Chapter 72

Ling Zai Xin clearly saw Li Yi enter the Yunxing Array, but the white mist that filled the valley entrance remained calm, showing no reaction at all, as if the Yunxing Array had not detected Li Yi's entry. Surprised, Ling Zai Xin quickly pulled Xiao Lan and walked in.

Inside the Yunxing Array, Ling Zai Xin saw Li Yi walking forward with a calm and steady pace. The mist and white vapor passed by him without touching him at all, which reminded her of how, despite the myriad flowers raining down in her Wanhua Array, not a single petal had touched Li Yi. Ling Zai Xin then realized that the gap between her and this high-ranking practitioner was not just a little; it was as if one was in the heavens and the other on the earth.

Despite this, Ling Zai Xin was not disheartened but rather more delighted. It seemed that inviting this gentleman to the valley to guide her cultivation was the right decision.

Before long, the three of them had walked out of the Yunxing Array. As soon as they emerged from the mist, Li Yi couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "What a beautiful and enchanting Hundred Flowers Valley!"

In front of them stood a towering cliff, from which a waterfall cascaded like a white ribbon from the heavens, flowing down without a sound. The water turned to powder halfway down, like smoke and mist, rising and falling with the wind, sometimes gathering and sometimes dispersing, sometimes floating up and sometimes scattering, reflecting the sunlight in a myriad of colors, creating a dreamlike scene.

Below the waterfall was a deep, emerald-green pool. The water from the waterfall flowed into the pool, which then overflowed, forming a small stream that meandered through the valley, eventually disappearing into the ground, presumably becoming an underground stream, its destination unknown.

From the valley entrance to the towering cliff, the banks of the winding stream were gentle slopes, covered with towering ancient trees, whether in the sun or shade. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the forest, and the tranquil atmosphere was filled with the chirping of various birds, adding to the depth of the forest. Under the trees, countless rare flowers and grasses bloomed, competing for beauty, their vibrant colors attracting numerous butterflies and bees, which fluttered and danced among them.

Li Yi, with his broad knowledge, could see at a glance many rare and exotic plants and herbs that were hard to find in the cultivation world, some of which were ancient and rare species from the primordial era, which he never expected to find in the Hundred Flowers Valley. Among the countless flowers and trees, many had already gained sentience and transformed into spirits, most in the form of various birds, but some had even taken human form, though some had wings or antennae on their heads. They were laughing and playing by the stream, and when they saw strangers, they cried out in alarm and hid in the forest.

Seeing this, Ling Zai Xin called out, "Come out, everyone! This is a distinguished guest brought by your sister. Come and greet them, and I've brought a little sister for you. You mustn't bully her."

At her call, the spirits peeked out from behind the trees and under the leaves, staring at Li Yi and Xiao Lan with big eyes. Sensing no danger from them, they began to make various strange sounds, running over and circling around the three, calling out in strange voices like "jia jia" and "jie jie," which seemed to be calling Ling Zai Xin "sister."

Ling Zai Xin, who clearly had a good relationship with these spirits, patted one's head and pinched another's nose, showing great affection. She then removed the white veil covering her face, revealing a flawless, jade-like complexion. She played with the spirits, laughing like a mountain spring.

At this moment, two green-clad girls emerged from behind the waterfall, approached, and bowed to Ling Zai Xin, saying, "Valley Lord!"

Ling Zai Xin turned to Li Yi and said, "Mr. Li, this is just the outer valley of the Hundred Flowers Valley. Please follow me to the inner valley." Then she said to the two green-clad girls, "We have a distinguished guest today. Go prepare some Hundred Flowers Brew. Take this little sister to Hongyao and Lanzhi to get some clothes and comb her hair."

The two green-clad girls replied, "Yes!" and came forward to lead Xiao Lan, but Xiao Lan, frightened, ran behind Li Yi and hid. The two girls, not daring to push past Li Yi, stepped back.

Ling Zai Xin pretended to be angry and said, "What a naughty little girl, how can you hide behind the master when you're home?" She grabbed Xiao Lan's arm and pulled her out, talking to her for a while. Xiao Lan looked at Li Yi with big eyes, and Li Yi smiled and nodded at her. The fear in Xiao Lan's eyes disappeared, and she obediently followed the two green-clad girls.

Li Yi followed Ling Zai Xin to the waterfall, which turned out to be the entrance to a cave that led through the towering cliff.

After passing through the cave, Li Yi was surprised to see a vast, open valley. The forest was lush, and the flowers and plants were even more abundant than what he had seen before. He never expected such a hidden paradise behind the cliff, no wonder Ling Zai Xin said this was the inner valley.

The inner valley was more than twice the size of the outer valley, and the spiritual energy was much more abundant. There were many wooden buildings scattered throughout the valley, surrounding a large wooden building. These buildings were arranged in a pattern that seemed to follow a certain array. Li Yi glanced at them and realized that the large wooden building was at the center of the earth's energy, the eye of the valley.

The large wooden building had upturned eaves and looked delicate and lovely, situated at the foot of the mountain. A plaque hung above it, inscribed with the words "Chaodu." There were no couplets on the two pillars, but instead, a withered flower on the left and a blooming flower on the right.

Li Yi nodded and said, "Prosperity in one day, withering and flourishing following each other." This explained the meaning of "Chaodu" and the two flowers, one withered and one blooming.

Ling Zai Xin praised, "Mr. Li, you are truly wise. Please come in for some tea."

Li Yi, however, said, "Not so fast. Where is your ancestral hall? I should pay my respects first."

The ancestral hall is where each sect worships the founder and the ancestors of the sect. In the cultivation world, whether it's Buddhism, Daoism, or other sects, the goal is liberation and immortality. If one achieves success in cultivation, they may ascend to heaven or attain Nirvana. However, if they fail in the middle of their journey, reach the end of their natural life, or fail to pass a tribulation, or meet with an unexpected disaster, their disciples will remember their teachings and honor their ancestors, gradually forming an ancestral hall for remembrance.

Cultivation cannot be done without a teacher, so each sect naturally has an ancestral hall. When practitioners from different sects visit each other, it is called "paying respects to the mountain." If a practitioner visits a sect for the first time, they often go to the ancestral hall to pay respects, showing respect. This is a basic rule in the cultivation world. However, after Lian Huanchen suffered a heartbreak, she ordered the valley to be sealed, and few people visited the Hundred Flowers Valley. Lian Huanchen, feeling depressed, did not pay much attention to teaching her disciples, so Ling Zai Xin was not very familiar with these rules.

Seeing Ling Zai Xin's puzzled look, Li Yi explained in detail. Ling Zai Xin then understood, blushed, and led Li Yi to the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall of the Hundred Flowers Valley was different from those of other sects. It was not a large hall but was located at the end of the valley. The Hundred Flowers Valley did not have a dedicated ancestral hall or statues of the founder, ancestral tablets, or tablets of past leaders. All Li Yi saw was a withered peach tree!

This peach tree was very large, with a trunk so thick that it would take more than a dozen people to encircle it. The tree was not very tall but had countless branches that spread out, covering several square meters. However, there were no leaves on the branches, only bare branches reaching into the blue sky. The most amazing thing was that the peach tree was floating in mid-air, with no roots in the ground!

Ling Zai Xin introduced, "Mr. Li, this is the original form of our sect's founder, the Wood Spirit Lord."

Li Yi nodded and walked up with a respectful demeanor. In front of the peach tree were three straw mats, but Li Yi did not kneel. Instead, he clasped his hands and bowed slightly to the tree. As he bowed, the peach tree suddenly moved, shifting to the side as if to avoid his bow.

Ling Zai Xin was shocked. The tree had been dead for thousands of years, so why did it move today? Could Mr. Li have discovered its secret?

After paying his respects, Li Yi was led by Ling Zai Xin into the wooden building inscribed with "Chaodu." Inside, there was a strong but hidden vitality. The interior was elegantly decorated, with tables and chairs made of ancient vines, some of which still had flowers blooming, clearly alive.

After they sat down, a green-clad girl brought a green jade bottle, two jade cups, and a small water jug. She skillfully poured a drop of green liquid from the jade bottle into each cup and then added half a cup of water from the jug. She placed the cups in front of them and bowed before leaving.

Ling Zai Xin smiled and lifted a jade cup. "Mr. Li, this is the Hundred Flowers Brew. Please taste it."

"Thank you, Valley Lord!" Li Yi lifted the cup and saw that it contained half a cup of green liquid. It had no smell, which was strange since it was called Hundred Flowers Brew and should be made from the essence of many flowers.

Li Yi took a sip, and as the liquid entered his mouth, a sudden burst of fragrance filled his mouth, releasing a thousand flavors, invigorating his spirit. The fragrance of the flowers was all contained within the liquid, which was why he hadn't smelled it before.

Li Yi was impressed, but before he could savor it, the countless fragrances disappeared, and a faint bitterness appeared on his tongue. Soon, the bitterness spread throughout his tongue. The bitterness was unique, as if it came directly from his heart, impossible to shake off or resist, and there was a subtle sense of anticipation, hoping the bitterness would linger in his mouth.

Ordinary people would have vomited at such bitterness, but Li Yi, familiar with the tea philosophy of "bitterness leading to sweetness," frowned but continued to savor the taste. After a while, the bitterness gradually faded, and just as Li Yi relaxed, a sudden sourness rushed to his nose. The bitterness disappeared, but instead of sweetness, an unexpected sourness filled his mouth.

This sourness was hard to distinguish whether it was in his nose or his heart. Ling Zai Xin, watching closely, saw that Mr. Li's eyes had tears. She was surprised.

"Mr. Li is crying. Even beginners in the cultivation world can easily dispel the illusions of the diluted Hundred Flowers Brew with their Daoist hearts. How could he, who moved freely in the Wanhua Array and Yunxing Array, be moved to tears by a cup of Hundred Flowers Brew?"

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