Smoke shrouded the alchemy furnace; spring stirred along the herb-growing paths.
Here, the Daoists of Truth-Seeking delighted in their secluded home.
At Truth-Seeking Abbey on Floating Cloud Mountain, vast stretches of spirit fields had been reclaimed. Layer upon layer climbed the distant slopes, winding among the clouds. The terraced fields held countless spiritual treasures, chiefly spirit herbs, in a profusion of varieties whose fragrance filled the air.
Herb fields stretched across a thousand qing, their gardens lush and flourishing.
The herb beds were artfully staggered, their paths crisscrossing in every direction.
After enduring a winter's trials and bathing in the rains of Early Spring, the spirit plants were especially verdant, growing vigorously and brimming with life.
Having finished the abbey's affairs, Xuanxu found himself with a rare moment of leisure. He invited Xuan Yang, Xuan Kong, Xuan Yu, and the other junior brothers who were free to stroll along the Goat-Gut Path. Gazing over the endless spirit fields and watching Xuan Yin lead the disciples in tending the spirit herbs, Xuanxu admired the scenery and chatted, his face ruddy and his heart delighted.
Everyone in the abbey had kept Senior Brother Xuanming's instructions firmly in mind and worked together. In just half a year, the sect's spirit fields had expanded severalfold. Its spirit plants flourished, and its supplies were abundant. As the presiding True Person, Xuanxu was thoroughly satisfied. This heralded Truth-Seeking Abbey's steady rise: it no longer lacked the material means for cultivation and would not need to worry about resources for a long time.
Amid the vast spirit fields lay a spiritual lake spanning a hundred mu. Its clear waters mirrored the blue sky, with drifting white clouds casting lingering reflections. Green Jade Lotuses, Clearheart Cattails, Tricolor Gorgon Nuts, Yin-Yang Narcissuses, and other aquatic spirit flowers grew within