Those who had come to observe the ceremony had naturally made their preparations well in advance. Tan Qiyue had only reiterated her warning as a precaution.
Seeing the crowd's eyes fixed on the stone structure beneath her, with no one daring to approach, she waved a hand and initiated the final ritual.
Right on cue, a great bell tolled in the distance.
A ray of golden light pierced the sky.
Dawn broke in the east.
Tan Qiyue crouched and grasped an iron rod protruding from the stone roof.
Simultaneously, four people operated mechanisms on all four sides of the structure.
A few seconds later, all four let out a simultaneous shout.
Tan Qiyue then took to the air.
The entire process defied the laws of physics, looking exactly like true flight.
Only Priest Hunyou, watching from the sky, knew she was merely relying on a Plain Ring that granted the power of flight.
"I told her earlier I would help her open the stone roof," he chuckled to Priest Shen Xiang beside him. "But the stubborn girl insisted on doing it herself."
To Priest Shen Xiang, who maintained the appearance of a young man, the nearly fifty-year-old Tan Qiyue could also be considered a little girl.
Priest Shen Xiang nodded, approving of Tan Qiyue's choice. "Showing weakness invites greed, while showing strength instills wariness."
Mist Valley wasn't a faction that used brute force to oppress others. As an organization of healers, they needed to maintain a certain approachability.
Moving such a heavy roof meant Tan Qiyue could only rely on her own strength and couldn't fly very far. That was why she had the Black Turtle transport the stone structure from the ten-li Youlin beforehand.
This act also served to display Mist Valley's strength to outsiders.
After all, they were presenting a high-grade element that could be cultivated independently.
If they didn't flaunt their power, it might tempt scoundrels into harboring greedy thoughts and taking illicit action.
With the roof removed, the mechanisms shifted. The people stationed at the four sides of the structure pulled in unison, bringing the walls down.
The walls collapsed outward in all four directions, slamming into the ground with a heavy crash.
However, the ground had been swept clean beforehand, so very little dust was kicked up.
Almost the very instant the walls fell, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and mist, cresting the mountain peak to spill across the ground.
The crowd squinted. Once they adjusted to the light, they finally saw the treasure that had been hidden within the stone structure for so long.
Twisted, dark brown vines coiled together in a tangled mass. They had neither flowers nor leaves, only a rough bark.
There was nothing beautiful about them.
But the true value of an element lay not in its appearance, but in its utility.
"This is the new vine element cultivated by Mist Valley—the Xuanji Vine. Once the first ray of the morning sun activates its thirst for light, the Xuanji Vine will officially mature."
Tan Qiyue's clear voice rang out as she introduced the Xuanji Vine to the crowd, even detailing a few of its cultivation conditions.
Naturally, she kept the core secrets from outsiders.
While she spoke, the others who had assisted returned to their original seats.
Their work was done; the rest of the ceremony was entirely up to the Valley Master.
All they had to do was sit back and watch, occasionally bolstering Valley Master Tan's presence.
Deputy Valley Master Zheng also returned to his seat at this time.
His maid, Baizhi, was still waiting. Seeing the deputy valley master return, she stepped forward with a smile to serve him.
"You've worked hard, Master. Such towering walls must have been incredibly heavy."
She took away the wine that had gone cold and poured Deputy Valley Master Zheng a fresh cup of warm wine.
Looking genuinely fatigued, Deputy Valley Master Zheng picked up the cup and drained it in one gulp.
Baizhi gazed at Valley Master Tan and the Xuanji Vine in the center of the plaza as she poured more wine. "Master, once this Xuanji Vine reaches full maturity, who will the Valley Master order to fuse with it?"
A newly matured vine element was at its optimal stage for fusion; the longer they waited, the higher the chances of failure.
Right now, everyone at the ceremony was likely waiting to see who would claim the Xuanji Vine.
"No, the Xuanji Vine is to be offered to those above."
Baizhi blinked and asked sweetly, "Oh? Is it to be handed over to the Imperial Court?"
Deputy Valley Master Zheng gave a soft, mocking laugh and pointed upward. "To someone even higher."
Just as confusion flickered in Baizhi's eyes, a guest lost their patience and called out, asking Valley Master Tan how much she wanted for the element.
Even though Tan Qiyue had explicitly stated this element could be mass-produced in the future, many still wanted to secure the very first Xuanji Vine.
Obtaining it first meant grasping its information ahead of everyone else.
For such a rare element, they would also be able to make more preparations than others.
However, Tan Qiyue shook her head. "My apologies, everyone, but this first Xuanji Vine is not for sale. If you are interested, however, you may place an order for one. The cultivation period is three years."
Three years sounded like a long time, but to the faction leaders gathered here, it truly wasn't long.
For instance, the Cyan Silk Algae that Li Ban had encountered previously required a cultivation period of at least ten years.
Hearing her offer, some guests began weighing whether to place an order.
Others, however, continued to push for the first vine.
Tan Qiyue responded to a few of the most important guests before falling silent, fixing her full attention on the Xuanji Vine on the ground.
Seeing this, the crowd quieted down as well.
Together, they bore witness to the maturation of the world's very first Xuanji Vine.
In an instant, having drunk its fill of sunlight, the vine ceased its tight coiling. It extended its tendrils, stretching upward toward the sun like any other plant.
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
The vine's rough brown bark fractured and flaked away like parched mud.
As the plant writhed, the shattered bark completely shed away, revealing a new, crimson-black vine underneath.
The new vine possessed a perfectly smooth surface. Its tip was long and slender, angling into a slanted, hollow opening.
It looked exactly like a hypodermic needle.
The wrist-thick main body of the vine twisted in the air, basking in the sunlight. Yet, a few smaller offshoots began stealthily inching toward the spectating guests.
However, the vine was utterly unaware that its "stealthy" movements were exceptionally obvious under the brightening daylight.
The guests exchanged whispers, suddenly feeling somewhat—chilled to the bone.
Tan Qiyue wasn't surprised in the slightest by this sight.
She had anticipated this after adding the ability to feed on flesh and blood to the Xuanji Vine.
A blood-drinking plant was naturally going to look a bit eerier than a normal plant.
Moreover—
Tan Qiyue's gaze sharpened. She raised her right hand high, palm facing the sky.
Immediately after, a single cloud slowly descended from the heavens.
The cloud was pure white, buoyant, and slightly translucent.
It looked somewhat different from the rest of the clouds in the sky, though it was hard to pinpoint exactly how.
"What is that?"
"Did Valley Master Tan switch to a new element?"
"What kind of abilities could a cloud element possibly have?"
Hushed whispers rose from the crowd once more.
But Deputy Valley Master Zheng, who had made his arrangements well in advance, solemnly stood up and smoothed the front of his robe.
Baizhi, having poured him several cups of wine, stepped forward again to support his arm. "Master, are you still going over?"
"Yes," Deputy Valley Master Zheng said with a grave expression, paying no mind to Baizhi's slightly overstepping grip on his arm. "I must be respectful."
Seeing his austere demeanor, Baizhi maintained her hold on his arm, the corners of her mouth curling into a slight smile.
"As expected. Knowing they are to meet a Priest makes people behave completely differently."
Deputy Valley Master Zheng stared in astonishment, turning his head to look at Baizhi.
Baizhi acted as if she was entirely unaware of how shocking her words were. She kept smiling, but her fingers, hidden beneath her long sleeves, began digging into his arm bit by bit.
"Go on," Baizhi said, feeling the blood on her fingertips.
She slowly released her grip, acting as if nothing had happened, ready to let Deputy Valley Master Zheng pass.
But to her surprise!
"Smack!"
Deputy Valley Master Zheng's other hand suddenly clamped down on the arm Baizhi was about to pull away. The astonishment on his face vanished, replaced by a smile.
"Why don't we go together, Xiao Suo?"