The next day -
In front of Hong Xu's yard, Wang Fei along with Xinyue and Qingyun Sect Leader came to Jade Mountain to visit Hong Xu after asking around in the village about the store's owner. Contrary to their expectations, what they were met with was a heavenly abode that even immortals would envy. They knocked on the door, but there was no response since Hong Xu was out fishing for the day. With no one answering, they decided to enter the yard.
As Sect Leader stepped into the yard, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended upon him, forcing him to his knees and preventing him from lifting his head.
"I can't... stand up," Sect Leader struggled to say, his voice strained.
However, Wang Fei and Xinyue were too preoccupied to notice what had happened to their father, as they were in even greater shock.
What was inside the yard was even more astonishing - the two chickens in Cornner of the yard and The carps in the pond were actually true phoenixes, and true Dragons their bloodline so pure that even looking toward them was nearly impossible, even for someone of Sect Leader's cultivation base, let alone Wang Fei and Xinyue's shallow cultivation. The vibrant colors of the phoenix feathers and the majestic presence of the dragons left them speechless. It was as if they had stepped into a mythical realm.
The tree at the center of the yard and the mutt sleeping under the tree were the mythical world tree Yggdrasil and Fenrir. The vegetables were heavenly elixirs, any one of which could cause the big sects to fight over it. But in the yard, there was a whole lot of them.
"Is this real?" Xinyue whispered, her eyes wide with awe.
Just then, a melodious voice resonated through the air, a mixture of warmth and amusement. "Ah, it appears that we have guests."
The pressure lifted, allowing Sect Leader to regain his footing. He gazed at the magnificent creatures in awe, his initial discomfort forgotten in the face of such majesty.
The presence of Yggdrasil and Fenrir in the yard left them speechless. The sheer magnitude of encountering beings from ancient legends was overwhelming.
"Wang Fei, do you realize what this means?" Sect Leader murmured, his voice tinged with both astonishment and excitement.
Wang Fei nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on Yggdrasil's majestic branches. "It means that Hong Xu's abode is a place where the boundaries between myth and reality are blurred."
They turned around, and their shock deepened. Before them stood a man of such heavenly beauty that even Yash, the Emissary of Illumis and the most beautiful man known to have existed, seemed ordinary in comparison. The sight left them utterly speechless, their minds struggling to comprehend such ethereal grace.
As their astonishment lingered, Hong Xu's voice, calm and familiar, broke through their thoughts. "Oh, isn't this Young Lady Wang and Xinyue."
Wang Fei, still grappling with the overwhelming experience, blinked in confusion. She couldn't quite connect the pieces, failing to realize that the enigmatic store owner they were searching for was right in front of them. "Does Mister know me? But I'm sure I would have remembered your Heavenly beauty if we met before."
Hong Xu's giggled softly, the sound like tinkling bells. "It's not your fault, Miss. You never saw my face in the first place. I had my face covered with a newspaper the entire time when we met at the store."
Wang Fei's eyes widened, a mix of surprise, realization, and embarrassment dawning upon her.
Before she could think of anything, the Qingyun Sect Leader kneeled at Hong Xu's feet. "Senior, I'm Wang Xin, the 355th Sect Leader of Qingyun Sect, and the father of Xinyue and Fei. I have come here today specially to thank you for bestowing Xinyue and Fei with such an incredible opportunity."
Hong Xu's momentarily puzzled thoughts led him to consider that this might be a customary gesture among cultivators when dealing with mortals. "Please, rise, Sect Leader. Your gratitude warms my heart. But there is no need for such formality. I am honored to have you and your daughters in my humble abode. I Hong Xu As a mortal, even being able to see a cultivator is a luxury, not to mention having them as guests."
Hong Xu's sincere words resonated with Sect Leader Wang Xin, leaving him both humbled and surprised. "Why would such a peerless expert refer to himself as a mortal?" Wang Xin's mind buzzed with curiosity, eager to uncover the truth behind Hong Xu's words.
"Could it be Senior's choice to refer to himself as a mortal wasn't a sign of weakness, but rather a testament to his profound understanding. It was as if Senior, in his pursuit of higher realms, had chosen to embrace the mortal world to gain insights unattainable through traditional cultivation." That was the conclusion Wang Xin came to