Chapter 371: The Gamble of Cultivation Days

"Truly immortal elixirs and fruits?"

After the clouds in the sky dispersed and the divine generals and soldiers departed, someone could no longer contain themselves, widening their eyes to stare at the immortal elixirs and fruits on the table.

"The gods wouldn't resort to such tricks," said Master Jiang, then paused, "at least not yet."

"So they're real?"

The crowd exchanged glances, all deeply delighted.

Having already shattered the demon king's soul beyond recovery was cause enough for joy; to force a god to bow before mortal flesh was a feat of grand courage, equally worthy of celebration—and now, to gain such rare immortal elixirs on top of it all was joy piled upon joy.

"Lin Lingqing Zhenren contributed the most! He deserves one of the immortal fruits!"

"Naturally!"

"As for the other one, in my view, half should go to the Daoist of Zhenjian Palace and half to Nan Tian Shi!"

"I decline—I leave mine to Nan Tian Shi," said Master Jiang, fully aware that the evil divine general and the Holy Protector Husheng Husheng Zhenjun had never intended to give her any.

"Master Jiang has such generosity!"

"What about these immortal elixirs?"

"Let Lin Lingqing Zhenren, Luo Gong, or Nan Tian Shi divide them according to contribution and severity of wounds—how does that sound?"

"I agree!"

"Perfect!"

"Now we can return to the capital and report our success!"

"My heart is at ease!"

"That demon must have amassed a great deal of gold and silver—find it all!"

The crowd chattered endlessly, one after another.

Yet Lin Jue's expression remained calm.

Luo Gong and Nan Tian Shi, both renowned for their fairness, counted the elixirs in the gourd and distributed them according to approximate contributions and wound severity.

The Immortal Yuanqiu fruit went to Nan Tian Shi and Lin Jue—one each.

With the elixirs in hand, the crowd grew even more elated and surged into the Leopard King's lair to search for gold and treasures.

The leopard's cave was truly labyrinthine, filled with countless caverns and stone chambers.

Previously, Leopard Spring water had been channeled inside to counter the heavenly fire general, but Master Pan had already diverted the flow.

This demon king had dwelled here for a long time, amassing untold gold and silver—though most had long since been removed, even finding a fraction would be enough to delight countless martial artists.

Thus, from outside the cave, Lin Jue occasionally heard excited shouts echoing from within.

He stood beside the spring's source, lost in thought.

The spring bubbled steadily, emitting not only bubbles but also a misty vapor—hard to distinguish whether it was steam or spiritual aura—yet brimming with spiritual energy, faintly radiating mystery.

"This spring is called Leopard Spring. Legend says it gathers spiritual essence from the north. A thousand years ago, before the underworld existed, it was said that souls unwilling to rest would journey north—perhaps this is connected. Either way, the spring's water does possess the power to nurture souls."

Seeing Lin Jue standing there, gazing at the spring in reverie, Master Pan naturally assumed he was studying and contemplating this spiritual spring.

As "Lin Lingqing Zhenren," it was only natural he'd have no interest in the cave's gold and treasures; if anything could capture his attention, it would be this ancient spiritual spring.

And as a former water deity, Master Pan naturally understood it well.

"The Leopard King must have been drawn to the spring's spiritual essence, recognizing this place as a blessed land, which is why he claimed it as his lair."

"Hmm…"

Lin Jue nodded, his expression unchanged.

From another direction came a voice: "You suspect the leopard demon didn't die? That those two divine generals and true lords deceived us?"

Lin Jue turned to see Luo Gong.

Luo Gong had not entered the cave; he was polishing his spear outside.

Lin Jue paused briefly, then shook his head:

"The Husheng Husheng Zhenjun said it died—it died. Luo Gong, don't speak of such things."

"If distant worries demand near-term consideration, one must still not be bound by them—that's a lesson I learned from military texts as a child; how could I not understand?" Luo Gong replied calmly. "It's the Daoist who ought to think more clearly—don't let yourself be ensnared."

"True…"

Lin Jue nodded, yet his mind still churned.

At that moment, a white shadow flashed before his eyes.

A fox, no larger than a cat, leaped over—it had just rushed excitedly into the cave to hunt for treasure, and now rushed out again to tell Lin Jue:

"A hidden cave! Lots of treasures!"

"Hmm…"

"Come see!!"

The fox lifted its head, eyes gleaming.

"Alright…"

Lin Jue agreed.

The fox leapt slightly, then plunged downward, its entire body vanishing into the earth.

The Daoist's figure sank into the ground as well.

Not long after, a man and a fox appeared inside a completely sealed, doorless cavern.

The fox emitted fire for light; the Daoist summoned fireflies like lanterns.

The glow illuminated the cavern's contents.

Inside were indeed countless rare treasures, mostly spiritual artifacts unseen in the mortal world—no need even to look; merely sensing the mingled spiritual essences and smelling the fragrances of the spiritual plants revealed how precious and abundant these treasures were.

They were likely painstakingly gathered by the demon king.

That it had hidden them here clearly set them apart from the gold and silver outside.

Besides the treasures were scriptures.

Lin Jue went over and flipped through them.

Though most bore no titles, his cultivation allowed him to grasp their essence after reading only the first few pages.

"Severed yet renewed…"

"Cicada sheds its shell…"

Lin Jue was startled, yet deeper ripples stirred within him.

Beside him, the fox watched him eagerly:

"Treasures?"

"Treasures."

"Take them all! Put them in a sack!!"

Lin Jue raised his hand, gazing at the Immortal Yuanqiu fruit in his palm.

The fruit, fist-sized and golden throughout, emitted a heavy, exotic fragrance, its surface thick with spiritual aura, forming a perpetual mist that swirled around it—undoubtedly an immortal fruit.

"Not yet…"

"Hm? Not yet?"

"It won't run away, and no one else can find this place—why rush?" Lin Jue said. "Let's leave first."

"Hm? Leave?"

"Hmm…"

Lin Jue tucked away the immortal fruit, his figure sinking into the ground.

The fox glanced around, reluctant, but followed him.

Because reading the scriptures had taken so long, by the time they emerged, the martial artists had already dragged out countless chests of gold and silver, preparing to divide them.

Someone spotted Lin Jue and immediately called out:

"Lin Lingqing Zhenren is out? Did you find anything? Any items you like? If so, take them first!"

"You've all worked hard—these treasures belong to you. I'll take none," Lin Jue said, then added, "But after taking these treasures, don't forget to fill a flask with water from the Leopard Spring's source before leaving. The spring's water holds great spiritual essence—even if you don't know how to use it, brewing tea with it is still beneficial."

Every single word was heard clearly!

"Thank you, Lin Lingqing Zhenren!"

"If Lin Lingqing Zhenren says so, we must take some!"

"I'll drink a sip first!"

"Lin Lingqing Zhenren truly doesn't want anything? Besides gold and silver, there are jade pieces and delicate necklaces and ornaments here."

"No need…"

Lin Jue still declined politely.

"The true aims and thoughts of a Lingqing Zhenren are surely different from our mortal ways," the martial artist chuckled. "When you return to the capital with us, the people there, hearing of this event, will revere you even more than before."

"I won't be returning with you," Lin Jue said, shaking his head.

"Huh? You've won a great victory, yet won't return to the capital?" The martial artist was surprised.

Not only he—upon hearing this, Luo Gong and Master Jiang turned to look at him; Wan Wan Xinrong and the many martial artists, Daoists, and extraordinary individuals all turned their gazes toward him.

"I have my own matters—I must spend half a day here gathering spiritual spring water, then return to Huizhou's Yishan," Lin Jue said, then turned to Luo Gong and Master Pan. "If my junior sister returns to the capital and asks after me, tell her I've gone to Yishan to cultivate in seclusion—don't look for me."

"Understood."

Luo Gong and Master Pan both nodded in agreement.

The martial artist shook his head in amazement, thinking how different a Lingqing Zhenren was from ordinary mortals.

Though everyone had come here to slay the demon for their own reasons, none had refused fame or profit—now that the demon king was dead, who wouldn't want to return victorious? Yet this Lingqing Zhenren showed no desire at all to return to the capital.

After a few more words, the martial artists, Daoists, and extraordinary individuals—including Wan Wan Xinrong—turned their gazes away, but Luo Gong and Master Jiang continued to glance at Lin Jue from time to time.

After dividing the gold, silver, and treasures, everyone scooped up the spiritual spring water.

This place is not safe to linger in; we should return to the capital quickly to report the good news.

The two sides exchanged farewells, and the group departed first.

Lin Jue remained seated there, contemplating the spiritual spring.

One ingredient in the Golden Core pill is this North Leopard Spring; two dou must be collected, and the Harvesting Method must be used.

But before harvesting, he wished to contemplate the spiritual resonance of this place for several days, drawing it into his body to experience its mysterious wonders—why it could serve as one of the four materials for the Golden Core.

……

Several days later, the mountain was utterly devoid of human traces, not even ordinary birds or beasts appeared.

Yet this was still a cave heaven and blessed land, its spiritual resonance profound; such places could never remain abandoned.

After a few more days, birds and beasts returned.

After a full month, surviving minor demons, ghosts, and mountain spirits, unable to resist the allure of the cave heaven and blessed land, gathered courage and came to absorb the spring's spiritual resonance.

In the second month, demons and spirits grew increasingly numerous.

By the third month, this place had become a paradise for spirits.

These spirits, in their ignorance, often spoke of events from three months prior.

Yet heavenly soldiers still frequently patrolled here.

Whenever this happened, the minor demons would panic and scatter.

One night again, winter winds blew snow, the spiritual spring emitted mist, dark clouds obscured the sun, and dozens of heavenly soldiers descended from the sky, landing in the mountains.

Among the heavenly soldiers, a spectral shadow accompanied them, slipping into the Leopard Spring under cover of night.

The multitude of demons and spirits instantly panicked and fled.

"With no king in the mountains, every spirit and demon is running wild! I have followed the Husheng Husheng Zhenjun since the very beginning of his Dao cultivation—do you truly believe a mere Daoist could kill me?"

The shadow sneered, soaking fully in the spiritual spring under cover of night, nourishing its soul.

The night was dark and windy, not a finger visible before the eyes.

Even though the shadow could see clearly, it failed to notice that beside the spring's source lay an ordinary, unremarkable rock.

Just as the heavenly soldiers had failed to notice it during their multiple patrols.

The shadow emerged from the spring and vanished into the mountains.

No one noticed—the rock also vanished into the night as if it had never been there.

"No one found this place after all…"

Leopard King stood in a hidden cave, inspecting his accumulated rare treasures and several scriptures, about to go out and summon heavenly soldiers to carry them away—when suddenly, a flash of spiritual light appeared before him, and another figure materialized.

It was a young Daoist.

His enemy. His nightmare.

The man raised one hand to release spiritual light, held a long sword in the other, and stared coldly at him, then spoke a single word.

Even in winter, a spring breeze blew.

A shriek pierced the cold night.

……

It was the New Year.

In Cangshi County, Qinzhou, there stood a temple in the city.

Devotees came to offer incense, only to find on the altar before the statue of the Holy Husheng Husheng Zhenjun, placed an golden fruit, emitting a captivating, exotic fragrance.

No one knew what fruit it was, who placed it, or where it came from.

Only one Daoist walked through wind and snow, returning to the capital.

Cultivation is a leisurely path; he had gambled three months, with little cost and great gain.

The greatest gain was the profound peace in his heart now.

(End of Chapter)