Chapter 296: Chapter 265 Task_1

Xu Mu left the vineyard of Li Youlan, accompanied by two maids, walking towards his own residence at the Falling Star Courtyard, his mind still pondering over the task assigned by Li Youlan.

The task seemed easy enough with no potential dangers; it could even be seen as an opportunity.

The job was to assist the officials of the Palm Immortal Office in purging the lingering spirits and resentments from the celestial prison.

Ever since the establishment of the Da Yuan Dynasty, the celestial prison was built and every year, numerous cultivators were incarcerated within. Many were secretly executed over the years, leading to the build-up of lingering spirits and resentments in the prison.

If these spirits and resentments were not cleared out in time, there was a likelihood of them coalescing into some sort of terrifying creature.

To avoid such a situation, the Da Yuan Dynasty had crafted nine colossal cauldrons and one Heavenly Spirit Treasure. The celestial prison was cleansed once every century with these.

As a hundred years were about to pass, the Palm Immortal Office was in the process of gathering people for controlling the nine giant cauldrons to cleanse the celestial prison once more.

The controller of the cauldrons had only one requirement, they must be an Alchemist and at least at tier seven.

Li Youlan had managed to secure this opportunity thanks to her mission to hunt down fugitive cultivators, initially intending to hire a rogue cultivator alchemist to complete the job.

Though she qualifies for the requirements, her status as a princess inherently prevented her from entering the celestial prison due to the public attention.

Now that Xu Mu met the prerequisites, the opportunity naturally shouldn’t go to waste.

As for the resources mentioned by Li Youlan, they too were related to the purging of the lingering spirits.

The Heavenly Spirit Treasure could purify the resentment within the lingering spirits and extract the pure Soul Power within, condensing it into a miraculous pill called the Lianhun Pill.

This pill could quickly replenish the Soul Power of the one who cultivates, having miraculous effects when consumed during breakthroughs in cultivation.

If he could acquire this pill, his chances of breaking through the late stages of the Golden Core were almost certain.

“I must get my hands on this pill!”

Xu Mu swore silently to himself.

“Sir, we are here!” Rou’er said with a smile.

“Oh!”

Xu Mu nodded, activated the Formation and walked in.

His next impression caused him to pause.

Glowing spots were everywhere, on the ground, the walls, the roof, giving the illusion that he was in a vast expanse of a starry sky.

Xu Mu finally understood the naming of the Falling Star Courtyard.

“Sir, when this courtyard was being constructed, a large number of ‘Star Drawing Stones’ were added. Not only does this fill the area with dense Spiritual Energy, but it also draws upon the power of the stars to emit starry light every night. It’s as if the stars from the sky have fallen down, hence the name, Falling Star Courtyard!” Rou’er explained with a hint of pride in her voice.

“It certainly is quite interesting!”

Xu Mu chuckled, scratching his nose.

Li Youlan’s courtyard was named Vineyard because it had a thousand years old Wisteria vine. Not only was the Spiritual Energy the richest amongst all courtyards, but the fragrance of the vine also had a calming effect.

His courtyard had Star Drawing Stones that could enhance the Spiritual Energy and also increased the defensive power of the courtyard.

He was curious about the uniqueness of the other two courtyards.

“You two can go rest! You don’t have to attend to me anymore!”

Once in his room, Xu Mu spoke.

After a glance at each other, Rou’er coyly said, “If the master needs anything, we can…”

“What are you waiting for then!”

“Ah!!!”

Wasn’t that way too straightforward?

Wasn’t that quite different from what they had imagined?

The older man was disregarding martial virtue!

The two women were a bit stunned.

Xu Mu did not care about their reactions, these were gifts delivered to his doorstep and he had no reason to refuse. It would also put Li Youlan’s mind at ease.

Being viewed as a lecherous and greedy person would obviously make him easier to control.

It was indeed a long night!

…

Within his room, Xu Mu was studying the white butterfly he had snatched from Wang Yongan.

“It really is a puppet made from a corpse. This Corpse Puppet not only combines the advantages of durability and easy manipulation of puppetry techniques but retains some of the original body’s inherent divine abilities, exhibiting various effects. Those who can be recruited are indeed not simple!” Xu Mu couldn’t help but praise while observing the various skills displayed by Corpse Puppet.

“The manufacturing technique of this puppet somewhat resembles that of my White Fox Puppet. Sadly, with only these corpses, it is impossible to research the manufacturing technique. Otherwise, it would be great to upgrade my White Fox Puppet!”

In fact, the strength of the White Fox Puppet was not weak. Whether it was the crystallized rays or its terrifying defensive power, it was enough for it to move unhindered in the Golden Core Stage.

However, who would complain about the power of the puppet they have? With a puppet as sturdy as a White Fox puppet, it could be upgraded to the level of a Nascent Soul Stage puppet.

If one had a Nascent Soul Stage puppet, whether for personal use or to keep at home, it would be a good choice.

Besides, its consumption of Spirit Stones is staggeringly high, so he’s been wanting to improve it.

However, the puppetry technique used might be the other party’s secret skill. At least Xu Mu has never seen it before, and now they are at odds with each other, so it would be unlikely to acquire it.

“I heard that he likes to frequent Hook bars, I might as well find an opportunity to tie him up!”

As Xu Mu was contemplating, Xin’er’s voice came from outside the room.

“Sir, Ms. Qiao Qianqian is here!”

“Oh?”

Xu Mu was slightly surprised.

From the first day she visited his residence, he noticed that Qiao Qianqian was particularly friendly towards him, constantly expressing goodwill.

Could it be that Qiao Qianqian had a special fondness for older men?

Even though Li Youlan favored him, he didn’t think she would be this enthusiastic upon first meeting.

Lu Kui was purposely trying to get close to him to collect his energy. Apart from the initial meeting, the others barely spoke to him.

Only Qiao Qianqian actively made conversation, warned him multiple times, and now was the first to come to him.

“Please show her into the hall!”

“As you wish, sir!”

Xin’er left, Xu Mu straightened his clothes and walked out. By the time he got to the hall, Qiao Qianqian was already there waiting.

Her slender waist was like a willow in the wind, her face youthful and radiant, giving off an irresistible vibe, tempting one to take a bite.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting, Friend Qiao,” Xu Mu apologized.

“You are too courteous, Friend Xu.”

“Please, have a seat!”

Xu Mu gestured for Qiao Qianqian to sit, then Xin’er served fruit snacks and spiritually-infused tea. Some of these were awarded to him by Li Youlan, while others were his own.

“Hmm?” Qiao Qianqian sipped the tea, her eyes lighting up in surprise. “This tea has a gentle aroma and the flavor stays for a long time. It produces pure spiritual energy when drunk. I’ve never tasted such a drink before, what’s it called?”

“This is Moon Laurel tea, made from fresh tender buds of the Moon Laurel tree, mixed with its seasonal flowers!” Xu Mu said.

This Moon Laurel tea was a gift from an Alchemist at Fairy Moon Palace, a special product of the palace. The taste varies slightly depending on the maker’s technique.

“I’ve had Moon Laurel tea before, and I’ve even planted some of the trees myself. But compared to yours, they fall short! Would you mind telling me where the Moon Laurel tree that made the tea leaves is located? I’d like to transplant one!” Qiao Qianqian said.

“I don’t know. These tea leaves were given by a friend!” Xu Mu shook his head.

The Fairy Moon Palace is in the Central Region, millions of miles away from here. How would he bring you a tree from there?

Not to mention, most of the high-quality Moon Laurel trees in the palace were transplanted from a tenth-tier mother tree and are not for sale.

“Could you introduce me to your friend?”

“…”

Has the topic gone astray?

Xu Mu coughed twice, faked not hearing, and asked directly, “What brought you to me, Friend Qiao?”

Seeing Xu Mu unwilling to say, Qiao Qianqian seemed slightly disappointed. She drank a large sip of tea and said, “Nothing serious, just wanted to have a chat. Or is it that you would not welcome me, Friendship Xu?”

“You jest, Friend Qiao! Your presence is an honor to me!”

The two chatted casually for a while, and then Qiao Qianqian excused herself to leave. It seemed she had truly come just to chat.

However, before leaving, she asked one more time about the Moon Laurel tree, obviously still interested.

For Spirit Plant cultivators, the interest in unique spiritual roots is literally ingrained in their bones.

After seeing Qiao Qianqian off, Xu Mu stood in the courtyard, chin in hand, deep in thought.

He didn’t believe that she had come just for a chat.

“I originally wanted to buy some medicinal herbs through her, but it seems I should wait a bit longer!”

…

A month later, the edict of Li Youlan arrived: Xu Mu was named Earl, entitled to select a state residence within the Da Yuan Dynasty to establish his family.

Shortly after, Xu Lingyu and Xu Mu received an order from Li Youlan to go to the heavenly prison managed by the Palm Immortal Office and carry out the task of cleansing the residual souls.