Lingering Mountains Grotto

Xu Lian and Wen Yun stood on the edge of a floating island, overlooking the lush green forest that covered much of its surface. Xu Lian had been instrumental in the development of the flora on this island, using his powerful wood path techniques to create a diverse ecosystem that provided both beauty and sustenance.

"I have to admit, Xu Lian, your wood path techniques have really brought this island to life." - Wen Yun said, her eyes scanning over the lush landscape.

"It's amazing how quickly everything has grown since you arrived. Bao clan's experts broke contact, I had to ask you."

Xu Lian smirked, his usual demeanor slipping through.

"Well, I do have a way with plants." - He said, his tone tinged with a hint of arrogance.

"I owe the Wen clan a debt for taking me in when I was exiled from Bao clan. This is my way of repaying them for their hospitality. Besides, it's not like I have anywhere else to go."

Wen Yun sensed a hint of bitterness in his words and decided to change the subject.

"Have you thought about what you want to do next, Xu Lian?"

"Not at all. I have to first pay back your clan. That is already something difficult, I have to plan it out." - Xu Lians heart genuinely ached, he was in deep debt.

Wen Yun nodded in understanding.

She turned back and continued to admire the flora on the island. This was a floating island that she was responsible for!

In the meanwhile, Xu Lian's mind was already working on his own agenda. His plan was to infiltrate the Wen clan's gu house. He had already made some inquiries but needed more information to make his move.

"Hey, Wen Yun." - Xu Lian interrupted her reverie.

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

Wen Yun turned to him, her expression curious.

"Tell me. What is it? What me to refine a specific gu?"

"I've been hearing some rumors about a gu house among these islands. I heard the competition winner gu masters could enter it to gain inspiration." - Xu Lian said, trying to sound casual. "Do you know anything about it?"

Wen Yun's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you ask?"

Xu Lian shrugged.

"Just curious, I guess. I've been the son of the grotto lord, so I got many things others couldn't, but also missed out on some others as a result."

Wen Yun hesitated for a moment before confirming. "Yes, I know of the gu house. It's called Wondrous Inspiration Pagoda."

"I visit it sometimes when I have some refinement problems I can't solve." - She explained.

"However, if you are not a Wen clan member, it is only accessible to those who have won the competition."

Xu Lian nodded, feigning disappointment. "I see. That's too bad."

Wen Yun's expression softened.

"But if you are determined, there might still be a way. I can put in a good word for you. It's not easy, but it might be possible."

Xu Lian smiled, feeling his plan coming together.

"That would be great. I really appreciate it."

Wen Yun nodded, her gaze returning to the lush landscape.

"You know, Xu Lian, this island is really something special. I think you could do great things here. With you here, you could manage a lot of the areas that we depend on Bao clan to do for us."

Xu Lian smiled, feeling a flicker of warmth in his cold heart that had been absent for a long time.

"Maybe I can." - He said, his voice filled with indecision.

"Maybe I will."

But in his mind he already ridiculed the notion of settling down. He was already hatching plans to sneak into the gu house and gain access to the secrets within if they denied him entry.

* * * * *

Lingering Mountains Grotto

Some days later Xu Lian was surprised when Wen Bo came looking for him. He wondered what the reason could be, but he didn't have to wait long to find out. Wen Bo had a proposition for him, and Xu Lian's ears perked up as he listened.

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"Xu Lian, I have a proposal for you to enter our gu house." - Wen Bo said, his expression serious.

Xu Lian nodded, sensing that there was more to the story. "What do you want me to do?"

Wen Bo leaned in, his voice low. "We know that you have an immortal oath placed on you, preventing you from seeking revenge against your former clan. We have a method to remove that oath, but we need your cooperation."

Xu Lian's heartbeat quickened as he considered the implications. He wanted revenge against his former clan, but he knew that it was impossible as long as the immortal oath was in place. Could this be his chance to finally be free?

"I'm listening." Xu Lian said, trying to keep his excitement in check.

Wen Bo explained the details of the plan, and Xu Lian listened intently. He would have to remove the current alliance agreement he had with Wen clan and replace it with another, more binding one. If he agreed to the terms, he would be granted access to enter the Wondrous Inspiration Pagoda as he wished.

Xu Lian didn't hesitate.

"I agree to the terms." - He said, his eyes shining with anticipation.

Wen Bo nodded, and together they made their way to the gu house.

"I thought, I could only enter afterwards." - Xu Lian noted questioningly.

"You know how the members of Wen clan are bound by Bao clan's killer move, while Bao clan members are bound by our Wen clan's method. The gu house is needed to remove the immortal oath, because Bao clan's method on us forbids to remove the oath." - Wen Bo pointed out.

Once they were inside, Wen Bo explained the steps they would perform to remove the immortal oath.

A new figure appeared from the depths of the Wondrous Inspiration Pagoda.

"Step inside the formation." - The will of Old Refinement instructed.

Xu Lian stepped inside and floated to the middle.

"I'll leave to two of you to it. Just this much is already pushing the limits of my immortal oath." - Wen Bo wiped a trace of blood as he left the two of them there and closed the gu house.

* * * * *

Xu Lian Blessed Land

Bao Zhi sat on the lush green grass, surrounded by towering trees and the gentle babble of a nearby stream. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, searching for a deeper understanding of the human path killer move he was trying to develop.

"Human qi... It is related to qi path, it is still the crux of the problem." - He thought.

Bao Zhi began by feeling and controlling the human qi that surrounded him, using the Near Qi gu and Flowing Currents gu again. He experimented with different ways of channeling the qi, shaping it into different forms and trying to understand the mechanics of its flow.

As he continued to meditate, Bao Zhi started to wonder about the nature of qi itself. He knew there were many different types of qi, from yin and yang to earth and heaven qi. But he couldn't help but feel that there was something more crucial about qi that eluded him.

"Qi path was the path established third after space and time path. This alone shows how fundamental it is. Space and time are concepts easily understood at a basic level. But what exactly is qi?" - He wondered.

He focused his mind even further, trying to uncover the truth behind qi. He could feel the qi's energy and its all-encompassing nature, but he still couldn't figure out what it meant.

...

Suddenly, the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. He had finally understood the true nature of qi.

Qi was a state of matter!

Bao Zhi's eyes flew open as he realized that the human qi he was manipulating was like a gaseous resource of human path. It contained tiny fragments of human path dao marks. Even smaller than mortal gu or mortal gu materials. These tiny fragments were continuous on a larger scale, one could not discern a single fragment from the whole.

"Aha! Frost qi has minuscule size ice path dao mark fragments, while poison path has tiny poison path dao mark fragments..."

The simplicity of the idea stunned him. It was right before him the whole time.

"That's it! Qi is not just a form of energy, it's a state of matter. That's why it can be manipulated and used in so many different ways! That's why it can substitute gu worms so readily."

So why did this not occur to him before?

He knew the Great Dao the best through his great grandmaster wood path attainment. So far he thought that qi path materials were mainly made of qi path dao marks, like it was with wood path.

It was a reasonable theory on his part.

"Qi is more akin to formation path than wood path. Even though there are pure formation path gu worms, the formations themselves are not made of formation path dao marks, but dao marks of other paths. Qi path is actually like so as well." - He realized the similarity.

"One should not ask what qi is because qi can be anything. When sparse, it is like the wind. When gathered, it flows like water. When stagnant, it resembles a lifeless stone. When focused, it can cut like a sharp blade... This is how qi is."

He felt his understanding of qi path has deepened a level.

"This is quasi-master attainment. Realizing the greatness. Grasping it, that would be already master attainment. I'm still far from achieving that."

Bao Zhi was very clear about his accomplishment, but he did not let it get to his head. His attainment in qi path was just ordinary before this. He understood most of the other paths only at a surface level. Reaching just quasi-master attainment in qi path humbled him.

"Those who reach master attainment in a single path are already truly incredible. They are indeed worthy of the title of 'master'. But as one walks further and further along their path, they tend to forget that their path is not the whole path, not the Great Dao."

This experience reminded him how vast and profound the Great Dao was. Something he thought he understood was actually just a shallow reflection of the underlying truth.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes once again, feeling the qi around him. He was ready to move forward.

Eager to test his new understanding, Bao Zhi immediately began to control his human qi, gathering all of it into his body. As he did so, a surprising phenomenon happened.

He felt his aura vanish without a trace.

He activated an investigative gu. This rank five gu could detect the unconcealed presence of immortals.

All it detected was a mortal body.

Bao Zhi grinned to himself, realizing that he could use this technique to hide his presence and remain unnoticed.

"I see! It seems as if this body was no different from a mortal. The gu immortal aura I had is completely gone."

Next he activated two other investigative gu to check again. The result was the same.

"I still have to be wary, immortal killer moves might still be able to detect the dao marks on my body by indirect means." - He reminded himself.

The other thing he noticed was his awareness of his surrounding also decreased as a result. The halo of human qi around him acted as an extension of his own body to an extent, it was what connected him to the outside world. But as the qi was drawn in, his sense of self heightened in turn.

"Let's call this technique Concealed Human Qi." - He said to himself.

Although it wasn't the killer move he had originally set out to develop, Bao Zhi couldn't help but feel excited about this unexpected gain. It was actually his first human path killer move he created.

* * * * *