After the divine chariot arrived above Xiufeng Mountain, it halted high up in the clouds.
The four divine handmaidens aboard all widened their eyes, looking with curiosity at the mountain growing continuously below them, and at the Peach Blossom Spirit floating mid-air, bathed in divine light.
Even the graceful divine attendant who steered the chariot gazed at the Peach Blossom Spirit in the divine light with colorful brilliance in her eyes.
A few moments later, her gaze shifted to Li Wangyi and the others atop Xiufeng Mountain.
Meanwhile, the tall woman half-reposing on the soft-jade, fragrant couch was leisurely watching the scene below while eating a supreme-grade spiritual fruit handed to her by a divine handmaid.
Having just finished a cup of immortal brew, her expression was slightly hazy, and her posture was unrestrained and leisurely, like someone reposing high above in a divine palace.
This tipsy state, coupled with her noble, otherworldly appearance, added even more to her peerless charm.
If there were Saints or Sword Immortals from the peaks of the Taoist sects of the Northern Zhige Continent present here, they would instantly recognize that the person on the couch was none of all the figures on the Divine Path in the Northern Zhige Continent.
She was one of the most powerful beings in the entire continent overlooking the world—the Divine Lord of Donghua Mountain, Yun Muse!
"Master, who would have thought that the one receiving the Heaven and Earth Conferment would actually be a peach blossom spirit, and so young at that? Her blessed affinity is truly profound!" the graceful divine attendant exclaimed in wonder.
Yun Muse, the Divine Lord of Donghua Mountain, let her gaze fall upon the Peach Blossom Spirit and said with a faint smile, "It is indeed a bit unexpected."
The divine attendant continued with a smile, "I didn't expect the person presiding over the Heaven and Earth Conferment to be so young either. Well, and so clear-chested and handsome."
Yun Muse glanced at her inexplicably.
The divine attendant was named Feng Niang, the person who had followed by Yun Muse's side the earliest.
Noticing her master's gaze, she was about to make a teasing remark when her expression suddenly turned serious. "Master, several gazes are forcibly prying this way, all harboring malice."
Yun Muse's originally languid and tipsy expression froze, and she said coldly, "Knowing that I, Yun Muse, am here, they still dare to pry? Truly courting death. Feng Niang."
"Understood!"
Understanding her intent, Feng Niang made a jade ruyi appear in her hand and quickly waved it.
There was no movement around Xiufeng Mountain itself, but from thousands of miles away in the four directions of southeast, northwest, several muffled groans rang out simultaneously, each accompanied by the sound of coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground.
After sweeping away the prying petty scoundrels, peace returned to the surroundings of Xiufeng Mountain.
The Peach Blossom Spirit floating mid-air, as well as Li Wangyi and the others in front of the divine temple on the mountaintop, remained completely oblivious to all of this.
After Xiufeng Mountain stopped rising and elevating, and the divine temple ceased changing and grew stable, another quarter of an hour passed before the divine brilliance enveloping the Peach Blossom Spirit finally dissipated.
She opened her eyes and descended.
By this time, not a shred of demonic aura remained about her entire body; instead, it was suffused with a radiant divine glow.
From a peach blossom spirit, she had thoroughly transformed into the Peach Blossom Goddess.
"Congratulations!"
Li Wangyi and the others offered their congratulations together.
Little Qianjun also called out in her childish voice, "Congratulations, Sister, on becoming a true deity of Heaven and Earth, and living as long as Heaven and Earth from this day forth!"
The Peach Blossom Goddess glanced at the divine temple half-hidden among the peach blossoms, walked up to the group, curtsied deeply, and thanked them sincerely, "My thanks to Benefactor, Hero Guo, Heroine Guo, Hero Wei, and Little Qianjun. I also beg Benefactor to bestow upon me a name!"
"Bestow a name?"
Li Wangyi looked startled.
Guo Hengbei, Guo Nanjun, Wei Lun, and Little Qianjun were also quite surprised.
The Peach Blossom Goddess smiled and explained, "I was born between these wild mountains and have never had a name. To repay and bring closure to my past karmic ties with my former master, I intend to share the surname Liu with my former master, while hoping that Benefactor will generously bestow a given name upon me."
The conferment completed her physical form, and the bestowal of a name would manifest her virtue.
The Heaven and Earth Conferment still lacked its final stroke.
And asking Li Wangyi to bestow her name was not only to complete this final stroke but also to repay the grace of the conferment.
Being able to name a newly born deity was a supreme merit; not only would it foster goodwill with the Divine Path, but it would also be of immense benefit to future cultivation and the pursuit of the Dao.
"Please bestow a name upon me, Benefactor!" the Peach Blossom Goddess pleaded once more.
"Mr. Li, you should just agree. Among us present, your scholarship is the highest, and the Heaven and Earth Conferment was also brought about by you. It is most fitting for you to give Peach Blossom here a name."
"Precisely, please do not decline, Mr. Li. I'm also quite curious as to what kind of name you will come up with."
Guo Hengbei and Wei Lun urged him aloud.
Guo Nanjun also looked at him with beautiful, expectant eyes.
Because of this Heaven and Earth Conferment, their form of address for Li Wangyi had changed from young master to Mr. Li.
Hearing the urging of Guo and Wei, and seeing the Peach Blossom Goddess's expression of earnest sincerity, Li Wangyi did not put on airs. Unconstrained and at ease, he said, "Peach Blossom, since you are taking the surname Liu after your former master, I am reminded of a classical allusion: 'Where have the peach-planting Taoist priests gone? The former Master Liu has returned today.' How about you be called Liu Hechu?"
"Perhaps one day, the former female Taoist priest who planted the peach trees will revisit this place, and the two of you can thoroughly settle your past karmic ties and start anew."
"Liu Hechu?" The Peach Blossom Goddess chanted the name softly, and after a moment, she said happily, "Alright, I shall be called Liu Hechu. Thank you, Benefactor!"
At this moment, the delicate and lovely young female deity smiled with innocent charm. Standing before the Peach Blossom Temple, she truly looked like a peach blossom tree in full, brilliant bloom.
Li Wangyi, Guo Hengbei, and the others were all happy for her.
This peach blossom spirit, naturally kind and pure in character, ought to look just like this.
"Benefactor, Hero Guo, wait a moment!"
The young female deity, having just received her true name, suddenly spoke. With a flash of her figure, she vanished from where she stood, merging into the divine statue inside the temple.
A moment later, her true form reappeared before everyone, holding several items in her hands.
"Benefactor, Hero Guo, using the power of the mountain deity, I picked up some things within the boundaries of Xiufeng Mountain. I feel they happen to match you all quite well, so please take a look."
This was her way of rewarding everyone for the grace of the conferment and protection.
With that, she handed a severed, broken blade tip to Guo Hengbei.
Wei Lun asked with great curiosity, "What is this?"
Guo Hengbei took it, rubbed it twice, yet could not discover anything special about the blade tip.
However, when he inadvertently cast his divine sense into it, he was filled with astonishment: "Shatter-Demon Blade Intent? There is actually a powerful Shatter-Demon Blade Intent contained within this?!"
"Shatter-Demon Blade Intent?"
"Really?"
Wei Lun and Guo Nanjun were both extremely shocked.
The Shatter-Demon Blade Intent belonged to a powerful Blade Emperor in the central part of the Northern Zhige Continent six hundred years ago.
It was said that at the peak of his power, that Blade Emperor had once slain an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon with a single slash.
Guo Hengbei, Wei Lun, and Guo Nanjun all looked together at the maiden Peach Blossom Goddess.
Liu Hechu smiled faintly, "I don't know whether it is indeed the Shatter-Demon Blade Intent either, but I felt it suited Hero Guo very well."
Afterward, she handed a jade slip to Wei Lun.
"What is this again?" Wei Lun grew even more curious.
"The Divine Counter-Kill Technique, it seems to be an ancient martial arts secret skill, though I am not entirely sure of the specifics," Liu Hechu confessed frankly.
Yet the five words "Divine Counter-Kill Technique" had already hooked Wei Lun instantly.
He hurriedly took the jade slip, checked it, and immediately grinned broadly as he said, "It truly suits me well. Thank you, Liu... Great Deity!"
For the moment, he still did not quite know how to address her.
Seeing him satisfied, Liu Hechu was also very pleased. She then produced a beast-skin scroll and handed it to Guo Nanjun, "Sister Guo, I'm giving this to you. See if you can make use of it."
Guo Nanjun took the beast-skin scroll and saw six large characters written at the very beginning—*Shangqing Secret Arts of the Six Jia*.
This was a Taoist sect secret art.
"Sister Guo, I see that your method of cultivation is close to the Taoist sects. You should be able to practice this secret art."
Guo Nanjun replied briskly, "I can. Thank you, Little Sister!"
"Mm-hmm, as long as you can!"
The maiden Peach Blossom Goddess was very happy, and taking out a white porcelain bottle, she walked over to Little Qianjun.
"Little Qianjun, this is Mountain-Embracing Spiritual Water, which is best for nourishing the origins of trees, flowers, and plants. I am giving it to you, hoping you can grow up soon."
"Thank you, Sister!"
Little Qianjun carried her small bookcase on her back and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Liu Hechu also bent down and patted her head, evidently very fond of this little girl who was also of flora and vegetation origin.
Finally.
Holding a seal in both hands, she came before Li Wangyi.
"Benefactor, three hundred years ago when I was just born, I picked up this seal in a secluded ravine of Xiufeng Valley. I do not know whose relic it is, but perhaps it has some collectible value. I give it to you, Benefactor."
This seal was rustic in style, white and jade-like all over, yet its specific material could not be distinguished.
Engraved on its base were four ancient seal-script characters: *All Things Renewed*.
Li Wangyi's courtesy name was Gengxin (Renewed); this seal indeed matched him perfectly.
"Then I shall accept it. Thank you, Miss Liu."
"You are too polite, Benefactor."
...
Above the clouds, the divine attendant Feng Niang watched this scene and chuckled softly, "This Peach Blossom Goddess certainly knows how to conduct herself. The gifts she gave out are all extremely fitting. Looking young and innocent, who would have thought she'd be such a charming person?"
Yun Muse tossed a spiritual fruit into her mouth, chewed it lightly, and couldn't be bothered to speak.
Feng Niang glanced at her master, then looked back at the clear-chested and handsome scholar on Xiufeng Mountain, and said, "Master, a thousand years ago you made a vow in your heart: if anyone in the Northern Zhige Continent could ever again make Heaven and Earth undergo conferment, if female, you would take them as sisters; if male, you would take them as your Dao companion."
"Now that the green-robed scholar has brought about this event, then you..."