Jade Spring Peak stood several hundred meters tall. The higher one climbed, the denser the spiritual energy became. Ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators of the Zhou Clan only needed to cultivate on the mountainside, where comfortable palaces and pavilions had been built for living, while dedicated Secular Family Members attended to all their daily needs.
Only Foundation Establishment Cultivators could reside in the cultivator caves atop Jade Spring Peak and make use of the abundant spiritual energy there to cultivate.
The entire Jade Spring Peak was covered by a mid-grade Tier 3 formation, the "Myriad Woods Upholding Heaven Formation." Because this formation could draw upon the spiritual energy of the plants within it to increase its power, the mountain was filled with all manner of towering trees from its foot to its summit, apart from the Spirit Fields and Spirit Medicine Gardens that had been cleared out. Among them were many ancient trees hundreds or even thousands of years old.
The canopies of these towering trees connected into an unbroken expanse, blocking out the sunlight and making the mountain several degrees cooler than the outside. Cool mountain winds swept through the woods in waves, leaving anyone walking among them unable to describe the refreshing chill.
Dressed in flowing white robes, Zhou Yang used a lightness technique to travel up from the mountainside. He swiftly climbed the stone steps cut through the forest and soon arrived at the summit.
After artificial leveling, Jade Spring Peak's summit had become quite flat. The mountaintop covered only several dozen mu, and because of its dense spiritual energy, aside from the three cultivator caves built there, all remaining space had been turned into medicinal fields planted with spiritual medicines of every grade.
The moment Zhou Yang arrived, the mingled fragrance of countless spiritual medicines rushed into his nose. One breath was enough to invigorate the mind and noticeably quicken the circulation of spiritual power throughout his body.
One could well imagine that if someone cultivated here year-round, their cultivation speed would certainly improve greatly compared to cultivating on the mountainside.
But that was simply impossible.
The Spirit Medicine Garden was an important Zhou Clan site. Many of the spiritual medicines inside were precious varieties the Zhou Clan had cultivated for one or two centuries. Losing even a single plant would be enough to make Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan grieve for decades.
Therefore, aside from the two Tier 2 Spirit Planters within the clan, even a deeply favored Lineage genius disciple like Zhou Yang was strictly forbidden from setting foot on the summit without a summons from the clan leader.
Moreover, the summit was not a place anyone could enter merely because they wished to. This was the core formation-eye region of the Myriad Woods Upholding Heaven Formation, protected by formidable formation power. Without the guardian within controlling the formation and allowing passage, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would have no path but to break the formation and force their way in.
"This junior descendant, Zhou Yang, has come under orders to pay respects to the Old Clan Leader. I ask that Senior grant me passage."
Standing outside the summit formation, he respectfully cupped his hands toward the area ahead, which was shrouded in white mist from the formation, and bowed.
"So it is Little Nine. The clan leader has already given instructions. Come in first."
An aged voice emerged from the white mist. Then the vast fog before Zhou Yang churned, revealing a safe passage wide enough for one person to walk through.
At this, Zhou Yang hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks. "This grandnephew thanks Seventh Grandfather."
He then followed the path deeper inside, eventually arriving beside a white-haired old man sitting cross-legged beneath a tree several dozen meters tall.
This white-haired old man seated beneath the tree was named Zhou Yun. He was at Qi Refining Layer Nine, served as the Zhou Clan's Fourth Elder, ranked seventh among the "Guang" generation, and was also one of the Zhou Clan's only two Tier 2 Spirit Planters.
The youngest cultivators of the Zhou Clan's "Guang" generation were already over eighty years old. This Fourth Elder, Zhou Yun, was nearing a hundred and was very close to the one-hundred-and-twenty-year lifespan limit of Qi Refining Cultivators.
Though a cultivator's combat ability did not decline much with age, generally speaking, elderly Qi Refining Cultivators nearing a hundred in the major Cultivation Families would retire to their ancestral grounds to spend their remaining years in peace. Unless the clan faced a calamity that threatened its very existence, no one would disturb these meritorious elders 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 atop this mountain was just right for tending to the spiritual medicines in these several dozen mu of medicinal gardens.
When the old man saw Zhou Yang approach, he immediately swept his wide sleeve. A tea table, a set of tea utensils, and a meditation cushion appeared out of thin air before him. Without room for argument, he pointed at the empty cushion and said, "The clan leader is still finishing his cultivation. Little Nine, sit here and have a cup of tea with this old man first. Keep me company for a while."
Ordinary younger family members rarely had the chance to visit the summit. The clan leader, whose seniority exceeded even his own, was often in seclusion cultivating, and the old man usually had no one to speak with on the mountain. He had been bored nearly to the point of suffocation.
Now that Zhou Yang, the most outstanding member of the clan's younger generation, had come, he was naturally delighted.
Most young people might not understand an old man's mindset, but Zhou Yang, who had lived two lives, understood it quite well. So long as it did not delay important business, he was willing to chat more with these elders and listen to them recount the strange tales and curious stories of the Cultivation World.
"Seventh Grandfather's homemade medicinal tea is not something one can drink whenever one wishes. Today, this grandnephew must drink his fill."
Smiling, he walked over and sat on the meditation cushion, then took the initiative to pick up the tea utensils and begin brewing tea.
Naturally, cultivators brewed tea differently from mortals. The flame used to brew it was formed from spiritual power, and it took only a moment to bring the water to a boil without leaving behind the slightest trace of smoke or fire.
Once the pot of tea was ready, Zhou Yang poured cups for them both. Then he eagerly lifted his own cup of fragrant hot tea and drank it in one gulp.
If a mortal drank tea this way, the scalding liquid would likely burn their throat. But to cultivators whose bodies had been tempered by spiritual power, such heat was no different from ordinary people drinking warm water.
Seeing him drink tea with such wolfish appetite, the old man was not displeased in the slightest. Instead, he watched Zhou Yang with great pleasure and asked with a smile, "Well? Does this old man's newly prepared medicinal tea satisfy you?"
Without waiting for Zhou Yang to answer, he gently raised his own cup and took a sip. Then he closed his eyes in enjoyment and said proudly, "This is a new tea this old man prepared from the withered leaves of the Tier 2 spiritual medicine Immortal Cloud Grass, along with twenty-year-old White Jade Ginseng root hairs, the Tier 1 spiritual medicine Fragrant Leaf Chrysanthemum, and five other spiritual medicines. In all, I only made three taels of it. Even the water used to brew this tea was spiritual dew collected this morning from the spiritual medicines in the garden."
"It truly is excellent tea. Whether in flavor or effect, Seventh Grandfather's medicinal tea is no worse than any Spiritual Tea this grandnephew has tasted before. If it could be produced in large quantities, it could provide the Zhou Clan with another source of income."
Zhou Yang set down his teacup, silently sensing the changes in his spiritual power. He sniffed the lingering medicinal fragrance on his lips, his face full of admiration.
Hearing his praise, delight first appeared on the old man's face. But then he shook his head, his face full of gloom and helplessness. "This old man has had the same thought. But Immortal Cloud Grass is the main ingredient for refining the Tier 2 spiritual pill, the Immortal Cloud Pill. How could we waste such spiritual medicine on tea? If we only use naturally withered leaves, there would scarcely be enough even for this old man to drink!"
"This..."
Zhou Yang lowered his head awkwardly and decisively did not continue the subject.
There was only one Tier 2 alchemist in the family, and that was his father, Zhou Xuanhao. Once the Immortal Cloud Grass matured, it all had to be supplied for his father's pill refining. If he dared suggest using the spiritual grass to make tea, his father would surely slap him to death.
"Heh, you little rascal really are sly. Don't worry. How could this old man be someone who disregards the bigger picture? I was merely speaking casually just now!"
The old man chuckled. How could he not know what Zhou Yang was thinking? After reassuring him with a few words, he began recounting amusing experiences from his youth, helping him dispel the earlier awkwardness.
As the two chatted, about a quarter of an hour passed before the doors of the Old Clan Leader's cultivation cave atop the mountain suddenly opened on their own. The Old Clan Leader's aged yet powerful voice came from within. "Has Little Nine arrived? Come in first."
Upon hearing this voice, the two speaking men both fell silent. Zhou Yang immediately rose and cupped his hands toward Zhou Yun. "Seventh Grandfather, this grandnephew will go pay respects to the Old Clan Leader first."
"Go on, go on. Do not keep the Old Clan Leader waiting long."
After bidding Zhou Yun farewell, Zhou Yang walked straight through the opened doors of the cultivation cave. Before long, he met the current clan leader of the Zhou Clan, Foundation Establishment Cultivator Zhou Minghan, in the cultivation room deep within the cave.
Zhou Minghan was already over one hundred and fifty years old, yet he looked considerably younger than Zhou Yun outside. The hair on his head had not yet turned completely white, and his complexion was rosy like that of an infant.
This was perfectly normal. Foundation Establishment Cultivators had lifespans exceeding two hundred years. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Zhou Minghan still had at least forty or fifty years left to live. His cultivation was also higher, so naturally he looked younger than Zhou Yun.
When Zhou Yang saw Zhou Minghan, the Zhou Clan leader was seated cross-legged in meditation upon a Cold Jade Bed. Zhou Yang did not dare look too much. After entering, he deeply bowed and paid his respects. "This grandson pays respects to Great-Grandfather."
As the Zhou Clan's sole surviving cultivator of the "Ming" generation and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Zhou Minghan naturally became the great-great-grandfather of all cultivators of the "Yuan" generation.
"Xuanhe has already sent word to this old man about your performance in Jade Sun Cave. Little Nine, you handled this matter very well. Even when this old man was your age, my grasp of the greater situation was far inferior to yours!"
Zhou Minghan opened his eyes slightly upon the Cold Jade Bed. His gaze toward Zhou Yang openly displayed admiration. He began with a lavish round of praise, his joy overflowing from his words.
It would have been a lie if Zhou Yang said he was not delighted. He was the first junior of the "Yuan" generation to receive such praise from Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan. If these words spread, his standing in the eyes of the Zhou Clan's elders and seniors would surely rise another step.
But delighted as he was, he did not become carried away. He hurriedly replied respectfully, "Great-Grandfather overpraises me. This grandson merely did what he ought to have done and does not deserve such praise from Great-Grandfather."
"What a fine 'what one ought to do'! If every descendant of the Zhou Clan understood reason as well as you do, Little Nine, why would the Zhou Clan need fear that it could not prosper?"
A hearty smile spread uncontrollably across Zhou Minghan's face. Clearly, he could not have been more satisfied with Zhou Yang's answer.
With a smile, he raised one hand, and an invisible force lifted Zhou Yang's bowed body upright.
"Come, stand straighter. Let this old man have a good look at the Zhou Clan's qilin child!"
The Old Clan Leader was so delighted that he had even called him a "qilin child," showing just how much he cherished and valued Zhou Yang as a junior.
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