The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 547 - 314: The Present Moment_2

As soon as she spoke, the old woman opposite raised her eyebrows, eager to hear what this young girl had to say. Ning Xiaoxian spoke clearly: "A toast to wine, a song for life; how much remains of our days? Like the morning dew, filled with previous hardships. These butterflies, though their life force burns out today and turns to dust, have achieved brilliance for this day. Is this not a hundred times better than surviving weakly through the harsh winter days, constantly in fear, not knowing when the end will come?"

"Like us cultivators cultivating our hearts, we too compete against time! Each day we are alive, we should move forward decisively, how can we afford to be muddled and anxious like these butterflies, and let our Dao Heart be clouded?"

The darkness of the past entices, and the unknown of the future instills fear. Thus, she does not dwell on the past, nor does she fear the future; she simply lives well in the present.

She competes for the present!

In the obscurity, she began to understand. What does it mean to not be elated by external gains, not to be saddened by personal losses? Even if one is superior, could they truly be detached? Perhaps not entirely; rather, it’s the continual life force amidst the sunk ships, the resolute Daoist Intent of moving forward despite millions obstructing.

As long as this heart is open, even a firefly dares to compete with the bright moon.

Changtian, feeling moved, whispered softly, "Good girl."

The old woman stared blankly at her, and seemed to look beyond her into the far distance, sighing after a long while, "Good girl. I have lived so many years, yet my heart is not as open as a young girl’s."

She moved her walking stick, seemingly letting go of many burdens, and her stooped figure straightened slightly as she turned and walked away. "Like the morning dew, competing against time. Heh, like the morning dew, competing against time!" she murmured with a faint joy, moving dozens of meters away.

As Ning Xiaoxian emerged from her reflective state, the old woman had already disappeared. Ali, tugging at her sleeve, said, "Sister, the butterflies are tired." The little spirits by the Miao Xiang Flowers indeed seemed increasingly numerous, leading Ali to naturally assume they were tired.

Ning Xiaoxian sighed and gathered the Miao Xiang Flowers. Knowing the butterflies couldn’t resist the fragrance, to let them continue would not be artistic, but a demeaning of life. Indeed, as soon as the flowers vanished from her hand, the fluttering swarm awakened as from a dream, scattering with a rustling sound and disappearing into the foliage, never to be seen again.

The Miao Xiang Flower is a specialty of the Northern Border; it’s no wonder western butterflies and moths couldn’t resist it.

"Girl, have you gained anything?" Changtian asked her quietly.

"Hmm, it seems like my Insight Heart Method has improved again, but not as much as last time." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"No rush. Comprehending the Heavenly Human Path isn’t easy; opportunity and perception are indispensable," he comforted her, constantly amazed by her high level of perceptiveness.

"What is to be will be; what is not, let be, I understand." She had already emerged from a profound state, and immediately remembered her original intention for taking out the Miao Xiang Flowers, eagerly beginning to study them. "This flower is ridiculously fragrant. Changtian, what do you think?"

Before Changtian could respond, Ning Yu interjected, "Sister, it might be because of the soil."

She blinked, "What do you mean?"

Ning Yu said, "The ability of this soil is to enhance the properties of Spirit Grass by tenfold. The biggest feature of Miao Xiang Flowers is their fragrance. Therefore, after being cultivated with this soil, their fragrance intensifies, at least ten times the original!" He naturally had the authority to speak, as no ten Ning Xiaoxians could match his research on this soil.

It makes sense. "Go on."

"So I think, those steps recorded in the ancient recipe might be correct after all. The problem lies in the missing latter half of that ancient recipe..."

"I know that, get to the point!" she interrupted impatiently.

"From Fu Yunzhang’s description, we know that ordinary Miao Xiang Flower ointment smells bad, but definitely not as extremely foul as those produced from the varieties grown with this soil. So my guess is—"

"The opposite of extreme! Too much fragrance turns into stink; the stronger the scent, beyond our olfactory threshold, the fouler it smells. Maybe the remaining half of the ancient recipe tells people that this stuff needs to be diluted before use!"

She was incredulous: "You mean to say, this ointment is actually fragrant, but because the concentration is too high, it smells unbearable?"

"Exactly!" Ning Yu grew more confident, "It’s simple to verify, just gradually dilute it and smell it to find out."

She rolled her eyes, "Easier said than done. Why don’t you try smelling it?"

Eventually, neither of them personally tried, but instead brought out a Transformation Stage pig demon from the fourth level of the Demon Prison. Pigs also have keen noses, rivaling hunting dogs. Ning Xiaoxian even assured the pig demon that if it cooperated well, it would suffer less in the future. The pig demon happily nodded in agreement.

He underestimated the potency of Miao Xiang Flower Ointment too much. Ning Xiaoxian first entered an air-holding mode, then presented the original paste to the pig demon.

With a thud, the pig demon foamed at the mouth and promptly fainted. This also showed that a pig’s nose is indeed sensitive; at least Ali’s reaction to this original paste wasn’t this exaggerated.

She diluted the original paste fivefold. The pig demon shivered all over, like being tortured, but did not faint. This was crucial, initially verifying Ning Yu’s speculation.

Twentyfold dilution. After sniffing, the pig demon bolted to the corner and threw up satisfyingly. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)