The Secrets of the Red Dragon Halberd

Despite having few Spirit Pills left, the two remained in their private box, observing the entire auction until the very last item was finally purchased.

As this was Chi Qiu’s first time attending a cultivator’s auction of this scale, she watched the entire proceedings with rapt attention. Su Hanxing, on the other hand, once his Spirit Pills were depleted, retrieved his Scarlet Dragon Halberd and meticulously began to discern the profound and peculiar Dao concealed within it.

“Well, have you managed to decipher anything noteworthy?”

As the auction concluded, Chi Qiu stretched languidly, a hint of lingering excitement in her expression. She turned her head towards Su Hanxing, who was beside her, gently stroking the Scarlet Dragon Halberd as if it were the body of a beloved. A mischievous glint in her eyes, she inquired.

“Indeed, I’ve made some progress,” Su Hanxing replied with a faint smile, giving the Scarlet Dragon Halberd a slight shake before returning it to his storage artifact. He then met Chi Qiu’s gaze.

“Oh?”

Chi Qiu’s eyes widened slightly. She then leaned her upper body closer to Su Hanxing, pressing him further. “What kind of progress?”

“Didn’t I mention earlier that the Dao inscribed on the Scarlet Dragon Halberd seemed to share a subtle connection with me, prompting that distinct call?” Su Hanxing rose from the plush lounge chair, signaling their departure from the private box.

“You did,” Chi Qiu affirmed, rising to her feet and falling in step behind him.

“Now I understand it,” Su Hanxing declared, turning to Chi Qiu, his voice firm with conviction. “It’s the Tianyan Method!”

“The Tianyan Method?” Chi Qiu shook her head, a hint of disbelief in her tone. “But didn’t Senior Ye Yan once say that cultivating the Tianyan Method would obscure all Daos of heaven and earth? How could the Dao within the Scarlet Dragon Halberd possibly be linked to it?”

“I, too, found it hard to believe at first,” Su Hanxing admitted. “Yet, after countless investigations, I’ve finally confirmed it: this Scarlet Dragon Halberd resonates distinctly with the Star River true qi that permeates my very being.” As he spoke, he extended a hand, summoning a cluster of starlight true qi into existence.

A Dao that could make the Tianyan Method resonate with it, truly… Chi Qiu mused, her gaze fixed on the shimmering ball of starlight true qi that Su Hanxing held in his palm.

The two emerged from the auction house’s private box, one following the other. The moment they stepped out, the black-robed middle-aged man from earlier approached them, bowing slightly before speaking in a hushed tone.

“Esteemed guests, your prominence at our auction house today is undeniable. Departing through the main entrance might draw undue attention. Perhaps you would consider exiting through the small side door of my Treasure Pavilion instead?”

Su Hanxing and Chi Qiu exchanged a swift glance, then nodded in unison, accepting the black-robed middle-aged man’s thoughtful suggestion.

“Then we express our gratitude, fellow Daoist,” Su Hanxing said with a soft chuckle, cupping his fist in a gesture of thanks.

“Hehehehe… it is my pleasure, my pleasure. Please, both of you, follow me.” The black-robed middle-aged man chuckled, stepping aside to make way and extending a welcoming hand.

Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing nodded, then quickened their pace, soon departing the Treasure Pavilion through the secluded side path.

“I—I understand now!”

As they walked back to their temporary lodging at the inn, Chi Qiu suddenly slapped her forehead. She leaned close to Su Hanxing, her voice hushed with revelation.

“Know what?” Su Hanxing asked, utterly bewildered, his gaze fixed on Chi Qiu as he struggled to comprehend her sudden insight.

“I believe I’ve figured out why your Tianyan Method is linked to this Scarlet Dragon Halberd!” Chi Qiu exclaimed, excitedly tugging at Su Hanxing’s sleeve, her bright, golden eyes sparkling with delight.

“Oh? Little Chi, what revelation have you had? Quickly, tell me!” Su Hanxing pressed, his curiosity piqued upon hearing that Chi Qiu might have uncovered the link between the Scarlet Dragon Halberd and the Tianyan Method.

“No, this isn’t the place to discuss such matters openly. We should return to the inn at once and speak freely once we’re safely back in our room.” As Su Hanxing’s words escaped his lips, he noticed several cultivators nearby giving them strange looks, alerted by his sudden outburst. This immediately brought him back to his senses, and he quickly amended his statement.

“Very well, let’s make haste back to the inn then.” Chi Qiu nodded in agreement. With a sudden burst of true qi, both she and Su Hanxing moved, vanishing from the street in an instant.

“Senior Ye Yan once mentioned that cultivating the Tianyan Method would obscure the heavenly secrets and shield the Daos of heaven and earth, making them imperceptible to the practitioner.”

In the blink of an eye, they were back in Su Hanxing’s chamber within the inn. Chi Qiu settled onto a wooden chair, ready to unveil her thoughts to him.

“That much is true,” Su Hanxing affirmed, leaning back against his bed and nodding.

“This profound and mysterious concept of Dao doesn’t solely refer to the Daos of heaven and earth,” Chi Qiu stated, lightly tapping the wooden table beside her, a sly smile gracing her lips.

“It doesn’t only refer to the Daos of heaven and earth? What exactly do you mean by that, Little Chi? Stop teasing me with riddles!” Su Hanxing urged, a hint of helplessness in his voice as he observed Chi Qiu’s mischievous smile.

“Senior Yinglong once revealed that the celestial stars, with the exception of the Solar and Lunar Stars, are fragments of a shattered Celestial Realm. Within the ceaseless rotation of these stars, countless Daos lie hidden. However, these stars do not belong to our specific realm, and thus, their Daos are naturally inaccessible to us.” Chi Qiu’s explanation drew primarily from the knowledge imparted to her by Yinglong during their time in the Yinglong Tomb.

“Therefore, I suspect that achieving the Dharma Manifestation Realm through the Tianyan Method doesn’t signify a complete disregard for Dao itself, but rather an independence from the Daos inherent to this particular realm.” Chi Qiu paused her rhythmic tapping on the wooden table, then resumed her explanation.

“Senior Yinglong once informed me that to breakthrough to the Dharma Manifestation Realm, one must cultivate their own unique Dao. I have unwavering faith that Senior Yinglong would not deceive me. Therefore, achieving the Dharma Manifestation Realm through the Tianyan Method must also necessitate a Dao.”

“The reason this Scarlet Dragon Halberd resonates so profoundly with your Star River true qi is likely due to a piece of extraterrestrial meteorite iron forged within it. This meteorite iron, I surmise, was once Immortal Iron from the Celestial Realm, which by sheer serendipity plummeted to earth. It was then repurposed as forging material, melted down, and infused into this very Scarlet Dragon Halberd, allowing you, Su Hanxing, to perceive the Dao it contains.”

Chi Qiu delivered her entire hypothesis in a single breath. Then, leaning back against the chair, she quietly awaited Su Hanxing’s reaction as he absorbed the implications of her words.

“Little Chi, what you’ve proposed certainly holds some plausibility,” Su Hanxing began, “but proving its veracity will be challenging…”

After a prolonged silence, Su Hanxing finally spoke, his expression troubled. He hesitated, his words coming out haltingly, as if grappling with a difficult truth.

“This matter is easily resolved,” Chi Qiu interjected. “Isn’t there still a massive chunk of that extraterrestrial meteorite iron buried, unmined, beneath the center of Hongshan City? You and I can seize an opportunity to visit that site and observe it. Then, you can take your chance to meditate upon it, to see if that meteorite contains a Dao you can comprehend. Wouldn’t that settle it?”

While the notion was indeed outlandish, Chi Qiu had fully anticipated Su Hanxing’s initial skepticism. She had, however, already devised a method of verification. If Su Hanxing could indeed glean a Dao from that extraterrestrial meteorite iron, then the precise nature of its connection to the Tianyan Method within the Scarlet Dragon Halberd would become unequivocally clear.

“That truly is an excellent approach! In a few days, we shall journey to the extraterrestrial meteorite iron and examine it,” Su Hanxing declared, his eyes brightening at Chi Qiu’s suggestion. He made the decision without hesitation.

“Why not go tomorrow?” Chi Qiu inquired, nodding thoughtfully before a hint of confusion crossed her face.

“The more pressing matter at hand,” Su Hanxing explained with a smile, gesturing towards the storage ring on Chi Qiu’s little finger, “is to first thoroughly investigate whether the Qingyuan Stone Carving holds any hidden secrets.”