Taking a Method from the Scripture Repository

Su Yao came outside the hall and saw that the two were still searching, so he said to Little Red and Little Orange:

"You two guard this egg for now."

The two birds cried out in response.

Su Yao turned and headed for the Scripture Pavilion, considering that Little Red and Little Orange were now at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage but still could not speak human words. Presumably, it was the prism's influence.

Fortunately, he usually had them keep out of Daozheng's sight.

He was truly afraid something might happen; after all, Daozheng's cultivation was too high.

While he was lost in thought, he arrived before a seven-story pavilion.

There were restrictions on the building. Seeing them, Su Yao took out the token and touched it lightly to them, then entered the pavilion.

Once inside, he quickly swept the place with his Divine Sense and got a general idea of its contents. The first floor held mostly miscellaneous writings and the like.

The second floor held Mystery Opening Cultivation Methods and Law Techniques.

The third and fourth floors held Qi Refinement Cultivation Methods and Law Techniques.

The fifth and sixth floors held Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivation Methods, Law Techniques, and so on.

Most were Cultivation Methods of the Kan Water and Gui Water paths, with a few of the Earth Virtue, Fire Virtue, and Mansion Water paths mixed in.

His target was on the seventh floor, so he headed straight there.

When he reached the seventh floor, he saw that the space was not large.

At its very center, five Jade Slips were sealed behind restrictions.

Presumably, these were the Cang Water Sect's treasured Cultivation Methods, sufficient to cultivate to the Purple Mansion.

Su Yao took one look and immediately felt that something was strange. He thought to himself:

The Cang Water Sect should mainly cultivate Kan Water, but these five Purple Mansion Cultivation Methods are:

The fifth-grade Record of River-Sending Mysterious Water of the Kan Water path; the fourth-grade Record of Houji's Hidden Seeds of the Kun Earth path; two of the Xu Fire path, the fifth-grade Canon of Concealment Within Embers and the sixth-grade Scripture of Awaiting Beacon Xu Fire; and finally, the sixth-grade Scripture of Gui Water Overturning Heaven and Renewing the Old, my target this time.

The Cang Water Sect mainly cultivates Kan Water, yet the highest-grade methods are of the Gui Water and Xu Fire paths. That's very unusual.

But he had no time to dwell on it. He activated the token again, took out the Scripture of Gui Water Overturning Heaven and Renewing the Old, copied it onto a blank Jade Slip, and put it back.

Su Yao did not hurry away. Instead, he first gave it a rough read.

Once one mastered this scripture, one could cultivate the core Divine Ability of the Gui Water path, Heaven and Earth Overturned.

After thinking for a moment without finding any answers, he left the Scripture Repository and headed for the Azure Water Hall ahead.

Before the Azure Water Hall, Liu Yunhe and Li Siyi had somehow brought over a tea table and several chairs.

From a distance came the sounds of the two people and two birds laughing and playing together.

Hearing them, the corners of Su Yao's mouth lifted slightly.

After observing the two of them for some time, Su Yao had come to understand them a little.

Though Liu Yunhe was somewhat self-interested, he only showed that side to Su Yao. Even toward people other than Su Yao, Liu Yunhe was warmhearted.

He could be called a good person, but good people had a hard time in any age.

No wonder he had been chosen to serve under Su Yao despite his considerable talent and his position as the eldest son. In the end, someone like him was unsuited to lead a Lineage.

As for Li Siyi, although she had more on her mind, she devoted all her thoughts to cultivation. Such a person was easy to control, but also prone to betrayal.

But if Su Yao reached the Purple Mansion in the future, he would have nothing to fear. The two families had naturally spoken with them before sending them over. In the future, they would naturally serve under Su Yao as Dharma-protecting Divine Generals or the like in his celestial ranks.

When one prospered, all prospered; when one suffered, all suffered.

If Su Yao could attain the Golden Core Dao, the two of them could also obtain immortal posts and join the celestial ranks.

If Su Yao died, they would naturally suffer with him.

He was also glad that the Four Celestial Masters and the Four Immortals of the Eight Sceneries were all still in their posts, lending their blessings to this arrangement.

Otherwise, let alone someone of the Purple Mansion, even a True Lord would not dare recruit Dharma-protecting Divine Generals and the like in this way.

After all, Dharma-protecting Divine Generals ultimately had to borrow the power of the one in the principal position.

The more people there were, the greater the drain on him.

The Daoist system of Dharma-protecting Divine Generals was founded on the Four Celestial Masters and the Four Immortals of the Eight Sceneries holding their posts.

The Jade Pure One viewed heaven and earth through the Three Powers and Five Virtues, so naturally his standard complement had to include three Dharma Protectors, five Divine Generals, two Golden Youths, and two Jade Maidens.

Presumably, Daozheng had already chosen candidates for the five Divine Generals and the Golden Youths and Jade Maidens, but Su Yao would have to find the three Dharma Protectors himself, along with the envoys he would need in the future.

Thinking of this, Su Yao truly felt that Qixia Mountain's accumulated resources were not enough. There were too many people to support.

But as the orthodox lineage of the Mysterious Gate and a direct branch of the Jade Pure One, how could Qixia Temple go without the things the Daoist tradition required?

It was only because Qixia Temple currently had no proper Purple Mansion successor that there were so many disciples on the mountain. Otherwise, there would certainly not have been so many.

After all, the expense was too great.

When the time came, it would take more than a few Dharma Protectors and Divine Generals; he would also need a ritual altar. Daoist ritual altars were mostly inherited from one's predecessors. But before Su Yao, all the Purple Mansion cultivators of Qixia Temple had fallen.

There was no intact ritual altar to inherit, and as for the True Lord's, there was no point even thinking about it.

If the True Lord left in the future, he might not take his Law Treasures, but he would certainly take his ritual altar.

While Su Yao was thinking, he arrived before the Azure Water Hall.

When Liu Yunhe and Li Siyi saw Su Yao arrive, they immediately grew reserved.

Su Yao waved a hand, stopping the two as they were about to pay their respects, and said:

"Have a seat."

The two stood to either side and only sat down after Su Yao had taken the principal seat.

Su Yao took a small cup from his Storage Bag.

He took out three crimson tea leaves, each radiating fiery Qi and carrying the fragrance of pills, and looked at the two of them.

"You should know this tea too. Our cultivation is too low; one leaf per person is already our limit."

Hearing this, the two hurriedly nodded.

Liu Yunhe smiled and said:

"I know this tea. When I was at Qi Refinement, I saw the True Person of my family secretly brew it once. My cultivation was too low then, so the True Person only let me smell it."

He paused.

"This tea grew beside the Alchemy Chamber on Crimson Cloud Peak and absorbed pill Qi year after year. That's how it earned its great reputation."

Su Yao smiled but did not answer. Instead, he sent the tea leaves flying over to them, then focused on brewing his own tea.

Seeing this, the two began brewing their own tea as well.

In the secret realm, there was neither sun nor moon, and the beautiful scenery remained the same forever.

Before the Azure Water Hall, they each drank a cup of crimson tea.

A faint blush appeared on Li Siyi's lovely face. Looking at her refilled teacup, she laughed softly and said:

"Earth fire for its roots, pills for its soul, on Crimson Cloud Peak its true form takes shape.

A cup of crimson brew before the furnace, the heart's fire tamed, the medicine at peace."

After a pause, she added:

"As expected of a spirit tea grown beside the Alchemy Chamber on Crimson Cloud Peak, nourished by spirit fire and pill Qi."

Su Yao neither agreed nor disagreed. Smiling, he said:

"If there's a chance, I'll let you taste Purple Clouds Facing the Origin and Mysterious Clouds Forgetting Schemes. Those are the finest teas on Qixia Mountain after the Cloud-Heaven Rosy Drink planted by the grandmaster."

Liu Yunhe joined in with a smile:

"When I was young, I read an account of the superior sect's mountain teas in my family's records: Purple Clouds Facing the Origin fortifies the true foundation; Mysterious Clouds Forgetting Schemes cleanses the Dao heart. One is a golden brew that reaches the heavenly palace; the other, an ink-dark drink that enters the Mysterious Gate."

Su Yao nodded.

"The former was bestowed by the Dao Ancestor when the grandmaster established his Dao lineage. The latter was bestowed by the Eight Sceneries Palace in recognition of merit. Neither is an ordinary treasure."

He paused and looked ahead.

"This is your first time tasting this tea. It has many wondrous effects, so take your time to comprehend them."

The two acknowledged his words.