Celestial Light Cloud River, Mountains and Rivers Become Leaves

"Was this Bitter Spirit Gourd really that troublesome?"

On the morning of the fourth day, Li Ye muttered to himself in puzzlement.

He did not seem to have felt that this thing was much trouble at all. It had not even asked him to regulate any spiritual energy.

After growing rapidly, it had undergone almost no changes.

He had worried for nothing, even specifically asking the beavers, who did not sleep at night, to keep watch over it. He had also had one branch of the Spirit Vein Willow extend directly here.

Yet after several days, there had been absolutely nothing to worry about.

"Since that's the case, I can leave without concern."

Li Ye took out a jade slip and gave it a light wave before him. Su Ya's phantom emerged from within it. "Fellow Daoist Li, meet at the market dock in two days."

To be honest, he was rather reluctant to leave his own home like this.

But cultivation truly could not consist of shutting oneself up at home all the time. Going out now and then would be beneficial as well.

Besides, he truly did not understand why Start of Spring Wheat had to be distributed to mortals. He had heard that for this Start of Spring Wheat mission, even some ordinary cultivators who grew wheat had received quite a few Spirit Stones.

The Four Seasons Sect had spent so many Spirit Stones, only to distribute it all to mortals in the end. It was rather baffling.

But that doubt would soon be resolved.

He walked up to the Love-Sickness Life-Death Bean and reached out to pluck the last two red beans. "While I'm gone, I'll have to trouble you to watch over the house."

"Though the beavers are clever, they still have the temperament of children."

"I don't know how long I'll be gone. In any case, I'll have to trouble you."

—Over the past few days, he had already arranged everything at home. He estimated that he would be away for at least half a month. If he did not put things in order, the place would be a complete mess by the time he returned.

Deep crimson radiance flowed across the surface of the Love-Sickness Life-Death Bean, dripping down lightly. The red bean mark in the web between Li Ye's thumb and forefinger grew hot in waves, accompanied by rippling emotions.

It said nothing, merely conveying its feelings to Li Ye.

They were ripples of longing—ripples stirred in its heart by Li Ye's imminent journey. Its concern and unease were all passed to Li Ye, letting him experience that unbearably painful feeling as well.

This was the price of the Love-Sickness Life-Death Bean's immense power.

Li Ye sighed softly and turned to leave.

As the courtyard gate closed with a creak, the powerful formation belonging to the Four Seasons Sect almost completely cut off the entire courtyard from the outside world.

The beavers silently raised their heads and looked into the distance. Even the Crimson-Gold Dragon Carp slowed their swimming.

For that brief instant, the spirit beasts and spirit plants in the little courtyard seemed to fall into a sluggish stillness.

The little courtyard returned to tranquility.

Dock.

By the time Li Ye arrived, Su Ya had already been waiting for quite some time.

He had changed into a neat blue daoist robe and dressed himself up once more. He looked ethereal and exceptionally handsome.

Upon seeing Li Ye, he directly took out a daoist robe and urged, "Hurry into the cabin and change into this. The Cloud Boat is about to depart."

Li Ye glanced at the daoist robe in his hands. "This is the daoist robe of a Four Seasons Sect cultivator, Fellow Daoist..."

"Ah!" Su Ya waved a hand. "When we distribute the wheat, remember to call me Senior Brother. Even Martial Uncle has passed his teachings on to you, so such trifling matters are of no importance. Hurry, hurry!"

Seeing how firm his attitude was, Li Ye simply boarded the Cloud Boat, found a cabin at random, and changed into the daoist robe.

The moment he put it on, the wind around him seemed to turn cool and refreshing.

At some point, a jade pendant engraved with his name had appeared at the belt of the daoist robe.

After flickering for a moment, it swayed with his steps. Though its spiritual light had withdrawn, it still carried the lustrous sheen of white jade.

Li Ye, who had grown accustomed to dressing casually, truly felt somewhat unaccustomed to suddenly wearing a daoist robe.

But he had to admit that once he put it on, his bearing truly became exceptional. It was as though he had become a different person altogether.

He stepped onto the deck. By then, the Cloud Boat had already begun moving.

On either side were churning clouds and streams of water that flowed like light, bearing the Cloud Boat upward bit by bit.

In the distance, countless clouds could be seen pouring down from the heavens, as if they were climbing a waterfall from bottom to top.

The sight was incomparably magnificent. Sky and light merged into one, and overflowing cloudlight spilled over the Cloud Boat, flowing past his fingertips and his side with a faint chill.

Unable to resist, he stretched out a hand, wanting to catch a handful of cloud mist. Yet it merely scattered and drifted away, vanishing without a trace in moments.

"This view is truly beautiful."

For some reason, at this moment, he suddenly wanted to bring his spirit beasts out to see such a sight as well.

The Cultivation World was so vast. It was fortunate that he had a home of his own.

It seemed he needed to save up some Spirit Stones and buy something like a Spirit Beast Ring that could carry them around for long periods.

Thinking this, he continued gazing into the distance.

Returning Shore Market's docks lay along a tributary of the Cloudlight Celestial River, which flowed through the entire Eastern Domain.

This so-called Cloudlight Celestial River flowed down from the vault of heaven, its tributaries connecting to every market and faction.

Li Ye had only heard of it before. After all, traveling between places via the Cloudlight Celestial River required paying a fee.

Those fees were "feed money" for the Celestial River White Porpoises that lived within the Cloudlight Celestial River and were raised by the Four Seasons Sect.

—Near the Cloud Boat, translucent Celestial River White Porpoises, as though forged from radiance itself, flickered in and out of sight as they helped propel the vessel upstream. Before long, it entered the calm upper reaches of the celestial river.

Looking out, he saw endlessly churning clouds and heavenly light in every direction, vast and boundless.

This Cloud Boat was not small, yet within the celestial river, it was as tiny as a single leaf.

"How is it?" Su Ya came to stand beside him. "This Daoist robe was woven from the silk of the Age-Tilting Silkworm. Warm in winter and cool in summer, impervious to water and fire."

"It really is comfortable to wear... Hm, didn't Senior Spirit Vine say a few days ago that the silkworms and mulberry trees would be delivered within a few days? It's already been seven or eight days. Why haven't they arrived yet?" Li Ye asked curiously.

"Oh, there were some trivial matters to deal with." Su Ya shook his head. "Let me first explain this wheat-delivery mission to you."

His expression turned solemn.

"Remember, once we reach the realm of mortals, do not put on airs as an immortal cultivator. Every mortal town that our sect has marked out is protected by the divine power of the Myriad Gods Temple.

"Any generation of mortals may become our future junior brothers and sisters. We ourselves cultivated from among mortals, so naturally we cannot look down on them."

Li Ye immediately nodded solemnly. "Senior Brother is right. This junior brother will bear it in mind."

Su Ya smiled. "That is as it should be. And as for why we are delivering wheat—

"It is also to help mortals shed a little of their mortal bones. If they consume wheat gathered with such spiritual energy and vitality over a long period, the children born in the future will naturally possess some talent."

"This matter was overseen by one of our martial ancestors. She was the one who divided the territories of the Myriad Gods Temple and, along the way, set apart different Shanhe Cave Heavens for mortals to live in."

At this point, he paused briefly, then pointed into the distance.

"There, look!"

Li Ye hurriedly followed the direction of his finger. Amid the heavenly light and clouds, patches of emerald leaves suddenly appeared.

Within every leaf, he could clearly see scenes of mortal towns, mountains, rivers, and land.

Through his panel, he could see the details of those leaves—

Name: Shanhe Kongye · Immortal Gods' Enfeoffment

Status: Normal

Mood: None

Though he could see them, there were pitifully few, and he had no time to look closer.

Because the Cloud Boat began to slowly accelerate.

As the radiance flowing around the Cloud Boat gradually contracted, it shot straight toward one of the leaves. Su Ya's voice still lingered by Li Ye's ear:

"See? This is the boundary between immortals and mortals that that senior divided in the Eastern Domain, using branches from Jianmu, the sect's supreme treasure.

"In the eyes of mortals, we immortal cultivators dwell within Blessed Grotto-Heavens."

By the end, his voice had become extremely indistinct.

Because the Cloud Boat had already transformed into a streak of light and crashed into a green leaf.