Chapter 56: The Azure Lotus in the Flames

  Cultivators cultivate the Way, not to seek great destructive power, but to attain longevity and liberation. No matter how strong your powers are, there will come a day when you meet an opponent. Cultivators who cling to fighting often do not end well.

  Qin Huang created the human way, and all major sects retreated and ceased their activities. The Peng Lai immortal would rather abandon his foundation than collide head-on with Qin Huang. Only some small sects with no way out were annihilated by Qin Huang.

  When the Qin dynasty collapsed, those who chose to hide and retreat from the Dangmen returned with a vengeance, establishing their dominance in Zhongzhou. The Dangmen who refused to compromise with the Qin dynasty were mostly annihilated, and some survivors suffered greatly, losing 70-80% of their strength, making it impossible for them to compete with Kunlun and other sects again.

  After thousands of years of cultivation and accumulation, they even had the strength to compete with the Heavenly Court.

  Nowadays, human morality is collapsing, and Bai Qi must carefully consider his own future.

  Too small a sect can no longer satisfy Bai Qi's needs, too large a sect looks down on Bai Qi's qualifications. At first, Su Miao also misjudged him, thinking that Bai Qi's prospects were bleak. A demon clan, after finally refining the horizontal bone, why go to cultivate the demon clan's Taoist methods? The demon clan's Taoist methods may not be weak and can also point directly to the immortal road, but after going through the ancient and pre-ancient eras, most of the demon clan's Taoist methods are no longer complete, and the path of cultivation becomes very bleak.

  Many great demons, after refining the horizontal bones, immediately washed away the blood veins on their demon bodies and turned to cultivate human Taoist methods, with a rapid speed that made many geniuses also stare in shock.

  In Su Mu's eyes, Bai Qi was just a fool.

  But Bai Qi's Qing Lei Zhen Jie was invisible and traceless, even a true immortal couldn't tell. Of course, Bai Qi couldn't say to others when he joined the sect that he had obtained the true transmission of the Demon Clan's Immortal Emperor, or else who would dare to accept him.

  I thought that finding a small sect with a cultivator in the Refining Qi stage would be enough, but now it seems that at least a sect with a powerful Return to Void strongman sitting in charge is needed to provide some protection for myself.

  Everyone is scrambling for a foothold, small doors and small factions are being swallowed up at any time.

  Every day, fighting for life and death, where is the time to cultivate? Bai Qi suddenly understood this point, took a deep breath, and said to Pi Luo Tongzi: "I will be closed here for three months. You are a ghost of grass and wood, I will give you a low-grade magic weapon, Xuan Huang Hou Tu Fan."

  Bai Qi said, taking out the Xuan Huang Hou Tu flag he had obtained from Bai Shui Zhenren and handing it over to Pi Luo Tongzi.

  Baili Tongzi took over the long banner, loving it so much that he couldn't bear to let go. This xuanhuang houtu banner can protect his yin spirit, complementing each other perfectly. As a wood-type monster, this xuanhuang houtu banner can make his life force even stronger and condense his yin spirit.

  "Brother, three months later, I plan to find a medium-sized sect to join, and then you will hide in the Youling calabaza to avoid being caught and refined. During this time, you must thoroughly study the Xuan Huang Hou Tu flag, your weapon is only suitable for close combat."

  Baili Tongzi thanked him and went out to play. Bai Qi closed the door and started meditating in the cave.

  He closed the door, and at any time he could come out of the state of Tu Na, and there was no need for too much protection. Outside the door, he put Bei Luo Tong Zi, and added two symbol soldiers by his side. Bai Qi began to study the third chapter of Qing Lei Zhen Jie.

  Qing Lei's true solution consists of 24 chapters, with each six chapters corresponding to a major realm. Bai Qi has already started cultivating the third chapter and has acquired three more techniques, but only four talismans have condensed, which is due to his insufficient magical power. He wants to enhance his magical power, and the only quick way to do so is to let the Inverse Scale Spear devour something, but there's nothing in front of him that can be devoured, so Bai Qi can only stabilize his realm for now.

  When he finishes cultivating the third piece and can cultivate the fourth piece, Bai Qi will obtain the fourth Dao technique, and his realm will be stabilized in the middle of the Huaqi period.

  Three months is not a long time for a Qi Refiner, but Bai Qi has already completed the third chapter of Qing Lei's True Solution and started studying the fourth chapter.

  After the fourth piece began to cultivate, a talisman also condensed in Bai Qi's demon space. This talisman was deep red, like a ball of fire, but without temperature.

  After Bai Qi condensed this talisman, he obtained his fourth Dao technique - Green Lotus in the Fire.

  As soon as the fourth Dao technique was released, Bai Qi's mind and spirit immediately calmed down. Because in his body, all the Fu Luo seeds were split open, and each of the four Dao techniques was decomposed into six Fu Luo seeds.

  In just three months, he had already made initial achievements in all four Dao techniques. Moreover, each of the Dao techniques showed a promising future that moved people's hearts.

  Especially this fire in the green lotus technique, six talisman seeds are formed at once, and immediately transformed into a green lotus flower. On top of the lotus flower, a white primordial demon fire condensed.

  This demonic flame condensed, and in Bai Qi's mind, a passage of tens of thousands of words appeared.

  On those six petals of blue lotus, condensed are the six kinds of flames: Tribulation Flame, Karma Flame, True Flame, Purification Flame, Heavenly Flame, and Thunder Flame.

  These six major demon fires can eventually condense into 108 talismans, and the green lotus in the fire can transform into the primordial spirit body. This green lotus spiritual body enters and exits yin and yang, reverses the cycle of fate, and has infinite wonderful uses.

  After Bai Qi condensed this green lotus, he felt that he could summon the Inverse Scale Spear at any time and would no longer be rejected by it.

  In the fourth part of Qing Lei's true solution, there are many places where Bai Qi is not clear, mainly in this oral formula, which uses too many ancient and awkward words. Bai Qi's language cultivation is good, but these words are all used by alchemists, and he doesn't dare to ponder them randomly.

  The Taoist part of Qing Lei Zhen Jie is not difficult for Bai Qi to understand, but the Taoist law part is cautious and careful step by step, repeatedly pondering.

  Things have come to this point, he knows that locking himself up is useless and he must go out and gain some experience.

  "Let's go, Tongzi!" Bai Qi called out. Without another word, the child jumped into the gourd of the demon spirit. Bai Qi walked out of the cave and flew up, landing unsteadily in a mountain valley.

  Six talismans, still cannot make him fly safely. This wind-riding technique consumes a lot of yuanqi, and Bai Qi doesn't want to rely on this dao technique to hurry along before he can utilize the yuanqi between heaven and earth.

  Before long, his feet touched the ground and he immediately used the True Dragon Seven Killings technique, taking big strides to rush southward.

  Every step took him several zhang away, and the ground beneath his feet was trampled into a series of paw prints. His running speed was not much slower than that of an ordinary Jiedan stage cultivator in flight.

  He did not go north to Chu Jiang, although the seal of the King of Chu was in his hand. Bai Qi also dared to provoke the monsters in Chu Jiang. After walking south for half a day, crossing countless mountains, Bai Qi saw a plain, a small river more than ten zhang wide flowing slowly, and a simple town on the north bank.

  Bai Qi recalled the large map of Jin he had seen in his childhood, and it flashed through his mind that this place should be close to the border. Because it was located in the far west, far from Yunmeng, it was not yet under the control of the Luofu Sect.

  He slowed down his pace and walked into the town.

  Entering a sect to practice immortal cultivation isn't an easy thing, Bai Qi could only rely on luck. He walked into the town and saw that it wasn't as desolate as he had imagined, people were coming and going, there was a ferry by the river, and boats were bustling about.

  The villagers saw a white-clad Taoist walking in, looking around, but no one came to pay attention. Apparently, this cultivator was not as the officer had said, killing everywhere. In this mortal world, without the government, everything still operated normally.

  He got up early and went to the riverbank, found a wine house, and walked in.

  It's already winter, and in the north, heavy snow is falling, but south of the Central Plains, it's just a bit chilly. Bai Qi enters a wine shop, looking for a seat by the window. The small town is bustling, but this kind of store isn't particularly impressive; the tables and chairs inside haven't been varnished, and there are still oil stains on the large wooden table that haven't been wiped clean.

  The wine house was not big, with only one partner. When that partner saw a Taoist priest come in, he carefully wiped the table for Bai Qi.

  Bai Qi knew that this fellow wouldn't be able to get any wages, so he casually took out a few purple copper coins and tossed them over as a tip. The fellow became much more enthusiastic and introduced Bai Qi to the local food and drink.

  Inside the store, there was no one. Bai Qi asked a few more questions and only then did he learn that this place was called Taohua Town, and the river in front was called Douhe River. Taohua Town is located in the middle reaches of Douhe River, which can be navigated by boat all year round, so business has always been booming. The collapse of the Great Jin Dynasty had no impact on the people of Taohua Town, who continued to do business as usual and drink wine as usual.

  Across the river from Peach Blossom Town, there are ten thousand hectares of peach blossom forest. This is too rare in the south. The specialty of Peach Blossom Town is peach blossom wine.

  However, the real Peach Blossom Wine can only be found in Huangshi City downstream. Taohua Town is too small, and all the wealthy families have moved to Huangshi.

  Bai Qi heard the two words "Huang Shi" and suddenly thought of some sects in the cultivation world that Bai Shui Zhenren had mentioned. Near Huangshi City, there was indeed a fairly large-scale cultivation sect - Yunmeng Sect.

  This Yunmeng Sect is said to be located in the depths of the Great Marsh, with a true immortal sitting in town, and occupying two auspicious lands. Although its scale is not as good as Luofu, the surrounding sects have no opponents.

  Yunmeng Zong is a good choice for Bai, as the immortals are all cultivating in the blessed land and won't come to interfere with mortal affairs. The ones who control the sect are only the Jindan cultivators of the Returning Void stage.

  If Bai Qi could join the Yunmeng Sect and be recognized by them, then he wouldn't have to worry about his cultivation anymore.

  Yunmeng Sect is also a well-known sect, with countless classics for cultivating the Tao. Even if Bai Qi couldn't become a core disciple, he could still smoothly enter the Hua Shen stage. He has the skills, what's lacking is someone to guide him.

  Bai Qi remained expressionless, and suddenly threw himself at the door. Being suspected was always unpleasant for him. He ordered a jug of peach blossom wine, had two dishes of vegetables prepared, and drank by himself while gazing out the window at the view. The peach blossoms on the opposite bank had already wilted; if they were in full bloom, their fiery red reflections would be rippling in the river water, making for a truly magnificent sight.

  Bai Qi was thinking about how to enter the Yunmeng Sect, when another Daoist in black robes walked in. The Daoist was not tall, with dark skin and a wooden expression. Seeing that Bai Qi had occupied a good position, he didn't say much and found a corner to sit down. From that position, he could still see the outside scenery over Bai Qi's table.

  The Taoist sat down properly and then saluted Bai Qi with a bow. Bai Qi returned the courtesy, but the Taoist did not speak, beckoning his servant to bring food, and then sat there like a piece of wood, silent and speechless.