"Ah? Junior Brother Chen, I have warned you about the drawbacks." Le Feng frowned, strongly advising against new disciples venturing into the Spirit Herb Garden, as it reflected a careless attitude towards both the sect and oneself. "Rest assured, Senior Brother Le, my family specializes in growing spirit herbs," Chen Xun replied earnestly, cupping his hands in gratitude. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Le. I will manage the herb garden well." Although Le Feng might seem meddlesome to outsiders, Chen Xun did not share that sentiment; he appreciated the help Le Feng had given him and would remember this favor.
"Good, Junior Brother Chen, since you are new to the sect, if you have any questions, feel free to come to my cave dwelling," Le Feng said with a calm smile. Knowing it was a family specialty, he felt reassured. He then took out a talisman from his storage bag and handed it to Chen Xun. "You can activate it with your spiritual power if needed." Chen Xun carefully accepted it, a flicker of meaning flashing in his eyes as he nodded solemnly.
"Junior Brother Chen, make sure to cultivate diligently and not waste time. I shall take my leave now." "Yes, Senior Brother Le."
"Moo~~" Chen Xun and the big black cow watched Le Feng leave, both unable to suppress a smile, as if they had returned to that little mountain village of yore. He walked up to a high platform in the hall and said, "Uncle Master, I wish to manage the herb garden."
"Of course." An elderly man, seemingly on the verge of collapse, spoke lightly, producing a jade pendant and a booklet.
"Thank you, Uncle Master!" Chen Xun exclaimed with joy, looking at the jade pendant. It was a restriction pendant for a certain herb garden; without it, one could not enter, and forcibly breaking in would be considered an invasion of the sect.
"Kid, managing the herb garden isn't easy," the old man said, his eyes half-closed, unsure if he was sleeping or meditating. "Just come here every year to submit the spirit herbs."
"Alright." Chen Xun nodded, filled with ambition.
"This little cow is quite good, full of spirit," the old man remarked, glancing at the big black cow behind Chen Xun, a hint of interest in his eyes.
"Moo~~"
"Uncle Master, this is my family's ancestral big black cow…"
"Kid, hurry up, what are you daydreaming about?!" The old man seemed to perk up a bit; Chen Xun's gaze made him feel as if he were about to snatch away this second-layer Qi refining spirit beast.
"Hehe, I won't disturb you any longer, Uncle Master." Chen Xun smiled sheepishly, realizing he had been distracted. After all, this was a major sect of cultivation; what spirit beasts were not present here? It wasn't like they were in the Nine Star Valley.
"Old cow, let's go!"
"Moo~" Chen Xun happily led the big black cow away, their steps noticeably lighter. Finally, they no longer had to live in fear and intrigue; life in a cultivation sect was indeed better.
On the way, they encountered fellow disciples and made way for them, their faces filled with kindness, not initiating conversation. Following the guidance of the jade pendant, they arrived at a secluded valley, surrounded by strange flowers and herbs they had never seen before, the spiritual energy invigorating and refreshing. In the distance, a great waterfall cascaded, churning white waves and splashing water droplets like jade and silver into the pool below, accompanied by colorful rays of light. The sound roared like spring thunder, majestic and powerful; it felt like a paradise on earth.
"Old cow, don't wander off!" Chen Xun was momentarily distracted when the big black cow had already dashed off, sniffing the fragrant flowers, with butterflies fluttering around.
"Moo~~" The big black cow, enchanted, quickly ran back to Chen Xun, its eyes filled with joy.
"Hahaha…" Chen Xun embraced the cow's head, looking up at a formation in operation. He infused his spiritual power into the jade pendant, and the formation instantly opened a passage.
"Let's go!" Chen Xun pulled the big black cow along, constantly marveling at how vast the Wuyun Sect was; the entire mountain range was the sect's territory. Inside, there were several large spirit fields filled with all sorts of bizarre spirit herbs, surrounded by ancient trees and lush grass, the fragrance wafting through the air, teeming with life. Chen Xun and the big black cow were dazzled, unable to recognize many of the spirit herbs.
At the deepest part, there was a thatched cottage, outside of which an old man with disheveled hair gazed longingly, looking at Chen Xun as if he had seen his father.
"You've come…"
"I'm here."
"Moo!" Chen Xun and the big black cow felt a chill run down their spines; why did it seem like this old man was about to go mad?
"It's been ten years; finally, someone has come, hahaha, the heavens have eyes…" The old man knelt, arms outstretched, gazing skyward with a deep sigh, tears streaming down his wrinkled face. With a ninth-layer Qi refining cultivation, he was a master, yet Chen Xun looked at him in confusion, wondering how he had ended up in such a state, worse off than they were in the Ningyun Mountain Range.
"Junior Brother, Junior Brother, I'm off to report; this place is now yours." The old man's expression was agitated as he unleashed a burst of earthy spiritual power, stepping onto his flying sword and passing by Chen Xun, seemingly eager to leave. His eyes were filled with tears; ten years ago, he had been forcibly assigned to this place by the sect, living a life surrounded by spirit herbs, and not only had his cultivation progressed slowly, but who could understand his loneliness and solitude?
"Hehe." Chen Xun watched his retreating figure, then glanced at the big black cow.
"Moo?" The big black cow also didn't understand the old man's actions; he was blissfully unaware of his fortune.
They entered the thatched cottage, which housed numerous books, all filled with insights on growing spirit herbs, and Chen Xun eagerly absorbed them all.
Chen Xun then led the big black cow to the waterfall, where the cow set down its belongings and jumped right in, splashing water everywhere. Sitting nearby, Chen Xun flipped through the small booklet, which detailed various types of spirit herbs and the rules governing them. For instance, spirit herbs could not be privately consumed; each herb was recorded, and every five years, disciples from the Alchemy Hall would come to count them. The annual quota was comprehensive, and Chen Xun read carefully, committing every detail to memory.
"Moo~~" The sound of the big black cow echoed from the water; it was not worried about the growth of the spirit herbs. It had discovered that their essence could be diluted with water. Moreover, it greatly enjoyed growing spirit herbs, finding it even more pleasurable than plowing fields.
"Old cow, that thatched cottage won't do; let's carve out a few caves ourselves." Chen Xun looked around; the steep cliffs were quite suitable for creating cave dwellings.
"Moo!" The big black cow agreed; they were used to living in caves, and besides, they needed to grow spirit herbs themselves.
"'Sword Control Technique'." Chen Xun took out a spell from his storage bag, but he had no sword; he would need to exchange contributions for one. The Wuyun Sect had its own set of rules. Furthermore, there was a highly sought-after elixir among lower-tier disciples, the Bigu Dan, which could sustain one for a month without needing to relieve oneself.
"There are indeed many good things in the sect, but there are also many rules," Chen Xun remarked as he perused the sect regulations, noting that one could not engage in private duels; if caught, one would face punishment in the Law Enforcement Hall. Any grievances had to be formally applied for, and duels had to take place in the arena. Except for disciples on missions, one could not leave the mountain without permission, but each year, they could descend twice, for a month each time, and these could be accumulated. However, once one reached the Foundation Establishment stage, there were far fewer cumbersome regulations, as Foundation Establishment disciples were the backbone of the sect, akin to elders.
"This Wuyun Sect is larger than a city, with everything one could want; there's really no need to leave the mountain," Chen Xun murmured. "If I need to exchange for spirit herbs, I could go down the mountain to take a look; twice a year is enough, no need to draw too much attention within the sect."
"Old cow."
"Moo~" The big black cow, dripping wet, ran over, its gaze fixed intently on Chen Xun, as if it still hadn't had enough fun.