The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 1007 - 551: Gift-Giving Is an Art, Too (Part 2)

The people inside did not respond. A few breaths later, the maid slowly guided the Old Grand Dowager out.

Although the guests were all well-mannered, they couldn’t help but gasp quietly. How could this still be the same Old Grand Dowager from just now? If it weren’t for her clothes and hairstyle being exactly the same as before, anyone would think she was a different person. You must know, for a mortal reaching the advanced age of ninety, even their bones would start to deform slightly, the skin and flesh thinning and clinging to the bones, no matter how well the Prince’s Mansion served her, her face would still be wrinkled and withered.

Yet, the Old Grand Dowager now appearing before everyone had a head full of black hair with only a few strands of silver, her skin taut, not only more radiant than before but so well-maintained that the number of wrinkles was countable, with a hint of her youthful charm still between her brows.

She had lived her whole life in a splendid home, always cared for in the deep confines, even at sixty, she looked like a woman in her forties.

The Old Grand Dowager had not yet seen her own appearance, but could already tell from the amazement in everyone’s eyes that there was a change, she quivered, "Mirror, quickly!" The cultivator in the mansion performed an Ice Mirror Technique in front of her, and upon seeing her new appearance, tears of joy welled in her eyes, almost unbelieving it was not a dream. For a mortal, gaining twenty years of life span and appearing thirty years younger seemed like a beauty that could only appear in dreams.

She could no longer maintain her composure, grasped Ning Xiaoxian’s hand, and repeatedly said, "You are excellent, excellent, thank you so much!"

Upon her speaking these words, the faces of the Jin sisters immediately turned sour. When they delivered their gifts earlier, although the Old Grand Dowager smiled kindly, it was nothing more than kindness; where was this current irrepressible emotion? Just from pleasing the Old Grand Dowager alone, these three elixirs had utterly overshadowed their efforts.

Ning Xiaoxian, with modest words, helped the Old Grand Dowager back to her seat, subtly withdrawing her hand, and then walked towards the tray held by Qingluan. The first gift from Hidden Stream was already so astonishing, what could the second and third gifts hold? Each person’s heart inevitably started to brim with anticipation.

The second gift was a fist-sized object, resembling a piece of meat, yet in the color of purple and gold, and under everyone’s gaze, it subtly wriggled, clearly a living creature. Among those present were people well-versed in knowledge and experience, who upon seeing it let out a soft sound of recognition: "Meat Ganoderma?"

"Quite perceptive." praised Ning Xiaoxian before explaining, "This is a specialty from the Bashe Forest, the rhizome of the thousand-year Purple Gold Meat Ganoderma. The Purple Gold Meat Ganoderma grows only half an inch a year, and after thousands of years, the excavated rhizome is only this little bit." The so-called Meat Ganoderma is actually another name for the "Tai Sui." This renowned object, even the Huaxia people are familiar with, possesses a self-repairing ability and is referred to as "consumed till exhaustion, and it regenerates." After Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China, he ordered the alchemist Xu Fu to search for the Immortal Elixir of immortality on Penglai, reportedly involving this "Tai Sui."

Of course, here with the presence of the six paths of reincarnation, no Tai Sui can grant immortality, nor can it even extend life. Yet for mortals, it’s still a valuable thing, as consuming it could rapidly heal physical injuries.

"The rhizome of the Purple Gold Meat Ganoderma is far superior to the average Tai Sui. Injuries like severed limbs, consuming an amount the size of a fingernail, can have the limb regrow within a week; for congenital disabilities like blindness or deafness, just consuming this Tai Sui root for three weeks, they could recover like normal people. Maintaining the Tai Sui root is also very simple, merely needing to be buried in the spirit field."

Everyone understood. The bodies of cultivators are robust, their life force exuberant, and limb regeneration is basic. However, how could mortals have such capabilities? Some low-level spiritual medicines exclusively for mortals could achieve this regeneration, but the elixir poison they contain poses significant risks, planting long-term hazards in mortal bodies, and such elixir poison is fundamentally indelible. As for the elixirs used by the cultivators themselves, their potent and overbearing efficacy could burst open an ordinary person. Suffice it to say, when Ning Xiaoxian once took the Golden Core Pill, Changtian used a secret technique to dissolve it into dozens of parts before allowing her to use it with a mortal body, and few in this world have such secret techniques, even if they do, why would they condescend to favor mortals?

However, consuming this Tai Sui eliminates these worries. It inherently is an exceedingly gentle organism, akin to consuming a gentle tonic, it can slowly take effect over time without any side effects. And most importantly, the Tai Sui can grow on its own; the parts carved away for consumption can regrow under the appropriate conditions! This also implies that the item is reusable.

Having this Tai Sui root in hand, it becomes a potent tool to win over subordinates. Huang Fusong Yun immediately understood, for the mortal leaders governing the thirty-one states, what could be more effective at winning hearts than this? Thus, even while other cultivators had yet to find this thing extraordinary, a smile was already upon his face, warmly saying, "This gift is quite precious."

The Mirror Sea King spoke thus, clearly acknowledging that this lump of Meat Tai Sui is indeed very useful to him. Simply put, these two items from Hidden Stream, the first was for the Old Grand Dowager, and the second for the entire Mirror King Mansion, with favors remembered fondly.

Gift-giving is an art, and these two items from Hidden Stream were delivered beautifully.

So, what treasure lies beneath the third red cloth? The expectation in everyone’s eyes grew even more intense.

Ning Xiaoxian smiled, her delicate hand reaching towards the third piece of red cloth on the tray, and then—(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)