C7 Could It be That I Am a Genius?(1)
It was like stepping into a fairyland!
Zhong Wen gazed upon the landscape before him, and the words of Tao Yuanming sprang to mind: "Lush grass so fair, petals in the air..."
Beyond the stone gateway lay a narrow path, initially just wide enough for a single traveler. As he moved forward, the path broadened, leading to an ever-brightening expanse ahead.
Suddenly, the view opened to reveal terraced fields of medicinal herbs stretching into the distance, a vast tapestry of green. The spiritual energy within the valley was so potent it nearly materialized, wafting gently through the air.
Merely standing in the valley, Zhong Wen felt his weariness vanish, replaced by a surge of boundless vigor.
At the far end of the herb fields stood a series of pavilions, shrouded in thick spiritual mist, their ethereal aura reminiscent of the Jade Emperor's celestial abode.
As Zhong Wen meandered through the neglected fields, he noted most of the plants had withered from lack of care. However, a few robust herbs thrived, some even taking on human-like shapes.
Approaching the architectural complex, the grand entrance of an imposing ancient edifice bore four gleaming golden Chinese characters: "Medicine King Temple." A warm sense of familiarity welled up inside him.
Entering the temple's grand hall, he saw twelve lampstands on a long table, each holding a spirit crystal. The crystals, their energy spent, no longer cast their glow.
Portraits lined the wall behind the table, their details obscured in the dim light. With only the moon's rays filtering through the hall, Zhong Wen couldn't make out whether the figures were immortals or Buddhas, nor whom the denizens of Medicine King Valley held sacred.
Circling the main hall and exiting from the rear, Zhong Wen found himself before another building, modest in height, inscribed with three Chinese characters: "Spirit Medicine Pavilion."
He pushed the door open to discover rows upon rows of shelves, each densely packed with drawers labeled in Chinese characters: "Nine Leaf Spirit Grass," "Seven Star Grass," "Dragon Breaking Grass," "Blood Essence Grass," "Thousand-Year Ginseng," "Thousand-Year Scarlet Fruit"...
Reaching for the drawer labeled "Millennium Polygonum," Zhong Wen discovered that the herbs within had long since withered and crumbled into dust. Tucked in the drawer's inner compartment was a spirit crystal. Having read the "Medicine King Valley Chronicles," Zhong Wen recognized the Spirit Pattern etched at the bottom of the compartment, designed to preserve the freshness of herbs. This pattern drew upon the spiritual energy from the crystal above to function, safeguarding the medicinal contents.
Now, with the spiritual energy in the crystal depleted, the Spirit Pattern had ceased to operate.
Opening several more drawers only to find more desiccated remnants, Zhong Wen closed them, a tinge of disappointment in his heart, and left the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.
He then approached another building, an inverted triangle structure with "Spirit Crystal Treasury" inscribed atop it.
Zhong Wen's eyes sparkled. From what he'd learned these past days, "Spirit Crystal" in this realm was tantamount to "gold" in his past life. The term "Spirit Crystal Treasury" conjured images of a "Bank Vault" in his mind.
Stepping into the Spirit Crystal Treasury, emotion welled up within him, nearly bringing him to tears. His accidental death and subsequent arrival in this world had left him on edge, but now, for the first time, he felt a sense of release.
He was wealthy!
Gazing upon the luminescent mounds of spirit crystals on the first floor of the pavilion, Zhong Wen's excitement was palpable.
Fumbling through the crystals, he momentarily scorned his own behavior as he scooped up a handful and flung them into the air, watching them clink and scatter down the slopes of the pile.
Eventually, he left the mound of spirit crystals with reluctance. He picked up a Spirit Crystal Lamp by the door, replaced the spent crystal with a fresh one from the floor, and the lamp flooded the storeroom with light. Now, Zhong Wen could see the sheer volume of crystals on the ground level, an area roughly half the size of a football field, so densely packed it was hard to find a place to step.
Gulp!
Zhong Wen swallowed hard, steeling himself before ascending to the second floor of the Spirit Crystal Pavilion.
The second level was significantly smaller than the first, devoid of the miniature mountains of crystals. Instead, neatly spaced on rows of shelves were smaller spirit crystals, each emitting a glow far more intense than the larger ones below.
"Spirit Crystal Core?" Zhong Wen murmured, reading the Chinese characters etched on the shelf.
Though unfamiliar with the exact nature of a Spirit Crystal Core, Zhong Wen intuited its value as surpassing that of the standard spirit crystals.
He plucked a Spirit Crystal Core from the shelf, pocketed it, and then made his way to the third floor.
The third floor, considerably less spacious than the second, was essentially a single room. At its center stood a square table about a meter in width and length, on which rested a wooden box.
Filled with the anticipation of looting a treasure chest post-boss battle, Zhong Wen approached the table. The Spirit Pattern lock on the wooden box was no longer active, allowing him to open it with ease.
Inside lay a milky-white orb, the size of a ping-pong ball, radiating a gentle, subdued light. It wasn't dazzling, yet it exuded a soothing aura.
An absolute gem!
Zhong Wen concluded swiftly.
Without a second thought, he pocketed the orb and descended the stairs, eager to delve further into the secrets of this ancient order.
As he left the spirit crystal storage, he cast a longing look back at the small crystal hillock.
Time was pressing; it was nearly the hour of the ox. To make it back to the Floating Flower Palace before daybreak, Zhong Wen reluctantly skipped past the Pill Pavilion, Spirit Weapon Pavilion, and other structures, making a beeline for the Scripture Pavilion.
The Medicine King Valley's Scripture Pavilion, befitting a sect of its esteemed status, was a treasure trove that the Floating Flower Palace couldn't hold a candle to. Upon opening the doors, he was greeted by the rich scent of books. Row upon row of bookshelves were laden with tomes of every kind, meticulously categorized.
With the Spirit Crystal Lamp in hand, Zhong Wen perused the labels: "Spiritual Medicine," "Pill Forging," "Diagnosis," "Medical Theory," "Pharmacology," "Convalescence," "Acupuncture," "Spirit Pattern"...
The deeper he ventured, the more his spirits flagged. The Medicine King Valley's collection was vast, yet predominantly centered on medical knowledge. Powerful cultivation techniques and secret manuals eluded him.
Just as he was on the verge of losing hope, Zhong Wen stumbled upon a bookshelf tucked away in a corner, labeled "Cultivation Method and Spirit Skill."
Overcome with elation, he hurriedly approached with his Spirit Crystal Lamp in hand.
This... Is this it?
The sparse selection on the shelf sent Zhong Wen's emotions on a wild ride.
Out of the entire "Cultivation Method and Spirit Skill" section, there were only two lonely books!
How could such a grand sect be so meager?
Zhong Wen nearly let loose a string of curses.
Once he regained his composure, he adopted a better-than-nothing attitude and reached for one of the books. The sight of the five flowing Chinese characters on the cover soothed him considerably.
One-energy Longevity Technique.
He closed his eyes, and the "New Light Library" materialized in his mind, prompting a familiar message on the interface:
"Would you like to add 'One-energy Longevity Technique' from the 'Cultivation Method' category to your collection? Yes/No."
Without hesitation, Zhong Wen selected "Yes." Instantly, the "Cultivation Method" section of his mental bookshelf was graced with a new addition, "One-energy Longevity Technique," neatly categorized under "Diamond Grade."
Zhong Wen returned the "One-energy Longevity Technique" to its rightful place on the library shelf and picked up the other book beside it.
"Would you like to add 'Cloud Immortal Step' to your collection? Yes/No."
"Yes!"
A new entry for "Cloud Immortal Step" appeared in the "Diamond Grade" section of Zhong Wen's mental "Spirit Skill" category.
Glancing at the vast array of other books, Zhong Wen was reluctant to leave without them, but time was not on his side. He dashed to the "Spiritual Medicine" and "Pill Refining" shelves, not bothering to inspect each title, and swept his hand across them.
"Discovered 'Spiritual Medicine Identification Record,' Volume 1. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."
"Discovered 'Spiritual Medicine Identification Record,' Volume 2. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."
"Discovered 'Detailed Explanation of Spiritual Medicine Cultivation Techniques,' Volume 1. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."
"Discovered 'Detailed Explanation of Spiritual Medicine Cultivation Techniques,' Volume 2. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."
"Found the 'Pill Refining Technique: Basic Alchemy Arts, Volume 1.' Would you like to catalog it? Yes/No."
"Found the 'Pill Refining' book 'Basic Alchemy Arts: Volume 2.' Would you like to catalog it? Yes/No."
"Found the 'Pill Refining' book 'Advanced Alchemy Arts, Volume 1.' Would you like to catalog it? Yes/No."
...
"Phew!"
Cataloging just these two categories of books had taken up a considerable amount of Zhong Wen's time and energy, but he managed to archive them all into the "New Light Library." Lu Li wiped the sweat from his forehead with a relieved hand.
Once he finished these books, he might even find some common ground with the distant goddess, Yin Ninger.
He mused contentedly, not because he harbored any ulterior motives towards Yin Ninger, but because he believed that forging good relationships with the disciples at the Floating Flower Palace was essential if he wanted to stay there temporarily.
As for any other secret desires he might hold in his heart, well, that was nobody else's business.
