Chapter 1454 - 1046: Gift Giving, Grotto Heaven

Apricot blossoms danced in the air. For once, the stone table was fully seated. They had even added a few stone stools and replaced the table with a wider, larger one. At this moment, seven or eight dishes of Spiritual Cuisine and a few pots of Spirit Tea were already laid out on the table.

Once one became a Cultivator, they no longer ate the grains of the Mortal World and rarely consumed food in their daily lives. However, Spiritual Cuisine was different from ordinary mortal food. Not only could it nourish the physical body, but it also offered many benefits to a Cultivator’s Cultivation. Just like with Spirit Pills, there was profound knowledge involved in preparing it. If the ingredients were paired well, the effects were no less than those of a Spirit Pill.

The Spirit Tea before them was no ordinary tea; it was Mingxin Tea. Clearly, Chu Yanqing was quite satisfied with her daughter-in-law. She had brought out such precious Spirit Tea for their very first meeting. This made Ye Qingfeng purse her lips at Wan Yulian and say, "I remember Mother hasn’t brought out the Mingxin Tea in a long time."

"Then you should drink more this time and spend more time in Seclusion. Yun Xuan is about to catch up to you," Ye Jingcheng chimed in.

Although Ye Qingfeng was currently at the Late Stage of Purple Mansion, considering she possessed the Red Phoenix Spirit Body and a Celestial Spirit Root, Ye Jingcheng was naturally dissatisfied with her progress. He had even prepared a Gold Condensing Pill for her. Of course, his words were also a reminder to Ye Qingnian that despite his upcoming wedding, Cultivation remained the most important priority.

"Many thanks to Elder Qianchen and Lady Ye for your hospitality. I feel I hardly deserve this; I am happy to just have some Spiritual Food," Wan Yulian said. She was very courteous, evidently well-raised by the Wan family. Between the lines, she didn’t reveal any over-reliance on her background. This was what Ye Jingcheng was most satisfied with.

"Just call us Uncle Ye and Aunt Ye," Ye Jingcheng waved his hand.

Beside him, Chu Yanqing directly poured a small half-cup for her. After all, this was Tier Four Spirit Tea. Even though the Spiritual Might of Spirit Tea was generally milder compared to other Spiritual Objects, Wan Yulian was merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and couldn’t consume much. Because of this, as the tea was being poured, Wan Yulian kept waving her hands, crying out that it was too much. However, Chu Yanqing had calculated it precisely; she poured exactly as much as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could handle. There was no way she would let Wan Yulian act so frugally.

"It’s rare for the whole family to gather for Spiritual Cuisine like this. There’s no need to be so formal," Ye Jingcheng said, looking at the others. His gaze was naturally focused on Ye Yunxi. She carried both the Ye family and Chu family bloodlines, and possessed a Water Spirit Root. She had even broken through to the Golden Core stage recently. In the future, she might just achieve her Nascent Soul breakthrough faster than the rest of them. When she was young, she had been raised by Chu Yanqing and was much more outgoing back then. But after reaching the Golden Core stage, the girl seemed to have matured, becoming more reserved. In the past, she used to bicker constantly with Ye Qingfeng and Ye Qingnian.

Soon, the family began their meal of Spiritual Cuisine. Apricot blossoms drifted in the gentle breeze. Beneath the mist, frost flowers sparkled. Further away lay vast Spirit Fields lush with green crops, and beyond that was an endless expanse of yellow sand. Ye Jingcheng could not help but feel a growing sense of joy in his heart. In his over two hundred years of Cultivation, he had rarely experienced such a heartwarming scene. In the past, he would have thought that such feelings might negatively affect his Dao Heart. But now, he realized it only motivated him further, pushing him to work harder in Cultivation to protect everything they had fought so hard for!

The meal of Spiritual Cuisine lasted for quite a while before Ye Qingnian was the first to leave, taking Wan Yulian with him. Wan Yulian had come to deliver the Wan family’s tribute this time, and it was about time for her to return. After all, she hadn’t married Ye Qingnian yet, so she wasn’t officially a Ye Family Member and couldn’t stay on Celestial Shadow Peak for too long.

Once the couple had gone far away, Ye Yunxi took out a Magical Treasure and presented it to Ye Jingcheng.

"Eleventh Uncle, this is your grand-niece’s Nascent Soul congratulatory gift to you." The Magical Treasure she brought out was a Jade Treasure she had crafted using Water Technique Artifact Refining.

Although it was a bit cliché and rather ordinary, it was the thought that counted, and Ye Jingcheng was happy to receive it. In return, he conveniently brought out a Tier Four Spiritual Treasure and gave it to Ye Yunxi. This made her feel a little embarrassed. After all, she had effectively traded a Tier Three Top-Grade Treasure for a Tier Four Spiritual Treasure.

After Ye Yunxi left, only Ye Qingfeng remained. She wrapped her arms around Chu Yanqing’s arm and leaned against her, acting like an innocent little girl who hadn’t yet grown up.

"You must have a gift for your father, too. They’ve all left now, so you can bring it out!" Chu Yanqing said. She actually quite enjoyed the feeling of her youngest daughter snuggling up to her. Although both her children were over a hundred years old, they had spent most of their lives in Cultivation, so she still saw them as children.

"Not bad. At least you knew to be discreet," Ye Jingcheng praised. He had also been worried earlier that Ye Qingfeng might blurt out the matter regarding the Great Crowned Phoenix. After all, it was connected to the Celestial Departure Grassland and was a highly confidential secret. He also wanted to know whether that Phoenix was a legendary Phoenix Nirvana, or merely the descendant of a Demon Saint. If it was a Phoenix Nirvana, the Ye family would naturally profit greatly. But if it was the descendant of a Demon Saint, they would have to tread carefully.

"Father, this is my gift," Ye Qingfeng said. Seeing that she couldn’t hide it anymore, she brought out her Tier Five Spiritual Medicine, the excitement in her eyes diminished by more than half.

"A three-thousand-year-old Moonlight Ganoderma!" Ye Jingcheng exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. Ye Qingfeng had truly given him a wonderful surprise. After all, this was the primary ingredient for a Tier Five Advancement Pill.

"The Great Crowned Phoenix will have more of this Spiritual Medicine in the future. However, I can’t determine whether it’s undergoing Nirvana or if it’s just a descendant.

"Moreover, it constantly wants me to form a contract with it, so it’s more likely to be a descendant," Ye Qingfeng replied.

"You’ve done well. Just keep up the good work," Ye Jingcheng nodded. No matter the origins of this Great Crowned Phoenix, staying on its good side would never be a bad idea.

...

The Celestial River Oasis was located on the outskirts of the Celestial Departure Grassland. Across the entire oasis, a river formed by melting snow mountains flowed slowly downstream, eventually merging into the Celestial River Lake.