Chapter 717
Dozens of birds, a dazzling array of colors, rose from the sea level.
Peacocks and white cranes flew side by side, while magpies and painted thrushes followed closely behind. Their colorful tail feathers swayed in the blue expanse of sky and sea, resembling streaks of rainbows.
Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang soared upward, heading towards the disciples of the Yaochi.
Even from a hundred miles away, Zheng Fa caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance that made his spirit sway.
Looking up, he spotted a female immortal, her attire shimmering like a seven-colored cloud, her face radiating a golden glow, embodying both majesty and beauty.
As their eyes met, Zheng Fa felt an overwhelming admiration and joy, almost compelled to kneel and bow.
Within him, the Huangting (Yellow Court) trembled slightly, releasing a wave of coolness that surged into his mind.
In an instant, Zheng Fa's vision cleared, yet his heart remained tumultuous: this Nizhang Yuanjun (Mistress of Rainbow Garments) seemed to possess no seductive arts, yet was more irresistible than the enchantments of the demonic sects—his Yin-Yang fish jade pendant showed no reaction; had he not practiced the Huangting Jing, he feared he might have embarrassed himself.
Seeing Zheng Fa awaken so quickly, a flicker of surprise crossed Nizhang Yuanjun's beautiful eyes. She lightly tapped the back of her crane and, in the blink of an eye, landed before Zheng Fa, bowing first: "Zheng Alliance Leader, I've long admired you."
Zheng Fa clasped his hands and replied, "I've heard of you, Yuanjun. Are all these fairies your esteemed disciples?"
Nizhang Yuanjun smiled and nodded, "They accompanied me to the Tianhe Sect to set up formations."
Zheng Fa glanced around and noted that she had brought over thirty disciples, among them more than ten in the Transformation stage and nearly twenty in the Nascent Soul stage. He began to gauge the strength of Yaochi.
After the group exchanged greetings, Nizhang Yuanjun seemed a bit anxious and immediately said, "I've heard from Taishang Dao that you practice the Dongtian method?"
Zheng Fa had nothing to hide and nodded in affirmation.
"Our Yaochi has some insights into the cultivation of the divine path. Taishang Dao entrusted me to come and discuss the essentials of divine cultivation with you."
Zheng Fa was taken aback.
He had guessed some of Nizhang Yuanjun's intentions, but...
"Li Shangxian said it was you who wished to visit, and he asked me to mention it first."
Nizhang Yuanjun looked momentarily puzzled before suddenly laughing: "It must be because of Xuanding."
"Xuanding Zhenxian?"
"He probably didn't mention it."
Zheng Fa inwardly scoffed, could it be that this Xuanding Patriarch was also forgetful?
Nizhang Yuanjun seemed to read his thoughts and shook her head, explaining, "He likely thought it would suffice for me to come, no need to repeat things, not wanting to waste words on Li Sanxian."
What kind of issues did this group from Taishang Dao have?
...
Though she spoke of an exchange, Zheng Fa was well aware:
In the realm of divine path cultivation, he was merely a primary school student, while Yaochi was practically a university.
They were being polite, calling it an exchange, but he couldn't take it seriously.
He welcomed the Yaochi group into the Jiushan Realm and smiled at Nizhang Yuanjun, saying, "I've prepared guest quarters; I hope Yuanjun won't find my humble abode lacking."
To his surprise, Nizhang Yuanjun paused and looked at Zheng Fa, saying, "There's no need for guest quarters."
Zheng Fa was taken aback, and then heard her add, "The matter with Tianhe is urgent; I don't have much time to waste."
Her urgency left Zheng Fa momentarily at a loss for words.
Nizhang Yuanjun seemed eager to move on and asked, "How long have you been practicing the Dongtian method?"
Zheng Fa thought for a moment and replied, "Eight years."
Upon hearing this, Nizhang Yuanjun said, "That's still a short time, but it's simple enough. You just need to know some entry-level taboos. Today, I'll teach you the basics, and if you have questions later, you can send me a message."
Her expression was filled with confidence, akin to a college student facing elementary math problems, but she added responsibly, "I'll take a look at the treasures of your Jiushan Realm's Dongtian before discussing anything else."
Seeing her decisive demeanor, Zheng Fa was astonished but understood that Nizhang Yuanjun likely came not out of obligation to Taishang Dao.
Clearly, she didn't regard him with the same weight as Taishang Dao did.
To be honest, Zheng Fa felt a sense of relief.
The attention of these people was certainly a good thing.
But it didn't quite align with his wishes—he just wanted to cultivate quietly, unnoticed, and develop slowly, but his strength didn't allow for that.
Hearing Nizhang Yuanjun's request, Zheng Fa led the Yaochi disciples towards the medicinal garden. Before they even stepped off the rainbow bridge, Nizhang Yuanjun halted, gazing at the fragrant energy within the garden.
"Yuanjun?"
Nizhang Yuanjun squinted at the stunning, multicolored mist, fell silent for a moment, and then asked again, "You said you've been practicing the Dongtian method for how long?"
"Eight years."
Nizhang Yuanjun turned her head, looking directly at Zheng Fa, and repeated, "Eight years?"
Zheng Fa quietly corrected, "Seven years and four months."
"…"
Nizhang Yuanjun's expression shifted, and she glanced at the thick, dark incense energy near the Sun and Moon Bell. The confidence on her face quietly faded.
Her expression resembled that of someone encountering a new type of problem.
She paused for a moment before lifting her foot to follow Zheng Fa onward.
When they reached the medicinal garden, she smiled and said, "I've long heard that Jiushan Sect excels in the secret arts of spiritual agriculture, even cultivating Qingjing Bamboo. Now that I see it, it resembles our Yaochi."
"Really?"
Zheng Fa looked at Nizhang Yuanjun, puzzled, unsure of what she meant by "resemble."
"The treasures of the Dongtian can manipulate time and space, making them ideal for cultivating spiritual plants."
Zheng Fa pondered for a moment, suddenly enlightened.
Before he took charge of the Jiushan Realm, the Celestial Master had also used the Sun and Moon Bell to cultivate spiritual plants.
It seemed this was the traditional use of Dongtian treasures.
Now, Nizhang Yuanjun was likely praising his Jiushan Sect's medicinal garden.
However, from her tone, it was clear she still took pride in Yaochi's methods of cultivating spiritual plants.
Nizhang Yuanjun continued, "However, our Yaochi possesses the essence of Ren Water and the Yaochi Dongtian, making us more adept at cultivating spiritual plants than other sects. We also have the roots of heaven and earth..."
Her words carried a hint of pride.
Zheng Fa felt envious; if he had those resources, why would he need to transport techniques back and forth? Even now, he hadn't cultivated any usable spiritual plants.
Noticing his expression, Nizhang Yuanjun laughed and encouraged, "Now that I see this medicinal garden, I feel a sense of familiarity, as if it carries the essence of our Yaochi Dongtian."
"For instance, this Yunyang Plum has five times the medicinal potency compared to other varieties."
"This Falling Star Grass... is it also a rare species?"
"This Confusion Fruit... how can its yield be so high?"
Zheng Fa admired her keen insight.
It was evident that Yaochi truly excelled in cultivating spiritual plants, and Nizhang Yuanjun was particularly skilled.
Many spiritual plants, with just a glance, she could identify their species, and even their exceptional qualities, all within a short time.
From her tone, it was clear she was deeply passionate about this field; once she started talking, she couldn't stop, even forgetting about the Dongtian method.
But as Nizhang Yuanjun's voice grew softer and lower, gazing at the garden filled with extraordinary flowers and herbs, she gradually fell silent.
"Yuanjun?"
Nizhang Yuanjun looked at Zheng Fa, bewildered, and asked, "Do you also have the essence of Ren Water?"
"…No."
"Then how does this medicinal garden have so many rare species?"
Zheng Fa pointed to the approaching Qian Zhenren and replied, "I have him."
This medicinal garden was practically an agricultural testing ground for the Jiushan Realm. Thanks to the abundant incense energy from the Sun and Moon Bell, the scale of experimentation had grown larger.
After years of development, the spiritual plants that remained in the garden were either of exceptional quality or rare and elusive varieties.
To say he had something as impressive-sounding as the essence of Ren Water was simply untrue.
But Qian Zhenren, the agricultural expert he had personally cultivated, was no less valuable to Zheng Fa than any rare treasure.
Nizhang Yuanjun, with her profound cultivation, could easily see that this middle-aged cultivator was merely at the late Golden Core stage, on the verge of forming a Nascent Soul.
Looking at the garden filled with spiritual plants that dazzled her, she found it hard to believe Zheng Fa's words.
Yet, seeing the seriousness in his expression, Nizhang Yuanjun understood he wouldn't deceive her.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to Qian Zhenren and surprisingly clasped her hands, asking, "May I know your esteemed name, Zhenren?"
Qian Zhenren, bewildered, returned the gesture and looked at Zheng Fa, confused.
"This is Yaochi's true immortal, Nizhang Yuanjun."
"True... true immortal?"
Qian Zhenren's legs trembled slightly, and seeing the hint of respect in Nizhang Yuanjun's gaze made his scalp tingle.
...
A month later.
The green-clad female disciple pushed open the courtyard door, holding a communication talisman, and reported, "Yuanjun, Taishang Dao has sent a message."
Nizhang Yuanjun was examining a pot of spiritual plums in her hands, not lifting her head, and asked, "What does it say?"
"Taishang Dao is asking when we will arrive."
"No rush."
"They're asking when we can set off for the Tianhe Sect."
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