owlsbooks Chapter 11: The Valley of Fallen Dragons Opens, Opportunities for Advancement Appear
Chapter 11: The Valley of Fallen Dragons Opens, Opportunities for Advancement Appear
Inside the main hall of Yunfu Peak, in the Tinglei Hall.
Carved beams and flying phoenixes, gold paint reflecting lightning, the dome hangs high with the pattern of the Azure Dragon of the East, and in the center of the dragon-headed hall is a blue wooden thunder pool.
The Thunder Listening Hall is not only a grand hall, but also a magical artifact that has been continuously refined and polished by successive leaders of the Yunfu Sect.
Inside the hall, the Thunder Pool stretched out like an abyss, with a gnarled ancient tree rooted in the thunder. Purple lightning surged within the Thunder Pool, and blue and white lightning intertwined, illuminating the hall with flickering light.
On the edge of Leichi Pond, Zuo You, the head of Yunfu Sect, stood leaning against the railing, his posture as straight as a pine tree.
"Report to Sect Leader: Elder Qingwei, who is on duty at Fallen Dragon Valley, has sent a message saying that the protective barriers in Fallen Dragon Valley are showing signs of being broken."
"Good." Zuo You's voice was like the clinking of gold and jade: "Pass down the order to make careful preparations and select capable individuals below the sixth level of Qi Refining, regardless of their status. Anyone who has made contributions will be promoted to an inner disciple."
Zuo You's words resonated with the Thunder Pool. The railings of the Thunder Pool were engraved with Thunder Dao talismans, and every now and then, arcs of electricity would leap out of the pool, cling to the talismans, meander upwards, and disappear into Zuo You's body.
……
The General Affairs Bureau oversees dozens of workshops, including Beitian, Danfang, Zhinufeng, and Yaotian, employing tens of thousands of laborers.
Yunfu Sect is a large enterprise in a county town, producing spirit pearl robes, fish scale armor, and golden charcoal for large companies in the city. They live a very comfortable life.
The head of the General Affairs Department was the leader in charge of production and logistics, while the heads of various departments were the workshop foremen in charge of their respective workshops.
At this point, some supervisors, in order to shirk their responsibilities, would select one or two trustworthy laborers to act as foremen.
Most foremen who had struggled to rise from the ashes, in order to show their loyalty, were even more ruthless than the managers, exploiting the laborers as much as possible.
If any accidents happen in the end, the supervisor will step in and either beat or punish the foreman. In short, after appeasing the public anger, a new foreman will be selected.
Senior Brother Lingji was the foreman of the herb field. Of course, the herb field was a place where laborers were rarely treated well; it just meant there was a lot of work to do.
Now there is another one, namely Li Ya.
Li Ya didn't take it seriously and continued to humbly learn from Zhao Zhenping how to cultivate the medicinal fields. After all, there was no one he could completely trust now, and he had to rely on himself to develop the spiritual fields of the Ling Shu Cave.
"The spiritual plants and herbs in the mountains and forests are not like those in our medicinal fields, which are planted in large patches. They are mostly scattered, so the fertility is naturally sufficient."
"After each harvest of the Cloud Mist Grass, the fertility of the spiritual soil is exhausted, and the land needs to be nurtured for another season to prepare spiritual liquid for composting."
Li Ya carefully noted down the advice that Old Zhao had given him as his senior brother, and felt a pang of gratitude.
It was truly a case of oversimplification. Mortal farmers compost crops, but if spiritual plants could grow solely on spiritual energy, why bother with cultivating medicinal fields? They could simply soak them in spiritual springs. Why go through all this trouble?
Soaking in the sacred spring?
Hydroponics!
A flash of inspiration struck him: "If a suitable spiritual liquid could be developed, this Cloud Mist Grass might be able to be grown hydroponically. Moreover, based on my past life, hydroponics is far more effective than soil cultivation..."
This method is feasible!
Li Ya was overjoyed. This would not only reduce the amount of spiritual soil needed, but also eliminate the need to nourish the land.
Cultivating immortality is not just about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships and worldly wisdom.
"Uncle Xie may not accept it, but I cannot not send it; Senior Brother Lingji also needs it."
Li Ya didn't want to stop progressing here; he wanted to make even more progress.
Hearing from Senior Brother Lingji that Uncle Xie was fond of spiritual fruits, Li Ya took a fruit basket and headed to the herb garden cottage during his midday break, while preparing a Qi Gathering Pill for Senior Brother Lingji.
"Little Cliff, why aren't you stretching your shoulders in the middle of the day? What brings you here?"
"Thank you, Uncle Xie, for giving me the cultivation technique and recommending me for a leisurely position. I bought some spiritual fruits to express my gratitude."
"Our martial uncle is currently cultivating; he'll probably be gone for a while. Let's go wait in the courtyard!"
Upon entering the courtyard, one can feel the rich spiritual energy of the plants surging forth, gathering and dispersing in a natural and orderly manner.
The Azure Qi within his body was subtly being stirred.
The text describes the martial uncle's cultivation method as "Eastern Jia Wood Refining Nerve Technique," which is a higher-level technique than "Azure Mist Condensing Wood Nourishing Essence Technique."
At this moment, the spiritual energy gathered around the plants and trees seemed to condense into mist, and there was a faint sound of the forest surging.
Li Ya thought to himself.
"Is this the seventh level of Qi Refining? Just this daily breathing exercise alone produces such a sight."
"What do you want with me?"
A lazy voice came from inside the hall, and all the spiritual energy in the courtyard suddenly disappeared into Xie Shishu's mouth and nose.
Li Ya quickly handed the fruit basket to the maid and answered the question outside the hall, his expression neither humble nor arrogant, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.
"My master has bestowed upon me the grace of magic and promoted me. Although I am in dire straits, I know that I should repay this kindness. So I have selected a few spiritual fruits, and I hope my master will not find them distasteful."
"He's thoughtful, unlike Lingji. He's been in the Yunfu Sect for several years now, and he's never bought me even half a fruit!"
"Don't just stand there, come in!"
Lingji looked embarrassed and didn't know how to respond.
These words sound like a reproach, but there is no real sense of blame in them.
As soon as she sat down, Xie Daoyun's expression suddenly changed.
"Azure Mist True Qi? You've already mastered it?"
Li Ya stood up and replied, "I entered the field without really understanding what was happening."
Lingji, the senior brother standing to the side, looked on in astonishment.
"Confused? Even someone with Lingji's talent took ten days to comprehend, and another ten days to cultivate a wisp of Azure Mist True Qi."
Xie Daoyun said no more, but gave a few instructions to the maids before picking up a spiritual fruit from the table and enjoying it.
The vibrant green fruit made her lips appear even more rosy.
A moment later, a maid brought over a book. Xie Daoyun opened it and her gaze lingered on one page for a long time.
"...Li Ya, a handyman in the medicinal herb fields, is from Sifang Town. Since his great-grandfather moved to Sifang Town, four generations have passed..."
"He's from a respectable family with a clean background."
Xie Daoyun couldn't help but ponder this to herself.
In Sifang Town, any disciple born into a family with a clean background would have their aptitude secretly investigated by the sects. Li Ya's aptitude wasn't outstanding at the time, so he was overlooked?
If that's really the case, wouldn't I be getting a good deal?
Even among the inner disciples of the Yunfu Sect, the competition is fierce. I am by nature averse to fence-sitting, and now that I have no teachers to back me up, I can rely on myself for everything.
His demotion to the herb garden was merely a temporary measure, intended to avoid internal strife, accumulate strength, and build a solid foundation.
One person with a brilliant mind alone is definitely not enough.
"Li Ya." Xie Daoyun waved her hand to shield herself from the outside world.
"I'll give you another chance, do you dare to take it?"
"dare!"
"it is good"
"Do either of you know about the Valley of Fallen Dragons?"
Li Ya and his senior brother Lingji exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.
"Please give me your instructions, Uncle-Master."
"The spring flows through the valley, and a large portion of the water in this Poyang Lake comes from this Fallen Dragon Valley..."
Legend has it that in Fallen Dragon Valley, there was a dragon-like creature on the verge of transforming into a dragon. It traveled across rivers and into the sea, causing massive floods and angering a traveling sword cultivator.
It was cleaved off by a single sword strike, smashing its way out of the deep valley.
He was then sealed by a secret technique, and all his blood, flesh, essence, and golden core cultivation were absorbed into it.
The dragon's resentment lingered, gathering vast clouds that enveloped the deep valley, isolating it from divine senses.
"You two are in luck! This Fallen Dragon Valley only opens once every hundred years, and there are plenty of amazing things inside!"
The more Li Ya listened, the more worried he became, rather than delighted.
"May I ask, Uncle-Master, if this is truly a treasure land, how could it possibly be our turn?"
"She's clear-headed," Xie Daoyun continued.
"This Fallen Dragon Valley is shrouded in mist all year round. This mist is strange and can block divine sense. Staying in it for too long can drive people mad and make them go mad. The higher one's cultivation level, the more easily one is affected by it."
"Therefore, those sent were all below the sixth level of Qi Refining."
No wonder, if it weren't so perilous, how could such a tremendous opportunity have fallen on the heads of these poor folks?
Within this Fallen Dragon Valley grow spiritual plants imbued with the aura of dragons, which are perfectly suited to the path of the Azure Dragon Thunder Star Golden Core, making them far more attractive to the Yunfu Sect than to other sects.
"This Fallen Dragon Valley is not the private property of any sect. The Yin Hua Sect, Fallen Soul Valley, and Fragrance Sect in the north will also send people."
"Do you still dare to accept the challenge now?"
This situation presents an opportunity for the Yunfu Sect, so how could these sects allow the Yunfu Sect to act as they please? As long as their opponents don't get what they want, they've already profited. If their opponents suffer casualties as a result, then they've made a huge profit.
Moreover, once I obtain these spiritual items, I can demand an exorbitant sum from the Yunfu Sect. Why not?
Li Ya pondered to himself, even mortals struggling in the mortal world have their share of hardships, so how could he guarantee a smooth journey on his path of cultivation?
It should be known that a horse will not get fat without night grass, and a person will not get rich without windfall gains. Moreover, since I have the Ling Shu in my hands, I may well be able to seize an opportunity.
Li Ya cupped his hands, his gaze resolute.
"Uncle-Master, the cliff has been cut off!"
"Alright!" Xie Daoyun waved her wide sleeves: "From today onwards, you will move to Qingmu Pavilion to live with Lingji. You only need to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining before the Fallen Dragon Valley opens. I will take care of the rest for you."
Li Ya straightened his back. "To forge iron, one must be strong oneself." He needed to advance to the fourth level of Qi Refining in a short period of time.
It would take at least a year and a half to go from the second to the third level, even at the current speed, and at least four or five years to go from the third to the fourth level.
"Uncle Xie, do you really think I'm some kind of genius because you see how quickly I've mastered the 'Azure Mist Condensing Wood Nourishing Essence Technique'?"
"If things are impossible, taking some risks is worthwhile."