Chapter 177: Huangliang Pillow

"The grass on my father's grave grows taller than I am!"

"How could you possibly be that short," Shangguan Yu muttered.

Upon learning Shangguan Yu's identity, Old Man Ba's eyes lit up, and he patted Qiu Jin'an on the shoulder. "You can just call me Old Ba from now on."

"Get lost!" Qiu Jin'an flung Old Man Ba's hand away. The Daoist Sect was truly not a place to linger; he had spent nearly a lifetime's worth of fury here.

"Xiao Qiu, I think the Daoist Sect is rather delightful. Since it's a rare visit, why don't we stay a few more days?" Shangguan Yu suggested.

Qiu Jin'an grabbed Shangguan Yu and boarded the flying boat to leave without looking back.

Shangguan Yu chattered incessantly. "I have taught you since you were a child to be unruffled by events, calm in action, and composed in character. Look at you, how old are you now? You're a sect master and yet you still lose your temper so often, this isn't good..."

Qiu Jin'an kept a dark countenance and offered no reply.

Shangguan Yu wiped away tears. "The child has grown up, he no longer listens."

Qiu Jin'an made a helpless response. "Mom, can you please stop acting like a child?"

"What's wrong with being like a child? Your father fancied me precisely for this."

"I..." Qiu Jin'an was left speechless, wondering how his father had ever taken a liking to his mother in the first place.

Aboard the flying boat, Qiu Jin'an assigned their tasks. "For this visit to the Daoist Sect, everyone shall write a two-thousand-word reflection. It must include insights, self-examination, and future plans, to be submitted to me tomorrow!"

Instantly, a chorus of laments arose.

Before the mountain gate of the Daoist Sect, Old Man Ba waved farewell to the flying boat, his enthusiasm waning. "Do you think Shangguan Yu and I stand a chance?"

The Grand Elder scrutinized Old Man Ba from head to toe, his face filled with disdain. "You are not even as handsome as I am, yet you have the nerve to pursue her?"

The Third Elder spoke with earnest weight. "Second Brother, if you wish to elevate your generational status, I won't stop you, but I fear Master might object. Master suppresses the Prisoner Peak; he probably wouldn't mind adding you to the count."

The elders strictly observed the tradition of kicking a brother while he was down, every one of them advising Old Man Ba not to tempt fate.

"Scram, scram, scram!" Old Man Ba barked in anger. What kind of fellow disciples were they, unable to utter a single pleasant word.

"Come, let us look upon the high-ranking members of the Immortal Sect we captured," the Grand Elder said, for this was the urgent matter at hand.

Upon the martial arts plaza, the disciples of the Daoist Sect gathered in circles around the high-ranking members of the Immortal Sect, gesturing and pointing as if observing rare beasts.

This time, they had not entirely eradicated the Immortal Sect members who had infiltrated the Daoist Sect; two branch leaders and the Cult Ancestor remained at large, masquerading as Daoist Sect disciples.

Lu Yang held the Pillow of Yellow Millet, looking it over from left to right, finding it highly unusual.

This was his first time beholding an immortal treasure.

The Pillow of Yellow Millet was a porcelain headrest shaped like a pillow, cast in a celadon green hue, its surface adorned with a colorful glaze depicting a blooming azure lotus.

"So this is the immortal treasure, the Pillow of Yellow Millet, that Xiao Lu spoke of?" The Grand Elder and the others walked over, also marveling at the immortal treasure.

"Come, let me examine it." The Grand Elder took the Pillow of Yellow Millet. His expertise lay within the realm of dreams, making him deeply interested in such artifacts that could force one into slumber.

The Grand Elder attempted to channel a strand of spiritual energy to activate the immortal treasure, yet the spiritual energy vanished like a stone cast into the vast ocean; the Pillow of Yellow Millet showed no response whatsoever.

"Intriguing." The Grand Elder grew even more desirous to know how the Pillow of Yellow Millet was meant to be activated.

Yun Zhi originally intended to inform the Grand Elder of its use, but seeing his high spirits, she parted her lips and ultimately remained silent.

It was better to let the Grand Elder figure it out himself.

The Grand Elder exhausted every method, yet remained unable to drive the Pillow of Yellow Millet, becoming somewhat vexed.

"How on earth does one use this contraption?"

Witnessing this, Vice Sect Master Gao, now a prisoner, burst into laughter. "Ignorant fools! This is an immortal relic of my sect, how could ordinary mortals like you be worthy of wielding it?"

While the Grand Elder studied it, Vice Sect Master Gao mocked him, and the five high-ranking members of the Immortal Sect also let out cynical sneers from time to time.

Unable to endure it any longer, the Grand Elder raised the porcelain pillow and struck Vice Sect Master Gao sharply upon the head, whereupon Vice Sect Master Gao fell soundly asleep.

"So that is how this immortal treasure is used." The Grand Elder fell into contemplation, finally understanding how to employ the Pillow of Yellow Millet.

Yun Zhi could no longer bear to watch and reminded him, "Grand Elder, by using spiritual energy as thread to form an azure lotus on the back of the pillow identical to the one on the front, you can activate it."

"So that is the way."

The Grand Elder used spiritual energy as thread to form an identical azure lotus on the back of the pillow, then struck the head of another high-ranking Immortal Sect member, who promptly fell soundly asleep.

"It is quite handy indeed."

The Grand Elder returned the pillow to Lu Yang. Lu Yang also attempted the method described by his Eldest Senior Sister, but met with no response at all.

The Immortal Fairy mocked him, "With mere Foundation Establishment cultivation, you expect to activate my treasure?"

Left with no alternative, Lu Yang surrendered the pillow to his Eldest Senior Sister for her disposal.

Yun Zhi formed a seal with one hand, letting the imprint slowly sink into the Pillow of Yellow Millet. Once the mark vanished, she handed the porcelain pillow to the Grand Elder.

"Grand Elder, you are the cultivator most adept in dreams within our sect; this object will find its greatest utility in your hands. I have placed a brand upon the pillow, so that even if it is stolen by outsiders, I can retrieve it."

The Grand Elder was both startled and delighted, offering his solemn gratitude to Yun Zhi. This was an exceptionally precious immortal treasure; possessing it would elevate his combat prowess to another level.

He was already a supreme powerhouse among those of the Body Integration Stage; now, with the immortal treasure, he possessed the means to become invincible within that realm. If Daoist Buyu were careless, he too would fall prey to it!

Yun Zhi then imparted a passage of ancient words for the Grand Elder to memorize, stating that chanting these words while using the Pillow of Yellow Millet would enhance its power.

Curious, the Grand Elder inquired if Yun Zhi knew the meaning of this ancient tongue.

Yun Zhi bore a peculiar expression, replying that it was best if the Grand Elder did not know its meaning.

"By the way, why is your pillow called the Pillow of Yellow Millet?" Lu Yang questioned the Immortal Fairy.

"Is it because while you were cooking millet porridge, you lay upon the pillow to sleep, lived out an entire lifetime in your dream, and when you awoke, the porridge was not yet done?" Lu Yang recalled a certain legend.

The Immortal Fairy nodded. "It is close to what you imagine."

"It happened just after the pillow was forged. I invited Ying Tianxian and the others to dine, and the staple food was millet porridge. At the time, my mind was occupied with other matters, and the porridge boiled over, releasing large bubbles and nearly spilling from the pot."

"Just then, I recalled Jiu Chongxian once saying that if a liquid boils during an experiment, throwing a few broken porcelain shards into it will stop the boiling."

"I had no porcelain shards on hand, only the porcelain pillow, so I tossed the pillow into the millet porridge. When I fished it out, the pillow was covered in millet porridge, hence the name Pillow of Yellow Millet."

Lu Yang: "..."

Does this have even a single shred of relation to what I imagined?

"Then after you tossed it in, did it stop overflowing?" Lu Yang cared about the outcome of the matter.

"It stopped overflowing."

Just as Lu Yang was about to remark that the method was indeed reliable, he heard the Immortal Fairy continue: "I used too much force and broke a hole through the bottom of the pot."

The Immortal Fairy bore a look of lingering fear. "Fortunately, Ying Tianxian and the others stood me up, otherwise to have no staple food for dinner would have been an immense embarrassment."

It was rumored that immortals possessed the ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster; the rumors were indeed true.