The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 262 Attending the Banquet!

"Jinshu! My head...it hurts so much!"

Qingheng suddenly covered her head.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu's heart tightened immediately, and he instantly flashed to Qingheng's side, wrapping his arms around her.

"Qingheng!" Chen Jinshu called out softly, and without hesitation, he transferred the pure green wood spiritual power from his palm to her.

Chen Jinshu tried to calm the chaotic force raging within her.

However, that life force was instantly devoured.

Qingheng's trembling did not stop; on the contrary, it intensified.

"Ugh...headache!"

Qingheng's voice grew softer and softer until she slumped into Chen Jinshu's arms and fell into a coma.

A faint blue mark appeared quietly between his brows, then slowly disappeared.

Chen Jinshu carefully carried Qingheng and placed her on the rattan bed with a soft spiritual grass mat in the corner of the bamboo house.

For the next few days, Qingheng remained asleep, her breathing so weak it was almost imperceptible.

However, she has a strong vitality within her.

Chen Jinshu stayed by her side every day, continuously channeling spiritual energy to nourish her soul, and dissolving several times the usual amount of herbal spirit pills to envelop her small body in the gentlest herbal essence.

On the morning of the fourth day, the dense wood-elemental energy within the space fluctuated slightly.

Chen Jinshu was sitting cross-legged, regulating his breathing, when he suddenly opened his eyes.

On the rattan bed, Qingheng slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze swept over the familiar bamboo roof and finally landed on Chen Jinshu's face.

Her eyes were vacant for a moment, as if she were struggling to make sense of it.

Soon after, her small lips trembled a few times, and finally, she uttered a few faint sounds.

"Jin...shu?"

"it's me."

Chen Jinshu spoke very softly and gently:
"how do you feel?"

"Thanks……"

Qingheng raised her small hand, palm up, and a cluster of emerald green light, several times more refined and profound than before, quietly appeared, radiating a reassuring and powerful vitality.

“I think I remember some…how to take care of them.”

"Don't rush, taking care of your health is the most important thing!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu chuckled softly.

This guy has regained a lot of his memories, and he still cares a lot about taking care of the spirit plants.

A moment later, a warm, smooth jade talisman hanging from her waist suddenly emitted a soft white light and began to vibrate slightly.

She took it down and examined it, then probed it with her divine sense.

A majestic yet peaceful voice resounded directly in her mind.

"Young friend Chen, my birthday is approaching, and I will be holding a banquet at the 'Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits' in three days. You are an outstanding alchemist and a distinguished guest of our valley. I hope you will take the time to attend."

"It's the Valley Master's 800th birthday!" Chen Jinshu was surprised, not expecting that the Valley Master would personally invite her to the banquet.

Come to think of it, she had forgotten that this period was the Valley Master's birthday.

The Dan Conference was initiated through this.

However, this birthday banquet was by no means an ordinary feast.

After lying dormant for thousands of years, Medicine King Valley has reopened its gates with great fanfare, inviting cultivators from all five continents. Ostensibly to celebrate its birthday, this event must have a deeper meaning: to demonstrate its profound strength and to test all sides.

As the newly crowned leader of the Dan Association, she will undoubtedly be the focus of much attention.

"What's wrong?" Qingheng keenly noticed the change in Chen Jinshu's expression and asked softly.

"The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley is celebrating his 800th birthday and has invited me to a banquet."

Chen Jinshu put away the jade talisman, his tone calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

Qingheng remained silent for a moment, her childishness replaced by an almost instinctive solemnity.

"Be careful, there are always undercurrents beneath the surface of a grand feast. I can sense that there are many hidden dangers lurking in Medicine King Valley."

“I know. Hundreds of years ago, Medicine King Valley was just invaded by major sects. Now, those major sects are probably coming with great force.”

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Deep within Medicine King Valley, the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits stands majestically.

With giant trees as beams and ancient vines as decorations, the entire hall seems to have grown naturally from an ancient forest.

The plaza in front of the palace is paved with millennia-old warm jade, so smooth that it reflects one's image.

As dusk settled, various colored lights converged from the sky like shooting stars, landing on the square and transforming into a group of extraordinary cultivators. Chen Jinshu, dressed in an elegant blue robe, concealed his Golden Core aura, revealing only his late Foundation Establishment cultivation level.

She followed the disciples of Medicine King Valley who were leading the way into the main hall.

The scene inside the hall was even more astonishing. Above the dome, countless spiritual plants emitting a soft light floated, like stars.

Huge beams were entwined with gnarled ancient vines, on which bloomed strange flowers the size of bowls, drooping with wisps of spiritual energy.

The air was filled with a rich, refreshing fragrance that invigorated the mind and body.

Disciples dressed in uniform emerald green robes moved silently through the valley, offering spiritual fruits and celestial wines.

Her seat was arranged to the left, near the head of the table, in a rather conspicuous location.

As soon as I sat down, I keenly felt several scrutinizing, probing, and even subtly hostile gazes falling upon me.

One of the gazes, sharp as a sword, came from not far away on the other side.

Chen Jinshu looked up and saw Chu Nanguan, dressed in a crimson alchemist's robe, pouring wine alone. When he saw her looking over, a cryptic smile appeared on his lips, and he raised his cup in a gesture of greeting.

Chen Jinshu remained calm, nodding slightly before turning his gaze elsewhere.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Chen, how have you been!"

The next moment, a cheerful voice rang out.

Liu Qingchen walked over with a jade cup in his hand, a warm smile on his face, but his eyes held an undisguised joy.

"Since our parting at the Pill Gathering, fellow Daoist's demeanor has surpassed even that of the past. This is the Blazing Flame Master of the Flaming Sun Sect, and this is the Water Moon Fairy of the Cloud Dream Marsh..."

He enthusiastically introduced Chen Jinshu to several renowned Golden Core cultivators from the neighborhood.

Chen Jinshu greeted everyone politely, speaking calmly and responding appropriately.

She could clearly sense the fleeting surprise in the eyes of those cultivators when Liu Qingchen made his introduction.

They were clearly surprised that she, a "Foundation Establishment cultivator," was sitting in such a prominent position.

"I've heard that young friend Chen is a master of alchemy, and has even won the favor of the Valley Master, who bestowed upon him the true meaning of 'enlightenment.' His future is limitless!"

An elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, surrounded by a faint fragrance of elixir, stroked his beard and smiled.

He was a renowned alchemist in the Eastern Region, the Jade Cauldron Immortal. His words sounded like praise, but his eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.

"You flatter me, Master. I am fortunate to have been favored by the Valley Master and have been able to glimpse a corner of the Great Dao. I am still exploring it."

Chen Jinshu responded humbly, neither arrogant nor humble.

"Hmph, the Enlightenment Technique is the foundation of my Medicine King Valley. Even if outsiders obtain the true leaves, how much of its essence can they comprehend?"

A slightly shrill voice broke in.

The speaker was a middle-aged alchemist sitting below Chu Nanguan. He had a fair complexion, no beard, and an arrogant look in his eyes. He was Zhao Qian, a well-known third-level alchemist from the inner sect of Medicine King Valley.

His gaze toward Chen Jinshu was filled with undisguised contempt and jealousy.

The atmosphere in the hall froze slightly at those words.

Before Chen Jinshu could speak, Liu Qingchen preemptively tried to smooth things over:

"Junior Brother Zhao, you are mistaken! Fellow Daoist Chen's talent is exceptional, as praised by the Valley Master himself. The Great Dao is boundless; the capable come first. What distinction is there between insiders and outsiders?"

As he spoke, he secretly gave Chen Jinshu a "don't mind" wink.

Chen Jinshu picked up the glass cup in front of him and took a small sip of the clear, bright green herbal dew, letting the cool, slightly sweet liquid slide down his throat and dispel a trace of dryness.

She put down her cup, calmly met Zhao Qian's gaze, and spoke clearly:

“Master Zhao is right. The transformation of herbs is indeed a secret of your esteemed valley. What I have learned is only superficial and is not as solid and practical as the spiritual plant conditioning techniques described in the outer sect of your esteemed valley, the ‘Hundred Herbs Heart Sutra’.”

She deliberately mentioned the book that Liu Qingchen had used to fob her off, her tone calm, but it made Zhao Qian's face stiffen and Liu Qingchen's smile instantly become somewhat unnatural.

"clang!"

A clear and resonant sound, like the chime of a jade chime, suddenly echoed throughout the hall, silencing all the subtle whispers.

The distant sound of the chime instantly silenced the entire Wanling Palace.

The space inside the main hall rippled slightly.

A figure materialized from the void and appeared silently at the very front of the banquet.

The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley was still dressed in a faded linen robe, his hair and beard were as white as snow, and his face was thin and refined.

However, at this moment, he sat in the main seat of the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits, without deliberately emitting any oppressive aura.

Those gentle and peaceful eyes slowly swept over the guests gathered below. Wherever his gaze fell, whether they were arrogant Nascent Soul cultivators or haughty Golden Core cultivators, they all involuntarily lowered their heads slightly to show their respect.

"I am deeply grateful that my fellow Daoists have come from afar to celebrate this humble birthday of mine."

"Heaven and earth are full of spiritual beauty, and plants and trees have feelings. Today, on this auspicious occasion, I would like to share with fellow Daoists the Dao of the withering and flourishing of plants and trees."

"Secondly, it will also add a touch of vitality to the Valley of Ten Thousand Spirits, which has been silent for thousands of years."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Valley Master gently flicked his wide robe sleeves.

In an instant, the scene inside the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits changed drastically.

The author just finished the postgraduate entrance exam and is exhausted these past few days. Updates will gradually resume.