Chapter 43: The Gathering of Mountains

Huanyue and Ruofeng also felt the wonders of the tea. At this moment, everyone was engrossed in their own pursuits. No one knew how much time had passed before the people present slowly opened their eyes.

Now, each of them found their strength had grown greatly since they first arrived. As for Xieming and Hongxi, the two of them even stood up and bowed deeply to Zhu Xiaoyuan.

For cultivators of their level, progressing even a single step on the path of cultivation was nearly impossible. This journey had truly been immensely rewarding.

"Thank you, Senior!" they exclaimed with emotion.

For Xieming and Hongxi, this cup of tea was nothing short of life-saving. The two of them had been stuck at their current level for a long time, so much so that they had nearly given up hope. If they could not break through, all that awaited them was the slow depletion of their life force...

But today, with nothing more than a visit, the principles of the Dao within their bodies had grown significantly more abundant and even more refined than before. The path that had once seemed utterly hopeless to them now had the dust brushed away, and they could set out anew.

To Xieming and Hongxi, the immense grace Zhu Xiaoyuan had shown was no less than that of a parent giving them a second life. Even if they spent the rest of their days in tireless devotion, they could never fully repay today’s kindness.

Moreover, in their hearts, their respect for Zhu Xiaoyuan grew even deeper. After all, this was merely a simple cup of tea—nothing else! Even across the entire Tianwu Realm, there was surely no one else with such extraordinary ability.

Ruofeng and Huanyue, too, finished their enlightenment and opened their eyes. Unable to restrain themselves, the two women also bowed deeply to Zhu Xiaoyuan. They had made significant progress as well: in that very moment, Huanyue had broken through from the peak of the Nascent Soul stage to the Spirit Division stage, while Ruofeng’s strength had increased by three levels.

This tea had not only helped them break through, but would allow them to make rapid progress in their cultivation for a long time to come.

After receiving the deep bows from those before him, Zhu Xiaoyuan smiled and waved his hand. “There is no need for such formality, my friends. Our meeting is a matter of fate. Since fate has brought us together again, it is as it should be.”

With that, Zhu Xiaoyuan opened a scroll beside him and placed it before Xieming and the others. “This painting was made by my hand today. Since you have come from afar to admire my humble work, please take a look.”

He recalled that these people had all come to see his paintings, and as it happened, he had one ready at hand. This would serve perfectly.

After all, these were potential buyers—at the very least they needed to see the painting before they could make an offer. He hoped it would fetch a good price! Of course, no one else knew what Zhu Xiaoyuan was thinking.

When they heard that the elder was going to let them admire a painting, everyone hurried forward, eager not to miss a single detail. An Yue’er and Leng Qianxue’s expressions changed as well.

“A convergence of myriad mountains!”

As soon as the painting was unfurled, Xieming and Hongxi trembled.

“The Nanling Mountains!” they cried out in unison, astonished.

“This painting… is truly a masterpiece for the ages! Every mountain seems to come alive, the peaks gathering as if they were living beings! Wonderful! Marvelous! This is truly a treasure!” Hongxi was overwhelmed by the scene before him.

Such a treasure would be worth surrendering an entire sect for! In the entire Tianwu Realm, the Nanling Mountains were no ordinary place; indeed, they could be called a land of mystery. Within the Nanling Mountains, countless legends abounded: demons, monsters, immortals, and celestial sons—the miraculous nature of the mountains was evident everywhere.

No one dared to venture into the depths of the Nanling Mountains unless they were utterly desperate.

From ancient times to the present, countless people had tried to explore them, but none had ever returned with any clear account. A great power had once expended all its resources in an attempt to map the interior of the Nanling Mountains, only for the entire sect to be wiped out in the end.

Now, the map of this famed and feared mountain range lay spread before them...

“Could it be that Senior Zhu foresaw everything in advance?”

“Did he know we would come, and so prepared this painting?” Xieming wondered aloud.

Hongxi nodded in agreement. “It must be so. The Nanling Mountains are an absolute peril—no one enters and emerges unscathed, yet look: not only is Senior Zhu unhurt, he has even brought out a map!”

“The senior’s strength is truly beyond our imagination!”

As they admired the painting, Zhu Xiaoyuan closely observed the expressions of those present. Seeing the looks on Hongxi and Xieming’s faces, he knew at once that his painting was indeed extraordinary—at least, the two of them clearly wanted it.

He thought to himself that it would be awkward to name a price outright; what if they had no such intention? That would be quite an embarrassment.

After some hesitation, Zhu Xiaoyuan finally spoke with care. “Do the two of you wish to acquire this painting?”

The moment Xieming and Hongxi heard his question, they inwardly nodded in confirmation. Just as expected!

This senior had known their intentions all along!

“This painting is miraculous! If we could possess it, all our doubts would be dispelled, and it would help us accomplish our task and resolve our crisis!” They hurriedly voiced their wishes to Zhu Xiaoyuan.

When Zhu Xiaoyuan heard this, he frowned. What crisis? Could these two be merchants, here to buy paintings? The thought made him nod to himself—perhaps that was indeed the case. Maybe, lacking fine works to support them, they were on the verge of ruin and urgently needed a good painting to turn things around.

And as it happened, his work was just such a painting!

“If it can be of help, then take it with you,” Zhu Xiaoyuan said offhandedly.

Take it? Xieming and Hongxi were momentarily stunned, unable to react.

Such a treasure, simply given away?

Impossible!

“It seems the senior had prepared the painting for us all along. And now, to simply give it to us—could it be that he has some other instructions for us?” Xieming could not guess Zhu Xiaoyuan’s intention, and pondered in his heart.

“No matter. Since the senior has spoken, let us accept it first,” said Hongxi.

Xieming took the painting and bowed once more to Zhu Xiaoyuan.

“Then we must thank you, Senior, for bestowing this treasure upon us!”