Flat Peach Tree Seed

By a lucky twist of fate, he had stumbled into quite a lively scene.

With so many people around, Lin Xiaoyao naturally would not sign in.

With nothing else to do, he decided to see just how far this genius, upon whom everyone had placed such high hopes, could make it along the Heart-Refining Path.

Before long, Liang Xiaotian arrived. Dressed in white like snow, with bright eyes beneath star-like brows and a spirited bearing, he truly cut the figure of a young heroic swordsman.

His cultivation had indeed reached the Golden Core Realm.

To achieve such accomplishments after merely thirty years since entering the sect was truly no easy feat. No wonder he enjoyed such immense popularity among the younger generation of disciples.

Lin Xiaoyao could not help sighing in admiration. After all, it had taken him more than a full year to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Late Stage. This man before him, hailed as a genius, truly lived up to the name.

Although Liang Xiaotian's strength far surpassed that of his peers, he was not arrogant. Seeing so many people gathered to watch him brave the Heart-Refining Path, he cupped his hands all around and greeted his fellow disciples.

His cultivation was exceptional, yet he was humble and courteous, earning him even more goodwill from the crowd.

Especially among the young women, whose faces were filled with the utmost worship and admiration.

However, he did not linger. After exchanging a few pleasantries with everyone, he headed toward the mountain ahead.

This mountain was called Heart-Refining Mountain.

The Heart-Refining Path had originally been an ancient ruin. After it was discovered by the predecessors of the Feathering Sect, they used immense divine abilities to move it here, placing it within the mountain's belly.

It was said to lead deep underground.

No one knew exactly how many miles it stretched.

For the farther one went, the more terrifying the illusions encountered became. They were not necessarily seas of flames or mountains of blades, but even scenes of romance and beauty could make one lose oneself within them.

Without anyone to save them, their Dao heart would collapse, until they suffered cultivation deviation.

Thus, accompanying Liang Xiaotian was an old man wearing a tall crown.

The old man's surname was Luo. He was one of the outer sect elders, and his cultivation had now reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage, only one step away from Spirit Transformation.

With him watching over Liang Xiaotian, even if something went wrong on the Heart-Refining Path, he could rescue him in time and remedy the situation.

For the sake of this genius, the sect had truly considered every possibility.

Thus, beneath everyone's watchful gaze, Liang Xiaotian quickly arrived at the mountainside. There stood an enormous cave, its oval entrance several zhang high.

There were also cultivators standing guard.

There were no treasures here, but they still feared that sect disciples might enter by mistake.

After verifying the Sect Master's written order, the guard stepped aside. Liang Xiaotian cupped his hands, then walked into the Heart-Refining Path within the cave.

The crowd waited eagerly.

Half an hour passed in no time.

"Not good!"

The elderly Luo's expression changed. Moving like the wind, he too rushed into the cave ahead.

The disciples immediately erupted into an uproar. Could Senior Brother Liang, that peerless genius, have actually encountered danger?

Fortunately, an elder was watching over him. Thinking of this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Only Lin Xiaoyao shook his head amid the crowd.

Something had changed. That elder had likely walked right into a tiger's den.

Sure enough, he too vanished without returning.

Fortunately, the sect attached great importance to this trial. Before long, an inner sect elder in the Spirit Transformation Realm rushed over upon hearing the news, and only then were the two finally rescued.

Yet even that Spirit Transformation elder looked rather disheveled.

No one knew what danger they had encountered on the Heart-Refining Path.

After emerging, the elder immediately ordered the disciples watching nearby to leave at once. The entire Heart-Refining Mountain, for dozens of miles around, was designated a sect forbidden ground. Without the Sect Master's permission, no one was allowed to set foot there.

They even set up formations to guard it, though no one knew what exactly they were defending against.

Lin Xiaoyao frowned slightly. Though curious, he obediently left like the other ordinary disciples.

Be cautious in all things; if he could lie low, he would never stir up trouble. That was his rule for living.

In any case, until he reached the level of a Saint, Lin Xiaoyao would not casually jump out to show off.

Thus, over the following days, he could clearly sense a faint undercurrent of tension within the Feathering Sect. The inner sect elders in particular began moving out frequently, patrolling the rear mountain.

Some were even stationed there.

But none of that had anything to do with Lin Xiaoyao.

He was merely an ordinary new disciple. If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up first. It was not his turn to worry and fret.

So every day, he continued sweeping the Founder's Shrine and signing in. No matter what storms raged outside, his little life remained exceedingly comfortable.

Moreover, perhaps because his luck had been good these past few days, he had not received things like Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures or Heaven-Mending Pills—things other cultivators chased after like ducks after grain, yet were little more than chicken ribs to him.

Instead, he had signed in for nearly a thousand years of cultivation in succession.

The cultivation produced by the system was entirely different from the thin spiritual energy of heaven and earth outside, and also wholly unlike the achievements ordinary cultivators gained through a thousand years of bitter cultivation.

This greatly improved Lin Xiaoyao's magical power once more.

He had now finally reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage and could break through at any time.

Of course, given his current circumstances, he dared not cultivate on his own.

Thus, the only thing he could hope for was that his next sign-in would grant him cultivation again, or spiritual pills capable of greatly increasing his magical power.

Lin Xiaoyao was rather looking forward to it.

It had not been easy. A full year and two months had passed, yet he was only now nearing the Spirit Transformation Realm. The ancients had said that the immortal path was difficult, as difficult as ascending to heaven. They truly had not deceived him in the slightest.

Thinking this, Lin Xiaoyao placed the new offerings upon the altar table before him, then respectfully bowed to the ancestral tablets.

Though he did not know the various ancestors of the Feathering Sect, they had provided him with a blessed sanctuary where he could lie low in peace without disturbance, so he naturally felt quite grateful.

Then Lin Xiaoyao silently recited in his heart, "System, sign me in."

Before his words had faded, the system's notification sounded in his ears.

"Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a 'Flat Peach Tree Seed.' Would you like to claim it now?"

"Flat Peach Tree Seed?"

Lin Xiaoyao froze.

This too was a legendary immortal treasure.

It was said to ripen only once every nine thousand years. Whoever ate it would live as long as heaven and earth, sharing the same age as the sun and moon.

Well, that was somewhat exaggerated.

But it was indeed an exceedingly precious immortal treasure. Even to someone like him, who possessed the Saint Fruit Position, it had some effect. At the very least, it was far better than such chicken-rib items as Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures and Heaven-Mending Pills.

For a moment, Lin Xiaoyao was somewhat tempted.

So he said aloud.

"Claim it!"

Then, before him, a seed the size of a peach pit appeared.

Its core was golden, streaked with purple patterns. Seven rays of spiritual light radiated from its surface, immortal aura swirling around it as though it contained boundless Dao essence.

After studying it for a moment, Lin Xiaoyao could not help but knit his brows lightly.

It was a good thing.

But the problem was, where was he supposed to plant it?

Besides, it ripened only once every nine thousand years. By then, he would likely have already recovered his Saint Fruit Position and would probably no longer think much of this item.