At that moment, Wang Goudan approached. He was surprised to see Niu Xiaoxue and exclaimed, "Junior Sister Niu? What are you doing here?"
Since Niu Xiaoxue was the most talented disciple among those who had joined the sect last year and was also a girl, many in the sect knew of her. However, Niu Xiaoxue did not recognize Wang Goudan, but she quickly noticed the clothing he wore, marking him as a disciple of Shangyang Sect.
She politely replied, "Greetings, Senior Brother. What brings you here?"
Wang Goudan moved to stand behind Li Zhanying and said, "I'm here to meet my master. Junior Sister, I've decided to leave Shangyang Sect. I will no longer be a disciple of Shangyang."
Upon hearing him refer to the elderly man as "Master" and recalling that she had overheard people calling the legendary elder of Shangyang Sect "Master" as well, Niu Xiaoxue quickly made a decision. She bowed and said, "Senior, I would be honored to cultivate under you!"
It was no joke—joining the sect was one thing, but directly becoming the disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator was an opportunity too good to pass up.
Seeing that she realized his identity and agreed so swiftly, Li Zhanying showed no displeasure and, with a smile, welcomed her, bringing both Niu Xiaoxue and Wang Goudan back to his residence to settle in.
Meanwhile, back at Lingxian Sect, no one had responded to Niu Xiaoxue earlier—not because they were ignoring her, but because no one had noticed her.
At that moment, every member of the sect had gathered in a valley in the back mountains, staring in awe at the sight before them. The reason for their astonishment was simple: the valley was man-made—created by a single person. Or more accurately, a single soul.
If they hadn't already been familiar with the back mountain, they might never have realized the valley was artificial. It looked so natural, as if it had always been there, without a single trace of human interference.
No one could fathom how Elder Liao had managed it.
At the entrance to the valley, a large slab of pure white marble was embedded in the mountainside, inscribed with the words "Medicine Garden" in bold, ancient script. Surrounding the entrance were various rare flowers and herbs, and overhead, clusters of wisteria flowers hung down in silence. As the breeze stirred, the flowers and herbs swayed gently, creating a scene that looked like a living painting.
As the group ventured inside, they quickly realized that the entrance was only a hint of what lay within—it was truly a paradise. In the center of the valley, a suspended waterfall cascaded from seemingly nowhere, plunging straight into a small lake below. The mist it produced created a dreamlike atmosphere, making the real world seem hazy and indistinct.
Despite the grandeur of the waterfall, there was no roaring sound. The valley was filled only with the gentle sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing, giving the place an air of tranquil serenity.
There was no neatly organized medicine field in the valley—because the entire valley was a medicine field. Different medicinal herbs were planted in various locations based on their unique growth needs. In the center, the valley was divided into four sections, each representing a different season, with a distinct environment for each.
The disciples speculated that there must have been formations set up to create such an extraordinary effect.
Within each seasonal section, there were even finer distinctions. For example, the summer area had zones ranging from mildly warm to extremely hot, while the winter area had sections of varying degrees of cold.
Elder Liao explained that every plant and herb in the valley had medicinal properties. Herbs that grew on cliff faces were planted along the valley's walls, while others were rooted in the soil, which had been carefully tailored to the needs of each species. Some herbs were planted underground, while others grew in water or even inside ice.
As the group explored, they marveled at every new discovery. It was clear that the Medicine Garden was a place of incredible knowledge and resources.
The only unassuming feature in the garden was a small bamboo hut by the lake. However, when the group stepped inside, they quickly erased the notion of "unassuming" from their minds. The interior was so opulent that words could hardly describe it. Everyone present, except Lin Xiao, was stunned by its grandeur.
Elder Liao gave them only a brief glimpse of the hut before closing it off, leaving the group in awe of what they had just seen. Though the specifics were hard to remember, it left a lasting impression. To the group, the hut was now forever synonymous with wealth—unimaginable amounts of wealth.
After showing everyone around the garden, Elder Liao proudly turned to Lin Xiao and asked, "So, Sect Leader, what do you think? Is this medicine garden up to your standards? You did say I could build it however I liked!"
Originally, Lin Xiao had envisioned a simple garden with plots of land designated for various herbs. But Elder Liao had taken that idea and turned it into something far more extravagant—a luxurious, fully-realized Medicine Garden beyond his wildest expectations.
How could Lin Xiao possibly say it wasn't up to par? He was even considering asking Elder Liao to take charge of all future construction projects.
Of course, that was just a passing thought.
"This is more than up to standard! In fact, it's incredible! Elder, you've truly outdone yourself!" Lin Xiao said, genuinely impressed.
The system's familiar notification rang in his mind:
[Ding—Congratulations, host, for completing the Sect Construction Mission—Sect Facilities (7). The mission reward has been deposited into your private storage. Please check your inventory for details.]
After Lin Xiao confirmed the mission's completion, the system rewarded him immediately. Rather than waiting to check his reward later, he decided to take a quick look while the others were still exploring the garden at a leisurely pace.
Upon opening his private storage, he noticed that the single fragment of the Yaoguang Floating Island had now become two. There were more spirit stones, but with over 10,000 already in storage, he couldn't be sure how many had been added. Originally, there had been more, but he had allocated a large amount to the sect's treasury to cover the disciples' stipends, leaving him with just over 10,000 spirit stones.
These details were secondary, though. The most important thing was the additional Floating Island fragment. Now, he only needed one more piece to complete the set.
Lin Xiao quickly reviewed his remaining unfinished tasks. There were only two left: one to establish more social connections and another to cultivate skilled individuals within the sect.
As for the first task, he hadn't yet planned his next trip to the cultivation world, so it would have to wait for now.
The second task, cultivating skilled personnel, was progressing steadily. With Liu Chun's recent addition to the sect, they now had an expert in talismans, fulfilling one of the required categories. Lin Xiao estimated that once Sun Yigao completed more training in alchemy, they would have an expert in that field as well.
That left formations and artifact crafting. Mo Yuanjiao had shown a keen interest in formations, so Lin Xiao planned to encourage him in that area. As for artifact crafting, Ironhead seemed the most likely candidate. Lin Xiao also considered learning more about artifact crafting himself, as a backup plan.
After the group finished their tour of the Medicine Garden, Yang Jinshu approached Lin Xiao, carrying several design drafts she had created over the past couple of days.