"Junior Sister Fang, Senior Brother Zhao, please come in!"
With a smile touching his lips, the incarnation invited the two inside.
This Zhao Songqiao was a shrewd, nimble-minded man.
The incarnation had heard Fang Ting mention that after joining the sect, Zhao Songqiao had paid close attention to her and frequently came by to visit. At first, Fang Ting had remained wary of the old man. Later, seeing that he harbored no ill intentions, had lent her a hand with minor favors, and was a fellow disciple of the same sect, she had let her guard down.
She had casually mentioned to Zhao Songqiao once that the incarnation had become a true legacy disciple of the Landou Sect's Yin-Yang lineage. Unexpectedly, Zhao Songqiao had asked her to make an introduction.
Unable to refuse graciously, Fang Ting had brought Zhao Songqiao along when she visited the previous month.
The incarnation had seen plenty of this sort of thing before.
Having painstakingly cultivated to the thirteenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage as a rogue cultivator, Zhao Songqiao had tempered such an accommodating temperament only after tasting every bitterness and hardship the world had to offer. The incarnation bore no ill will toward Zhao Songqiao's attempts to curry favor, yet he had no intention of getting too close either, maintaining nothing more than polite superficial courtesy.
The three entered the room and took their seats.
The incarnation brewed spiritual tea, observed their expressions, took a sip, and asked placidly, "Junior Sister Fang, you must have a reason for visiting this time?"
"You can tell even that, Senior Brother?"
Surprise crossed Fang Ting's face, but then she wrinkled her fine nose, looking troubled.
This stoked the incarnation's curiosity. Fang Ting was naturally cheerful and forthright. On her past visits, she had rarely been so hesitant and fidgety. He wondered what could be troubling her.
"Heheh, everything on your mind is written plainly on your face, Junior Sister. With Junior Brother Zhang's keen eye, how could he miss it?" Zhao Songqiao chuckled softly, looking toward Fang Ting. "If it is awkward for you to speak, this matter started because of me anyway, so let me explain it to Junior Brother Zhang."
"Alright then. Go ahead, Senior Brother Zhao." Fang Ting nodded as if relieved of a burden.
The incarnation merely studied the two with curiosity, saying nothing.
Straightening his posture, Zhao Songqiao adopted a slightly grave expression and spoke: "Junior Brother Zhang, since you are now a true legacy disciple of the Landou Sect, you must know about the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly."
The incarnation paused briefly, set down his teacup, and asked, "Why do you ask about the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly, Senior Brother Zhao? Yanmiao Pavilion should be sending disciples to attend as well, wouldn't they?"
"Indeed, but only true legacy disciples are permitted to participate. I do not qualify. At the assembly, true legacy disciples from various sects will spar, and most importantly, seniors at the Foundation Establishment stage from the sects will be there. If I could observe them even once, it would be of immense benefit to my path toward breaking through the bottleneck." Zhao Songqiao sighed, then shifted his tone before the incarnation could reply: "Fortunately, Junior Sister Fang agreed to bring me into Dongming Island to observe the assembly."
The incarnation glanced at Fang Ting, not at all surprised. Given Fang Ting's status, no one in Yanmiao Pavilion would likely be so tactless as to voice an objection.
Still, when Fang Ting had mentioned Zhao Songqiao before, her tone had not been particularly close.
The incarnation was somewhat curious about how Zhao Songqiao had managed to persuade her.
"Is Senior Chen leading your group there?"
Fang Ting shook her head and said somewhat helplessly, "Master was originally supposed to lead the contingent to Dongming Island, but he has remained in seclusion..."
The incarnation could not help but chuckle.
The grudge between Cultivator Chen and Old Daoist Huayang was truly forged now. Presumably, as long as Cultivator Chen failed to break through to the mid Core Formation stage, he would not emerge from seclusion to face Old Daoist Huayang.
"Then congratulations are in order, Senior Brother Zhao! You possess the highest cultivation among our batch of disciples, and Senior Chen holds you in high regard. After the assembly, you will surely break through in one fell swoop. Among the few of us, you should be the first to reach Foundation Establishment."
The incarnation cupped his hands in congratulation, not saying a single word about whatever favor Zhao Songqiao had in mind.
Zhao Songqiao waved his hands repeatedly. Seeing how slippery the incarnation was, he could only press on: "Junior Brother Zhang, you will soon break through to the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage. When that time comes, you will understand just how arduous Foundation Establishment truly is. At my age, after failing who knows how many times, I had long given up hope. I never expected to be accepted into Yanmiao Pavilion. This is the sole chance of my entire life, and no matter what, I must fight for it. I beg Junior Brother Zhang to aid me!"
Seeing Zhao Songqiao put on such an act, the incarnation was filled with confusion. "Senior Brother Zhao, you truly leave me bewildered. I did not enter the sect earlier than you, nor is my cultivation superior to yours. How could I possibly help you?"
"Junior Brother Zhang, you must have learned what kind of place Dongming Island is, right?"
Zhao Songqiao asked the incarnation to seal the cave dwelling's restrictions before speaking in a hushed voice: "That island is no secret across Landou Island. It is quite peculiar, blessed with exceptionally abundant wood-attribute spiritual energy, making it extraordinarily suited for the growth of spiritual herbs and spiritual trees without requiring cultivators to tend them at all. When the various sects first discovered Dongming Island, they carved it up among themselves, with the Landou Sect occupying the largest and most fertile territory. However, the most central region is Mount Longxing at the center of Landou Island, where countless rare spiritual herbs are said to grow—so alluring that even Core Formation masters were tempted, nearly inciting massive turmoil. Later, the sects established rules and joined forces to seal Dongming Island. Only during each Dongming Island Dharma Assembly would the seal be opened to allow entry into the mountain to harvest the spiritual herbs. And it is said that the performance of each sect's disciples at the assembly directly dictates the subsequent allocation of those herbs..."
The incarnation listened quietly to Zhao Songqiao's explanation.
He had long since investigated the situation regarding Dongming Island himself.
The place opened only at long intervals and was also a forbidden ground, though the incarnation felt it was unlikely to be related to Douniu Peak. Even so, he still intended to find an opportunity to search the island.
What Zhao Songqiao said aligned completely with what he had gathered.
The Landou Sect could hardly pocket all the spiritual herbs on Mount Longxing for itself, so the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly had been established to appease the other sects.
The incarnation narrowed his gaze, studying Zhao Songqiao. Since this fellow had inquired so thoroughly into Dongming Island, did he harbor designs on Mount Longxing? With all the sects keeping watch over Mount Longxing, even his true self would not dare commit such an audacious act.
Trespassing on Mount Longxing was no different from throwing one's life away!
"...Aside from Mount Longxing, each sect also cultivates certain spiritual trees and spiritual herbs within their claimed territories, which are said to yield far better results than those grown outside."
At this point, Zhao Songqiao paused, leaned forward slightly, and said, "Your esteemed sect possesses a grove of Dark Thunder Wood on Dongming Island. As both a true legacy disciple and someone serving under Senior Jin Yan, Junior Brother Zhang surely knows of it. I would like to ask Junior Brother Zhang to take me into that grove just once."
"The Dark Thunder Wood grove?"
The incarnation asked in surprise, "Senior Brother Zhao, you even know about that?"
Dark Thunder Wood was an ink-black spiritual wood resembling a pagoda tree. Its peculiarity lay in the faint trace of Yin Thunder power harbored within. When used to forge magic tools such as flying swords, it rendered them noticeably more potent than ordinary magic tools of the same rank.
However, that trace of Yin Thunder was far too weak and faint, making it useful only to low-ranking disciples.
The Landou Sect indeed owned a grove of Dark Thunder Wood on Dongming Island, and quite a large one at that. Jin Yan had once mentioned that a batch of Dark Thunder Wood on the island should have matured by now.
Zhao Songqiao shook his head repeatedly. "The precious spiritual herbs outside Mount Longxing were picked clean long ago, turning the grounds into ordinary herb gardens. What spiritual flora the various major sects cultivate ceased being a secret long ago."
Chapter 891