Chapter 836
Liu Zu
The Earth Infant Fruit Tree's movements caused everyone to instinctively adopt a defensive stance, but the leaves exuded a gentle aura, and although the speed was fast, it was not fierce.
Sure enough, the leaves landed precisely in front of everyone present.
Seeing this, everyone was puzzled.
The old national teacher smiled slightly and said, "This is a gift from Fellow Daoist Tree Spirit to all of you. Please accept it."
This is the first time it has done this since it developed sentience, making it exceptionally significant.
Upon hearing this, the cultivators of Baiding Pavilion felt as if they had found a treasure, and they quickly took out a specially made jade box to carefully preserve the crystal-clear leaf in front of them.
The Earth Infant Fruit Tree is so rare in the entire human cultivation world that it's probably only used in a handful of people. Aside from refining the Infant Formation Pill, everyone wants to discover other uses for it.
In this regard, everyone keeps it a closely guarded secret, unwilling to reveal even a fraction of it, leaving the rest to be researched and understood by themselves.
But ever since they obtained the great treasure, the Earth Infant Fruit Tree, they have cherished it so much that they have no desire to take more. Later, the fruit tree gradually developed sentience, so there was no need to even think about it. This has frustrated the alchemy masters of the Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion.
Now that I finally have the opportunity to put it into practice, I am naturally overjoyed.
However, others do not know what use this item is.
"This [Earth Infant Fruit Tree] is almost equivalent to a Demon Lord in terms of cultivation level. Even though it's just a leaf, its value is incomparable to ordinary spiritual plants. If you have no use for it, you can exchange it for treasures of equal value at the sect's treasury after you return," Ji Shinian transmitted to everyone.
“Wu Jie needs five elemental spiritual objects to refine the [Minor Creation Pill], and he is still missing one wood-attribute spiritual object. This one is suitable.” Song Changsheng reached out and caught the leaf in front of him, which was as solid as ice. As soon as he touched it, he felt a light and spiritual energy rushing into his mind, and his consciousness became clearer.
"It even has an effect similar to [Awakening Incense]. Reaching such a level, it truly is a treasure from head to toe..."
Just as he was marveling at it, he suddenly noticed that the patterns on the leaf in his hand seemed a little strange.
He initially thought they were normal veins growing on the leaves, but upon closer inspection, they didn't seem like that at all. They completely violated the normal growth pattern, and he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity with them.
He remained outwardly calm, carefully putting the leaf away, and then transmitted his voice to the colorful butterfly beside him: "Fellow Daoist Colorful Butterfly, may I have a look at the leaf in your hand?"
"What, is there any difference?" Cai Die felt a little strange about his request, but still handed the leaf in her hand to Song Changsheng as instructed.
"Thank you."
Taking the leaf from her hand, Song Changsheng quickly discovered an astonishing fact: the veins on the two leaves were exactly the same, without the slightest deviation.
Normally, it is impossible for two leaves on a tree to be exactly the same, unless the tree spirit does it on purpose. But why would it do that?
"Fellow Daoist Liu..." Before Song Changsheng could finish speaking, Liu Yunxuan tactfully handed over his own leaf, generously saying, "Don't even mention looking at it, Fellow Daoist Zixu, you can take it directly without any problem. It would be a waste for this to be in my hands."
He said that, but Song Changsheng naturally couldn't actually do it. He just took a look and was able to tell that the patterns were the same and there was no difference.
"What exactly are these patterns trying to express?" The more Song Changsheng looked at them, the more he felt that these patterns formed a certain design or symbol.
He had read countless books and was naturally familiar with the Earth Infant Fruit Tree, but none of them mentioned the strange patterns on it.
In fact, it wasn't just Song Changsheng; several other people present also noticed these patterns, but they were equally baffled. Among them was Zhao Yin, who also didn't know what these patterns represented.
The Grand Master remained calm and waved his whisk, saying, "You may all cultivate in the Five Flowers Grotto for ten days. After ten days, our dynasty will hold an exchange meeting and a Dao discussion meeting. We hope you will all participate enthusiastically."
Furthermore, the scenery within the Zhulu Academy is exceptionally beautiful, and within Gaoyang City, the various arts of cultivation are flourishing. You are encouraged to explore and enjoy the sights; it shouldn't disappoint.
Cultivating in this blessed land was a privilege most of them had never enjoyed before, even though they were mostly from Nascent Soul factions. Naturally, they were overjoyed and didn't want to waste any time, so they each found a place to meditate.
Song Changsheng, however, remained focused on the leaf in his hand, trying to glean some useful information from it.
With his cultivation level, it would be difficult for him to make significant progress in the Dao of Laws. This had nothing to do with the environment, so since he was idle anyway, he was extremely curious about these patterns.
While everyone was cultivating in seclusion in the cave, Zhuang Yuechan and the others who had not been able to enter the cave were sitting cross-legged under the big willow tree listening to the lectures of the instructors of Zhulu Academy.
The Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty showed great sincerity, arranging for five top instructors from the academy to give lectures to them in just ten days.
Among the crowd, the least qualified were from Golden Core factions, and it was not the first time they had listened to Golden Core cultivators preach. Some even had listened to Nascent Soul True Monarchs preach. They thought they wouldn't be too moved, but these instructors truly taught them a lesson.
Although the instructors sent by Zhulu Academy were all only at the Golden Core stage, they were still renowned instructors. They broke everything down into simple terms and practically fed them directly.
Moreover, they used some supernatural powers similar to those of Buddhist practitioners, such as chanting in Sanskrit, which made people unconsciously immerse themselves in it.
Many cultivators even entered a state of sudden enlightenment on the spot, a state that is rare and hard to come by.
Xu Miaoyin sat cross-legged, focusing her mind and spirit. The gentle voice of her mentor echoed in her ears, but her consciousness was drawn into a strange and profound realm. A dazzling light enveloped her, and in a daze, she seemed to see a jade pendant appear before her eyes.
A sense of familiarity welled up in my heart.
She reached out her hand, trying to grasp the jade pendant, but even though it was so close, she couldn't touch it; it seemed so close yet so far.
For a moment, she became anxious and tried her best to grab the jade pendant, completely unaware that her mental energy was being rapidly depleted.
"Swish, swish, swish"
The golden branches of the giant willow swayed in the wind, exuding a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
To everyone's astonishment, a golden branch drooped down and gently brushed against Xu Miaoyin's head in a seemingly ordinary manner.
In an instant, the scene before Xu Miaoyin's eyes changed drastically. The bright light and the jade pendant shattered with a crash, and she was jolted awake.
Looking down, she suddenly realized that her hands were trembling uncontrollably, and the muscles in her arms were numb and tingling as if she had been electrocuted.
"Yin'er, what's wrong?" Zhuang Yuechan keenly noticed her abnormality, gripped her numb and cold hand tightly, and her eyes were filled with worry.
Xu Miaoyin was in a really bad state at the moment. Her face was pale, and her temples and forehead were covered in cold sweat. She looked like she had been frightened.
"I saw some things, but I'm alright, Mother." Xu Miaoyin shook her head slightly, feeling the warmth and strength from Zhuang Yuechan's hand, her turbulent emotions calmed down a little. "If anything is wrong, you must tell me. Your master and I promised Wanyun that we would take good care of you. No matter what it is, I can find a way to solve it for you." Zhuang Yuechan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the cold sweat from Xu Miaoyin's forehead, speaking softly.
Xu Miaoyin hesitated for a moment and said, "I think I can see what's inside my head."
Zhuang Yuechan's heart skipped a beat. As one of the few people in the know, she naturally understood what Xu Miaoyin's words meant. She asked with a little nervousness, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere right now?"
"At that time, it seemed to be both far away and very close to me. I wanted to reach out and grab it, but I couldn't reach it no matter what I did."
It had been devouring my spiritual power, but fortunately, a force suddenly appeared at the crucial moment and interrupted me, otherwise I would probably have lost my way by now. Xu Miaoyin hadn't felt it before, but now that she was talking about it, she felt a little scared. If that force hadn't suddenly appeared, the jade pendant would probably have silently drained her energy.
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yuechan subconsciously looked up at the enormous, towering willow tree in front of her.
Her perception was extraordinary. Among the cultivators present, only a few Golden Core instructors from the Zhulu Academy had reached the Golden Core stage, but she was confident that none of them had made a move.
Moreover, given their cultivation level, they might not be able to detect the abnormality in Xu Miaoyin.
If we rule out the option of a master hiding nearby, then the answer becomes obvious: it is the "Master Liu" before us.
Although it's unclear how Liu Zu discovered this, for now, he has almost saved Xu Miaoyin's life, and she should remember this kindness.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. When Song Changsheng and the others returned from the Wuhua Cave Heaven through the spatial passage constructed by Liu Zu, the sermon here had just ended.
As the event drew to a close, Zhuang Yuechan looked at Xu Miaoyin and said, "Yin'er, pay your respects to Ancestor Liu."
After saying that, she and Xu Miaoyin bowed deeply to Liu Zu in front of them.
Seeing this, the others assumed they were bowing to the academy's instructors, and they all stood up and bowed in unison.
Just as everyone bowed, a golden willow branch suddenly snapped off, like a feather, and gently landed on Xu Miaoyin's shoulder.
The rest of the people present, including Xu Miaoyin and the Golden Core instructors from the academy, did not notice anything amiss.
Just then, Song Changsheng and Zhao Yin emerged from the spatial passage.
A flash of purple light appeared in Zhao Yin's eyes, then he looked at Song Changsheng and said, "I heard that he is your disciple?"
Song Changsheng naturally knew who the other party was referring to, and smiled slightly, saying, "Not only my disciple, but also my daughter."
Perhaps it was because of the special pupil techniques they possessed, but the vibrant willow branch on Xu Miaoyin's shoulder stood out conspicuously in their eyes.
"Few people can gain the appreciation of Liu Zu, and even fewer will offer gifts. Your daughter is sure to have a bright future."
"Haha, thanks for your kind words, Your Highness." Song Changsheng was in a good mood, which pleased him more than any praise.
In fact, he was also very curious about what Xu Miaoyin had done to warrant Liu Zu giving her a broken branch.
Will you, fellow Daoist, participate in the upcoming exchange meeting?
Song Changsheng shook his head slightly and said, "Your Highness should know that the borderlands have not been very peaceful lately. The Five Academies Grand Competition has taken up too much of our energy. We should be preparing to return soon, and we probably won't be able to participate in the exchange meeting and the Dao discussion meeting."
Speaking of this, he couldn't help but feel regretful. It wasn't easy to come to the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty, and such a grand event was even more rare. Unfortunately, the situation was urgent, and they could no longer afford to waste any more time.
Actually, he wasn't in a hurry. After all, even if he went back alone, it wouldn't have a significant impact on the overall situation. The main thing was that Dragon Elephant True Lord and others needed to return to the East Sea as soon as possible to take charge and relieve the pressure on Yi Tianzheng.
The fighting in the East China Sea has intensified recently, with both sides shedding more and more blood. They have no time to linger here any longer.
In addition, given the previous incident involving the Demonic Nascent Soul cultivator, Dragon Elephant True Monarch felt uneasy not taking the four Earth Infant Fruits back with him as soon as possible.
If the other side was able to intercept Bai Ding Ge halfway, who can guarantee that they wouldn't know their whereabouts?
If anything goes wrong, they will be the sinners of the Myriad Palaces.
With the Dragon Elephant True Monarch and the others gone, Song Changsheng naturally could no longer stay alone in the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty. He had attracted a lot of hatred during this period, and at most he would go to the Array Dao Academy again, but he could not stay here any longer.
"The Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion and the Beast Taming Sect are also not planning to participate. With your departure, this exchange meeting will inevitably lose much of its luster."
"With Your Highness here, how could there be any question of losing color?"
Song Changsheng was telling the truth. Despite Zhao Yin's defeat in this competition, his popularity actually rose instead of fell. After shedding that "invincible" aura, he no longer had that unapproachable and aloof feeling.
"Before leaving, our Imperial Preceptor wishes to meet with you alone."
"Thank you for reminding me, Your Highness. I should have gone to the meeting with the Imperial Preceptor long ago, but I was injured and unable to move around at the time, so I had to be impolite."
Before leaving, I will definitely keep my appointment.
Speaking of this, Song Changsheng felt a bit overwhelmed. Communicating with a True Monarch was no easy task, let alone a cultivator like the Grand Master who was proficient in the art of heavenly secrets. There were almost no secrets between them.
Besides the Grand Master, there is another even more troublesome figure, namely the Spirit Master from the ancient power of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.
"When do you plan to leave? I'll see you off."
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised.
"It should be within the next two or three days. We will definitely inform Your Highness in advance."
Zhao Yin nodded slightly, clapped his hands, and the dragon chariot roared in, carrying him into the distance, chasing the direction of the sunset...
After returning to the courtyard, Zhuang Yuechan recounted what had happened to Xu Miaoyin while she was listening to the Dao.
Song Changsheng remained silent, but simply reached out and removed the golden willow branch from Xu Miaoyin's shoulder...
...(End of chapter)