Zhang Yu saw how cautious Meng Huan Zhen was being and realized that what she was about to say must be important. He did not rush to speak, merely sitting upright and still.
The cloudboat soon sank into the depths of the sea, and the surroundings turned pitch-black. Though this posed no obstacle to cultivators like them—if needed, they could still see clearly and hear the sounds of the living creatures around them—sitting here nevertheless felt somewhat stifling.
Meng Huan Zhen then took out a goose-yellow paper lantern and sent it floating above the cloudboat with a gentle push. Once it reached a height of ten feet, it released a soft, bright glow, instantly dispelling the curtain of darkness and bathing the surrounding world in a kaleidoscope of colors, as if they were within a dream.
She made an inviting gesture and said, "Please have some tea, Fellow Daoist. This is Apricot Dragon Tea I brought from the Profound Court. It has the wonderful effect of nourishing and protecting the mind."
Zhang Yu reached out, picked up the celadon teacup on the table, and took a sip. He immediately felt an ethereal, pure breath seep into his heart. His whole person seemed to become somewhat more transparent, yet his mind also felt more solid, and his senses toward all things outside became much clearer. He could not help nodding. This truly was an exceedingly rare fine tea.
Meng Huan Zhen gently brushed aside the clouds outside the boat, and the little vessel sailed off in another direction. Colorful fish darted back and forth around them. Though they were clearly beneath the deep sea, it felt as though they were drifting above the clouds.
She said, "The cultivation of true cultivators lies solely inward: inhaling purity and exhaling turbidity. Some among