Chapter 64: First Meeting

In addition to the spirit stones and spirit sands, the plump attendant also gave him a bronze guest token from the Four Seas Pavilion, stating that future purchases would receive a 2% discount and allow for the accumulation of points to upgrade his guest status.

Bai Yichen hadn't expected that the shops in the cultivation realm would have some semblance of the commercial practices of his past life, even implementing a membership system. It seemed that the people behind this establishment were not to be underestimated.

Next, Bai Yichen prepared to head to the dock, but before doing so, he took out fifty spirit sands from his sleeve and handed them to Hou Yi.

Hou Yi received them, slightly surprised, and before he could react, he heard Bai Yichen say, "You put in quite a bit of effort earlier."

A hint of panic flashed across Hou Yi's face as he quickly looked up, only to see that Bai Yichen had already walked far away. That had merely been a sound transmission.

"Thank you for your generosity, senior!"

Hou Yi hurriedly bowed deeply in gratitude.

Bai Yichen's mastery of the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method was not so easily deceived, especially by someone of lesser cultivation.

However, he didn't want to pay it too much mind. He had heard of agents teaming up with vendors to recommend specific shops to customers for profit before.

But as mentioned earlier, this transaction had ultimately reached Bai Yichen's minimum standards.

So he went ahead and paid according to their agreement; after all, he was a trustworthy young man. However, as Hou Yi himself had said, fifty spirit sands, not a bit more or less.

"Looks like I'm not late after all."

Bai Yichen looked at the cloud ship marked for the Taiyuan Sect and exhaled softly. After leaving the Four Seas Pavilion, he had walked toward Cangze Dock, but since he was unfamiliar with the route and had occasionally stopped to check out various stalls and shops to broaden his knowledge, he was a little slow.

Fortunately, he had been keeping an eye on the sun's position and calculating the time, so he wouldn't be late.

After some inquiries about transactions, Bai Yichen was left with only three spirit stones.

He then presented his ticket and smoothly boarded the cloud ship.

With a loud gong, a blue light flickered, and the cloud ship floated away, heading toward the vast lake.

The Yuantian Great Lake stretched out infinitely, its waters expansive and seemingly connected to the horizon. The surface was quite calm, only occasionally disturbed by gentle ripples. However, peering into the depths revealed an unsettling stillness, as if it were an unfathomable iceberg lurking beneath the water.

Bai Yichen leaned against the railing, gazing at the boundless lake, suddenly feeling a sense of "the vastness of heaven and earth, and the brevity of my existence."

Water vapor rolled and rose, and suddenly a fine rain began to fall.

"Clouds darken, hinting at rain; the wind rushes, gathering clouds; the water is tranquil, creating mist; the depths are profound, flowing quietly."

In response to this scene, Bai Yichen couldn't help but recall the past and composed a line of poetry.

"Hey, Sister Yun, look! Someone is reciting poetry while using your Little Cloud Rain technique!"

A girl on the second floor of the cloud ship, her hair styled in twin spirals, pointed toward him.

Is it them?

Beside her stood the girl with eyes like autumn water and a floral hairstyle.

Along with the two men nearby, these four were the same people Bai Yichen had seen at the Four Seas Pavilion.

"My younger sister is being mischievous and has disturbed your elegant mood. If it's not too much trouble, could we invite you up for a cup of tea as an apology?"

The reserved man stepped forward and said, cupping his hands. Although separated by a floor, his voice was rich and resonated precisely in Bai Yichen's ears.

Bai Yichen raised an eyebrow, his thoughts shifting, and he returned the gesture, responding affirmatively.

It was a good opportunity to learn more about these disciples of the Taiyuan Sect, especially these few who seemed to belong to noble families.

Before long, a servant from the cloud ship came to guide him to the previously mentioned second-floor platform.

He saw the four individuals, whose auras were at least as strong as his, gathered around a stove brewing tea above the lake, enjoying the light rain and gentle breeze in a relaxed manner.

When Bai Yichen approached, the reserved man stood to greet him and said, "If I remember correctly, we seemed to have met earlier at the Four Seas Pavilion."

"You have a good memory." Bai Yichen replied.

"Ha ha, it seems we are indeed fated to meet. I am Chen Jingzhuo from the Taiyuan Sect, and the one who spoke earlier is my younger sister, Chen Jinglan. This is Sister Yun Ruoshui, who just performed the Little Cloud Rain technique, and lastly, this is Brother Sun Zhihao."

When the two women heard their names, they stood up one after the other to greet Bai Yichen. Chen Jinglan appeared lively and energetic, while Yun Ruoshui embodied her name with grace.

The last one, Sun Zhihao, seemed somewhat reluctant, but when Chen Jingzhuo mentioned him, he still got up to return the greeting.

Bai Yichen also greeted each of them politely, saying, "I am Shaochong, pleased to meet all of you."

Afterwards, everyone took their seats. Chen Jinglan seemed a bit impatient and asked, "You don't seem to be from our Taiyuan Sect, are you here to visit friends or family?"

Before she could finish, Yun Ruoshui beside her tugged at her sleeve, saying, "Shao Chong hasn't even had a cup of tea yet."

"Indeed, please do try some first," Chen Jingzhuo said, gesturing for him to go ahead.

Bai Yichen had already noticed the delicate tea snacks on the wooden table, each one exquisite and seemingly infused with spiritual energy.

He picked up a piece and took a light bite, feeling a flow of spiritual energy slowly spreading through his body, nourishing his body and enhancing his true energy.

After refining it slightly, Bai Yichen picked up a tea cup, savored it, and took a sip. Instantly, he felt a refreshing sensation, and as he operated his heart refinement method, his spiritual awareness slightly expanded.

After some reflection, Bai Yichen bowed in gratitude, saying, "This is truly fine tea and snacks. Thank you, four friends."

The four of them couldn't help but be slightly surprised at his calm demeanor. After all, it was rare for a casual cultivator to remain composed when encountering such spiritual food for the first time.

Could it be that he has connections with some elder within the sect?

Chen Jingzhuo contemplated for a moment before praising, "Your demeanor is indeed worthy of the Four Seas Pavilion's fine tea and snacks. I see that you must have just begun Qi Gathering. You should consume more of these."

This was because after entering the Qi Gathering stage, one would need to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, enhancing their cultivation and purifying impurities, allowing their body to become increasingly complete.

Ordinary meals, no matter how deliciously cooked, not only lacked sufficient nutrition but also contained impurities, which could be harmful to those at the Qi Gathering stage if consumed for a long time.

Only by consuming food infused with spiritual energy or medicinal pills can one reduce loss and greatly benefit the refinement of their body's orifices.

This is also one of the reasons why it is difficult for ordinary people to break through beyond the Qi Gathering stage. It made Bai Yichen realize the importance of resources for cultivation; no wonder Master Lingyun had said that before.

On the surface, Bai Yichen remained calm, but inwardly he chuckled. Fortunately, he had always enjoyed the way of tea and had also consumed spiritual peaches; otherwise, he feared he wouldn't have been able to impress these few people.

After a moment, Yun Ruoshui picked up the previous topic and asked Bai Yichen about his purpose. Bai Yichen paused for a moment before saying, "I do have some instructions from my elders, so I need to visit your sect."

Considering that the matter was still unresolved, it was inconvenient to speak of it in detail to avoid causing trouble. However, if he fabricated an entire lie, it would inevitably leave a lingering issue when discovered in the future. Therefore, he disclosed part of the truth.