerful divine consciousness, he realized this was a genuine human cultivator with irreconcilable hatred toward the Qing Spirit Clan. Naturally, he wouldn’t pass the Qinghuang Divine Art to an elf, yet he didn’t want the lineage to die out. Now, Lei Xiang was the ideal candidate. Of course, all this was Lei Xiang’s speculation, but for the sake of the Spirit Rod, he could only gamble. Now, it seemed he had made the right bet.

Lei Xiang smiled, “Elder Huang, thank you for your praise. But I must decline the apprenticeship, for I already have a master—he resides within my sea of consciousness, the powerful presence you sensed last night. However, after I master the Qinghuang Divine Art and obtain the Spirit Rod, I can help you escape. I see your physical body is destroyed, but I can designate a region for you within my sea of consciousness; would that suit you?”

Huang Qingyang’s voice trembled with excitement, and even his skeletal remains shuddered anew. Indeed, for one who was doomed to perish here, the prospect of escape was too much to remain calm.

Yet, he soon composed himself and spoke with resignation, “Had it been two centuries earlier, your plan might have worked. But now... you know how potent the Qing Spirit Clan’s poison is—it has infiltrated my soul over the years. Added to my dwindling lifespan, even if I escape, I won't survive more than two years. However, it matters little if you decline to be my disciple. Pass my art to a worthy soul someday.”

Lei Xiang heard the bitterness in Huang Qingyang’s words and nodded empathetically.

True to his word, Huang Qingyang immediately began imparting the Qinghuang Divine Art’s incantations. Lei Xiang, expanding his powerful mental state, strove to comprehend and memorize the intricate formulas. To his surprise, the art felt strangely familiar, and another technique kept resurfacing in his mind.

Dragon Aspect Divine Art!

Indeed, the Qinghuang Divine Art bore some resemblance to the Dragon Aspect Divine Art—three parts similar, seven parts different, with considerable distinctions.

At that moment, Huang Qingyang ceased his teaching and spoke slowly, “This is the first segment of the incantation. Memorize it well, but don’t rush to practice. The first stage of Qinghuang will take at least a year to master. Once you activate it, your whole body will emit an azure divine aura. Given my limited time, I can only let you memorize the incantations for now, and you must cultivate it yourself. In a few days, I’ll teach you the second segment. When you master the second, you’ll radiate a yellow aura. The final stage is to fuse and then separate the azure and yellow. When fully mastered, your body will be azure above, yellow below, and colorless in the middle. In battle, you can deploy these three hues as attacks, hence the name Qinghuang.”

Lei Xiang nodded thoughtfully, his true thoughts hidden from all.

Five days later, Lei Xiang returned to the sacred grove’s enclosure, the appointed day to receive the second segment. Huang Qingyang was delighted to see him arrive as promised, laughing heartily. “Have you memorized the first segment? Come, recite it for me. If you pass, I’ll teach you the next.”

Unexpectedly, Lei Xiang only smiled, declined to recite, and instead sat cross-legged, circulating the Qinghuang Divine Art three times through his body. Instantly, a faint azure radiance enveloped him—so subtle that it was nearly invisible unless observed closely. When he stood, the radiance vanished without a trace.

Lei Xiang sighed softly, while Huang Qingyang shouted in disbelief, “Impossible! You—mastered the first stage in five days? You’re simply not human! You’ve astounded this old man. It took me five years to develop this art, and you mastered it in five days—then you sigh!”

Lei Xiang smiled, “I sigh because I have not fully mastered it. I cannot yet control it freely; it’s not at my command.”

“Tch!” Huang Qingyang scoffed, “You’re just being modest. Now, I’ll teach you the remaining two segments together. Let’s see how fast you master them. Once you obtain the Spirit Rod, don’t forget your promise: help me kill Queen Qing and the Four Elders, and revive the Ten Thousand Talismans.”

Lei Xiang answered solemnly, “The Four Elders are already dead. Queen Qing—I will see her destroyed. As for reviving the Ten Thousand Talismans, I assure you I’ll make arrangements. Do you know why I mastered the first stage in five days? Because I’ve practiced a similar technique. In the Ten Thousand Talismans, your descendants altered the Qinghuang Divine Art and renamed it Dragon Aspect Divine Art. I happened to cultivate it myself, so I am closely tied to it. Rest assured, I’ll help you restore the sect.”

“What? You’ve been to the Ten Thousand Talismans? Then do you know its current state? Have you heard of its sacred treasure?”

Lei Xiang replied slowly, “The sect is in decline, in need of rebuilding. The sacred treasure? You mean the Blue Lotus Plate? It’s in my storage pouch, but I’ve lost all spiritual power and cannot open it to show you.”

Huang Qingyang’s skeleton shuddered, and the green orb flew out, circled the bones, and then entered the skull. The sound of floodwaters washing deadwood echoed, and Huang Qingyang’s head underwent a dramatic transformation; in an instant, flesh grew upon the skull, becoming indistinguishable from a living human’s. Huang Qingyang’s eyes locked onto Lei Xiang. “Come here, let me test you.”

Lei Xiang hesitated, but then approached and extended his right hand. The skeletal claw seized him, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy rushed into him. He did not resist, allowing it to sweep through his meridians. After a while, Huang Qingyang nodded, “Good lad, your meridians are so broad—several times wider than even a Core Formation cultivator’s. No wonder you mastered my art so quickly. Ha! Now I’ve cleared your barriers; from now on, you can absorb the spiritual energy here to nourish your meridians and gradually restore your cultivation.”

Lei Xiang was overjoyed. “Thank you, Elder Huang. I’ll redouble my efforts, strive to obtain the Spirit Rod soon, and help you escape as quickly as possible.”