CHAPTER 429: CHAPTER 429: MARCH 3

Taking advantage of the departure of the two bigwigs, Lu Zheng seized the opportunity to take a break from touring Wansong Mountain and return to the modern world, making a few phone calls to the four corners to affirm that he was still alive.

This time marked the longest disappearance Lu Zheng had ever experienced in the modern era.

Previously, whether it was traveling for a flood disaster or attending a wedding banquet at the Southern Border, Lu Zheng always managed to take a break and return to the modern world. But this time, he seriously spent more than a month playing chess!

If Lu Zheng hadn’t elevated his chess skills to an extremely high level and genuinely developed an interest in it, he might have been sick of it.

Even so, for now, he didn’t want to touch a chessboard and just wanted some peace and quiet.

No matter how successful Lu Zheng is at cultivation, even if he became an immortal, he is still a twenty-something young man who has experienced the influence of modern entertainment culture, so...

Although they are all entertainment activities, where can this ancient wisdom activity like chess compare to reading novels, playing games, and binge-watching shows? It’s not as brainless and more interesting.

Simply put, he hasn’t enjoyed enough yet.

It’s not well-advised to stay in the modern world too long; Lu Zheng handled some news, then traveled back to Wansong Mountain again.

Just as he returned, he opened his eyes to see a sika deer at the cave entrance munching grass, and it was startled, turning to flee.

Lu Zheng shook his head, continuing his leisurely stroll around Wansong Mountain.

"Is this, a hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum?"

Lu Zheng had just taken a couple of steps when he discovered a treasure in the shade behind a stream.

The black-red Polygonum multiflorum was approximately one foot in diameter, emitting a faint medicinal aroma, although it wasn’t a spirit medicine, it was still a top-grade mortal item.

"Great stuff, I’ll keep it!"

What a joke, pine nuts filled with spiritual qi could be eaten as snacks, this hundred-year-old herb grows like a weed in the mountains; of course, it wouldn’t catch Wansong Daoist’s eye.

However, Lu Zheng welcomed anything unowned and valuable, defenselessly scooping it into the gourd.

The space in the gourd is so big, idle hands have time to spare; whether using it for medicine, brewing alcohol, or selling in the modern world, it can fulfill its worth.

It’s far better than leaving it to be eaten by unknown wildlife.

During his previous travels, Lu Zheng also collected wild herbs along the way; the biggest harvest being those few Vermilion Fruits, then occasionally finding one or two hundred-year-old herbs.

These herbs were mostly sold to Huai Ren Hall for money, so Lu Zheng is now their most elite VIP client, being looked after in every need; hence why he previously could call and gather so many stock herbs.

However, the Earth Realm of Wansong Mountain is obviously different from ordinary deep forests; here, due to Wansong Daoist’s presence, the concentration of spiritual qi is noticeably higher than in ordinary areas, making even ordinary spirit fruit commonplace, not to mention mortal-grade herbs lacking spiritual qi.

Even though he helped Wansong Daoist, Lu Zheng didn’t intend to clear out all the spirit fruits and spirit medicines from Wansong Mountain like a country bumpkin; but when it comes to ordinary herbs, he has no such worries.

In this realm, ordinary herbs may gain a hundred-year medicinal power within merely ten years, and likely, Wansong Daoist wouldn’t give them a second glance, leaving them to be eaten by wild animals.

If so... ginseng, Huang Jing, reishi, Polygonum multiflorum, Tianqi...

Lu Zheng didn’t even bother picking anything with less than a hundred-year medicinal power; yet, even so, leisurely strolled like he was going for a walk around a corner of Wansong Mountain’s Earth Realm, collecting sixty to seventy hundred-year-old herbs.

Rivaling the yield of his past two years.

This is just mortal-grade herbs; he also saw a couple with spiritual qi, but ultimately decided not to pick them.

First, spirit medicines differ from mortal-grade herbs; second, Lu Zheng has enough spirit medicines and spirit pills at hand for a while.

The key point is, once Wansong Daoist truly resolves the dream chess puzzle with Lu Zheng’s help, the favor Wansong Daoist would owe Lu Zheng would be huge; if Lu Zheng asks for a few spirit medicines, would that be a problem?

So Lu Zheng is not in a hurry, not in the least.

After picking some hundred-year-old herbs, Lu Zheng also relaxed his thoughts, no longer seeking around, instead heading to places with broad views, climbing high to enjoy the scenery.

"Such surroundings, deserve a poem!"

Lu Zheng, spirit full, stood for some time on the cloud-shrouded rocky mountain.

"This feels so pretentious, can’t bring myself to say it."

...

The ancient pine tree at the summit rustled in the gentle breeze, Song Kaichuan remained absent.

Lu Zheng toured all over the mountain, and two days swiftly passed.

...

March third, auspicious day, everything is suitable.

Morning sun rising, golden clouds spreading across the sky.

Lu Zheng sat on a large stone at another mountain peak, refining Qi overnight, then opened his eyes, stimulated by the dazzling golden light.

Only to find nearby peaks interweaving, within the forest, tiger roars and deer calls; afar, the cloud sea boundless, overhead, eagles and hawks shriek.

Heavenward, Great Sun’s golden light radiates, earthward, mountains and waters show diverse shapes.

Such an endless magnificent sight!

"Jade Seal, enhance!"

"Buzz!"

True Qi and Blood Essence, Constitution, True Spirit, and more, advanced yet another step.

Patted the gourd, taking out table, brushes, Xuan paper, paints, clean water.

Grabbing the brush, Lu Zheng deeply inhaled once more.

"Jade Seal, enhance!"

Jade Seal, "..."

"Buzz!"

This time enhancing national painting skills, consuming over a dozen strands of Light of Fortune, Lu Zheng felt capable of rivaling Xu Beihong.

Lu Zheng didn’t invoke True Qi, proceeding at normal speed with natural brushwork.

Time slowly drifted away, although the sun hung high, mountain mist dissipated, the earlier scenery imprinted deeply in Lu Zheng’s mind.

...

Until Mid-3 PM, the sun started tilting westward; only then did Lu Zheng put the brush aside, exhaling deeply.

Ahead on the table, lay a seven-foot-long, four-foot-wide national painting.

Sun rising, its path shining brightly.

Mountains and cloud sea, illuminating Four Directions.

"A masterpiece!"

Lu Zheng turned back to see Song Kaichuan standing not far behind him.

Song Kaichuan stroked his beard, slightly intrigued asking, "Lu Xiaoyou is also proficient in painting and calligraphy?"

Song Kaichuan wasn’t an expert in painting and calligraphy, but having cultivated for a thousand years with profound Dao Practice, he could discern the Mental Realm aspect.

In Lu Zheng’s painting, it contained an idea no less than the endless vitality of mountains and waters illuminated by the sun.

To express Mental Realm in painting, it must be a great work, and the painter naturally a top artist.

Lu Zheng bashfully smiled, "Some simple dabbling."

Yet he refrained from saying it was poorly drawn or making self-depreciating comments; for this painting, he exerted effort, truly excellent, overly humble would seem untruthful.

"When did elder arrive?" Lu Zheng asked.

"At 1 p.m., seeing you focused on painting, I didn’t call." Song Kaichuan replied, "In a few hours, the old pine tree should awaken, so I came out to wait for it."