Chapter 78 Jade Cloud 3: The Twin Peaks of Frost
Xu Xing has recently been learning how to cultivate various spiritual herbs and medicines at the Spirit Plant Garden. Since she acquired a medicine valley five years ago, she has been thinking about growing some medicinal herbs herself, but perhaps her talent hasn't been applied to farming. She can only gather them, not plant them.
After wasting a lot of seeds, Xu Xing resigned himself to his fate and went to the Spirit Plant Garden to learn from the masters.
Compared to other places in the Jade Cloud Sect, the Spirit Plant Garden was probably Xu Xing's favorite place. The planters and collectors here were all very laid-back. They would only move when someone came to buy spirit herbs, but if no one came, they could be engrossed in digging herbs and catching insects all day long.
Moreover, regardless of whether you are an inner or outer disciple, they treat you the same and don't really pay attention to you.
At first, Xu Xing was refused when she wanted to learn how to cultivate spiritual herbs. However, after discovering that several senior brothers and sisters from the Spiritual Plant Garden often went to Liujin Street for a feast, she roasted Moon Rabbit meat outside the Spiritual Plant Garden for three days in a row. Finally, she managed to persuade one of the gluttonous senior brothers to give in and allow her to learn from him.
Six months ago, while she was busy loosening the soil, she met a very kind senior sister. The two of them took care of the spiritual herbs together for a while and were both alchemists, so they became acquainted.
"What's wrong? You've been distracted all day. You've already broken the roots of this golden ginseng twice. If it breaks again, it won't be able to be reattached."
Zhu Fangyun rescued the poor golden-tailed ginseng from Xu Xing's hands.
Xu Xing put down the shovel. "It's nothing, just that my senior brother has come out of seclusion."
"Is that the golden-root sword cultivator senior brother you keep talking about? Isn't that a good thing? Why are you looking so worried?"
"I think my senior brother has been acting a bit strange lately; he doesn't seem to want to talk to me."
Xu Xing was a little depressed. After her senior brother left that day, she didn't know where he went. She hadn't seen him for several days. She could still catch a glimpse of him from time to time when he was in seclusion, but now that he had come out of seclusion, she couldn't see him anymore.
If Xu Xing didn't know his senior brother's temperament, he would almost suspect that he was avoiding him.
It turns out she was just thinking like a young girl; she's still too young.
Zhu Fangyun chuckled lightly, "Sword cultivators are all like that, with strange tempers, quite annoying."
“No way!!” Xu Xing immediately retorted, “My senior brother isn’t like that, he’s a good person.”
“Alright,” Zhu Fangyun shrugged, “another girl captivated by a swordsman. If you give him your newly refined Gold-Melting Pill, he’ll be delighted.”
The Melting Gold Pill is extremely suitable for cultivators with the Golden Spirit Root, and the Golden Tail Ginseng is one of the ingredients for the Melting Gold Pill. However, it is exceptionally delicate, and Xu Xing spent many days learning how to cultivate it, and finally managed to grow quite a few in his own medicinal field.
Thinking that he hadn't found a chance to give the dozens of Gold-Melting Pills in his bag to his senior brother, Xu Xing lost interest in taking care of the spiritual herbs. He hurriedly said goodbye to Senior Sister Yun and rushed back to Xuanjian Peak.
Zhu Fangyun smiled slightly as he watched her hurried figure disappear into the distance.
At this moment, a disciple from the shadows stepped forward and whispered, "Dean Zhu, today is the day of the Five Elements Trial for the disciples of the Immortal Dao Academy. Elder Ning invites you to come and watch."
In previous years, Zhu Fangyun never set foot in the Immortal Dao Academy, but when she thought that Xu Xing, such a genius in alchemy, had become a disciple of a sword cultivator without her knowledge, Zhu Fangyun felt that it was still necessary to go to the Immortal Dao Academy to see if she could discover a few promising talents in alchemy.
But she also knew that it was impossible to find another person as talented as Xu Xing...
"This year's batch of disciples is quite good. Although some of them with four spiritual roots have slightly lower aptitude, they cultivate very diligently and are not much behind those with three spiritual roots."
Inside the Immortal Academy, the disciples were undergoing their second year of the Five Elements Trial. Ning Wenbin watched the disciples' performance on the light screen with approval in his eyes.
"Thanks to Elder Ning's courageous decision to make a decisive move, after the Demon Blood Incident he ordered a major overhaul of the Immortal Dao Academy, which has yielded remarkable results."
Immediately, a cultivator who was also observing the trial spoke up in praise, which drew echoes from the crowd.
Ning Wenbin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was quite pleased. He wasn't seeking fame or recognition, but the changes at the Immortal Academy could at least make up for some of the negative impact of the Demon Blood incident back then, and he would be able to face the sect leader in the future.
"In fact, the outer disciples have performed quite well in recent years. The number of disciples entering the Foundation Establishment stage is increasing year by year. When the sect leader comes out of seclusion, he will surely be satisfied to see such a thriving scene in Yuxiao."
"I've heard that this is related to a medicine shop that sells Foundation Establishment Pills at low prices?"
"That's right. The Foundation Establishment Pills sold at that shop are half the price of those at the Pill Pavilion. Many Qi Refining disciples can afford them even after saving for several years. That's why more disciples have successfully established their foundations."
"Ultimately, the path of cultivation has always been half hard work and half resources..."
That's natural. How many people with mediocre talent have gotten lucky and become high-level cultivators overnight? Hard work is indeed a steady and reliable method, but if one could reach the top in one step, who would be willing to work hard?
Even those who have reached the Nascent Soul or Deity Transformation stages would risk their lives for opportunities, which shows how important resources are to cultivators.
"The other day, the manager of Dan Pavilion was complaining to me that his income had been low in recent years because the other shop sold their products too cheaply. They had to lower their prices as well. But alchemists don't have an easy time making pills, so in the end, Dan Pavilion's prices were still 30% higher. No wonder their business is not as good as the other shop's."
"But who exactly is behind that shop? I've heard it's related to the mysteriously appearing Li Shuang Peak from the inner sect?"
"You mean that disciple named Xu Xing? She also went to the Inner Sect Spirit Inquiry Meeting before. It's not bad that someone with five spiritual roots could reach the Foundation Establishment stage. However, I absolutely do not believe that the alchemist is her."
Ning Wenbin listened to the discussion, smiling but remaining silent. He knew that the Peak Master of Li Shuang Peak was a Sword Venerable who lived in seclusion in the Yu Xiao Sect, but she had remained anonymous since arriving at the sect hundreds of years ago, and he had never been able to meet her. This time, he didn't know why she had suddenly brought Li Shuang Peak into the public eye and even accepted two disciples. He was afraid that he would only have a chance to find out when the Sect Master came out of seclusion.
Jia Xinhong kept his eyes on the light screen. Seeing that the topic had already shifted to Xu Xing, a young disciple he had high hopes for, he couldn't help but gently remind him, "Today is the Five Elements Trial. I would appreciate it if you fellow Daoists could observe the disciples' performance and offer some guidance."
"..."
Upon hearing Jia Xinhong speak, the high-level cultivators looked at him with disdain. A mere Golden Core cultivator—if it weren't for Elder Ning's favor, who would have the right to speak here? And yet he managed to slip through the cracks and become the vice-dean… truly…
A cultivator surnamed Liu from the outer sect ignored Jia Xinhong and sneered to himself, "Heh, I saw it clearly at the Spirit Inquiry Gathering that day. That disciple used magic artifacts the whole time, which shows that he has no real skills. He even blew up the Spirit Inquiry Platform. He's just a show-off."
"Is that so? How is using a magic weapon considered a lack of skill? If that's the case, why don't you give me your magic weapon, Fellow Daoist Liu? I'd be willing to be the 'incompetent' one."
A clear voice came from behind; Zhu Fangyun's voice arrived before he did.
"Master Zhu is joking..."
Liu Xiushi, who had belittled Xu Xing, looked rather unpleasant, but dared not lash out at Zhu Fangyun.
He is the only eighth-level alchemist in the Jade Cloud Sect and the dean of the Alchemy Academy. He is not someone that can be offended.
Ning Wenbin seemed oblivious to the earlier verbal sparring. "Thank you for gracing me with your presence, Master Zhu. This way, please."
After Zhu Fangyun sat down next to him, Ning Wenbin glanced at everyone and smiled as he smoothed things over, "Xin Hong is right. Let's continue to observe the disciples' performance in the trials."
While others might not know, he was certain that Xu Xing was indeed a third-tier alchemist, and possibly even a third-tier weapon refiner. He wondered what expressions these self-important individuals would have if they knew that a disciple with only the Foundation Establishment stage and five spiritual roots was not only skilled in both alchemy and weapon crafting but had also reached the third tier in both.
She had already become Fu Shuang's disciple and a student of Li Shuang Peak, so why did Zhu Fangyun still frequently visit the Spirit Plant Garden to approach Xu Xing? She even concealed her identity...
Ning Wenbin glanced at Zhu Fangyun, who had a calm expression, stroked his long beard, and smiled slightly.
He was also very curious about what secrets Xu Xing, this disciple, held.
Meanwhile, Xu Xing, who had become a hot topic of discussion, excitedly arrived at the quiet room at the top of Xuanjian Peak with the Melting Gold Pill, looking for Shen Du.
“Fellow Daoist Shen, I have already checked the cultivators who appeared near the Guixu Secret Realm that day, but I did not find the person you described. Perhaps I have missed someone. I will do my best to find him.”
In the quiet room, Shen Du silently looked at the message sent by Mei Zihan. The day he left Shuiyun Xiandu, he had asked Mei Zihan to help him find Feng Zhun's whereabouts, but to no avail.
Could it be that he really misread it?
But Shen Du knew even better that for a cultivator with keen eyesight and hearing, the possibility of "misreading" was extremely low. The more likely scenario was that Senior Feng Zhun was not really dead. But why didn't he return to the Jade Cloud Sect? And why did he appear near the Guixu Secret Realm?
He had considered telling Feng Ling, but he had no proof, and Feng Ling had always disliked him, so he probably wouldn't believe him. After all, everyone had witnessed Feng Zhun being devoured by the demonic beast...
"Senior brother! Senior brother, are you there?"
As Chen Du was deep in thought, he suddenly heard Xu Xing's voice outside. He subconsciously stood up to greet him, but stopped abruptly at the door. A slight bitterness spread through his heart. His junior sister...
"Senior brother? Strange, senior brother isn't here again?"
Xu Xing was puzzled. He hadn't seen his senior brother all day. His senior brother had just come out of seclusion. Where had he gone?
Shen Du stood behind the door, waiting quietly, thinking that Xu Xing would leave soon after discovering he was not there, but he heard a rustling sound, as if she had squatted down outside the door.
Shen Du felt that he shouldn't get too close to his junior sister anymore. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to control his feelings and that his junior sister would find out, making their situation awkward. But he couldn't bear to leave Xu Xing waiting outside the door.
Xu Xing had just taken a small stool out of his backpack and sat down outside the door when he heard a creak and the door opened.
"Excuse me, I was meditating just now. What brings you here?"
Xu Xing immediately jumped up, excitedly saying, "Senior brother, didn't you just finish your seclusion? Why are you meditating again?"
She had originally intended to give the pill to her senior brother, but now, seeing his face, she couldn't help but want to spend more time with him. The words that came out were, "How about we go for a stroll down Flowing Gold Street together?"
Shen Du pursed his lips slightly, somewhat hesitant, but when he looked down and saw Xu Xing's bright eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"……good."
“Senior brother, in the past three years, our alchemy and artifact shop has grown quite a bit! Two years ago, the shop next door closed down, so I rented it, and now it's doubled in size! There are quite a few alchemists who consign their pills here, but there are always some who try to cheat us out of their mediocre quality. Luckily, Aunt Lian and the others check very carefully, and we've never had any problems…”
Xu Xing didn't know what was wrong with her. After her senior brother came out of seclusion, she couldn't help but want to talk to him more. Just seeing him made her very happy. Unfortunately, her senior brother seemed to be very busy. These past two days, he had been elusive and rarely seen.
Liujin Street is a popular spot for many disciples of the Jade Cloud Sect, especially the outer disciples, and it is always bustling with activity.
Upon seeing Chen Du, many disciples greeted him with great respect. Although no one tried to get close to him, the situation of everyone avoiding him in the past was no longer present.
Even after walking quite a distance, Xu Xing could still hear several young disciples discussing in what they thought was a quiet conversation.
"That's Senior Brother Chen Du? I heard he attracted heavenly lightning when he advanced to the Golden Core stage!"
“It’s him. Senior Brother Shen was already a standout among his peers when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage. I’ve long felt that he would be extraordinary in the future, so it’s not surprising that he could attract the Heavenly Thunder from the Nine Heavens.”
"Wow, amazing! Senior Brother Shen seems to have been in seclusion all this time; this is the first time I've ever seen him..."
Shen Du remained calm, only giving a distant and polite nod to the disciples. Xu Xing, however, was very pleased. Indeed, time would prove everything; his senior brother was not some unlucky person with a cursed destiny.
To Xu Xing's surprise, quite a few people greeted her.
She used to habitually wear a hood that obscured her face when entering and leaving the shops on Liujin Street, but this time, without any attempt to conceal herself, quite a few people recognized her.
Xu Xing was unaware that her meteoric rise from a disciple with only five spiritual roots to an inner disciple of Frost Peak was once a topic of much discussion among the outer disciples.
Although few people had heard of Li Shuangfeng before, the inner sect is the inner sect. Even those with five spiritual roots can enter, so wouldn't those with four or three spiritual roots also have a chance?
There are many critics, but there are even more people who envy Xu Xing and want to befriend her. It's just that Xu Xing doesn't show up much, and Xuanjian Peak and Lishuang Peak don't accept invitations from others, otherwise their mountain gates would probably be overrun by enthusiastic disciples.
"Xu Xu, you've arrived?" Upon seeing Xu Xing's figure in the distance, Xi Yun immediately came out to greet her. Seeing Shen Du beside her, she respectfully greeted him, "Senior Brother Shen."
Now, Xi Yun and his brother Xi Feng both work in Xu Xing's shop. They are diligent and meticulous in their work, and have quickly risen to the position of manager, helping Tong and Wang to run the shop in an orderly manner. Although Kang Cheng is a martial artist, he is honest and only knows how to work quietly. The people in the shop are all honest people, and they have never mistreated him.
With everyone working together towards a common goal, five years have passed, and the "Everything Sells" pill and weapon shop is showing signs of becoming the second Dan Pavilion. If it weren't for the fact that the shop doesn't yet have high-grade pills of the fourth rank or above, it would probably have surpassed the Dan Pavilion long ago.
At this time, there were many cultivators in the shop, most of them buying medicine in pairs. There were both inner and outer disciples. Although their clothes and expressions were different, they looked quite harmonious.
Xu Xing led Shen Du on a quick tour before heading to the back of the shop. Xi Feng took out dozens of bottles of pills and said to Xu Xing with a smile, "A few alchemists just happened to deliver some pills today. Would you like to take a look?"
Xu Xing didn't need to look closely; she could tell the quality just by smelling the bottle after opening the lid. She picked out four or five bottles, saying, "I won't accept these."
Xi Feng nodded. "These bottles just happened to be sent by the same alchemist. It seems we don't need to accept his pills again next time."
When Tong Yuanbai heard that Xu Xing had arrived, he strolled over from the other side. “Master Xu, these past few days, some people in the shop have asked if we take on apprentices. I saw that she was a disciple of the Immortal Dao Academy, so I didn’t refuse outright. I’m waiting for you to make the decision.”
Xu Xing has always taken good care of the disciples of the Immortal Dao Academy. Not only does he offer them 15% off pills, but he also frequently asks Aunt Lian to assign them errands such as home delivery, so that disciples with limited resources can have some extra income.
Upon hearing this, she thought for a moment and said, "We can give it a try. Isn't Master Gu worried that there are few suitable candidates for alchemy in recent years? If there are any good ones, we can help send them to the Alchemy Academy."
The alchemist behind the "Everything Sells" alchemy and artifact shop seems mysterious, but several elders of the Alchemy Academy know perfectly well that it is Xu Xing. Gu Hongguang, in particular, even secretly covered for Xu Xing when the Artifact Refining Academy came to inquire whether the magical artifacts in the shop were also made by that mysterious alchemist, leaving the Artifact Refining Academy completely baffled.
Xu Xing is now a regular at the Alchemy Academy. However, just like Shui Yunxian, Gu Hongguang and Shui Huazhi were initially quite eager to watch her alchemy process and intended to bring their disciples to learn from her. But after watching a few times, they both decided they no longer wanted to watch...
Shen Du's gaze remained fixed on Xu Xing, observing her effortlessly navigating the relationships between the managers, resolving their decisions with ease. She was quite different now than she was in his presence; her demeanor was confident and poised, her every gesture exuding a convincing composure. But when she was with him…
Xu Xing turned around and saw that her senior brother looked a little lost in thought. She smiled and stretched out her hand, spreading her five fingers, and waved in front of him. "There's nothing else going on in the shop, senior brother. Let's go and visit some other shops."
As the two left the shop, they encountered two young disciples coming out of the Tianyi Pavilion shop next door. They spoke intimately to each other, clearly a couple about to be united in marriage.
"Senior brother, you look really good in this."
"Junior sister, buy a couple more. Actually, I don't need so many robes."
"How can that be? Our Dao Couple Ceremony is in two days, of course we all need to wear new clothes..."
The two walked away chatting and laughing. Thinking about the expression on the female disciple's face when she spoke, Shen Du suddenly realized that even without romantic feelings, his junior sister treated him differently.
He likes his junior sister, and even though she doesn't reciprocate his feelings now, is he just going to give up? Is he not even willing to try? If she finds someone else in the future and wants to be with someone else, how can he be willing to accept that?
Shen Du looked down at Xu Xing and felt a sudden sense of relief, the gloom that had been lingering for the past few days vanished.
"Junior sister, will you come with me to check out the Myriad Manifestations Ranking?"
Xu Xing was taken aback, keenly noticing that her senior brother's mood seemed to have returned to normal without her noticing. She became happy as well and immediately smiled and said, "Of course!"
"Huh? But why go there?"
The Myriad Manifestations Ranking is where cultivators in the sect accept missions. After realizing this, Xu Xing's eyes immediately lit up, and he asked expectantly, "Senior Brother, are you going to accept a mission? Are you going down the mountain? Can we go together?"
Upon hearing the words "together," Chen Du's gaze softened slightly, and he said softly, "Okay."
Junior sister, we will always be together.
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Author's Note: Author: Shen Du, have you noticed that it's always Xu Xu who's coaxing you? Do you think that's appropriate?
Xu Xing (surprised): Really?
Chen Du (thinking) (suddenly realizing) (smiling): Very suitable.
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Thank you to LycheeWithoutPeel, Ling Shaoning, Ruby_, RabbitDemonOsmanthusCake, TooManyInsectsAreTerrible, JadeBall'sKnife, ZhaoZhao, ChangChun, SleepAgain, Icher, FlowerBlossom, and 65053565 for the nutrient solution irrigation~ You all look so familiar, my lovely friends~ Thank you so much everyone [please]
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