Chapter 312: Meeting Zhenyuanzi, Brewing Tea as if Seeing the Dao

Along the way, Fang Longye discovered that this million-li radius of Wanshou Mountain was exceptionally prosperous compared to other places, with many settlements of the Human Race.

Everywhere his eyes fell, the people lived in peace and worked with joy, with constant sounds of laughter.

Compared to other regions in Xiniu Hezhou that were in the depths of misery and suffering, this was simply a paradise on earth.

Of course, there was another major difference.

That is, in this territory, there was not a single Buddhist believer, nor did they worship the Three Pure Ones or believe in gods; every household only worshipped the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, with extraordinary piety.

On the cloud, Yang Chan saw his gaze shining brightly, occasionally sizing up the inhabited areas below, clearly very interested.

She couldn't help but smile and explain: "Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi is the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, and the disciples and grand-disciples under his seat are not few in number."

"Within the radius of his Daoist temple, any demon cultivators, demon-path cultivators, or evil cultivators who dare to commit evil, as soon as they show their heads to do wrong, will soon be sent to the underworld."

"It can be said that this is a rare pure land in Xiniu Hezhou, without any evil energy. Naturally, it is very different from other places."

Hearing this, Fang Longye nodded repeatedly; he could naturally understand this point.

For a Great Divine Ability holder who establishes a sect and acts as an ancestor like Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi, carving out a portion of territory to be the sole master in his own domain is naturally a matter of course.

Do you not see, in Nanzhan Buzhou, Yang Jian's Guanjiangkou alone has enclosed an unknown number of millions of li of territory.

However, he did not just nod in agreement.

He knew that at this moment, the big shot must already be paying attention to their side, so he naturally followed Yang Chan's words, offering high praise and flattering him from afar.

"One can only say that he, the elder, is worthy of being the highly respected Ancestor of Earth Immortals; that group of hypocritical bald donkeys in the west simply cannot compare to him."

"Look at the state of other places in Xiniu Hezhou; even Beiju Luzhou is not as bad as this."

"What is laughable is that such a chaotic situation is actually deliberately indulged by that bunch of bald donkeys~"

"To be honest,"

"Living on the same continent as that bunch of bald donkeys is simply an insult to Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi!"

Fang Longye's display of heartbreak and indignation was performed vividly and realistically.

It made Yang Chan roll her eyes.

What kind of person he was, Yang Chan, who was about to marry him, was not unaware.

Is he here to show compassion for the world?

If you don't know how to flatter, then don't. It was so stiff that it almost made her die of embarrassment~ "Alright! Let's hurry over-" Yang Chan really couldn't help it, opening her mouth to interrupt his performance, reminding him: "Don't keep the Great Immortal waiting too long~"

Fang Longye thought, that is true.

Right now is not the time to be leisurely; the big shot might be getting impatient.

He immediately stopped looking around and headed straight for Wanshou Mountain.

……

Even to show respect, neither Fang Longye nor Yang Chan used escape techniques, only riding the clouds and mist.

But a mere million-li journey would not take too long. Soon, the two arrived before the towering and spiritual mountain.

They saw the immortal mountain before them, high and steep, with a magnificent aura, its roots connected to Kunlun, its peak brushing the heavens.

On the mountainside, countless auspicious clouds steamed and rose, with colorful mists drifting; one could faintly see cranes spreading their wings and hear the distant cries of spirit deer...

From the mountainside up, flying eaves and bracket sets appeared and disappeared in the clouds and mist, revealing a magnificent complex of Daoist temples and palaces, like a palace in the heavens.

This was the famous location in Honghuang, Wanshou Mountain's Wuzhuang Guan.

Because Zhenyuanzi, as the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, needed to open his mountain gates wide to recruit qualified disciples, the Daoist temple did not have its Array Restriction activated.

Anyone could see the magnificent and gorgeous scenes in the mountain.

Furthermore,

With Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi here, what petty villain would be so blind as to run to Wanshou Mountain to act foolishly? The two lowered their clouds, tidied their appearance, and then walked step by step into Wanshou Mountain.

After spending some time, they walked to the outside of the Daoist temple on the mountainside.

They saw a stele on the left side of the temple gate, with ten large seal-script characters on it, which were "Wanshou Mountain Blessed Land, Wuzhuang Guan Grotto-Heaven".

Before the two could even stand steady.

A Daoist boy with a beautiful face, hair in a bun, wearing a green Daoist robe, and having a refined bone structure, walked out leisurely from the mountain gate.

"Greetings to the Three Holy Mothers and this Dragon Lord~" After the boy came out, he bowed and smiled: "My master was supposed to ascend the altar to preach the Dao today, but before he had spoken two sentences, he dismissed everyone, saying that distinguished guests were arriving."

"The master also sent me to guard the mountain gate to welcome the distinguished guests. I didn't expect that after waiting for a full few hours, I would finally see the two distinguished guests~"

Hearing this, Fang Longye couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and he casually took out a Spirit Treasure and handed it to the boy.

"Thank you for your trouble!"

Facing Fang Longye's attentive gift, the boy, who didn't know if he was Qingfeng or Mingyue, hurriedly waved his hand to decline.

In the end, it was only after some teasing from Yang Chan that he accepted it.

And under Yang Chan's teasing, Fang Longye also knew which boy this was who had come out to welcome them~

He had indeed guessed correctly; it was one of Qingfeng and Mingyue from the original story—the boy Mingyue.

Following the boy Mingyue into Wuzhuang Guan, everything they saw along the way included towers and pavilions, with auspicious smoke curling between them, colorful clouds, fragrant dust covering the ground, and bright colors filling the air.

The abundance of spiritual energy actually made Fang Longye feel a sense of choking for a moment. His whole body felt intoxicated, just like the feeling of oxygen intoxication in his previous life.

It was truly a top-tier Cave Heaven Blessed Land rarely seen in the world.

Walking and looking at the flowers, the boy Mingyue did not lead them to the main hall of Wuzhuang Guan, but passed through corridors and paths, heading straight to the back.

In the end, the three arrived at a garden.

Red flowers fluttered, pomegranate trees nested in brocade; green grass clung, embroidered mounds of grass. Green and soft, jade-sand orchids; drifting and swaying, facing the stream water.

Red laurels reflected the golden well and phoenix trees, brocade locust trees leaned against vermilion railings and jade steps. There were thousand-petaled peaches, red or white, and nine-autumn chrysanthemums, fragrant or yellow.

It was truly an indescribable beautiful scene clustered together, giving one a joyful mood.

Stepping into the depths of the garden,

It was full of auspicious light gathering and colorful rays lingering.

Lifting his eyes, he saw, not far away, a treasure pond with shimmering waves, reflecting flower shadows within, clustered in groups.

A Daoist was sitting upright in a pavilion beside the treasure pond; before him was a treasure table, on which sat a Green Tripod, and within the tripod was smoke, with an ancient bronze flower vase placed on the left side.

The whole person had the bearing of an immortal, and he was currently arranging flowers.

Just look at this Daoist: wearing a Purple Gold Crown on his head, and a Carefree Crane Cloak. His body was like a child's, his face like a beauty's. Three whiskers drifted beneath his chin, and raven-black hair was layered by his temples.

If he is not the Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi, then who is he?

"Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Zhenyuanzi—"

Fang Longye murmured in the bottom of his heart.

"Master, the two honored guests have arrived—"

Mingyue came to the front of the pavilion on tiptoe, bowed in salute, and said softly.

"Mm—well done!"

Zhenyuanzi was arranging flowers; hearing this, he did not raise his head, but merely nodded and said casually, "Go on down!"

Mingyue naturally responded and slowly retreated.

Zhenyuanzi inserted a branch covered in dense, fine plum blossom jade pistils into the ancient bronze jade vase.

A sky-blue cloud color suddenly unfolded.

It was fluffy and filled with a fragrant aroma.

In an instant, the surroundings became clear, as if all worries had been swept away.

"Sit!"

Finishing the flower arrangement, he raised his eyes to look at the two, his voice like wind blowing through bamboo leaves, free and easy, yet possessing a gentleness that gave one a sense of closeness.

Fang Longye had long since considered this in his heart and felt no panic or nervousness. Thus, he smiled and said, "Greetings, Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi! Since the elder has commanded, this junior naturally dares not refuse, and I ask the Great Immortal to forgive this junior's lack of manners—"

Having said this, his cloud sleeves swayed, he paced forward, and accompanied Yang Chan to stand before Zhenyuanzi.

Just like a polite yet neither humble nor pushy junior, he sat down calmly opposite Zhenyuanzi.

……

"Little friend has made quite some progress; you have actually already achieved the status of a Taiyi Loose Immortal, and even reversed the innate, becoming an innate living being—not bad, not bad!"

Zhenyuanzi stroked his beard and praised.

With the foundation of his relationship with Hongyun, as someone who was half an elder to Fang Longye, he did not hide that he was constantly paying attention to his situation. As he spoke, there was no sense of unfamiliarity, entirely like an elder in the family treating his own junior.

Fang Longye was naturally humble, while at the same time observing this Ancestor of Earth Immortals opposite him at close range.

The person before him was indeed worthy of the title of Ancestor of Earth Immortals. The whole person was as deep as the Abyssal Sea, with time flowing over him, leaving no trace.

The demeanor of a Great Divine Ability was revealed without doubt.

It was impossible to tell whether this was his true body or an incarnation; not a fraction could be discerned.

"The Ancestor of Earth Immortals—"

Fang Longye's thoughts turned, and looking more closely, he could discover that this person before him was permeated with a rich purple-green color, only a fraction less than a Hunyuan Saint.

This was not a manifestation of Dharma, but the reward of Heaven and Earth, achieved through merit.

The Earth Immortal Dao created by the other party allowed many True Immortals who were unable to walk the 'Heavenly Immortal Path' to find a way out, which was naturally an immeasurable merit.

Do not look at how this person usually stays hidden in Wuzhuang Guan, never showing his face.

In reality, with the flourishing of the 'Earth Immortal Dao', his lineage had long since become great in the world, by no means inferior to the Dao and Brahma paths, and even transcendent.

The current Fang Longye was no longer a novice; seeing Zhenyuanzi, he suddenly understood the weight of this Ancestor of Earth Immortals.

The person before him lacked nothing in merit, fortune, or foundation... he was only missing that final step.

As soon as he attains the Hunyuan, he would immediately become a major power no weaker than the Dao or Brahma, participating in the struggles of Heaven and Earth.

Do not think that because Zhenyuanzi is indifferent and tranquil, he is not interested in struggling for the Honghuang—what a joke? In the Honghuang, there is no one who has cultivated to within a step of the Hunyuan who does not struggle.

Not struggling is because many things, to such people, are no longer worth looking at. But that does not mean they are truly indifferent to everything.

Otherwise, why would Zhenyuanzi painstakingly cultivate and manage an 'Earth Immortal Dao' lineage? Laozi said it well, "It is precisely because he does not struggle that no one in the world can struggle with him."

Not struggling is struggling, and struggling is not struggling.

……

After some casual conversation, Zhenyuanzi smilingly took out a tree branch, on which were still growing dozens of leaves. Nourished by his Dharma power, they showed no signs of withering.

He pointed to the branch in his hand and introduced it to Fang Longye and Yang Chan:

"This is a rare species in the Honghuang that I have grafted in recent years by cutting from the Big Red Robe of Wuyi Mountain and several types of Spiritual Roots; it can also be considered a top-grade spiritual tea."

"Today, I shall taste it with the two little fellow Daoists."

Fang Longye smiled and flattered, "How could we juniors have the virtue or ability to receive the Great Immortal's personal roasting and brewing of spiritual tea—"

Yang Chan also chimed in coquettishly, "The Great Immortal's elegant interest is our great honor—"

Hearing this, Zhenyuanzi smiled without a word, merely waving his hand to make three jade cups appear before the three of them.

"There is another mystery in the roasting and brewing of this tea. The two little fellow Daoists, watch closely—"

Having said this, he plucked several leaves from the branch and put them into the cups, then drew the surrounding spiritual energy to turn into liquid, pouring it into the cups.

A small cluster of flames ignited from the bottom of the three cups, and one could see the tea leaves in the cups floating and sinking. In just a few breaths, they turned a jade-green color, reflecting into the cups.

Green and lush, azure and glossy, sharing the color of the jade cups, emitting bursts of clear, fragrant air, just like Clear Qi rising and Turbid Qi sinking, manifesting many mysteries.

Merely by roasting and brewing a cup of spiritual tea, Zhenyuanzi used the cup as the earth and the Qi as the heaven, manifesting various Daos before Fang Longye and Yang Chan.

Allowing the two to savor it carefully.

This craftsmanship was close to the Dao, causing the minds of the two to involuntarily sink into it.

Unknowingly, they began to carefully comprehend the Dao realm within.

A short while later,

The water in the cups began to boil, and the several tea leaves flipped up and down. Zhenyuanzi extinguished the flames, waved his hand to lift the two jade cups, and placed them before Fang Longye and Yang Chan.

"Two young friends, please, do have a taste!"

It was as if a jade chime had rung, waking the two of them from their dazed state.

"Good tea, good tea. Even before it touches the lips, it leaves one with an endless aftertaste."

Yang Chan sniffed the tea's fragrance lightly and couldn't help but praise: "The Great Immortal even uses this to manifest various Dharma, which has truly broadened our horizons."

Fang Longye also expressed his own amazement, exclaiming repeatedly: "To have skill approaching the Great Dao—it is nothing less than this!"

Zhenyuanzi smiled and said nothing. He merely reached out a hand to signal for the two to taste it.

Fang Longye and his companion naturally lifted the jade cups before them and began to sip slowly.

Each savored the Dao Rhyme within.

After swallowing the clear tea, Fang Longye felt every pore on his body open wide; his entire being felt as if it were floating upward with the Clear Qi into the clouds, and then sinking downward with the Turbid Qi into the depths of the earth.

The Dao Rhyme and artistic conception within were surprisingly similar to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, making one unconsciously want to immerse oneself in it.

In this process, his comprehension of various laws and principles soared, as if he were riding a rocket. A feeling of sheer, unadulterated delight~

Gradually, this sensation of floating up and sinking down began to fade as the tea's fragrance vanished from his body. That feeling of facing the Great Dao directly also slowly disappeared.

Having finished the cup of tea, Fang Longye opened his eyes; they were shining brightly, brilliant and profound, with the shadows of laws occasionally flickering within them.

"Many thanks to the Senior for your generous gift!"

After savoring the experience, he hurriedly stood up and bowed to Zhenyuanzi in thanks—the benefits brought by this cup of tea were no less than several Yuanhui of bitter cultivation.

His cultivation, having just entered the Taiyi Loose Immortal realm, had suddenly increased by a significant margin.

Although there was still some distance to go before reaching the perfection of this realm, it no longer felt as distant and endless as it had when he first became a Taiyi Loose Immortal.

Zhenyuanzi did not mind, waving his hand and saying: "It is just a cup of tea, what does it amount to~"

"By the way, what brings you two, a virtuous couple, to Wanshou Mountain?" After the tea, Zhenyuanzi finally moved to the main topic and asked about their purpose.

Yang Chan, who was at the side, was a Taiyi Golden Immortal and naturally had sobered up earlier than Fang Longye.

Hearing Zhenyuanzi's address for the two of them, she couldn't help but blush, feeling secretly delighted in her heart.

Upon hearing this, Fang Longye felt his heart jump, and he busily organized his words in his mind.

Nothing else~

He couldn't just say straight out that he was craving the Ginseng Fruit of the old man, could he? Even if it were the truth.

Otherwise, what other reason could there be? But he couldn't just speak so bluntly either~ After organizing his words, Fang Longye said: "My companion and I, Miaojun, were originally traveling through Xiniu Hezhou to relax, but since we were passing by Wanshou Mountain, we couldn't very well not come to pay our respects to you, our elder~"

"Furthermore, it has been quite some time since I last saw Senior Hongyun. I heard him say in the past that he was here with you, which is why we presumptuously came to pay a visit~"

It sounded high-minded enough, but what kind of person was Zhenyuanzi? How could he not see through his true intentions~ He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He pointed at Fang Longye and scolded with a smile: "You little rascal, if you crave my fruit, just say so. Why drag that old fellow Hongyun into it?"

Seeing that Zhenyuanzi had exposed his little scheme, Fang Longye was not flustered; instead, he chuckled and, taking advantage of the situation, said: "Many thanks to the Senior for your generous gift!"

The implication was clear.

Since he said "just say so," that meant the Ginseng Fruit was promised, and he couldn't go back on his word.

Zhenyuanzi scolded with a smile: "Little rascal!"

"Rest assured~"

"Although I don't have many Ginseng Fruits on hand, I do have twenty or thirty; you won't be short of your fruit~"

(End of chapter)