240: Chapter 240 The Fragrance of Tea Fills the Air, Time Passes By

Venerable Hantian raised his head, looking at Jiang Changge. He wanted to say something, but ultimately just shook his head and sighed: "I have lived for so many years, seen generous people, but I have never seen anyone as generous as you."

Afterward, he carefully tucked the chaos true source into his sleeve, brushed the stone dust off his grey robe, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face, which was deeply lined with the passage of time:

"Fellow Daoist, you have gained quite a lot from this trip, and I have benefited as well. The Nine-Orifice Stone Forest will close again in a few days, and it won't open for another thousand years. If you have nothing else to do, why not come and sit in my Immortal Cave? I still have some rare tea at the bottom of my chest, just right to share with you."

Jiang Changge nodded, and the two set off on their return journey, one after the other.

When they walked out of the towering stone wall of the Nine-Orifice Stone Forest, the Restriction behind them began to slowly close. A pale golden light film reappeared on the surface of the stone wall, sealing the Secret Realm filled with stone pillars back into the Void Realm, unreachable by ordinary people.

On the way back from the Nine-Orifice Stone Forest to Huaiyang City, Venerable Hantian spoke much more than he had on the way there.

He traveled on the wind while enthusiastically introducing the landscapes along the way to Jiang Changge, occasionally pointing at an inconspicuous mountain and saying that it was where he had discussed the Dao with a Fellow Daoist thousands of years ago.

Or pointing at a dried-up riverbed, saying that it used to be a spirit spring brimming with Spiritual Qi, but was later blasted dry by some reckless junior who was Undergoing Tribulation while fighting.

Jiang Changge just listened, occasionally nodding in agreement, though his gaze frequently swept over the faint outline of the city on the distant horizon.

When the familiar stone wall of the Immortal Cave rippled like water before them again, Venerable Hantian stepped in first, waved his hand, and the moonstones in the Immortal Cave lit up one by one, illuminating the entire cave as peacefully as a courtyard under the moon.

The two coarse pottery teacups on the stone table remained where they had left them, only the tea had long since gone cold.

Venerable Hantian poured out the leftover tea, refilled it with clear spring water, and took a palm-sized jade jar from his sleeve. Carefully removing the lid, a clear and elegant tea fragrance permeated and filled the entire Immortal Cave.

"Fellow Daoist, please sit."

Venerable Hantian gestured for Jiang Changge to sit while skillfully arranging the tea set, his tone carrying a hint of undisguised pride.

"This tea of mine is a treasure I've been saving. It comes from a ten-thousand-year-old ancient tea tree on a nameless island in the East Sea. It is harvested only once every tens of thousands of years, and only three ounces are obtained each time. Last time, that old fellow Yun Zhongjun passed by and wanted to beg for a cup to taste, but I couldn't bear to give it to him."

Jiang Changge sat down on the meditation cushion and picked up the teacup Venerable Hantian handed him. The tea soup was emerald and bright, and the tea fragrance was clear and lingering. Just a light sniff made his mind feel at peace.

He took a sip. As the tea went down his throat, a gentle Spiritual Qi flowed slowly along his Meridians, making his whole body feel comfortable.

He was about to praise the tea when his heart suddenly moved, and he raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly.

His Divine Sense had already quietly spread out when he entered the range of several thousand miles around Huaiyang City, enveloping the entire city.

At this moment, several extremely familiar auras had fallen into his perception.

In the main hall of the Yuelan Dojo, the place was bustling with noise, and over a hundred Alchemists had packed the meditation cushions in the hall.

Zhou Tianchen was sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion beside the sandalwood desk, with the palm-sized qiankun furnace suspended in front of him. The golden Alchemical Fire at the furnace mouth transformed into a swimming Dragon at his fingertips, slowly circling the cluster of Green Jade Cold Flame belonging to Great Master Changming.

While controlling the Alchemical Fire, he was explaining the key points of temperature conversion for cold-attribute Spirit Medicine in compound Medicinal Pills to the crowd in the hall in a calm and clear tone. His demeanor was composed, his words refined, drawing the crowd in the hall into a trance.

Great Master Changming sat beside him, occasionally stroking his beard and nodding, occasionally interjecting to add a few words. The two worked in harmony, explaining the originally obscure and profound Dao of Alchemy in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.

In the quiet room at the back of the dojo, Lu Jinghan sat cross-legged on a bluestone, the Jinghan Sword lying horizontally across his knees, his eyes slightly closed.

A layer of faint silvery-white light lingered around him, and the fluctuations of the Law of Time and Space rose and fell slowly around him like a tide. Every breath he took was precisely synchronized with the circulation of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Although his Divine Sense was restrained within his body, that faint, sharp Sword Intent still made the air around the quiet room feel a bit more piercing.

Duan Xinghe was sitting in another quiet room, still in that posture of holding his long sword.

Jiang Changge was not surprised by the appearance of these three in Huaiyang City.

After the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony ended, they had come for the Xuanhuang Fortress, and given their pace, it was perfectly normal for them to reach Huaiyang City these days.

What really surprised him was another aura—Yun Tianxiang.

He was also very familiar with that aura; after all, he was his Disciple from Kunlun, an Immortal Reincarnation.

Although he had not yet fully reached Awakening, that unique sharpness deep in his Divine Soul was as eye-catching as a bonfire in the dark night in Jiang Changge's perception.

Yun Tianxiang was also in Huaiyang City at this moment, and he was right inside the Yuelan Dojo, sitting in an inconspicuous corner in the back row of the lecture hall, with his aura perfectly restrained.

Jiang Changge put down his teacup, his right hand lifted unconsciously, his index and middle fingers pressed together, and he lightly pinched a few times in the Void Realm.

His movements were extremely light and fast; Venerable Hantian was looking down at brewing the second pot of tea and did not notice.

The Creation Sutra operated quietly in his body, and a trace of extremely subtle power of heavenly secrets flowed along his fingertips, outlining the subtle Karma threads on Yun Tianxiang one by one.

A moment later, Jiang Changge withdrew his fingers, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, and then he picked up his teacup and took another sip, saying nothing.

Venerable Hantian happened to look up, and seeing this expression, he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Fellow Daoist, what are you smiling at? Is there something wrong with my tea?"

"The tea is good tea." Jiang Changge put down the teacup, his tone casual, "It's just that I suddenly remembered a Disciple who is also in this Huaiyang City."

Venerable Hantian said "Oh," and did not pursue the matter.

He knew that if Jiang Changge wanted to say it, he would naturally say it, and if he didn't want to say it, asking would be in vain.

He poured himself a cup of tea, leaned back on the backrest of the stone stool, and sighed contentedly: "This trip to the Nine-Orifice Stone Forest was quite a harvest, and Fellow Daoist generously gifted that wisp of chaos true source, so my hidden injury finally has hope of healing."

"Speaking of which, what are your plans next, Fellow Daoist? Are you staying in Huaiyang City waiting for the Xuanhuang Fortress to open, or are you going elsewhere to look around?"

"I'll stay for a few days first." Jiang Changge said, "Several Disciples are in the city, so I'll just take a look at their progress during this time."

Venerable Hantian nodded and said nothing more.

The two chatted casually in this Immortal Cave, the tea fragrance lingering, and the peaceful times good.