Huang Xuan's Decision

"Oh?" Su Sangyi was startled. "Could it be that you two intend to take your Uncle to the Heaven-Defying Palace?" Over the past two years, there had been rumors outside that the faction under the master of the Overwhelming Utensils was named the "Heaven-Defying Palace"—the very same force that had previously humbled the Scarlet Emperor Palace. Although the name had leaked out, the exact whereabouts of this sect remained an absolute mystery.

The name had only come to light because the business of Overwhelming Utensils kept expanding, even opening some sort of "chain stores." Eventually, it drew envious eyes and caused trouble, provoking the sect behind Overwhelming Utensils. When the two sides squared off and exchanged their backgrounds, the name slipped out.

Su Sangyi shook his head and said, "You two children are truly remarkable. Your Uncle had no idea you had such a powerful force behind you, and worried over you for nothing. However, even if the Heaven-Defying Palace is in better shape than the Bamboo Repair Courtyard, it cannot withstand frequent Nascent Soul breakthroughs. The two of you should retain some spiritual qi for your own use."

Seeing that his Uncle had guessed the truth about the Heaven-Defying Palace, Luo Yu felt rather embarrassed. "Uncle, we have already attained the Nascent Soul stage. In the past, the Heaven-Defying Palace was still quite weak and we didn't dare publicize it much, which is why we didn't tell you. However, the place we are taking you to is not the Heaven-Defying Palace—I guarantee you'll be astonished!"

When Su Sangyi heard that the two of them had already formed their Nascent Souls, he was already astonished: even if they ate medicinal pills every day, it shouldn't have been this fast—how could impurities in pills be expelled so easily? He truly had no idea how many secrets these two still harbored!

Uncle Su twitched the corner of his mouth. "Since... since you praise it as such a good place, I suppose it must be extraordinary. Your Uncle shall accompany you to witness it."

Luo Yu cheerfully produced a stack of gift boxes and said, "These gifts are for the various Uncles; they are all spiritual vegetables. Uncle, you can just have your disciples pass them over to each person one by one. And还有 this..." Luo Yu took out an exceptionally large jade box. Opening it, he revealed that the box was half-filled with water, upon which ten extraordinary flowers—somewhat resembling lotuses yet not quite—floated gracefully. A brilliant glow shimmered over their petals, radiating an overpowering spiritual aura.

"Wupeng Immortal Lotus!" Uncle Su cried out in alarm. "Where did you acquire this item? Could it be that you truly entered the Celestial Court?"

"This..." Luo Yu didn't even know how to explain. His Uncle's guess was a hit by a fluke... It turned out that this item had indeed existed in the Celestial Court; chances were, the lotus seeds had been spread from there. But when they went there last time, they hadn't seen any—presumably, the survivors had scooped them all up.

Luo Yu said, "We did enter the Celestial Court, but this flower wasn't taken from there. Although this kind of immortal herb has no medicinal value, it generates spiritual qi. We brought some back as a gift for Ancestor Ning. Anyway, the Bamboo Repair Courtyard has plenty of pools, and keeping these should at least make the Ancestor feel a bit more comfortable."

Uncle Su sighed with emotion, "In former days, this lotus was an imperial flower in the Celestial Emperor's garden, and ordinary cultivators were not permitted to plant it. Now it can truly be said that 'the swallows of the old noble houses of Xie and Wang fly into the homes of ordinary people.'"

Luo Yu chuckled and said, "Isn't it better the more this thing grows? If any friends you know, Uncle, want some, we can share a few for them to use as seeds. If it's not enough, we'll go look for more; the Heaven-Defying Palace plans to propagate this on a large scale."

Uncle Su nodded happily and said, "Precisely so. I have heard that although this item is prized as an immortal plant, it is extremely easy to tend. One begets ten, ten beget a hundred—truly wonderful indeed."

Having finished presenting the gifts, Luo Yu and Qin Yue decided not to visit Ancestor Ning after all, but simply invited their Uncle to hit the road.

Just as they stepped out of the grand hall, Gu Huo suddenly darted out to block their path, wearing a cold expression as it declared, "Enemies, where are ye heading? Ye must take this deity along."

Uncle Su gave a cold snort. "Aren't you supposed to be destroying all one thousand and three warm pools of our sect? Why haven't you gone yet?"

Gu Huo frowned in thought, then said with arrogant pride, "If ye take this deity along, I shall spare those warm pools. If not..."

Uncle Su took a step forward. "Or else what?"

Gu Huo said fiercely, "Or else even if the warm pools are repaired, this deity shall smash them once more, leaving the mountains of Bamboo Repair with nowhere to bathe!"

Uncle Su was instantly left speechless.

Luo Yu and Qin Yue exchanged a suppressed, grinning glance, stepped forward to smooth things over, and said, "Alright, let it come along! That place is quite suited for it; perhaps once it goes, it won't even want to come back."

Uncle Su had been glaring at Gu Huo, but upon hearing this, his expression froze for a moment before quickly returning to normal. "If that truly is the case, it wouldn't be a bad thing after all."

The four of them greeted the sect master and departed. Leaving the Nine Fells, Luo Yu remembered Xuan Huang and made a detour to Dancing Cloud Manor in Fengqi Valley to drag Xuan Huang out as well.

They rode their cloud through the Bohai Sea and headed south. Along the way, Luo Yu explained the customs and scenery of the various lands they passed to his Uncle and Xuan Huang, conveniently helping them memorize the route.

Estimating that they had flown into the vicinity of the Thousand-Vine Immortal Gorge, Qin Yue stood upon the cloud and gently swept her jade palm across the air, casting a water-parting spell. The seawater immediately churned and parted, revealing a bottomless water cave.

"This is the place. Hold on tight, everyone, we are descending now," Qin Yue warned, urging the Kunlun Mist straight down into the cave. Immediately afterward, the seawater rushed back in with a violent surge, a massive expanse of foam bubbling and churning incessantly for a long while.

The heavenly dome barrier above the Thousand-Vine Immortal Gorge flickered slightly, and five figures suddenly popped out—precisely Luo Yu and his companions.

"This is..."

Beneath their feet lay ten thousand miles of immortal mountains and a forest of ancient trees; rolling auspicious clouds stirred up angry waves, and ribbons of colored light danced amidst a thousand rosy mists. Brilliant spiritual lights vied in splendor, and clear waves surged with fish-scale radiance. The mountain breeze brushed through the forest valleys, bringing momentary stillness, followed suddenly by the cry of cranes—this was a spectacle grand and vital enough that even the Celestial Court's imperial garden likely could not rival it.

Uncle Su gazed around in all directions, half-suspecting he was dreaming. Xuan Huang blinked his phoenix eyes, and it took him a long time before he dazedly murmured, "This... is the good place you were talking about?"

Luo Yu said smugly, "Indeed! We have a temporary immortal abode around here. Let's go there first, brew a cup of spiritual tea, and we can talk while we drink!"

The two of them managed to calm themselves down and nodded.

The five of them rode the cloud to the Cloud-Foot Immortal Abode. Luo Yu invited the guests up to the cloud platform, brewed spiritual tea, and together with Qin Yue, detailed everything they had seen and experienced on the mainland. Not only did it fill their Uncle with deep emotion, but Xuan Huang was also immensely excited: he wouldn't have to mope at home trying on clothes all day anymore; he could continue his cultivation!

Luo Yu said, "There is absolutely no problem forming your Nascent Soul here. There are plenty of Nascent Soul cultivators on the mainland, so you don't have to worry about drawing unwanted attention, though I haven't seen any Mahayana cultivators yet... Gu Huo, do you want to lift your seal? As long as you don't run into a Tribulation-Crossing True Immortal, you'll be the boss here!"

Ever since entering the realm, Gu Huo had kept a gloomy face, lost in thought. Hearing Luo Yu's words, it suddenly stood up, slammed its teacup onto the ground with a loud "crack!", and threw a sudden temper tantrum: "Why must this silly phoenix meddle so? Doth thou take me for a fool easily bullied, unaware of your treacherous plot? Once the seal is lifted, the moment these enemies return home, they will surely abandon this deity and go back alone! Would this deity fall for such a trick?"

Uncle Su: "..."

Luo Yu awkwardly muttered, "So unappreciative of kindness... If you don't want to lift it, then don't. Big brother's teacup was painstakingly scavenged from a street stall in the Hidden Sand City of the Sahara—an official kiln Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain. Was it meant for you to smash?"

Qin Yue silently waved her sleeve, and the shards of porcelain on the ground instantly drifted into the air, flying before her to reassemble into their original shape. Upon close inspection, however, faint traces still remained.

Qin Yue handed the cup to Luo Yu and said calmly, "My divine sense is insufficient; I can only make do with this." This feat of "broken vessels made whole" involved recombining and embedding them at the molecular structure level, which demanded extremely high standards of divine sense—Qin Yue's mastery still fell slightly short.

Uncle Su glared fiercely at Gu Huo and snapped angrily, "Don't even think about using fine porcelain cups from now on!"

Gu Huo snorted coldly, stormed off the cloud platform in a huff, and disappeared.

Luo Yu said, "Could it run off and get lost? Should we chase after it?"

Uncle Su said indifferently, "Let it be. I only pity the emerald grass in your courtyard; a great many of them have already been trampled to death by it."

Luo Yu checked with his divine sense and indeed discovered that this fierce beast had run over to the side of their pavilion to rip up grass and vent its anger.

The group no longer paid attention to Gu Huo and naturally began discussing the pros and cons of relocating the sect. Their Uncle and Xuan Huang shared the same view as them: neither of them approved of suddenly making the existence of the mainland public to the upper realms.

After Luo Yu and Qin Yue finished explaining basically everything they knew, Uncle Su sighed with emotion once more: "Though this place is supreme, the Bamboo Repair Courtyard has deep roots in its native soil, with a heritage spanning ten thousand years. To leave one's homeland overnight brings reluctance. There is a common proverb: 'A gold nest or a silver nest can never compare to one's own dog kennel.' Unless driven to a desperate plight, your Uncle is unwilling to abandon it just like that. This place is boundless and vast, and I imagine there must be countless immortal flowers and herbs in the uninhabited deep mountains. I only wish to search for them one by one and plant them across the mountains and rivers of our homeland. I suppose that could also somewhat enhance the spiritual qi... Yet, it is merely a cup of water trying to put out a cartload of burning firewood—in the end..."

Xuan Huang suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Not at all, not at all! To call it 'a cup of water trying to put out a cartload of burning firewood' is far too pessimistic; in my view, it should be 'a single spark can start a prairie fire'! A millennium ago, my Fengqi Valley was still a stretch of chaotic woods. My late father begged a seed of the Phoenix Firmament from our ancestors, and now it has grown luxuriantly with a canopy forming a forest stretching a thousand miles—everything depends on human effort..." As he spoke, he suddenly stood up, raised his cup, and declared, "If Daoist Su has the heart to visit every mountain and seek out every immortal seed, Xuan Huang is willing to accompany Daoist Su, imitating the legendary Emperor Yijiang—what harm is there in tasting a hundred herbs? Today, Xuan Huang uses tea in place of wine, and swears with Daoist Su to—"

Before he could finish speaking, a stone suddenly flew in from unknown origins, striking Xuan Huang with an "Ouch!" as he clutched his forehead. Immediately afterward, an angry voice rang out: "You have no need to make any vows with him!" A sudden gale whipped up, and a figure sprang violently from the mountain rocks, glaring sideways at Xuan Huang with arrogant defiance. "If he goes to seek immortal herbs, this deity will naturally accompany him all the way!"

Uncle Su was trembling with anger. He glared at the newcomer and scolded furiously, "Scoundrel! How dare you hurt someone!"

Xuan Huang rubbed his reddened forehead and said, "It's no matter. He was likely just acting in haste, yet he still kept a sense of proportion."

Gu Huo tilted its head, snorted, and said with a rigid face, "In my prime and vigor, am I not a hundred times better? Through a thousand mountains and rivers, I can protect you for a lifetime."

Upon hearing these words, the tips of Uncle Su's ears instantly turned an imperceptible shade of red. For some reason, he found himself unable to continue scolding. Avoiding Gu Huo's gaze, he abruptly turned to Xuan Huang and said, "Ancestor Xuan, please forgive this offense; I truly hope you will bear with it. This... this scoundrel is simply so devoid of a sense of propriety, utterly exasperating..."

Xuan Huang pursed his lips into a smile, his phoenix eyes glancing at the tips of Uncle Su's ears as he teased, "Naturally, Xuan Huang understands that Daoist Su is caught in a dilemma... Very well, very well! Since Daoist Su has someone to accompany him, Xuan Huang will not play the heartless stick that breaks up mandarin ducks. Indeed, if it weren't for Huang Yu's crooked ambitions back then... alas. If I truly left, the valley would be left without a successor for a time, and Xuan Huang would not feel at ease staying here permanently... In the end, it is still best to return to the valley."

Luo Yu anxiously urged, "How can that do? Xuan Huang, how old are you already? If you don't hurry up and find a place here to advance your cultivation, you'll risk your life!"

Xuan Huang gave Luo Yu a charming smile. "The grand endeavor Daoist Su plans brings blessings to all living beings, yet it cannot be accomplished by the strength of a single person. Since Xuan Huang cannot let go of his clansmen in the sect, it is better simply to stay behind. In my opinion, Daoist Su should go ahead and seek the immortal herbs, and this task of 'planting them across the mountains and rivers' can be left to Xuan Huang... Is that not the best of both worlds?"

Upon hearing this, Uncle Su's heart leaped with emotion, yet he feared delaying Xuan Huang's cultivation; if the latter's lifespan were exhausted because of this, it would weigh heavily on his conscience. He therefore hesitated and said, "This... Ancestor should follow Xiaoyu's advice and first..."

Xuan Huang waved a hand at him and said, "Xuan Huang is now nine hundred and seventy-three years old, and currently in the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Even if I were to go into seclusion here for thirty years, whether I could step into the Void realm remains uncertain... Rather than that, aiding Daoist Su might just win me a legacy that lasts through the ages. Hehe, Xuan Huang can promise Daoist Su this much: I will surely persuade the various aristocratic families and sects to join in this magnificent undertaking. It's just that... the immortal herbs Daoist Su selects must be carefully chosen: they must neither be usable for medicine nor refinable into pills... It would be best if they were utterly useless like the Wupeng Immortal Lotus, so as to spare us from those short-sighted troublemakers greedily pocketing them in secret."