Chapter 241: Paying Respects to the Venerable One
As they continued their tour, Ji Xinglan suddenly stopped in front of a small courtyard. "Junior brother, look over there. That's the spiritual plant I've been cultivating," he said, pointing toward the courtyard.
"This is…"
Following Ji Xinglan's gesture, Gu Mo saw a small tree. Though small in size, its leaves were large, and upon them ran intricate and mysterious patterns.
Seeing Gu Mo's interest, Ji Xinglan pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard, for this was his own cave-dwelling within the secret realm.
Every true disciple had a cave and a spiritual field here in the secret realm. The grade of the dwelling and field could be adjusted—at the highest, they could reach fourth rank, while at the lowest, the aura of an area could be completely dispersed to suit the cultivation of unusual spiritual plants.
"This is a Leaf Escape Talisman I cultivated," Ji Xinglan said, plucking a leaf and handing it to Gu Mo. "I don't have much to give you, so take this as a gift to congratulate you on becoming a true disciple."
"Thank you, senior brother!"
Gu Mo accepted the leaf with both hands, inwardly filled with astonishment. To directly grow talismanic inscriptions upon a spiritual plant—what an unrestrained idea! And Ji Xinglan had actually achieved it.
The Leaf Escape Talisman allowed the user to conceal themselves by entering into the leaf itself, thereby hiding their presence. It was essentially a simplified version of the trace of Wood Escape profundity Gu Mo himself had comprehended.
Gu Mo's trace of Wood Escape allowed him to meld into all manner of vegetation, while this talisman only allowed entry into its own leaf. Its range was far more limited, yet the effect was similar.
If Gu Mo had not already grasped a trace of Wood Escape, this talisman would be a precious life-preserving tool. In danger, one could slip into the leaf, and as long as the enemy had not locked onto their position, they could escape safely.
"Hahaha, just a small trifle," Ji Xinglan said with a wave of his hand. In front of Gu Mo, he dared not boast—after all, which of the plants Gu Mo cultivated was not superior to his?
"Come on, let's go to the secret realm's stele and leave your aura there," Ji Xinglan said, leading the group deeper into the valley.
Along the way, they passed several courtyards—the cave-dwellings of other true disciples. Elders also had the right to enter the secret realm, but their dwellings were outside.
The reason only true disciples resided in the secret realm was because the sect had suffered losses in the past. Long ago, true disciples cultivated in leaf-houses upon the fifth-rank ancient tree.
But after a true disciple was ambushed and killed, Shennong Valley had moved its true disciples into the secret realm for safety. After all, the security here was far greater.
For a Nascent Soul elder, it was nearly impossible to be caught off guard. The dwellings on the fifth-rank ancient tree were more than sufficient for their cultivation, and remaining outside also allowed them to respond immediately should the sect face danger.
"Senior brother, why are those courtyards empty?" Gu Mo asked in puzzlement.
"They're all cultivating in the Lotus Ponds of Nourishment," Ji Xinglan replied without surprise. For true disciples, unless they were researching spiritual plants or occupied otherwise, they would not stay in their dwellings.
Though the dwellings were rich in aura, they could not compare to the nourishing lotus, which simultaneously strengthened body and cultivation. Since cultivators devoted most of their time to training, most true disciples spent their days in the lotus ponds.
Cultivation was the foundation of all.
Before long, Ji Xinglan led them to a stele. This was the hub of the secret realm—once they left their aura upon it, they could freely enter and exit.
With that, Ji Xinglan's task was complete.
But Gu Mo and the others still had one far more important matter ahead: to pay respects to Shennong Valley's Nascent Soul Patriarch, the Venerable Qing.
Every new true disciple or elder was summoned by Venerable Qing. But sometimes her seclusion lasted many years, so the timing varied.
This time, Venerable Qing had emerged to oversee the upcoming Heavenly Chosen Battle, and so had time to summon Gu Mo, Qi Chunde, and Xiaohua.
They were also the only new true disciples and elder to appear in recent years. The True Inheritance Competition of Shennong Valley was held every few years, but those who truly succeeded were few and far between—sometimes several sessions passed with no new true disciples at all.
As for the birth of a Nascent Soul elder, that was measured in decades, even centuries. For both Xiaohua and Qi Chunde to break through within a few short years was rare indeed in the sect's history.
After parting with Ji Xinglan, Gu Mo and his companions pressed deeper into the valley, where the Venerable Qing's dwelling lay.
For true disciples to cultivate beside a Nascent Soul patriarch's cave-dwelling meant absolute safety.
Following a small path, the three soon came to a wooden hut. There, Gu Mo saw a beautiful woman, wreathed in the fragrance of grass and wood, wearing a thorned laurel crown upon her head.
"Greetings, Patriarch!"
The three bowed low. As disciples of Shennong Valley, they naturally addressed their Nascent Soul Venerable as Patriarch.
"Not bad."
Venerable Qing's gaze swept over the three, and a rare smile touched her lips. After all, before her stood a unique spiritual plant demon king, a genius who had forged his own path of cultivation, and another who had shone brilliantly in the Heavenly Chosen Battle.
With a gentle wave, three streaks of light fell into their hands. They were three leaves—but not ordinary ones. These were Shennong Valley's unique transmission leaves, used to record techniques and secret arts.
"This is the highest inheritance of Shennong Valley—the Shennong Compendium of a Hundred Herbs," Venerable Qing said. Whether true disciple or elder, all had reached the stage where they were qualified to cultivate this supreme scripture.
Of course, qualification was one thing; truly entering its mysteries was another. Only a small few in the sect ever managed to enter the sutra.
"Begin your comprehension now. If you encounter questions, you may ask," Venerable Qing said warmly. The transmission leaves of the sutra could not be taken out of the secret realm—comprehension could only be done here.
Hearing this, Qi Chunde and Xiaohua hurried to study the leaves. To have a Nascent Soul Patriarch personally guiding them was an invaluable opportunity.
Gu Mo too picked up the transmission leaf. Though he already possessed the complete sutra from the cave-heaven ruins, the leaves here contained Venerable Qing's insights. Even if it was only half the sutra, her understanding was profound, and thus of immense value to him.
The only pity was that Gu Mo had sworn never to pass on the complete sutra he had obtained.
Carefully studying Venerable Qing's insights upon the leaf, many of his own doubts were suddenly resolved, and his comprehension of the sutra advanced another step.
And so, several days slipped by unnoticed.
"Hmm?"
In meditation, Venerable Qing suddenly opened her eyes, gaze resting on Xiaohua. Just now, she had sensed the pure wood-force unique to the Shennong Hundred Herbs sutra.
"Could it be… she has already entered?"
Venerable Qing could hardly believe it. In just a few days' time, to already step into the sutra's threshold—such speed was astonishing. She had not held much hope that Xiaohua would ever enter it at all.
After all, Xiaohua was a spirit-plant demon king, while the Shennong Compendium of a Hundred Herbs was a cultivation method for human cultivators. The two were completely incompatible, yet the result was that Xiaohua had actually managed to get started in such a short time.
This was truly shocking to Elder Qing, though when he considered Xiaohua's mysterious origins—even he could not see through her. It was clear that Xiaohua's secrets were by no means small.
Although his curiosity was intense, Elder Qing suppressed the thought of probing into Xiaohua. Every cultivator had their own secrets. Even if it was a junior disciple, those secrets could not be investigated at will.
Unless there was proof that a disciple might be a demonic sect spy, only then would the sect investigate. Without such evidence, the sect would not conduct a forced probe.
After all, the matter was extremely sensitive. A sect that casually investigated disciples' secrets could never last long.
That Shennong Valley had risen to become a top-tier sect was naturally due in part to being extremely careful in this regard.
"Xiaohua, have you managed to enter the path?"
Since he could not investigate directly, Elder Qing asked outright.
"I… I don't know!" Xiaohua said with a troubled expression. While comprehending the Shennong Herbal sutra she had found herself turned into a small flower, parasitic on a huge, towering tree. From that tree, Xiaohua sensed a special current of power flowing. She simply mimicked that flow of power.
"A tree that knows the Shennong Herbal sutra?"
Elder Qing was baffled by her description. The Shennong Herbal sutra was said to be left behind by the legendary Shennong himself. Could it be that the tree Xiaohua spoke of was connected to that ancient sage?
"Mm… Xiaohua, would you be willing to take me as your master?" Elder Qing, after pondering for a moment, finally asked.
Xiaohua's situation was far too unusual. The tree she sensed that could use the Shennong herbal sutra—did it perhaps conceal the complete version of the sutra? If so, Xiaohua's importance to Shennong Valley would be beyond measure.
"Ah? But I already have a master." Xiaohua shook her head at once. It was Hou Chunyu who had discovered her and raised her. Xiaohua's feelings toward Hou Chunyu ran very deep.
At present, only Gu Mo could shake Hou Chunyu's place in Xiaohua's heart, and even then, it was only a shake—he had not yet replaced him.
"Ahem! Senior Sister Xiaohua, you're already a demon king. You've graduated—you can take another master."
Qi Chunde, who had just finished his own cultivation, overheard that the Patriarch wanted to accept a disciple. When he realized Senior Sister Xiaohua was about to refuse, he grew anxious. To become the disciple of a Nascent Soul Patriarch was the dream of countless cultivators.
Even their master would be delighted to know of this.
"That's right, that's right."
Gu Mo also chimed in. Xiaohua taking Elder Qing as master would absolutely be a great blessing. With a Nascent Soul Patriarch's protection, who would dare bully Xiaohua?
(And making her deliver packages didn't count as bullying—he had paid her properly for that service.)
"Then… Xiaohua greets Master!"
Persuaded by Qi Chunde and Gu Mo—especially after Gu Mo hinted that if she bowed, he would prepare a gift—Xiaohua finally agreed.
It was absolutely not because she coveted the gift Gu Mo had promised.
"Good, good, good!"
Receiving Xiaohua's formal bow, Elder Qing nodded in satisfaction. To nurture Xiaohua was to potentially retrieve the complete Shennong herbal sutra—an event that could reshape the very future of Shennong Valley.
Even if not, Xiaohua's ability to enter the sutra in such a short time proved her extremely high affinity with the sect's supreme inheritance. Her future accomplishments would not be weak.
"This matter must not be spread."
Elder Qing turned his gaze toward Qi Chunde and Gu Mo. The acceptance of a disciple by a Nascent Soul Patriarch was normally a momentous event, often celebrated with a grand ceremony.
But Elder Qing did not want Xiaohua to draw too much attention. If the demonic sect learned that Xiaohua might be able to complete the Shennong herbal sutra, it would certainly draw their Nascent Soul experts to strike.
"Yes!"
Gu Mo and Qi Chunde both nodded at once.
"How are your own comprehensions progressing?" Elder Qing turned to ask about their cultivation.
"Barely entered the path," the two of them answered almost in unison.
Gu Mo had long since entered the Shennong herbal sutra. Now, with Elder Qing's insights, he had risen to a higher level. But this could not be revealed. With Xiaohua as precedent, another case of "entry" would not seem so strange.
What he had not expected was that Qi Chunde had also managed to barely enter. His entry, however, was truly "barely." Relying on the Myriad Laws Tree, Qi Chunde was essentially equivalent to possessing a Wood Heavenly Spiritual Root.
And what was a Heavenly Spiritual Root? That meant a 100% wood attribute spirit root—something human cultivators could never achieve. Yet the Myriad Laws Tree, fusing countless spiritual plants' powers, was Qi Chunde's very foundation. Thus, in theory, Qi Chunde possessed the innate talent of a Wood Heavenly Root.
This allowed him to cultivate nearly any method or secret art with ease—for the Myriad Laws Tree encompassed all laws.
"W-what!"
Elder Qing's composure cracked for a moment. Having one Xiaohua was shocking enough, but to think there were two such prodigies!
"This must not be disclosed. In the future, if you have any questions in your cultivation, you may come to me." After a long silence, Elder Qing spoke.
As for taking on another disciple—that was impossible. These two were already master and disciple, with their own line of inheritance. He could not intervene further.
But since the sect had such gifted disciples, Elder Qing would of course extend them some favor—such as personal guidance in cultivation.
"Thank you, Patriarch!"
At this, both Gu Mo and Qi Chunde rejoiced inwardly. To be able to consult a Nascent Soul Patriarch was a fortune beyond measure.
"By the way, bring me the Spirit-Stone Meditation Cushion you obtained in the Heavenly Chosen Battle," Elder Qing suddenly said to Gu Mo.
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