Chapter 623: Island on a Lake
Han Li briefly inspected the door of light, then also stepped into it behind Daoist Master Jingyang.
As soon as he did so, he immediately found himself standing above a vast body of water, and the surrounding environment was filled with clean and refreshing air.
After inhaling a lungful of fresh air, he inspected his surroundings to find that the body of water down below was several dozen kilometers wide, so it could be referred to as a small lake.
Further in the distance around the lake was a vast expanse of mist that perhaps led to somewhere else, or perhaps they signified the boundaries of this space.
At the very center of the lake was a round island that was filled with lush greenery, and at the center of the island was an intricate courtyard with white walls and black roof tiles.
Han Li and Daoist Master Jingyang were hovering in the air above the lake, and they could see schools of plump golden carp swimming and playing through the water in a joyful manner.
"I didn't think that there would be such an abundance of spiritual qi in this domain," Han Li praised.
"Indeed, this place isn't inferior to some of the secret areas that are closely guarded by major sects. I can see that there are at least two spirit springs in this lake. It seems like legends about the third mountain master are true. He really was a genius far beyond fools like myself," Daoist Master Jingyang sighed, then picked up his wine gourd before taking a long swig.
"Why do you always speak of him in the past tense, Fellow Daoist Jingyang? Is he no longer the mountain master of the Hundred Creations Mountain?" Han Li asked while appreciating the beautiful scenery around him.
"Indeed. The third mountain master is nothing more than a legendary figure of the past now. Our current mountain master is the fifth mountain master," Daoist Master Jingyang sighed.
As the two of them were speaking, they had already glided through the air to the small island at the heart of the lake.
Upon reaching the island, they were immediately greeted by the sound of pleasant birdsong and the sweet fragrance of flowers. The two of them made their way down a small pebble path on the island deep into the forest, and they quickly arrived at the black and white courtyard.
To the front left of the courtyard was a small spirit field, around which was a purple light barrier, and there were various types of different spirit plants and spirit medicines growing inside.
Daoist Master Jingyang's eyes lit up slightly as he approached the spirit field. The light barrier hadn't been maintained for countless years, and he was able to dispel it with ease before turning back Han Li as he asked, "Fellow Daoist Li, you're a pill refinement master, so I'm sure you recognize everything in here, right?"
Han Li stepped into the spirit field, then swept his gaze over the surrounding spirit plants, and his eyes immediately lit up slightly as he replied, "Almost all of the spirit plants in this field are over a hundred thousand years old, particularly those Nine-leaf Cornelian Cherries and that Ink Fragrance Herb. They're at a perfect age to be used, and they're an exceptionally rare find."
"I knew I could count on you, Fellow Daoist Li. In accordance with our prior agreement, you can pick out a third of the spirit plants in here. If you think that's not enough, I can sell some to you in Immortal Origin Stones as repayment for the debt that I owe you," Daoist Master Jingyang said.
"Could it be that back when you were borrowing money from me, you had already thought of the idea of repaying me using the treasures in this domain treasure? As expected of a shrewd businessman of the Hundred Creations Mountain, your foresight is truly outstanding," Hundred Creations Mountain praised.
"You're mistaken, Fellow Daoist Li. The main reason why I decided to purchase this Fish Branch for such a steep price is due to its ties with our sect. As for what's going to be in it, that's nothing more than a blind gamble for me. After all, there's no way for me to tell if someone else has already accessed this space before this Fish Branch fell into the hands of that Golden Immortal," Daoist Master Jingyang replied.
"I can't allow you to repay this favor so easily, Fellow Daoist Jingyang. I'll stick by our original agreement and pick out only a third of the spirit plants here. As for the Immortal Origin Stones that you owe me, you can repay me over time," Han Li said with a smile, then began to pick out the spirit plants that he wanted from the field.
Meanwhile, Daoist Master Jingyang had already opened the restriction on the gate of the courtyard, but he didn't make his way inside on his own. Instead, he stood by the entrance while sipping on wine and appreciating the surrounding scenery, seemingly not in a hurry at all.
Only after Han Li had secured the spirit plants that he wanted did the two of them make their way into the courtyard together.
In contrast with the average immortal abode, the layout of this courtyard was more similar to what one would expect to see in a mortal courtyard.
Around a dozen paces away from the entrance stood a white screen wall, upon which was painted a pair of carp, one black and one red. Their heads and tails were interconnected to form a ring, and there was a layer of translucent white light shimmering over the screen wall.
Han Li briefly activated his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, and he noticed a layer of white mist that was invisible to the naked eye rising up from beneath the screen wall. Rich spiritual qi was gathering and dissipating there, and it seemed that this screen wall was the key to the entire domain treasure's operation.
After making their way around the screen wall, Han Li and Daoist Master Jingyang stepped into the first section of the courtyard, where they saw a series of puppets strewn over the ground, with their spirit cores completely spent.
Daoist Master Jingyang approached those puppets for a brief inspection, then shook his head with a disappointed look on his face.
"What's wrong, Fellow Daoist Jingyang?" Han Li asked.
"These puppets weren't crafted by our third mountain master, and there are no signs to indicate who it was that left them here. The craftsmanship is quite remarkable, but they're nothing more than a pile of scrap metal now," Daoist Master Jingyang replied.
"According to your description, this Fish Branch has already been around for countless years, and it could've had multiple owners during that time, so there's naturally no way that everything could be preserved in their original state," Han Li said.
"That's true," Daoist Master Jingyang replied with a nod.
The two of them continued to make their way through the courtyard, and during the course of their exploration, they discovered that the former owner of this domain treasure had been an avid collector of paintings and calligraphy pieces from mortal masters.
Many of them were extremely important pieces in the world of art and calligraphy, and there was no lack of pieces from extremely renowned masters among them.
Hanging in the main hall was a piece of calligraphy from a small mortal nation that had existed in the Golden Origin Immortal Region over a hundred thousand years ago, and it had been written to pay homage to the calligrapher's ancestors.
The strokes were extremely masterful and diverse, making the characters resemble roaming ink dragons, to the point that it almost resembled an immortal talisman.
Han Li wasn't very well versed in the art of calligraphy, but even he could tell that the former owner of this place had very good taste.
Aside from these mortal pieces, there was also a secret chamber in the domain treasure that was dedicated to storing immortal artifacts, including treasures, pills, and spirit materials.
Han Li briefly examined the collection in the secret chamber to find that all of the items were of quite a high caliber, most of which could even be used by High Zenith cultivators. The two most valuable pieces among them were a crimson fan that contained fire law powers and a wooden ruler that contained time law powers.
The former had been fashioned out of the feathers of some type of spirit bird, and it contained immense fire law powers, allowing it to easily melt the average Golden Immortal Stage treasure into molten liquid.
The latter was green in color and as smooth as jade, with densely packed markings etched onto its surface. However, prior to refining the treasure, it was impossible to tell what it could be used for.
Daoist Master Jingyang's attention was immediately drawn to the fan, and he said, "Fellow Daoist Li, I recall that you were particularly interested in time-attribute treasures during the auction.
“Out of these two treasures, I think this wooden ruler suits you best, so how about you leave this fan to me? I'll admit that I've become quite lazy of late, but I'm still a tool refinement master, after all, and this fan will be of great help to me in my tool refinement endeavors."
Han Li's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and he replied, "I only purchased that Time Severing Flagon for its ability to store spirit liquids. This wooden ruler is a treasure of an even higher caliber than the flagon, but it's not very useful to me. In contrast, this fan can also be very useful in my pill refinement."
Daoist Master Jingyang was silent for a moment, then proposed, "How about this, Fellow Daoist Li? If you leave this fan to me, you can choose an additional three items out of everything here after you've picked out your share of a third of these items?"
A hesitant look appeared on Han Li's face upon seeing this, and after a brief moment of contemplation, he acquiesced, "Alright, we'll do as you say."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Li," Daoist Master Jingyang hurriedly said with a grateful expression.
After that, Han Li stowed the azure wooden ruler into his storage bracelet, then collected his share of the treasures in the secret chamber.
After splitting the spoils, Daoist Master Jingyang reopened the door of light, and the two of them emerged from the domain treasure one after the other.
Upon returning to the secret chamber, Daoist Master Jingyang turned to Han Li with a smile, then suddenly said, "It's rare that I find someone that I get along so well with, Fellow Daoist Li. I have a proposal for you."
"You're not going to ask me to serve as a guest elder at your Hundred Creations Mountain again, are you?" Han Li asked with a smile.
"Precisely! This time, it's an official invitation. With your skills in pill refinement, you'll most definitely be held in very high regard in our Hundred Creations Mountain, and in exchange, you'll have access to the immense resources at our sect's disposal," Daoist Master Jingyang said with a serious expression.
"I'm afraid I'll have to turn down your kind offer once again, Fellow Daoist Jingyang. At the moment, I'm still troubled by my baleful decay, and my top priority right now is to resolve this issue," Han Li replied with a wry smile.
"Have you not already obtained the Profound Zoysia Crystal? Once you've refined that pill, you'll be able to expel all of the baleful qi in your body, and the baleful decay will no longer be a concern," Daoist Master Jingyang said.
"I certainly hope so. Once I get back to the Leisure Valley, I'll be going into seclusion to refine the pill in question, and that will be my focus for the immediate future," Han Li said.
"I suppose that makes sense. I also have some matters to take care of in the wake of the auction, so let's part ways here. Once you successfully expel the baleful qi from your body, I'll open a jar of my Green Fermented Wine to celebrate," Daoist Master Jingyang said as he cupped his fist in a parting salute.
Han Li nodded in response, and with that, Han Li departed.
Upon returning to the inner city of Jade Gathering City, he discovered that the unrest in the wake of the recent incident had already completely subsided, and the city was still as lively and bustling as ever.
After leaving Jade Gathering City, he returned straight to the Leisure Valley.
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