The land was broad and flat, its woods lush. It was called the Southern Garden.
Jiang Yang casually pointed, and Qing He cut herself short, replying instead:
"Yes, this is the place."
"The immortal pavilion outside was used to tend spirit resources. Let us go there first."
"All right."
Jiang Yang agreed readily and descended at once.
Everything in the garden bloomed with color, while clouds perched along the horizon drew the clear sky into the distance. Treading through mist, Jiang Yang wandered through the Southern Garden.
Vines and trees filled his vision, and clusters of exotic flowers greeted him. Nourished by the spirit vigor within this grotto-heaven, they had developed extraordinary properties and would qualify as low-grade spirit treasures in the outside world.
Yet Jiang Yang merely glanced at them before hurrying past. These scraps no longer caught his eye; even bending down to pick them up felt burdensome.
Jiang Yang wasted no time here, heading straight for the immortal pavilion Qing He indicated.
The immortal pavilion was square, with sweeping eaves and upturned corners, hidden deep within the woods. Its shaded back faced away from the south, and a blue stone path extended from it.
A few steps brought him before it. Looking up, he saw a plaque hanging overhead, tangled in unruly vines that clung to the pavilion, leaving its lettering blurred.
He could roughly make out a few words:
"[Essence-Nurturing Pavilion]"
So shabby, without even a spirit array holding it up. Has it lost its luster over the years?
Seeing the immortal pavilion's dilapidated state, Jiang Yang muttered inwardly.
The important buildings within a grotto-heaven were always protected by arrays. There was no reason this one should lack them, yet the immortal pavilion had still deteriorated this far. Who knew how much time had passed? How