Applied Immortality

Chapter 23: Argent Apex’s Immortal Institute

Xiang Qi took Wang Qi up Argent Mountain bright and early.

She gave the youth a funny look, “Hey, Wang Qi, what’s up with that creepy grin?” 

Wang Qi started, “Is it?”

“You got a zombie walk, dead eyes, but that smile, it’s obscene.” Xiang Qi put on a weird look, “Didn’t you get any sleep?”

“I feel like Senior Sister is hinting that I…”

Xiang Qi scrutinized him, then shook her head, “Spend enough time with Myriad Arts Sect’s weirdos and you end up becoming a weirdo yourself.”

[You’re mocking yourself here, you know…]

Wang Qi couldn’t help himself think as he walked.

The value of the theories and data on Daoist Proscribe’s works were priceless to a scientist like Wang Qi. He only had to get his hands on modern cultivation methods, and he would master its intricacies in no time at all. This would take him higher than the Unfettered Daoist Proscribe. 

Wang Qi looked at Argent Mountain’s peak like a miser.

Xiang Qi grabbed his head, pulling him to the side, “This way!”

“Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?”

“At the top of the mountain is the Immortal Alliance Golden Hall. I get your thirst to practice mystical and divine arts, but where you’ll be going is halfway up the mountain.”

Argent Apex’s Immortal Institute was Immortal Alliance’s top academy. A third of five best sects’s true disciples came from here alone.

Wang Qi walked up the mountain with his Senior Sister, the crowd thinning out as he went. The rowdiness was replaced with a sense of solitude. Argent Mountain’s south side was relatively flat, but the soil was thin, with the bedrock exposed in some places, making it impossible for tall trees and various vegetation to grow. However, with cultivators’ ingenious arts, it was now flourishing. The blend of dwarf pines and strange rock gave it a mystical feeling.

Wang Qi was too engrossed in the three statues halfway up to care about the scenery. They were made of local rocks, a hundred meters tall and appeared as Daoists, one sitting and two standing. The three held a longsword in an imposing stance.

Xiang Qi explained to her curious Junior Brother, “They are the seniors the Immortal Alliance revers. On the left is one of the seniors gone to arrest Daoist Proscribe that day, Heavenly Sword Palace Vice Palace Lord, Five Army Purger Qian Xueshen. On the right is another Vice Palace Lord, Three Sword Saint Qian Sanqiang. The one in the middle is Heavenly Sword Palace Lord, Sky-ringing Sword Deng Jiaxuan.” 

Wang Qi asked, “Why are there only three statues?”

Xiang Qi said, “Do you know Heavenly Sword Palace’s objective?”

She answered at his shake of his head, “Serve and protect the world and its people.”

“Modern cultivation overpowers the ancient system, nurturing the world and crushing any that dares harm it for his own selfish needs, but many islands out at sea are under ancient cultivator rule.

“The waters around us are teeming with sea demons, outnumbering us humans. Dragons are born warriors, with a Dragon King being a cut above, able to handle average Unfettered. Unlike the land demons, who had been long domesticated, the sea demons are wild and batter the Divine Province’s coasts day in day out.

“The Divine Province isn’t without its inner conflicts as well.”

Xiang Qi gave a faint smile, “You’ve stepped into the modern cultivation and should know by now that true mastery in anything requires research and hard work, as well as personal insight. Baring a few Unfettered, the greatest of modern cultivators are in seclusion, focused solely on researching Dao. More than a hundred Unfettered are gone who knows where.” 

Wang Qi was pensive, “I never heard of this. Is it because of the three seniors?”

Xiang Qi sighed, “There will always be some people that abandon their pursuit and instead chose to enjoy life. These three are some of them. Centuries ago, Daoist Proscribe broke off from Elusive Palace to cause chaos, almost affecting the entire humanity. Then there was ancient cultivators’ counter and the Dragon King’s appearance. At the height of this crisis, Heavenly Sword Palace quelled all internal turmoil with its unstoppable power, brought order, crushed ancient cultivators, killed all sea demons withing a thousand miles of the shore, and forced the Dragon King into an oath to never come closer than a thousand miles to the Nine Provinces’ shores as well. Afteward, many Unfettered lamented their existance disturbed humanity’s living and went into hiding. Only a small group stayed in the Heavenly Sword Palce, taking up duty to protect the Divine Province.”

“The Reaching Heaven Palace at the peak is dedicated to those incredible geniuses that have revolutionized modern cultivation. Heavenly Sword Palace Lord is a master in battle, his understanding of Dao only falls short to those predecessors who left their name in the Reaching Heaven Palace.”

Xiang Qi gave a half bow to the statues, in respect.

Wang Qi copied her, having also received their protection as a resident of Divine Province. 

Xiang Qi said, “Senior Deng is also the headmaster of the Immortal Institute. In his early years of training in the Heavenly Sword, he suffered internal injuries and he seldom comes out, staying in Argent Apex.”

Since there were away from the big crowd, Xiang Qi grabbed Wang Qi and used her power to shot forth. Flying was banned here, but not running.

The two reached the Immortal Institute in moments. There was nothing special about it, just ten buildings with a large open area in the middle for drills. It was smaller than an average college. The Immortal Institute had no fence, just an entrance with the Argent Apex Immortal Institute words written on a plaque above.  

Xiang Qi slowed, and the two walked closer.

Wang Qi said, “Senior Sister, you can go on your way. We must part at some point.” 

Xiang Qi was his only cultivator friend. She had been looking after him these days and even walked him here. From what he knew, she finished her peacekeeper training task and had to return to Scorching Metal Valley to cultivate. Cultivation made time pass so fast and Wang Qi felt a bit sad he wouldn’t see here in the near future. 

Not to mention Xiang Qi was pretty hot.

Xiang Qi shook her head, “I’m not here just to show you in.”

“Eh?”

Xiang Qi explained at his curious gaze, “Yesterday, my sect’s senior learned of what I’ve been through and decided my mind isn’t tranquil enough to be in seclusion. He told me to take a year off and regain inner peace. So I applied for an assistant job at the Immortal Institute. Speaking of, I should’ve brought you here last night, but my transfer papers only came today… Hey, what’s wrong?” 

Wang Qi made a crying face, “Give me back my feelings!”

[Don’t you know I’m in a rush here? Here I thought you cared about me, but you just made me lose half a day!]

The two walked for the gate, or the entryway, with complex emotions.

Wang Qi found there was a man at the entrance. He walked over to greet them. The familiar face made Wang Qi gasp, “Brother Su?”

It was the same Myriad Arts Sect cultivator he played with yesterday.

Su Junyu greeted them, “Hey, we meet again, Wang Qi. I trust you’ve been well these years, termagant.” 

Xiang Qi glared, “I just knew Wang Qi meant you when he said he met someone, moneybags!”

Wang Qi was stumped, “You two know each other?”

Su Junyu smiled, “We were colleagues in the Immortal Institute, though I’m not very familiar with this wildcat.”

Xiang Qi smiled, “It’s been years and your skin must be itching, right moneybags? Want me to tan it?” 

Su Junyu shuddered, “I came to welcome you. My job is to familiarize the new assistant and disciples with the Immortal Institute. You can’t touch me.” 

Xiang Qi gave a cold smile, “I don’t feel like thrashing you either. Lead the way.”

Su Junyu gestured for them to go first, then following behind. 

It was then a cultivator in black passed them by. Cultivators had sharp senses, to say nothing of Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, elites. Yet none mentioned the extra person. Wang Qi even heard Zhen Chanzi’s cry of surprise, that this guy could hide from a Great Ascension’s spiritual sense for so long.

The man in black had strange movements, appearing random, but his steps were firm, like they were calculated with expert precision. Each movement was a replica of the previous one, without a single chance in his posture. 

[Uh… expert?]

Wang Qi was baffled, then his heart grew excited.

[He has to be to hide from a Great Ascension’s spiritual sense with that movement. And that contemplating look, keeping such a focused and intellectual look as he walks and bumps into pillars…]

[Wait, pillars?]

As Wang Qi thought the guy a grand scholar, the man in black hit the pillar of the entrance.

His movements were unbroken, but the same couldn’t be said about the wooden post. The man in black started at the sound and fell flat on the ground.

Because the entrance was on a slope, the man in black was with his head down, showing his face to Wang Qi. 

He looked plain, with black dots between his eyes and slightly pudgy lips that moved as he muttered something unintelligible.

Xiang Qi and Su Junyu flinched and were in a bow on the spot, “Greetings, 

Senior Uncle/Sect Leader!”

Zhen Chanzi explained to Wang Qi, “He might not look like much, but his cultivation is at peak. He could become Unfettered anytime he wanted.”