Ten years had passed.
Blue Cloud Peak remained quiet as ever, but the man now standing at the edge of the southern ridge was not the same.
Yuan Shen, now in his twenty-fifth year, stood overlooking the mist-covered medicine valleys below. The breeze carried the subtle fragrance of spirit herbs—calming and rich with vitality. Robes of deep gray and silver trimmed with pale green fluttered softly around him as he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the morning sun.
He had grown taller, his bearing gentler. The cold, sharp edge in his eyes had dulled into something far more unreadable—calm, patient and thoughtful.
No one here knew what lay beneath.
His cultivation had advanced steadily, albeit in secret. His inner cultivation now sat solidly at the mid Earth Immortal Realm, a stage none in this region would dare imagine for a man of his age.
He just killed some core disciples when they were out on missions.
It didn't cause major trouble.
His outer cultivation had reached the perfected Nascent Soul Realm, the limit of what mortals could observe.
But that was only part of the illusion.
He was now the assigned caretaker of ten spirit herb valleys under Blue Cloud Peak's jurisdiction—a position typically managed by higher-ranked figures, but earned through his consistent work, unshakeable calm, and precise control of formations.
Every disciple under him respected him, or at least feared disappointing him.
"Senior Brother Ziyan! The Bloodleaf Ganoderma has finally bloomed!"
A bright voice rang out from below. A young outer disciple, short and round-faced with a pink ribbon tying her long hair, ran up the stone path toward him. Her eyes were wide, her smile even wider.
Ling'er, a lively and easygoing outer disciple at the foundation establishment realm. She had some questionable habits and sometimes she looked at him as though she wanted to eat him.
Yuan Shen turned, offering a faint nod. "Very good, Ling'er. Did it form a second core?"
She paused in front of him, breathing hard. "Y-Yes! The second core's clearly visible! Elder Mu said he hasn't seen one grow like that in fifteen years!"
He nodded again, gaze soft. "Then you've done well. Go and prepare a harvesting formation. Let the roots rest before extraction."
She beamed under the praise, puffing out her chest a little. "Yes, Senior Brother!"
But she didn't leave immediately.
Instead, she lingered beside him, peeking up sideways. "Senior Brother… do you think the Bloodleaf blooms better because I talk to it every morning?"
Yuan Shen glanced at her. "You talk to the herbs?"
"Of course I do! They're alive. You have to encourage them! I tell them things like 'you're doing great' and 'don't let the weeds get you down.'"
He considered this with a neutral expression. "I see. That may explain why the Cloud Mist Radish turned sour."
Ling'er pouted. "I only yelled at it once! And that was because it tried to rot my boots on purpose!"
He said nothing.
She narrowed her eyes. "You're teasing me again."
"Am I?"
"You always say everything so seriously that I can't tell if you're joking or not!"
Yuan Shen's lips curved the tiniest fraction.
She let out an exaggerated sigh. "You'd be a great storyteller, you know that? Just tell a ghost story in that calm voice and everyone would think it's real."
He turned back toward the valley. "Why would I waste time with ghost stories?"
She brightened. "I could write one! You just have to stand in the background and say something creepy now and then. Like: 'The sword was never buried.' Or, 'I saw her shadow last night.' Something like that."
Yuan Shen was silent for a moment. Then said, "She only appears when the moon is full."
Ling'er froze. "Stop! Stop it! That's too good! If I have nightmares tonight I'm blaming you!"
"You started it."
Her giggle echoed down the slope as she scampered away toward the terraces.
Around them, disciples worked diligently—adjusting formation lines, trimming excess growth, sketching symbols in the earth to guide water Qi flow. Mist drifted lazily between tall stalks and herbal groves.
Butterflies flickered between spirit flower patches. Occasionally, one of the outer disciples would glance toward Yuan Shen, bow politely, and return to work without daring to interrupt.
He let it flow for a while.
There was a time he had hunted demonic cultivators through the Fallen Ghost Marshes, chasing distorted screams between spirit fogs.
That had been ten years ago.
The mission assigned to him had revealed a pocket stronghold run by disciples of a certain Core Disciple Wu Zonghai, who had been using sect resources to raise a group of rogue followers in secret.
Yuan Shen had never reported the core disciple. Only the subordinates.
Wu Zonghai's name was never mentioned again.
It had been enough.
Since then, Yuan Shen had never taken another public mission.
He had accepted an internal assignment instead—to manage cultivation herbs, stabilize formation fields, and mentor promising outer disciples. No one had questioned it.
Results spoke louder than words.
"Senior Brother!"
Another voice broke his thoughts. This one softer and more hesitant.
A young boy with a shaved head stood at the base of the stairs, holding a cracked spirit jar. "I… I dropped the Bone-Spike Orchid! I didn't mean to—"
Yuan Shen waved a hand gently.
"It's fine. That variety regenerates over three days if the core root wasn't severed. Was it?"
"N-No…"
"Then go water it with dew-infused jade solution. Three drops, no more. Come back if it darkens again."
The boy nodded quickly, bowing low before running off, tripping once and scrambling up with a red face.
Yuan Shen turned back to the ridge. He let the wind pass over him, eyes closing for a moment.
This life wasn't unpleasant.
In fact, it was… useful. The valleys served as his shield, his retreat, and most of all, his resource field.
"Senior Brother Ziyan, do you want some honey peach?" a sweet voice asked again.
Ling'er, breathless, held up a tiny bamboo basket. "I picked it fresh! Look—it's still cold from the morning dew!"
Yuan Shen took a slice and bit down lightly.
Sweet.
She sat beside him on the stone step, dangling her legs over the edge. "You really do like quiet places, huh?"
"Yes."
"I used to think that meant someone was lonely. But now I think… maybe you just like peace."
"That's not wrong."
She glanced up at him. "Do you ever miss the noise? You know, sparring fields, mission halls, debates in the elder court?"
"I don't," he said. "And I don't need noise to know I'm alive."
She blinked. "That sounds cool… but also kind of boring."
He glanced at her. "You think that's boring?"
She shrugged. "Not really. I guess I like being around people. But sometimes I feel more relaxed here. It's like everything breathes slower."
"Then stay as long as you like," he said simply.
Ling'er smiled, then leaned forward on her elbows. "Do you think spirit herbs feel happy when they bloom?"
Yuan Shen gave her a sideways look. "You're asking me if plants have emotions?"
She nodded. "Yup. We have emotions. Beasts have emotions. What if herbs do too?"
"They don't."
"Maybe not the normal ones. But maybe the immortal-grade ones do! Maybe they get shy. Or proud. Or maybe they like when someone talks to them."
Yuan Shen paused. "...The Starshade Lotus stops blooming when you speak near it."
Ling'er gasped. "Shy!"
"No. Hostile."
"Rude!"
He didn't reply, but she caught the faint rise of his shoulder.
"You almost smiled again," she said, pointing a finger. "I saw it."
He said nothing.
"You're like the sun behind a cloud," she added, grinning. "You never show your face, but you're still warm sometimes."
Yuan Shen turned his head slightly. "Don't say things like that."
"Why not? It's true."
"It's unnecessary."
"That's never stopped me before," she said cheerfully, popping a peach slice into her mouth.
He stood.
She blinked. "You're not mad, right?"
"No."
"Good."
He walked toward the upper terraces.
There, he paused beside a large blue-leaved stalk—the Heaven's Eye Root—and adjusted a nearby formation flag.
As his palm brushed the stalk's surface, he stopped.
A thread of warmth passed into his arm. Subtle. Barely a wisp. But unmistakable.
Qi.
He closed his eyes, placed both hands on the stalk, and confirmed it—spiritual Qi, drawn into his body. Slow, rooted, but real. The scripture stirred faintly.
He withdrew.
Thousands of spirit herbs filled these valleys. All nurtured under his guidance. All rich with energy.
That's right. One of the reasons he stayed in here was because 10 years ago, he discovered that he could also absorb Qi through plants.
He also stayed here because he liked this kind of life.
Tending the herbs, teaching disciples, joking with Ling'er.
He never thought that such simple action would become that enjoyable.
Ling'er's voice echoed again. "Senior Brother! The orchids are trying to bite me again!"
Yuan Shen didn't move right away.
His gaze swept across the land, serene and brimming with potential.
Yes.
This life had its use.
And now, even its stillness could be harvested.