This was the fundamental reason Yuanchu Mountain remained unshakable.
"In all these years, has no one ever broken this rule and shared Yuanchu Mountain’s cultivation skills for everyone to practice?"
"The world is so vast. Are all Qi Refining skills really controlled by Yuanchu Mountain and the Demon Sect?"
Xuanyuan Jinkang pressed.
He thought of Eunuch Liu’s death. With his talent, if he had obtained a Qi Refining skill, he surely wouldn’t have been stuck at the third level of the True Martial Realm.
And he certainly wouldn’t have died on Black Bear Island.
"There have been many with such ambitions. But no matter who they are, once they attain that power, they grow afraid of others becoming as strong as them. So they uphold the established rules and pass them down."
"Even Loose Cultivators from overseas won’t easily divulge their cultivation skills, especially not within the territories of the Great Yuan or the Turkic Khaganate. If discovered, they would be hunted down by experts from both Yuanchu Mountain and the Demon Sect."
Liu Ziyun said with a wry smile.
He had held a high position for a long time, governing Qingzhou Prefecture. He was worldly and experienced, and his understanding of human nature was far more profound than that of young men like Chu Lingguang and Xuanyuan Jinkang.
Chu Lingguang and Xuanyuan Jinkang both felt a sense of suffocation.
To think there were people in this world who could blot out the sky with a single hand, keeping all that power firmly in their grasp.
’If I don’t go to Yuanchu Mountain to train, could I use my Favor Points to get a Qi Refining-level Cultivation Technique later on?’
’If I really did get a technique like that, broke through the True Martial Realm, and became a Qi Refining expert, would Yuanchu Mountain or the Demon Sect come after me?’
’Would they try to recruit me, or would they try to eliminate me?’
Chu Lingguang wondered.
Although he longed to go to Yuanchu Mountain, and had even made a pact with Yan Zhen to enter it together, he also planned to help Xuanyuan Jinkang get in as well, to repay his debt to Eunuch Liu.
But deep down, he’d always harbored the idea that he might be different from everyone else. That he could use his Favor Points to acquire a Qi Refining skill.
If such a skill were placed right in front of him.
And if it could help Guo Wei break through to become a Qi Refining expert as well, Chu Lingguang knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it from him.
But now it seemed that even if he did obtain such a skill by a stroke of luck, he couldn’t just start practicing it. He would have to be incredibly secretive and never let the information leak.
"You are both young prodigies with ample opportunity to train at Yuanchu Mountain. I’ll be counting on you both in the future."
Liu Ziyun knew that while Xuanyuan Jinkang’s talent was no match for Chu Lingguang’s, he had been through life and death with him. Chu Lingguang would never abandon him.
"We’ll take that as a good omen, Your Excellency."
The two men raised their cups to Liu Ziyun.
"Your Excellency, Eunuch Liu went with me to Xiazigou to help me eliminate the pirates. It was on that island that he encountered the Cloud Mist Flood Dragon and lost his life in the South Sea. I implore you to report this to the Court and request a posthumous title for Eunuch Liu, so that he may rest in peace."
Thinking of Eunuch Liu, Chu Lingguang rose and knelt.
"Without my master, we never would have been able to take Xiazigou. Please, Your Excellency, grant his request."
Xuanyuan Jinkang knelt beside him.
"Eunuch Liu was loyal and righteous, and he gave his life for his country. Even if you hadn’t asked, I would have reported the full truth to the Court to honor his spirit."
Liu Ziyun helped them to their feet and said solemnly.
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
Chu Lingguang and Xuanyuan Jinkang said in unison.
"I don’t know many details about what happened at Xiazigou that day. Why don’t you take this opportunity to tell me everything, Chu? That way, I can accurately report Eunuch Liu’s contributions to the Court."
Liu Ziyun said.
"Of course."
Chu Lingguang then recounted the events at Xiazigou in detail for Liu Ziyun, Xuanyuan Jinkang, and Zhang Baofu.
When the three men heard how he and Eunuch Liu had coordinated their attack, and how he had killed the pirate chief inside the stone cave with a single thrust of his spear, they broke out in a cold sweat for him, filled with sincere admiration.
As he described how they entered the secret passage, found countless treasures, and were about to retreat when the Cloud Mist Flood Dragon suddenly burst from the Jade Water Pool, their nerves tensed along with the story.
When they heard that Eunuch Liu had bestowed a great opportunity upon Chu Lingguang, gouging out his own eyes to help him achieve a breakthrough, all three were visibly moved. Xuanyuan Jinkang, however, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles were white. His eyes turned crimson, and he looked as if he wanted to devour Chu Lingguang on the spot.
He had long suspected that Chu Lingguang’s breakthrough was connected to Eunuch Liu.
Now, hearing Chu Lingguang confirm it himself—that Eunuch Liu had sacrificed everything to help him break through at the critical moment—he was overcome with jealousy, anger, resentment, and helplessness.
From Eunuch Liu’s final words, Xuanyuan Jinkang could guess that the great opportunity was originally meant for him.
But in the end, it had gone to Chu Lingguang.
Perhaps Eunuch Liu had worried he wouldn’t be able to enter Yuanchu Mountain and wanted to give him one last boost. But by a twist of fate, the opportunity had fallen to Chu Lingguang instead.
That must have been why he made Chu Lingguang promise to help him get into Yuanchu Mountain.
He knew Chu Lingguang’s character. The man always kept his word and wouldn’t betray Eunuch Liu’s trust. But the thought that Eunuch Liu had died *for* Chu Lingguang was too much, and Xuanyuan Jinkang couldn’t control his rage.
He finally shot to his feet, stormed out of the Governor’s Mansion, and returned to Black Bear Island ahead of the others.
Chu Lingguang understood his feelings and could only ask Liu Ziyun to forgive Xuanyuan Jinkang’s discourtesy. Afterward, he and Zhang Baofu returned to Black Bear Island as well.
Conquering Xiazigou was a great achievement, but the Court’s rewards would not arrive for some time. Until the official rewards and directives were issued, Chu Lingguang and Xuanyuan Jinkang remained the commanding officers of the Black Bear Island garrison.