Chapter Fifteen: The Curtain Rises

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Though at their first meeting, Qian Kun appeared somewhat reclusive and aloof, showing little desire to converse with Qin De, Qin De took no offense whatsoever. In his eyes, this was the true demeanor of a master. Moreover, the three spiritual artifacts that Qian Kun had gifted him filled Qin De with indescribable joy.

From that day on, Qin De visited Cloud Mist Manor more frequently. Although he seldom caught a glimpse of Qian Kun on each visit, he persisted, instructing his son Qin Yu to diligently follow Qian Kun Immortal’s guidance in cultivation, and to heed his master’s words.

As Qin Yu devoted himself to his cultivation, three years swiftly passed. Throughout these years, Qin Yu practiced the body-refining technique taught by Qian Kun, which was in fact the first stage of the Ninefold Origin Art. The Ninefold Origin Art was even more profound than the Eight-Nine Mystic Art—a body-refining method of exceptional mystery. Though he only cultivated the first stage, it was more than sufficient for Qin Yu.

While the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was scarce in the mortal world, the effects of cultivating the first stage of the Ninefold Origin Art far surpassed Qin Yu’s own strenuous physical training. In just over half a year, Qin Yu reached the innate level in external arts, acquiring innate true energy within his body.

For the next two years, Qin Yu continued to cultivate with utmost dedication, achieving the great perfection of the innate level in external arts. His flesh was now as strong as that of a Golden Core cultivator. Yet, he still had not sensed the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation.

…

The Hidden Dragon Continent was vast, but the oceans beyond it were ten—hundred times greater. Suddenly—

The boundless sea began to surge violently. There was no hurricane, no apparent cause; it simply churned as if by magic. Simultaneously, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth throughout the Purple Profound Star trembled fiercely. Waves soared a hundred feet high and crashed down thunderously. All cultivators felt the spiritual energy in chaos, unable to absorb it for a time.

Swoosh… In the sky, a dazzling meteor appeared out of nowhere, shooting straight toward the Hidden Dragon Continent with a piercing whistle. Moments later, the meteor vanished, and the spiritual energy stabilized instantly. The boundless sea returned to its usual calm.

On the guest bed in Cloud Mist Manor, Qian Kun, who had been quietly meditating for an unknown length of time, suddenly opened his eyes.

"This fluctuation… Could it be that it has arrived?" Qian Kun muttered, squinting as his vast spiritual sense swept outward, and his figure vanished without a trace.

In the next instant, he appeared above the night sky, looking down. In a courtyard of Cloud Mist Manor, he saw Qin Yu leaping from the rooftop, finding in the grass a red crystal, shaped like a pendant, resembling a teardrop.

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"Meteor Tears—it is indeed the Meteor Tears! Now that the Meteor Tears has arrived, the Divine King Jiang Lan and the heroine Jiang Li should soon come to the Purple Profound Star as well. The curtain of the story is about to rise," Qian Kun whispered to himself, before once again vanishing, returning to his guest bed to continue his cultivation.

Early the next morning, Qian Kun summoned Qin Yu by transmitting his voice, instructing him to venture into the Boundless Wilderness to temper himself. He also gave Qin Yu the Thunder Mountain Residence and the Dream Ring that he had obtained earlier.

"Master, are you leaving?" Seeing Qian Kun’s manner of giving instructions, Qin Yu could not help but ask, sensing the meaning behind it.

Looking at Qin Yu’s reluctant gaze, Qian Kun smiled and gently patted his head. "Alright, Xiao Yu, you’re no longer a child. You’re already sixteen—it’s time for you to strike out on your own. I’ve simply grown bored here and wish to travel for a while. I hope that when I next see you, you will have overcome the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation and truly become an immortal cultivator."

"Yes! Don’t worry, Master—I will cultivate diligently and strive to pass the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation soon and become an immortal," Qin Yu nodded earnestly.

"Good, I believe you can do it," Qian Kun said, then added, "By the way, in Thunder Mountain Residence there is a technique called ‘Stellar Transformation’—it suits you well. After you pass the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation, begin cultivating Stellar Transformation."

After instructing Qin Yu, Qian Kun quietly departed. Qin De, Feng Yuzi, and the others learned of Qian Kun’s departure only after Qin Yu bade them farewell, explaining his intention to train in the Boundless Wilderness. Although somewhat regretful, they understood that someone like Qian Kun could never be confined forever within the mundane world. The world of cultivators was far broader than they could imagine.

In the blink of an eye, Qian Kun had been gone for over two years. Qin Yu, who had trained in the Boundless Wilderness for more than two years, finally overcame the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation, began cultivating the Stellar Transformation technique, and returned home successful.

Upon his return, Qin Yu discovered something that surprised and delighted him—Lian Yan had successfully overcome the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation, formed his Golden Core, and become a true immortal cultivator.

Lian Yan’s age was already considerable; he had long reached the great perfection of the innate stage but had never sensed the tribulation.

Before Qian Kun’s departure, Qin Yu had obtained some Stone Flame Iron, asking him to craft spiritual artifacts. Qian Kun forged three supreme spiritual inner armors from the top-grade crystal Stone Flame Iron, as well as a supreme spiritual saber and a supreme spiritual flying sword.

Qin De upgraded his equipment, using a supreme spiritual inner armor himself, and gifted Lian Yan the top-grade spiritual inner armor previously given to him by Qian Kun, along with the supreme spiritual saber.

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With the top-grade spiritual inner armor as protection, Lian Yan slew his old enemy Yi Qingyu during the competition for the Sky Chart, his state of mind transformed. Soon after, he sensed the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation, and during the ordeal, relying on the armor and saber, he passed the lightning tribulation with relative ease and condensed his Golden Core.

At the same time, Qin Yu learned another piece of news—his father Qin De had also sensed the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation.

As Qin De prepared to face the tribulation, Qin Yu and the others were somewhat anxious but not worried. They carefully selected the site for the ordeal, but during the tribulation, a traitor betrayed them. Emperor Xiang Guang of the Chu Dynasty summoned two imperial immortals, Wu De and Wu Xing, intending to kill Qin De.

However, they had not anticipated that Feng Yuzi’s strength had greatly increased, and Qin De’s side now included Qin Yu and Lian Yan, both Golden Core cultivators. In the ensuing battle in the Green Lotus Mountains, Qin Yu unleashed his power and slew Wu De and Wu Xing in succession.

Having killed the Chu Dynasty’s two imperial immortals, Qin De and his allies were invigorated. Upon returning, they launched a direct assault on the Chu Dynasty, for which the Qin family had long been preparing. Their decisive attack shattered the Chu army, drawing out the dynasty’s ancestral patriarch, Xiang Yang. Though Xiang Yang was a Nascent Soul cultivator, Qin Yu personally engaged him in a fierce battle, ultimately slaying him.

The Qin family seized the realm, while Qin Yu soon bade farewell to his father and two elder brothers, taking Little Black—who had just formed his Golden Core after passing the Forty-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation—and left the Hidden Dragon Continent, embarking on a journey of adventure in the world of demon cultivators in the endless ocean. Amidst great upheaval in the underwater demon cultivation world, Qin Yu was destined to rise in dazzling fashion.

And where was Qian Kun at this time? In truth, more than two years earlier, Qian Kun had left Cloud Mist Manor and proceeded directly from the Hidden Dragon Continent to the Soaring Dragon Continent.

Qian Kun had only one purpose in coming to the Soaring Dragon Continent—to seek out the accumulated cultivation techniques and secret manuals of its immortal sects. In the span of over two years, Qian Kun traveled nearly every immortal sect, large and small, on the continent. Using his spatial abilities, he easily infiltrated their sects, perused their jade slips and archives, and, when intrigued, studied their protective formations. He was thoroughly engrossed in this pursuit.