Bai Jianshan's sudden kneel caught Luo Changsheng completely off guard. He couldn't comprehend how drinking tea could possibly lead to owing a life-saving debt.
"Ah, old Bai, what's gotten into you?" he asked, utterly bewildered.
Cheng Xiaofan stepped forward and helped Bai Jianshan up. "Since you and my Grandpa Luo are good friends, this is a fated encounter. There's no need for such politeness, please get up!"
"Thank you, Xiaofan. I will never forget your life-saving kindness," Bai Jianshan said gratefully, bowing deeply to Cheng Xiaofan.
Cheng Xiaofan casually picked up the cup Bai Jianshan had just been drinking from. "Grandpa Bai, drink all the Golden Tea in this cup in one go, then chew the leaves and swallow them. After that, leave quickly and don't ruin my Grandpa Luo's house."
"Right, run straight ahead, turn a corner, and you'll find a grove of trees. Break through there!"
"Understood, Xiaofan. I'll do as you say!"
Bai Jianshan took the cup of Golden Tea and drank its contents in a single gulp.
Then, he tipped the leaves from the cup into his mouth, chewed them thoroughly, and swallowed, not leaving a single leaf behind.
The way he did it, it was as if he was about to swallow the entire cup.
"Ah, Brother Luo, please let me have this water too!"
Seeing that Luo Changsheng's cup of Golden Tea on the table was untouched, he snatched it up and downed it in one go.
Next, he ate the tea leaves from that cup as well.
Whoosh!
Dropping the cup, he didn't even have time to bid farewell to Luo Changsheng before he shot out of the house like a whirlwind.
"What... what's wrong with him?"
Witnessing the scene unfold, Luo Changsheng was utterly stunned. "Xiaofan, what exactly is going on with your Grandpa Bai?"
"Grandpa, I can see that this Grandpa Bai has a deep connection with you!"
Cheng Xiaofan narrowed his eyes and smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, he came to see you this time only to bid you a final farewell!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Changsheng was shocked. At the same time, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh, how could I have forgotten this!"
"Many years ago, we made a pact. Whoever knew their time was short in this world was to visit the other."
Bai Jianshan, with his boisterous personality from the Northeast, and Luo Changsheng, a refined gentleman from Jiangnan, met while venturing through the martial world. They hit it off and became sworn brothers.
Years later, due to various family reasons, they each returned to their hometowns. During this period, they had visited each other once.
"Xiaofan, are you saying that Old Bai doesn't have much time left?" Luo Changsheng asked, filled with sorrow.
Cheng Xiaofan nodded and smiled. "That's right, Grandpa. Don't be fooled by his outward appearance of good health. When he arrived here, he was actually very close to the end."
"However, he should be fine now!"
These words left Luo Changsheng feeling as if he were walking through clouds, utterly confused. "Xiaofan, the more you talk, the more confused I get. What exactly happened to Old Bai?"
Cheng Xiaofan explained, "Grandpa, the moment I entered the room, I sensed from Grandpa Bai's aura that he is an ancient martial arts practitioner. For many years, he must have been stuck at a certain realm, unable to break through."
"For a cultivator, this is extremely difficult. To achieve a breakthrough, he must have consumed a lot of medicinal herbs over the years."
"Unfortunately, these herbs not only provided no help, but the toxins accumulated in his body only increased."
"Looking at him, his body appears strong, which is naturally due to his regular cultivation. However, hidden beneath his robust exterior, the accumulation of toxins caused a disorder in his bodily functions, and his life was nearing its end!"
"He knew his time was limited. To honor their old pact, he came here to see you one last time!"
"It must be fate that Grandpa Bai is not meant to perish. The moment I entered the room, his keen sense of smell was drawn to the tea in my bag."
"It was then that I noticed a peculiar change in his aura. It turned out that my Golden Tea could help him break through a certain realm!"
It was precisely because Cheng Xiaofan discovered this peculiar phenomenon that he immediately brewed a cup of Golden Tea for both Luo Changsheng and Bai Jianshan.
Cheng Xiaofan observed that after drinking two sips of the Golden Tea, Bai Jianshan's blocked spiritual essence within his body immediately began to loosen, showing signs of an impending breakthrough.
Once he achieved this breakthrough, all the toxins and accumulated impurities in his body would be expelled.
Boom!
Just as Cheng Xiaofan was explaining this, a thunderous roar echoed from the distant woods.
A column of black smoke rose into the sky, accompanied by a spectacle of trees, rocks, and dust being destroyed by an immense force, all lifted into the air.
"Grandpa Bai has broken through!"
Cheng Xiaofan stood at the doorway, gazing at the sky.
Luo Changsheng exclaimed joyfully, "Ever since our youth, I knew Bai Jianshan was an ancient martial arts practitioner. However, I never knew he was stuck in his cultivation, to the point of endangering his life."
"It's truly incredible that this Golden Tea can have such a significant effect on cultivators. You've helped him immensely!"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled, "The Golden Tea from our Zhuxi Shui Village is imbued with spiritual energy, and it's undeniably beneficial for strengthening the body. However, for cultivators to enhance their strength, it completely depends on destiny and opportunity; it doesn't work for every cultivator."
In truth, Cheng Xiaofan had long known that the Golden Tea from his spatial dimension, much like the Happy Wine brewed from fruits in the same dimension, greatly aids cultivators in achieving breakthroughs.
Therefore, when refining the tea, he had also set specific parameters for this Golden Tea using his intent.
For cultivators with impure intentions, even if they obtained this Golden Tea, no matter how much they drank, it would have no effect on their strength.
The word "destiny" was the best explanation.
At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan knew that Bai Jianshan was in the process of cultivation.
After a cultivator achieves a breakthrough, it's akin to a computer undergoing a major upgrade; it still requires some fine-tuning to ensure it operates correctly.
Cheng Xiaofan took two more bags of Golden Tea from the snakeskin bag on his motorcycle and handed them to Luo Changsheng. "Grandpa Luo, I won't wait for Grandpa Bai. When he returns, please give him these two bags of tea for me!"
Luo Changsheng took the tea and smiled. "Xiaofan, why don't you stay for dinner at Grandpa's place? Then you can give him the tea in person, wouldn't that be better?"
Cheng Xiaofan shook his head. "Grandpa, Yi Ling and I have to go on a long trip tomorrow and won't be back for a few days. I'll eat at home with my parents tonight!"
"If that's the case, then Grandpa won't insist you stay for dinner!" Luo Changsheng understood that Cheng Xiaofan and Bai Yi Ling's trip must be for something important, so he didn't press further.