Eager yet unable to chew, Lan Tian temporarily concentrated on cultivating the Spring Breeze and Rain and the Light Body Skill.
In the valley, there was a patch of dicinal herbs. These days, Lan Tian perford the Spring Breeze and Rain on that patch. With the experience from two lifetis of Cultivation, Lan Tian was quite adept; with a wave of her hand, a drizzle of Spirit Rain floated towards the herbs.
Spiritual Energy surged into her feet, and with a tip of her toes, she soared through the valley light as a feather, the wind whistling past her ears with a ’whoosh, whoosh’. The sensation of flying was wonderful; with a few light taps of her toes, she swiftly reached the mountain top.
Standing above all, overlooking the lesser mountains was exactly how Lan Tian felt at that mont.
Vast white clouds stretched boundlessly. Above this sea of clouds was the expansive blue sky, with clouds billowing as if she could pluck the stars from the sky with an outstretched hand. A fierce pride arose in Lan Tian, believing that one day, she would soar freely across this sky.
This enlightennt finally elevated Lan Tian’s state of mind to the Foundation Establishnt Stage, advancing her directly to the Late-stage Foundation Establishnt. Although her Cultivation level did not increase, this progress was beneficial for her future Foundation Establishnt. Opening her eyes and calculating the days, she realized she had been out for a month and a half, and her family must be extrely worried. She leapt from the mountain top.
It was ti to leave. After this departure, it would be a long ti before she could return here to cultivate. Catching a glimpse of a peach branch as thick as an arm on the ground, she gathered them all into her Sleeve Universe. Little Tao had lived who knows how long, and the Spiritual Energy in the peach branches was abundant; they were ideal for crafting Magic Artifacts to protect her grandma, uncles, and aunts. That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone harming Grandma Sun and the others when she went to undergo trials.
She then turned to the patch of dical herbs again, digging up a 200-year-old ginseng, the youngest among them, as the rest were over five hundred years old. She also dug up a 300-year-old Polygonum multiflorum and so other herbs.
Beside the patch, there were a few fruit trees, including two mutant peach trees and a mutant grape vine. The peach trees were laden with large, rosy fruits as big as an adult’s fist, glistening enticingly. The purple grapes were as big as dishes, and their surfaces shimred with a subtle glow.
Having long finished the dried food she brought from ho, Lan Tian hadn’t felt hungry during her Cultivation, but seeing these fruits, she felt starved. She quickly picked so peaches and devoured them ravenously, then picked so grapes and after eating them, ate a few more peaches until she felt less hungry, then Lan Tian stopped.
These few fruit trees had been in the valley for a while, and their fruits contained a hint of Spiritual Energy, which was of little use to Lan Tian; she only enjoyed the improved taste of the fruits. However, they would be greatly beneficial for ordinary people.
Lan Tian plucked so vines from the valley and wove two rough large baskets, filled one with peaches and the other with grapes, and even dug up a mutant tea tree to plant at ho before turning to leave.
The family was indeed worried. Lan Tian had been in the mountains for half a month without returning. Grandma Sun fretted daily at ho, "The girl has been in the mountains for half a month and hasn’t co out yet, Lao Wu, could sothing have happened? She usually would have been back by now." Grandma Sun scared herself all day.
"Aunt, don’t worry, the girl isn’t new to the mountains, sotis she’s stayed out for over half a month before. Let’s wait a couple more days; if she doesn’t co out by then, I’ll go look for her," said Mo Yuanle. He wasn’t sure exactly how capable the girl was now, but judging from how she vanished and reappeared after she was abducted, Mo Yuanle guessed that the local adults couldn’t harm her.
Mo Yuanle kept that incident a secret, never ntioning a word of it to Grandma Sun or Zhao Li. The girl was growing lovelier and her abilities were certainly stronger than a few years ago. Villagers saw Lan Tian every day and didn’t notice anything particularly exceptional about the girl compared to other children.
There were those who were jealous of Lan Tian, gossiping behind her back that she’d had a stroke of luck ending up in Grandma Sun’s household, consuming all the good things ant for the family, else how could she grow so well.
"Aunt, it’s ti to eat!"
Zhao Li had finished cooking and was bringing out the dishes when she heard their conversation, hurriedly calling them to eat, changing the topic. She too worried about Lan Tian, discussing it with Mo Yuanle at night before sleeping, and Mo Yuanle hinted darkly, "The girl is more capable than you think; nowadays, who’s really bullying whom isn’t clear."
Lan Tian wasn’t going anywhere strange, just to the back mountain behind the village.
They often sneaked there alone to play during their childhood, like strolling through their own vegetable garden. The paths deep in the forest weren’t easy, but the most danger was probably just more rabbits and wild chickens, not perilous at all. Thinking it over, Zhao Li felt reassured.
More than half a month passed, and Lan Tian hadn’t returned, Zhao Li started to worry again. Grandma Sun went to the yard gate every day, looking in the direction of the back mountain. Mo Yuanle went into the mountains several tis to search but didn’t find Lan Tian. The mountain range was vast, and finding a person there was as hard as finding a needle in the ocean. Who knew where Lan Tian was hiding.
So young friends ca looking for Lan Tian a few tis and didn’t see her. Sumr break was a busy farming ti, and the school-age kids helped with household chores, sparing ti to et up when possible.
Grandma Sun excused it by saying Lan Tian went into the mountains to gather herbs and hadn’t returned. Since Lan Tian started learning dicine with Mo Yuanle, villagers often saw her entering the mountains with him to gather herbs. She was sowhat older now, and Mo Yuanle let her go alone into the mountains to gather herbs; it was normal not to see her for a few days. Villagers and Lan Tian’s peers got used to it.
Everyone in the village knew that Lan Tian’s longest stays in the mountains were half a month; now it was nearly a month, and she still hadn’t co out. Her friends sighed and worried along, and thanks to their loud mouths, the entire village knew Lan Tian had gone into the mountains and hadn’t returned, occasionally stopping Grandma Sun to ask a few questions.
So people in the village started to speak ill, saying things like, she’d fallen off a cliff or been eaten by a wild beast in the mountain, among them Fourth Grandpa was the most active, even coming to their ho to speak nonsense, implying Lan Tian had t with misfortune of so kind, which led to Grandma Sun chasing him out with a broom.
People need dignity, just as trees need bark, but that old fool had none, coming to curse his granddaughter. Grandma Sun wouldn’t give him face, chasing him around the village with a broom.
Reviews
All reviews (0)