Mist and vines were everywhere in the garden among the rolling hills that could reach for the sun and moon. Another one was surrounded by the stars while one more had a great river running around it. These mountain ranges resembled gigantic dragons that were hidden among the mists and fogs.
It was more apt to call this place a world instead of a garden due to its boundless size. This boosted the excitement for many students after entering. Some couldn’t help but scream: “All of the treasures are mine!”
With that, they quickly leaped and disappeared into the mountains, no longer showing restraint. They were ready for the fortunes and treasures hiding among the ranges.
“It’s really is big.” Goldloop commented: “I thought it would just be a tiny garden, not an entire internal world like this.”
“That’s what it is, a miniature world.” Liu Jinsheng said: “It might not be smaller than the academy. Tea Garden is only its name.”
“Really?” Goldloop became surprised: “The academy is already big enough, I don’t think there are that many sects that can compare with it in Arrogance, now it has another world? Doesn’t that mean that the academy owns the biggest land on this continent?”
Jinsheng replied: “The vastness of the academy is beyond your imagination. Boundless and all-encompa.s.sing with immense resources. Rumor has it that this miniature world doesn’t belong to the academy in the beginning but Immortal Emperor Fei moved it here.”
“How rare, you are actually complimenting the academy.” Li Qiye laughed after hearing this.
Jinsheng became slightly awkward and coughed: “Aging might not improve certain things but you do become less narrow-minded with different perspectives. Such improvements meant that one didn’t waste their life.”
Li Qiye only smiled after hearing this.
“Hehe, everyone says that the tea party will be a great harvest. If one is lucky enough, they will be able to find some natural heavenly treasures. Some even believed that emperors have hidden some good stuff around here too.” Goldloop’s eyes glittered with greed as he started to drool just a little bit. It was as if there was a mountain of gold before him.
“Just idle chats from boring people.” Li Qiye smiled and said: “The tea party is naturally about drinking tea.”
“Is that what you’re here for, Teacher?” Goldloop didn’t believe it at all.
Li Qiye gave him the side-eye: “Not just anyone can drink the tea here. They need to be capable enough.”
“Uhh…” Goldloop had no response.
“You won’t be able to drink the good tea here anyway.” Li Qiye teased while the group was pa.s.sing through many mountains.
They finally saw a river ahead with mists everywhere and cold air hitting their face.
“Ah, maybe you’re right, I’m too weak to drink anything good here.” Goldloop scratched his head and said.
“No, what I mean is, I didn’t bring you here to drink tea, only for you to suffer some hards.h.i.+p.” Li Qiye smiled and said.
Goldloop proudly slammed his chest and declared: “I carry a great burden so some suffering is nothing to me. Teacher, just tell me what to do.”
“Really now?” Li Qiye smirked and reached for Goldloop’s arm.
There was no chance for the guy to resist at all so he got grabbed instantly. Next, he found his body flying in the air.
“Splas.h.!.+” The poor guy landed into the surging river ahead.
The frigid water created a layer of frost around him, scaring him out of his mind.
“Teacher, what, what’s going on?” He couldn’t move at all as his body was being encapsulated in ice due to the increasing intensity of the coldness. It wouldn’t be long before he turned into an iceman.
“It’s nothing, your body is tough enough so keep training hard.” Li Qiye smiled at the guy.
“But, I, I can’t move at all, Teacher.” Even his neck was frozen right now so he screamed in fear: “Am I going to die?”
“That depends on if you can handle it or not. If you can’t, then yeah, death.” Li Qiye brightly responded: “Oh, right, forgot to tell you. Your ancestor almost froze to death here too, we’ll see if you can do better than him.”
“Teach-” Goldloop couldn’t finish speaking because he was frozen completely now and continued to drift with the current. His eyes were glaring, mouth agape, looking as if he was screaming for help.
The kind Yao Ting became worried: “Is he going to be fine?”
Jinsheng’s expression looked a bit s.a.d.i.s.tic: “Who knows? The cold river of tea garden is endless. The more downstream, the colder. No one knows where it is going either. Some believed that it would reach the depth of the earth. If one could survive the temperature, they would enter h.e.l.l and never be able to return.”
“Really?!” Yao Ting was shocked to hear this.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense.” Li Qiye shook his head: “The river is indeed dangerous but a descendant of the w.a.n.g won’t die so easily. His body needs the refinement in this place so if he can surpa.s.s this, he’ll earn a lifetime of benefit.”
“But if he can’t?” Yao Ting asked.
“Nothing too serious, he’ll just have to lay in bed for a year or so.” Li Qiye chuckled.
When Yao Ting calmed down, she realized that Li Qiye was helping Goldloop.
While the group traveled through the garden, the other students were infiltrating the hills and peaks. However, since it was the academy, they didn’t dare to go all out and dig every inch of the land.
Among many of these mist-shrouded peaks were all types of trees. In fact, tea trees were all around as well but the students didn’t pay enough attention.
Of course, some were more knowledgeable than others. One student from Sacred Inst.i.tution saw a violet tree and plucked all of the leaves into his pouch.
“Senior Zhang, why are you taking these leaves?” A fellow student didn’t understand: “Everyone is busy looking for treasures. My juniors want to climb that peak over there in order to dig out some treasure bamboo shoots in that thicket. Do you want to come along?”
“Nah, I just want to pick some leaves.” The senior smiled and said.
“What’s special about these leaves?” The student asked.
His senior only smiled and continued forward to find more tea trees.
The student eventually came to ask Rumination G.o.dchild. Rumination casually responded: “Profound Tea, capable of calming the mind and strengthening one’s dao.”
“There are a lot of trees like that here, Senior, do we want to go find them?” The student immediately asked.
“It’s not that precious, my sect has several thousand fields. I’ll give everyone a bottle later.” Rumination showed his generosity.
“You’re too kind, we got so much coming with you already. I filled my basket with these wondrous flowers down at the deep gorge earlier.” Another immediately flattered.
Many would naturally want to follow Rumination because it was quite beneficial, not to mention how generous the guy was.
In fact, this also applied to Six-sword Young King and the students from Hundred Halls. He took them up a peak that was filled with precious stone honey.
Everyone was quite excited after getting so much in tea garden.
***
“This place is special indeed.” The quiet Mei Suyao finally spoke: “It is a place of the grand dao, one can master the myriad laws and harmonize the dao heart here for better comprehension.”
While others were busy looking for treasures, she was carefully feeling this land.
“That’s tea garden for you. Only ordinary people would want to find treasures. We’re at a tea garden right, people should be carefully appreciating the tea.”