Jade Spring Peak Summit

A few hundred meters high, Jade Spring Peak grew more spiritually dense with altitude. Typically, Qi Refining Zhou Clan members found the mountainside sufficient for cultivation, where comfortable palaces and pavilions had been built for living, with secular family members attending to their food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

Only Foundation Establishment cultivators would take residence in the cultivator caves at Jade Spring Peak's summit, using the dense spiritual energy there for cultivation.

The entire Jade Spring Peak was covered by a Tier 3 Mid-grade formation, the "Myriad Woods Upholding Heaven Formation." Because this formation could draw upon the wood spiritual energy of the vegetation within to enhance its power, from the mountain's base to its summit, aside from the cleared Spirit Fields and Spirit Medicine Gardens, it was planted entirely with various tall trees, among which were not a few centuries-old or even millennium-old ancient woods.

The crowns of these towering trees merged into a canopy, blocking the sunlight, making the mountain's temperature several degrees cooler than outside. A cool mountain breeze threaded through the forest, and walking among it was indescribably refreshing.

Zhou Yang, clad in white robes that fluttered, cast a light-body technique and ascended from the mountainside, swiftly climbing along the stone steps carved through the woods, soon reaching the summit.

The summit of Jade Spring Peak had been artificially leveled into a flat area of only a few dozen acres. Because of its dense spiritual energy, aside from three spots where three cultivator caves were built, the rest had been turned into Spirit Medicine fields, planted with various grades of spiritual medicines.

As Zhou Yang arrived, a fragrance mixed from various spiritual medicines assailed his nose. A single sniff invigorated his spirit, and the circulation of his mana quickened noticeably.

It was easy to imagine that if one could cultivate here year-round, their cultivation speed would greatly surpass that on the mountainside.

But that was utterly impossible.

The Spirit Medicine Garden was a vital site for the Zhou Clan, containing many rare varieties cultivated for one to two hundred years. Losing even a single plant would pain Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan for decades.

Thus, aside from the clan's two Tier 2 Spirit Planters, even a favored genius disciple like Zhou Yang was strictly forbidden from setting foot on the summit without the clan leader's summons.

Moreover, the summit was not a place anyone could casually tread. It was the core array eye of the "Myriad Woods Upholding Heaven Formation," guarded by powerful formation forces. Without the guardian within manipulating the formation to allow passage, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have no choice but to break the formation by force.

"Junior descendant Zhou Yang, summoned to pay respects to the Old Clan Leader. I beg the elder to grant passage."

Standing outside the summit's formation, he cupped his hands respectfully toward the area shrouded in formation mist ahead and bowed.

"So it's Little Nine. The clan leader has already instructed. Enter first."

An aged voice emerged from the white mist, and then the vast fog before Zhou Yang churned, revealing a safe passage wide enough for one person.

Seeing this, Zhou Yang quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Grand-nephew thanks Seventh Grandfather."

Then he followed the narrow path deeper, eventually arriving beside a white-haired old man sitting cross-legged under a tree dozens of meters tall.

This white-haired elder was Zhou Yun, a Qi Refining Layer Nine cultivator serving as the Zhou Clan's Fourth Elder, ranked seventh among the "Guang" generation, and one of the clan's only two Tier 2 Spirit Planters.

The youngest of the Zhou Clan's "Guang" generation cultivators was already over eighty. Fourth Elder Zhou Yun was nearly a hundred, very close to the 120-year lifespan limit of a Qi Refining cultivator.

Though a cultivator's combat ability didn't diminish much with age, generally, elderly Qi Refining cultivators nearing a hundred in major cultivation families would retire to the clan's ancestral lands to spend their twilight years. Unless a clan-destroying crisis arose, no one would disturb these veterans who had served the family for most of their lives.

Especially since Zhou Yun was a Tier 2 Spirit Planter. Having him live in seclusion at the summit was perfect for tending the dozens of acres of spiritual medicines in the garden.

Seeing Zhou Yang approach, the old man waved his sleeve, and a tea table, a set of tea utensils, and a cushion appeared out of thin air. He pointed at the empty cushion without explanation and said, "The clan leader is finishing his meditation. Little Nine, sit here and have a cup of tea with this old man, and let's chat."

Ordinary younger clan members rarely got to visit the summit, and the clan leader, of a higher generation, was often in seclusion. The old man, alone on the mountain with no one to talk to, was quite bored.

Now, seeing Zhou Yang, the most outstanding junior of the younger generation, he was naturally delighted.

Most young people might not understand an elder's psychology, but Zhou Yang, having lived two lives, understood well. He was willing to chat with these elders when it didn't interfere with important matters, listening to their tales of the Cultivation World's wonders.

"Seventh Grandfather's homemade medicinal tea isn't easy to get a cup of on ordinary days. Today, grand-nephew intends to drink his fill."

He smiled, walked over to sit on the cushion, and took the initiative to brew the tea.

Cultivators brewing tea was naturally different from mortals. The flame used was formed from mana, boiling the water in moments without any smoky taste.

Once the tea was ready, Zhou Yang poured cups for both of them and eagerly downed his own fragrant, steaming tea in one gulp.

If a mortal drank tea like that, the scalding liquid would burn their throat. But for a cultivator whose body had been tempered by mana, this temperature was no different from a mortal drinking warm water—nothing at all.

Seeing him gulp it down so ravenously, the old man showed no displeasure. Instead, he smiled happily and asked, "Well? Is this old man's new medicinal tea to your satisfaction?"

Without waiting for Zhou Yang's reply, he gently lifted his own cup, took a sip, closed his eyes in enjoyment, and said smugly, "This is a new tea I blended using withered leaves of the Tier 2 spiritual medicine [Immortal Cloud Grass], twenty-year [White Jade Ginseng] root hairs, Tier 1 [Fragrant Leaf Chrysanthemum], and five other spiritual medicines. I only made three liang in total. Even the water for brewing is spiritual dew I collected this morning from the medicines in the garden."

"It's truly excellent tea. Seventh Grandfather's medicinal tea rivals any spiritual tea I've tasted before, in both flavor and effect. If it could be mass-produced, it would add another source of income for our Zhou Clan!"

Zhou Yang set down his cup, silently feeling the changes in his mana, then sniffed the lingering medicinal fragrance on his lips, his face full of admiration.

Hearing his praise, the old man's face first lit up with joy, then he shook his head with frustration and helplessness. "This old man had the same idea, but [Immortal Cloud Grass] is the main ingredient for refining the Tier 2 pill [Immortal Cloud Pill]. How could I waste such a spiritual medicine just to make tea? If I only use naturally withered leaves, there's barely enough for me to drink!"

"Well..."

Zhou Yang awkwardly lowered his head and wisely refrained from continuing that line of thought.

The clan's only Tier 2 alchemist was his father, Zhou Xuanhao. Once [Immortal Cloud Grass] matured, it was all destined for his father's pill refining. If he dared suggest using the spiritual grass for tea, his father would slap him to death.

"Heh, you little sly fox. Don't worry, does this old man seem like someone who ignores the bigger picture? I was just speaking casually!"

The old man chuckled, knowing exactly what Zhou Yang was thinking. He first reassured him, then picked up some amusing stories from his youth to share, helping to ease the awkwardness.

They chatted for about a quarter of an hour until the cave door of the Old Clan Leader's cultivation chamber at the summit suddenly opened on its own, and the Old Clan Leader's deep, resonant voice came from within: "Is that Little Nine? Come in first."

Hearing this, both of them stopped talking. Zhou Yang immediately stood up, cupped his hands to Zhou Yun, and said, "Seventh Grandfather, grand-nephew will go pay respects to the Old Clan Leader now."

"Go on, go on. Don't keep the Old Clan Leader waiting."

Taking leave of Zhou Yun, Zhou Yang walked straight through the open cave door and soon found the current Zhou Clan leader, Foundation Establishment cultivator Zhou Minghan, in the cultivation chamber deep within the cave.

Zhou Minghan was over 150 years old, but his face looked much younger than Zhou Yun's outside. His hair wasn't entirely white, and his complexion was as ruddy as a baby's.

This was normal. Foundation Establishment cultivators had lifespans of over 200 years. Barring accidents, Zhou Minghan still had at least forty or fifty years left. With his higher cultivation, he naturally appeared younger than Zhou Yun.

When Zhou Yang saw Zhou Minghan, the Zhou Clan leader was sitting cross-legged on a Cold Jade Bed in meditation. He didn't dare stare, but bowed deeply and performed a grand salute: "Grandson pays respects to Great-grandfather."

As the only surviving "Ming" generation cultivator in the Zhou Clan and a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Zhou Minghan was naturally the great-grandfather of all "Yuan" generation cultivators.

"Xuanhe has already sent word of your performance in the [Jade Sun Cave]. Little Nine, you handled it very well. Even I, at your age, was far inferior to you in overall perspective!"

Zhou Minghan on the Cold Jade Bed opened his eyes slightly, his gaze toward Zhou Yang unabashedly revealing admiration as he showered him with praise, joy written all over his face.

Hearing this, Zhou Yang couldn't deny that he was pleased—he was the first "Yuan"-generation descendant to receive such commendation from Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan. If word of this got out, his standing among the clan's elders and seniors would surely rise another notch.

But while he was happy, he didn't let it go to his head. He quickly replied with deference, "Great-grandfather flatters me. This grandson merely did what he ought to have done and hardly deserves such praise from Great-grandfather."

"Well said—'what he ought to have done'! If every son of the Zhou family were as sensible as Little Nine, how could the Zhou clan fail to thrive?"

Zhou Minghan couldn't help but break into a broad smile, clearly more than satisfied with Zhou Yang's response.

He chuckled and raised a hand, and an invisible force lifted Zhou Yang from his bowed posture.

"Come, stand up straight and let this old man take a good look at my Zhou clan's Prodigy!"

The Old Clan Leader was so delighted that he even blurted out the word "Prodigy," a clear sign of how much he cherished and valued this younger generation member, Zhou Yang.