Deep beneath the City of Divine Grace.
Daoist Qing Lan stood before the thatched cottage, staring at the massive wooden tub in his hands—a tub taller than a person—feeling for a moment as if he were still dreaming.
The tub was filled to the brim with clear spiritual spring water.
It was a spiritual spring of the highest quality, completely devoid of impurities. The pure spiritual energy radiating from the tub was so potent that simply standing near it and breathing the air provided a sense of relief to his long-deteriorated divine soul.
He had lived for over three thousand years and had seen many treasures... but he had never seen a spiritual spring this pure.
More importantly, it was an entire tub—enough for several people to jump in and bathe.
When Li Yuan had handed him the tub, his tone had been incredibly casual.
"This should last you a while. If it’s not enough, come find me again. I have plenty."
Daoist Qing Lan looked at the spiritual spring, his lips trembling slightly. He spoke with a touch of disbelief.
"Fellow Daoist, this... this is too precious."
"It’s fine. This stuff isn't worth much to me."
Li Yuan was telling the truth; the water really wasn't valuable to him... it didn't even compare to the tea leaves he used daily.
The spiritual spring in his small world had long ago merged into a vast ocean, and it was still growing. Aside from brewing tea and taking baths, he had almost no other use for it. If he hadn't been worried that giving Daoist Qing Lan too much would be hard to explain, he would have offered several more tubs.
However, to Daoist Qing Lan’s ears, those words took on an entirely different meaning.
A spiritual spring of this grade would have been a sect-protecting treasure for any great sect even during the peak of the Weihai Realm. Yet Li Yuan had handed over an entire tub without a second thought... He had truly never seen anyone measure a spiritual spring by the tub; wasn't it usually measured by the bottle?
Or... perhaps by the drop?
Daoist Qing Lan remained silent for a long time before bowing deeply to Li Yuan.
"Xuan Wei shall remember this kindness, Fellow Daoist."
Li Yuan waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't be so serious. Just try using the spiritual spring to nourish her body first. Her divine soul is too weak right now, so don't rush it. Take it slow."
Daoist Qing Lan nodded repeatedly. With the nourishment from this tub of spiritual spring water, the chances of Vernas’s recovery had immediately increased by thirty percent.
A spiritual spring had a nurturing effect on both the soul and the physical body. Combined with the Heaven-Essence Crystal coffin and the support of vow power, Vernas’s condition would at least become much more stable.
As for her truly waking up, that was still not something to be considered in the short term. But compared to the previous method of barely clinging to life, this was already far better.
Daoist Qing Lan didn't dare delay. After stowing away the spiritual spring, he quickly hurried back to the depths of the City of Divine Grace. When it came to Vernas, he didn't want to waste a single second.
Even if it only offered a fraction of a percent more hope, he was unwilling to let it go.
Li Yuan watched Daoist Qing Lan’s retreating figure and let out a soft sigh.
"I hope it really helps... What a tragic pair."
As for what would happen to the City of Divine Grace or how far Daoist Qing Lan and Vernas could go, he had provided all the help he could. Whether they succeeded or not would depend on their own fate.
Over the next few days, Li Yuan’s life returned to a rare state of tranquility. The teahouse opened at dusk as usual.
Operating at night, boiling water, brewing tea, and reading books.
He entertained guests when they came and sat alone behind the bar counter flipping through books when they didn't.
Setis visited a few times during this period, sometimes alone and sometimes bringing Reinhardt along.
Reinhardt’s attitude toward the teahouse had shifted from his initial wary scrutiny to a reluctant habit. Every time he came, he would order black tea and share some news from the academy.
Setis, meanwhile, still preferred to sit in the window seat, cradling her copy of 《Wind and Clouds of the Dao Sect》 and meticulously reading every single word, as if she were trying to discover some "undisclosed secret" within its pages.
But Li Yuan knew that this was simply because Setis’s interest in Daoist arts had not faded... in fact, it hadn't diminished in the slightest.
However, ever since she learned about spiritual roots, she hadn't pestered Li Yuan to teach her anymore. She would only look up and ask a few questions when she encountered particularly exaggerated spells in the book.
"Is this part real too?"
"Can people here really split a mountain with a sword? Sever the sea with a single strike?"
"Nascent Soul emergence... is that when the soul leaves the body?"
Li Yuan would usually give brief explanations. He shared what he could and glossed over the things that were too complicated.
Setis didn't push him, but every time she finished listening, she would frown and think for a long while, as if she were struggling to cram the entirely foreign system of the Kyushu Continent into her own worldview.
One evening, Reinhardt arrived as well.
After entering and greeting Li Yuan, he sat across from Setis and placed an invitation bearing the royal crest on the table.
"The formal invitations for the memorial ceremony and the award ceremony."
Li Yuan glanced down as he served them tea.
"For me?"
"Yes," Reinhardt nodded. "My father asked me to bring it. His Majesty the King and Lord Hogg will both be attending, and the academy hopes you will be there as well."
Li Yuan didn't answer immediately. Setis’s brow furrowed as she looked up at him.
"You don't want to go?"
"It’s not exactly that." Li Yuan thought for a moment but eventually shook his head. "I just don't particularly enjoy events with such a somber atmosphere."
Reinhardt wasn't surprised.
He could tell that Li Yuan wasn't the type of person who enjoyed standing in the spotlight. Although the events at the academy had been the talk of the town, very few people truly knew what he had done.
Setis, however, stared at Li Yuan for quite a while.
"Are you really not going?"
"No."
"There’s an award ceremony after the memorial."
"I know."
"I’ll be giving a speech on stage."
Li Yuan was slightly taken aback, then smiled. "Then I wish you success in advance."
Setis’s eyebrow arched. The words sounded fine, but she was simply unsatisfied. She snapped the book shut with a loud thud and tapped her finger slowly against the cover.
"Fine if you don't go."
Setis nodded, then continued, "But you have to promise me one thing."
Reinhardt paused while lifting his tea, his gaze immediately shifting to his sister.
Li Yuan also looked at her, feeling a bit puzzled. "Why?"
"Because you rejected my invitation. That’s not nice."
"But I think—"
"I don't care what you think. It’s about what I think."
Seeing Setis’s "I am very unhappy" expression, and remembering that he had stayed at the Duke's estate for a while recently, Li Yuan felt a slight sense of indebtedness.
He let out a helpless sigh in his mind. "What kind of request?"
"I haven't thought of it yet."
Hearing Li Yuan soften, Setis’s expression immediately changed. She looked at him with a beaming smile.
"Promise first. I’ll tell you when I think of it."
Li Yuan was silent for a moment.
"If... the request is too excessive, I can cancel it at any time?"
"It won't be excessive! Don't worry, I promise!"
She patted her chest, giving a solemn guarantee.
"What you consider not excessive and what is actually not excessive are likely two different things..."
"I said it won't be excessive, so it won't be."
Setis spoke with total confidence. Reinhardt lowered his head to drink his tea, pretending not to hear.
Li Yuan was stared down for a while before finally admitting defeat. He nodded.
"Alright. As long as it’s not too excessive, I promise."
Setis’s eyes lit up slightly. The corners of her mouth twitched upward for a split second before she suppressed the smile.
"It’s a deal."
"Yes, it’s a deal."
Reinhardt glanced at Li Yuan with a hint of sympathy in his eyes; he knew his sister all too well.
Guarantees made under these circumstances were best not trusted, or one would suffer a great loss.
Li Yuan knew this as well, but he had been truly worn down by Setis’s persistence lately. If he continued to stall, this young lady would probably stay here and pester him until closing time.
Promising one "not too excessive" request in exchange for a moment of peace.
It shouldn't be a bad deal, right?
...Probably.
Rate on N.U.
