Chapter 50: Rewards Without End

Danchenzi was so overjoyed at this moment that he couldn't close his mouth.

His Divine Sense swept over the floating Spirit Medicines and treasures, and after opening and inspecting several of the Spirit Boxes and Jade Bottles, his expression became even more delighted.

He raised his hand to summon several of them before him to examine them carefully one by one.

After excitedly exchanging a few words with the two Elders, he closed all these precious items, sorted them into categories, placed them back into four Storage Bags, tossed them to the three Elders, and said:

"There are too many treasures to spend time and energy inspecting them one by one right now. Leave them to the Third Elder to inventory and register; they shall henceforth be considered sect property for all to share."

A group of Disciples cheered instantly and bowed in unison: "Many thanks, Great Elder!"

Danchenzi smiled and waved his hand, saying: "This is not my merit; you all should thank your three fellow disciples."

Consequently, the group of Disciples bowed and thanked Xu Chen and the other two.

Even the Second Elder and Third Elder cupped their hands with smiles on their faces.

Although they were Masters and elders, if a junior disciple could bring an Immortal Dao opportunity right to their doorstep, they had to show gratitude, because one never knew when a disciple might suddenly soar to success, their cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, eventually climbing right over their Master's head.

Such things were common in the Immortal Sect.

After the commotion, Danchenzi looked at Xu Chen and the other two again and said: "These treasures were all exchanged for your lives; naturally, your rewards will be substantial. If there are any that you currently find useful, you may go to the Third Elder later to claim them. However, if they are not urgently needed, it is best to leave them in the sect for everyone to distribute."

"We obey, Master!" Xu Chen and the other two cupped their hands in unison to accept the order.

"Hmm, your trip down the mountain was very arduous, and it truly wasn't easy to return. Furthermore, your Meridians and dantian have all suffered damage and require careful recuperation. Xuan'er, your physical injuries are severe, which may have a significant impact on your future cultivation. However, once I successfully reach Spirit Transformation, I will personally take action to carefully repair your damage."

Zhao Xuan wept with joy, prostrated herself on the ground, and bowed: "This disciple thanks Master!"

Danchenzi raised his hand, and a surge of vital energy lifted Zhao Xuan up as he said: "No need for such formalities; this is my duty as your Master. The Third Elder will make proper arrangements for the Spirit Pills or medicinal herbs you need for your recovery. You need not worry about Yuqing Hall or Longmen Mountain; just go back and rest in peace."

After speaking, Danchenzi stood up, looked at Xu Chen, and said: "Xu Chen, come with me to the quiet room at the back of the mountain. The other disciples may disperse for now. Two junior brothers, keep a close watch on the mountain gate. From today on, the Taiyuan Sect is closed until I emerge from seclusion!"

"We obey the Great Elder's order!"

Everyone bowed in unison.

Xu Chen followed Danchenzi to the secluded quiet room at the back of the mountain, feeling very nervous and apprehensive.

Danchenzi sat down on a meditation cushion and, after signaling for Xu Chen to sit as well, said kindly: "You deserve the primary credit for this trip down the mountain, yet I have some doubts and would like to ask a few more questions."

Xu Chen hurriedly said: "This disciple will certainly answer truthfully."

Danchenzi revealed a satisfied smile and nodded: "You need not be nervous. In seeking the Immortal Dao, aptitude and wealth are both indispensable, but opportunity is also very important. The Blood God Grass you obtained this time is a heaven-sent opportunity for me and the Taiyuan Sect. Therefore, no matter what has happened to you, as long as you are a disciple of my Taiyuan Sect, the sect will surely protect you. If there is anything you want, I will certainly do my best to satisfy you."

Xu Chen hurriedly knelt and kowtowed, his eyes reddening as he said: "This disciple was an orphan, and being taken into the sect by Master to cultivate is already a tremendous grace. What this disciple did was merely by chance; I dare not have any extravagant demands. I only hope that the Taiyuan Sect can flourish and that the three Elders and my fellow brothers and sisters can all achieve success in their cultivation."

Danchenzi was even more satisfied with this answer and laughed: "Very good. Although your aptitude is not high, this temperament is rare. Perhaps you will reach unexpected heights in the future. What I want to ask today is about what you experienced in Black Wind Ridge. This matter may concern the future development of our sect, so please describe it in detail so that I may make some decisions. You may rise to speak."

"Yes!" Xu Chen scrambled up and sat down again, then recounted the events in the Black Wind Rift, mixing truth with falsehood just as he had told Jiu Shixiong and the others, and even took out a Soul Bead for the Great Elder to observe.

As for the matter of the Blue Jade Bead, he would not speak of it now, no matter what.

After all, this strange encounter was too inconceivable.

Furthermore, to explain the Blue Jade Bead, he would also have to explain that lump of Spirit Beast Feces of unknown origin; once spoken, it would be even harder to explain.

The Black Wind Rift was an Evil Land, and it contained such strange things as Soul Beasts and Soul Beads. As long as he didn't let anything slip and attributed everything to the changes in the Black Wind Rift, even Danchenzi would be unable to distinguish the truth from the lies.

After all, no one could verify the truth of such things.

After listening to Xu Chen's account, Danchenzi lowered his eyes and pondered for a long time before saying: "This matter is too inconceivable, yet it is also within reason. I have also entered that Black Wind Rift several times; it is indeed extremely strange. According to the hint from the Ziyang Sect female cultivator Lin Qiuya, it seems it really connects to an unknown world. Therefore, to understand the changes in you, I can only wait until I reach Spirit Transformation before going down to investigate; perhaps then there will be an answer. Very well, let us leave it at that for now. You are not lightly injured; I have here a Taihe Clearing Spirit Pill, which can slightly improve your aptitude, and a bottle of Recovery Jade Pill, which can repair damaged Meridians. Take them, consume them, and rest well. Also, cultivate diligently in your daily life. Once you reach the perfection of the Kaiyuan Realm, I will find a way for you to undergo Foundation Establishment. As for how far you can go in the future, that will still depend on yourself."

After Danchenzi finished speaking, he flicked his hand lightly, and two Jade Bottles floated before Xu Chen.

Xu Chen was overjoyed, hurriedly put them away, and bowed in thanks.

"Hmm, you may go. I am beginning my seclusion from today; it will be at least one month, at most two, not too long. Everything will be discussed after I emerge."

"Yes, this disciple takes his leave, and I wish Great Elder success in Spirit Transformation in advance!"

Xu Chen stood up, bowed, and exited the secluded quiet room carved out of rock, then climbed the steep stone stairs step by step to the top of the mountain, returning to the front of Taiyuan Hall.

At this time, a group of fellow disciples was still gathered on the dilapidated square in front of the hall, chatting enthusiastically around Jiu Shixiong and Zhao Xuan, naturally asking for more details about what the three of them had experienced after going down the mountain.

Seeing Xu Chen return, a large group immediately swarmed over, surrounded him, hugged him, punched his chest, and kicked his backside, expressing their rough brotherly and sisterly affection in a way they all enjoyed.

After Xu Chen's hair and clothes were ruined by the roughhousing, he heard the Divine Sense Transmission from his Master, the Second Elder, summoning him, so he hurried off to pay his respects.

Xu Chen did not know the Second Elder's secular name, but he knew his Daoist name was Xuanhe. Although his cultivation at the perfection of the Zhenyuan Realm was far inferior to a Golden Core cultivator, he was still considered a top-tier expert in the Zhenyuan Realm and had some fame in the Great Song territory; the Immortal Sect cultivators honored him as True Person Xuanhe.

In reality, for a cultivator, reaching the cultivation level of True Person Xuanhe was already a tremendous achievement.

But it was like sailing against the current: if you do not advance, you retreat. If one lingered at the perfection stage and could not break through, one would slowly regress with age. Once the best opportunity for a Golden Core breakthrough was missed, there would be no hope of advancing further in this life.

For any realm, the earlier one breaks through, the better.

Although True Person Xuanhe looked to be only fifty years old, he was actually over a hundred, more than ten years older than the Third Elder. If he could not break through within ten years, there would be no possibility of any further advancement in his cultivation.

However, among the pile of Spirit Medicine that Xu Chen and the others brought back this time, there were several ingredients for refining the Descending Dust Pill.

These medicinal herbs, which the Taiyuan Sect could not obtain, were held in varying amounts by the Zhenyuan Realm powerhouses of truly large sects like Yuqing Hall, Longmen Mountain, and the Ming Kingdom's Ziyang Sect. With the three gathered together, plus the stock collected by the sect and True Person Xuanhe himself, they were basically almost complete.

Therefore, seeing Xu Chen enter, True Person Xuanhe welcomed him with a rare smile.

"Disciple Xu Chen pays respects to Master!"

Xu Chen knelt and kowtowed as soon as he entered the door.

"Haha, disciple, no need for formalities!" True Person Xuanhe smiled, flicked his horsetail whisk, and a gentle aura lifted him up.

"Thank you, Master!" Xu Chen stood up briskly and sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.

True Person Xuanhe cast a Divine Sense over Xu Chen, and after carefully examining him inside and out, his expression relaxed significantly as he said: "I have only been back for two days. You must have gained many insights from this trip down the mountain, so I will not ask you too much. But you must remember one thing: do not contend, do not be greedy, guard your true nature, and never abandon righteousness for profit or be arrogant because of your abilities, otherwise, it will lead to endless disaster!"

"Thank you for your teachings, Master; this disciple will surely keep them in mind!" Xu Chen bowed respectfully.

"Very well, that is the only lesson for now; you will understand it slowly in the future."

True Person Xuanhe nodded with a smile, and at the same time, he flicked his horsetail whisk, and a bottle of Spirit Pills flew before Xu Chen, saying: "This is a bottle of Huaqing Pill, which has the effect of smoothing and stabilizing the Meridians and dantian. The Great Elder must have given you some Spirit Pills as well; take these and recuperate well. I am also preparing to begin seclusion to break through to the Danyuan Realm. Take good care of yourself. When I emerge from seclusion, I will teach you some cultivation techniques and Magic Spells to improve your cultivation as quickly as possible."

"Thank you, Master!" Xu Chen put away the Spirit Pills, his mouth unable to close from joy.

He had been a low-ranking disciple of the Taiyuan Sect, always disliked, cultivating alone for several years, and also having to pick up feces and take care of the Medicine Garden. He had many doubts during his cultivation and could only seek out fellow disciples to ask, and naturally, the answers were all messy. But at least it was passed down through the same lineage, so there were no major mistakes. After stumbling through these few years, his cultivation results were naturally mediocre and unsatisfactory, barely touching the threshold of the mid-Kaiyuan Realm.

Although this trip down the mountain was only a short month, the things he experienced, the successive great battles, and the appearance of the Blue Jade Bead had given his cultivation a hint of rapid advancement. As long as he repaired his Meridians and dantian, and with the assistance of these rare Spirit Pills, he believed his cultivation would soon have a qualitative leap.

True Person Xuanhe said: "The Medicine Garden has been destroyed; you may stay in my cave dwelling to recuperate. If you have anything, discuss it with your fellow brothers and sisters."

Xu Chen thought for a moment and said, "This Disciple has adopted a Spirit Fox, and fearing it might disturb Master's secluded cultivation, I will therefore stay temporarily at the Medicine Garden."

Xuanhe Zhenren let his Divine Sense rest for a moment on the little white fox hidden in Xu Chen's embrace, then smiled and nodded, saying, "Very well, you are no longer a child, make your own arrangements, but remember strictly not to go down the mountain recently."

"This Disciple obeys your command!"

"Mm, you may go now!"