Cultivation begins with harvest.

Chapter 248 Being Deceived

"How do you feel?" The boy in blue robes walked a little further away, around the palace gate, and then asked with a smile.

"Who is the one you are asking about?" Chen Guang asked.

The boy in blue chuckled and said, "Why ask when you already know the answer? It's naturally because of our Peak Master—"

The boy was about to say something more when his expression suddenly changed, as if he had received some kind of warning. He became serious and said in a formal tone, "I was just joking. Please, this is the ancestral hall. The main and secondary figures on the left and right are, in order, the Ancestral Master, the first peak master of Ziling Peak, and our peak master. Just kowtow three times. There are no special rules. I will go and get you the Ziyuan Pill."

The boy in blue led Chen Guang to a side hall, handed him a handful of incense, and hurriedly left. Chen Guang had to walk into the side hall by himself. The incense was strong and the hall was much more spacious than the Xiantang, but the furnishings inside were also sparse.

There are three statues in total. In the middle is the patriarch wearing a comb and with a sorrowful expression. On the left is a white-bearded figure wearing a holy crown, with a solemn expression and slightly closed eyes. On the right, just one glance is enough to leave one with only a pair of purple eyes in one's mind, and one immediately knows who it is.

"Does the Peak Master, a living person, also need to be worshipped?"

They kowtowed and offered incense in turn. When they reached the peak master's side, as soon as the incense was inserted, they immediately sensed those purple eyes. They frowned and withdrew from the hall.

The boy in blue stood at the palace entrance, looking at Chen Guang expectantly: "How do you feel?"

Chen Guang understood that the blue-robed boy was referring to the peculiar feeling of being glanced at by the peak master during the worship ceremony, and he asked in a low voice, "Could you please enlighten me, senior brother?"

"You call me senior brother?" The blue-robed boy opened his mouth, a half-smile on his face, as if he had heard a big joke. He snorted twice before saying, "So that you know, this is the last divination. Our peak master is still alive, but he has taken up a place for worship. It is when you kneel down that a connection is established. After that, if you violate the sect rules and directly betray, escape, or do something bad, even our peak master can personally find you and ask you about it face to face. That's all the use, just a connection. It won't have any impact on you."

"Here you go. This is the Purple Essence Pill and a wisp of Dawn Purple Qi. Take them together, find a good place to seclude yourself for a few days, and you'll be fine. This jade slip contains some outlines of what you can do and what's feasible right now. You can take it and read it slowly when you get back. You can leave Mingli Hall by heading west."

The boy in blue shoved a sandalwood box into Chen Guang's hand, then turned and disappeared into the purple mist. A moment later, he poked his head out again and said with a grin, "By the way, our peak master cultivates the Purple Qi Rising Sun Technique, which is about the sixth volume. If you have the chance to learn from him in person, don't miss it."

After saying that, he disappeared into the vast purple mist.

Chen Guang's fists clenched as he listened. This blue-robed boy's words were truly infuriating. If it was the sixth volume, then it was the volume about the Golden Core cultivator breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. No wonder there was such a sense of oppression and so many strange things in the courtyard just now. As for asking for guidance in person, Chen Guang understood perfectly well that it meant the peak master had come to find him after he had committed a crime. Was that an opportunity to ask for guidance on cultivation techniques?

However, such an ordinary offense should not alarm the Peak Master.

Chen Guang guessed that the peak master wouldn't be too busy, since only cultivators from Chuqiao Mountain and Tianheng Plain were qualified to come here, and there weren't many cultivators.

Without making any pointless attempts to collect the purple energy, Chen Guang headed west and descended the mountain again, completely bewildered. By the time he could see his surroundings clearly, he had already arrived near the main hall of the Earth Hall.

The entire process was meticulously planned. Chen Guang was already impatient and wanted to return to his own Shouling Mountain to take the Ziyuan Pill, but for now, he patiently completed this final step of the process.

It fell to the ground.

Upon entering the stone hall of the underground shrine, someone had already noticed Chen Guang and got up from the prayer mat. The hall was clean, with nothing but a few prayer mats, a steward, and a spirit farmer. Senior Brother He stepped forward and said politely, "Junior Brother, it's so nice to see you again."

"Senior Brother He, what am I supposed to do here in the Earth Hall?"

"I won't make you worship the patriarch anymore. The rewards from the Earth Hall are purely for you. Take a look at this first. It contains some of your assets from your branch in the Earth Hall. I've compiled it for you. Check if there are any errors in the calculations. If there are, I'll sort it out now." Senior Brother He handed Chen Guang a small booklet, led him to a side hall, offered him tea and a seat, and then took out a jade slip. "The rewards from the Earth Hall are much simpler. One is that your time for enlightenment at Chunyuan Residence has been increased to two hundred days, including the reward for the hundred-year-old spiritual medicine you offered before. After that, you will receive thirty-six days of enlightenment time as a bonus every year."

"As for the main reward, the most outstanding thing the Earth Hall can offer is spiritual plants. There are many spiritual plants and related spiritual items. You can choose three kinds. If it is a spiritual seed, you only need to return one after it is successfully planted and raised. If it does not survive, then it is fine. If it is another kind, you may need to settle the price according to the cost price. These are all things that are hard to find in the outside world. You can rest assured about this."

"I must remind you, junior brother, that although you reside in Tianheng Plain, apart from Tianheng Plain and some special status, you do not receive any preferential treatment in places like Yunlou or Tongchuan Cliff. You are still basically the same as outer disciples and steward disciples. Therefore, this is the opportunity you can most actively seize in the near future."

Chen Guang glanced at the booklet quickly, found it generally suitable, and didn't look at it further. However, as he took the jade slip, listening to Senior Brother He's words, he couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother He, you shouldn't just be a steward of the Earth Hall, right?"

Senior Brother He simply sipped his tea and remained silent.

Chen Guang vaguely sensed that Senior Brother He's understanding of the Qingheng Sect was probably even deeper than his own, but since the other party wouldn't say, he could only immerse himself in reading the contents of the jade slip, first marveling, then filled with doubt.

"Senior Brother He, are the Xiajun Butterfly and Qinghou Bee okay? Do we have some for everyone?"

"Yes, although these two kinds of spirit insects are in short supply, the Earth Hall can still prepare a few for some exceptionally talented disciples. When you enter Tianheng Plain, you can get a maximum of ten Xiajun Butterflies and four Qinghou Bees, each costing two spirit stones. These two kinds of spirit insects are not simple, so it's best to choose one to raise. Basically, every spirit farmer will choose one as a reward. Which one do you want, Junior Brother?"

"So, one Xiajun Butterfly and two small spirit talismans?"

"Yes, I recommend you switch to Xiajun Butterfly. Ziling Peak is full of cloud energy. Although Xiajun Butterfly belongs to the category of cloud energy, the two attributes of cloud energy and cloud energy can complement each other. Qinghou Bee was originally a spirit bee from the Nine Heavens. Although it has been improved, it still needs a specific kind of human energy to raise. If you are considering Qinghou Bee, you need to prepare to be stationed outside the Imperial Palace. Let me take a look."

"Of the fourteen kingdoms of Mortal City, four have recently seen changes in their stewards. I recommend you go to Yu Kingdom or Ba Kingdom. Although they are small, they can generate the popularity that Qinghou Bee needs. Would you like me to handle it for you?"

Chen Guang then understood what "able to enter the imperial palace" meant; the "emperor" actually referred to a mortal emperor.

"Does choosing to be stationed overseas mean you can freely collect popularity data?"

"This is just one advantage of being stationed in the Imperial Palace. Popularity cannot be taken arbitrarily; too much of it will be harmful. Every type of popularity needs to be reported before it can be taken, which is quite troublesome. However, raising Qinghou bees shouldn't be a problem. So, have you decided to choose Qinghou bees?"

"Senior brother, if I offer a complete essence of cordyceps, what price will the Earth Hall offer?"

"Shall we barter? A wisp of cordyceps essence can easily get you six Xiajun butterflies, and with a few dozen more scattered strands, seven is not out of the question."

"it is good."

Chen Guang tightened his grip on the jade slip slightly and continued reading.

No wonder they didn't leave any trace or make any contact with me. Qu Xunjiang is something else.