Chapter 487: Blood Tea

Just as she stepped out of the Divine Wood space, Hua Changxi bumped straight into Gu Xing. She froze for a moment, then her gaze swept over the tightly shut courtyard gate. Realization dawned, followed by an embarrassed smile. "My apologies, Senior. I trust I didn't keep you trapped in this courtyard for too long?"

Gu Xing's expression remained wooden as he replied flatly, "Not long at all. Merely a single year."

As he spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly; he keenly detected the changes in Hua Changxi.

In the past, likely due to practicing fire-attribute techniques, Hua Changxi's entire demeanor had radiated a grim, aggressive intent, like a sword unsheathed.

Now, however, that overwhelming, piercing aura had diminished somewhat, while her brows and eyes held a new sense of harmony and gentleness.

"A year?!"

Hua Changxi exclaimed in surprise. She had barely perceived the passage of time, never expecting a full year to have elapsed.

Yet, upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

Leaping through the Divine Wood's leaf barrier must have consumed considerable time; afterward, comprehending the Dao of 'Life' at the bottom of the Elixir Spring had immersed her consciousness so completely that she lost all sense of time's existence.

Hua Changxi offered Gu Xing an apologetic smile, then strode purposefully toward the courtyard gate. Gripping the doors with both hands, she applied slight force. With a creak, the tightly shut gates swung open.

Outside the Old Courtyard, the several individuals reporting to Gu Xing stared in bewilderment at Hua Changxi as she suddenly opened the gate.

Hua Changxi nodded to them, then turned back to Gu Xing. "Senior Gu, please attend to your duties. I won't disturb you further." With that, she stepped out of the Old Courtyard, preparing to return to Danyuan Peak.

After a few paces, Hua Changxi halted abruptly, turning to face Gu Xing. "Senior Gu, I may come and go from the Old Courtyard occasionally in the future. It wouldn't be proper to keep locking you inside. Perhaps you should consider finding another location..."

Gu Xing looked at her. "Unless the Hall Master issues an order, this old man will guard this courtyard and go nowhere else."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi shrugged. "As you wish." Then she departed with long strides.

Leaving the Old Courtyard, on her way back to Danyuan Peak, Hua Changxi noticed the Alchemy Saint Hall felt much quieter than usual.

In the past, her appearance would immediately draw various overt and covert gazes. This time, those habitual probing looks were remarkably scarce.

"Ninth Lady."

As soon as Hua Changxi reached the foot of Danyuan Peak, she encountered Apothecary Xu. She immediately broke into a bright smile. "Uncle Xu."

Apothecary Xu hurried forward, smiling. "You've exited seclusion remarkably quickly this time."

Hua Changxi blinked in confusion. "Exited seclusion?"

Seeing her perplexity, Apothecary Xu quickly explained, "Elder Gu said you closed the Old Courtyard gates to cultivate in seclusion within. Was that not the case?"

Hua Changxi let out a sound of realization. "Oh. Something like that, yes."

Looking at her, Apothecary Xu smiled warmly. "You're always so busy; we haven't sat down together for a chat in ages. Would you care to visit the Personnel Department?"

Hua Changxi 'saw' that Apothecary Xu's qi and blood were abundant and surging, with a white snake lying dormant within his meridians. Raising an eyebrow, she nodded. "Certainly."

Delighted by her agreement, Apothecary Xu eagerly welcomed her into the Personnel Department.

"Peak Master."

"Steward Xu."

The surrounding disciples, seeing Apothecary Xu chatting and laughing familiarly with Hua Changxi, began to look at him differently.

The Personnel Department had two stewards: one was Apothecary Xu, the other Wan Feng.

Wan Feng handled various reception affairs, boasted a wide network of friends, possessed a smooth demeanor, and furthermore enjoyed superior talent and youth. Consequently, the members of the Personnel Department trusted Wan Feng more.

This resulted in Apothecary Xu's words carrying less weight than Wan Feng's within the department.

Apothecary Xu noticed the shift in the disciples' gazes, and the smile on his face deepened.

Hua Changxi paid no heed to these undercurrents. Once inside Apothecary Xu's office, she smiled and asked, "Uncle Xu, how is Xu Ling faring?"

Apothecary Xu chuckled happily. "She's doing very well. She's highly valued in the Ladies' Army. She received generous rewards for her recent merits, and I benefited from some of that glory as well."

Pausing, he glanced around and lowered his voice. "Lingling obtained a Bloodline Atavism Fruit. She gave it to me. After consuming it, my bloodline underwent atavism, and I gained an atavistic divine ability."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's face lit up with joy. "Bloodline Atavism Fruits are exceedingly rare. Congratulations, Uncle Xu."

Apothecary Xu chuckled, his behavior and mannerisms as casual and familiar as ever.

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered, and she smiled. "While bloodline atavism is auspicious, unleashing the full power of a divine ability requires a powerful physical body to support it. Uncle Xu, you should devote more time to body refinement."

Apothecary Xu nodded vigorously. "I've been practicing consistently."

By Hua Changxi's estimation, Apothecary Xu had reached the late stage of the fourth level of Body Refinement. His combat prowess rivaled that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator; if he unleashed his bloodline divine ability, he could even contend with a Spirit Platform cultivator.

However, Apothecary Xu's cultivation aptitude was hardly outstanding. His cultivation speed seemed excessively rapid.

"What kind of tea is this?"

Apothecary Xu presented a cup of tea. Its aroma was rich and sweet, causing saliva to flood the mouth, yet the liquid itself was crimson as blood.

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered slightly. Curious, she lifted the teacup, first sniffing it lightly, then bringing it closer for careful observation. Soon, her brows furrowed slightly. The variety of this tea was something she had never heard of before.

Regarding other cultivation secrets, she might possess blind spots; but in the path of spiritual flora, she held absolute confidence.

After all, the inheritance of the Shennong Cauldron encompassed everything, rightly hailed as the ancestor of all plants. She believed no ancient text or lineage could possibly record matters more thoroughly or completely.

The fact that even the Shennong Cauldron had not recorded this substance compelled her to ponder deeply.

Apothecary Xu smiled. "This is Blood Tea, given by Lingling. Don't let its unfavorable color fool you; drinking it accelerates body refinement significantly. The effects are excellent."

Hua Changxi said, "Blood Tea? I have never heard of such a tea leaf."

Apothecary Xu explained, "Blood Tea isn't ordinary tea. It is refined by the Wu family using a secret method."

Hua Changxi set down the teacup. Although she detected nothing unusual, she had no intention of drinking it. "Uncle Xu, may I see what Blood Tea actually looks like?"

Observing Hua Changxi's reaction, Apothecary Xu hesitated not a moment. He retrieved a bamboo jar, about the height of a palm, from his storage bag and handed it to her.

Hua Changxi accepted it, lifted the bamboo lid, and saw the contents of the Blood Tea inside. She immediately froze. They were tiny, rice-grain-sized particles of blood-red color.

"These look somewhat like... insect eggs."

Apothecary Xu confirmed, "They are indeed the eggs of Blood Ants."

"Blood Ants?"

Hua Changxi was familiar with Blood Ants. However, the qi and blood contained within Blood Ants was not particularly abundant. Logically, they should be incapable of producing Blood Tea rich in vast quantities of qi and blood energy.

"The Wu family... possesses profound foundations."

The secret technique used to refine Blood Ant eggs into Blood Tea was undoubtedly extraordinary.

Hua Changxi returned the tea canister to Physician Xu, her gaze upon him now holding a hint of consideration.

She still remembered that long ago, Physician Xu had brought out the extremely rare Meng Po Tea to treat her; this time, he had produced Blood Tea, something... slightly eerie.

She had always trusted her instincts; although the Blood Tea appeared perfectly normal, she instinctively felt uneasy about it.

Yet resources used by cultivators were inherently complex and varied; merely because of her own discomfort, she could not say much against the Blood Tea.

"Master!"

Before the figures appeared, the voices of Yu Fu and Jia Lu drifted in.

Soon, the two stepped into the room.

Physician Xu rose to greet them.

Yu Fu looked at Hua Changxi with delight: "Master, you have exited seclusion."

Hua Changxi smiled and nodded to the two, exchanged a few pleasantries with Physician Xu, and then led the pair away.

After walking out of the Personnel Department, Hua Changxi asked Yu Fu and Jia Lu: "Do you interact frequently with Steward Xu?"

The two exchanged a glance, and Yu Fu said: "Quite often. Steward Xu is responsible for assessing the disciples; when assigning tasks and errands, we always seek his opinion."

Hua Changxi asked again: "With whom does he usually associate most closely?"

Yu Fu replied: "Steward Xu rarely leaves Danyuan Peak; his contact with others in the Sacred Land is limited to official matters, so we have not noticed anyone he associates with closely."

Jia Lu added: "Steward Xu's daughter, Xu Ling, comes almost every month to deliver things to him."

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered: "Is there anything unusual about Xu Ling?"

Yu Fu and Jia Lu shook their heads simultaneously.

Jia Lu said: "Xu Ling does not stay long; after delivering the items, she sits briefly and then leaves."

Seeing Hua Changxi fall silent, Yu Fu immediately asked: "Master, is there some problem with Steward Xu?"

Hua Changxi shook her head: "Not really; I just feel that the people Steward Xu associates with are somewhat... miscellaneous."

However, recalling how Physician Xu had hidden nothing from her, speaking his mind openly, Hua Changxi shook her head again: "Perhaps I am overthinking it."

"By the way, why does the Sacred Land feel so deserted?"

Yu Fu hurriedly explained: "The Nine Passes of the Demon Prison are jointly holding an auction; Pavilion Master Meng has taken quite a few people to attend."

Hua Changxi paused in her steps: "An auction?"

Jia Lu said: "It is said that this joint auction of the Nine Passes has a long history, seemingly held only once every fifty years, with powers from all over the Nine Netherworlds participating."

Yu Fu continued: "Such auctions have been held more than ten times already, which means the resurgence of spiritual energy occurred quietly hundreds of years ago, or even earlier."

"It is just that ordinary people were unaware of it."

"In the past, those attending the auctions were entirely noble families and dignitaries who had long known about the resurgence of spiritual energy."

"Pavilion Master Meng even took the master of the Secret Realm, saying he wanted everyone to broaden their horizons."

Hua Changxi continued walking up the mountain: "Did anyone from our side go?"

Yu Fu nodded: "Zhou Shou and Zhao Xi went, taking ten disciples including Ye Lingxuan."

Speaking thus, he paused.

"Master, Third Young Master actively approached us, saying he also wanted to visit the Nine Netherworlds to broaden his horizons, so we added him and Zhu Qinghuan to the group."

Seeing Yu Fu and Jia Lu watching her cautiously, Hua Changxi smiled: "There is no need for such caution; although he is my third brother, he is an adult with his own judgment and choices."

"In the future regarding my third brother, as long as his decisions are his own and comply with the regulations of Danyuan Peak and Danding Peak, you should simply follow the rules without worrying about me."

"People must take responsibility for themselves."

Hearing this, Yu Fu and Jia Lu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.