Chapter 674

Chapter 674: The Garden of栀香

When one lies down, they don’t want to move at all. Lolan Hill would occasionally want to take a break, not doing anything, just sleeping soundly.

As the afternoon approached, the sun gradually shifted, casting golden hues through the pine forest, making the weather cooler.

Lolan Hill slowly descended the stairs of the pavilion, her fingers gliding over the smooth handrail. Most of the furniture inside was painted a reddish-brown color, feeling very comfortable with no noticeable odor.

After arriving here, she had changed into a pair of soft cloth shoes. Walking on the wooden planks of the staircase, she could hear the faint thumping sounds and feel the subtle vibrations of the planks.

These wood materials are quite resilient and relatively hard, probably some kind of hardwood. Lolan Hill thought to herself, then arrived at the spacious hall on the first floor.

In the middle of the hall was a grayish-blue stone wall, adorned with a carving of a tree whose leaves were a shade of imperial red (#ed5736).

From its form, it appeared to be a red Chinese Toon tree, which was also the symbol of the Xiangyu Sect, as their founder’s name was Red Toon.

The wind passed through the hall from the main gate, with faint cicada chirps coming from the distant pine forest, making the hall very quiet. The two birdcages now sat on the ground, with the birds perched inside, eyes closed, either resting or practicing.

One bird was orange-yellow, the other blue-black. Upon hearing Lolan Hill’s approach, they opened their eyes, turned around, and let out a series of calls, seemingly shouting that the big clumsy bird finally woke up.

“I understand, I’ll find you something to eat later.” Lolan Hill walked over, knelt down, gently tapped the heads of the two birds, then stroked their feathers. One felt warm while the other slightly cold.

After calming the two little ones, Lolan Hill stood up, picked up the bronze pendant left by Jin Hua, and headed to the courtyard. She walked along the short green stone path, reached the door of the courtyard, opened the gate, and stepped out.

Surrounding them were tall trees, about ten stories high, but they weren’t too close together. Walking on the stone path under the shade of the trees gave a sense of leisure and openness.

Dappled golden sunlight mixed with emerald green shadows formed varying light and dark patterns, scattering across the path, creating a serene and beautiful scene.

Lolan Hill stepped on the fallen leaves on the stone slabs, her fingertips slowly brushing past a stone lantern by the roadside, which also had some withered bamboo leaves. The eaves of the lantern had a rough, grainy texture, as if corroded by time.

Occasionally, a few birds flew through the forest, letting out several calls.

After walking for hundreds of meters, Lolan Hill finally saw another courtyard partially hidden among the yellow bamboo grove. Though not large, it had a certain elegance, and even occasional sounds of reading could be heard, suggesting the owner was someone fond of learning.

Since it was still early, around three o’clock in the afternoon, Lolan Hill wasn’t in a hurry to rush to the outer sect’s marketplace where her uncle was located. She leisurely enjoyed the scenery along the way, savoring the comfort of the gentle breeze.

Within the vast territory of the Scorching Sun Xiangyu Sect,

The spaciousness provided ample space for everyone, even the Outer Sect disciples did not have to crowd together; each had their own unique residence, allowing them to freely arrange and decorate as they wished.

As they walked along, Lolan Hill saw various styles of small buildings and courtyards. Some were suspended between large trees, some half in the air and half in water pools, some resembling high towers, and others like caves.

The decorations were also varied, with some constructed from green bamboo, others red buildings, others with blue tiles and white walls, and still others with deep black hues.

It seemed that the Sect did not restrict the style of residences; everyone could transform their spaces as they liked, and various terrains were available for selection. Lolan Hill marveled at this and thought about possibly renovating her courtyard later.

After walking through a long stone path in the forest, Lolan Hill finally arrived at a bustling marketplace. It was already past four in the afternoon, and the climate was pleasant. Several disciples dressed in yellow robes strolled around the marketplace. They would occasionally sit in nearby wooden pavilions to discuss recent cultivation insights, their laughter echoing softly.

A tall stone archway stood amidst the pine forest, inscribed with the words “Zixiang Pavilion.” This was where extraordinary artifacts were sold, and Sect disciples also exchanged items here.

An elder sister, who appeared slightly older, noticed Lolan Hill standing hesitantly at the entrance of the marketplace and approached her.

“Are you looking for someone? You haven’t changed your clothes, so you must be new here,” she asked cheerfully, noticing Lolan Hill’s gray Jialan dress.

“Yes, I’m looking for Aunt Lianyin,” Lolan Hill said, taking out a bronze token.

“Oh, I see. Come with me then. These past few days, I’ve been assisting Aunt Lianyin with managing the marketplace,” she replied, leading Lolan Hill toward a corner of the marketplace where there was a three-story square building.

“Lianyin Auntie, I’m here!” Her voice was clear and悠长, seemingly quite familiar with Aunt Lianyin.

“You just said you’d go back to cultivate if there was nothing important, so why are you back so soon?” an elderly man’s voice came from upstairs, followed by his footsteps as he descended.

“Because I met a cute junior sister on the way. I was afraid she might get lost, so I brought her over.”

“Hmm, today? Let me think… Yes, there was one. I received a letter from True Master Jin Hua this morning,” an elderly man dressed in gray雁衣 appeared before them, his steps steady and displaying the strength of a Sequence 5 mage.

“Oh, so this is Jialan,” he observed the graceful standing girl, as if checking against the description in the letter.

“Yes, Aunt Lianyin, I am Jialan,” Lolan Hill bowed slightly, then raised her head.

“Not bad, not bad. Your aura is calm and natural, clearly a rare talent,” the old man stroked his beard and turned to the storeroom behind him. After unlocking it, the stone door slid open, and he entered, retrieving some items before closing the door again.

“Let’s register first, and then put these away,” he said, handing Lolan Hill the essential items for Outer Sect disciples.

Placed on the table.

Among them were several sets of clothing, along with Extradimensional Artifacts. Lolan Hill curiously observed them.

【Yellow Gauze Robe】(Silver Rank, Excellent): Made from the wooden fibers of the Autumn Yellow Paper Mulberry tree (Silver Rank) mixed with cotton threads. It is warm and breathable, and its material is tough, capable of withstanding some damage. 【Toughness Lv.3】【Poison Resistance Lv.2】

There were about five such yellow gauze robes, suitable for disciples to change into. Then came a long sword made of redwood.

【Huowu Sword】(Gold Rank, Superior): Made from the wood of the Scorched Tail Fire Paulownia tree (Gold Rank), inscribed with Huilu patterns, which can enhance skills related to flames while being very light. 【Scorched Flame Lv.4】【Agility Lv.1】

After looking at the long sword, Lolan Hill turned her gaze to two small bottles and a thick book beside it.

【Zhihuang Pill】(Silver Rank, Excellent): Can increase one’s own Mana (Essential Energy), accelerate cultivation progress, and has good effects on Sequences 1-4. 【Essential Energy Lv.2】

【Repair Powder】(Bronze Rank, Superior): Sprinkled on wounds, it can quickly stop bleeding and also has healing and detoxifying effects. 【Stop Bleeding Lv.2】【Healing Lv.1】【Detoxification Lv.1】

The small bottle contained 10 Zhihuang Pills, which looked quite good. As for the Repair Powder that followed, it had a bit of a “jack-of-all-trades” feel. The Vitalizing Potion she gave Pulman before was much better than this.

Overall, the Scorching Sun Xiangyu Sect was indeed wealthy and generous. Even the Outer Sect disciples each received a Gold Rank Extradimensional Artifact. Lolan Hill put everything away and then turned her attention to the book.

The book used colored illustrations to depict many tools, design diagrams, cultivation methods, and so on, with a传承宝石 embedded in the cover.

Compared to the Eastern style that often uses paper as the cover, this thick book adopted the Western style of a copper-edged thick paper cover, with the pages inside having a faint yellow hue.

【Scorching Sun Xiangyu · Outer Sect Textbook】(Gold Rank, Superior): Made from the special yellow paper of Huilu Continent, which is anti-corrosive and waterproof. It records the cultivation methods of the first three stages of three major paths—Truncating Heaven (Magic), Hidden Dragon (Dragon), and Nine Nether (Undead)—as well as various basic knowledge, commonly used to lay the foundation for Outer Sect disciples.

“Keep this well. You can review it frequently recently. There will be assessments later.” The senior sister placed the thick book in Lolan Hill’s arms and gave her instructions.

“At that time, I didn’t learn well and spent nearly another year to enter the Inner Sect.” Although somewhat modest, this senior sister was actually a Magic Sequence 5. Reaching this level at such a young age was quite fast.

Seeing her proudly patting her chest, her uncle just smiled and shook his head slightly, turning his gaze toward the black-haired girl in a long dress.

This newly admitted junior might truly be a prodigy. With her, the Xiangyu Sect might have hope for revival, and the older generation could rest easy.

Thinking of this, his originally somewhat troubled mood eased considerably. An era was gradually coming to an end, while a new era was slowly rising.

Good night, everyone, go to bed early~

Study diligently, live long and prosper~

End of Chapter