"There's a Spirit Vein in that cave abode!"
"What! Really?"
Wang Qing shouted and leaped onto the bed in a single bound. He circled the meditation cushion, looking it over from every angle, wanting to sit but not daring to. His flustered manner made Zhao Yi laugh.
Earlier, Zhao Yi had awakened from meditation and felt rather puzzled at the sight of Wang Qing standing nervously outside the door.
Thinking back briefly, he realized that his behavior just now had indeed been strange and frightening. He gave a wry chuckle; it seemed Wang Qing had misunderstood. He then told him about discovering spiritual energy in the cave abode, leading to the scene just now.
"Why don't you sit on it and try meditating? Then you'll know!"
Wang Qing nodded and sat down. After a dozen breaths, his breathing gradually steadied.
Since Zhao Yi had nothing else to attend to, he sat in the main hall and waited for Wang Qing to finish meditating. That wait lasted a full day and night. Eventually, his hunger became unbearable, and Zhao Yi returned to the boat to fetch pots, bowls, ladles, and basins, then cooked some porridge in the cave abode.
"Eldest Senior Brother!"
The shout roused Zhao Yi from meditation.
Looking at the immensely excited Wang Qing before him, Zhao Yi waved a hand, signaling him to quiet down.
"Eldest Senior Brother, I just opened a meridian! How long did I take?"
"A day and a night!"
"A day and a night, and I opened a meridian! It used to take months, or even half a year! Our opportunity has come, Eldest Senior Brother! If you hadn't kept exploring the cave abode, we would have missed it!"
Tears actually began to glimmer in Wang Qing's eyes, and his voice grew somewhat choked.
Zhao Yi rose and patted Wang Qing's shoulder, smiling as well. "That's right. Our opportunity has come-our chance to soar into the heavens!"
"Eldest Senior Brother, there's a Spirit Vein here. We must claim this place without a sound and let no one else find out! We must also finish off the cultivator who sold me the Treasure Map!"
Although Wang Qing was impulsive, he knew full well how attractive a Spirit Vein would be to the many cultivators of the Cloudsand Archipelago. Once word leaked out, it would surely bring about a chaotic war engulfing the entire archipelago.
Zhao Yi looked at Wang Qing in surprise. He had not expected him to think so far ahead.
"Excellent. Wang Qing, I'm truly surprised you've thought this through so deeply!"
Zhao Yi praised Wang Qing with a smile. Wang Qing rubbed his head and chuckled. "This is a struggle over our Dao Paths!"
"Wang Qing, my mind is made up. The two of us will stay here and cultivate in seclusion. You're already close to perfection of Meridian Opening. This is the perfect chance to use the Spirit Vein here and cultivate tirelessly, day and night, striving to break through as soon as possible!"
"Second Senior Brother is still waiting for us to return!"
"We can't worry about that!"
Zhao Yi shook his head and continued, "There's a spring in the cave abode, and its water is drinkable. As for food, we can have Guiwu catch fish for us. What do you think?"
After hearing Zhao Yi's words, Wang Qing pondered for several breaths. Then he looked at Zhao Yi and said firmly, "Eldest Senior Brother, with this Spirit Vein, I'll definitely reach perfection of Meridian Opening within a month!"
"Come on, let's eat first. You've gone hungry for a whole day and night!"
After eating, the two began cultivating in earnest. Beside them, Guiwu also closed his eyes, breathing spiritual energy in and out.
Linghua Island.
In the Spirit Field at the foot of the mountain, Liu Yu was casting the Rain Transformation Technique on the Spirit Rice. A cloud of mist rose, and a fine rain covered an area five zhang across.
"Second Senior Brother!"
Hearing the call, Liu Yu waited until he had finished casting the technique before turning to look. Li Hai was hurrying toward him.
"Aren't you supposed to be patrolling the sea? What brought you rushing back?"
"Second Senior Brother, people from Peach Blossom Island are here!" Li Hai said as he approached.
"Peach Blossom Island? Why would they send anyone at a time like this? Could they have clashed with Three Heroes Island again?" Liu Yu murmured.
"Did they tell you anything?"
"No. They only said they wanted to see Eldest Senior Brother!"
"How many came, and what are their cultivation levels?"
"Two. The leader is a cultivator at perfection of Meridian Opening, and the other is at great completion of Meridian Opening!"
Liu Yu nodded and lowered his head in thought for a moment, then said, "Bring them onto the island. I'll wait for them in the pavilion on the mountain!"
With that, he set off back up the mountain to make preparations.
Before long, Li Hai led the two men to the pavilion on the mountainside.
Liu Yu wore blue-green Daoist robes, his hair gathered in a Daoist topknot and secured with a wooden hairpin. A gentle breeze stirred his flowing sleeves, drawing silent admiration from the two men behind Li Hai.
"Fellow Daoists from Peach Blossom Island, you've traveled a thousand li to Linghua Island, yet we failed to welcome you from afar. How remiss of us!" Liu Yu said with a smile, rising and leaving the pavilion to greet them.
"This is Liu Yu, our second senior brother of Linghua Island. Eldest Senior Brother is in seclusion, so Second Senior Brother is overseeing matters on the mountain!" Li Hai explained from the side.
"Wu Yuyan of Peach Blossom Island greets Fellow Daoist Liu." The leading cultivator bowed.
"Please!"
The four entered the pavilion one after another and took their seats. Li Hai began brewing tea.
"In my many years on Peach Blossom Island, I've heard the elders mention Linghua Island numerous times. Now that I've set foot here today, I see it truly is extraordinary-a land graced with nature's splendor and heaven's treasures, where outstanding people spring from a blessed land!"
Wu Yuyan offered praise unstintingly.
"Haha, you flatter us, Fellow Daoist Wu. Peach Blossom Island is the foremost spiritual haven in the Yunsha Sea Region. Who in these waters hasn't heard of it?"
Once Li Hai finished brewing the tea, he poured everyone a cup.
They chatted and savored the tea. With the gentle sea breeze, it was a pleasure all its own.
"May I ask what brings you here this time, Fellow Daoist Wu?" Liu Yu began.
"I've come to deliver an invitation to Linghua Island!"
"Oh? What happy occasion is Peach Blossom Island celebrating? We fellow disciples have all been cultivating quietly on the island, so we hear very little news from the surrounding waters."
"Haha, all you fellow Daoists of Linghua Island are devoted cultivators. Your steadfast hearts in pursuit of the Dao truly make you examples for us all!"
After praising the cultivators of Linghua Island, Wu Yuyan smiled faintly, showing a trace of pride, and said solemnly, "I've come to invite the fellow Daoists of Linghua Island to Peach Blossom Island for our island master's Spirit Drawing Celebration!"
"Spirit Drawing Celebration?" Li Hai sounded somewhat puzzled.
The Peach Blossom Island cultivator who had remained silent spoke up. "Our island master successfully broke through to the Spirit Attraction Stage a month ago. He has now stabilized his cultivation and emerged from seclusion, and will hold a Spirit Drawing Celebration on the eighth day of the ninth month!"
"Congratulations to Island Master Wu, and congratulations to Peach Blossom Island. After so many years, Peach Blossom Island has once again produced a Spirit Attraction Stage cultivator!" Liu Yu offered his congratulations at the appropriate moment, leaving Wu Yuyan quite pleased with himself.
"Haha, our island master has said that Fellow Daoist Zhao Yi of Linghua Island possesses exceptional talent and has every hope of reaching the Spirit Attraction Stage. Perhaps the next time they meet, he'll already be a peer of our island master!"
"My senior brother truly wouldn't dare compare himself with Island Master Wu," Liu Yu replied modestly.
Wu Yuyan continued, "Having met and spoken with you today, Fellow Daoist Liu, I feel that you too are outstanding among us. With both of you here, Linghua Island has every prospect of flourishing!"
"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Wu. You are the true standout of the younger generation. With Island Master Wu's guidance and Peach Blossom Island's abundant resources, I imagine that the next time we meet, I may have to address you as Senior!"
"Haha!"
After a light chuckle, the four chatted a while longer before Wu Yuyan took his leave. Liu Yu and Li Hai escorted them to the harbor, watching the boat carrying the two men depart until it disappeared over the horizon.
"Second Senior Brother, Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother still haven't returned. We don't know how they're doing!"
Liu Yu raised the invitation and gazed into the distance, saying calmly, "The two of them should be doing very well. If Eldest Senior Brother still hasn't returned by the beginning of the ninth month, I'll go myself!"
Before you continue