Chapter 72 - 30: Deep Blue, Add Points

Chapter 72: Chapter 30: Deep Blue, Add Points

Jiang Xuan knew nothing of the ripples he had left in his wake on Star Sword Peak.

After leaving Star Sword Peak, he made his way directly toward his destination: Four Seasons Valley.

To Jiang Xuan’s surprise, Four Seasons Valley wasn’t far from Star Sword Peak. A short trip of just one stop on the Flying Ship brought him to its borders.

In stark contrast to the lofty, cloud-piercing Star Sword Peak with its celestial palaces reaching for the heavens, Four Seasons Valley was nestled on an open plain. As it was a Middle-Class Dharma Vein, the land possessed its own wonders—within this single valley, all four seasons coexisted.

Looking down from the rail of the Flying Ship, Jiang Xuan saw the eastern part of the valley blanketed in lush green, with new willows budding—a clear sign of early spring’s renewal. To the south, a tapestry of flowers bloomed, bustling with butterflies and bees.

To the west, golden wheat fields rolled like waves, promising a bountiful autumn harvest. In the north lay a frozen lake, and beside it, a verdant mountain peak was capped with pure white snow, presenting a scene of deep winter’s desolate stillness.

Jiang Xuan stared at the display of four distinct seasons for a long time.

As he stood captivated by this miracle of nature, the Flying Ship slowly descended, landing right in the center where the four seasons converged. A simple, rustic village came into view.

’This is the headquarters of a Middle-Class Dharma Vein?’

Staring at Huangni Village, which looked no different from any mundane village in the countryside, Jiang Xuan recalled the intricately carved and painted halls of Star Sword Peak, its celestial palaces wreathed in mist. For the first time, he truly understood that the difference between two sects of the same Middle-Class Dharma Vein could be as vast as heaven and earth—far greater than he had ever imagined.

"Trying to comprehend the Four Seasons Dao Rhymes just by tasting seasonal vegetables? That’s impossible!"

"How can the Four Seasons Valley’s assessment be so difficult? Didn’t everyone say its Core Cultivation Method was flawed?"

"Miss Xia He, please, I’m begging you! Be a little flexible and lower the assessment requirements!"

"..."

As soon as he stepped into Huangni Village, a noisy argument reached Jiang Xuan’s ears.

There were plenty of students trying their luck, but a single glance was all it took for Jiang Xuan to notice the near-complete absence of lavishly dressed Noble Family’s Descendants. Most of the students wore simple clothing, and their auras weren’t particularly powerful.

According to Dong Hao, the Four Seasons Valley’s assessment was notoriously difficult, even among other Middle-Class Dharma Veins. Not even disciples with outstanding Talent could guarantee they would pass, let alone this group of students with their mediocre Cultivation. Naturally, the success rate was pitifully low.

To this day, not a single person had passed the assessment. It was precisely because the success rate was so dismal that some had started to cause a scene, hoping Four Seasons Valley would relax its standards.

But their words sent the young woman in charge of receiving them into a seething rage.

She was a young woman about Jiang Xuan’s age, looking to be no more than fourteen or fifteen. She had a delicate and charming figure, and her smart, emerald-green dress highlighted a waist so slender it seemed one could encircle it with a single hand. She was brimming with youthful energy.

Even now, as she stood with one hand on her hip, shouting angrily at the crowd of students before Huangni Village, the fury on her face couldn’t conceal the spirited, artless charm in her features.

"All of you, shut up!"

Following the sharp rebuke, Xia He declared, her cheeks puffed with anger, "Four Seasons Valley is a Middle-Class Dharma Vein, and our Core Cultivation Method has absolutely no flaws! To perceive the Four Seasons Reincarnation and comprehend the Four Seasons Dao Rhymes has always been the ironclad rule of our entrance assessment. If you can’t pass, then you should quiet your Heart and work on improving yourselves. You want us to relax the rules? Not a chance!"

The young woman was exceptionally beautiful, so even her angry glare held little menace. But as she fumed, two figures rose from behind the two desks that stood behind her.

One man was over ten feet tall, built like a small mountain, with potent Magical Power roiling around him. The other had a demeanor as cold as ice, radiating a bone-piercing chill.

As the oppressive aura from the two men spread, the previously clamoring students instantly fell silent. Many even turned and scurried away with their tails between their legs.

However, Huangni Village lacked the imposing dignity of a renowned Dharma Vein. The departing students had only taken a few steps before they couldn’t resist muttering complaints under their breath.

"What’s there to be so arrogant about? It’s just a Middle Vein on the verge of decline, isn’t it?"

"Exactly. If the Cultivation Technique really had no flaws, why wouldn’t a single Noble Family’s Descendant be willing to come?"

"Hmph, I heard that in the last few recruitment cycles, they couldn’t even attract enough disciples... At this rate, it won’t be long before Four Seasons Valley is demoted to a Lower-Class Dharma Vein."

SNAP!

The distant discussion was quiet, but a Cultivator’s Spiritual Sense is keen. Not only did Jiang Xuan hear every word clearly, but Xia He did as well. Their comments were like fuel to a fire, inflaming the anger that had yet to subside.

Just as she was about to march after them and argue, the burly young man hurried to block her path. "Miss, don’t be impulsive. They’re just the ignorant ramblings of fools. It’s not worth breaking the sect’s rules over them."

The burly youth’s intervention made Xia He halt, but the frustration simmering in her chest didn’t dissipate in the slightest. She turned to the students who remained, snorted coldly, and declared, "Stop daydreaming, all of you! There is absolutely no chance that the Four Seasons Valley’s assessment will be made any easier!"

As she said this, her gaze swept across the area, and even Jiang Xuan, who was standing to the side constantly stuffing food and spices into his mouth, received a fierce glare from her.

Apparently, his behavior—watching the spectacle while ceaselessly eating—had caused her to lump him in with the crowd of gawkers and troublemakers.

"..." The glare left Jiang Xuan speechless and feeling rather wronged. ’I have no intention of asking for the assessment to be easier,’ he thought. ’I’m not trying to take it right now. I’m standing here eating because I’m preparing for your Four Seasons Valley’s assessment.’

This was genuinely what Jiang Xuan was thinking. He was currently focused on his efforts to become a Gourmet.

But clearly, Xia He couldn’t have known that. After a moment’s thought, Jiang Xuan decided not to step forward and explain. The young woman had already turned away after glaring at him, running over to a woman with a gentle and serene demeanor to air her grievances.

"Sister Yingyue, look! Fewer and fewer people are coming to us. What are we going to do?"

"Don’t worry. Our real recruitment period isn’t now. It’s during the Late Stage of the Hundred-Day Exam."

Jiang Xuan didn’t immediately grasp the deeper meaning of her words, but Xia He clearly did. A look of indignation crossed her face. "Relying on just those people, the best we can do is hold onto our status as a Middle Vein! We’ll never be able to climb the rankings! I want Four Seasons Valley to be great again, to become the top-tier Dharma Vein it was back in Great-Grandfather’s day!"

At these words, the woman named Meng Yingyue could only fall silent, not knowing how to comfort her.

...

’So, the Four Seasons Valley’s Cultivation Technique probably really is flawed,’ Jiang Xuan mused. ’But they must have some special trick that lets them recruit people during the Late Stage of the Hundred-Day Exam, which is why they aren’t worried about being demoted.’

The pair’s conversation gave Jiang Xuan a basic understanding of the situation at Four Seasons Valley. But he soon shook his head, pushing these trivial matters aside.

’None of this has anything to do with me. The most important thing right now is to become a Gourmet... Trying to comprehend the Four Seasons Dao Rhymes just by tasting seasonal vegetables is impossible with my current level of Cultivation and Comprehension.’

With his mind made up, Jiang Xuan quickened his pace, continuously popping various foods into his mouth.

Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, umami, numbing... The variety of foods required to become a Gourmet wasn’t extensive, but it encompassed all the flavors known to man. Coupled with the "Taste Hundred Flavors" ability he had just unlocked, a deluge of sensory information flooded his perception. In just a few moments, Jiang Xuan had experienced every flavor the world had to offer.

Countless unique gustatory imprints converged in his mind, stirring a faint, mysterious feeling within Jiang Xuan.

Unfortunately, his Comprehension wasn’t exactly top-tier. He wasn’t the kind of heaven-sent prodigy who could attain sudden enlightenment on the Great Dao simply from tasting the mundane flavors of the mortal world.

Fortunately, what he lacked in Talent, he could make up for with hard work and sweat.

"Deep Blue, add points!"

"OM NOM..."