Glug glug.
The tea water boiled, sending up wisps of yellowish-brown mist.
In the small wooden cabin atop the mountain, across a small tea table sat a powerhouse whose influence shaped the world.
One was the greatest demon of the age — Fang Yuan of the Guye Clan.
The other was Lu Weiyin, successor of Landle from the Southern Border. His overall combat strength might not reach the level of a quasi-Venerable, but when it came to defensive methods, he could certainly hold his own against one.
The windows were flung wide open, and fresh mountain air drifted into their lungs, mingling with the fragrance of tea.
Fang Yuan gazed into the distance. Beyond the window stretched a landscape of green mountains and clear waters — a true paradise. White cranes soared and swooped, spiritual apes called out, and wild plants and beasts could be seen everywhere, all docile in temperament.
At the foot and along the slopes stood treehouses and villages. Wisps of cooking smoke curled upward, roosters crowed, dogs barked — an atmosphere of quiet peace.
And in midair hovered many small mountains. These peaks were shaped from floating earth and could naturally suspend themselves aloft, each with its own unique character and environment. On some, green vines tangled together, draping down like hair. On others, fine rain drifted through the air, refracting rainbow-hued light. Still others had waterfalls cascading down, streams plunging continuously until they merged with the broad rivers on the ground below.
The mountain Fang Yuan stood upon, however, was planted firmly on the earth — the tallest peak of the Mushroom People's Paradise.
The moment Fang Yuan sat down, he asked Lu Weiyin: was Ghostly Soul still alive?
Lu Weiyin merely smiled, offering no answer, and instead bent his head to prepare the tea.
The tea was ready.
This was Taikang Clear Heart Tea, crafted from Eighth Transformation immortal materials. The fragrance was fresh and clean, yet seemed to carry a faint note of petrichor.
The tea, the dwelling, and this Mushroom People's Paradise all complemented each other perfectly. They were not ethereal or aloof in the manner of immortals, but instead brimmed with rustic charm — the vitality of the ordinary.
"Please." Lu Weiyin offered the cup to Fang Yuan with both hands.
The tea in the cup had been scalding just moments ago, but after a few breaths, the heat dissipated entirely, becoming cool.
Fang Yuan took a delicate sip, but Lu Weiyin lifted the bowl-sized cup directly, tilted his head back, and took a huge gulp.
A glint flashed through Fang Yuan's eyes as understanding dawned, and he followed Lu Weiyin's example.
Glug.
With a roll of his Adam's apple, Fang Yuan swallowed a large mouthful of tea.
With this drink, he immediately noticed the difference. The tea was not cold, but rather a gentle coolness that instantly soaked through his five organs and six bowels. The dry heat in his heart was swept clean in an instant. The tea was refreshing and pleasant on the palate, carrying a faint hint of sweetness.
Fang Yuan gulped and gulped, draining every last drop from the bowl.
"Good tea." He set down the bowl, an extraordinary look on his face.
With just one bowl of tea, over a thousand Earth Path Dao Marks had manifested within him!
When a Gu Immortal survived a Heavenly Tribulation, the average Dao Mark gain was merely seven hundred and fifty. For an Earthly Disaster, the average yield was two hundred and fifty.
This single bowl of Taikang Clear Heart Tea had increased his Dao Marks by so much — equivalent to a Gu Immortal risking their life to endure both a Heavenly Tribulation and an Earthly Disaster.
Only then did Lu Weiyin speak at length: "This Mushroom People blessed land received the salvation of Reverend Paradise, who transformed it into a paradise, free from disaster and tribulation from that day forward. Reverend Paradise also left behind a Moral Legacy here, and so this Mushroom People's Paradise was renamed the Moral Paradise."
"Before Reverend Paradise had achieved the rank of Venerable, he cultivated and honed his arts right here. After becoming a Venerable and transforming this place into the Moral Paradise, he stayed on and lived here for a time. It was during that period that Reverend Paradise created the Taikang Clear Heart Tea."
"Though the Path of Consumption was passed down, Ghostly Soul kept it jealously to himself, and it was nearly transmitted through only a single line. Reverend Paradise spent his entire life seeking to remedy the harm Ghostly Soul had caused, working to set the world right. As a result, his research into the Path of Consumption was profoundly deep."
"He left behind numerous achievements related to the Path of Consumption within his Moral Legacy. In his view, the Path of Consumption held enormous developmental potential — the problem was simply that too few people practiced it. If it were truly developed, it would undoubtedly benefit all living beings. For instance, this Taikang Clear Heart Tea is essentially a Path of Consumption killer move formed by consuming Eighth Transformation Earth Path immortal materials. That is precisely why it can grant Earth Path Dao Marks to a Gu Immortal."
"The brilliance of a Venerable truly is unfathomable." Fang Yuan could not stop himself from marveling.
To counter Ghostly Soul's Path of Consumption methods, Reverend Paradise had created two great killer moves: Blessing in Disguise and All Beings Suffer. These two techniques had played a pivotal role in the battle that ambushed and killed Demon Venerable Ghostly Soul.
But Reverend Paradise had accomplished far more than this — he had pushed the Path of Consumption to an even higher level!
In today's Five Regions Gu Immortal world, nearly all teas and wines were based on remnant recipes of Path of Consumption Gu. This was already a universally acknowledged fact among Gu Immortals.
Simply drinking wine or tea was merely for the pleasure of the palate, a display of one's wealth and resources, or perhaps the fruits of daily refinement technique practice.
But Reverend Paradise had thoroughly mended this deficiency, perfecting teas, wines, and the like into Path of Consumption killer moves. In doing so, the Path of Consumption finally revealed its unique brilliance!
"Reverend Paradise's Path of Consumption methods could perfect teas and wines, elevating them into killer moves. After consuming them, a Gu cultivator could gain Dao Marks. This was absolutely a method that would reshape the entire Gu Immortal world!" Fang Yuan understood clearly in his heart.
The implications of this method were immense!
Throughout history, the primary means for Gu Immortals to increase their Dao Marks had always been surviving tribulations.