Peaches ripened and fell; blossoms faded and peaches ripened. In the blink of an eye, two years had passed. Time hurried on, leaping to the turn of summer and autumn in Ming year 485. It had been a fine day, with high skies, thin clouds, and a refreshing autumn breeze. Suddenly, however, fierce winds arose between heaven and earth, shaking the fruit-laden branches of Rotten Peach Mountain's peach groves and blowing every rotten peach still clinging to a branch onto the ground.
Splat-
The sound of rotten peaches bursting immediately filled the mountain, while their fragrance grew stronger.
Rumble!
Then thunder abruptly sounded overhead. Looking up, one would discover that thunderclouds had filled the sky at some unknown point, with lightning dragons and luminous serpents weaving through them. It looked like a sudden late-summer thunderstorm.
Yet the golden thunderclouds and the spreading tribulation intent plainly proclaimed their extraordinary nature-this was actually an elixir-washing tribulation.
Crack!
A thunderbolt struck.
Whoosh!
At the same moment, a streak of scarlet-gold light flew out of Listening to the Earth Monastery on Rotten Peach Mountain to meet it. Beneath the brilliant lightning, the true form within that scarlet-gold glow was faintly visible-a lithe tabby cat.
Bathed in lightning, the cat's fur bristled into a fluffy ball of light, her eyes shining like two crimson stars.
Inside Listening to the Earth Monastery, in the second courtyard.
Xiao Youshi and Feng Ji Hu looked up at the sky, chatting.
"How many times has it been?"
Xiao Youshi asked.
"The third. Twice in the first year, then a year in between, and now another."
Feng Ji Hu answered.
"What kind of immortal elixir is the Grand Master refining? This little Suanni has completed three Golden Core washes just by feeding on its Cinnabar Smoke and elixir qi. It's