bookpub Chapter 38 Two True Disciples Following in Xiong Zhou's Footsteps
Chapter 38 Two True Disciples Following in Xiong Zhou's Footsteps
Guided by the few words Yu Lao recalled, Xiong Zhou easily passed through a connecting corridor that ran through the entire side hall and arrived at a plaque.
"Orange Orchard..."
Xiong Zhou looked at the three Daoist patterns on the plaque, which carried a hint of the passage of time, and softly recited them.
He looked at the flute floating before him, and the azure-blue merman phantom seated atop it, and asked, "Is this the place where that ancient, immortal saint cultivated medicinal herbs?"
"It looks rather ordinary."
Yu Yuan nodded and replied, "Ordinary is correct. This was not originally the main medicinal garden of this palace, but a tiny orchard used to satisfy the appetites of many worshippers."
He glanced at Xiong Zhou, who looked curious, and said, "Besides, if it weren't extraordinary, perhaps you wouldn't have bothered to come in."
In just a short time, Yu Yuan had already seen through parts of Xiong Zhou's personality and understood the bottom line of this second-generation immortal.
In short, the goal is to minimize trouble and ensure a smooth and successful journey. Ideally, this exploration should be treated as a safe and rewarding trip to another world.
"This place perfectly meets your requirements. It's located in the outer area, so there's a high probability that not many outsiders have visited it. You can gain something, but not so much that others will be envious."
Xiong Zhou nodded in agreement.
Indeed, he came here to broaden his horizons, to do archaeology, and to collect some "I was here" souvenirs. It would be a huge waste if he were to clash with other senior brothers and sisters of Tai Li, resulting in the failure of a series of missions, his death, and elimination.
Furthermore, he hoped that his other senior brothers and sisters could first confront that translucent blood-red phantom and try to weaken this ancient remnant soul.
As Xiong Zhou stepped through the archway and into the orange orchard, a surge of rich Five Elements Qi rushed towards him. The dense Qi of heaven and earth, almost dripping with water, washed over his body, and he immediately let out a comfortable and pleasant hum.
However, all around were decaying, withered trees, and bronze-colored fruits, which had fallen to the ground at some point, were sinking into the soil and looked very heavy.
"Is this an orchard?"
"A dead tree stretching as far as the eye can see?"
Although Xiong Zhou knew that the resources in these small gardens were extremely limited, he never expected that the numerous unnamed trees that should have borne fruit in successive cycles had died, seemingly having reached the end of their lifespan.
Xiong Zhou looked at Yu Yuan, "Old Yu, didn't you say that the possible fragments of immortal artifacts might have caused time to restart time and time again?"
Xiong Zhou pointed to the orchard and complained, "If it really is a time restart, shouldn't this orchard be restarted along with it?"
"We've come to this orange orchard only to find we'll get absolutely nothing."
A long, azure flute drifted to Xiong Zhou's eyes, but Yu Yuan seemed to have anticipated the appearance of this orchard, and even nodded slightly.
He explained, "As I've said before, this orange grove was used to satisfy the appetites of those worshipped in this palace; it wasn't even meant to satisfy their hunger."
"It's like when you suddenly crave a fruit to satisfy your taste buds; that's its function."
The flute drifted slowly forward, leaving behind scattered points of azure starlight, heading straight towards the center of the orchard.
"Normally, these fruit trees have a lifespan of about 100,000 years, and their internal spirituality is active, so their peak fruiting period is less than 2,000 years. In the past, these fruit trees had to be replaced at fixed intervals, with new seedlings planted to wait for them to grow and bear fruit."
"However, with each round of results and each replacement, some lucky fruit trees accumulate their spirituality to a point of qualitative change, transforming into tree spirits, possessing true intelligence and the ability to think, and embarking on the path of Qi cultivation."
"Well, these tree spirits that cultivated Qi didn't live to see the time restart; they reached the end of their lifespan. Now, only this seed remains..."
The flute drifted to the very center of the orange orchard, flew into a deep pit riddled with cracks, and brought out an orange fruit tree seed, which it placed in Xiong Zhou's palm.
Xiong Zhou blinked and fiddled with it for a bit.
The seed has a very unique appearance. It is square in shape, but its edges are very smooth, making it look cute. It is completely different from the rough and wild style of the bronze palace.
Driven by the power of [Authority: Abundance], strands of dark blue life force gathered from heaven and earth, slowly merging into this dark blue fruit tree seed, pixelating it.
Name: Orange Fruit Seeds
Level: Fourth Level of Qi Refining
Status: Sleep → Awakening (0.0014%)
Description: This is the seed of a fruit tree that bears a fruit called "Orange Fruit." It carries a trace of the Daoist aura of time. After completing one cycle of awakening, germination, growth, and fruiting, there is a slight possibility that it will naturally advance to become a fruit tree at the fifth level of Qi Refining.
Orange fruit?
Are oranges growing in the orange orchard?
Xiong Zhou blinked again, a grumbling feeling welling up inside him, but he had nowhere to vent it.
If he remembers correctly, the "Orange Berry" seems to be the only item in the Pokémon series that restores 10 HP at once, and there is no item that restores HP less than this, making it the ultimate beginner's item.
Could it really be the "Orange Fruit" he's imagining?
Xiong Zhou looked at the merman on the flute and asked, "Old Fish, what's the name of this fruit tree? Is it called Orange Fruit?"
"Could it be something used to restore qi and blood?"
Now it was Yu Yuan's turn to be stunned.
He patted his head, and after a while, he finally recalled the name "Chengcheng Fruit" and its corresponding effects from his memory.
Yu Yuan glanced at Xiong Zhou and said, "You're not wrong to call it Orange Fruit. It seems to be a friendly name for it in some economically underdeveloped region."
"In my memory, we all called this fruit an orange. It has a refreshing sweet and sour taste. If you eat it before it's ripe, it will taste a little bitter."
"This thing does have the effect of restoring a small amount of qi and blood, but it is too small. The fruit from an ordinary orange tree seems to have a slight effect on the first level of Qi Refining. It is used as an auxiliary ingredient in a certain qi and blood pill for the first level of Qi Refining."
Yu Yuan seemed to remember something, slapped her forehead again, and pointed to the seeds in Xiong Zhou's hand.
"Actually, this thing has been cultivated through round after round. No matter how ordinary the things in this palace are, they are still slightly different from those outside."
"Based on my deduction, this is a seed at the fourth level of Qi Refining. The fruit it bears can restore most of the Qi and blood of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators at the third level. The taste has also been improved, almost eliminating the bitterness."
"Of course, for the worshippers in this palace who are at least at the fourth level of Qi Refining, it is just a fruit that is somewhat palatable and satisfies their appetite, nothing more."
Looking at Xiong Zhou's somewhat subtle expression, Yu Yuan assumed that he was dissatisfied with the harvest he received from the orange orchard.
He clearly remembered that this second-generation immortal had said that he had once gone to a place where the world had not been created for long and ate nearly a thousand lotus seeds that were at the fourth level of Qi Refining and had the effect of enlightenment.
Such rare and precious treasures possess the power to grant enlightenment. Even those who are only at the fourth level of Qi Refining would be envious and yearn for them.
If the number were piled up to nearly a thousand, even a terrestrial immortal at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining would have to take a careful look at it, and if given the chance, might even want to take it into their hands.
Yu Yuan quickly explained to the second-generation immortal with a slightly comforting tone, "Don't be so discouraged. This may not be as good as the rare treasures you eat in the sect, but it is still a seed of the Immortal Realm. For an ordinary Qi Refining family at the third level, this is already a special resource that can bring prosperity to the family."
"Actually, I also know of other outlying areas where we can find some special resources. Little by little, they will eventually come in handy."
Xiong Zhou nodded.
Actually, he was just curious about the function of this "orange fruit" and the juice extracted from it.
Old Fish said that this fruit tastes sweet and sour.
He was already looking forward to the taste after it was chilled.
If possible, he would like to take this seed to his senior master Lu to see if there is any room for improvement, preferably to advance to the fifth level of Qi Refining in one step.
In this way, he will have another cultivation resource that he can use when he reaches the first level of Qi Refining.
"Alright, let's go and explore other places."
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Outside the bronze palace.
Yan Feng stood at the entrance of the palace's main gate, gently took off the heavy black ruler he was carrying, and lightly patted it.
"Bang!"
Wisps of flame prayers emerged from the void, and whispered ancient, weathered, and solemn songs coalesced into form in the nothingness.
"Rumble..."
The closed bronze gate opened, and the spirit of this bronze palace seemed to sense that something extremely noble had come before it.
It is fiery, brilliant, imbued with a certain will, and contains a high status.
Long bridges, gleaming with fiery light, stretched out from the entrance of the main hall to Yan Feng's feet, as if inviting him to step into the bronze palace.
Yan Feng did not lower his guard because of this high-level treatment; on the contrary, he felt even more heavy-hearted.
This bronze palace is no ordinary structure!
That's really not simple!
He glanced back at the dozen or so Tai Li disciples behind him, then stepped in first, following the crimson light path, heading straight for the core of the bronze palace.
The feedback from the primordial fire is in that very place.
"This junior disciple is truly formidable..."
"This level of skill and cultivation has definitely surpassed the initial stage and entered a higher level."
The tall, thin young man, dressed in a Tai Chi robe, clicked his tongue as he followed Yan Feng's path into the bronze palace at a leisurely pace.
"Indeed, that's incredibly powerful."
"I thought that the three senior brothers who ranked in the top three in the previous year had broken through the practice stage of cultivation, and their comprehension was already earth-shattering, the kind that could be unparalleled in their time."
"As it turns out, this Junior Brother Yan Feng caught up with me just like that, and broke through so easily without even showing any unusual signs. If it weren't for the fact that this bronze palace reflects a corner of the scenery of the Qi Refining Path, I really wouldn't dare to even think about it."
The tall, fat young man, dressed in a Bagua Taoist robe, walked beside the tall, thin young man, looking at Yan Feng, who was almost out of sight, with a look of amazement.
These two young men, who had similar faces but very different builds, followed a certain rhythm as they watched the Tai Li disciples pass by one by one. They showed no impatience and seemed unafraid that the opportunities and good fortune within their disciples would be taken away by these fellow disciples.
Until a certain point, all the true teachings of Tai Li completely disappeared from sight.
The tall, stout young man in the Bagua Taoist robe looked at the tall, thin young man in the Tai Chi Taoist robe and chuckled: "Brother, it seems we fellow disciples are really eager to be eliminated. One by one, we're all rushing towards the core of this bronze palace."
The tall, thin young man in a Tai Chi robe said in a deep voice, "It's just a different choice. My brother and I specialize in divination, so our combat strength is naturally slightly inferior. In the last competition, we miscalculated and ranked ninth and eighth, so we received fewer resources."
"Now, our Qi and blood are at their peak, and there is only a little over a year left to break through to the second level of Qi Refining. This generation naturally needs to make a decision."
On the outskirts, the two brothers stopped and looked at a covered walkway leading to an orchard.
There are gains and losses.
"By voluntarily giving up the possibility of obtaining the greatest opportunities and good fortune, we naturally have a greater chance of seizing the opportunities right in front of us."
The tall, thin young man, dressed in a Tai Chi robe, spoke softly with a hint of excitement in his voice.
The tall, stout young man, dressed in a Bagua Taoist robe, clapped his hands, his face showing excitement and anticipation of an upcoming opportunity.
He said, "Brother is right. We gave up the possibility of forcibly breaking through the Dao path stage, but in return, we have the possibility of rapidly accumulating our Qi Refining Dao path cultivation progress to the current stage's peak."
"As long as we accumulate the stages of the path to enlightenment to the peak, although we will no longer be at the level of Qi Refining, we will see the scenery above the path of Qi Refining. But what we gain in return is a higher possibility of attaining immortality in the future."
"Of all the things said, only this chance to achieve immortality is truly real."
The two brothers exchanged a glance, their eyes both showing a hint of a smile.
In an instant, they all stepped onto the connecting corridor and arrived at the orange orchard. After entering it and glancing briefly at the overgrown withered trees, they followed a peculiar vitality and continued forward in the direction Xiong Zhou had left.
"Brother, do you think this newly appointed disciple, Junior Brother Xiong Zhou, might be a bit difficult to talk to?"
"Second brother, I think that since he is a second-generation immortal who is being watched by the sect elders, he definitely won't care about the little bit of resources left on his finger."
"Besides, we're going there to make friends, not to act like we're going to rob someone."