Chapter 779: Overflowing
Chapter 779: Overflowing
High in the sky, the majestic mountains below retreated swiftly.
Lu Chen stood on a verdant leaf that stretched over two zhang in length, his clothes fluttering in the howling wind as he relished the exhilarating ride.
He was on his way to the Hundred Flowers Palace in Liyang Realm.
Accompanying him were two others, one of whom was a fellow herbalist, Yulin Sanren from Qingmuxing Cave, with whom he shared a deep friendship.
After receiving an invitation from the Flower Spirit Messenger, Lu Chen had contacted Yulin Sanren, and learning that she had also been invited, they decided to travel to the Hundred Flowers Palace together.
The third person was a thin and elderly man, a herbalist from Tianxing Cave with a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation base, named Liang Yong.
"It's quite rare for Fellow Daoist Lu to leave his abode at Leihuo Star Cave, isn't it?" Yulin Sanren asked gently as she maneuvered her leaf magical artifact through the air.
"Compared to other fellow daoists, I suppose I don't get out much," Lu Chen replied honestly.
"By the way, Fellow Daoists Yulin and Liang, this is my first time being invited to the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Are there any things I should be mindful of?" He asked.
"I had the honor of attending once several decades ago," Yulin Sanren pondered for a moment before replying softly. "The herbalists who attended were all quite peaceful, and there were no unpleasant incidents. You need not worry about that, Fellow Daoist Lu."
"As for me, I've been fortunate to attend twice, and both times the host and guests were equally delighted," the elderly man said with a smile, stroking his flower-white beard. "The second time, I unexpectedly obtained a high-grade spirit herb from the banquet."
He proceeded to share insider information about the Hundred Flowers Palace with Lu Chen and the others.
Half a day later, the trio arrived at their destination.
From a distance, Lu Chen spotted a gigantic palace perched on the mountainside, surrounded by a forest of exotic flowers and rare herbs, some of which he had never seen before.
The palace grounds were expansive, adorned with clusters of vibrant flowers, and within wafted the fragrances of innumerable blossoms, filling Lu Chen's nostrils and soothing his heart.
Among the flowers, one could spot various plant-type spirit beasts roaming freely, unperturbed by the passing cultivators and curious in their observations.
A dignified woman stood at the palace entrance, a smile gracing her face as she beheld the three arrivals.
In the woman's hair was a green branch, from which blossomed a constant stream of exotic flowers, their petals drifting down to envelop her in a fragrant aura.
"This is one of the incarnations of the Hundred Flowers True Lady," the thin elderly man transmitted his voice to Lu Chen and his companion.
Lu Chen nodded gently, feeling no displeasure that the Hundred Flowers True Lady had only sent one incarnation to welcome their group.
After all, she was a Nascent Soul True Lady and the master of a palace; her status and strength far surpassed his own. It was already a great honor that she had sent an incarnation to greet them.
He followed behind Yulin Sanren and the thin elderly man, offering a respectful salute.
"Junior Lu Chen greets Senior Hundred Flowers," he said.
"Welcome, Fellow Daoists, to the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Please come in," the dignified woman replied with a dazzling smile, her voice warm and inviting.
"This must be Fellow Daoist Lu Chen, who entered the Hailou Merchant Association as a herbalist and became a guest advisor," she said as Lu Chen passed by.
"Indeed, it is I, though I feel it was more luck than anything else that brought me to the attention of the Merchant Association," Lu Chen acknowledged with a modest nod.
"Fellow Daoist Lu is too humble," she said.
"You must try the spirit fruits and spirit brews of the Hundred Flowers Palace later," the elderly man added.
"Thank you, Senior Hundred Flowers," Lu Chen expressed his gratitude. Led by a plant-type spirit beast, they entered a spacious garden.
The three of them found a spot to sit down casually.
Soon, a peculiar flower sprite flew over to them. Its body was entirely white, with only a few strategic places covered by lush green leaves. Its arms were exceptionally long and thin, emanating a vibrant vitality.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, your participation in the Hundred Flowers Banquet has its perks." The thin, elderly man chuckled and transmitted his voice to Lu Chen.
"Perks? What perks?" Lu Chen asked curiously.
"It can't be because of this scrawny flower sprite, can it?" he wondered to himself.
Despite the flower sprite's revealing appearance, Lu Chen felt surprisingly unaffected.
"This flower sprite holds an extremely high position within the Hundred Flowers Palace, second only to the palace master herself," the elderly man explained. "Every cultivator who comes to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet receives a treasure called the Hundred Flowers Honey from its hands."
"The Hundred Flowers Honey has a delightful flavor and nourishes both the physical body and the soul. Even for Golden Core cultivators, it offers significant benefits. If you have enough of it, its value surpasses that of a fifth-grade pill."
"However, this flower sprite has a quirky and capricious personality. The amount of Hundred Flowers Honey it bestows upon a cultivator is entirely dependent on its mood."
"In other words, it all comes down to fate and how it feels about you."
In an instant, Liang Yong gave Lu Chen a detailed introduction to the peculiar flower sprite.
The flower sprite first flew to Liang Yong, presenting him with a jade-green cup. Its slender arms lowered, and a viscous golden liquid flowed from its fingertips.
The liquid was a golden yellow color and emitted a sweet fragrance that caused one's pores to open in delight.
As the thin, elderly man looked on with anticipation, the golden liquid slowly rose in the cup. It stopped when it reached about a third of the way full.
"Hehe, this is already more than I received on my first two visits. I recall that the first time I came, I only got enough to cover the bottom of the cup," Liang Yong chuckled, a hint of self-mockery in his voice.
The flower sprite turned its gaze to Yulin Sanren, and another jade-green cup flew out. Its slender arms poured forth the golden honey once more.
Yulin Sanren smiled gently, and by the time the flower sprite retracted its arms, her cup was almost half-full.
"It seems I have some affinity with this flower sprite," she remarked.
The white flower sprite then looked at Lu Chen, tilting its head to the side as a curious expression appeared in its eyes.
"Perhaps it's because I'm here for the first time and it doesn't recognize me," Lu Chen offered as an excuse.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, don't worry. You will definitely receive some Hundred Flowers Honey," the thin, elderly man reassured him, unable to bring himself to drink the precious brew just yet.
The flower sprite paused for a moment, then presented Lu Chen with the same jade-green cup.
Its slender arms released a stream of golden liquid that flowed into the cup.
"Not bad, not bad at all. This is already more than I received on my first visit," the thin, elderly man said with a smile.
However, his smile soon froze.
Lu Chen's cup began to fill up rapidly with the golden honey. Within a few breaths, it surpassed one-third, then half, and the flow showed no signs of slowing down.
When it reached the halfway mark, the elderly man and Yulin Sanren exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment. As the honey continued to rise, their expressions of surprise only intensified.
"It's full! It's about to overflow!" Lu Chen exclaimed from the side.
(End of Chapter)
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