Chapter 509

The apricot blossoms fell, replaced by peach blossoms and magnolia.

There were always more peach blossoms blooming and fewer magnolias, but they were all pink.

The spring water of Mount Feng flowed downward with peach blossoms, making a sound like pearls falling on a jade plate when passing over small ridges, which was very pleasant to the ear.

Scattered peach blossoms, some flowing slowly in the small stream, some trapped in whirlpools, constantly spinning, and others sinking to the nearly transparent bottom of the water, embellishing the yellow sand of the stream, while a white fox sat upright on the bank, lowering its head to lick its paws, occasionally turning its head to look at the stream beside it—

In a quiet part of the small stream, a magnolia petal was floating.

Magnolia petals are much larger than peach blossoms, about the size of half a palm, curved and concave, like a boat, floating quietly in the stream.

It looked as if it were truly a boat!

Because on the petal, there was actually a table, three cushions, and three tiny figures sitting on the cushions, eating fruit and drinking tea.

It was none other than the junior sister, Lin Jue, and Daoist Jiang.

There were two kinds of tea on the table: one was the mountain tea Lin Jue stir-fried himself, light and pleasant, with the scent of jasmine; the other was the fruit tea Daoist Jiang cold-brewed, sour and sweet, which could be eaten as a meal.

The junior sister first picked up the hot cup and tasted the former. The fresh jasmine scent mixed with the faint tea aroma made her feel it was quite good.

Then she picked up the cold cup.

Upon touching it, she felt the chill. After taking a small sip, because she had just drunk the hot one, the contrast of drinking the cold one immediately was very obvious, making her teeth feel a bit sour and soft, but the subsequent fruity flavor and sour sweetness made her like it very much. Her eyes even brightened, and she gave a heavy "hmm" to show her approval.

Before she knew it, she had also grown to like this slightly bitter tea, but her heart remained as clear as ever, and she still loved drinking this sour, sweet, and icy coolness.

Perhaps it would be like this for the rest of her life.

If one is firm and strong enough, why change because of the years?

"I went to the capital some time ago and found that this kind of tea has started to appear there too." The junior sister pointed to the cup of jasmine tea that was as light as water.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The senior brother was quite interested.

"Is that so? Isn't it your doing?"

"How so?"

"How so?" The junior sister shook her head and picked up the fruit tea again. "It is said that the Emperor dreamed of an immortal at night, and that immortal invited him to drink tea. But the tea he drank was not the tea commonly seen in the mortal world with many added ingredients, but a tea as light as water, fragrant to drink, not filling, but refreshing. That is how it is spread in the world."

She paused to take a sip of fruit tea and savor the sour sweetness:

"It is said that the Emperor liked it very much after drinking it. Upon asking, he learned that this tea was not boiled or whisked, but steeped. After waking up, he ordered the palace servants to do the same and asked tea artisans to develop tea leaves suitable for steeping. When the civil and military officials saw that the Emperor was like this, they also tried and followed suit. This habit then spread out of the palace and gradually to the capital."

"Why did you go to the capital, fellow Daoist?" Daoist Jiang opposite asked.

"To collect alchemy materials."

The junior sister answered. Glancing sideways, she saw a peach blossom petal in the stream beside them floating slowly toward this magnolia petal, as large as the table in front of them. She took out the long sword beside her and used the scabbard to push the peach blossom petal further away. The magnolia petal they were on also swayed slightly, creating ripples that were almost invisible.

"How are the materials for your Golden Core coming along, Xiao Xiao Shimei?"

Lin Jue also waved his sleeves, blowing a clear breeze to push a fallen leaf that was floating nearby and as large as the magnolia boat they were on further away.

"With the help of several senior brothers, I have collected a few items, but I am still missing a few. Even if I gather the materials for one or two of them first, I am still missing some." The junior sister said, lowering her head to drink the fruit tea again. Her exquisite nature made her want to smack her lips every time she drank, and if only her senior brother were here, she would have really done so. "There are two that are the hardest to gather."

"Which two?"

"Dragon whiskers and phoenix feathers."

The junior sister glanced at Daoist Jiang without avoiding him.

This should not be hidden from a clever deity.

Because when her senior brother refined the elixir, there were first dragon roars and phoenix cries, and then dragons and phoenixes dancing and entwining together. If a deity is well-versed in alchemy, it is easy to guess what was used.

It was just that the specific dosage and refining process were unknown.

Moreover, a Golden Core is useless to a deity, and this Golden Core had already fallen into the mortal world. Plus, the two sides are friends who have known each other for many years, so there is really no need to avoid this little bit.

"After the ancient times, many extraordinary auspicious beasts and birds have almost gone extinct. The nine-tailed fox originally had two branches, the fan-tailed nine-tailed and the grain-ear nine-tailed, but now there is almost only Lady Yao Hua left." Daoist Jiang said, "The traces of dragons and phoenixes are also becoming fewer and fewer. The ones I know of are still in the heavens."

"For example?" Lin Jue asked.

"For example, didn't you go to see the struggle between Master Master Fuchi and three of the four saints under the former Lord Lord Tianweng, fellow Daoist? Isn't there a True Lord who is accompanied by a black dragon? That black dragon also has the cultivation of an immortal. Didn't you think of taking advantage of the chaos to pluck a few dragon whiskers from it at that time, fellow Daoist?" Daoist Jiang said.

"How could there be an opportunity at that time..."

"Not even after the fight?"

"I went to do other things."

Lin Jue smiled slightly and said truthfully.

With the attainment of the Dao and the gradual consolidation of cultivation after becoming a true immortal, and the realization of the Great Dao, the attainments in spells and supernatural powers have also been raised. The ancient books and the silver-eating ghosts that were extremely avoided in the past can actually be slowly handled without being as cautious as before.

If many more years pass, perhaps when fate arrives and the heart grows old, like Third Shixiong Flower, one will have no other spells or supernatural powers to learn, and it will even be time to let the ancient books go find the next person with fate.

"It is said that True Lord You Ling suffered the lightest injuries that day, only having his chest and heart shattered, and even his divine body was not destroyed. However, now that the world has changed to the Purple Emperor, all the Lord Tianweng Halls in the world have been changed to Purple Emperor Halls. Moreover, because the Holy-Protecting True Lord and True Lord You Ling under the former Lord Lord Tianweng had committed many evil deeds, although he and True Lord Husheng Zhenjun Baosheng were relatively upright, they were implicated because they revered the 'non-action' of the former Lord Lord Tianweng."

Daoist Jiang did not ask much, but said:

"According to the laws, they were supposed to slowly decline in incense along with the exit of the former Lord Lord Tianweng. Unexpectedly, starting the year before last, all the temples and shrines in the world removed their statues. If the former Lord Lord Tianweng had not shared his own incense with them, they would be declining even faster now."

This is news that only a deity would know.

"If you want to find them, fellow Daoist, you can go find him. Perhaps you can use some conditions as an exchange to seek some dragon whiskers."

"The old Lord Lord Tianweng has fallen, won't they change their allegiance?" The junior sister asked.

"This kind of thing has happened in the Nine Heavens, but very rarely." Daoist Jiang shook his head. "The True Lords under the former Lord Lord Tianweng are all very loyal and have deep bonds."

"Then the old Lord Lord Tianweng will share incense with them?" The junior sister asked again.

"Naturally he will share. However, as time goes on, the incense of the former Lord Lord Tianweng will also become less and less. Look at them now, he is still standing next to the Purple Emperor, but later he will slowly move further and further away. Just like the ancient emperors, there are almost no temples left with their statues now." Daoist Jiang continued to shake his head, holding his teacup. "By then, the former Lord Lord Tianweng himself won't have enough; if he shares it with them, would they have the face to take it?"

"What about the True Lords under the previous main gods of Lord Tianweng?" Lin Jue asked.

"If they were pure deities, most of them have perished." Daoist Jiang said, his gaze fixed on the rushing stream beside them. "Time is like this flowing water; except for true immortals and sages, no one can exist forever."

"That is true..."

Lin Jue also felt a sense of emotion in his heart, and then asked: "Then what is the character of True Lord You Ling like?"

"Rude, barbaric, irritable, and prone to anger. But at least he has not brought disaster to the mortal world like the Holy-Protecting True Lord and True Lord You Ling."

"I see."

Lin Jue nodded and said to his junior sister: "When I have time, I will go and find these dragon whiskers and phoenix feathers for you and the senior brothers. You should put your minds elsewhere."

"That works too!"

The junior sister nodded decisively.

The few continued to drink tea and chat.

Because the junior sister was looking for Golden Core materials, she often walked at the foot of the mountain and saw many customs of the new dynasty.

The few chatted about this new dynasty.

With the establishment of the new dynasty, there were many changes.

The Emperor attached greater importance to the imperial examinations, promoted schools, strictly investigated official corruption, strengthened performance assessments, encouraged mutual supervision, and relied on elite troops and capable generals to quickly wipe out mountain bandits and evil thugs within the borders, urging people to return to farming. Many corrupt aspects of the previous dynasty were curbed, and those absurd customs were strictly prohibited. If any old officials of the previous dynasty missed the past and privately took Five-Stone Powder with friends to play with concubines, they would all be dismissed from office if reported.

Overall, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

In addition to sweeping away the chronic illnesses and corrupt customs of the previous dynasty, there were many auspicious signs.

Just as recorded in the ancient books—

When harmony and energy resonate, vermilion grass grows, elephants appear in the mountains, divine horses emerge from the marshes, black cinnabar appears in the hills, earth monsters appear in the mounds, large shells appear in the south of the river, and bright pearls appear in the sea. The benevolent ruler is long-lived and prosperous, the people have extended lifespans, and the world is at peace.

The auspicious energy resonated, so much so that red grass grew in the capital, huge elephant-carriage trees grew in the forests of Mount Yu, two stone horses leaped out of the marshes of Leopard Forest, black cinnabar was offered from the plateaus, earth monsters appeared on the hills but did not harm people, large shells appeared in the river, and bright pearls appeared in the sea.

It is said that this is an auspicious sign, symbolizing the longevity and prosperity of the benevolent ruler, the extended lifespan of the people, and peace in the world.

The whole capital is spreading this.

Some people have even turned it into songs to praise it.

The customs of the world have also changed.

Because many northerners have come to the capital, they love to drink a kind of sweet, non-intoxicating morning wine, which is served hot and has also been liked by the people of the capital.

The nobles and powerful officials of the new dynasty mostly come from the north. They love horse riding, archery, sword practice, and wrestling. This hobby has spread from the top down, influencing the ordinary people of the capital and gradually spreading outward from there.

While chatting, the junior sister looked at her senior brother again:

"Recently, it has been rumored in the palace that an immortal child came riding on a thundercloud, was stopped and questioned by the door gods of the palace, and said that he was a disciple of an immortal, and that the immortal fruit planted by the immortal had ripened today, so he specially brought one to gift to the benevolent Emperor."

"That day, the fragrance of the immortal fruit filled the entire palace city. Just smelling it made people drool and feel refreshed. The Emperor took it and slept for three days and three nights. Upon waking, his face was ruddy and glowing, and he looked much younger."

"This has led to another wave of seeking immortals in the deep mountains."

"This is another thing you did, Third Third Shixiong."

As she spoke, she lowered her head and looked at the half plate of immortal fruits on the table, the size of a fist, with an alluring fragrance.

The fox stood on the bank, stretched out its paws to hook the magnolia petals on the edge of the stream and the few people on the petals, and was scolded and stopped by the Daoist priest.

The stream eventually pushed the petals, and they flowed downward.