Chapter 99: Returning to the Sect
Tonight was the last day at Spirit Flower Valley. Everything that needed to be prepared had already been packed. Gu Qingqing and Sheng Yun, the two girls, had gone to town together to buy some flower tea and pastries to bring back to the sect.
Previously, she had bought some at the Flower Festival with Yan Xun, intending to bring them back to Granny Qin.
Song Yan sat in the courtyard, enjoying the tranquility.
He truly loved this small courtyard.
“The cave dwellings in the sect are rich in spiritual energy, but after living there for a long time, it always feels suffocating, doesn’t it?”
Xiao He sat on the ground, doing something. Hearing Song Yan speak to her, she nodded blankly.
She had lived in caves since she was young, so it didn’t seem much different.
“I heard that once you enter the inner sect, the cave dwellings come with their own small courtyards.”
She was quite envious.
*Ding…*
A message talisman sounded from outside the gate.
Song Yan walked out of the courtyard.
To his surprise, the visitor was Liang Feng.
“Fellow Daoist Song, I apologize for the disturbance.”
He was somewhat surprised.
He had expected this person to be under strict guard.
But soon, he noticed the reason.
It was a numbness that, while still showing signs of life, radiated a faint sense of death from his entire being.
Liang Feng’s cultivation had fallen from the tenth level of Qi Refining to the sixth level of Qi Refining.
And his spiritual energy was unstable, barely maintaining even the sixth level.
His hair had turned somewhat white.
Although his face still wore a faint smile, the sense of helpless desolation was something even an ordinary person could likely perceive.
“Fellow Daoist Liang.”
Truthfully, the two of them were not particularly close.
But after a brief thought, he still welcomed him inside.
He poured a cup of flower tea.
To Liang Feng’s surprise, Song Yan spoke first.
“Brother Liang, I have heard everything about your situation. In the future… do you have any plans?”
This person had always given Liang Feng a very peculiar impression.
At first, he had only thought this person was perceptive, seemingly able to see through his unusual state.
Then, in the forest leading into the valley, he had produced another lotus seed, destroying both his and the yellow-robed man’s schemes.
Now, facing him—this sinner who had betrayed Spirit Flower Valley and had dealings with demonic cultivators—he acted as if nothing had happened…
Perhaps this was the reason why, before leaving this valley where he had lived for decades, he still clung to one final sliver of hope to come see him.
“What… plans could I possibly have?”
Liang Feng gave a bitter laugh. Though it seemed desolate, it actually carried a hint more relief than when he had first entered the courtyard.
“Actually, I had long foreseen that this day would come…”
“To be honest, outside of North Watch Mountain, I had already found a secluded place.”
“Spiritually blessed, and rarely visited by anyone.”
“I had originally thought…”
Liang Feng suddenly shook his head and did not continue.
“I never expected that I could actually survive.”
Song Yan simply drank his tea and listened.
“This is for the best. My wife and I are both lovers of flowers. In that secluded valley, we can plant some flowers and herbs, and I can take care of her for the rest of her life.”
“With my cultivation dispersed this time, I have no hope of ever reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime.”
“Having been expelled from Spirit Flower Valley, I am spared from having to rush about everywhere, which actually gives me more time to stay by her side.”
Song Yan nodded.
Liang Feng had walked through the boundary between life and death several times this round.
It was hardly surprising that he had grown indifferent to worldly matters.
“…”
After Liang Feng finished speaking, he fell silent. The two of them drank their flower tea.
The atmosphere in the courtyard sank into a momentary silence.
After another pause, Liang Feng set down his teacup.
His eyes were still filled with despair, but seemed to carry something else faintly within.
He looked at Song Yan. “Fellow Daoist Song, that Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed…”
“It was fake.”
The words left Song Yan’s lips before he could think.
The glimmer of hope that had been gradually appearing in Liang Feng’s eyes suddenly extinguished.
“…”
Of course. How could it be real?
After all these years of research, how could he still harbor such idle daydreams?
It was not only meaningless, but it also disturbed the other person’s peace.
He laughed at himself self-deprecatingly, about to rise and take his leave.
But then he saw a flash of spiritual light at Song Yan’s fingertips as a sound-isolating formation slowly spread outward.
“Brother Liang…”
Song Yan suddenly spoke.
Liang Feng’s eyes widened slightly. He felt an incredible hope taking root and sprouting in his heart once more. “But if it were real…”
“What would you do?”
Song Yan looked into his eyes. “You can only answer once.”
Liang Feng was silent for several breaths. He felt his heart suddenly regain its vitality, pounding vigorously, and his gaze turned clear.
“Although it may take a long time, I am confident that I can make it grow more and more!”
Song Yan frowned. “How is that possible? Can a single ancient lotus not only produce one lotus seed?”
Liang Feng shook his head. “The Hundred Flowers Manual’s descriptions of various spiritual flowers are all based on existing situations and hearsay.”
“Stimulating a withered seed to grow into an ancient lotus can theoretically produce flowers and lotus seeds.”
“But due to inherent deficiencies, even theoretically, it can only produce a single lotus seed.”
“But if the seed itself is a Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed used as the spiritual seed, then it is completely different…”
Song Yan found this somewhat peculiar and temporarily interrupted him. “If you truly had such an ability, why would Spirit Flower Valley not let you cultivate additional seeds from that mature spiritual seed?”
The moment he finished asking, he had already realized the answer himself.
Liang Feng smiled bitterly.
An entire valley of cultivators, an entire valley of spiritual flowers and plants…
Even if they knew that “spiritual pearl” was a Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed, how could they possibly be willing to take such a great risk and let him attempt something like that…
“The time frame?”
Liang Feng answered without hesitation. “Three years! The Moon-Sustaining Ancient Lotus does not require much spiritual energy. As long as there is sufficient vitality, it grows to maturity very quickly.”
Compared to many rare spiritual plants and materials, this speed was indeed very fast.
“One last question.”
Song Yan looked at him. “What would you need to do to make me believe you?”
Unable to conceal his excitement and anticipation, Liang Feng took out a jade bottle containing small insects from a small pouch.
They were a pair of pale yellow insects—one slightly larger, one slightly smaller. The larger one curled around the smaller one protectively.
A jolt of surprise ran through his heart.
Mother-and-Child Heart-Linked Worms.
Without hesitation, Liang Feng used his spiritual energy to extract the small insects, then handed the bottle containing the mother worm into Song Yan’s hand.
Song Yan couldn’t help but feel somewhat surprised. “You had already prepared this?”
“Of course.”
Liang Feng smiled freely. “This is probably the only opportunity I will ever have in this lifetime.”
Song Yan nodded upon hearing this.
The moonlight in his palm was no longer concealed.
Liang Feng swallowed the small insect without hesitation.
…
The next day, Lu Ziye brought the three outer sect disciples to bid farewell to the Sun-Shooting Sect members.
“Senior Cong, thank you for your care during this visit.”
Cong Yuzhen shook her head. “I had originally invited you here to enjoy the flowers and have fun. I never expected so much to happen. I can hardly accept your thanks for my care.”
After spending this time together, everyone had grown quite familiar with this Senior Cong Yuzhen.
Though her emotions remained calm and unperturbed, for some reason she loved to crack jokes.
“Brother Yesheng, come visit the Sun-Shooting Sect when you have the chance!”
“I certainly will!”
Song Yan laughed heartily. “Cultivate well. When the time comes, let’s have a friendly spar between us siblings at Dragon Pool Mountain.”
“As far as I know, outer sect disciples from the six major sects cannot participate in the Nine Veins Grand Competition at Dragon Pool Mountain, can they?”
Since the Night Incident at Wang Lake, Cheng Yu had rarely appeared in public. Today, he had finally shown up.
Unfortunately, the moment he opened his mouth, his words were utterly unpleasant.
He hadn’t been seen for several days. Song Yan had thought Sheng Nian might have seized an opportunity to eliminate him…
A Nian really was…
So slow in his actions.
“Fellow Daoist Song would do better to focus on cultivation. Within three to five years, first advance to the late stage of Qi Refining…”
“Cheng Yu…”
Unexpectedly, Cong Yuzhen spoke up. “How are you any better than he is?”
Cheng Yu was caught off guard and unable to respond. “This disciple…”
“Were it not for your parents’ protection, could you have entered the inner sect by now?”
“This disciple… this disciple acknowledges his mistake.”
Cheng Yu’s face flushed red. He had not expected his own sect’s senior to rebuke him.
Cong Yuzhen looked toward Song Yan. “Don’t take it to heart.”
“It’s fine.”
He also had not expected this senior from the opposing sect to speak on his behalf.
Cong Yuzhen and Lu Ziye exchanged a few more pleasantries.
The two parties then boarded their respective spirit vessels and departed.
“Let’s go!”
“Back to the sect!”