True Lord Fragrance

Although he had failed to place an order in Xue Feng's livestream, it had opened Li Yu's eyes once again.

So eating Spirit Rice could also help with cultivating the Purple Glow Art.

The Galaxy Alliance's rice was beyond delivery range, but the Zhao Kingdom had something similar. It was a Spirit Plant called golden crow rice, a high-grade spirit rice reserved exclusively for the royal members of the Rizhao Hao Clan.

This spirit rice grew only within the Zhao Kingdom, and it could astonishingly yield three harvests a year. Since it needed to absorb large quantities of purple qi when sprouting, the Sun God Stone could be used to hasten its growth.

Members of the Rizhao Hao Clan could purify their bloodlines by eating golden crow rice over long periods.

However, anyone without the royal bloodline would have their meridians scorched by the rice's Pure Yang Purple Qi, so no outside factions cultivated it.

Still, some people were curious about this spirit rice reserved for royalty. Thus, the inn where Li Yu was currently staying offered a dish made by stir-frying golden crow rice with other spiritual vegetables. This neutralized the rice's scorching pure yang heat, allowing ordinary cultivators to eat it as well. It was called Golden Crow Fried Rice.

It was quite expensive, too: ten spirit stones a bowl.

After Xue Feng ended his livestream, Li Yu left his courtyard and followed the flagstone path to a five-story building at the very center of the inn. Called the Setting Sun Terrace, it was the inn's dedicated dining area.

With his previous means, Li Yu certainly could not have afforded to eat here. But opening the Ying Clan brothers' Storage Bags had brought him a windfall, so he could bear to splurge on a bowl of fried rice.

If it truly helped him cultivate the Purple Glow Art, he would grit his teeth and eat a bowl every day.

"Oh, it's rare to see you out and about, boy."

Just as Li Yu stepped into the Setting Sun Terrace, a surprised voice sounded beside him. Turning, he saw Yuan Hao sitting at a table by the window, pouring and drinking alone.

Their courtyards were next to each other. Although Yuan Hao's cultivation had been sealed, he was still permitted to come here for meals.

Li Yu hesitated, then cupped his hands. "Greetings, Steward Yuan."

"Come have something with me. My treat." Yuan Hao beckoned to Li Yu. The latter had intended to refuse, but upon hearing that Yuan Hao was paying, he readily obliged.

As soon as Li Yu sat down, a beautiful woman in a colorful skirt approached and asked with a smile what he would like.

After they ordered, Yuan Hao placed a cup in front of Li Yu, then picked up the wine pot and filled it.

"I had someone ask around about you. You're from the Yiyang Li, an outer disciple of Hanging Moon Peak. Ten years ago, with Ge Jin's support, you became Senior Brother and drove out Ying Ruomu. Just over three months ago, you emerged from seclusion after failing at Foundation Establishment. Everyone thought you were finished. Who would have imagined that misfortune would turn into a blessing, and you would advance to the Qi Refinement Tenth Layer instead?"

After speaking, Yuan Hao raised his cup and drained it.

Li Yu raised his own cup as well, but took only a small sip before saying, "Your information is mistaken, Steward Yuan. How could I have had the strength to drive out Junior Brother Ying? He was simply too proud to accept that he hadn't become the outer disciples' Senior Brother, and left of his own accord."

"None of that matters. After all, he's dead now. And he died at your hands, which means he remained your defeated foe his entire life." Yuan Hao's words made Li Yu nod despite himself.

"But your advancement to the Qi Refinement Tenth Layer greatly surprised everyone who knew about it. The outer disciples' Taiyi Scripture only allows cultivation up to the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer. Could Junior Sister Ge have already taken you under her wing?"

Yuan Hao's question made sweat suddenly break out across Li Yu's back.

He had indeed overlooked this matter.

The great orders of the Mystic Sects in the Eastern Lands placed tremendous importance on the proper transmission of cultivation arts.

If Li Yu could not explain where he had obtained a cultivation method for the Qi Refinement Tenth Layer, he would be accused of secretly learning an art without permission-a grave offense in the Five Lotus Sect.

Li Yu certainly could not claim Ge Jin had given it to him, since that lie would be easily exposed. Remembering Ma Song, he hurriedly said, "I have some connections in the Secret Arts Office and got acquainted with a True Disciple senior brother from Taiyi Peak. I obtained it from him."

At the mention of Taiyi Peak, Yuan Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. An invisible chill made Li Yu shudder; he sensed the killing intent of the Foundation Establishment cultivator before him.

Fortunately, Yuan Hao's cultivation had been sealed. Just then, the Woman in the Colorful Skirt approached with a wooden box containing the Golden Crow Fried Rice Li Yu had ordered.

"Please enjoy. Also, fighting isn't permitted here. The innkeeper is watching." The Woman in the Colorful Skirt offered a gentle reminder. Li Yu looked toward the counter in the hall. A middle-aged man who had been working an abacus had evidently sensed Yuan Hao's killing intent and was watching their table expressionlessly.

"Haha, naturally, I wouldn't make things difficult for Innkeeper Hao." Yuan Hao gave a dry laugh and raised his wine cup toward the middle-aged man behind the counter in a gesture of respect.

Hearing that the innkeeper's surname was Hao, Li Yu knew his safety was assured today.

Even if the man was not a Hao Clan disciple himself, his parents surely belonged to a branch of the clan.

As one of the Hao Clan's properties, this inn would absolutely guarantee its guests' safety.

"Sorry you had to see that. Our lineage has a generations-old feud with Taiyi Peak, so when I heard about such a handle against them, I almost couldn't resist reporting it to the Discipline Hall immediately..." Yuan Hao's words puzzled Li Yu. They all belonged to the Five Lotus Sect, so how could there be a generations-old feud?

"I'm a disciple of Hongyang Peak. Our head was once an inner disciple of True Lord Fragrance of Yaochi Peak," Yuan Hao explained.

At the name True Lord Fragrance, Li Yu shuddered and finally understood.

After Heavenly Emperor Wu overthrew the Great Xuan dynasty, Jiang Taiyi returned to the Five Lotus Sect and persuaded the sect's elders to abandon darkness for the light and join the righteous path of the Immortal Zhou. Within the sect, however, True Lord Fragrance, the head of Yaochi Peak, was a descendant of the Great Xuan dynasty's imperial bloodline. Naturally, she led the opposition and became as incompatible with Jiang Taiyi as fire and water.

In the end, however, the Five Lotus Sect still sided with the Immortal Zhou and expelled True Lord Fragrance, declaring its stance to the Four Seas and Mountain Lands.

After leaving the Five Lotus Sect, True Lord Fragrance, a Nascent Soul cultivator, returned to Kunlun, where the Great Xuan dynasty had first risen, and began leading her clansmen in resistance against the Immortal Zhou's rule.

Since True Lord Fragrance cultivated the White Lotus Scripture of Deliverance, one of the Five Lotus Sect's five great Primordial Spirit arts, this rebel force was also known as the White Lotus Sect.

Later, under pressure, Jiang Taiyi personally led a great army to campaign against the White Lotus Sect. He fought three major battles with True Lord Fragrance. Although he could suppress her, she relied on a Great Xuan imperial treasure and fought to the death without retreating.

Left with no other choice, Jiang Taiyi refined the vast spiritual vein of the Heaven-Inquiring Pavilion and elevated his Taiyi Light-Congealing Edge back into the Taiyi Sword God. Only then did he barely manage to break through the imperial treasure and slay True Lord Fragrance.

Although True Lord Fragrance died, her disciples were not expelled from the Five Lotus Sect. Thus, this lineage still regarded Taiyi Peak as its enemy.