Jade Immortal Spirit Tea

Just by drinking tea, one could increase cultivation. Drinking a few cups every day—wasn't that extra cultivation gained for free?

Even if the increase was small, over time, the cultivation gained would still amount to quite a lot.

That was why He Song had asked.

"This tea is precious. Even the steward rarely gets a sip of it on ordinary days. Only a small pot is supplied to the VIP Hall, and Ping'er was only fortunate enough to drink a cup here today thanks to you, Fellow Daoist." Her gaze shifted, and a faint smile flickered in Ping'er's eyes as she looked at He Song.

If this tea had not truly been so precious, and if He Song had not handed her a cup, she would not have so readily believed that he had not done it on purpose earlier.

Now that she saw He Song asking about it, she naturally told him everything she knew.

After a brief pause, Ping'er spoke again.

"This tea is called Jade Immortal Spirit Tea. It is picked from the Jade Immortal Spirit Tea Tree grown in the medicinal herb garden of the Thick Earth Sect. It sells for ten Spirit Stones per liang in the Immortal Market."

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist. I shall take my leave first." Having achieved the purpose of his trip, He Song no longer had any desire to remain.

After giving Ping'er a slight cupped-fist salute, He Song turned and left the Spirit Skill Pavilion.

What?

Jade Immortal Spirit Tea?

Never heard of it.

Didn't know it.

Never seen it.

Couldn't afford it!

With a trace of melancholy in his heart,

He Song walked at a rapid pace, as if a demonic beast were chasing him from behind.

He needed to return home as quickly as possible.

Then begin studying the Array Dao Primer from his memories.

Rather than stay here and face Ping'er's stifled laughter.

He Song's figure swiftly disappeared into the distance.

Where he had stood,

Ping'er covered her face with both hands, laughing so hard that her body swayed like a flower trembling in the wind.

It was not that she was mocking He Song for overestimating himself. She simply found him rather interesting.

Any cultivator would understand the preciousness of spirit tea that could increase one's cultivation.

Yet He Song had asked about it without a second thought.

Then, upon learning the price, he had immediately turned and left without the slightest attachment.

Moreover, in the five years He Song had spent in the Immortal Market,

he had only reached Qi Refining Layer 3, yet had managed to save a hundred Spirit Stones.

He had even spent those hundred Spirit Stones to purchase the introductory volume of Hundred Arts of Cultivation.

Together with the easygoing manner in which he had casually handed her a cup of spirit tea, Ping'er found herself seeing He Song in a new light.

"If I see him again, I ought to become acquainted with him."

Muttering to herself, Ping'er soon left the VIP Hall as well and continued receiving other cultivators.

He Song had run off too quickly today.

She had wanted to befriend him, but her duties prevented her from leaving. She could only wait for another chance.

After returning home,

He Song sat down cross-legged, and the memories concerning the Array Dao Primer swiftly surged through his mind.

Array Dao—what was Array Dao?

At its grandest, it used heaven and earth as an array; beneath its boundless might, all things were reduced to ash.

At its smallest, it formed an array with Spirit Stones, using the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as its board to affect the rise and fall of a single region.

But those were matters for the future.

Having only just begun studying Array Dao, He Song first needed to understand its foundations.

How to carve array patterns onto Spirit Stones.

How to perform the special techniques used in setting arrays.

How to observe the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

How to truly set up an array formation.

Those were the things He Song truly needed to figure out now.

Fortunately,

the information in the Array Dao Primer was extremely detailed.

As He Song's gaze swept across it, strands of comprehension quickly arose in his mind.

A Spirit Stone appeared in his hand, and He Song swiftly began to imitate what he remembered, putting on a passable show of learning.

Thus, a day and a night passed in the blink of an eye.

The following morning,

He Song emerged from his room deep in thought and headed to the Spirit Field under his care, where he began casting the Spirit Rain Technique.

After half an hour of the Spirit Rain Technique, He Song's steps paused slightly. He quickly changed direction and headed toward Lingjian Pavilion.

Today

was the monthly meeting date agreed upon by He Song, Wei Fan, and Meng Guan.

On the first day of every month, the three would meet at Lingjian Pavilion, drink tea, chat, and discuss matters that had happened within their respective small circles.

Most of the various information He Song learned also came from this place.

As he walked toward Lingjian Pavilion, He Song continued studying knowledge related to Array Dao in his mind.

After studying for a day and a night, He Song had already formed some understanding of Array Dao of his own.

But whether it was correct still required time to verify.

He continued onward.

Before long, He Song arrived at Lingjian Pavilion.

After ascending to the second floor of Lingjian Pavilion,

he saw an old man and a young man seated on meditation cushions beside a table.

"Fellow Daoist He, you are rather late today. Did you spend the whole night at Phoenix Perch Pavilion last night?" Meng Guan, who looked like an old man, was the first to tease He Song when he saw him still lost in thought.

Phoenix Perch Pavilion was a pleasure house operated by the Golden Core Sect, the Pure Yin Sect.

At Phoenix Perch Pavilion, every female cultivator was a stunning beauty. There were even top courtesans who cultivated dual-cultivation techniques; after dual cultivating with them, one could increase one's own cultivation.

It was also one of the few places in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market capable of emptying a cultivator's entire fortune.

"With Fellow Daoist He's wealth, the courtesan he ordered at Phoenix Perch Pavilion must have been one who could increase cultivation, right? Oh, congratulations, Fellow Daoist He, on your great advancement in cultivation. A joyous occasion indeed." Beside him, a flash of spiritual light passed through the eyes of Wei Fan, who had the appearance of a young man. He then shook his head and laughed.

Although he knew He Song would not throw his Spirit Stones away in a pleasure house, the three had always been close and gotten along well. A little joking was harmless.

What was more, he had just used the Spiritual Eye Technique and discovered that He Song had actually broken through to Qi Refining Layer 3.

That was why he had said this, intending to tease him.

He Song's breakthrough from Qi Refining Layer 2 to Qi Refining Layer 3 could not be hidden from others.

But he had not intended to hide it in the first place.

Listening to the teasing from his two friends, He Song did not rush to argue. After stepping forward and sitting in his own place, he suddenly let out a sigh.

"Alas..."

The moment the sound emerged,

the entire room fell so silent that a needle dropping could be heard.

The two who had been about to say more froze at once.

After exchanging glances, both saw a trace of astonishment in the other's eyes.

In the five years they had known each other, He Song had never acted as he did today—sitting down without a word, then letting out such a deep sigh.

Never. Not once!

But what had happened today to make He Song behave so abnormally?

Wei Fan gave Meng Guan a look, signaling him to ask.

Meng Guan stroked his beard, only to accidentally pull out several hairs. The pain made him bare his teeth.

But under Wei Fan's repeated prompting, Meng Guan still spoke.

"Fellow Daoist He, did something happen?" Gently placing a cup of tea beside He Song, Meng Guan asked in a soft voice.

From the way he looked, it seemed he was even afraid of startling He Song, a Qi Refining Layer 3 cultivator.

Seeing this, Wei Fan beside him could only rub his forehead in speechless exasperation.

Though he felt Meng Guan was being overly cautious, Wei Fan's gaze remained fixed on He Song.

If his little Daoist friend had been bullied by someone else, where would a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator like him put his face?

He might have to personally take action and win back face for his little Daoist friend.

After knowing each other for so many years, he was still willing to stand up for He Song.