Chapter 248: Chapter 247: The Old Daoist Priests Descend the Mountain to Welcome Guests
Torrents of Evil Qi surged into the Thunder Seed, and Taoist Yu Zhang felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.
The Thunder Seed absorbed the Evil Qi, nourishing his body in return. It solidified his foundation, improved his constitution, and both accelerated and benefited his Cultivation.
Although it wasn’t a sudden leap in power, Taoist Yu Zhang had a feeling. ’Once I fully digest these gains, even if I can’t catch up to the top tier in the palace, I won’t be too far behind.’
"What kind of Demon or Ghost was that? How could it have so much Evil Qi? Just how many evil deeds did it commit!" Taoist Yu Zhang couldn’t help but exclaim.
Besides, that old fiend could fly, which meant his Dao Practice was high. ’I wonder why he suddenly appeared in the territory of Changping Prefecture,’ he thought.
So, Taoist Yu Zhang decisively sent a voice transmission to Gu Zhao. "I just ran into an old fiend who wanted to kill me for Soul Refining. He could fly, so his Dao Practice must be quite high, but he seemed to be severely injured. I killed him."
As he said this, he recalled the might of the Celestial Pig Great Curse he had used to suppress the fiend. Taoist Yu Zhang couldn’t help but feel a little smug, and added a humblebrag, "He actually dared to take my Celestial Pig Great Curse head-on. The guy was pretty brave, I’ll give him that."
A moment later, Taoist Yu Zhang received Gu Zhao’s reply, which told him about matters related to Shide Prefecture.
"That old fiend was probably an expert from some power in Shide Prefecture. He was severely wounded by the Netherfire Sect Leader and fled to Changping Prefecture to hide in the wilderness and recover," Gu Zhao transmitted. "But before he could regain his strength, he had the misfortune of running into you."
"That seems to be the case," Taoist Yu Zhang nodded, then recounted what he had encountered that morning. "That peddler took a young boy and girl, and he was delivering them to that old fiend."
"A boy and a girl, one yin and one yang, their birthdays no more than three days apart, which basically maintains a balance," Taoist Yu Zhang mused. "The children are young, too, so their Divine Souls are pure. They could indeed be used to heal injuries to the Divine Soul."
In Daluo Palace, Gu Zhao’s eyebrow twitched upon hearing this. ’If he was doing this, I wonder if the other injured people are doing the same?’
Taoist Yi Hong nodded. "It’s a lead, regardless."
"Alright!" Gu Zhao said in a low voice. "I’ll have Daluo Palace send word to the Daluo Temples below. First, to be wary of any foreign Demons and Ghosts, and second, to keep an eye out for any missing children."
Taoist Yan Song also stood up. "Since we have guests, we should go down the mountain to welcome them."
...
The weather grew hotter and hotter, and the summer sun made one feel lazy.
There was no air conditioning, but fortunately, Gu Zhao was now immune to heat and cold. Even if he baked under the sun, there was no risk of him getting heatstroke.
Still, he lay in the shade of a tree, enjoying a slice of iced watermelon that the Silk Embroideress had just brought up from the cellar.
He opened his mouth, took a bite, and savored the cool sensation. Then, with two quick spits, PFFT PFFT, the watermelon seeds traced an arc through the air and landed precisely on the tray on the table.
Zhuo Qingyan sat beside him. She, however, wasn’t being waited on, simply holding a slice of watermelon and taking small bites, a look of enjoyment on her face as she savored the juice’s fresh sweetness.
"This melon is so sweet!" Bi Yingying exclaimed in admiration. "Where is it from?"
He Cailian said, "Elder Ming Chong says they’re fruits from the Daluo Palace’s secret realm."
Bi Yingying nodded in understanding. "No wonder."
From the initial cabbage, white rice, and white sugar, to the later five-spice roasted chicken and barbecued pork, and now to watermelons, grapes, and apples...
...not to mention the sharp, durable weapons and the exquisite clothing with its fine stitching...
...anything whose origins couldn’t be clearly explained was attributed as a product of the Daluo Palace’s secret realm.
With a group of old Daoists with profound Dao Practice vouching for it, no one doubted the authenticity of the Daluo Palace’s secret realm. Instead, it only seemed more mysterious, inspiring both awe and wild speculation.
The Daluo Palace’s secret realm was Daluo Palace’s greatest secret. Even Zhuo Qingyan didn’t know about it, so Bi Yingying naturally wouldn’t ask, simply continuing to eat her watermelon in small bites.
"Sect Leader, I’m going home in a few days. Could I bring two watermelons for my sister?" Bi Yingying asked Gu Zhao.
Gu Zhao waved his hand. "Take ten!"
Bi Yingying was studying at Daluo Palace, making Green Water Pool an ally. A few watermelons were nothing!
"Thank you, Sect Leader!"
The Daluo Palace cellar was filled with many melons and fruits. Though ordinary people couldn’t get them, there was no shortage for Cultivators within the palace. Bi Yingying knew that if she asked, she could definitely take one or two home, but she had still asked Gu Zhao as a show of respect.
She never expected Gu Zhao to be even more generous than she’d imagined, giving her ten watermelons in one go!
Just then, Chen Zhi walked over from the backyard. Her steps were light and her aura was ethereal; she had already begun to develop her Cultivation.
"Xiaozhi, come have some watermelon!" Zhuo Qingyan called, waving her over.
"Thank you, Sister Zhuo!" Chen Zhi quickened her pace at the invitation and soon arrived. She first greeted Gu Zhao and Zhuo Qingyan respectfully, then waved familiarly to the Silk Embroideress, Bai Ke, and He Cailian, before finally sitting down next to Bi Yingying.
Gu Zhao smacked his lips. "This Harmony Cultivation is truly extraordinary."
After coming up the mountain, Chen Zhi had worked hard on her Cultivation. But cultivating the Dao was never that simple. Even the exceptionally talented needed to go through Qi Refining and Body Refining, perform the Conserve Spirit Cultivation Practice, and use Breathing Techniques for months or even years before seeing any results.
But before Chen Zhi could even develop a Taoist Inner Breath, Bi Yingying discovered that their Divine Souls were compatible.
After asking Taoist Jing Hong, they learned that they could still practice the Daluo Palace Taoist Skill even with Harmony. So, Chen Zhi formed a Harmony with Bi Yingying. Not only did Bi Yingying’s Cultivation speed increase, but even Chen Zhi gained a faint layer of Magical Power.
"Of course it’s extraordinary!" Bai Ke snorted from the side, lifting her little head out of half a watermelon. "The Silk Embroideress and I have nearly a hundred years of Dao Practice!"
Gu Zhao gave a perfunctory nod. "Right, very impressive."
Bai Ke: (▼へ▼メ)
Bai Ke flared up at his words, fumed for a second, and then went back to eating her watermelon.
’It couldn’t be helped.’ Her and the Silk Embroideress’s achievements would be something to boast about anywhere else, but not in Daluo Palace. ’What is wrong with these people? Their Cultivation speed is just insane.’
Forget about Gu Zhao and those old Daoists; even Zhuo Qingyan, who had switched to practicing the Beiyin Seven True Soul Refining Skill, was seeing her Magical Power advance by leaps and bounds.
Bai Ke couldn’t help but sigh. She decided she would also go to the Scripture Pavilion to check out the Supreme Meridian Breathing Technique.
The Silk Embroideress giggled and comforted Bai Ke for a moment, then went over to peel a tangerine for Gu Zhao and Zhuo Qingyan before picking up a few grapes for herself.
Gu Zhao lay on his lounge chair, simultaneously relaxing and cultivating. The True Qi in his body circulated, converting the benefits from the Five Thunders Order into his own Cultivation.
The next moment, a stream of Evil Qi traveled through the void and surged into the Five Thunders Order.
HUMMM!
The Five Thunders Order trembled, and another Thunder Seed condensed into form.
"Sweet!"
