Chapter 47: The New Plane Will Not Be Peaceful

With only the four of them left in the courtyard, Qin Anyu began preparing the medicinal herbs.

He needed to open his acupoints and clear his meridians, while Qin Wushuang needed treatment for his injuries. Upon examination, Qin Wushuang's wounds were all external, though whether his soul had suffered any damage was still uncertain and beyond his current detection capabilities.

Once the herbs were prepared, Qin Lingxue and Qin Youqing began tending to the fires.

The two girls circulated their cultivation techniques while keeping watch over the cauldrons, not forgetting to pepper Qin Anyu with questions.

"Eldest Brother, there are so many herbs for Second Brother's treatment, and they are all of such high quality. Is it really just for healing?"

"Eldest Young Master, this cauldron of medicine you're brewing looks like something used in a secret realm. Will it hurt just as much?"

"..."

Qin Anyu told them that Qin Wushuang's injury could be considered a blessing in disguise. These medicinal ingredients would make up for most of the missed opportunities and deficiencies from his Qi Nourishing realm, significantly strengthening his physical body. However, the ultimate realm could no longer be achieved since he had already advanced to the Qi Refining realm and could not turn back the clock.

Some things, if missed at a certain stage, could never be recovered no matter how much one wished to make up for them.

As for his own treatment, he did not elaborate. After all, they had no concept of the flawed physique, and he had no desire to share this "secret" with them.

The "Heaven-Reaching Decoction" and the "Meridian-Splitting Ointment" he was brewing today were different from the ones used in the secret realm; the herbs were of a higher grade, and their effects were broader and more potent.

The herbs brewed last time had mostly originated from the secret realm, with only a few procured from the Listening Wind Pavilion, mostly of mortal grade. Although they were aged herbs, they still fell far short of human-grade standards.

His medicinal soup was brewed first. After drinking the "Heaven-Reaching Decoction," he immediately submerged himself into the "Meridian-Splitting Ointment," immersing his entire body in the boiling medicinal liquid.

It still hurt—every single pore burned with agony.

However, having already unlocked three dantians, the effects of the *Heaven-Opening Primordial Scripture* began to manifest.

Not only did primordial qi accelerate its entry into his body, but the true qi within his three dantians increased rapidly, and his meridians were being forcefully activated.

Yet this time, it was not just painful; it was intensely itchy.

Although the cooling sensation produced by the previous two agents alleviated some of the pain, the itching caused by the activation of the meridians offered no relief.

The activation of the meridians did not mean they were cleared; it merely meant they reacted to stimulation, proving they could eventually be cleared and utilized—a sign that cultivation was possible. There was still a very long way to go before true unobstructed flow, and a massive amount of suffering awaited him.

The pain was overwhelming, akin to the previous time; the itching felt as though countless wounds across his entire body, both inside and out, were forming scabs for the first time, itching with an unbearable intensity.

He still tried his best to suppress his agony, only slowly exhaling bubbles to let the medicinal broth muffle his muffled groans as much as possible, barely surfacing so that all five million of his pores could be treated "fairly."

While enduring this torment, he carefully analyzed his meridians to ensure that his future cultivation would target the root of the problem. Occasionally, he thought that if that senior predecessor could acquire such a cultivation technique from the Qin clan, their subsequent path of cultivation would not have been so arduous.

Yet that was merely wishful thinking. Even if the entity had genuinely desired it back then, the Qin clan would never have handed it over. After all, the entity was merely an outsider with a flawed physique, and a supreme super-force like the Qin clan would never care about a Qi Refining realm practitioner with a flawed physique.

While enduring this torture, he also had to remain vigilant of the surrounding movements—not within the courtyard, but outside. After all, this was the Wuyuan Sect, and he had slaughtered their elites, showing no respect whatsoever to their ancestors and high-ranking sect elders.

At that moment, the members of the Wuyuan Sect were truly enraged. Someone had brazenly stormed from the outer gate straight into the inner gate, completely disregarding the high-ranking elders and ancestors, and had even chosen not to leave immediately, calmly staying behind to treat Qin Wushuang. Consequently, several elite disciples sought out the higher-ups to request permission for battle.

Although the sect's higher-ups secretly looked down upon such behavior—where were these disciples hiding in silence when he went on a killing spree earlier, only to crawl out and demonstrate loyalty now that the guests had settled in and the ancestor had already agreed to a settlement?—they still put on a show of sincerity.

Despite their disdain, the higher-ups dared not conceal anything. After all, the ancestor had not expressed any intention to sanction the intruders. Nevertheless, to show their dissatisfaction with the status quo, they sought out Fu Peng, conveyed the disciples' intentions, and requested permission to fight.

Playing roles at different levels of hierarchy.

As an ancient monster, Fu Peng was crystal clear about their hidden agendas, but he refused to play along. With an indifferent expression, he asked, "When he slaughtered those disciples, did any of you notice anything?"

"His combat power was immense; three or five disciples were no match for him."

"He treated killing as casually as stepping on ants. Some of our disciples vomited, some cried, and some retreated. Only a dozen dared to charge forward. What does that indicate?"

"It shows he is bloodthirsty, while our disciples are benevolent."

"Wrong. As cultivators, one must possess a heart of contention. Contention inevitably brings slaughter. You are confined to a corner and ignorant of the outside world; in the Chenqiao Plane, such scenes of slaughter are commonplace today. The fact that his strikes were fatal indicates either that he has been constantly engaged in slaughter, or that the faction he belongs to is immensely powerful and constantly bathed in blood, or that his master is formidable and slaughters anyone who defies them. Originally, I intended to take some of you along, but seeing you today, I realize you are still far from ready."

"Ancestor, then why did you kill Xie Fu and the other two?"

"Even if they had merely taken a step forward, this immortal would have tried my best to protect them. Instead, they hid in the back to watch the spectacle, remaining frozen in place while others charged. They lacked competence yet courted disaster, and all for the sake of a petty storage ring. Such individuals are not only completely useless to the sect, but they will also bring unmitigated disaster upon us. Let me tell you, in the Chenqiao Plane, forces akin to our Wuyuan Sect are dime a dozen. The moment someone provokes the wrong person, our entire sect will be wiped out."

"Ancestor, are we simply going to let them slap us in the face like this?"

"I only hope that this humiliation will force the sect into self-reflection, making everyone understand what can be done and what cannot, so we may avert total annihilation."

"Ancestor, can you really not deal with that Qin Anyu? We have already found out: he is merely the eldest son of a city lord's estate, discarded by our sect during the initial screening due to poor talent. Later, he went to the Linxia Sect to cultivate, but because he failed to advance to the sixth tier of the Qi Nourishing realm by age fourteen, he was expelled. I—"

"Stop, stop, stop. Is this the extent of your investigation? Do you seriously believe he killed our inner gate disciples purely out of luck? Do you actually think this immortal can defeat him?"

"Please enlighten us, Ancestor."

"All of you, combined, could not defeat him. Furthermore, he is no mere Qi Nourishing realm cultivator; he is a genuine Qi Refining realm practitioner. Moreover, the density of primordial qi surrounding him surpasses that of any single one of you. Not just him—the two young girls by his side are the same. Both are in the Qi Refining realm, surrounded by exceptionally dense primordial qi."

"Is that so? The young girl who spoke up is named Qin Lingxue. She only left our Wuyuan Sect two months ago, and back then, she was merely at the ninth tier of the Qi Nourishing realm. The other girl is Qin Anyu's maidservant; before their parents were captured by the Putian Gate, she had never cultivated at all."

"This indicates they encountered some incredible fortune during this period... Wait, did you say the Putian Gate captured his parents?"

"Yes. We didn't pay much attention to it before, but after he barged in today, we gathered and pieced this information together."

"No wonder he has been intentionally or unintentionally inquiring about news regarding the Putian Gate. I finally understand what he intends to do. The Chenqiao Plane... will soon cease to know peace."