Visitors from the Inner Garden, White-Scale Lake Quotas

The moon was veiled by clouds, letting through only a faint glimmer of light, unable to illuminate the night.

At a certain moment, a dim crimson spiritual radiance abruptly bloomed across the horizon. At first, it was weak and inconspicuous.

Yet in but an instant, the radiance grew larger and brighter in the eyes of the stewards, like a fire-stained meteor hurtling down through the sky.

"It's here!"

In front of the palace, silence fell at once.

The stewards all straightened up, tidying their clothes while staring fixedly at the approaching radiance.

A moment later.

That crimson radiance tore through the night sky above the herb garden.

It was still early, and many tenant farmers had not yet gone to sleep. Moreover, the crimson radiance made no effort to conceal its aura as it flew, so many people noticed it.

Discussion immediately erupted throughout the herb garden.

However, a small number of people recognized that crimson radiance.

"Someone from the Inner Garden? But doesn't it seem early?" Zheng Jingren stood in his courtyard, his expression shifting slightly.

Just as uncertainty churned within him.

The crimson radiance had already crossed the sky and arrived before the palace.

The radiance slowly faded.

A spirit boat some six zhang long, engraved all over with intricate Dao patterns and jade-green in color, abruptly entered everyone's sight.

At the center of the spirit boat.

A young man sat cross-legged, wearing a white-feathered banished-immortal crown and a green, gold-threaded firewarding Daoist robe patterned with clouds.

Beneath the gazes of the many stewards.

The man in green slowly opened his eyes, crimson-gold divine light weaving through his gaze.

An indescribably terrifying aura surged madly in every direction.

In an instant.

Whoosh—

A flicker of terror passed through the eyes of the stewards below.

To their horror, they discovered that, without realizing it, they had lost all sense of the spiritual currents around them. Even the mana within their bodies had become countless times more sluggish, nearly impossible to circulate.

Even their consciousness seemed affected.

An uncontrollable urge to kneel and worship arose in their hearts.

"Coming so late at night, I haven't disturbed you all, have I?"

A gentle voice sounded beside their ears.

The stewards instantly came to their senses. Like people just fished out of water, they unconsciously began greedily gulping down air.

Before their eyes.

At some unknown point, the man in green had put away the spirit boat. He stood ahead with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

"A great cultivator of the second Qi-Feasting realm, Crimson Palace Sea!"

The elderly man at the front shuddered, then hurried forward in three strides, bowed, and saluted.

"Not at all, not at all."

"This humble cultivator is Deng Yuantong, the steward-in-chief of this herb garden term. I have specially led the other stewards here to welcome you, sir. Should there be any breach of etiquette, I beg your magnanimous forgiveness!"

As his voice fell.

The remaining stewards all bowed as well.

"We beg your magnanimous forgiveness, sir!"

"No need for such ceremony. Rise."

The man in green nodded slightly.

"Sir, this humble cultivator has prepared a spiritual banquet in the hall. Why not go inside and rest awhile?" Deng Yuantong asked tentatively.

"Very well!"

After several cups of spiritual wine, the atmosphere eased somewhat.

Urged on by the looks from the others.

Deng Yuantong hesitated for a moment, then looked toward the man in green seated at the head and carefully asked, "May I ask what instructions you have for us in coming here this time, sir?"

At this.

The man in green set down his wine cup, his expression turning solemn.

"I know you have always had a tradition of cultivating seeds. This comes at just the right time. Select nine seeds of fine aptitude as soon as possible. On the eighteenth of next month, I will personally come to send them to White-Scale Lake."

"White-Scale Lake?" A steward could not help crying out.

Below, an unusual look also flashed over Deng Yuantong's aged face, as though he found this somewhat difficult.

He clasped his hands and said, "Sir, we too have heard of the White-Scale Lake battlefield. It is perilous beyond measure. Even Qi-Feasting cultivators may fall with the slightest misstep, while these seeds are merely at Foundation Establishment—"

He did not continue, but his meaning was obvious.

"Haha, it isn't as you imagine."

The man in green laughed heartily and immediately explained, "You should all have heard some news. Over the past thirty years, the major powers of Everharvest City, including Azurehold Herb Garden, have not performed particularly well on the White-Scale Lake battlefield.

"Just last month, three spirit islands were lost in succession, drawing reprimands from the Dao Palace!

"Thus, after brief deliberation, the various factions decided to join forces and establish a training ground at White-Scale Lake, gathering all the finest inheritances and resources in the hope of nurturing several true prodigies forged from blood and fire, so as to give the Dao Palace an account."

"It is said that the Dao Palace is also watching this matter."

"When the time comes, White-Scale Lake will gather the foremost geniuses of every major power. If the seeds you select perform too poorly, don't blame me for settling accounts after the autumn harvest."

The man in green gave the warning in a half-joking tone.

"May I ask, sir, whether there are any requirements for the seeds?" a steward asked, mustering his courage.

"The stronger, the better."

"The Foundation Establishment inheritance in your herb garden, if I recall correctly, is the Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram... Then let the line be drawn at condensing two Red Qiu True Talismans. Do not bring anyone with fewer than two true talismans merely to make up the numbers."

Having said that, the man in green rose as though intending to leave.

Seeing this.

The many stewards in the palace did not dare remain seated and hurriedly rose as well.

"Sir, after such a long journey, why not stay for a few more drinks—"

Deng Yuantong asked.

"No need. The other three outer gardens have yet to be informed, so I will leave first. Remember: on the eighteenth of next month, I will come to collect them."

"Please rest assured, sir. We will certainly do our utmost in selecting them!"

Time slipped away little by little.

The palace remained brightly lit.

A full half hour had passed since the man in green departed.

Yet every steward remained in the palace.

At a certain moment.

"What are your thoughts?"

Deng Yuantong, seated in the seat of honor, broke the silence.

"If two true talismans are the threshold, selecting nine seeds will not be difficult."

Steward Liu analyzed, "However, judging by that lord's meaning, if the seeds we select perform too poorly after entering White-Scale Lake, we will also be held accountable. We must therefore proceed with caution."

As soon as he finished speaking.

A steward beside him echoed bitterly, "Exactly. But what kind of performance counts as poor? There isn't even a standard!"

"Those selected for White-Scale Lake this time will most likely include monsters painstakingly cultivated by the Inner Garden, as well as many geniuses from the other immortal Dao powers within Everharvest City..."

"Fortunately, we still have Qin Lie."

As if recalling something, Deng Yuantong unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. He then made the decision outright.

"Since that is the case, there is nothing else we can do. Tonight, select twelve places from among the seeds that have already condensed two true talismans. Pills, inheritances—give them everything."

"At the tea gathering in the middle of next month, directly designate the top nine as the seed candidates headed to White-Scale Lake. Presumably, that lord will have nothing to say about it."

"Very well."

"Of the twelve places, Qin Lie must have one."

"I recommend..."

The following evening.

Having just returned from the spirit fields, Lu He did not even have time to change his clothes. He directly picked up the bag in the corner of his room and hurried toward the sundries building.

Before the window.

"Miss, do you buy demon bird corpses?"

He handed the bag to the woman across from him, his eyes filled with anticipation.