bookbashuk Chapter 45, Yaochi Sacred Land [Please continue reading!]
Chapter 45, Yaochi Sacred Land [Please continue reading!]
The white jade flying boat pierced through the last layer of clouds.
A paradise on earth unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Nestled among mountains, the Lingquan Waterfall cascades down a thousand-foot cliff, its mist scattering into a rainbow of colors in mid-air.
Cranes flew in groups of three or five over the treetops, their long cries echoing through the valley.
A sweet medicinal fragrance filled the air; taking a breath caused the divine power within the sea of bitterness to surge spontaneously.
Yaochi Sacred Land.
The lineage established by the Western Emperor during the ancient times, the only holy land in the Big Dipper ruled by a female cultivator, has been passed down through the ages.
Su Ye's innate Dao embryo sensed the omnipresent Dao rhythm in this world.
That was not a naturally formed trace of the Great Dao, but rather a near-Dao aura that spontaneously arose in this land after being suppressed for countless years by the Supreme Dao Imperial Weapon.
"Grandpa, look!"
Jiang Tingting leaned against the gunwale, her little mouth agape, and after a long pause, she managed to stammer out, "Grandpa... is this where the immortals live?"
Old Man Jiang stood behind her, his cloudy old eyes reflecting the ethereal light of the mountains. His lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single word.
He had spent his entire life under the low eaves of a small town in the south, and had never even dreamed of seeing such a sight.
Yao Jin stood at the bow of the ship, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Tingting, even immortals don't live here."
She bent down, her voice tinged with pride.
"Even immortals who want to live here have to send a letter of invitation first."
Jiang Tingting blinked, not quite believing it.
The airship descended slowly.
Su Ye's gaze swept across the mountains.
In the distance, layers of celestial light and restrictions overlapped, with the lingering aura of at least three Great Emperor array patterns remaining within.
Further north, his divine sense encountered a desolate aura that was chilling, as if a gap had been forcibly torn open at the edge of the world.
Primordial Ancient Mine.
The sacred Yaochi is adjacent to this forbidden zone of life, yet it has survived peacefully for countless ages.
This in itself is proof of strength.
The airship landed on the main peak's welcoming platform.
The welcoming platform is carved from a single piece of divine jade from the heavens. Its surface is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds.
As soon as Su Ye stepped onto the steps, he sensed at least twenty divine senses sweeping over him from all directions.
Then he saw people.
more than one.
Dozens of figures flew in from all directions, some landing on the edge of the welcoming platform, some hovering in mid-air, and some peeking out from behind distant pillars.
They were all female disciples, dressed in white. The youngest looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old, while the older ones were no more than twenty.
Their eyes all fell on Su Ye.
"They're here!"
"A male cultivator really came?"
"I heard it's a primordial Dao embryo!"
"A primordial Dao embryo? That's something that's extremely rare throughout history..."
"What does it look like? Move aside and let me see!"
"Wow...what a handsome man!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! The elders are still here!"
Whispers came in from all directions like a tide.
Su Ye remained expressionless and followed Yao Jin forward.
He could feel those gazes.
Curious, scrutinizing, and with a touch of girlish innocence.
But he pretended not to know.
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi walked half a step to his side.
Her face was veiled by a white veil, obscuring her expression, but her clear eyes would linger for a moment longer whenever they swept across Su Ye's profile.
Startled by the scene, Jiang Tingting hid behind Su Ye, clutching his clothes tightly with her small hands and peeking out from his side.
"What are these older women looking at?"
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her voice clear and melodious.
"The junior sisters are quite enthusiastic."
Yao Jin shook her head helplessly and waved her sleeve, saying, "Everyone, disperse. Don't disturb our distinguished guests."
The disciples reluctantly dispersed, but some still followed in small groups at a distance, occasionally turning back to look, their whispers carried on the wind.
"What scriptures do you say he's practicing?"
"It would be a waste not to cultivate the Western Emperor Scripture for those with innate Daoist embryos..."
"Don't worry about it. They're not some rogue cultivator without any lineage."
"What if the elders manage to persuade him to join our Jade Pool?"
"Wouldn't that make him our junior brother?!"
Su Ye ignored him.
The group passed through the welcoming platform and walked deeper into the mountain path.
As they passed the herb field, Jiang Tingting suddenly loosened her grip on Su Ye's clothes, ran to the edge of the field, squatted down, and sniffed, exclaiming, "It smells so good!"
This medicinal herb field covers a hundred acres, with thousands of medicinal herbs, some hundreds of years old, neatly arranged. The fragrance of the herbs condenses into a thin mist that can be seen with the naked eye, flowing slowly between the ridges of the field.
Su Ye glanced at them and saw at least three hundred old medicinal plants that were over five hundred years old.
The Yaochi Sacred Land truly possesses a powerful foundation.
After passing through three layers of celestial light barriers, the group arrived at the deepest part of the Jade Pool Holy Land.
A celestial palace, forged from divine jade from the heavens, stands amidst the clouds and mist.
In front of the palace is a jade-green fairy pond, with lotus leaves covering the water and shrouded in ethereal mist.
A tall, slender white figure stood by the pool, his back to the crowd.
She was tall and graceful, with her long black hair casually tied up with a jade hairpin, and she wore no extra decorations.
Not a trace of his aura leaked out, yet it caused a strange resonance within Su Ye's innate Dao embryo.
That was a special aura produced as the body gradually approached the Dao after cultivating the "Western Emperor Scripture".
Su Ye was slightly taken aback.
The second level of Sendai Heaven, an unparalleled powerhouse!
However, the power of this aura far surpasses that of Elder Yaoguang and his ilk, and is even stronger than that of Yao Jin.
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi stepped forward half a step, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master."
The Queen Mother of the West slowly turned around.
What appeared before everyone was a face of serene beauty and unparalleled elegance.
His features were exquisite, and his eyes and brows carried the aloofness of someone who had long held a high position.
Her beauty no longer belongs to the naivety of a young girl, but to the composure that comes with the passage of time.
Time never defeats a beauty; her beauty never fades.
Especially this beauty who has cultivated for over two thousand years.
The Queen Mother of the West looked at Su Ye.
A flicker of emotion crossed her cool, clear eyes.
"It really is a pre-natal Dao embryo..."
Su Ye cupped his hands in greeting: "Junior Su Ye greets the Queen Mother of the West."
The Queen Mother of the West nodded slightly.
Her gaze shifted from Su Ye to the little girl hiding behind him, only half her head peeking out.
Then her expression changed slightly again.
"This is... the Yin body?"
Elder Yao Jin stepped forward and gave a brief report on what had happened along the way.
The more the Queen Mother of the West listened, the more solemn her expression became, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Su Ye and Jiang Tingting twice.
She remained silent for a moment.
"The innate Dao embryo, the Yin body, enters the Jade Pool together..."
The Queen Mother of the West raised her head, gazing at the faint light emanating from the imperial weapon in the sky, and said softly, "This is the will of Heaven."
She looked away, her tone returning to its usual gentleness.
"Although Yaochi does not have any scriptures that perfectly match the Yin constitution..."
The Queen Mother of the West continued, "But the 'Western Emperor Scripture' is righteous and peaceful, and it is also the supreme scripture for women's cultivation."
"Enough to help her smoothly overcome the difficulties of physical awakening."
She looked at the Holy Maiden of Yaochi and instructed, "From now on, you will temporarily take over her teaching duties."
"First, lay a solid foundation at Lingxiu Pavilion. Once that foundation is stable, then formally become an apprentice."
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi rose and bowed, saying, "This disciple obeys."
"Lingxiu Pavilion" is the academy in Yaochi specifically for training new disciples.
There were a group of children of similar age over there, with dedicated instructors teaching them basic cultivation knowledge and etiquette.
Mr. Jiang has been settled in the outer area, where he has his own courtyard, is well-fed and clothed, and can often see his granddaughter.
Upon hearing that she would be separated from her older brother, Jiang Tingting's face immediately fell, and she clung even tighter to Su Ye's clothes.
The Queen Mother of the West watched this scene, a slight smile playing on her lips, but said nothing.