Chapter Forty-Three: The Catalyst Complete

In the distant night sky, streams of radiant light streaked brilliantly, majestic and unstoppable. In just a few breaths, they descended before Chen Jiu. With a flash of rosy glow, five men clad in jade robes appeared.

An Huayuan stood at the forefront; it was likely he who had brought the people from the Bureau of Civil Affairs. Upon seeing Chen Jiu, he was momentarily stunned, then hurriedly asked, “Master Daoist, where are those Jade Core cultivators?”

“They have already left,” Chen Jiu replied.

Another man of some standing within the Bureau half-closed his eyes and spoke in a deep voice, “The energies here are chaotic; indeed, there are three distinct auras belonging to Jade Core cultivators.”

An Huayuan turned to him, “Deputy Liu, does the Chief know about this?”

The man addressed as Deputy Liu nodded. “The Chief is already aware. Perhaps he even knows one of them.”

An Huayuan’s gaze flickered, then he looked again at Chen Jiu, frowning as he asked, “Tell us the details of what happened.”

Chen Jiu looked at An Huayuan, catching an unusual glint in his eyes. He instantly understood. This matter began with the bamboo scroll from the An family. If it were exposed, the Bureau might launch a deep investigation into the An family’s past. Naturally, An Huayuan wished to avoid such scrutiny, as it concerned the welfare of his entire family in Yunmeng Prefecture.

Thus, Chen Jiu recounted the events, but altered the origin: three Jade Core cultivators were settling a personal feud, and he was innocently caught in the middle. He changed the outcome as well—one was defeated and fled, the other two pursued him. As for his own survival, he mentioned it only in passing, without a word about the bamboo scroll.

An Huayuan cast a grateful look at Chen Jiu.

As Chen Jiu was the only witness, he was taken to the Bureau for further inquiry, with An Huayuan accompanying him throughout. If Chen Jiu were to suffer any injustice there, it might reflect badly on An Huayuan himself.

…

At dawn the next day, Chen Jiu and An Huayuan stood facing each other at the entrance of the Bureau.

“This matter has come to an end,” An Huayuan stretched lazily.

Chen Jiu, a bit apologetic, said, “I failed to protect the bamboo scroll. I ask Deputy for forgiveness.”

An Huayuan waved his hand and sighed, “Ah, don’t blame yourself. Even the Chief couldn’t have held onto it… It’s nothing; lost is lost. Perhaps it’s even a blessing.”

After all, the bamboo scroll was truly not a good thing for a mortal family.

Misfortune may turn to fortune.

An Huayuan then hinted, “There are indeed several cultivation caves within the Bureau, but they're reserved for official cultivators.”

Chen Jiu’s heart stirred, “Is it possible to enter for a fee?”

He urgently needed a place for secluded cultivation, now that he had acquired numerous magical artifacts requiring time to refine. Most importantly, the lotus platform would soon be fully activated—ten days or so.

An Huayuan first shook his head, then smiled, “Officially, no, but with my token, you may enter.”

Chen Jiu was surprised, “Even though you’re not a cultivator, you can access them?”

An Huayuan chuckled, “I may not be a cultivator, but I am Deputy, after all.”

Chen Jiu saw the light.

An Huayuan then pointed out the cultivation sites within the Bureau, handed his waist token to Chen Jiu, and took his leave, instructing him to find him after finishing his cultivation.

With the Deputy’s token in hand, Chen Jiu passed by towering buildings to reach the foot of a mountain. An Huayuan had told him that beneath the Bureau ran a spiritual vein, rich in energy, able to support more than ten cultivators at once. By rank, the Deputy’s accessible caves were naturally the finest.

Chen Jiu was secretly delighted; he had not only escaped blame for losing the bamboo scroll, but was now granted such a luxurious cave for cultivation. Still, he could guess at An Huayuan’s intentions—perhaps he wished to win Chen Jiu over, nurture him as a trusted subordinate. Though An Huayuan held the Deputy’s rank, he lacked cultivation and was thus overshadowed by others like Deputy Liu.

Chen Jiu, grateful for An Huayuan’s favor, nevertheless refused to become anyone’s dependent. He sought longevity, aimed to amass a thousand merits, to return to his temple for devoted study, or perhaps retire to a remote mountain for quiet cultivation.

According to Bureau regulations in Xinyang County, accumulating a thousand merits meant no longer bound by the “Daoist Decree,” allowing one to return to the temple or secularize at will.

As stray thoughts crowded his mind, Chen Jiu regained himself, cast aside worries, and entered the cave.

Through a narrow passage, Chen Jiu reached a spacious cavern. The surrounding rock walls were inlaid with luminous stones called Moonstones.

He surveyed the caves, then walked straight to the only vacant superior cave.

The moment he entered, his expression changed dramatically. Instantly, his internal cultivation method began to operate of its own accord!

Chen Jiu was thrilled—this was a sign of the overwhelming abundance of spiritual energy.

Without hesitation, he strode to the center, seating himself with a soft “plop” on a meditation cushion.

He paused, then took out all his belongings: five yellow beans, a magic sword, a pale green lotus platform, a small banner, a secret manual, and a pouch.

These were all his possessions since entering the world of cultivation—each hard-won.

His gaze locked onto the lotus platform first. For its sake, he had earned the enmity of the Ascension Tower’s master and was still hunted by the “Suspended Eye.”

“Let’s hope you won’t disappoint me.”

Chen Jiu quietly closed his eyes, gripping the lotus platform, and began to activate it with a secret technique.

Meanwhile, his internal Long Spring Technique operated tirelessly, gradually advancing his cultivation.

The pale yellow flowers blooming in his pill chamber’s Long Spring tree were already showing signs of bearing fruit!

When the Long Spring tree bore fruit, it would mark Chen Jiu’s ascent to the First Floor of Immortals and the birth of his personal treasure.

What unsettled Chen Jiu most was the impossibility of predicting what kind of treasure the fruit would yield—a peerless flying sword, perhaps, or an impenetrable armor, or even a useless trinket…

That was one reason why the Long Spring Technique was unpopular: not only was it extremely difficult to cultivate, but all its power was devoted to nourishing the body, unable to command thunder or harmonize the five elements, lacking dominance.

Most importantly, the personal treasure it produced was entirely random…

This discouraged many would-be cultivators.

Time slipped by, and nearly ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Jiu hadn’t moved a muscle throughout.

The lotus platform in his palm underwent a dramatic transformation. All its previous stains vanished completely.

It was now crystal clear, alternating blue and white, as if carved from fine jade!

Ripples of azure light continuously emanated from the lotus platform, spreading in all directions.

At this moment, as if sensing a profound connection, Chen Jiu slowly opened his eyes.

He gazed at the lotus platform wreathed in blue light, lips parting gently:

“Open.”