Immortals Step into Heaven

Shangguan Zi raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile as warm as the spring breeze. She felt that Zheng Yuan was quite polite, and said softly, "It is naturally no problem for Fellow Daoist Zheng to stay in this pavilion for a few days. There happen to be a few empty rooms in the pavilion. Although the decoration is not luxurious, it is quiet and elegant. I will take Fellow Daoist Zheng to have a look, so that Fellow Daoist Zheng can have a comfortable place to rest." After that, she walked in front and led Zheng Yuan to the inner room, her skirt swaying gently in the wind.

Zheng Yuan followed Shangguan Zi through the winding corridors, curiously observing his surroundings. Carved railings and jade bricks, swaying spiritual plants emanated a faint halo, and occasionally the sound of a flowing spiritual spring could be heard in the distance. It felt like a fairyland.

Soon, they arrived at a courtyard. Inside, there were several exquisite houses, surrounded by spiritual mist. Shangguan Zi pushed open the door of one of the rooms and said, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, you can stay in this room for now. There's a spiritual gathering array inside, which will help you achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Zheng Yuan walked into the house, which was simply yet elegantly furnished. The tables, chairs, and bed were all made of spiritual wood, emitting a delicate fragrance. He turned and thanked Shangguan Zi, "Thank you, Daoist Shangguan! I'm deeply grateful for your kindness. If there's anything I can help you with in the next two days, please let me know."

Shangguan Zi shook her head slightly: "Fellow Daoist Zheng, you are too polite. You can rest assured and I will go to collect the elixirs." After that, she left.

Zheng Yuan sat on the edge of his bed, mulling over his alchemy efforts. If he could successfully refine the Foundation Establishment Pill and the Spirit Beast Pill, his strength would surely soar, allowing him to advance even further on the path to immortality. He silently practiced his techniques, adjusting his state, and awaited Shangguan Zi's return from collecting the spiritual elixirs. He also mentally planned the next steps in his cultivation, feeling both excited and a bit nervous about the coming days.

Two days passed by in a flash. Shangguan Zi walked lightly to the door of Zheng Yuan's temporary residence. She raised her bare hand, her fingers as smooth as green onions, and knocked lightly on the door a few times. Her voice was crisp and gentle, and she whispered, "Friend Zheng, are you free?" The tone of her voice was like the sound of a clear mountain spring, ethereal and pleasant.

In the room, Zheng Yuan was sitting upright on a cushion with his eyes closed, concentrating, sensing the subtle flow of spiritual energy within his body. Hearing a familiar voice coming from outside the door, he slowly opened his eyes, a gleam of brilliance flashed across his eyes, and then he stood up and walked quickly towards the door. He reached out and grasped the door handle, gently pulling it, and the door opened silently. Shangguan Zi was standing outside the door, her clothes fluttering gently in the wind, her face even more beautiful under the spiritual light. Zheng Yuan smiled slightly, turned slightly, made a gesture of invitation, and said enthusiastically: "Fellow Daoist Shangguan, please come in." His words were full of respect and gratitude for Shangguan Zi.

Shangguan Zi stepped into the room, looking slightly exhausted but unable to conceal her joy. "Fellow Daoist Zheng, I've fulfilled my mission. I've collected most of the spiritual herbs on the list, except for one spiritual ginseng, which took a bit of effort. Fortunately, I finally found a high-quality one." As she spoke, she handed a storage bag to Zheng Yuan.

Zheng Yuan took the storage bag and scanned it with his spiritual sense, overjoyed. The quality of these elixirs far exceeded his expectations. "Fellow Daoist Shangguan, thank you for your hard work this time. I cannot thank you enough. If I can be of any service in the future, I will do my best to help you," Zheng Yuan said sincerely, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Zheng Yuan bowed slightly with a humble smile on his face. He looked at Shangguan Zi sincerely and asked softly, "Fellow Daoist Shangguan, I wonder how many spirit stones these elixirs will cost in total?" His tone was calm, but he was secretly estimating the cost in his heart. After all, the importance of spirit stones in the path of cultivation is self-evident.

Shangguan Zi raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and a smile as bright as a spring flower bloomed on her face. She responded slowly: "Friend Zheng, these spiritual medicines are of various types and it is quite troublesome to collect them. A total of 5,000 low-grade spirit stones are needed." Her voice was crisp and pleasant, echoing like a silver bell.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuan showed no hesitation. He quickly reached into his storage bag, and after a surge of spiritual energy, he pulled out five thousand low-grade spirit stones. The spirit stones shimmered faintly in his hand, and he gently placed them on the table beside him, making a slight clinking sound. Then, as if remembering something important, Zheng Yuan's eyes flashed with anticipation. He said, "Fellow Daoist Shangguan, do you have any talismans in your store? I wonder if you still have any in stock. If so, I'd like to purchase two more to provide some additional security for my future training."

Shangguan Zi pondered for a moment, a thoughtful look in her eyes, and after a moment she said, "Friend Zheng, that talisman is a treasure of our store, and we don't have much in stock. After you bought some last time, there are only three left. If you really want to buy two, we can certainly give them to you, but the price is really not low, one costs 10,000 low-grade spirit stones." After that, she looked at Zheng Yuan quietly, waiting for his response, her eyes filled with the shrewdness of a businessman and a little temptation of Zheng Yuan.

In this quiet trading area, Zheng Yuan wore a faint smile. With a flick of his slender fingers, he slowly withdrew 20,000 low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag. In an instant, the spirit stones shimmered with a faint light, piling up into a small mountain in his palm. Adding the 5,000 spirit stones he had prepared earlier, the total now stood at 25,000 low-grade spirit stones. Zheng Yuan, calm and composed, whispered to Shangguan Zi across from him, "Fellow Daoist Shangguan, please order some."

Shangguan Zi nodded slightly, stepped forward with delicate lotus steps, and extended her scallion-like jade hand to take the spirit stone. Her eyes instantly became focused and sharp, and she began to examine it carefully. Her slender fingers delicately fiddled with the spirit stones, carefully scanning each one. After confirming that they were correct, a hint of satisfaction appeared on her beautiful face, and then she opened her red lips and said, "Friend Zheng, please wait a moment. I will fetch the talisman for you." With this, she turned, her sleeves fluttering, and walked quickly towards the inner room.

A moment later, Shangguan Zi reappeared. She clutched two talismans tightly in her hands and slowly approached Zheng Yuan with lotus steps. When she reached Zheng Yuan, she gently handed him the talismans, a gentle smile spreading across her face, as charming as a flower in bloom in spring. She said softly, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, these are the talismans you requested. Please keep them."

Zheng Yuan quickly extended his hands, respectfully yet carefully accepting the talisman. His eyes were instantly drawn to it, and he examined it carefully. He saw faint, mysterious runes flowing across it, emitting an ancient yet powerful aura. Zheng Yuan examined it again and again, confirming it was correct before slowly storing it in his storage bag. He then gathered the elixir he had prepared and, looking up, said with gratitude, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Shangguan, for this time."