Xu Shing'er pointed to a cluster of bright red fruits not far away, gasping in amazement again and again.
Li Chenyuan and Zhao Wangchun hurried over.
"Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruit! It really is the Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruit!"
Li Chenyuan was dumbfounded, his face a mask of sheer disbelief.
Qingyuan Grass was already rare enough.
The Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruit was even rarer.
Once, a single Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruit had appeared at the Universal Chamber of Commerce, fought over fiercely by countless factions.
Yet here, there was an entire cluster of them.
It completely scrambled Li Chenyuan's brains.
Ye Qingyun was somewhat speechless.
Aren't these just tomatoes?
Why are they acting like they've never seen the world before?
Could it be that people in this realm aren't very good at farming? That's why they've never seen these things growing in the dirt?
How pitiful.
The three of them squatted in front of that massive cluster of Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruits, trembling all over with excitement.
They desperately wanted to reach out and touch one, but feared displeasing Ye Qingyun, so they remained frozen there in agonizing restraint.
At that moment, Zhao Wangchun spotted another fruit tree not far away.
"Senior Brother, Junior Sister, look at that tree!"
Li Chenyuan and Xu Shing'er turned their gazes toward the fruit tree in unison.
At the sight of it, both of them were struck as if by lightning.
"This... this... could this be the Innate Profound Fruit recorded in ancient texts?"
The Innate Profound Fruit was a long-extinct heavenly treasure, rumored to possess the miraculous ability to bring the dead back to life and flesh out skeletal bones.
Yet ever since the demise of the ancient era ten thousand years ago, no news of the Innate Profound Fruit had surfaced on the continent for many years.
And yet here, there was actually such a fruit tree, laden with fruits identical to the Innate Profound Fruit.
This was simply too shocking.
If this news leaked out, it would undoubtedly draw countless people swarming in.
Ye Qingyun had grown numb to their reactions.
As he ate his stew, he muttered under his breath:
"They haven't even seen pears. How truly pathetic."
The three looked at one another, their hearts pounding wildly.
This man was definitely an absolute expert.
Everything planted in this courtyard that they could recognize was already at the level of a heavenly treasure.
As for the things they didn't recognize, they couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of spiritual wonders they might be.
If they could just take some back...
The Profound Sword Sect could instantly surpass the other two major sects and become the strongest sect in the Tianwu Dynasty.
"Brother Ye, did you plant everything in this courtyard?"
Li Chenyuan asked cautiously.
"Yeah, I had some free time so I planted them for fun. Didn't expect them to grow pretty well," Ye Qingyun said casually.
Planted for fun?
The three of them nearly passed out on the spot.
You could grow this many heavenly treasures just by planting them for fun?
"If you guys like them, feel free to pick some and take them back," Ye Qingyun offered generously.
Hearing this, the three were instantly ecstatic.
Chapter 6: The Troubled Sect Master
"Brother Ye, can you really let us take some back?" Li Chenyuan asked with a trembling voice.
Without turning his head, Ye Qingyun replied, "Just pick whatever you want."
That casual tone made it sound like he was giving away cabbages.
Yet everything in this courtyard was clearly an incomparably rare heavenly treasure in the outside world!
Such overwhelming generosity.
Was this the bearing of a transcendent master?
They were utterly smitten.
"Many thanks, Brother Ye!" Li Chenyuan hurried to express his gratitude.
Then, he and his junior siblings began harvesting the heavenly treasures in the courtyard.
Even though Ye Qingyun had told them they could pick whatever they wanted, how could the three of them actually dare to pick casually?
tenían a death wish?
With so many heavenly treasures, the fact that he was willing to gift them some was already a supreme blessing.
They still needed to know their limits.
Consequently, the three of them did not dare to take much.
They only harvested some Qingyuan Grass and cautiously plucked two Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruits.
As for the Innate Profound Fruits on the tree, Li Chenyuan and the others merely looked at them, not daring to pluck a single one.
They were far too precious.
The three of them did not dare to touch heavenly treasures of such value.
With the Qingyuan Grass and the Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruits, they were already more than satisfied.
They were so happy they were practically bubbling with joy.
Ye Qingyun had just finished eating.
He turned around and saw the three of them hugging a bundle of green grass and cradling two tomatoes while wearing goofy grins.
"Could these three fellows actually have something wrong with their brains?" Ye Qingyun wondered to himself.
"Why are you being so polite? Come, come, let me pick a few more for you."
Ye Qingyun was quite generous.
He picked a few more tomatoes for the three of them, cut a large bundle of chives, and dug up a few cloves of garlic.
"Take these back to taste."
Ye Qingyun shoved the items into Li Chenyuan's arms.
Li Chenyuan was overwhelmed with flattered astonishment.
"Brother Ye is too kind, we cannot possibly accept this."
Ye Qingyun waved a hand.
"What do you mean you can't accept it? It's just a few little things, take them, take them."
Seeing how enthusiastic Ye Qingyun was, Li Chenyuan didn't dare refuse and had no choice but to accept them.
"Many thanks, Brother Ye."
Xu Shing'er quietly tugged at Li Chenyuan's sleeve.
"Senior Brother, aren't we being a bit impolite by taking so many things?"
Hearing Xu Shing'er put it that way, Li Chenyuan immediately snapped back to reality.
"Indeed, we cannot take this senior expert's things for nothing. No matter what, we must offer a return gift."
Thinking this, Li Chenyuan patted his pouch.
"I only brought some Essence Pills, nothing else."
Xu Shing'er said, "I brought the Zixiao Sword. Otherwise..."
"No way, the Zixiao Sword was a birthday gift from Master, we can't just give it away!" Zhao Wangchun frowned.
Xu Shing'er hesitated, but still took out the Zixiao Sword.
"Valuable though the Zixiao Sword may be, can it compare to these items the senior expert gave us?"
This statement left Zhao Wangchun completely speechless.
The Zixiao Sword was indeed precious, but compared to the heavenly treasures gifted by Ye Qingyun, it was truly not worth mentioning.
Li Chenyuan looked over at Zhao Wangchun.
"I remember you found a piece of Heavenly Moon Stone a few days ago, take that out as well."
Zhao Wangchun felt a pang of reluctance, but still produced a silver stone.
The three pooled their items together.
"Brother Ye, we have nothing to repay your kindness with, please accept these as a return gift."
"We know these items are crude and unworthy of your eyes, but we hope Brother Ye will not disdain them."
Li Chenyuan felt a bit embarrassed.
The items were simply too shabby.
They were completely unfit to be presented.
They worried greatly that Ye Qingyun would look down on such meager offerings.
Yet these were the most valuable items they possessed.
"Alright, I'll take them."
Ye Qingyun accepted them directly, without any false modesty.
Seeing how easygoing Ye Qingyun was and that he showed no signs of disdain whatsoever, Li Chenyuan and his companions felt a profound wave of emotion.
This was the true demeanor of a transcendent master.
In every gesture, he made one feel completely at ease.
Far from oppressive, being around him felt as refreshing as a gentle spring breeze.
"Brother Ye, we must take our leave now, but we will come to pay our respects again in the future."
"Easily done, easily done."
Without lingering, the three of them departed in a hurry with a large bundle of items.
They needed to return to the Profound Sword Sect as quickly as possible and report everything they had witnessed to the Sect Master.
...
Hundreds of miles away from Fuyun Mountain lay the Profound Sword Sect.
At this moment, the Sect Master of the Profound Sword Sect, Xu Changfeng, was consumed with worry.
In his hand was an invitation card.
"The Three-Sect Martial Gathering has been moved forward by a full two months. What on earth are we to do?"
Xu Changfeng said with a face full of sorrow.
His wife, Shen Qiulan, stood nearby, gazing at her husband with matching concern.
"That old fellow Gongsun Yue broke through just a few days ago."
"Chen Gongwang also came out of seclusion last month."
"Both of their cultivations have already surpassed mine. With this upcoming martial gathering, I'm afraid our Profound Sword Sect will be completely suppressed by those two factions."
Xu Changfeng spoke in a heavy tone, sighing repeatedly.
Gongsun Yue and Chen Gongwang, whom he mentioned, were the sect masters of the Nine Spirits Sect and the Taihao Gate.
The Profound Sword Sect, the Nine Spirits Sect, and the Taihao Gate were the three pinnacle sects within the Tianwu Dynasty.
Every so often, the three sects would hold a joint martial gathering.
Though called friendly sparring and exchange, it was actually a contest for supremacy.
In the past, Xu Changfeng naturally would not have feared it.
But now, both Gongsun Yue and Chen Gongwang had achieved breakthroughs in their cultivation.
Xu Changfeng, on the other hand, had stagnated for many years without any progress.
Originally, the three of them were on par, but now that Xu Changfeng had fallen behind, how could he possibly have the confidence to attend the gathering?
"Husband, why don't we just decline this martial gathering?" Shen Qiulan suggested.
Xu Changfeng shook his head.
"How could it be that simple? If we pull out, how will our Profound Sword Sect maintain its footing in the Tianwu Dynasty? Won't everyone say our sect is afraid of a fight?"
Shen Qiulan was at a loss for what to do.
Just then, a disciple came to report:
"Sect Master, the Senior Brother and the others have returned."
"Send them in."
"Yes!"
Soon, Li Chenyuan and his two junior companions entered.
All three of their faces bore expressions of excitement.
"You three went to hunt down that rabbit demon, why have you returned so soon?" Xu Changfeng asked with a frown.
Li Chenyuan replied, "Master, we failed to catch the rabbit demon."
Xu Changfeng grew angry.
"That rabbit demon killed a disciple of our sect, and the three of you let it escape?"
"Master, let's put the rabbit demon aside for a moment. Look at these things."
Li Chenyuan hurriedly presented the items they had brought back.
At the sight of them, Xu Changfeng froze on the spot.
Shen Qiulan, standing beside him, was likewise struck dumb.
All sorts of heavenly treasures.
And in no small quantity!
"These... these... these are what you brought back?"
Xu Changfeng was so startled he couldn't even speak coherently.
"Master, we brought all of this back!"
Li Chenyuan puffed out his chest with a hint of pride.
Xu Changfeng's hands began to tremble.
Leaving aside everything else, just this Qingyuan Grass alone was enough to elevate his cultivation.
"Where did you acquire these?"
Chapter 7: The Pitiful Rabbit
"We were at Fuyun Mountain..."
Without delay, Li Chenyuan recounted every detail of their experience to Xu Changfeng and his wife.
Upon hearing the tale, the couple was utterly astounded.
"On Fuyun Mountain, a transcendent master is living in seclusion?"
Xu Changfeng found it hard to believe.
He had visited Fuyun Mountain many times.
Because the peak possessed ancient seals that prevented approach, countless people throughout history had sought to investigate it.
Yet no progress had ever been made.
Who would have thought that the seals had now vanished?
And that someone actually lived upon the peak?
This was truly unbelievable.
"Dad, Mom, what Senior Brother said is all true. I saw it with my own eyes!" Xu Shing'er chimed in.
Xu Changfeng and his wife exchanged glances.
"If this is true, then this person must be an unfathomable and mysterious expert," Xu Changfeng deduced.
Li Chenyuan and the other two nodded repeatedly.
Shen Qiulan's face bloomed with joy.
"Husband, with these heavenly treasures, forget the Three-Sect Martial Gathering—there is a very strong hope that our Profound Sword Sect can become the number one sect in the Tianwu Dynasty in the future!"
"Indeed, especially this Qingyuan Grass, which arrives just in time to resolve our urgent crisis."
Xu Changfeng's worries vanished entirely, his mood soaring as he felt as though he had grown ten years younger.
"You three have done well. Not only did you bring back these heavenly treasures, but you have also secured a supreme opportunity for the sect."
Xu Changfeng looked at them with gratified eyes.
"This is only what your disciples ought to do!" Li Chenyuan said with a smile.
As a reward, Xu Changfeng bestowed each of the three an Obstruction-Breaking Pill.
The three were overjoyed.
A single Obstruction-Breaking Pill was enough to elevate their current cultivation by a whole tier.
"Many thanks, Master!"
The three bowed deeply.
Clutching the Qingyuan Grass, Xu Changfeng rushed off to alchemy with undisguised impatience.
With the Three-Sect Martial Gathering advanced, he had to seize the time to refine the Qingyuan Grass into pills to help him break through his realm.
He had also resolved that once the gathering concluded, he would personally journey to Fuyun Mountain to pay his respects to that reclusive expert.
...
Back at Fuyun Mountain.
Ye Qingyun gazed at the backyard fish pond, feeling as though something was missing.
"I'll go down the mountain to buy some fish fry and toss them in to see if they can survive."
Leaving Damao to guard the house as usual, Ye Qingyun descended the mountain alone to browse the market not far from Fuyun Mountain.
After he left, Damao yawned, curled up by the courtyard gate, and basked in the warm sun, soon letting out soft snores.
Meanwhile, the rabbit that had been hypocritically nibbling on a radish in the corner finally dropped its disguise.
It broke into a wicked grin.
Heh heh!
The Great King's opportunity has arrived!
It was no ordinary rabbit, but a powerful demon beast hailing from hundreds of miles around.
Quite renowned within the demon beast realm, too.
In its own words, it was a rising star in the world of demon beasts.
The rabbit glanced at the golden-haired giant dog currently fast asleep.
"Hmph! A mere dog demon dares to bully this king—simply preposterous!"
The rabbit wore a vicious expression and spat fiercely toward Damao.
"So what if your cultivation is a bit higher than mine? Big deal! Once this king devours all the heavenly treasures here, I'll skin you and pull your tendons, you stinking dog!"
"I want dog-meat stew!"
Thinking of this, the rabbit chuckled darkly, then lunged headfirst toward the Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruits in the courtyard.
But right at that moment, Damao rolled over.
Startled out of its wits, the rabbit trembled all over and scuttled back to the corner of the wall.
After waiting a moment—
Noticing that Damao had fallen back asleep, the rabbit breathed a sigh of relief.
"Stupid dog, just sleep your life away and don't ruin this king's good fortune!"
The rabbit crept stealthily toward the Seven-Leaf Zhu Fruits once more.
Before it could strike, however, a streak of white light suddenly shot out from inside the house.
It slammed squarely into the rabbit's body.
Before the rabbit even realized what was happening, the white light sent it tumbling head over heels several times.
A large patch of its white fur was blasted clean off.
The rabbit was dazed.
"What was that just now?"
It looked toward the house and saw a mirror hanging on the wall flashing with white light.
The rabbit froze.
"Could that mirror be a treasure?"
Greed instantly flared in its heart.
The rabbit glanced back, and seeing that Damao was still asleep and unresponsive, it bolted straight inside the house.
The moment it crossed the threshold, another streak of white light attacked.
The rabbit was sent flying out through the doorway.
This time, another massive chunk of its fur was stripped away, revealing patches of pink, tender skin underneath.
The rabbit felt a bit dizzy.
Straining its eyes to look inside, it realized that the object emitting the white light wasn't the mirror, but a writing brush resting on the desk.
"Another treasure?"
The rabbit was shocked.
Yet it refused to give up.
With head held high and full of bravado, it charged into the house once more.
*Poof!*
Another streak of white light.
The rabbit flew even farther this time.
The fur on its body was now practically non-existent.
Staggering to its feet, the rabbit felt like crying tears of blood.
Were all the things inside this house treasures?
Too terrifying.
Inside the house:
The mirror hanging on the wall.
The writing brush resting on the desk.
The broom standing on the floor.
All of them were faintly glowing with a white sheen.
A gentle breeze swept past.
The numerous objects in the room all swayed lightly with the wind.
The rabbit didn't dare go back in.
It felt that if it stepped inside again, it would lose its life.
This place was simply too horrifying.
"Time to slip away!"
Just as the rabbit prepared to flee—
It turned around and locked eyes with Damao, who was now crouched right in front of it.
"Oh, mother dear!"
The rabbit was so frightened it nearly passed out.
Damao split its jaws into a grin, stuck out its tongue, and licked the now-hairless rabbit.
The latter trembled violently.
"Since you've entered my master's courtyard, you'd better stay put and behave," Damao spoke in a kindly voice.
The rabbit wept silently.
"What kind of sins did I commit in my past life?"
Ye Qingyun returned.
He glanced at the rabbit cowering in the corner, shivering uncontrollably.
"Eh? Why is your fur all gone?"
The rabbit shuddered, wearing a wronged expression.
Ye Qingyun then looked over at Damao.
"Did you bully it?"
He patted Damao's dog head.
Damao docilely rubbed against Ye Qingyun's hand.
Ye Qingyun walked over to the edge of the fish pond and scattered the fish fry into the water.
Almost immediately, the water in the pond began to churn.
This startled Ye Qingyun quite a bit.
"What's going on?"
He quickly retreated a few steps.
With a sudden boom, water surged toward the sky from the pond.
Visible to the naked eye, those tiny fish fry grew rapidly within the water.
In just a few breaths' time, they had transformed into plump, slender carp.
Ye Qingyun stood dumbfounded.
"What kind of ghost is this? How did they grow so fast?"
Once the pond surface calmed down, Ye Qingyun cautiously approached the edge again.
He reached out and dipped a hand into the water.
Nothing special about it.
Curious, Ye Qingyun leaned forward and peered down into the water.
Only to find a gigantic eye staring right back up at him from the depths.
"Holy crap!"
Terrified out of his wits, Ye Qingyun scrambled backward on all fours and fled to a safe distance.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from Fuyun Mountain, inside an ancient palace—
A pair of eyes suddenly snapped open.
"In the southwestern lands, dragon aura is actually soaring into the heavens?"
Chapter 8: There Is a Dragon in the Pond
"Your Majesty, what is the matter?"
A man in red suddenly materialized, dropping to one knee before the weathered old man seated upon the dragon throne.
The aged ruler wore a golden robe. Though his face was lean, it radiated boundless majesty, and his eyes flickered with a faint golden light.
This person was none other than the contemporary Martial Emperor of the Tianwu Dynasty, Dongfang Su, who had reigned for over fifty years.
The Tianwu Dynasty was at the zenith of its golden age, standing proudly as the foremost of the Seven Nations of the Southern Wasteland—all thanks to this Martial Emperor, Dongfang Su.