Chapter 1109: The Spirit of the Slacking Longxing

"You're back?"

Lifting her gaze from the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, a small wooden pot in hand, Teardrop felt the young man's figure in front of her flicker and overlap. She couldn't recall how many times Xu Xiaoshou had returned like this, nor how many times she had asked that very question.

In the tranquil world of the Yuan Mansion, time seemed stretched, as if one could live there without a care. The only change was that each time Xu Xiaoshou returned, his aura would be distinctly different. This time, for instance, he appeared significantly stronger than before.

"Yes."Having temporarily bid farewell to Mr. Yi Ren and Xiao Kongtong, Xu Xiaoshou, who had retreated into the Yuan Mansion world, solely focused on maximizing the use of the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden he had previously moved there. After all, his sensitive period for consuming elixirs had passed. The spiritual energy accumulation required for the Grandmaster's Three Realms had also been perfectly completed, thanks to the Sacred Relic Fruit and the feedback power from contracting the Void General Hong. This time, he might even be able to ascend to the Throne Dao Realm within the Yuan Mansion world!

"I originally thought I could bring you a surprise this time, but unfortunately, I overestimated myself when I went out and nearly got myself killed," Xu Xiaoshou said with a sheepish grin, looking at the silver-haired girl in the medicinal garden and recalling his wishful thinking from his last departure from the Yuan Mansion.

"What do you mean?" A flash of holy power rippled across Teardrop's body, and the small wooden pot in her hand dissolved into spiritual energy, returning to her.

Xu Xiaoshou kicked away the white kitten that had flown towards him, then stepped into the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, stating gravely, "This time, I encountered a Half-Saint from the Jiang clan of the Northern Region."

"Jiang?" Teardrop's eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Xu Xiaoshou nodded. "The trap was perfectly set, and he fell for it. Unfortunately, I miscalculated the Half-Saint's strength in the end and couldn't sever his head."

As he spoke, Xu Xiaoshou still felt a lingering fear. Half-Saints were simply too powerful! Even Mr. Yi Ren's sword strike only managed to fell one of Jiang Buyi's Half-Saint avatars. How could he have possibly thought of trying to scheme against a Half-Saint?

"Nonsense!" Teardrop's beautiful eyes flashed with annoyance. Despite his calm words, she could sense the terrifying nature of the encounter. She couldn't help but say, "My affairs, I'll handle them myself from now on. Half-Saints are not someone you can target right now."

"You're right," Xu Xiaoshou agreed wholeheartedly.

Not dwelling on the matter, he glanced around the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden. With a sweep of his "perception," Xu Xiaoshou keenly noticed that several holy medicines were missing. He immediately flared up, turning to glare at Greedy God: "Little fat cat, you've been stealing food again!"

"Meow..." Greedy God whined mournfully. There was a barrier around the garden; it couldn't even get in, so how could it steal?

Xu Xiaoshou easily understood Greedy God's meaning, and his expression instantly turned odd. He discreetly "perceived" Teardrop, who was in front of him, and noticed her face was slightly flushed, her expression a bit stiff, looking quite embarrassed.

"Uh, no way?" Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. Teardrop was stealing food? Impossible. She had been completely indifferent to even the Sacred Relic Fruit before; why would she secretly eat other holy medicines from the Divine Robe Medicinal Garden while he was away?

Yet, besides Greedy God and Teardrop, there couldn't be a third party in the Yuan Mansion world to steal or eat holy medicines. Xu Xiaoshou found this situation quite unusual; after all, such incidents previously only occurred when his junior sister secretly siphoned life force from the "Life Spirit Seal."

"You..." Xu Xiaoshou paused, then asked the silver-haired girl before him with a hint of amusement, "Do you feel like there are a few less holy medicines in the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden?"

Teardrop's delicate body trembled. She quickly turned her head away and strode out of the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, only leaving behind one last remark: "I don't know, but the Dragon Apricot is a bit strange. Pay attention to it yourself!"

So she was really stealing from herself, huh? Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his chin, watching the girl swiftly move away with a chuckle. With so many holy medicines in the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, he didn't care about the true whereabouts of those few missing ones. What surprised him was Teardrop's behavior, which felt as if his junior sister had possessed her.

"Junior sister, are you really back?" Suppressing the stirrings of his investigative curiosity, Xu Xiaoshou did not pursue her. He felt that "stealing holy medicines" was a good sign; if his junior sister was truly awakening, a gradual approach was best. If he were too deliberate and provoked Teardrop, suppressing his junior sister, it would be a case of good intentions leading to bad outcomes.

"Dragon Apricot..." Pondering Teardrop's last words, Xu Xiaoshou turned his gaze towards the center of the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden. Undoubtedly, Teardrop must have suddenly felt "greedy" and set her sights on the Dragon Apricot fruits, only to encounter some unexpected issue while trying to pluck them. After all, Xu Xiaoshou remembered there were three hundred and twenty-one Dragon Apricot fruits. Upon recounting them now, the number hadn't decreased.

"What kind of accident could there be?" Walking towards the Dragon Apricot, Xu Xiaoshou pondered in confusion. His return to the Yuan Mansion world this time was precisely for the Dragon Apricot fruits. His cultivation in the Star Offering Realm had been pushed to the late stage after contracting Void General Hong; with just one more holy medicine, his cultivation would surely overflow. And with overflowing cultivation, as long as his comprehension kept pace, Xu Xiaoshou was certain he was not far from breaking through to the Throne Dao Realm.

"Consuming ninety-nine Dragon Apricot fruits, gaining the 'Power of the Dragon Ancestor,' simultaneously breaking through to the Throne Dao Realm, and pushing my combat power to another peak after mastering the two great sword arts!" This was Xu Xiaoshou's plan. But now Teardrop said the Dragon Apricot was strange...

"Hello?" Xu Xiaoshou flashed to appear beneath the gleaming golden Dragon Apricot, asking with a touch of curiosity. He speculated that perhaps, as one of the nine complete ancestral trees, the Dragon Apricot possessed a spirit and had refused Teardrop's attempt to pluck its fruits? But last time he had touched the Dragon Apricot's trunk himself, and the ancestral tree hadn't shown much reaction.

"Hey? Can you hear me?" Receiving no reply, Xu Xiaoshou tried asking again, but still, there was no response. Strange... Indeed strange!

Without hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou reached out, intending to pluck a Dragon Apricot fruit. If holy medicines in the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden had tiers, the Dragon Apricot fruits were undoubtedly in the first tier. For a Spirit Refiner, the Sacred Relic Fruit's greatest effect was in the first one, enabling the breakthrough from zero to one in holy power; subsequent consumption merely rendered it an ordinary holy medicine. Dragon Apricot fruits were different; the more one ate, the stronger their physical body became! Therefore, Xu Xiaoshou's decision was to use this precious holy medicine to lay a perfect foundation for his breakthrough to the Throne Dao Realm!

The moment his hand touched a Dragon Apricot fruit, a palpable wave of obvious resistance emanated from it. Forewarned by Teardrop, Xu Xiaoshou was already alert and immediately flickered back.

"Come out!" he shouted, becoming even more certain of his previous thought: the Dragon Apricot possessed a spirit, and its fruits indeed could not be plucked at will.

Amidst a resonating hum, layer after layer of ripples emanated from the golden Dragon Apricot. Finally, the dragon patterns on its trunk activated and appeared, and light converged to form a phantom dragon shadow, coiling atop the Dragon Apricot. This dragon shadow was colossal and magnificent, with a five-clawed golden body, coiling in the air, its formidable presence and extraordinary aura evident. Its body was covered in intricate scale patterns, and upon closer inspection, one could discern mystical runes imbued with the true meaning of the Grand Dao. Its antlers resembled a deer's, incredibly noble, and its whiskers hung down, conveying an ancient, weathered appearance, replete with an ethereal aura seasoned by history.

"Human, do not be insatiable!" As the golden phantom of the Dragon Apricot spirit emerged, coiling around the tree, a deafening human voice, like thunder from the nine heavens, boomed from all directions. Xu Xiaoshou's scalp tingled. The Dragon Apricot spirit? Its aura was far too imposing! But why did such a powerful Dragon Apricot spirit only appear now? What was it doing when he cleared out the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden? Why didn't it come out to stop him?

Staring at the golden phantom of the Dragon Apricot spirit, particularly its sleepy dragon eyes that seemed to struggle to open wider, a ludicrous thought suddenly occurred to Xu Xiaoshou, strangely at odds with its impressive human speech: "Could it be that it was sleeping before?"

He gulped, remembering that this was the Yuan Mansion world, and he was its master. Furthermore, while the Dragon Apricot spirit appeared powerful, its words, despite their imposing aura, seemed to lack any killing intent directed at him. Xu Xiaoshou's courage grew a bit. He produced the "Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale," and found that it didn't even show the slightest sign of a quickened heartbeat.

"Strange..." Remembering Teardrop's earlier word, Xu Xiaoshou gained a new understanding.

"What is this?" Before he could even ask, the Dragon Apricot spirit, after its stunning appearance, which had initially been struggling to open its sleepy eyes, suddenly jolted. It stared excitedly at the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale in Xu Xiaoshou's hand and spoke.

The Dragon Apricot evolved by bathing in the Ancestral Dragon's blood... The Dragon Apricot was once worshipped by ten thousand dragons in the Dragon Lair... So, undoubtedly, the Dragon Apricot's favorite things were anything related to dragons, and what he held was the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale... Various thoughts flashed through Xu Xiaoshou's mind. He gripped the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale a little tighter and said with a serious tone, "It's not something tasty."

The golden phantom of the Dragon Apricot spirit exhaled, and a mighty force pushed outward, causing the spirit herbs and holy medicines in the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden to sway precariously. Xu Xiaoshou felt an immense pressure descend upon him; it was the result of the Dragon Apricot spirit finally focusing its gaze directly on him.

"Human, give it to me, and the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden shall be yours." Just like Ah Hong, its phrasing indicated it was from ancient times... Xu Xiaoshou quickly deduced this, certain that the Dragon Apricot spirit might be out of touch with the current era.

He swiftly put away the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale, then said with an apologetic expression, "Elder Dragon Apricot, this isn't mine; it belongs to a very important figure. I would like to give it to you, but I fear that esteemed individual wouldn't agree, which might cause you unnecessary trouble."

Xu Xiaoshou was probing. His first impression was that the Dragon Apricot spirit was very powerful, and his second was that it seemed quite averse to trouble. He couldn't pinpoint why, just a pure feeling... evident from its sleepy eyes and its lack of killing intent in its refusal. A dragon that disliked conflict... or rather, a Dragon Apricot spirit. Perhaps it had lived too long and simply didn't care much about many things, which was why it couldn't be bothered to emerge when he cleared out the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden?

"If there's karma involved, then so be it..." The Dragon Apricot spirit withdrew the few desires from its lazy eyes, swept its gaze over the human before it a few times, and said leisurely:

"But if you are insatiable, I shall act, suppress and slay you here, turning you into nourishment for the holy medicines. Do you understand?"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression froze. It wasn't because he was intimidated by the Dragon Apricot spirit, but because he discerned another meaning in its words.

"Elder Dragon Apricot, were you... well, resting and recuperating before?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, carefully choosing his words.

"Oh." The Dragon Apricot spirit nodded its head, its sleepy eyes now showing impatience. "I dislike idle chatter. The Dragon Apricot fruits are not your fortune. Depart quickly and do not disturb my slumber."

You're honest, actually admitting you've been sleeping... Xu Xiaoshou was amused. He gestured broadly towards the four corners of the Yuan Mansion world, doing his best to suppress his laughter as he said, "Then, Elder Dragon Apricot, are you aware that you've moved?"

"Moved... home...?" The Dragon Apricot spirit's gaze suddenly froze. After a long pause, it seemed to finally grasp the meaning of the word. It immediately shook its dragon head left and right, scanning its surroundings. The immediate environment still held the familiar aura unique to the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, but the larger environment seemed to have truly changed.

"Where is this place?" A hint of confusion suddenly appeared in the Dragon Apricot spirit's sleepy eyes. This place didn't seem to be Void Island anymore, but it had an even more suitable atmosphere for the growth of the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden. It was quite satisfied with this place, otherwise it wouldn't have remained in such deep slumber, only nearly being awakened twice when someone tried to pluck its fruits.

"This is this junior's Yuan Mansion world. I am committed to making it a place suitable for the growth of spirit herbs and holy medicines, and a place for ancient beings to rest and recuperate," Xu Xiaoshou said, reading its expression. He was just short of explicitly saying, "This is the best retirement home for you."

The Dragon Apricot spirit looked around, easily sensing that this was a world of primordial chaos, teeming with rich vitality. Not only did this place have an atmosphere more suitable for the growth of the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, but also numerous other spirit plants and a strong aroma of elixirs. It could also sense the presence of other powers belonging to the nine ancestral trees, such as the Shadow Branches of the Blood Tree and the roots of the Bodhi Tree... There was no lingering destructive aura from battles, unlike the constantly disturbed Miraculous Forest, making this place even more serene and tranquil. Besides these advantages, this world had even given birth to a trace of "Primordial Chaos Purple Qi." Even if it didn't absorb this purple qi, simply sleeping beside it would clearly be much more comfortable.

"A blessed land of wonders, excellent." The Dragon Apricot spirit nodded its head repeatedly in satisfaction, then slumped it onto the Dragon Apricot's canopy, saying languidly, "Since that is the case, I shall continue my slumber..."

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded. What was this, a 'lying flat' dragon?

In his "perception," the Dragon Apricot spirit's appearance had already caught Teardrop's attention, who was hiding in the broken tower. The girl, holding the white kitten Greedy God, watched from afar, clearly stunned by the Dragon Apricot spirit's words, her face a mix of bewilderment, confusion, and incomprehension.

Suddenly, the Dragon Apricot spirit's words abruptly ceased, and its head, which had been about to resume its slumber, suddenly lifted from the Dragon Apricot canopy, as if it had sensed something amiss. Coupled with the human's earlier mention of "moving"... the Dragon Apricot spirit jolted, remembering something, and woke up a bit, saying, "This place is no longer Void Island?"

"Precisely," Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

The Dragon Apricot spirit roared in furious indignation: "I am commanded to guard the Miraculous Forest of Void Island, serving as its 'core' existence, not to be moved without authorization! How dare you arbitrarily relocate the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden?"

It finally realized it had been moved to another world! Xu Xiaoshou's heart immediately clenched, feeling immense pressure descend upon him. If not handled well, his life might be in danger.

But he bit the bullet and spoke, weakly saying, "But isn't this place more suitable for you, Elder? Do you dislike it here, or do you need this junior to send you back to Void Island?"

He paused, then pointed to the large expanse of holy medicines in the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, using a tactic of retreating to advance: "They seem to like it here very much too. If you dislike it, Elder, I'm afraid they'll have to follow you back to Void Island as well."

The holy medicines, possessing spirits, swayed in agreement with Xu Xiaoshou's words, expressing deep disdain for the environment of Void Island.

"You... speak reason..." A clear struggle appeared in the Dragon Apricot spirit's enormous dragon eyes. How could it not know that the environment here was far superior to that of the Miraculous Forest?

"Elder, whose command do you serve?" Xu Xiaoshou launched a psychological attack, suddenly asking.

"I cannot say," the Dragon Apricot spirit clearly did not want to answer.

"Then, Elder, are you guarding the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden or the Miraculous Forest? Is there a contract stating you must absolutely defend that place?" Xu Xiaoshou knew the answer was no; otherwise, how could the Dragon Apricot have slept like a dead pig, unaware that its own home had been passively moved?

"Not really..." The Dragon Apricot spirit's answer was as expected.

"Since that's the case, whether it's the Dragon Lair, the Miraculous Forest, or this junior's blessed land of wonders, isn't this all just 'staying'? The environment here is clearly not bad, is it?" Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands, speaking with considerable confidence.

The Dragon Apricot spirit remained silent for a long time before finally speaking again: "You speak very truthfully..."

You're really just 'lying flat'! Xu Xiaoshou was almost amused by the ancestral Dragon Apricot spirit's attitude. He turned around and saw Teardrop with a similar expression, a mix of astonishment and amusement. He immediately averted his gaze, fearing they might both burst out laughing.

Even without pulling out the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale at that moment, Xu Xiaoshou knew there was no longer any life-threatening danger. He grew a bit bolder, directly eyeing the Dragon Apricot fruits on the tree's canopy, and asked aloud:

"Elder, as the master of this world, this junior urgently needs Dragon Apricot fruits to enhance my strength. Only then can I better guard this blessed land of wonders with you. May I harvest a batch?"

Master of this world... The Dragon Apricot spirit's enormous dragon eyes swiveled. As an ancient being that had survived until now, how could it not discern the human's little schemes? But at present, the Dragon Apricot spirit didn't want to bother with too many calculations. Anyway, the Dragon Apricot fruits were originally just a surplus overflow of its own power, useless to keep. The fruits it was commanded to guard would ultimately be given to someone. Now that its home had been moved, and the person who gave the command was nowhere to be found, why adhere to principles any longer? With this energy and mindset, it was better to simply guard this world of primordial chaos and let the Primordial Chaos Purple Qi strengthen itself! This place was indeed countless times better than the Miraculous Forest! Thinking this, the Dragon Apricot spirit relaxed. With nothing better to do, it retreated into its main trunk, closed its sleepy eyes, and said with extreme languor:

"Then pluck one. I'm going back to sleep now."