After Lingyun took Ling Tian away, Qingyun Peak was in an uproar. All sorts of discussion broke out at once:
"I never thought Ling Tian would be so strong, both physically and fast. I used to call him useless. What does that make me?" one disciple muttered to himself.
"He actually dared to challenge Huang Feng—and even won. Sure, Huang Feng was careless and didn't take to the air, but cutting a flying sword in half is still incredible." Another disciple gazed at the scattered fragments of the flying sword on the ground, full of admiration.
"What a strong body. Heehee, big sister likes it." A bewitching-looking woman swayed slightly.
"He actually dared to challenge Huang Se Peak Master. Tsk, tsk, what a guy!" one disciple exclaimed in amazement.
"He only got by because of Lingyun. Otherwise, he'd be dead by now." A disciple who was clearly from Qinghuang Peak spoke indignantly. For the first time, he hated being from Qinghuang Peak so much. But he could only defend his peak's honor with words; he knew Huang Se's methods all too well.
"Bah, you pighead. Could you last one round against Peak Master Huang? He even forced Peak Master Huang to bring out his Natal Dan Artifact. Tsk, tsk, Qinghuang Peak sure is impressive." Hearing the man's words, Shi Tou couldn't help mocking him.
"You..." The man's face flushed bright red, and he was at a loss for words.
"Wow, Senior Lingyun is amazing! He defeated a Peak Master with one move. I like him so much—he's so handsome!" Another lovestruck girl was clearly swooning again.
"We underestimated Ling Tian. The Grand Competition is in three years, and by then he'll be a formidable opponent. But then, if he can fly, his bow is already ruined and probably can't be repaired. He should be able to stay undefeated in the air." A shrewd fellow analyzed the situation, gazing meaningfully toward Qingyou Peak.
"Junior Sister Min'er, hurry and see what Ling Tian gave you! I can't wait!" Yun Ying tugged at Hua Min'er, who was still gazing dreamily toward Qingyou Peak, and stared expectantly at the gift in her hands.
"Oh." Hua Min'er finally came back to herself, though she still answered somewhat absentmindedly. Then she showed them the little box and the flying sword in her hands.
"Wow, what a beautiful flying sword!" Hua Min'er's other senior sister, Yao Yu, couldn't help covering her mouth in amazement.
"I've never seen anything like it. It looks even more nimble than Master's flying sword, and it has such spirit." Yun Ying watched the little sword in Hua Min'er's hand as it leaped about, letting out clear little rings, and praised it.
"No way. Master's sword is a fourth-grade Spirit Artifact, among the best of the Peak Masters' weapons. Could this flying sword really be even stronger than hers?" Yao Yu asked in disbelief.
"That's right. It's stronger than mine." Ye Feidie had now come to Hua Min'er's side. She glanced at the flying sword, her eyes brightening slightly, and gave her verdict.
"Hehe, a fifth-grade Spirit Artifact. Senior Lingyun really is generous, giving away Spirit Artifacts just like that." Yuan Ming stroked his long beard and recognized the flying sword's grade at a glance. He couldn't help praising Lingyun's generosity; he naturally knew Ling Tian couldn't have refined it himself.
"I never knew our benefactor could refine artifacts, too. It seems he's given Ling Tian quite a lot." A strange glint flashed almost imperceptibly in Green Cloud Master's eyes as he murmured to himself.
"Just thinking about how much blood, sweat, and tears we went through to get a Spirit Artifact, while Hua Min'er has one at such a young age—it's enough to make a person die of envy. Heh." Gu Yuan couldn't help sighing. Back then, he'd nearly died to obtain that Spirit Artifact Sword. Even now, thinking about it still made him shudder.
"Min'er, go ahead and open it." Seeing that Hua Min'er was still a little distracted, Ye Feidie urged her as well.
"Mm, I know, Master." Hua Min'er came back to herself and replied softly.
Hua Min'er was curious about what Ling Tian had given her, too. She...
"I wonder what this sword is called. Hua Min'er will have to wait until she has spiritual awareness before she can 'ask the artifact.' Then she'll be able to find out the flying sword's name. It's even prettier than mine—I'm so jealous." Wu Yun's first few words were to herself; the rest were directed at Ye Feidie.
"Hehe, Min'er, you can't use this flying sword yet. But when you go back, spend some time bonding with it. Every Spirit Artifact has its own spirit, and it'll protect its master in a critical moment. Once you reach the Qi Solidification Stage, you'll be able to communicate with it quite well. When you reach the Golden Core Realm, you can even use it directly as your Natal Dan Artifact." Ye Feidie was overjoyed; she was simply too happy today.
"Mm, I understand, Master." Hua Min'er answered respectfully, but her heart and mind had long since followed Ling Tian as he departed.
"Heehee, Junior Sister, hurry and see what's in the little box. It should be nearly as good as the flying sword, right?" Yao Yu urged impatiently.
"Mm, that's right. We were so caught up in the flying sword that we forgot about the little box. It came with the sword, so it must be of the same caliber." Yun Ying was getting impatient, too. She gazed at the little box, brimming with anticipation, and felt a faint certainty that it was something Ling Tian had made just for her. With that thought, she gently opened it.
"Wow, what beautiful earrings!" As Hua Min'er opened the box, everyone nearby couldn't help exclaiming in wonder.
Hua Min'er gently took the earrings out of the box, her heart brimming with joy. She could tell clearly that Ling Tian had designed them especially for her. As she took them out, the little purple butterflies on the earrings began to flutter lightly, so lifelike and full of spirit.
"Wow, what adorable butterflies! Junior Sister Min'er, I'm so jealous!" Yao Yu's eyes shone as she stared without blinking at the pair of earrings.
"If only I had a pair like that." Yun Ying's face was full of longing, and most of the other women present wore much the same expression.
"Th-that couldn't be Purple Soul Gold, could it?" Gu Yuan stared fixedly at the purple butterfly. Of course, as a grown man, he wasn't interested in the earrings' design. It was the purple metal shaped into a butterfly that caught his attention. Even his voice trembled a little, showing just how shocked he was.
"There's no mistake. Purple Soul Gold is said to stabilize the soul and improve the rate of Mental Cultivation. Add a little to a Natal Dan Artifact, and it can raise its grade by several ranks while helping it harmonize with the soul. Our benefactor really is extravagant, using Purple Soul Gold to make earrings." Green Cloud Master's expression turned slightly unnatural, and a thick flash of greed passed through his eyes.
The more closely a Natal Dan Artifact harmonized with the soul, the greater its power and the stronger its spirit. No wonder everyone was staring at the earrings in such shock.
"I'm afraid the Purple Soul Gold alone is worth no less than the flying sword." Wu Yun spoke softly, a trace of envy flashing in her eyes.
"That's... That's..." Yuan Ming suddenly cried out. He stared fixedly at the little green stone set in the center of the butterfly, unable to look away.
"Elder Yuan, what's wrong? Isn't it just a slightly prettier little stone?" Xiong Xiong asked in confusion.
Everyone except Green Cloud Master looked at Yuan Ming blankly, apparently none of them recognizing the stone.
"Heh, it's only natural that you don't know. That's Green Jade Stone—Green Jade Stone!" Yuan Ming's face filled with recollection, solemn longing, and a deep sigh.
"Green Jade Stone? What's that?" Xiong Xiong still didn't understand, and the others were even more confused.
"Green Jade Stone can gather spiritual energy and increase a person's cultivation speed several times over." Yuan Ming steadied his excitement and slowly explained.
"What? It can make cultivation several times faster! No wonder it's worth even more than Purple Soul Gold. No wonder you're so excited, Elder Yuan." Gu Yuan's heart suddenly raced, and the words burst out of him. Then he looked at Yuan Ming with understanding, and the others nodded along.
"No, that's not the only reason I'm excited." Yuan Ming paused. Seeing everyone grow puzzled again, he continued, "Its greatest value is that it can steady the mind, letting cultivators remain calm and composed as they practice. Most importantly, it can resist the Inner Demon to a certain extent."
"The Inner Demon?" Everyone looked bewildered. Most of them had never even heard of such a thing.
"Cultivation is an act of defying heaven and changing one's fate. When your cultivation is low, it isn't obvious. But once your cultivation reaches great heights, the world gradually stops tolerating cultivators. Then people are swayed by all kinds of temptations, their minds grow unsteady, and the Inner Demon invades them. Its invasion is perilous beyond measure, every bit as dangerous as surviving a tribulation." Yuan Ming's words stunned everyone.
"Surviving a tribulation? The Inner Demon? Sigh, those are dreams beyond our reach." Everyone sighed mournfully, their voices steeped in the weariness of the ages—and yet also in endless hope and longing.
"Yes, dreams beyond our reach. But there are countless people in the world more gifted than you and me. They all have the potential to reach the Immortal Realm, so they'll value Green Jade Stone even more." Yuan Ming spoke wistfully.
Yuan Ming had cultivated the longest, and he understood those words more deeply than anyone. He glanced at Hua Min'er, then continued, "Besides, she's different from us. The Innate Wood Spirit Physique is one of the strongest physiques in the world. Her heaven-given talent lets her progress rapidly in cultivation. But it's precisely because she cultivates so quickly that her Mental Cultivation is more likely to become unstable. That's where the value of Green Jade Stone comes in."
"Oh." Everyone murmured softly, then looked at Hua Min'er with envy.
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