Chapter 2846

As Yun Xi had predicted, the Tea Master did not hide his best leaves. Instead, he brought out his finest tea and brewed it for them to taste.

Lie Xuan took a sip first, nodding slightly. "This tea is good."

Yun Xi glanced at Lie Xuan, a faint, teasing smile on his lips. "In what way is it good?"

Although Lie Xuan was a scholar-general who mastered the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she actually knew very little about tea. To her, tea was merely something to quench thirst. As she often said, the taste of brewed tea was no different from plain boiled water.

That was why Yun Xi had made such a remark.

Hearing the teasing tone in Yun Xi’s voice, Lie Xuan shot him a glare. "I said it’s good tea. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No problem at all. If you say it’s good, then it’s good," Yun Xi answered seriously.

In fact, it truly was excellent tea.

Wang Lanxuan tasted a mouthful and commented, "The liquor is clear. It feels slightly astringent upon entering the throat, followed by sweetness, with a lingering aromatic aftertaste. It is indeed a rare and fine tea."

"This fellow cultivator also appreciates tea," the Tea Master said with a smile, pleased that someone recognized the quality of his brew.

Yun Xi then leaned in to smell it. "Hmm, the fragrance is overflowing. Just by smelling it, one can tell this tea is exceptional."

She looked closely at the liquid in the cup. "The tea leaves dance in the water like graceful women, their forms clear and elegant. The liquor has a faint golden hue and carries a fresh, spiritual aroma. If I am not mistaken, this must be a type of Spirit Tea."

"You are correct, fellow cultivator. This is indeed Spirit Tea," the Tea Master explained. "I obtained this tea seed by chance in a secret realm. It was just a small branch. It took me three hundred years of cultivation to finally see results. This is the first harvest. You are lucky to be here this year, as this is the only time we have harvested it. I did not produce much—only about three taels in total."

"This tea is indeed excellent," Yun Xi praised. He took another sip. "The liquor feels as if it carries a faint, soothing fragrance as it goes down. It is truly a rare leaf. Moreover, after drinking it, I feel a warm sensation spreading through my body."

She paused for a moment. "It is indeed a rare and fine tea."

After speaking, Yun Xi took another sip. "The first sip is for the fragrance; the second is for the sweetness. This is good tea. It seems today is our lucky day."

The Tea Master laughed heartily. "It is a lucky day for all of us. Without you, I would not have had my moment of enlightenment."

Hearing the Tea Master’s words, the others found some truth in them and couldn’t help but smile.

The fighting platform nearby was bustling. Several champions had already changed hands. "It seems there will be no final result today," Yun Xi observed, looking at the sky.

"It’s fine. They will continue tonight," the Tea Master explained from the side.

"No rest at night?" Yun Xi asked.

The Tea Master nodded. "Although these events happen three times a month, which is quite frequent, each event lasts only three days. If we rested at night, participants would have very few opportunities to fight. Therefore, it is usually three days and three nights non-stop."

Having watched many such competitions, the Tea Master asked, "Do the three of you intend to try your hand?"

Yun Xi smiled. "We will observe first. Once we are familiar with the situation, perhaps we will try."

Yun Xi’s main purpose for coming here was to observe. Of course, if he felt confident, he would naturally participate next time.

"Tea Master, why don’t you go up and try?" Lie Xuan asked curiously.

The Tea Master laughed. "I have tried. I lasted for twenty-three matches, and then I stopped."

She smiled lightly. "After all, such competitions are mostly for the sake of fame. I am a rogue cultivator who practices the Way of Tea. Whether I have fame or not makes no difference to me. If this were a tea competition, I would certainly participate. But for martial combat, one or two tries are enough."

Wang Lanxuan gave the Tea Master a thumbs-up. "Tea Master, you are a person who sees things clearly." Indeed, if one were not open-minded, how could one possess such a calm demeanor?

Yun Xi said, "The most important aspect of the Way of Tea is a peaceful state of mind. Your ability to let go is very beneficial to your tea practice."

"Isn’t that exactly right?" the Tea Master laughed.

Seeing that Yun Xi’s cup was empty, the Tea Master refilled it. "If you are interested, you can sit here and watch the excitement. Anyway, I don’t think you will enter the arena this time."

"Indeed," Yun Xi smiled. "We haven’t registered, so we won’t enter. But watching is enjoyable."

The Tea Master nodded. "Actually, our cultivation world is quite decent now. There is not much infighting. The only place where people can fight openly is this platform. Therefore, most people’s ambition has been worn down."

Hearing this, Yun Xi felt a sense of resonance.

A peaceful atmosphere in the cultivation world was naturally a good thing. However, an atmosphere that was too peaceful gave one a sense of stagnation, a lack of drive. Perhaps because everything was available, passion had diminished.

Lie Xuan said, "I think that if one is responsible for oneself, one will never lack the drive to cultivate. Let’s just take the three of us as an example. We are very enthusiastic about cultivation."

Yun Xi looked at Lie Xuan with tenderness. she loved seeing her vibrant, passionate energy.

She remembered when she first met her. She appeared cold and distant on the surface, but she had sensed that her heart was actually very warm.

Later, when she accidentally discovered she was a woman, she realized her coldness and distance were merely for self-protection. This understanding had deepened her empathy for her.

Now that she had freed herself from the constraints of cross-dressing, her true nature had emerged. Her passion had not changed at all.

"You haven’t been cultivating for very long. When you have been cultivating for a long time, you will develop this kind of inertia," the Tea Master said with a smile.

Lie Xuan looked at the Tea Master with suspicion, doubting his words.

Yun Xi smiled slightly. He knew the Tea Master was right.

The current cultivation world was indeed like this. Because it was too peaceful, people lacked that aggressive drive.

It was often said that pressure creates motivation. This was not just an empty phrase; it was a reality.

Of course, opinions varied.

"The existence of the cultivation world itself is a paradise for those who defy the heavens. If one cannot break through, one can only fall. This comfort is, in itself, a test," Yun Xi said slowly.

Having drunk the Tea Master’s tea, Yun Xi felt he should offer some guidance.

The Tea Master was slightly stunned. He looked at Yun Xi, surprised to hear such words.

Yun Xi smiled gently. "Tea Master, did I say something wrong?"