Chapter 2 Part 2

He shifted the elbow covering his face and ears. His clear eyes blinked innocently, still unaware of what had happened.

If his head lifted just one more cun, if his gaze shifted one more inch, he would have seen the blood-drenched head of the Immortal Lord who had helped him find his mother, performed immortal arts before him, and earned his utmost admiration.

“Bam—”

His body moved faster than his mind.

Mu Cheng kicked Lian Yunzhi into the shallow, clean pond.

.

Amid the chaos and screams, Mu Cheng jumped into the pond, fished out Lian Yunzhi, and knocked him unconscious while he was at it.

The Immortal Assembly Banquet descended into pandemonium, everyone shocked to their cores.

The Mu Family Head stood on the high platform before the headless corpse, raising his wine cup to invite all to drink together.

“…A Qi Refining Layer 7 cultivator is nothing more than this… Rest assured, everyone. The Spiritual Energy Revival changes nothing. We will never allow outsider cultivators to invade Xiaoze State and disrupt the balance here. The Four Great Families rule Xiaoze State, and that will never change…”

But in an unnoticed corner, behind the rockery, by the pond.

The thoroughly soaked Mu Cheng knelt on one knee, clutching the person in his arms tightly. Unable to help himself, he buried his face in that person’s neck, deeply inhaling the fragrance.

He paid no heed to what his grandfather said.

He only thought sorrowfully.

It was over. The one clean and fragrant person in the world would never want to be friends with him again.

.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Lian Yunzhi no longer lived in the Lian Mansion. Instead, imitating the great cultivators from ancient texts, he carved out a Cave Mansion on Spirit Mountain near the Lian Family lands, where a Spirit Vein lay, to cultivate diligently.

…Well, not that diligently.

Though he had hacked out the Cave Mansion with his sword, the interior floor had been meticulously smoothed by craftsmen and covered with luxurious, soft carpets—so plush that even barefoot, he felt no discomfort.

Though he had made the bed himself, the wood came from a thousand-year Spirit Tree in a secret realm, meticulously polished and carved by thirty-seven carpenters, topped with Xiaoze State’s finest bedding and embroidery. Even a mortal world’s princess would find no fault.

Though he claimed to practice bitter cultivation, every casual ornament here was worth a fortune, opulently lavish.

Of course, the current Lian Yunzhi cared little for such external possessions. What satisfied him most was the hot spring pool beside the Cave Mansion.

Perhaps due to the Spirit Vein hidden in the mountain, this hot spring was extraordinary. Soaking in it not only relieved fatigue but also healed wounds and replenished spiritual power. If its effects were a few times stronger, it could almost rival the spirit pools described in ancient texts.

Yet such a magnificent and comfortable Cave Mansion now posed a problem for Lian Yunzhi.

—He had no idea where to put Mu Cheng.

Even tossing him into a corner, he feared the blood and filth would stain his carpets.

Moreover, this fellow looked like he might drop dead any moment. How unlucky would it be if he died in his Cave Mansion?

After much deliberation, Lian Yunzhi sighed and wielded his sword to excavate a new one-zhang-deep cavity. He tossed Mu Cheng in along with an unused quilt.

Having done this, he breathed a long sigh of relief, stripped off his layered robes, padded barefoot to the hot spring pool, and immersed himself fully.

…Blissful.

.

When the moon reached its zenith, Lian Yunzhi had washed away all his fatigue.

He splashed about in the hot spring a couple of times, swam to the white jade shore, removed his Storage Bracelet, and began inventorying his gains from the Yunshan Small Secret Realm.

The Yunshan Small Secret Realm had newly appeared three months prior and was not yet claimed by any of the Four Great Families. Lian Yunzhi had stayed inside for a full three months, reaping bountiful rewards.

Royal Jelly, Hundred Flowers Honey, Crimson Flame Coiling Dragon Fruit, Mutated Net Demon Grass…

This one for Grandfather, this for Father, this for Mother, this to hand over to the family, this one for myself…

Lian Yunzhi sorted all his harvests into Storage Bags of different colors.

When he picked up a small porcelain vial, his movements paused.

The contents were what he had obtained after being chased by a Tier 6 Demon Beast in the secret realm. In his panic, he had stumbled into a cave.

The cave was extremely bizarre. At first, Lian Yunzhi thought he had fallen into a tree hollow, but it plunged endlessly. When he finally touched ground, only a narrow path lay ahead. He followed it for three full days before reaching that damp, frigid cavern.

Lian Yunzhi searched the cavern for a long time and found three items.

The first was a jade box containing a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb.

Lian Yunzhi could not identify the herb’s type, but with his wood Single Spiritual Root’s discernment, he knew it was non-toxic and brimming with spiritual power. Upon opening the box, that power began rapidly dissipating.

He hesitated only a moment before swallowing the herb.

He had bet correctly.

It elevated his cultivation to Foundation Establishment Mid Stage.

The second item was a Nameless Ancient Book, sealed with a Restriction that he could not break no matter what.

The third item was a pill.

The pill was pale purple, overlaid with shimmering golden patterns, appearing extraordinary.

It had originally been housed in an ornate Stone Casket, but the casket’s mechanism was peculiar—once opened, it could not close again. Unable to do so, Lian Yunzhi transferred the pill to an empty porcelain vial he carried.

Lian Yunzhi stared at the vial before him, unable to resist wondering: if that partially degraded Spirit Herb had instantly boosted his cultivation by a minor realm, what surprise might this evidently exceptional pill bring?

Lian Yunzhi picked up the vial and gently shook it with some anticipation.

…Then his expression changed instantly.

With the fastest speed of his life, he uncorked it and peered inside.

Nothing.

—It was an empty porcelain vial.

Lian Yunzhi’s face paled, then flushed green. His fingertips trembled as he emptied out all his pill vials.

None, none, none!

His pill vials contained countless varieties of pills in different colors and functions.

But the one he sought was nowhere among them.

How could it be missing? He had clearly put it in a pill vial!

Suddenly.

A possibility struck Lian Yunzhi.

His face ashen, he dug out a slightly larger white porcelain vial.

It had once been filled with cheap, effective Spirit Replenishing Pills, but a few hours ago, he had fed them all to someone else.

“Crack!”

Lian Yunzhi snapped the vial open with his bare hands.