Immortal Paladin

157 Immortal Qi

157 Immortal Qi

"So... are we done here?" Shouquan asked, his voice smooth, almost amused.

"Nope," I said plainly, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees as I sat down and let go of my Silver Steel back to the Item Box. "We’re gonna talk."

He quirked a brow, waiting.

"Uh..." I fumbled for a second. "Tea? Do you want tea?"

There was a twitch of something at the corner of his mouth. Maybe a smile?

"Never mind," I said quickly, waving the thought away. "Every time I drink tea with someone suspicious, I end up getting into trouble."

He let out a soft chuckle, the kind you weren’t sure was genuine or sarcastic. He inclined his head, seemingly respectful.

"Very well. Let us talk."

I leaned back slightly, but didn’t let my guard down. Not even a little.

"First question," I said. "Why do you have the presence of an Outsider?"

Shouquan’s face didn’t change, but the air between us seemed to tense, like a taut bowstring.

"What do you mean?" he asked evenly.

I tapped two fingers against the armrest of my chair. "Mana," I said. "You’ve got it leaking out of you like a cracked dam. And not just mana… I can feel qi in you too. So, what are you exactly?"

I wasn’t new to cultivation. I understood that most cultivators had a mix of energies inside them… bloodlines, techniques, and strange inheritances… it was normal. But Shouquan?

He wasn’t mixed. He wasn’t blended. Instead, he was saturated with just about everything!

Every inch of him felt like it belonged simultaneously to Heaven, Earth, and something stranger. It wasn’t the chaotic, broken feel of the Outsiders, but it wasn’t pure mortal either. It was complete. Heavy. Eternal.

Shouquan regarded me quietly for a long moment, as if debating how much to say.

Finally, he spoke.

"You must be misunderstanding something," he said. "I am not an Outsider."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then explain it to me."

He inclined his head slightly, almost respectfully.

"What you perceive," Shouquan said, "is called Quintessence."

The word rolled off his tongue with weight, like a title or a crown.

"Colloquially," he continued, "it is known in this world as Immortal Qi."

I blinked.

Immortal Qi?

Shouquan took a step closer, unhurried. His aura didn't press down on me; it didn't need to. His very existence was like standing near a mountain that didn’t care if you lived or died. I was more curious though, if I could defeat him, the PvP mindset tempting me to maybe swing a fist at him.

"Quintessence," he explained, "is a convergence of Heaven, Earth, and Soul. It is a natural phenomenon at the peak of cultivation… rare even among the immortals of legend. It is neither mortal nor outsider. It is what remains when one ceases to be merely human, yet refuses to become something alien."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"In this world, those who achieve it are mistaken for gods or monsters. But we are neither. We are simply those who have touched the true nature of existence... and survived."

I sat there for a moment, digesting it all.

"So, let me get this straight," I said slowly. "You’re not an Outsider. You’re just... extremely overpowered."

Shouquan’s mouth quirked in what might have been a faint smile.

"If you wish to put it crudely, yes."

I exhaled through my nose, running a hand through my hair. "Great. Just great. Another headache to add to my growing collection."

Shouquan waited patiently, saying nothing.

I stared at him a little longer. Part of me still didn’t trust him… and probably never would… but another part, a quieter instinct honed by experience, told me not to trust him. However, the facts presented before me were the real deal.

Outsiders always felt wrong. Shouquan didn’t feel wrong. He felt different.

"...Alright," I said finally. "I'll accept that explanation for now."

Shouquan bowed his head slightly, a gesture of acknowledgment.

"But," I added, pointing a finger at him, "if I catch even a whiff of you trying anything funny around Tian Mei, I don't care if you’re a walking pile of Immortal Qi or whatever, I will throw hands."

His eyes glittered, amused. "Understood."

Man... this guy was so submissive... It kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

Shouquan sat down across from me without waiting for an invitation, a casual arrogance in the way he carried himself. I leaned back, arms crossed, studying him more carefully. The thought struck me like a flash of lightning. Maybe... this was the fateful encounter Nongmin had talked to me about. Not Tian Mei herself, but him… the old man sitting before me, wrapped in an aura of mystic.

If Shouquan really was Tian Mei’s father, it made sense that he would possess the same bloodline ability. Was that Nongmin's intention when he talked about Tian Mei's dormant bloodline ability? After all, the girl could see souls, according to Nongmin's words. And despite all the reasons I had to distrust strange people dropping into my life lately, my instincts told me Shouquan hadn't lied to me. My ability to detect lies, though not infallible, was disgustingly strong.

I tapped my fingers against the table, thinking. "Alright," I said. "What exactly is your relationship with Tian Mei? How did that even happen?"

Shouquan raised an eyebrow with an amused glint flickering in his old eyes. "A bit invasive," he commented lightly, but then sighed. "Fine."

He snapped his fingers. The world around us shifted, and suddenly we weren't in my room anymore. It was an illusory space, rich and vivid, yet obviously detached from reality. A memory, or something close to it. I didn’t move. I remained seated, staring at the new scenery. Shouquan, too, remained seated across from me, as if we were two old men playing chess in the middle of a dream… except I was in my chibi form right now.

The memory began to play out as he narrated, his voice calm, detached, almost like he was reading from a history book. "Once upon a time," he began, "I was the leader of a proud clan. Our dao was simple: we gazed at the heavens. We sought understanding of the stars, the sun, and the great cosmic forces. In those days, Immortals were not myths. They were real, and every few centuries or millennia, another one would ascend."

The scenery shimmered and shifted, showing brilliant skies and golden palaces suspended in the air. Cultivators soared between floating mountains. I felt a pang of longing, though I wasn’t sure for what. A time that was not mine, perhaps.

"And then," Shouquan said, his voice darkening, "the Outsiders came."

The memory twisted. Black rifts tore through the sky. Strange figures emerged, alien and horrifying. Entire mountains crumbled under their advance.

"Scholars called it the Infinity," Shouquan continued, "some called it the Greater Universe. It didn’t matter. They brought ruin."

I frowned. "Is this going to be a long story?" I asked, only half joking.

He chuckled softly, but the illusion sped up. The world collapsed in fast-forward. Islands broke apart, continents shattered like glass, and countless lives were swept away into the void. I saw the younger Shouquan, a man in the prime of his life, standing alone amidst the devastation. His qi flared wildly as he struggled to hold up a fragment of land… an entire island… with nothing but sheer will and power. His hands, shaped from raw qi, cradled the ruins of his home.

"I couldn’t save anyone," Shouquan murmured. His voice was heavy, burdened with an ancient grief.

The memory shifted again. I saw a pregnant woman, maybe three or four months pregnant. She was clutching her stomach with a strained, fearful expression. And standing beside her was the young Shouquan, looking helpless.

"And so," Shouquan said quietly, "I chose."

The next scene hit like a hammer. I watched as the young Shouquan, hands trembling, pierced the woman's stomach with a blade of condensed energy. I jerked in my seat, horrified despite myself.

"I couldn’t save my wife," Shouquan said, his voice raw, "but I could save my daughter."

The scenery jumped forward… thousands of years, it felt like. Shouquan now looked more middle-aged, gathering the fragile remnants of life he had managed to preserve. He was no longer the proud clan leader, but something else. Something quieter, more desperate.

"I kept her," he said, "the stillborn, undeveloped fetus of my daughter, in my pocket dimension. Preserved, protected. Waiting for a time she could live."

The memory changed again. I saw him meet a young woman, a cultivator with soft eyes but a determined aura. Shouquan knelt before her, offering something… a deal, perhaps.

"I picked a woman as my disciple," he explained. "I taught her everything I knew. In exchange, she agreed to bear my daughter in her womb."

The scene grew more surreal. I watched as he transplanted the preserved fetus into the disciple’s body. His hands, glowing with unfamiliar techniques, worked with slow precision. It was crude and painful… but it worked.

"My healing arts were never the greatest," Shouquan admitted, "but with enough effort... with enough faith... I managed."

The memory faded, and we returned to the simple room in the luxurious inn, just two men sitting across from each other, a heavy silence hanging between us.

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache brewing. "So let me get this straight," I said. "Tian Mei… is technically your daughter, born thousands of years after your original clan was wiped out… through a surrogate disciple… and you’ve been guarding her secretly this whole time?"

"Correct," Shouquan said simply. “I made it so that if a ‘threat’ gets near her, I will be informed via a blessing I left her.”

“Huh? So that was your qi…” I let out a long breath. "This world," I muttered, "is getting weirder by the day."

He smiled faintly. "You haven't seen anything yet."

And somehow, I believed him.

Shouquan didn’t seem in any hurry to end the conversation. After a pause, he continued, his tone almost casual, but carrying weight underneath it. "I am sure you are curious," he said, "if the world once broke... what does that tell you about the world we live in now?"

I raised an eyebrow, not answering immediately. He wasn’t wrong. It had crossed my mind, especially after seeing the illusions he had conjured… the world splintering into fragments, slipping into the void like leaves on a river. If the world I stood on now had once been shattered, what did that say about its nature? About its future?

"I can't say much," Shouquan went on, "but I am willing to form a partnership with you."

I chuckled under my breath and leaned back, feeling the wood of the chair creak softly. "I already have a partner," I said. "The Emperor. He could be a little shit sometimes, but he’s my little shit."

For the first time, a genuine smile broke across Shouquan’s face, like a crack in ancient stone. "Do you know," he said, voice lowering slightly, "that this world is actually a hollow sphere?"

I waved a hand dismissively. "Nongmin already told me that." I leaned forward again, narrowing my eyes slightly. "Anyway... the disciple you talked about... the woman who carried your daughter... was it Tian En?"

There was a beat of silence. Then Shouquan nodded. "Yes. It was her."

“That’s awfully honest of you…”

Of course he was honest, but things were never simple around here.

"Regardless," Shouquan said, "I think this world would benefit greatly from your continued presence."

I tapped my fingers against the table, considering his words, before switching gears again. "Does Tao Long work for you?"

Shouquan’s eyes gleamed. "Yes, he does."

That figured. No wonder Tao Long always felt a little too... convenient. A little too measured. Ninth Realm cultivators weren't exactly growing on trees, and yet Tao Long just happened to be around, 'helping' where needed.

"So," Shouquan said, folding his hands neatly, "what do you think about forming an alliance?"

I let out a low breath, mulling it over, then shrugged. "It’s complicated."

He waited, patient as a mountain.

I continued, choosing my words carefully. "Nongmin doesn’t trust you guys. And yes, I know what Ward is. Your organization. What you stand for. Nongmin’s rather transparent like that... but he’s also got this habit of keeping things to himself. Sometimes important things, sometimes stupid shit, sometimes just to make a point."

Shouquan nodded, unsurprised.

"In this case," I said, "I think the point was that he’s leaving it up to me. To make my own decisions regarding you."

I paused, then added, "But from where I’m standing... I’ve got some real complicated feelings about you people."

Shouquan tilted his head slightly, listening.

"For one," I said bluntly, "you have that whole ‘kill all Outsiders’ policy. And technically? I’m an Outsider."

His expression didn’t change.

"What else?" I mused aloud. "Ah. I talked with Alice. I don’t know if you know her… she’s technically an Outsider too. A good person, for what it’s worth. And Tao Long… your guy… attacked her. And another Outsider I happen to consider a friend."

I looked him dead in the eye.

"Do you see where I’m coming from?"

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that if Tao Long worked for Shouquan, then there were probably others too. Quiet ones. Hidden ones. Agents scattered across the continents, keeping an eye on things… or pulling strings when needed. I didn’t point it out; Shouquan was smart enough to know I had figured that much out already.

Instead, he made a simple offer.

"I am willing," Shouquan said, his voice calm, "to leave certain Outsiders be. Those you claim responsibility for." His eyes narrowed just slightly. "Outside of that? They are free game."

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. It wasn’t a perfect arrangement, but it was far better than nothing. "Fine," I said. "I agree to those terms."

But I wasn’t done yet.

"There’s something else," I said, fixing my gaze on him. "According to Nongmin, you’re capable of precognition too?"

Shouquan’s mouth quirked into something between a smirk and a knowing smile. "Not at the level of his gift," he admitted, "but you see... I know a bit of everything."

Of course he did. Old monsters like him always had their fingers dipped into every pot.

I decided not to mince words. "Can you help me resurrect my disciples?"

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he steepled his fingers together, his eyes losing focus, as if weighing a dozen probabilities at once. After a moment, he spoke carefully.

"Considering your healing arts," he said slowly, "it is possible. But only if you possess Quintessence."

My heart gave a small lurch of hope… and a twist of apprehension.

"And how long," I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, "would it take to teach me Quintessence?"

Shouquan gave a low chuckle, one that wasn’t entirely reassuring. "Between an eternity," he said, "or none at all."

That was... troubling.

I stared at him. "You mind explaining that?"

He nodded slightly, as if he had expected the question.

"Quintessence," Shouquan said, "is the highest form of energy in all of creation. It is the convergence of all. To touch it... is to brush against omnipotence… and beyond."

He lifted a hand lazily, and the space above his palm shimmered, folding and unfolding like silk in a storm. A miniature star was born and died between his fingers in the span of a breath.

"To wield the energies of the universe," he continued, "is to wield Quintessence. It cannot be learned by simply memorizing a technique. It cannot be stolen or tricked into your veins. It must be realized."

I remained silent, letting him speak.

"It is not a question of time," he said. "You could spend ten thousand lifetimes and still fail. Or you could awaken to it tomorrow. The difference lies in your willingness to let go of your attachments. To cultivate, until you are nothing... and everything."

Nothing and everything. Easy words. Hard truths.

I thought of my fallen disciples. Of Ren Xun’s smile. Of Gu Jie’s stubborn fire. Of Lu Gao’s easy laugh. Of Hei Mao’s quiet loyalty. Of Ren Jingyi’s adorableness. I thought of the promises I had made, the burdens I had chosen to carry.

Let go of attachments?

I wasn’t sure if I could.

But for their sake... maybe I didn’t have a choice.

"No."

There was another way.

"There had to be another way."

No need to endure an eternity of cultivation, no need to sit under some waterfall meditating until I turned into a fossil. I didn’t have time for that. Not when people were waiting for me. Not when promises had been made.

I met Shouquan’s calm gaze.

"What is the Heavenly Temple to you?" I asked.

He didn’t even blink. "I founded it," he answered simply, like he was telling me the weather outside. "Though I have left its confines for a long time already." Nothing about this man suggested he liked being tied down by anything for too long. Still, it clicked. Nongmin’s words drifted back to me... like how the Heavenly Temple got the answer to my problems. Turns out, he wasn’t wrong. Just... maybe not from the source I had expected.

"I have an idea," I said, straightening up. "I just need to be able to use Quintessence, right?"

And so I told him. I told Shouquan about the nature of my Divine Possession… the ability that had followed me from my old world, something I had half-thought would be useless in a world of gods and devils. Instead, it kept proving itself more and more valuable the longer I stayed.

When I finished explaining, I watched his expression carefully. I was half-prepared for anger, or maybe disgust. After all, possession wasn’t exactly seen as a righteous art.

Instead, Shouquan simply chuckled.

"There are secrets in my mind I am not willing to let you see," he said easily, as if talking about what to eat for dinner. "And even if you were to use Quintessence through my body to call forth souls from the realms of the dead and beyond... it would require a vast amount of Quintessence. I am not sure I could gather enough in a single breath."

His words were cautious, but his tone was not hostile.

I blinked, a little surprised by his reaction. "You’re not calling me a demon or anything?"

He laughed, a low, rumbling thing full of genuine amusement.

"Child," Shouquan said, shaking his head, "your possession is tame compared to what real monsters can do. There are things in the deeper voids that can wear your skin like a robe and puppeteer your soul like a marionette, capable of perfect disguise, even the most powerful sensing abilities would be thwarted. Compared to them? You are a courteous guest knocking politely at the door."

Well. That was... horrifying and oddly flattering.

He grew serious again. "I will allow it," he said, "but only under one condition."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"You must inherit my position," Shouquan said, "as the Guardian of the Arch Gate."

I frowned, feeling the weight of those words. "Why is it so important?"

"Because," Shouquan said, his voice low and steady, "the Arch Gate is the only stable path from this world to the Greater Universe. I am old, and I am weary. If I die... someone powerful must stand watch. Someone capable. Someone who understands the stakes."

His gaze bored into mine.

I sat back, silent for a long moment, weighing everything.

It wasn’t a small thing he was asking. Taking on that responsibility would paint a permanent target on my back… and not just from enemies in this world, but whatever lurked beyond. But if this was the price to save my disciples... then so be it.

In the end, I relented.

"I agree," I said quietly.

Something in Shouquan’s posture relaxed. He nodded once, gravely.

"I am ready," he said.

I closed my eyes, took a slow breath, and summoned the familiar surge of power from deep within me. The connection sparked to life almost immediately, a bridge forming between my soul and his.

With a thought, I cast Divine Possession.

The world around us trembled.