“The Qingsui Peak of the Azure Pond Sect?” Li Tongya and Li Xiangping exchanged glances.
Li Tongya pondered for a moment before saying, “An envoy from the immortal sect, huh? It must be related to Jing’er.”
Li Xiangping quickly led everyone down the mountain. To their surprise, they encountered a cultivator clad in a pristine white robe, adorned with various silk pouches, just outside the courtyard.
With a handsome and refined demeanor, he stood there smiling at the group.
He cupped his fist and introduced himself, “Greetings, fellow Daoists. I’m Xiao Yuansi from Qingsui Peak.”
“I am Li Xiangping of the Li Family. We are honored to meet the envoy from the Azure Pond Sect.” Li Xiangping quickly returned the greeting and gestured to those behind him to kneel with him.
Xiao Yuansi modestly stepped aside and said, “There’s no need for such formalities. I’m here on behalf of someone else but not as an envoy of the immortal sect.”
The group responded warmly, with Li Xiangping inviting, “Please, Immortal Master, come in.”
In the presence of a high-ranking cultivator from the Azure Pond Sect, Li Tongya and Li Xianping could not help but feel like mere mortals. Their respectful address of “Immortal Master” toward Xiao Yuansi was genuinely heartfelt.
Xiao Yuansi entered the courtyard, found a seat for himself, and began, “I was actually on a mission in Lixia Prefecture to hunt a demon. My junior brother misses his family dearly, so I told him to write a letter so I can deliver it for him to Mount Dali.
“The demon hunt took a little longer than I expected, setting me back quite a bit. In fact, I only managed to defeat it yesterday. I hope my unannounced visit isn’t causing any trouble.”
“Not at all, Immortal Master. We’re immensely grateful for your effort to deliver a letter to our family,” Li Xiangping responded with genuine respect, quickly accepting a green bamboo tube about the thickness of a finger from Xiao Yuansi.
“Please, go ahead and read it!” Xiao Yuansi suggested while taking a sip of tea served to him with a smile.
The brothers quickly nodded in acknowledgment. Li Tongya delicately removed the wax seal from the bamboo cylinder, pouring out a rolled-up, pale white letter which he quickly unfurled.
Greetings from Jing’er, it’s been over a year since I’ve been away from home. I hope Father and Brothers are in good health. I am doing well in the immortal sect, having condensed the Azure Essence Chakra, and am hopeful of condensing the Jade Capital Chakra next. I am also showing great progress in swordsmanship...
Senior Brother Xiao Yuansi, who is now at the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation Realm and excels in alchemy, is kind and considerate. Should you face any dilemmas at home, feel free to seek his counsel. I’ll compensate him upon his return...
I’m also sending a jade slip containing the Profound Water Sword Technique along with this letter. I have also learned several other spells, but they are the sect’s legacies and cannot be shared with outsiders. However, this particular sword technique, given by Senior Brother, can be shared. It is not hard to learn and can be used for self-defense at home.
I've heard about the Golden Tang Gate’s frequent border provocations. For now, it’s best to remain patient. I’ve requested Senior Brother to speak with the cultivators guarding Lixia Prefecture. Should any issues arise at home, use the jade seal to seek help...
Don’t worry, I’m quite comfortable here in the immortal sect. Cultivating here is more effective than on Mount Dali. How are things at home? Is Xuanxuan behaving? Is there anything unusual happening at home? Looking forward to your reply.
As Li Xiangping finished reading the letter, a wave of emotion overcame him. With tears glistening in his eyes, he cupped his fist at Xiao Yuansi and said, “I apologize for keeping you waiting, Immortal Master.”
Xiao Yuansi smiled and waved his hand dismissively. He set a jade slip on the mahogany table and reassured, “No apologies needed. This is something my junior brother entrusted me to deliver.”
Li Tongya came forward to collect the jade slip, while Xiao Yuansi kindly added, “If there are any troubles or uncertainties at home, please don’t hesitate to bring them up.”
Li Tongya and Li Xiangping exchanged a glance, then spoke simultaneously. “There is something we’re uncertain about, Immortal Master. Would you kindly follow us?”
The brothers led the way up a stone path winding through the mountainside courtyard. Soon, they arrived at a huge curtain fig tree, lush with foliage.
They circled to the back of the tree and a smaller tree bearing five unique fruits came into view.
“Hm?” Xiao Yuansi studied the tree intently.
Conjuring a spell, his hands emitted a white glow. He reached out, gently examining a fruit and its leaves.
After a moment, he shared his insights, “These are Snake Dragon Fruits. Typically, a tree bears six fruits. They mature from top to bottom, with the highest fruit ripening first. When the first fruit is ripe, it will have to be plucked before the one below it will continue to ripe.
Each fruit ripens every five years. Judging by the color of the highest fruit, it appears that the last one was harvested over four years ago. That means this one is nearly ripe.”
Xiao Yuansi pulled the lowest branch apart and as expected, he discovered a small, tender green fruit. That was the newly emerged sixth fruit.
After hearing his explanation carefully, Li Tongya respectfully asked, “What does this fruit do?”
Xiao Yuansi replied, “We cultivate dozens of such plants in the Azure Pond Sect. It takes centuries for a golden fruit to appear, which seeds a new plant. The red Snake Dragon Fruits are mainly used to make Snake Essence Pills. They are rewards for meritorious disciples to speed up their cultivation progress in the Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivation Realms.”
Li Tongya and Li Xiangping shared a look of surprise. The Li Family was resource-strapped and lacked an alchemist. Despite their years of cultivation, they had never consumed a pill.
Noticing their troubled expressions, Xiao Yuansi offered a solution with a light chuckle, “Eating this fruit raw could potentially shorten the time it takes for one person to condense a Meridian Nourishment.”
Observing Li Tongya and Li Xiangping’s hesitant expressions, Xiao Yuansi swiftly grasped their unspoken request and offered, “I can assist you by crafting pills from this fruit. Given my current proficiency in alchemy, I should be able to yield seven or eight Snake Essence Pills. According to tradition, you’ll get six pills while I get to keep the extras.”
Li Tongya and Li Xiangping quickly expressed their gratitude, visibly relieved and happy. Xiao Yuansi then patted one of the silk pouches at his waist and deftly summoned a jade box.
He channeled a surge of mana to his fingers, then delicately detached the Snake Dragon Fruit and gently dropped it into the jade box.
“Using jade containers for harvesting special herbs and fruits is crucial for preserving the spiritual essence, and using mana for picking prevents damage to the fruit,” Xiao Yuansi explained as he skillfully harvested the fruits.
“We’ll make the pills tomorrow!” he announced. When he patted the silk pouch on his waist again, the jade box instantly vanished from his hand.
The brothers watched his every movement in awe and envy.
Stowing the jade box away safely, Xiao Yuansi smiled and asked, “Is there anything else you need help with?”
“Thank you, Immortal Master!” Li Xiangping and Li Tongya expressed their gratitude first, then presented a leather scroll to Xiao Yuansi.
Xiao Yuansi accepted the leather scroll, untied the white rope, and unrolled it.
“Misty Barrier Formation?” he asked after examining the content.