Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Do You Really Have to Praise Me Like This?
It seems that being an "Earth and Mountain God" is not easy for them.
When Li Ye finally agreed to collaborate, the Earth Spirit was almost in tears.
He excitedly waved and summoned a golden sapling. The sapling has nine branches, but only one is lit up.
Li Ye gazed at the tree but didn’t receive any system prompts, guessing this was not a Spirit Plant but rather a Magical Treasure or a manifestation of some Divine Techniques.
"Junior Brother, behold, this is the Incense Fire Spirit Tree of Heavenly River City."
"Each layer offers different products of the Incense Fire Divine Dao, like the fox fur of the Incense Spirit Fox on the third layer, which takes about a few years."
"The grotto heaven created by the progenitors is primarily human-centered.
The more prosperous the mortals become, the more peculiar phenomena occur, and the more incense we receive."
"Unfortunately, Heavenly River City commenced construction merely five hundred years ago, still lagging behind other cities.
Hence, we urgently need to collaborate with capable Spirit Plant Masters like Junior Brother."
"Without willing collaborators among our brothers, if this sapling completely withers, Heavenly River City might merge with other cities!"
The urgency was evident in the Earth Spirit’s voice by the end of the speech.
So that’s how it is.
No wonder I’m so eager even while still in Qi Refining.
Li Ye pondered.
He looked at the golden sapling, the lone branch flickering like a dying lamp, intuitively understanding Heavenly River City’s situation.
Ah, it truly isn’t good.
It’s not just "a bit behind," is it?
"You two might be overestimating me."
"...I haven’t reached Foundation Establishment yet; how can one person support Heavenly River City?"
He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
But the Earth Spirit shook his head: "Precisely because you are young and highly talented. I trust Senior Brother Su Ya’s recommendation."
He finished speaking and offered a deep bow to Li Ye.
"This is my personal request—Heavenly River City truly isn’t doing well, bothersome as it may be, consider it an uncultivated land, and perhaps sowing seeds might yield something."
Li Ye felt touched, but still said:
"My skills are limited, and I can only do what I can; the heavy burden lies ultimately on the shoulders of my senior brothers and sisters."
The two instantly beamed with joy.
They had faith in Su Ya and knew Li Ye was entrusted with the sect’s Nascent Soul’s teachings. If not now, then when?
The agreement was now firmly settled.
Afterward, it came naturally to enjoy the feast. Li Ye didn’t drink, but Senior Sister Liu and the Earth Spirit toasted cup after cup, while Zhao He adeptly poured wine and tea.
During the banquet, Li Ye inquired about the types of Spirit Plants or Spirit Beast products needed—
The answer was that anything was welcome; the land god temples of Incense Fire Divine Dao have a spiritual mechanism that delivers the right thing to the right person.
As long as Heavenly River City’s people grow stronger, incense would naturally flow into that Spirit Tree, enabling it to produce more exotic species.
Li Ye thus promptly handed over some lesser-quality items, like lotus leaves, seeds, petioles, gourds, and fish scales, all in one fell swoop.
Seeing the heap of spiritual materials, their eyes brimmed with joy—after all, these were praised by Su Ya, and they certainly recognized the value.
Li Ye felt no regret.
These were lesser in quality, given away, they were given away.
...
After the meal, Senior Sister Liu led Li Ye mysteriously to a storeroom behind the temple.
The storeroom was filled with incense and lamps, and at the back was a barrel sealed with wax.
She cautiously performed magic to create a small hole in the wax seal, from which wafted an incredibly fragrant yet slightly oily smell.
Next came a trickle of golden fragrant oil.
The oil had an orange-gold hue, resembling solidified sunlight or a sheet of flickering lights, extremely viscous.
"Junior Brother, here are some Shining Hua Fragrant Oil left from before. Feeding this to Spirit Plants or Spirit Beasts can awaken spirituality. I’ll give you a pound."
Seeing her slightly pained expression, Li Ye knew it was something valuable, politely accepting the bottle holding a pound of fragrant oil, and stored it in his Storage Pouch.
Then he took out a bottle of Peach Blossom Wine:
"Sister gave me such a good item; I can’t take it for free. This Peach Blossom Wine I brewed myself, using peach branches from Huiya’s marketplace. Sister, have a taste."
"How could I accept!" Senior Sister Liu licked her lips.
Years in the Mortal World have made her fond of drinking, especially this Spiritual Qi enriched Peach Blossom Wine.
"Take it, Sister." Li Ye pressed it into her hands.
"Then, I thank Junior Brother! I reckon Senior Brother Su Ya will take some time to return; would you like to see the wheat distribution process?"
"Of course."
Li Ye originally planned to explore here, and since it’s a safe place, it’s rare to venture out.
"Please come with me!"
The two exchanged smiles and left the storeroom heading to the temple front.
This Land God Temple was now bustling with noise, with people crowding the surrounding streets and buildings, all watching the mountain of wheat at the temple’s center.
But some noticed beside the wheat, there were also fresh lotus roots, leaves, seeds, and gem-like shining fish scales.
They might be inconspicuous compared to the mountain of wheat, but their presence here signifies...
"Zhao He, you just served the Immortal, are these gifts from the Immortal?"
Feeling regretful for not being able to stay beside Li Ye, Zhao He was surrounded by his companions, eagerly questioning.
"Yes." Zhao He raised his head proudly: "You’re looking at gifts from a Li-named Immortal from the Four Seasons Immortal Sect that he discussed with the Earth Spirit, given to us."
Upon hearing this, the crowd was ecstatic.
"Immortal Li? Hasn’t it been two hundred years since an Immortal bestowed treasures upon us?"
An old man with white hair and beard had tears in his eyes: "With Immortal blessings, the youths of Heavenly River City can hold their ground against outsiders!"
Another elderly man, hunched over, trembled with joy: We’ve been under the Four Seasons Immortal Sect’s protection for centuries; finally, our good lads can serve the sect."
Whether old, middle-aged, or young, everyone was moved to tears. Their ancestors had been sheltered by the Four Seasons Immortal Sect for generations.
There’s no theft nor need to lock doors at night; blessings from the Earth and Mountain Gods come with spring planting and autumn harvest. They eat well, dress warmly, and have no worries of natural disasters, living comfortably.
They are grateful, but the Immortal’s accidental demise two hundred years ago left them without an Immortal to aid Heavenly River City.
Without the Immortal Treasure, their efforts couldn’t make a difference.
Today, an Immortal named Li is finally willing to help them! After holding it in for two hundred years over generations, they can finally breathe.
Even the Mortal World’s court says "master the arts and serve the emperors," but serving the Immortal Sect would be even better, wouldn’t it?
They celebrated, beat drums, and danced—even planning to erect longevity arches for the unseen Immortal Li!
Li Ye, sitting nearby in a teahouse, could hear them naturally with his sharp ears, and felt emotional.
The Four Seasons Sect is indeed well-managed to be so cherished, and mortals must face genuine hardship in pursuing cultivation.
But he felt a bit embarrassed, to the point of wanting to curl his toes—
I just gave away some unwanted items... Is it necessary?
Do they have to praise me like this? Could it be orchestrated by Senior Brother Li, the Earth Spirit, for me to see?