"Are these all from the Hundred Immortals Alliance?"
A clear, cold voice descended from the heavens. The speaker stood in the void, looking down at an island.
Above the coastal reefs floated a giant ship, without oars or sails, its body flashing with purple-blue lightning, its shape bizarre.
The island was originally deserted, but now there is a row of flat houses, and a dozen or so cultivators are busy going in and out of the houses, getting on and off the boats.
"Reporting to the Primordial Lord, they are from the Hundred Immortals Alliance." The Nishang Yuanjun, accompanied by dozens of Jade Pool disciples, was led by a woman in green robes who replied, "Those are the unique Divine Firmament Warship of the Nine Mountains Sect. I've heard that one is equivalent to a Golden Core True Person."
Nishang Yuanjun nodded slightly, raising her eyes to look at the eastern sea. "I didn't expect their people to have already reached the edge of the Western Continent."
They set off from Jade Pool and had just entered the Sea Region when they encountered the people of the Nine Mountains Sect. Upon seeing them, she couldn't help but be a little surprised.
"My Lady, they came long ago." The woman in green, who seemed to be in charge of general affairs in the Jade Pool, answered, "Disciples from the Nine Mountains Sect even came to visit some time ago."
"Oh?"
"They want to do business in our Jade Pool, so they've come to pay their respects."
"At least you have some manners; you've agreed?"
The woman in green bowed her head and said, "No, the Heavenly Maiden did not see them. It would be extremely unwise to offend Thunderclap Temple for the sake of the mere Nine Mountains."
After a moment of silence, Nishang Yuanjun sighed and shook her head slightly, " With the Tianhe in flux, the sect is still unable to unite as one; everyone has their own agenda. It is truly a turbulent time..."
Her tone was full of worry, but everyone around her remained silent, clearly not daring to say anything on the matter.
After a moment, the woman in green who had spoken earlier broke the silence and asked, "Yuanjun, shall we go to the Nine Mountains first?"
Nishang Yuanjun seemed unwilling to say more, and replied, " Nine Mountains Zheng Fa is currently cultivating the Grotto-Heaven Method, Supreme Dao has asked me to go and give him some guidance."
The female disciple in green hadn't expected this reason. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "It seems that the Supreme Dao also knows that my Jade Pool is the number one in the Xuanwei Divine Way."
There was no smile in Nishang Yuanjun's eyes, only a soft sigh, " The Divine Way... My Jade Pool prospered because of the Divine Way, and now, I fear it too will crumble because of Divine Way."
"Yuanjun!"
Hearing the disciple's soft exclamation, Nishang Yuanjun looked in the direction of the Nine Mountains Sect, smiled, and simply said, "It's just a pity that Zheng Fa of the Nine Mountains also took this path..."
Upon hearing this, the female disciple asked curiously, "Since the Divine Way is flawed, why does the Supreme Dao still need to ask you, Yuanjun, to guide it?"
"Furthermore, why is the Supreme Dao so concerned about him? They've even gone so far as to entrust him to you, Yuanjun..."
Nishang Yuanjun turned her head and glanced in the direction of the Western Continent: " Thunderclap Temple has been plotting for three eras, just to help Lu Mo achieve the Dao. This matter is a catastrophic disaster for my Jade Pool, and it is also extremely troublesome for the Supreme Dao."
"Since Zheng Fa can hinder Lu Mo's path to enlightenment, the Supreme Dao will naturally do its utmost to help him. What does a favor matter?"
The female disciple then asked, "Did the Supreme Dao place its bet on Dharma Body?"
Nishang Yuanjun nodded gently.
"But... then we absolutely cannot let him cultivate the Divine Way!"
Nishang Yuanjun smiled, her tone tinged with sarcasm. "The path of the Divine Way, though it may have a thousand flaws, has only one advantage—it's fast!"
"The faster Zheng Fa cultivates, the greater his chances of victory against Lu Mo. As for what will happen in the future..."
Nishang Yuanjun smiled and said nothing more.
But everyone around her understood what she meant:
What happens in the future is none of Zheng Fa's Supreme Dao; no matter how many difficulties they face, it's none of their concern.
"Then shall we join the Supreme Dao in betting on him?"
Nishang Yuanjun turned her head to look ahead and said:
"Although this mission is to deal with that Lu Mo, it is mainly at the behest of the Supreme Dao."
" Lu Mo said that although the matter is of great importance, the internal strife within Jade Pool is far from over, and they may soon become bitter enemies. We might not even be able to hold out until then..."
"This matter cannot be resolved by Zheng Fa alone, so how can we talk about placing bets?"
The female disciple in green nodded slightly, her expression also solemn.
"If we can settle the affairs of the Tianhe Sect as soon as possible, and then return to the sect to mediate, perhaps there will still be some chance for a turnaround..." Nishang Yuanjun shook her head and said decisively, "We will stay at the Nine Mountains Sect for two days."
As they spoke, the coastline of the Eastern Continent came into view in the distance.
Zheng Fa, accompanied by Senior Sister Zhang, stood on the coast of Liang Province, gazing westward.
When the Nishang Yuanjun came to visit, he was unwilling to be rude, given that she was True Immortal and extremely courteous. He also had a rough idea of her purpose in coming.
According to his understanding, Jade Pool and Vast Sun Mountain were both overlords of the Divine Dao Era.
At that time Dao Venerable had just established the Yang Spirit Method, and the Dharma Body Method and the Celestial River Method had not yet appeared. It is conceivable that Jade Pool also rose to prominence because of the Divine Way.
However, Vast Sun Mountain is a special case; it was no longer a sect of the Divine Way path, but Jade Pool might not be...
Zheng Fa always remembered that Mu Qingyan had said that in her "memory," Jade Pool's future power was called the Divine Court.
He hadn't paid much attention to this before, but now it seems that Jade Pool hasn't completely broken away from the Divine Way.
According to Immortal Li, Jade Pool and Vast Sun Mountain are not on good terms and can now be seen as being in the same boat.
"Junior brother... something seems amiss inside the Jade Pool," Senior Sister Zhang suddenly said. "Our Nine Mountains disciples were previously turned away."
Zheng Fa nodded upon hearing this, understanding that his senior sister was reminding him that Jade Pool might not be trustworthy.
The Western Continent is too far from the Nine Mountains Sect. Even with Zheng Fa's speed, it wouldn't be easy for him to make a trip to the Western Continent.
He actually had very little understanding of the situation at Thunderclap Temple and Jade Pool in the Western Continent, and had obtained very little information.
Actually, he knew Thunderclap Temple quite well; they weren't really friends.
But Jade Pool's attitude... he found it confusing.
Jade Pool was the most mysterious of the Four Sects.
This sect seems to consist entirely of female cultivators, and they rarely interact with the outside world unless it involves Xuanwei matters.
There is one thing that left a deep Law Seals:
Jade Pool's pillar industry seems to overlap with that of the Nine Mountains Sect —they excel at cultivating various Spirit Plant.
However, there are not many trade conflicts between the two:
On the one hand, the Nine Mountains Sect's Spirit Plant are not even enough to be consumed internally, and they have not yet thought about exporting them, nor do they intend to export them in the short term.
On the other hand, the two groups have their own unique characteristics in terms of Spirit Plant, which do not overlap and the varieties are quite different.
Furthermore, Jade Pool was secluded and somewhat self-sufficient, and the two sects were far apart, so they lived in relative peace.
The problem is that their attitude towards the Nine Mountains Sect is subtly contradictory.
The fact that the Nishang Yuanjun came all this way to visit seems to have some goodwill, or at least it could be considered a gesture of goodwill.
But the disciples of the Nine Mountains Sect were treated coldly at Jade Pool... They're too fickle.
He glanced at Senior Sister Zhang, nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, and then suddenly his heart stirred, and he looked into the distance.
Suddenly, countless colorful spots of light appeared on the distant horizon.
After a moment, Zheng Fa finally saw what these spots of light were—they were all spirit birds.
Dozens of birds of all kinds and vibrant colors rose from the sea.
Peacock and white cranes stand side by side, accompanied by magpies and thrushes, their colorful tail feathers swaying against the blue sea and sky like rainbows.
Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang flew straight up to greet the disciples of Jade Pool.
Even from a hundred miles away, Zheng Fa could smell a strange fragrance wafting from the tip of his nose, making him Divine Soul and excited.
Looking up, I saw a female immortal in the distance. Her precious robes were like seven-colored clouds, and her face shone with golden light. She was a perfect blend of solemnity and beauty.
Upon meeting his eyes, Zheng Fa felt an overwhelming surge of admiration and joy, and almost wanted to kneel down and kowtow.
Within his body, the Yellow Court Creation Jade Disc trembled slightly, releasing a refreshing sensation that surged into his mind.
In an instant, Zheng Fa's eyes cleared, but his heart was still pounding: This Nishang Yuanjun didn't seem to have practiced any kind of seductive arts, yet she was even more irresistible than the bewitching arts of the Demonic Sect —even the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant in his mind didn't react. If he hadn't been practicing the < Yellow Court Scripture >, he probably would have made a fool of himself.
Seeing Zheng Fa regain consciousness so quickly, Nishang Yuanjun's beautiful eyes flashed with surprise. She lightly touched the back of the crane and landed in front of Zheng Fa in the blink of an eye, bowing first. " Alliance Leader Zheng, I have long admired you."
Zheng Fa cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Yuanjun. Are these fairies all esteemed disciples of your sect?"
Nishang Yuanjun smiled and nodded, saying, "They came with me to the Tianhe Sect to set up the formation."
Zheng Fa glanced at them and saw that they had brought more than thirty disciples, including about ten Nascent Spirit Transformation and nearly twenty Nascent Soul. He then had a better understanding of Jade Pool's strength.
After the group exchanged greetings, Nishang Yuanjun seemed a little anxious and said as soon as they met:
"I heard from the Supreme Dao that you have cultivated the Grotto-Heaven Method?"
Zheng Fa had nothing to hide and nodded in agreement.
"I, Jade Pool, have some insights into the cultivation of the Divine Way. The Supreme Dao has entrusted me to come here today to discuss with you the essentials of Divine Way cultivation."
Zheng Fa was taken aback.
He had a rough idea of what the Nishang Yuanjun was up to, but...
" Immortal Li said that it was the Primordial Goddess who wished to visit, and asked him to inform her first."
Nishang Yuanjun was also bewildered for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "It's probably because of the Xuanding."
" True Immortal of the Xuanding?"
He probably didn't say.
Zheng Fa secretly thought to himself, "Could it be that this Patriarch Xuanding is also forgetful?"
Nishang Yuanjun seemed to have seen through his thoughts and shook her head to explain, "He probably thinks that it's enough for me to say it; there's no need to repeat myself, and he doesn't want to waste his breath on Li Sanxian."
What's wrong with the people of the Supreme Dao?
Although it was called an exchange, Zheng Fa was still aware of the situation:
In the cultivation of Divine Way Method, he was merely a primary school student; Jade Pool was practically becoming an academic tyrant.
They were just being polite, saying it was just an exchange, so he naturally couldn't take it seriously.
He welcomed the Jade Pool group into the Nine Mountains Realm and smiled at Nishang Yuanjun and the others:
"I have prepared a guest quarters; I hope Your Majesty will not find our humble dwelling too simple."
Unexpectedly, Nishang Yuanjun stopped in her tracks, looked at Zheng Fa, and said:
"We don't need the guest room."
Zheng Fa was taken aback, then heard Nishang Yuanjun say again, " The Tianhe matter is urgent, I don't have much time to waste."
The man was so eager that Zheng Fa was momentarily at a loss for words.
As if she truly wanted to leave quickly, Nishang Yuanjun asked, "How long have you been cultivating the Grotto-Heaven Method?"
Zheng Fa thought for a moment and then said, "Eight years."
Upon hearing this, Nishang Yuanjun said, "The time is still short, so it's simple. You only need to know some basic taboos. Today I will teach you the basics first. If you have any questions later, you can send me a letter."
Her expression was very confident, with the certainty of a college student encountering an elementary school Mathematics problem, but Nishang Yuanjun was still responsible enough to add:
"I'll go check out the treasures of your Nine Mountains Realm Grotto-Heaven before we discuss anything else."
Zheng Fa was surprised by her decisive actions, but he also understood that Nishang Yuanjun probably only came because she couldn't Taishang Daoist.
Clearly, this Nishang Yuanjun doesn't value him as much as the Supreme Dao does now.
To be honest, Zheng Fa was relieved.
It's certainly a good thing that these people value it.
But it didn't really suit his wishes—he just wanted to be quiet and develop slowly when no one was paying attention, but unfortunately his strength didn't allow it.
Upon hearing Nishang Yuanjun's request, Zheng Fa led the immortals of Jade Pool toward the Medicine Garden. Before they even crossed the Rainbow Bridge, Nishang Yuanjun paused, gazing at the Incense Power burning in the Medicine Garden.
"Yuanjun?"
Nishang Yuanjun squinted at the magnificent, multicolored cloud, remained silent for a moment, and then asked again, "You just said that you have been cultivating the Grotto-Heaven Method for a long time?"
Eight years.
Nishang Yuanjun turned her head, looked at Zheng Fa, and repeated, "Eight years?"
Zheng Fa whispered, "Seven years and four months."
"..."
The expression on Nishang Yuanjun's face changed several times. She glanced at the thick, almost black Incense Power smoke beside the Sun-Moon Bell, and the confidence on her face quietly faded.
The expression on his face suggested a surprise at encountering a new type of question.
She paused for a moment before lifting her foot and following Zheng Fa.
Upon seeing the Medicine Garden, she smiled and said, "I've long heard that the Nine Mountains Sect is unparalleled in spiritual farming techniques, even able to cultivate the Pure Tranquility Bamboo. Now that I see it, it's just like my Jade Pool."
"Um?"
Zheng Fa looked at Nishang Yuanjun with a puzzled expression, not knowing what she meant by what she said.
"Treasures from grotto-heavens can manipulate space and time, making them ideal for cultivating Spirit Plant."
Zheng Fa thought for a moment, and then it dawned on him.
Before he took control of the Nine Mountains Realm, the Heavenly Venerable also used the Sun-Moon Bell to cultivate Spirit Plant.
This must be the traditional way of using the treasures of the grotto-heaven.
Now, the Nishang Yuanjun is probably praising his Nine Mountains Sect's Medicine Garden.
However, judging from his tone, he still seemed to be subtly proud of the cultivation method of the Spirit Plant from Jade Pool.
Nishang Yuanjun continued, "However, my Jade Pool possesses the Essence of Ren Water, and even more so, the Jade Pool Grotto-Heaven, making us more adept at cultivating Spirit Plant than other sects. We also have Heaven-and-Earth Spirit Root..."
The arrogance in his words became increasingly apparent.
Zheng Fa also felt envious. If he had these things, why would he need to transfer technology between the two sides? Even now, modern times haven't been able to cultivate suitable Spirit Plant.
Seeing his expression, Nishang Yuanjun laughed and said in a flattering tone, "Looking at this Medicine Garden now, I feel a sense of familiarity with it, and I even sense a touch of the charm of my Jade Pool Grotto-Heaven."
"For example, this Cloudsun Plum has five times more medicinal power than other varieties."
"This Falling Star Grass... seems to be a different species as well?"
"This Heart-Chaos Fruit... how come the yield of this Heart-Chaos Fruit is so high?"
Zheng Fa admired him.
It's clear that Jade Pool is truly skilled in cultivating Spirit Plant, and this Nishang Yuanjun is an expert in it.
She could identify the species of many Spirit Plant with just a glance, and even discern their superior qualities in a short time.
Judging from her tone, she was extremely engrossed in this practice, talking on and on, even forgetting about the Grotto-Heaven Method.
But Nishang Yuanjun's voice grew softer and softer until she looked at the garden full of Rare Flowers and Exotic Herbs and gradually fell silent.
"Yuanjun?"
Nishang Yuanjun looked at Zheng Fa and asked blankly, "You also possess the Essence of Ren Water?"
"... without."
"Then how come there are so many exotic species in this Medicine Garden?"
Zheng Fa pointed to Qian True Person, who had come out to greet them, and said, "I have him."
This Medicine Garden is now practically an agricultural experimental field in the Nine Mountains Realm, because the Incense Power power of the Sun-Moon Bell is extremely strong, and the scale of the experiments is getting larger and larger.
Over the years, the Spirit Plant that remain in the Medicine Garden are either of extremely excellent varieties or Xuanwei and mysterious species.
As for treasures like the " Essence of Ren Water," which sound incredibly powerful, Zheng Fa truly doesn't possess them.
But in Zheng Fa's mind, Qian True Person, the agricultural expert he had personally trained, was no less valuable than any rare treasure.
With her cultivation level, how could Nishang Yuanjun not see that this middle-aged cultivator was only at the Golden Core Late Stage, at most close to the Nascent Soul Formation stage?
Looking at the garden full of rare and Spirit Plant that dazzled her, she simply couldn't believe Zheng Fa's words.
But seeing Zheng Fa's serious expression, Nishang Yuanjun realized that he wouldn't lie to her.
Nishang Yuanjun took a deep breath, looked at Qian True Person, and actually cupped her hands, saying, "May I ask this True Person's esteemed name?"
Qian True Person responded blankly with a cupped-hand salute, then looked at Zheng Fa with a puzzled expression.
"This is the Jade Pool True Immortal, the Nishang Yuanjun."
"A true... True Immortal?"
Qian True Person's legs trembled, and when he saw the slightly respectful gaze that Nishang Yuanjun was giving him, his scalp tingled.
One month later.
The female disciple in green pushed open the courtyard gate, holding Communication Talisman in her hand, and reported, "Yuanjun, a letter has arrived from the Supreme Dao."
Nishang Yuanjun, without even looking up from the pot of spirit plum blossoms in her hand, asked, "What did you say?"
The Supreme Dao asked us when we would arrive.
"No rush."
They asked when we could set off for the Tianhe Sect.
Nishang Yuanjun touched a leaf of the spirit plum tree and said absentmindedly, "In two more days."
The female disciple in green couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Yuanjun, you've said that three times already!"
Seeing that Nishang Yuanjun still ignored her, the female disciple said again, "Lady Ni Chang, didn't you say that the affairs of the Tianhe Sect are troublesome, and that the sect is in grave danger?"
Nishang Yuanjun suddenly stood up.
The female disciple in green exclaimed happily, "Lord, shall we go?"
"Where are you going?" To her surprise, Nishang Yuanjun glanced at her, her expression puzzled. "I'm going to find Qian True Person to ask how this rare Cold Moon Plum was cultivated, and also to exchange some methods of Spirit Plant."
"..."
Yuanjun, didn't you hear a word I said?
Seeing the Nishang Yuanjun hurriedly walk out of the courtyard, the green-clad female disciple knew that what the Lady was talking about now—exchange—was a genuine exchange.
Zheng Fa was pondering the secret techniques of the Grotto-Heaven Method that Nishang Yuanjun had taught him when he saw Qian True Person rushing over.
" Sect Leader!"
"How?"
Zheng Fa looked at Qian True Person, whose face was filled with a mixture of surprise and joy, and was somewhat puzzled.
Qian True Person exclaimed, "This morning, Yuanjun and I were discussing the cultivation of Spirit Plant. We were talking about how we need to find Spirit Plant that can restore Spirit Root, and she actually said she knows one!"
Zheng Fa stood up from the stone bench, both surprised and delighted.
"She knows?"
"Yes, Jade Pool has cultivated several kinds of Spirit Plant that can restore Spirit Root!"
(End of this chapter)