PDLP Chapter 257 Eight Directions Gather, Saintess of the Underworld Moon
Chapter 257 Eight Directions Gather, Saintess of the Underworld Moon
The next day, Huai Valley.
Everyone will gather together for this annual Fog Mountain Tea Party.
As the person in charge, Madam Lan naturally attached great importance to it.
She had dressed up with unusual care, her eyes sparkling with smiles, her demeanor graceful and elegant. Standing at the valley entrance, she personally inspected the invitations and welcomed the guests.
In the valley, a sturdy locust tree stands tall and straight, with lush branches and leaves.
The tea party was held under this ancient locust tree, with more than a dozen tea tables arranged in an orderly manner, each table set with exquisite tea sets. It looked no different from an ordinary banquet, but it had an added touch of elegance and tranquility that transcended worldly affairs.
Elder Meilin led Yi Xiaoqi to Huai Valley first, and they sat down at his tea table.
Old Man Meilin skillfully poured himself a cup of tea. He closed his eyes slightly, savoring the rising aroma of the tea, a contented expression on his face.
He slowly began to speak, introducing the tea to Yi Xiaoqi: "The ingredients used in this tea are extremely exquisite. They are made from the leaves of the Ice Lotus from the mountaintop and the tender buds from the ancient tea trees of Wushan, which are thousands of years old. The former is a once-in-a-century occurrence, and the latter is produced in very small quantities. Only at the Wushan Tea Gathering can one have the privilege of tasting such a fine tea."
Upon hearing this, Yi Xiaoqi felt both curious and expectant.
She quickly poured herself a cup of tea. The tea was clear and fragrant. Even someone like her who knew nothing about tea could sense its extraordinary quality.
She took a sip and felt the aroma of the tea linger on her lips and teeth, like a refreshing morning breeze in the mountains, which was invigorating and left a lingering aftertaste.
Just then, a special guest arrived at the tea party.
She looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, with delicate and lovely features, and a touch of baby fat on her face, which added to her innocence and childlike charm.
She wore a solemn white robe with purple patterns, embroidered with intricate and mysterious designs, and adorned with magnificent silver ornaments that shimmered in the sunlight.
She walked briskly to the table next to the old man Merlin, greeted him with the etiquette of a foreigner, and said, "The moon is united, the underworld is merciful. It's good to see you again, Merlin. You seem to have aged even more."
The old man Merlin returned her greeting with his apprentice and introduced him, saying, "This is my newly accepted apprentice, Yi Xiaoqi. I hope the Holy Maiden will take good care of him in the future."
At the same time, he transmitted his voice to Yi Xiaoqi and introduced her: "This is the Holy Maiden of the Dark Moon Sect. Do not underestimate her because of her appearance. She is at the third level of the Innate Realm and has mastered the Burning Moon Holy Scripture. She can unleash the power of the fourth level at any time. She is ranked fourth. Madam Lan won by a narrow margin."
Upon learning of the opponent's strength, Yi Xiaoqi's expression immediately turned serious.
Although the Holy Maiden of the Underworld Moon looks like a child, her every move reveals a maturity beyond her years, showing the demeanor of an elder.
She glanced at Yi Xiaoqi, then took a silver bracelet off her wrist and said gently, "Merlin's disciple, this is a gift for you. If you come to the Dark Moon Sect as a guest, you can see me with this."
Yi Xiaoqi accepted the exquisitely carved silver bracelet, and a thought popped into her mind: Did her master take on disciples before the tea party because he knew these innate grandmasters would give her a gift?
But as soon as the idea came to mind, Yi Xiaoqi dismissed it. She shook her head, shook off the thought, and secretly blamed herself for having such an offensive speculation.
Immediately afterwards, a burly man entered the valley, his face and body covered with many colorful totems.
When the old man Merlin saw him, he introduced him to his disciple: "This is Man Gu, who is ranked seventh. He is also a master of the third level of the Innate Realm."
"He comes from a distant northern barbarian tribe, a small country that borders the Great Qian Dynasty. Man Gu is skilled in close combat, and the totems on his body are the barbarian tribe's faith, which is said to bring him strength and good fortune."
This simpleton had nothing but muscles, so he didn't bring his apprentice to greet him.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a man and a woman walked in.
The two appeared to have come together and seemed quite close.
Elder Merlin glanced at them and briefly introduced them: "The eleventh Duanmu Man and the twelfth Jiang Li are both at the second level of the Innate Realm."
The third level of the innate realm is a difficult threshold to overcome for many cultivators.
It not only represents an improvement in strength, but also symbolizes a qualitative leap.
While experts at the second level of the Innate Realm possess considerable strength, they do indeed appear somewhat insignificant in such a gathering of powerful individuals.
So the old man Merlin didn't take it seriously and simply introduced the name.
But for Yi Xiaoqi, every Xiantian was a senior worthy of respect, and she did not have the confidence to look down on them like her master did.
Moreover, she knew that her innate talent was not good and her cultivation speed was slow. Whether she could enter the Innate Realm before the age of thirty was still a question.
It didn't take long.
At the tea table second only to the head seat, a young man dressed in a white robe and wearing a white belt slowly took his seat.
He was Zhu Sheng, the prized disciple of Zhu Weng, who was temporarily taking his master's place in this prestigious position.
Old Bamboo had brought him to a tea party before, and he had also received a silver bracelet as a token from the Holy Maiden, so the Holy Maiden of the Underworld recognized him.
She frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Zhu Sheng? Why is your teacher, Master Zhu, nowhere to be seen today?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Sheng's expression instantly became complicated.
He clenched his fists, and after a long while, he spoke with difficulty, his voice low and hoarse: "Master... has passed away."
Upon hearing this, the entire tea party fell into a brief silence.
Saintess Mingyue, Barbarian Bone, and the others all changed their expressions, revealing surprise on their faces.
It should be noted that although Elder Zhu is old, he is in good health and has a vigorous spirit. He is far from the time of his natural death. With his profound cultivation at the fourth level of the Innate Realm, as long as he gathers his qi and blood and does not fight with others, he can easily live for another ten or twenty years.
"How could this happen so suddenly..." Saintess Mingyue murmured to herself, a look of doubt in her eyes, which quickly calmed down.
The Dark Moon Cult believes that the Dark Moon is the head of Yin Light, the leader of all stars, and that all things will be annihilated, while the Dark Moon is the final destination of all living beings.
Therefore, she was very happy that Zhu Weng was freed and returned to Mingyue's embrace, but out of respect for the etiquette of the people of the Central Plains, she still wore a slightly somber expression on the surface.
Man Gu, Jiang Li, and the others exchanged bewildered glances.
As one of the few experts at the fourth level of the Innate Realm in Wushan, Zhu Weng's sudden passing was undoubtedly a major event that shook the entire cultivation world.
They couldn't help but want to find out the reason behind this. What kind of powerful enemy, or what kind of irresistible natural or man-made disaster, could have caused this grandmaster to perish?
Before they could ask for more details, Zhu Sheng stood up.
He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Saintess Mingyue and the others, and said with grief and indignation, "It's good that this tea party was held ahead of schedule. I ask you seniors to judge the Bamboo Clan for the sake of my master's death and the mysterious disappearance of the Ice Lotus!"
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with resentment.
A teacher for a day is a father for life. Zhu Weng treated him like his own son, so Zhu Sheng naturally wouldn't let this matter go easily.
"This..." Saintess Mingyue nodded, "I didn't expect such a big thing to happen in Wushan. I must listen carefully."
Man Gu snorted: "No wonder I didn't see that annoying layer of ice mist this year. It turns out the Ice Lotus is missing. Hahaha, serves them right. Let's see how long the Bai family can be so smug!"
Duanmu Man and Jiang Li, who were seated at the back, exchanged a silent glance, sensing the impending crisis.