Chapter 893: Good Things Should Be Shared

The celestial peach was a rare divine marvel that both Lu Yang and the Immortal Fairy deemed exquisite; one could only imagine its transcendent flavor.

Lu Yang’s body had been ruthlessly possessed by the Immortal Fairy, yet the Eldest Senior Sister remained entirely unmoved, even allowing a faint smile to grace her lips—a truly terrifying spectacle.

"Fairy, pray do not devour them all; I still wish to offer some to Junior Sister Tao and the others for a taste."

With a whole basket of celestial peaches placed before him, Lu Yang could not bring himself to enjoy such a bounty entirely alone.

"When did this Immortal ever intend to consume them all? I merely sought a single taste to evoke old memories." Wiping her lips, the Immortal Fairy relinquished the body back to Lu Yang.

"Eldest Senior Sister, may I bestow these celestial peaches upon others?"

"These fruits belong to you entirely; whether you wish to consume them yourself or share them with others is your choice alone," the Eldest Senior Sister readily acquiesced.

It pleased her to see her youngest junior brother so inclined to generosity; after all, she had gathered these celestial peaches from a secret realm, and should he desire more, she could simply harvest them again.

"Once you have stabilized your cultivation realm, do not forget to resume composing your cultivation techniques," Yun Zhi reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang’s countenance instantly fell, the joy of his recent breakthrough and the sweetness of the peaches vanishing in a breath.

The mere thought of composing cultivation techniques brought on a severe headache; it was a grueling task, and he could not fathom how many days he would now be forced to dwell within the Library Pavilion.

"Third Senior Sister, I have brought something wondrous for you." Lu Yang first sought out Senior Sister Gan Tian, who also resided upon the Heaven Gate Peak.

As was her custom, Senior Sister Gan Tian sat by the stream playing her zither, her eyes bound by a strip of black cloth, appearing completely integrated with the natural world.

She was presently meditating to comprehend the state of unity between heaven and man.

"What a fragrant aroma of peaches." Even from a great distance, Senior Sister Gan Tian caught the scent of the celestial peach; though she had tasted many rare fruits within the Demon Realm, none could compare to this.

"It is said to be the produce of a spiritual root of heaven and earth—a true immortal fruit."

Senior Sister Gan Tian felt a touch of embarrassment. "You have achieved a breakthrough, Junior Brother, yet as your senior sister, I have offered no congratulatory gift, and now it is you who brings a token to me instead."

"How about this? Allow your senior sister to perform the piece 'Sunny Spring and White Snow' to assist you in communing with heaven and earth."

"Then I shall offer my profound thanks to you, Senior Sister."

Senior Sister Gan Tian’s slender, jade-like fingers gently brushed across the strings, and a subtle, ethereal fragrance seemed to permeate the air. Even the surrounding birds fell silent in reverence as the melody of "Sunny Spring and White Snow" flowed forth under her touch. The notes of the zither were crisp and enchanting, trickling like a mountain stream or brushing past like a warm, gentle spring breeze.

Closing his eyes, Lu Yang felt his perception involuntarily expand, tracking the rustle of leaves in the forest and the shifting patterns of nature. Originally, after breaking through to the Soul Formation Stage, his grasp on communing with heaven and earth had remained vague; now, guided by the music, he tangibly perceived this mastery over his surroundings, and his very soul underwent a profound elevation.

"Ah, indeed, zither cultivators possess such utility; I must have Zhu Tian play a piece for you as well later," the Immortal Fairy remarked upon witnessing this, reminded of Zhu Tian, who was well-versed in all manners of musical performance.

"From whence did this celestial peach originate?" Gan Tian inquired, holding the fruit.

"Eldest Senior Sister informed me that she cultivated it herself."

Gan Tian pondered deeply. Cultivated by the Eldest Senior Sister?

She recalled the Eldest Senior Sister once mentioning that the secret realms she frequented were filled with nothing but peach blossoms and fruits; could there be some connection between the two?

The Mission Grand Hall.

Lu Yang walked into the deepest recesses with practiced ease, entirely unhindered by anyone.

Senior Brother Dai had already made it clear that Lu Yang was welcome to seek him out at any time.

"Senior Brother Dai, are you occupied?" Lu Yang knocked and entered.

Upon catching sight of Lu Yang, Dai Bufan instinctively shuddered.

Though he had witnessed the entirety of Lu Yang’s breakthrough and had only recently returned from the Heaven Gate Peak, encountering Lu Yang within his own quarters invariably brought an ominous premonition.

It felt as though at any moment, Lu Yang would reveal some grand misadventure he had caused in the outside world.

From the Tribulation Transmutation Stage to Immortals themselves, there were precedents for everything.

Even though Lu Yang had not ventured out this time, it did not guarantee that all was well.

Dai Bufan cast a wary gaze upon him. "You haven't come here to tell me that you encountered an Immortal during your Heavenly Tribulation, have you?"

Lu Yang: "..."

Senior Brother Dai, after breaking through to the mid-stage of the Integration Realm, have you perhaps acquired the power of prophecy?

Lu Yang laughed it off and produced a celestial peach from behind his back. "Look at what you are saying, Senior Brother Dai. How could I possibly stir up trouble every single time? I merely reflected upon how demanding it is for you to manage the Mission Grand Hall, and since I happened upon something exquisite, I brought it for you to enjoy."

"Is this the very celestial peach rumored to possess the power to extend one's lifespan?"

The intelligence gathered from the Imperial City had indeed made mention of this divine fruit.

"Precisely."

Though receiving a gift from his junior brother made him somewhat self-conscious, Dai Bufan considered it carefully before ultimately accepting the celestial peach. "Should you require any intelligence in the future, do not hesitate to ask it of me."

After Lu Yang departed, Dai Bufan studied the celestial peach for a moment, left the Mission Grand Hall, and made his way to an ancient tomb concealed within the sheer cliffs deep inside the Ask the Dao Sect.

He walked into the main burial chamber, where a coffin as black as ink rested.

An empty platter sat before the coffin; Dai Bufan placed the celestial peach upon it, lit three incense sticks, bowed thrice toward the coffin, and inserted them into a small incense burner.

"Master, if you awaken, please remember to eat this."

This was the secluded cultivation dwelling of the Grand Elder; it was the very place Lu Yang had stumbled upon when he first mastered the technique of Shrinking the Earth into inches.

Having delivered a peach to Mangu, Lu Yang arrived at the Dustless Peak to see Tao Yaoye.

Tao Yaoye held the celestial peach, unable to put it down; her surname was Tao, and Senior Brother Lu Yang had gifted her such a precious peach—was this a subtle hint of some kind?

"Junior Sister Tao, the celestial peach has the effect of stabilizing one's cultivation realm. If possible, I suggest you consume it after you break through to the Soul Formation Stage."

Tao Yaoye nodded repeatedly in compliance, prompting a wave of sentimentality within Lu Yang; among all the female cultivators he knew, only Junior Sister Tao was so thoroughly cooperative.

As for the likes of the Immortal Fairy or the Eldest Senior Sister, when did he ever have a say?

Lu Yang decided to bestow the final celestial peach upon Li Haoran.

"Old Meng is training alongside an Immortal; he must be living a divine existence, with no shortage of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. He will not miss this single bite."

"For me?" Li Haoran was deeply moved, never expecting that Senior Brother Lu Yang would remember him upon encountering such a stroke of fortune.

He had assumed Senior Brother Lu Yang only sought him out when in need of a sparring partner.

Lu Yang adopted a solemn expression. "Junior Brother Li, I am now a cultivator of the Soul Formation Stage; how could I possibly forget you when blessed with fine things?"

Li Haoran: "..."

You simply wished to flaunt the fact that you have reached the Soul Formation Stage, did you not?

"When you catch the scent of this celestial peach, do you experience a sense of profound familiarity?" Lu Yang attempted to awaken Li Haoran's first incarnation.

The Five Immortals of antiquity had frequently consumed celestial peaches; in particular, after the other four—including the Immortal of Time—had partaken of the Immortal Fairy's cooking, eating a celestial peach would undoubtedly strike them as an earthly delicacy, leaving an indelible impression.

If he could awaken that first life, it would bring immense benefits regarding both the events of the late Xinhuo Dynasty and Li Haoran himself.

"A familiar feeling?" Li Haoran was thoroughly bewildered by Lu Yang’s inquiry.

"Are you suggesting, Senior Brother Lu, that Qin Haoran had tasted a celestial peach before? How could that be possible? If he possessed the means to obtain a celestial peach, he would never have resorted to taking out loans."

An item that extended lifespan while bypassing limitations would serve as a coveted centerpiece even at an auction for those in the Tribulation Transmutation Stage.

Lu Yang felt somewhat disheartened; indeed, to this day, Junior Brother Li had not even fully integrated the memories of Qin Haoran, let alone his first incarnation. It was highly likely that even if the living Immortal Fairy were placed directly before him, he would fail to recall any memories of that original life.