Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 104: The Year the Peach Blossoms Bloomed

"That senior's Dharma name was Qingzhu. His story is quite similar to yours, Junior Brother Qin. Originally a rogue cultivator, he later joined Shaohua Mountain."

"After Qingzhu achieved Foundation Building, he succeeded in forming his core in just forty years—a record that remained unbroken in the sect. However, he became half-mad and was placed under house arrest by the sect."

"It was said that Qingzhu, enraged for the sake of a beauty, cleaved this mountain with a single sword strike and broke through the array, leaving behind the Sword Pass. There must be a fascinating story behind this, but unfortunately, it remained a mere legend, with no concrete details known."

"Interestingly, after Qingzhu left, the spiritual herbs and flowers on the mountain were all damaged by the sword qi and withered away, leaving a desolate scene. Only the Red Jade Peach Tree remained unaffected and even thrived with increased vitality."

"That year was precisely during winter when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, surviving the winter, and it took three years for the fruit to mature."

"Since then, although the Red Jade Peach is an ordinary fruit, its sweetness surpasses that of other spiritual fruits. Every time it ripens, many senior uncles leave their seclusion to harvest and taste it."

Standing on a spirit artifact, Senior Brother Zhuang gazed at the Sword Pass, immersed in the legend of Qingzhu with a sense of reverence.

Qin Sang, however, envied Qingzhu’s talent even more. Achieving Core Formation in just forty years was astonishing. Even those with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, who didn’t face the bottleneck of the Core Formation Realm, required meticulous preparation and several years of seclusion, without daring to be careless.

It was unexpected that Senior Brother Zhuang, who seemed so composed, had such a romantic side. Qin Sang inquired, "Is Senior Qingzhu still in the sect?"

Senior Brother Zhuang shook his head, regretfully replying, "After Senior Qingzhu cleaved the mountain and left, he never returned. The senior uncles and grandmasters have kept his whereabouts a closely guarded secret. There are rumors that he was seen on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, but it has never been confirmed. It has been many years without any news of him. If he failed to reach the Spiritual Infant Realm, he is likely…"

Qin Sang fell silent. The path of immortal cultivation was indeed one where success came at great cost.

With Qingzhu’s talent, all that remained now was the legend of the Sword Pass. If Qin Sang were to fall, would anyone remember him?

"This is Treasure Tower Peak."

Senior Brother Zhuang turned to point at a distant peak.

The mountain was quite unique, with a massive stone tower atop it. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the tower had been carved directly into the summit, with several smaller towers scattered around the mountainside.

According to Senior Brother Zhuang, Treasure Tower Peak was where Shaohua Mountain stored its arts, spells, and various cultivation texts. Qin Sang made a mental note to visit Treasure Tower Peak when he had the chance.

Perhaps he could find information about the mysterious orchid he had encountered.

"Disciples in the Qi Refining Realm can use their waist tokens to access the first level of Treasure Tower Peak for research, though they must pay in spirit stones. There are additional fees if you wish to take anything out of the peak. Likewise, listening to teachings from senior brothers and senior uncles at Dao Peak also requires spirit stones. However, you need not worry, Junior Brother Qin. Once you take on menial tasks within the sect, you will receive a monthly stipend that should cover your cultivation expenses. This is one of the benefits of being a sect disciple. You should understand the hardships of being a rogue cultivator better than I do."

Qin Sang then asked about the various menial tasks available at Shaohua Mountain. He had already experienced the difficulties at Yuanzhao Sect and was determined to avoid roles with excessive trivial tasks.

Without Yu Hua’s support, he couldn’t afford to waste spirit stones on setting up spirit-gathering arrays.

After taking Zhao Yan’s Mustard Seed Pouch, he had accumulated a modest amount of wealth. Setting aside a portion of middle-grade spirit stones for emergencies, he believed it would be manageable to support his cultivation with the remaining resources. He planned to choose a lighter menial task and focus on diligent cultivation.

Senior Brother Zhuang advised Qin Sang not to rush but instead to familiarize himself with Shaohua Mountain. The two flew on their swords from Dao Peak, with Senior Brother Zhuang introducing Qin Sang to each peak along the way.

At Shaohua Mountain, disciples in the Qi Refining Realm were restricted to the area around Dao Peak. The inner peaks were essentially off-limits and should not be trespassed.

"This is Jingyue Peak. Fairy[1] Chenyan is in seclusion here."

Following Senior Brother Zhuang’s direction, Qin Sang saw a modest, low mountain that seemed inconspicuous among the peaks. However, it was surrounded by lush forests, bamboo groves, and clear springs, exuding a unique spiritual charm. ?Ã?ò??S?

Throughout the journey, Senior Brother Zhuang had mentioned Fairy Chenyan repeatedly, to the point where Qin Sang felt his ears were about to develop calluses.

In Senior Brother Zhuang’s descriptions, Fairy Chenyan was a peerless beauty with an ethereal aura, almost to the point of saying she was a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm.

Qin Sang asked if Senior Brother Zhuang had ever seen her in person. To his surprise, Senior Brother Zhuang had only seen a portrait but was infatuated to such an extent, leaving Qin Sang speechless.

Where is the senior brother who previously reminded him to dedicate his life to the path of immortality and forget the mundane world?

Fairy Chenyan’s talent was even more enviable than her appearance. It was said she possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root and had reached the late stage of Core Formation Realm. She had been in seclusion on Jingyue Peak for over twenty years, striving to break through to the Spiritual Infant Realm.

Hundreds of years old, perhaps?

Qin Sang thought to himself.

After wandering around for a while, they finally gazed up at Shaohua Mountain from below. The name of Shaohua Mountain was derived from this very mountain, and it was here that the sect’s only Spiritual Infant grandmaster, Dong Yangbo cave dwelling, was located.

Upon returning to Dao Peak, Senior Brother Zhuang led Qin Sang to a nearby mountain and settled him into a dormitory. He then said, "If Junior Brother Qin has no other matters, come with me to select a menial task."

The two flew back to Dao Peak. Along the way, they encountered several senior brothers and sisters who were hurrying along. Qin Sang learned that a senior uncle proficient in spells was going to give a teaching session that evening.

As they were talking, a gust of wind suddenly swept from behind. Qin Sang quickly dodged, and a swift streak of light flashed past him.

Qin Sang frowned slightly but said nothing. He then saw the streak of light return, revealing a young man with a square face riding an artifact. The young man looked at them, smiling as he said, "Ah, it’s Junior Brother Zhuang. This junior brother here is unfamiliar to me. May I ask for your name?"

"This is Senior Brother Sun De."

"Senior Brother Sun, this is Junior Brother Qin Sang, who has just joined the sect and carries the sword will decree. Senior Uncle Wen asked me to guide him. It’s normal that you haven’t met before."

Sun De’s eyes lit up with understanding. "I was wondering why someone would join the sect at this time. Junior Brother Qin, I was also hurrying to Dao Peak to listen to the senior uncle’s teachings and nearly bumped into you. Please don’t take offense."

With that, he offered an apologetic gesture.

Seeing this, Qin Sang naturally harbored no resentment and returned the gesture. "Senior Brother Sun, you’re too kind."

Sun De’s eyes shifted, and he asked with a smile, "Since Junior Brother Qin has just joined, have you chosen a menial task yet?"

Qin Sang shook his head.

Zhuang Yan said, "I’m about to take Junior Brother Qin to Dao Peak to select one."

"Junior Brother Qin, don’t be fooled by Junior Brother Zhuang. If you don’t lack spirit stones, definitely avoid those notoriously troublesome tasks, or you’ll regret it later!"

Sun De laughed heartily, ignoring Zhuang Yan’s protests and leaving with a wave.

1. The term "fairy" is used to refer to female immortals who are extremely beautiful. ?