Secret Rumors

The former Gui Ling Sect Elder, Song Zhong, had committed every manner of evil and was struck down and beheaded!

The news spread throughout Qinghe Commandery in an instant. Of course, another rather unreliable rumor spread along with it: that the one who had struck the final blow was a young prodigy with astonishing Martial Arts, who had then received a reward from the Gui Ling Sect, and so on.

Most martial artists didn't believe it.

Who was Song Zhong? He was a Seventh Gate Martial Artist, a powerhouse of the Inner Force Realm, whose fearsome reputation had shaken the four corners of the land!

Even Lin Leyue, the Gui Ling Sect Sect Master's disciple, paled in comparison to him. What right did that young man have to compare himself to a disciple of the Gui Ling Sect Sect Master?

This had to be a rumor!

Song Zhong had most likely been dealt with by experts from the Gui Ling Sect, who had taken the initiative to purge their own ranks.

Otherwise, with his cultivation, he would have been able to run rampant throughout Qinghe Commandery.

Yet some of the great clans had people who knew the truth. When they heard these rumors, their expressions turned rather complicated.

"Fang Yuan, are you really leaving?"

Outside Qinghe Commandery City, beside a small pavilion.

Lin Leyue wore a conflicted expression as she watched the young man swing onto his horse. "With your martial talent, you could easily join the Gui Ling Sect and become a Personal Disciple..."

"Sorry, I've always been a free spirit. I really can't stand being tied down... Little Yue, until we meet again!"

Fang Yuan politely declined, then flicked his whip. The Green Mane Horse neighed and sprang forward, its four legs churning beneath it. It became a black blur and soon vanished into the distance.

The Gui Ling Sect was riddled with factions. And with Lin Leyue there—a natural source of trouble—her identity was bound to bring Fang Yuan all kinds of complications.

Knowing that, why stay in the commandery city?

After trading for what he wanted, Fang Yuan turned and left without a trace of reluctance.

Lin Leyue, meanwhile, watched his vanishing figure, her feelings too complicated to describe, with a faint sense of loss mixed in.

"Do you regret it?"

A figure flashed into view, and Shi Yutong's graceful silhouette appeared in the pavilion in an instant, as though she were a ghost.

"He has his path, and I have mine. Now that I've made my choice, what more is there to say?"

Lin Leyue lifted her chin and answered stubbornly.

"Mm... very good!"

Shi Yutong nodded with satisfaction, then looked in the direction Fang Yuan had gone. "Still... your former fiancé has an astonishing foundation and aptitude. He doesn't seem like someone destined to remain in a pond!"

"He..."

Interest glimmered in Lin Leyue's eyes. "Master... tell me about him!"

"Heh..."

Shi Yutong laughed, then tapped Lin Leyue on the nose. "So the little girl's gotten competitive... Don't worry. In terms of talent and potential, you're the best I've ever seen. No one of your generation can compare!"

"Then why did you say earlier..."

Lin Leyue was puzzled. After all, she had only barely held her own against Song Zhong, while Fang Yuan had returned with his head. The difference between them was beyond measure.

"That was only because that young man had a deep and powerful foundation... Leyue, you know that some people are born with Innate Divine Strength. The moment they begin training in Martial Arts, they can unleash tremendous power, enough to contend with experts who have passed the fourth or fifth gate! Fang Yuan is much the same. Either he has extraordinary natural talent, or he's consumed some Heaven-sent treasure. And from your description, Song Zhong was already at the end of his rope. He'd nearly exhausted his inner force, then endured one fight after another until he was worn to death. His defeat doesn't surprise me at all..."

Shi Yutong explained.

In her heart, she felt a little regret. That young man's Essence, Qi, and Spirit were all quite good, but he was still lacking a little. If his Divine Essence were several times greater than an ordinary person's, he would have the Spirit Scholar aptitude spoken of in legends.

As things stood, though he was outstanding among the younger generation, others would soon catch up with him.

After all, the uses of inner force were miraculous, with endless subtleties.

No matter how strong one's foundation was, anyone who reached the Inner Force Realm and passed the Three Dangerous Gates would undergo a transformation, Shedding the Fetus and Changing the Bones.

Those with exceptional Physical Quality would gradually be caught up to at this stage. Even if they retained some advantage, it would no longer be very significant.

She looked at her disciple and said at once, "Leyue, you needn't be disheartened. You've turned misfortune into a blessing this time. As long as you break through the sixth gate of Martial Arts, the Harm Gate, you'll still be the best of Qinghe Commandery's younger generation!"

"I understand!"

Lin Leyue clenched her little fist and gazed toward the spot where Fang Yuan had disappeared, a defiant spark in her eyes.

"Hyah!"

Fang Yuan rode at a gallop, watching the scenery race past on either side. The knot in his chest came undone, and a boundless exhilaration surged through him, like a fish leaping through the vast sea, a bird soaring beneath the open sky, or a tiger returning to the mountain forest. He let out a long, clear whistle.

Qinghe Commandery was a tangled web of powerful people, like a cage.

To be sure, he was still a newcomer, with few ties to any of the various factions. Perhaps no one would target him yet.

But if he stayed for long, or even joined the Gui Ling Sect, who could say?

"After all, even a golden nest or silver nest can't beat your own doghouse!"

A smile touched Fang Yuan's lips.

His trip to the commandery city had brought him a rich harvest.

Toppling Song Zhong and obtaining a spirit seed was one thing. The biggest surprise had come from the Gui Ling Sect's library.

After killing Song Zhong, Fang Yuan had chosen a Gui Yuan Token as his reward and used it immediately, requesting permission to visit the Gui Ling Sect's library.

If he'd asked to browse their Martial Arts manuals, he suspected he would have been killed without anyone knowing why. The Gui Yuan Token wouldn't have been any use to him then.

But asking to read miscellaneous books was a small favor that cost them nothing. No one would refuse.

With Lin Leyue's help, he made the request, and Shi Yutong had readily agreed, letting him browse whatever he liked in the library for three days.

It was a pity he hadn't seen the legendary Martial Ancestor in person. Fang Yuan felt a little regretful about that.

"Hmph... given the Gui Ling Sect's resources, quite a few experts must have watched me from the shadows. That might even include that Martial Ancestor!"

Fang Yuan gave a cold laugh and eased his horse's pace.

To be honest, apart from the system in his head, anything else about him that leaked out would amount to no more than a fortuitous encounter—and a fairly minor one at that.

Who would believe he could cultivate spirit seeds or even mutate ordinary plants, unless they saw the system's description with their own eyes?

There was naturally nothing for him to fear.

Still, the feeling of being watched was unpleasant.

"Heh... Is the Gui Ling Sect really so impressive?"

Seeing that he was already far from the commandery city, Fang Yuan took hold of the reins and continued at an easy pace.

"Still, as the price goes, it was well worth it!"

He understood their actions, too. He was an outsider, after all, and some necessary precautions were only to be expected. But understanding something was one thing; accepting it was another.

At least this time, he'd taken a little risk by entering the Gui Ling Sect's library, and it had been worth every bit of it.

Among the vast sea of documents, Fang Yuan had found some of the information he wanted.

"I never imagined this world was so vast! By comparison, ordinary martial artists are no more than the lowest rung. They can't even touch the truth... Even Spirit Scholars have only just begun. And beyond them, there are Pill Masters and Dream Masters, even more mysterious and godlike?"

He'd found this information in a book resembling a martial artist's travelogue, and at the time he'd been overjoyed, as if he'd found a priceless treasure.

The author was an Elder of the Gui Ling Sect from some past generation. He had cultivated the Twelve Gates of Golden Lock and Heavy Tower to Great Perfection, then traveled the world in search of a chance to break through to Martial Ancestor.

Though he'd never managed to break through and had passed away not long after returning to the sect, the many essays and travelogues he left behind were a treasure trove of knowledge about the wider world.

One of his essays mentioned how Spiritual Lands came into being.

"'A Spiritual Land is favored by Heaven, formed when Earth Qi gathers and creation takes shape. It can be encountered, but never sought...' That's both true and untrue!"

Fang Yuan's gaze drifted into the distance. "The little Spiritual Land of the Gui Ling Sect really does seem to have formed naturally. The first Sect Leader discovered it and treasured it like a priceless jewel, moving the entire sect there and making it their foundation... But there's another kind of Spiritual Land, one connected to cultivators!"

"Supposedly, when a cultivator with great divine powers encounters certain circumstances—such as passing away—there's a chance that a new Spiritual Land will be born."

"Though this Elder wasn't even a Martial Ancestor, so all he recorded was hearsay, the world is vast and full of wonders. If Pill Masters can refine spirit pills and seize the workings of Heaven and Earth, then it's not impossible that another kind of cultivator could shape Heaven and Earth, creating a Spiritual Land or even a blessed land of their own!"

"I wonder where the Qingfeng Spiritual Land I found deep in the mountains came from..."

Fang Yuan raised his head and looked toward the rolling peaks of Qingling Mountain. A fervent gleam suddenly appeared in his eyes, mingled with a sense of closeness. "I'm home..."

Hidden Valley.

"Giggle! Squeak!"

The moment Fang Yuan stepped into the valley, the Flower Fox Ferret shot toward him like lightning, tugging at his trouser leg with an eager, delighted look.

"Mm, in such a hurry?"

Fang Yuan's heart stirred. When he saw the Flower Fox Ferret tugging insistently at him and heading for the plantation, he immediately guessed what had happened.

"Could it be..."

His heart leapt with excitement, and he quickened his pace.

He reached the Tea Grove, where a fresh fragrance filled the air, clearing the mind and making his whole body feel refreshed.

"Just as I thought..."

Fang Yuan was overjoyed. He stepped forward and saw a Heart-Questioning Tea Tree at the deepest part of the grove, its entire form like green jade.

The spirit plant was thriving. Tender green tea leaves unfurled along its branches, giving off an astonishing fragrance.

"Giggle!"

The Flower Fox Ferret pointed at the soil. Fang Yuan saw great patches of Spiritual Fertilizer around the roots of the Heart-Questioning Tea Tree.

"Looks like the Flower Fox Ferret hasn't been idle while I was away..."

Seeing this, Fang Yuan couldn't help laughing.

The little ferret was proud as could be. Apart from the Heart-Questioning Tea Tree and the Red Jade Spirit Rice, it couldn't care less about any other plants.

Yet now that it saw the tea tree putting out leaves, it had managed to hold back. It had truly grown quite a bit.

"Without my Sitting-Forgetting Tea Ceremony, there'd be no Heart-Questioning Spirit Tea to increase Divine Essence!"

Fang Yuan patted the Flower Fox Ferret's little head. "Don't worry, you'll get your share!"

After poring over all those books, he had gained a much deeper understanding of the Heart-Questioning Tea Tree's value.

Spirit plants came in different grades. Red Jade Rice and Jade Grass were among the lowest, yet even they had the incredible effect of increasing Essence Yuan and Qi Yuan.

But spirit plants that could increase Divine Essence? He'd never heard of such a thing. Once word got out, they'd be pursued with frenzied enthusiasm!

That was because Divine Essence was the most important threshold for becoming a Spirit Scholar or Pill Master!