Lu Xing stepped into the garden. With four cultivators of unknown strength behind him, he maintained a calm exterior, but his back still prickled as though the gleam of their flying swords were aimed directly at him.
Having lived in peaceful China on Earth, it was only natural that he had yet to adapt to the violent Xianxia World.
The four stared at his back.
As though they had finally seen his face clearly, the expressions of the two male cultivators changed slightly. Yet neither took the initiative to make peace, and they continued watching Lu Xing.
"May I ask how we should address you, Fairy?"
Chu Mo clasped his hands and bowed toward that peerless back, apologizing once more. "We intruded without permission. Please forgive us, Fairy."
One of the male cultivators moved his lips, then turned his gaze once more toward the astonishingly flourishing flowerbeds.
Cold Spirit Grass, Snow Realm Flowers, White Crystal Spirit Fruits...
Every spirit plant was over a thousand years old, and the fragrant Spiritual Energy they emitted was utterly enticing!
That lush Dragon Jade Marrow Tree bore fruits capable of nourishing the soul. Even direct disciples of great sects might not have the chance to use a single one.
Yet in this magically appearing medicinal garden, there were no fewer than five Dragon Jade Marrow Trees!
Furthermore, every tree bore seventy or eighty fruits, weighing the branches down until they bent. It was simply unheard of. They had never heard of precious spirit plants producing so many fruits!
Even more unbelievable was the lotus before the grass hut, which radiated a faintly forbidden aura that inspired dread. It had formed a flower bud and taken human shape...
This single plant alone would be enough to stir the four great immortal sects of Cloud Azure Province into action. Immortal Realm patriarchs would personally arrive, determined to invite this Shapeshifting Lotus back to their sects to be nurtured.
One shapeshifting spirit plant could ensure that an immortal sect lacked no spirit medicine for a thousand years, and could even nurture another Immortal Realm expert!
"The ignorant are not guilty."
Lu Xing turned around and gave the four a faint smile. "Since you did not take any of the spirit plants in my garden without permission, I will not blame you."
Whether or not he was a fairy invincible across the Three Realms, he had to look the part!
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Fairy!"
Chu Mo bowed again and gave his companions a look.
Seeing this, the other three could only clasp their hands and offer apologies as well.
"What did you come here for?"
Lu Xing asked again as he headed toward the grass hut. The four followed at an unhurried pace, and Chu Mo answered, "In reply to Fairy, we are independent cultivators from near Thousand Snow Mountain. A few days ago, we saw treasure light blooming within the snowy mountains, so we entered together in search of an opportunity. Who knew we would accidentally intrude here... We did not know this was Fairy's cave abode."
His gaze was drawn once again to the lotus before the grass hut.
Lu Xing noticed the four gazes as well. Chu Mo looked at it as if it were an unrivaled treasure, and the other three were the same, staring heatedly at the sleeping little lotus girl.
"I see."
Lu Xing entered the grass hut.
When Chu Mo and the others saw this, they completely extinguished any improper thoughts.
The grass hut stood in the center of the medicinal garden. It looked utterly ordinary, yet it gave them an inexplicable sense of danger, as though misfortune would befall them if they approached. This was also why they had not dared act rashly after entering the garden.
Now that they saw the peerlessly beautiful Fairy walk calmly inside, they finally confirmed that her words were true. This place was indeed her cave abode.
"How strange."
Wu Juemin, the only female cultivator among the four, said softly, "Since she is so powerful, why was she frightened by our sword light?"
"I find it strange too. Could she be bluffing us?!" Pang Jian, who had sneered earlier, also spoke. His gaze could not help sweeping around the medicinal garden again.
With so many spirit plants here, never mind taking them all—even grabbing a handful at random would ensure they had no worries in cultivation for a hundred years.
"Shut up. You may want to die, but I don't!"
Chu Mo stopped them in a low voice. Keeping his eyes fixed on the grass hut, he waited for the Fairy to emerge again.
Thousand Snow Mountain stretched for thousands of miles. Though it was sparsely inhabited, a medicinal garden containing so many spirit plants should have been looted long ago over the course of a thousand years.
For this garden to have remained until now, a powerful expert must have set up an array. Only a few days ago had the medicinal garden revealed itself.
Yet the spirit plants in the garden had not been dug up. Even the most precious shapeshifting immortal lotus had been left behind.
Clearly, there was some hidden reason!
"Senior Brother Chu, are you willing to accept this?"
Pang Jian asked quietly again.
Before Chu Mo could answer, Lu Xing emerged, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, I have nothing here for entertaining guests. Let us just stand and talk for a while."
"You are too courteous, Fairy."
Chu Mo hurriedly bowed again and asked, "What would Fairy like to ask?"
Lu Xing said, "I have been in seclusion for many years and do not know how the Mortal Realm has changed. So, I wish to ask you a few questions."
Mortal Realm!
Chu Mo's heart jolted. It was said that only Immortal Realm patriarchs habitually used this term. After breaking through the realm and ascending to the Upper Realm, they rarely descended to the human world, and thus called the human realm the Mortal Realm.
"Please ask, Senior!"
Chu Mo changed his form of address.
In truth, he could have called her Senior from the start. It was merely that female cultivators generally preferred being called Fairy.
Lu Xing said, "If your answers satisfy me, I will allow each of you to take one ordinary spirit plant from my garden."
So long as they did not take away one of the rare varieties that only existed in a single plant in the Purple-Clad Woman's garden.
"Thank you, Senior!" The four were overjoyed. Their gazes could not help sweeping over the rare spirit plants again as they considered which one to take later.
"Then I will ask."
Lu Xing looked at them and asked first, "Just how vast are the Three Realms and Six Paths?"
He had asked the beauties in the mirror this question before, but they had all been too lazy to answer. They had only said that the Three Realms were not large, just like that.
"Senior does not know how vast the Three Realms are?" Wu Juemin asked strangely.
"Just answer."
Lu Xing's tone was calm.
Wu Juemin did not dare question him further and hurriedly replied, "The Three Realms and Six Paths are merely a manner of speaking. The Three Realms definitely exist, but few know what the Six Paths are. Perhaps it is simply a saying passed down from ancient times, or perhaps it refers to the Buddhist Six Paths of Reincarnation. That is why it is called the Three Realms and Six Paths!"
Lu Xing nodded, signaling for her to continue.
"Of the Three Realms, the Upper Realm is the Immortal Realm. I do not know how vast it is. Cultivators like us may ascend to the Upper Realm after overcoming heavenly tribulation. Beyond that, I know nothing."
There was a trace of envy in Wu Juemin's voice.
Chu Mo added, "It is said that the Immortal Realm is not very large, and that not all Immortal Realm patriarchs remain there. Any human-realm sect large enough to be considered a great sect has an Immortal Realm patriarch overseeing it. As for the truth, independent cultivators like us have no way of knowing."
"What about the other two realms?"
Lu Xing continued asking.
"The human realm has the Nine Provinces. This junior also does not know how vast the Nine Provinces are. I only know that in Cloud Azure Province, where we are, there are five sects, three schools, four temples, two clans, and one dynasty. All are great sects, great temples, or imperial dynasties with Immortal Realm patriarchs, and they have endured for tens of thousands of years."
It really was enormous.
Lu Xing tried asking, "If someone could stop the snowstorm across this entire mountain range with a single move, what realm would that person likely be in?"
The four all looked at him, their eyes filled with confusion and surprise.
Chu Mo thought for a moment before saying, "Such a spell could likely only be performed by an expert in the Void Illumination Realm. But our knowledge is shallow. We have not even seen Nascent Soul Realm experts more than a few times, so we do not dare speculate further."
Lu Xing continued asking, quickly gaining an understanding of this world's cultivation system.
Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Divine Spirit, Void Illumination, Dao Comprehension, Flying Immortal.
Judging by the arrogant tone of the Cold Ice Fairy and the beauties' souls in the mirror, a Fairy at her peak, wielding the Treasure Mirror, should have been somewhat stronger than Flying Immortal Realm Immortal Realm patriarchs.
Lu Xing was not a Fairy. Even with the Treasure Mirror in hand, he did not dare claim he could roam the Three Realms without opposition.