Peach Garden Gathering, Mountain God Jade Reward

Gold.

What was inside the bottle was unmistakably flowing gold.

It gave off an exceedingly fragrant scent. Just smelling it made Li Ye feel refreshed and clear-headed, while its color was a feast for the eyes. It truly was rather peculiar.

"What is this?"

"Could this be the harvest Spirit Vine mentioned?"

Li Ye silently stoppered the bottle with its wooden cork and carefully placed it in a corner of his cabinet, beside the tender sprout dropped by the Flint Crystal Worm.

He planned to gather a little more first, then sound people out while chatting with them to see if he could learn what this thing actually was.

But he did not notice that, as he pressed in the stopper, a wisp of golden light silently merged into his body.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Three days later, Li Ye left home on time and headed for the "Peach Garden" Fellow Daoist Zhou had mentioned.

The so-called Peach Garden lay east of Returning Shore Market. Li Ye merely asked a few passersby and easily found that radiant peach garden.

Though it was only the beginning of spring and there was still a chill in the air, the peach blossoms stretching as far as the eye could see had already bloomed in dazzling splendor. Every peach tree was exceptionally tall, its branches gnarled and twisted, clearly having lived for a very long time.

The pink petals seemed to carry the glow of rosy clouds. As they fluttered down, floral fragrance and Spiritual Energy washed over him together. Merely standing here, the Spiritual Energy bored straight into his body!

Name: Spring-Gazing Pink Peach

Status: Blooming by releasing its accumulated Spiritual Energy

Mood: Joyful

"Fellow Daoist Li!"

Just as Li Ye was entranced by the beautiful sight, Fellow Daoist Zhou, dressed in a gray Daoist robe, hurried over. "It really is you. I just heard from the forest keeper that someone had arrived, so I rushed over to receive you."

"Come quickly. Today, Senior Su and several other seniors have reserved this place together. The Spiritual Energy accumulated over an entire winter has been released along with the blooming peach blossoms. In a while, we'll even compete to see who can absorb the most Spiritual Energy!"

He enthusiastically led Li Ye down a path embraced by peach trees to a small lake. They crossed the stone steps built across the water and arrived at the small island in the lake's center.

More than a dozen cultivators were already seated there.

Surrounded by the other cultivators was a man in fluttering white robes—Su Ya, Alchemist Su of the Four Seasons Sect!

"Oh."

"It truly is you!"

The moment Su Ya saw Li Ye, he broke into a smile. Without another word, he squeezed through the surrounding cultivators, came over, and pulled Li Ye by the sleeve as he introduced him. "This is my good friend, Li Ye."

With an alchemist of the Four Seasons Sect introducing him like that, they could not make out what background this cultivator—who merely looked a little more attractive than usual—had. They simply nodded one after another.

"Fellow Daoist Li!"

"Fellow Daoist Li looks unfamiliar."

"Do you usually attend gatherings here, Fellow Daoist?"

These cultivators were clearly all shrewd old hands. Their smiles were warm, their enthusiasm perfectly measured, and the atmosphere immediately became exceedingly harmonious.

Li Ye naturally returned each greeting in turn.

Once the exchange of pleasantries was over, Li Ye sat beside Fellow Daoist Zhou, feeling as if his smiling face had gone somewhat stiff.

A female cultivator suggested, "Since Fellow Daoist Li is new and we have not met before, how about Fellow Daoist Li calls upon the spirit first? I am willing to play a tune in harmony for Fellow Daoist Li."

This female cultivator sat beside Su Ya and was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Call upon the spirit?

Just as doubt arose in Li Ye's heart, Su Ya smiled and said, "That would naturally be excellent. Fellow Daoist Li, the peach grove in this Peach Garden came from Peach Blossom Mountain of my Four Seasons Sect. The branches were personally broken off by the Peach Blossom Mountain God."

"They store up Spiritual Energy throughout the entire winter, then release it when they bloom in spring. The Spiritual Energy from this first bloom can summon the Peach Blossom Mountain God's blessing!"

"If Fellow Daoist Jiang, Fellow Daoist Xiao, and I had not contributed our meager efforts, we would never have been able to be the first to occupy this Peach Garden to discuss the Dao, admire the flowers, and call upon the spirit."

"Ah!" Cultivator Jiang hurriedly waved her hands. "It was mainly Brother Su's doing. Let us not speak of anything else. Fellow Daoist Li, are you willing to call upon the spirit?"

She had long heard of Li Ye and knew that this young cultivator was certain to enter the Four Seasons Sect. Added to Su Ya's high regard for him, she did not mind doing him a favor.

Li Ye considered for a moment, then rose to his feet. "I am naturally willing to accept Senior's kindness. I simply do not know what exactly this calling upon the spirit entails."

The female cultivator said nothing. She merely took out a bamboo flute overflowing with spiritual light, held it to her lips, and gently began to play. A melodious flute tune flowed out slowly like water, seeming to resonate with the Spiritual Energy of the surrounding peach blossoms.

Pink petals danced around Li Ye.

In a daze, Li Ye seemed to see a peach tree towering atop a high mountain, blotting out the sky and covering the earth. Whenever it bloomed, its flowers fell like rain, a rain of peach blossoms stretching on for thousands upon thousands of miles.

A lofty consciousness cast a distant glance at Li Ye.

Then a voice as gentle as water rang out:

"An interesting child."

"There is the affection of many little ones upon you... oh! And their gratitude as well—the thanks of those freed from endless suffering."

"Fortunately, the cultivation method you learned is still that one."

"Go on. Pluck the peach blossom branch that catches your eye the most. That will be the reward for Spirit Summoning."

As that voice faded away, Li Ye instantly woke up.

"Oh? To think you received a response so quickly, Fellow Cultivator."

Cultivator Jiang was rather surprised. Spirit Summoning was not guaranteed to succeed; it depended on whether that Mountain God was willing to respond.

Generally speaking, she would simply turn a blind eye.

Yet this Qi Refining cultivator had received the Mountain God's response so quickly. It seemed he truly was somewhat extraordinary.

Li Ye was still a little dazed. He nodded. "The Mountain God told me to..."

"Just do it." Su Ya sat up straight, looking at Li Ye as though he were some peerless treasure.

"Alright." Li Ye also found it strange. He walked into the peach grove to one side and felt that all these peach trees, which ought to have been vibrant and gorgeous, had no color at all. Only one branch gleamed brilliantly in his eyes.

Naturally, he snapped it off without the slightest hesitation.

With a crack.

The flower branch, now severed from the peach tree, immediately began to turn to jade from the break. Several peach blossoms upon it followed suit, quietly resting in his hand.

Name: Peach Jade Blossom Branch

Status: Blessed by the Mountain God "Peach Blossom"

Mood: Joyful

Bindable: Any wood-attributed spirit beast capable of flowering

The Spiritual Energy that surged into his body from the jade-colored peach branch rapidly transformed into cultivation, raising him directly by one level—from the Qi Refining Fifth Layer to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer in an instant!

"This... is that terrifying."

He muttered to himself as he returned to the island in the middle of the lake with the flower branch in hand. The cultivators had been waiting for his return, and the moment he came back, Cultivator Jiang looked at what he held.

"It's actually a Jade Reward!"

The female cultivator was plainly astonished. "Gold, jade, iron, copper, wood—the Peach Blossom Mountain God actually favors you so much that he gave you a Jade Reward. Thanks to you, we'll get to taste what peaches are like."

As she spoke, a faint smile appeared on her face.

Her reaction made Li Ye curious as well. These peaches had to be rather special, right? What kind of wondrous peaches could make a Foundation Establishment Cultivator react with such shock?