Ch48 – The ultimate yang substance

Translator: Abo Dammen

The sunlight was splendid early morning.

Bai Qing emerged from behind the bed curtains, his face still full of smiles. He cherished Jing Liansheng’s cool, restrained affection with genuine delight, savoring it as something sweet rather than bitter. 

Just like always. Nothing had changed.

Hearing Bai Qing get up, Tao Yaozhi knocked and came in carrying a tray. “This is breakfast from the Xuanmen Sect.”

On the tray sat a bowl of steaming white porridge, accompanied by several delicate side dishes, their fragrance inviting. Probably assuming that neither Tao Yaozhi nor Jing Liansheng needed to eat, the sect had prepared only a single serving.

Bai Qing sat down at the table, picked up his spoon, and took a mouthful of porridge. The gentle warmth eased him a little. He looked up at Tao Yaozhi, his tone casual yet carrying a hint of concern. “Since you don’t want to go to the back mountain with us, just stay here. If anything happens, remember to run on your own.” 

“Don’t worry,” Tao Yaozhi replied obediently, though inwardly he was thinking, ‘The moment you and the sect bigshots go in, I’m gone. Why wait around for trouble?’

After all, Tao Yaozhi was a thousand-year-old great demon. There were very few people in the sect who could actually suppress him. Once they went in to subdue the evil, he would naturally enjoy his freedom, slipping away with serpentine footwork and divine evasion. Sky high, birds free to fly.

Bai Qing seemed completely unaware of Tao Yaozhi’s thoughts. He kept his head down, calmly eating his porridge, occasionally picking up a bite of side dish, clearly enjoying himself. Tao Yaozhi stood off to the side, eyes flickering, already calculating which escape route would be the safest.

Meanwhile, Jing Liansheng followed behind Bai Qing like a ghost servant bound by the deepest blood contract, silent, loyal, and shadow-like, never leaving his back. 

His gaze never left Bai Qing. His expression was cold and austere, yet it carried an intense, unmistakable protectiveness. Even without saying a word, his presence was impossible to ignore.

Bai Qing finished the last mouthful of porridge, set down his spoon, and looked at Tao Yaozhi again. He had meant to give a few more reminders, but in the end he simply smiled lightly. “Alright, I should get going. Bro, take care of yourself.”

Hearing this, Tao Yaozhi immediately put on a well-behaved smile and nodded. “Mm. Ge, you take care too.”

Bai Qing stood up and headed for the door, Jing Liansheng following closely behind. 

Halfway out, Bai Qing glanced up at the sky, then sideways at Jing Liansheng. His tone was relaxed. “Will you be a little happier?”

Jing Liansheng frowned slightly, clearly puzzled. His gaze remained calm and deep. “What?”

“He’s leaving,” Bai Qing said with a smile. “Tao Yaozhi only stuck with us to stay alive. Given the situation, he’s definitely going to grease his feet and run.”

Jing Liansheng’s expression didn’t change. “Why should I be happy?” 

“You don’t like him, do you?” Bai Qing countered.

Those words stirred something strange in Jing Liansheng’s chest, an emotion akin to guilt.

But that was absurd. Jing Liansheng had always been straightforward, clear in love and hate. Since when had he ever felt “guilty”?

Even if he disliked a noisy peach-blossom demon, wasn’t that perfectly normal? 

What was there to feel guilty about?

The emotion was far too unfamiliar. Unable to make sense of it, he chose silence.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the reception hall. The four elders and Lin Zhao had already been waiting.

Lin Zhao was fully armed, dressed in complete Taoist regalia, a copper-coin sword in hand. His qiankun pouch was bulging, clearly stuffed with his most treasured magical tools. He had made thorough preparations. The four elders stood on either side, expressions solemn, their brows shadowed with barely concealed worry. 

Bai Qing stepped into the hall, his gaze sweeping across everyone before settling on the fully armed Lin Zhao. “Lin Zhao, you look like you’re heading into a war.”

Lin Zhao replied seriously, “Last night, the barrier nearly cracked. Tomorrow is the night of the full moon. If I don’t go in now, I’m afraid the evil thing in the back mountain will break through the barrier tomorrow. That would be impossible to contain.”

Bai Qing understood Lin Zhao’s concerns. Within the sect, aside from Lin Zhao, there were very few who could truly fight. Those four elders, despite their seniority, didn’t possess any great divine powers. After all, following that catastrophe two hundred years ago, the only direct disciples who survived were Chu Ze and Lin Zhao. As for Ying Zhili, he didn’t count.

Lin Zhao frowned slightly, his gaze resting on Bai Qing. “Martial Uncle, you know I’ve never been good with words, nor do I know how to persuade you. Time is tight, so I’ll ask directly, are you willing to go up the mountain with us to eliminate the demon?” 

Bai Qing didn’t dodge the question or put on airs. “To eliminate demons and uphold the Dao is a duty that cannot be shirked.”

Lin Zhao straightened, full of respect. “In that case, let’s move quickly. The back mountain barrier really can’t wait any longer.”

Seeing Bai Qing agree so readily, the four elders relaxed slightly, though the gravity in their eyes remained. They still felt Bai Qing was unreliable, and that this demon-elimination effort still depended on Jing Liansheng. Their gazes turned to him. “Then this ghost servant…”

Jing Liansheng spoke slowly. “As a ghost servant, I naturally follow the Celestial Master, ten thousand deaths without regret.” 

Only then did they feel truly reassured.

Of the four elders, aside from the eldest elder staying behind to guard the sect, the other three would accompany Lin Zhao inside. Lin Zhao frowned, worried. “Sect affairs are many. The sect can’t do without the three elders holding things down—”

The three elders exchanged smiles. One of them joked, “Lin Zhao, you’re not refusing to let us go because you think we’re just low-ranking disciples, unworthy of use, are you?”

Lin Zhao hurriedly replied, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!” 

“We know that’s not what you mean,” the second elder said with a chuckle, stroking his beard, before turning his gaze to Bai Qing. “You followed Chu Ze to learn his arts. Did he ever teach you our sect’s ‘One Sword, Thin Release’?”

“What’s that?” Bai Qing asked, slightly puzzled.

The third elder explained, “Our sect emphasizes preserving yang and maintaining steadiness, accumulating strength over time before releasing it. Besides maintaining the virgin body to cultivate righteous qi, there is one ultimate move. That is to nurture essence and store power, cultivate sword intent internally, and refrain from striking a single sword for years, waiting only for the final moment to condense a century of sword qi into a single strike. This is called ‘One Sword, Thin Release.’ Even for low-ranking disciples like us, if we can amass two hundred years of sword qi, its power is nothing to scoff at.”

Lin Zhao’s pupils contracted slightly, and shock that he could not conceal flashed across his face. He had never seen the elders draw their swords. In his impression, they were merely advanced in years, long since withdrawn from sect affairs, content to spend their days in quiet retirement. Only now did realization dawn on him that these seniors had never once slackened. Instead, day after day, they had been cultivating sword intent internally, silently accumulating power. 

Lin Zhao’s voice trembled. “Internal cultivation of sword intent… the accumulated sword intent inside the body is like surging seawater, locked within the dantian. At first, when the sword intent has just formed, it’s only a trickling stream. When it gathers in the dantian, there’s no strong sensation. But as the sword intent grows denser, it becomes like raging waves churning endlessly inside the dantian. If it’s two hundred years’ worth of sword intent… wouldn’t that be like tens of thousands of sharp blades stabbing inside the body at once, unbearable in its agony?”

The third elder laughed aloud, his tone open and unrestrained. “The day the sect was destroyed, we had already made this decision. Our aptitude can’t compare to that of you direct disciples. All we can do is make up for it with bitter effort!”

The fourth elder also sighed thoughtfully. “Speaking of which, Chu Ze’s sword qi talent back then truly was first-rate. His sword intent was nimble, swift as flight. If we could be like him, we wouldn’t need to rely on such grueling methods to cultivate ‘One Sword Thin Release.’”

Bai Qing paused slightly. “You mean… Shifu wouldn’t use One Sword Thin Release?” 

Hearing this, the fourth elder couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. “With his aptitude, plus the fact that he cultivated unorthodox arts… unless he made a mortal enemy of some great immortal, why would he ever be driven to such a near–self-mutilating extreme?”

Bai Qing thought that made sense. In his view, Shifu had always been extremely careful with his own life, never one to charge head-on against any evil force.

If the elders hadn’t mentioned it, Bai Qing wouldn’t even have known Chu Ze could use a sword.

He lowered his head in thought. Chu Ze’s ever-composed demeanor surfaced in his mind, and curiosity stirred despite himself. What was Shifu’s swordsmanship really like? 

He had never seen it, and had never even heard Shifu speak of it.

The group wasted no more time and headed straight for the back mountain.

From afar, a heavy barrier blanketed the entire mountain range like a translucent screen. Within it, mist curled and drifted. In that hazy fog, a faintly chilling aura seeped through, concealing some indescribable menace. At the edge of the barrier, a crack was glaringly visible. Dense rows of blood-red talismans were plastered all around it. The cinnabar patterns on the talisman paper glimmered faintly, straining to suppress the evil qi within the barrier.

Several disciples sat cross-legged beside the crack, hands forming seals, murmuring obscure incantations under their breath, making a final effort to stabilize the great formation. 

A few more senior disciples had already been waiting. They carried several tightly sealed wooden barrels on their shoulders. Seeing Lin Zhao’s group arrive, they hurried forward a few steps and said respectfully, “Sect Leader, Elders, these are the reserves we’ve accumulated! We hope they can help you all ward off evil and subdue demons!”

Hearing this, Bai Qing’s gaze was immediately drawn to the barrels.

The barrels were heavy and exceptionally well sealed, clearly specially treated to block out light and prevent outsiders from perceiving what lay within.

As evil entities, Bai Qing and Jing Liansheng were especially sensitive to the aura inside. Even through the thick wooden planks, they could sense the intensely yang, evil-repelling force contained within, so strong that all evil beings would instinctively want to retreat. 

Bai Qing also subconsciously stepped a little to the side, frowning as he asked with mild curiosity, “What’s inside these?”

Lin Zhao laughed brightly. “Naturally, the finest evil-repelling treasure, the ultimate yang substance—barrel-aged virgin urine!”

Bai Qing thought: Your sect has this kind of ultimate weapon too…

Suddenly, I feel grateful that back then, that bearded Taoist only sprayed me with makeup remover. 

Seeing the subtle expressions on Bai Qing’s and Jing Liansheng’s faces, Lin Zhao smiled and explained, “Urine from virgin boys is an ultimate yang substance, containing pure yang qi. It has extremely strong restraining power against yin and evil entities. Especially urine from those who have never been with a woman, their yang qi is the purest and can directly strike the yin source of demonic beings, causing it to collapse.”

Bai Qing thought: So this is why your entire sect is made up of virgins?

You even have century-aged vintage virgin urine?

Brothers, I truly salute you. 

Bai Qing coughed lightly. “There should be other ultimate yang substances that could be used, right?”

“Yes. Things like rooster blood, black dog blood, or black donkey blood are of course also effective,” Lin Zhao paused, then added, “but they were banned by the Animal Protection Association.”

Bai Qing nodded in understanding. New era. Even exorcism has to be cruelty-free now.

“However, this virgin urine must be used fresh. Only then can the yang qi remain strong. If it’s stored too long, the yang qi disperses, and the effectiveness drops sharply.” His tone carried a trace of helplessness. “So to make sure it could be used today, all the disciples in the sect started putting in effort last night by holding it in the whole night, and rushed it over this morning.” 

Several disciples nodded repeatedly. “Fresh, hot, and spicy!”

Bai Qing couldn’t help but feel genuine respect. “Everyone’s worked hard!”

Jing Liansheng frowned deeply at the barrels, sinking into thought.

Lin Zhao thought this young master was simply disgusted by how filthy it was and said, “When it comes to demon-extermination results, everything else can be set aside.” 

Jing Liansheng nodded calmly. “On this point, I agree.”

Lin Zhao relaxed a little.

But Jing Liansheng continued, “Since you’re pursuing freshness and heat, why not launch the attack on the spot during the exorcism? After all, the few of you are also hundred-year virgins, aren’t you?”

Lin Zhao and the three elders froze. We thought you were thinking it was filthy. Turns out you think it’s not filthy enough! 

Just imagining while swinging swords against demonic entities, simultaneously firing off fresh, hot virgin urine…

That scene alone was evil-repelling just to picture!

Forget ghosts— even immortals would be shocked witnessing such a spectacle!

Only… the difficulty of pulling this off…