Chapter Fifty-Four: Drawing the Fire from Beneath the Cauldron

Ge Qian knew his opponent was hiding in the shadows, using tricks against him without daring to confront him directly. This meant either their strengths were evenly matched, or the enemy was trapped, unable to attack with full force—possibly subject to some restriction. Therefore, he sought a way to escape from the classical texts of the Confucian school.

Soon, he found a passage: a king waged war across the land, but came upon a city he could not conquer. In the end, he used cunning, undermined the city's internal cohesion, and achieved a resounding victory—“removing the firewood from beneath the cauldron.”

Having previously practiced “swapping beams for pillars” and “the winding path leads to a new vista,” Ge Qian quickly immersed himself, as if he were living the experience. Such was the power of Confucian classics: they subtly led one into the realm between reality and illusion, and without true understanding, one could easily become lost, even perish within.

Fortunately, Ge Qian possessed the tender sprout in his dantian, and with the courage to embrace the truth without fear, he felt no anxiety and could delve deeply.

Not far from the ghostly face of yin energy, a human visage formed by a transformed primordial spirit watched Ge Qian’s every move with a cold, gleaming gaze.

Muttering to himself, the face said, “It's been tens of thousands of years. If not for my cultivation of the ‘Calamity God Art’ and the strength of my primordial spirit, I would have perished here long ago. Still, it was my own carelessness. I never expected those three ancient monsters undergoing tribulation to strike together, wielding forbidden arts and using the Nine-Turn Divine Nail to seal me in the lower realm.”

At this, the face twisted with boundless hatred. But seeing Ge Qian beneath the demonic gourd, it let out a cold laugh. “Hmph! You three old fools, you were afraid, so you joined forces to fight me. Clearly, you feared me. My ‘Calamity God Art’ filled you with terror, threatening your positions. Yet you never imagined, even with the laws of the lower realm suppressing my powers, you could not erase me. Instead, I found the weakness in the formation—heaven favors me! After exhausting my essence, I can now send the calamity yin energy outside the array, attracting cultivators to come. I will seize one in a single stroke. With my talent, it won’t be long before I ascend to the spirit realm. Then, free from the constraints of rules, I’ll swiftly regain my powers. That will be your death day. No, I won’t let you die easily. I’ll seal your souls in the Nine Nether Rift, to rot under the winds of the netherworld day and night!”

As he spoke, the face grew increasingly excited. Watching Ge Qian frown, he said, “This child’s talent is mediocre, but his primordial spirit is strong. Devouring him would satisfy my craving, and his body is barely adequate. It seems he cultivates both body and spirit. I cannot discern the origin of that gourd—it must be remarkable. Yet in his hands, its power cannot be unleashed. Truly a pearl cast before swine, a treasure wasted. But if it were mine, I could roam the world unhindered. To break its defense, I must use ‘Infinite Calamity Wave,’ but once I use it, I’ll fall asleep again, unable to seize a body. That would be a loss, and I might remain sealed forever. No rush, I’ll see how long he can last.”

Protected by the demonic gourd, Ge Qian relaxed, opened his heart, and began to comprehend.

His previous epiphany had occurred fifty years ago, and his mind was now as steadfast as stone. At the crucial moment, the tender sprout in his dantian aided him, eliminating all worries and filling him with confidence.

Two hours passed in a flash. In truth, Ge Qian’s mind and spirit had endured a century, and just as he was about to lose all vitality—

The tender sprout in his dantian, after a hundred years of tempering, grew into two vibrant green leaves, with runes shimmering upon them.

The green leaves swayed gently, sending forth waves of pure life energy. Spreading from his dantian through his entire body, the waves restored Ge Qian, who had become a withered skeleton, back to his prime—elderly, middle-aged, youth.

Ge Qian suddenly stood up, brimming with spirit, glanced at the swirling ghost faces around him, and smiled faintly. He formed a seal and pointed, declaring, “The winding path leads to a new vista!”

With his gesture, a transparent corridor pierced through the mist of ghost faces, forming a bridge between existence and nothingness. With a flicker, Ge Qian appeared outside the yin energy of the ghost faces.

The human face was utterly shocked, thinking secretly: What kind of divine art is this? It faintly contains the power of law. Even for a cultivator of the great ascension stage, this is merely entry-level, and using it requires immense spiritual force. This technique completely defies all conventional understanding.

It must be that mysterious classic—I must obtain it! At this, greed and murderous intent flashed across the face, but with a turn of the eye, he concealed all traces of it.

All the ghost faces turned into yin energy, opening a path and revealing his true form.

Within a ten-meter radius stood nine massive silver pillars, pulsing with spiritual light and runes, forming a unique array that, at a glance, seemed to pierce the observer with a thousand spikes.

Within the array, an elderly man with benevolent brows and kind eyes was imprisoned.

With the appearance of compassion and empathy, the old man gazed pitifully at Ge Qian. From time to time, the array would send out a bolt of silver lightning, striking and blurring him.

The old man smiled at Ge Qian and said, “Young man, our meeting is destined. To tell you the truth, I was harmed by a villain, and through carelessness ended up in this plight. Would you help me?”

Ge Qian’s pupils contracted. With the yin energy dispersed, he saw the true situation: if the silver lightning struck him, he would be instantly annihilated, leaving not even a trace behind.

Yet the old man endured blow after blow through his primordial spirit alone; his cultivation was beyond Ge Qian’s imagination. Could he be a legendary cultivator of the Divine Transformation stage?

At this thought, Ge Qian immediately became cautious. Even trapped, such a person was not to be trifled with. Better to feign cooperation and look for a chance to escape.

He would not be deceived by the old man’s appearance; the world is full of those who say one thing and do another, who swindle and cheat.

With righteous indignation, Ge Qian declared grandly, “Senior, I despise those who use schemes to harm others, who dare not face their enemies directly. I will save you! If you have any requests, please ask.”

The old man smiled, satisfied. A mere child is nothing before me.

He then spoke with a pained expression, “Young man, I appreciate your kindness, but with your current strength, you cannot rescue me—you’d be destroyed by the Silver Fiend Lightning. I wish to take you as my disciple, to teach you the supreme art, the ‘Calamity God Art.’ Within a thousand years, you will reach the Divine Transformation stage, and then you can break the array and free me.”

Ge Qian was incredulous. “Senior, surely you jest. To reach the Divine Transformation stage in a thousand years—my talent is far too mediocre to achieve that.”

“Young man, do you know what kind of being I am? I would never lie or deceive. To tell you the truth, I am not of this world, but from the Spirit Realm. Scheming villains used treachery to cast me down to the lower realm and seal me here. Yet they underestimated my skill. After countless ages, I still endure!” The old man spoke with pride.

Ge Qian’s heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out. He had thought the opponent was one of the top experts of the human world, but he was actually from the upper realm—such beings are ancient monsters, living for tens of thousands of years, their powers vast and unmatched.

He would never believe someone like this would truly impart his art. Dealing with such a person was like skinning a tiger—a perilous endeavor that could end in eternal damnation.

Outwardly, however, he acted delighted, like a country lad receiving riches on his first trip to the city. “Please guide me, senior. I am deeply grateful!”