Immortal Voice's Guidance, Mo Lingyuan's Arrival

"What's the problem?" Li Moqing smiled calmly. "Drink as much as you like. There are five more Sourceheart Tea Trees on the Sect's North Mountain. We'll never run out!"

"What? Five?!"

Zhang Xingfeng and Dongfang Muxue cried out almost at the same time.

The reason Western Region Spirit Island had only three Sourceheart Tea Trees was that their growing conditions were extraordinarily demanding. They needed a place rich in Source Qi and the spiritual grace of heaven and earth.

Neither of them had imagined the Sect would have five—two more than Western Region Spirit Island!

Western Region Spirit Island was rumored to connect to Outer-Heaven Immortal Island. Nowhere on the Spirit Source Continent could match its spiritual grace!

But on second thought, it made sense. The Sect's Source Qi was already the densest on the Spirit Source Continent. It was entirely possible that the North Mountain was rich in spiritual grace as well.

Everyone believed Western Region Spirit Island had the most spiritual grace, but that was only because they had never seen the Sect!

With that thought, both of them believed Li Moqing without question.

[Ding! Congratulations! Zhang Xingfeng and Dongfang Muxue believed the claim the host invented. Five Sourceheart Tea Trees now grow on the Sect's North Mountain. The host may go inspect them at any time!]

[Making this invention real has consumed the opportunity gained from accepting Dongfang Muxue as a disciple, as well as the opportunity gained when Zhang Xingfeng advanced from the first to the second level of Qi Refinement!]

[The host has one opportunity remaining to make an invention about Dongfang Muxue real: when Dongfang Muxue advances from the Qi Refinement Third Layer to the fourth layer. No opportunities remain for Zhang Xingfeng!]

With five Sourceheart Tea Trees made real, my cultivation and my disciples' will advance a thousand miles a day, with scarcely a bottleneck in sight!

Delighted, Li Moqing urged them, "Drink up, you two. The tea will get cold."

"Yes, Master!"

"Of course, Master!"

Zhang Xingfeng and Dongfang Muxue hurriedly raised their cups and drained them.

"Huh? Aside from a peculiar fragrance, why can't I feel any effect?"

"Mm. I feel much the same."

Zhang Xingfeng and Dongfang Muxue looked at each other, utterly bewildered.

Of course it has no effect. It's just ordinary tea leaves I roasted with spices, for serving people outside the Sect and drinking every day!

Li Moqing chuckled to himself.

"Oh? It seems I picked up the wrong tea leaves!"

Li Moqing looked at their cups and feigned surprise.

"So that's it! Fortunately, they were only ordinary tea leaves. Drinking two leaves each wasn't a waste after all!"

Relief filled Zhang Xingfeng's face.

"Yes. When I thought Master had put in two Sourceheart Tea leaves, it pained me to see them used up."

Dongfang Muxue also gave a relieved smile.

The two of them looked as though a weight had lifted from their shoulders. That surprised Li Moqing.

"Guests have arrived outside. Go welcome them at once."

At that moment, Li Moqing suddenly spoke up.

"Yes, Master!"

"Of course, Master!"

Heavenly Mist Sect.

Outside the Sect.

Whoosh!

A streak of light descended. Lin Shanghai had barely stepped off his sword when he swayed.

"Tingjian didn't lie to me. There really is a Heavenly Mist Sect in the Burial Sky Green Plains!"

"It's just as he said—towering and magnificent, stretching beyond the reach of sight and rising straight into the clouds!"

Lin Shanghai stared, dumbstruck, and marveled in amazement.

Whoosh!

As he marveled, another streak of blue light descended.

Immortal Voice said there was an opportunity for me here. It seems that was true.

I never imagined the Heavenly Mist Sect Immortal Voice guided me to would be so magnificent—hundreds, even thousands of times grander than my Azure Feather Sect!

Mo Lingyuan put away the Purple-Gold Gourd beneath his feet and fastened it at his waist, marveling silently.

Mo Lingyuan had long been able to ride the wind without support, yet he still loved flying on his Purple-Gold Gourd. Perhaps it was a habit left over from the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement.

"Huh?!"

Hearing a noise, Lin Shanghai turned in surprise.

"Who might you be?"

He studied Mo Lingyuan as he asked.

"Mo Lingyuan."

Mo Lingyuan answered without a flicker of emotion.

"Mo? Mo Lingyuan?!"

Mo Lingyuan spoke calmly, yet his words struck like thunder, and Lin Shanghai couldn't help but tremble.

Strange. Isn't Mo Lingyuan the patriarch of the Azure Feather Sect? What's he doing in the remote Seeking Dao Mountains?

He was baffled.

"And you are?"

Mo Lingyuan smiled faintly and returned the question.

"Senior Mo, this... I am Lin Shanghai, sect master of the Cloud Offering Sect, seventy li from here."

Lin Shanghai answered respectfully at once.

He had nearly referred to himself as "this sect master" out of habit, but caught himself. How could he presume to use that title before Search Province's foremost expert?

"Then have you come to my sect on some important business?"

Mo Lingyuan asked another question.

"Your sect?"

Lin Shanghai looked bewildered.

Isn't the Azure Feather Sect in western Search Province? We're on opposite sides of the province. How could this be his sect? Unless...

A suspicion formed in his mind, startling him.

Impossible. Senior Mo couldn't possibly be a member of the Heavenly Mist Sect!

He firmly dismissed the thought.

"Reception Elder?"

"Elder Mo?"

Just then, Zhang Xingfeng and Dongfang Muxue came out. Seeing two visitors, they asked tentatively.

"That would be me!"

Mo Lingyuan smiled. The air of an immortal sage radiated from him, warming anyone who saw him.

Immortal Voice's guidance was right. I haven't even sent word, yet the Sect already knew I was coming. They even knew I was the Reception Elder!

Mo Lingyuan pondered this and no longer doubted the opportunity Immortal Voice had spoken of.

"And who is this senior?"

Dongfang Muxue looked at Lin Shanghai in puzzlement.

"I'm Lin Shanghai, sect master of the Cloud Offering Sect. I apologize for arriving at your sect unannounced. I'll take my leave."

With that, Lin Shanghai stepped onto his sword and flew away without looking back.

He had only come to verify Qin Tingjian's account. Now that he had, he had no reason to stay.

He simply had not expected Mo Lingyuan, Search Province's foremost expert, to be an elder of the Heavenly Mist Sect—and, it seemed, a newly joined one.

"Hey?!"

Lin Shanghai had left so abruptly that Dongfang Muxue was caught off guard.

Come to think of it, I nearly became a disciple of your Cloud Offering Sect!

She muttered to herself.

"Reception Elder, please follow me!"

Collecting herself, she spoke politely.

"Please."

Mo Lingyuan put on no airs and entered the Sect with Zhang Xingfeng and Dongfang Muxue.

Heavenly Mist Sect.

Inside the Sect.

Boom!

Just as Dongfang Muxue had when she first entered the Heavenly Mist Sect, Mo Lingyuan swayed.

The Source Qi here must be eight hundred times denser than at the Azure Feather Sect. No wonder Immortal Voice directed me here!

He thought to himself.

Whoosh!

Unlike with Dongfang Muxue, the Sect's Source Qi surged into Mo Lingyuan's body like raging waves.

For one thing, Mo Lingyuan's Spiritual Wisdom was roughly equal to Dongfang Muxue's. For another, his cultivation was far beyond hers.

Zhang Xingfeng stared in amazement. No wonder he's Search Province's foremost expert.

Dongfang Muxue remained calm, wondering whether she would absorb it even faster than Elder Mo when she became as strong as he was.

"Let's go."

After absorbing Source Qi for a while, Mo Lingyuan smiled in satisfaction.

"Yes, Reception Elder!"

Zhang Xingfeng came back to himself and led Mo Lingyuan toward the Discussion Hall.

"Hm? What is that young girl doing?"

As they crossed the Sect square, Mo Lingyuan noticed Lü Liu sitting resolutely atop the Dao-Enlightenment Stone. Her body trembled, sweat streamed down her face, yet her eyes remained tightly shut. He asked in puzzlement.