Just as Yang Qing was thinking about how to broach the subject he caught Dean Zhu Lao sizing the clay tablet in his hands.
"You have quite the interesting item there, little Qing," said Dean Zhu Lao as his eyes glowed while remaining glued to the tablet in his hands.
What Yang Qing didn't realize was that almost everyone present from Meng Chao, medical valley deputy hall master Ren Shu, Yu Huifang's parents, Chu Zhen, Formation hall master Ling Meimei and finally Dean Zhu Lao had all been scanning that tablet the moment they saw it in Yang Qing's hands. This was before they even came to say hello.
"Sorry, Dean Zhu Lao I almost forgot, I brought this as your welcoming gift. Forgive me for my poor manners and even poorer wallet, this is all I could afford," Yang Qing humbly said as he passed the clay tablet over with both his hands in a subservient attitude.
As if on cue the rest started giving their gifts.
Meng Chao pulled out a black oval-shaped gem. Within the gem was a grey smoke that occasionally transformed into a blind grey whale with silver wings.
"I found this gem in the churning sea and it seems to have been nourished with the aura of the silver streak whale for close to 50,000 years. The silver streak whale may not be a sacred spirit beast but judging by its aura it was one that was just at the cusp of reaching the soul formation realm.
If it's you, I know you will be able to make a plentiful harvest from it," said Meng Chao as he handed over the black gem.
"Many thanks, brother Meng Chao. I too should give you something. It seems during my seclusion you managed to take half a step into the soul formation realm. I need to put in a little effort otherwise I might soon get surpassed," said Dean Zhu Lao as he fished a small wooden writ from his storage ring.
"Surely you jest, brother Zhu Lao," said Meng Chao as he lightly smiled.
It was common knowledge among their circle that Dean Zhu Lao would have broken through to the soul formation realm anytime he wished to. He already had the qualifications to do so over 100 years ago, he just chose not to but instead decided to further refine his domain to the utmost limit he could. Exploring the never-ending mysteries the domain realm had to offer.
"Here, you can have this. It will help strengthen your spirit the more you cultivate alongside it," said Dean Zhu Lao as he casually handed the small black wooden writ with the words 'the sea quakes and the land remains undaunted'. The writ seemed like it was incomplete as one of its ends seemed to have broken off something.
It didn't take long for Yang Qing to realize what the wooden writ does, as the moment it appeared he felt his spirit renewed and his mental sea started to churn excitedly with his soul getting cleansed a bit and that was just from a cursory glance of the wooden writ.
Meng Chao's pupils froze when he saw it. Other than Yu Huifang, Mao Yunru, and Yang Qing, the rest all had brief complicated expressions when they saw that writ.
"Are you sure brother Zhu Lao?" asked Meng Chao with a worried look growing on his face.
"I'm sure. It's just a tool and if it can help someone I would be glad to part with it. He would have wanted it like that besides I have tonnes of other things to remember him by. Though I don't know why I've been feeling his reemergence is close for the past decade.
When he comes back we will just go scavenge other mysterious realms, the millions treasure ocean, or probably sneak into the holy lands," Dean Zhu Lao said as a mischievous grin was plastered on his face.
"Okay then. Many thanks, brother Zhu Lao," Meng Chao solemnly said as he took the writ.
The other domain experts had mildly shocked expressions at Dean Zhu Lao's words with most even having a hint of excitement and anticipation especially Vice dean Yu Long.
The trio of Yang Qing, Mao Yunru, and Yu Huifang were completely clueless about what just happened. But they all decided not to pry as they detected the somber atmosphere that had appeared in that brief moment.
Next to give out his gift was the Deputy hall master Ren Shu. He took out a bamboo scroll that was wrapped in banana leaves. There was an incomplete cultivation art recorded in the scroll along with a seal that was placed on it via the banana leaves.
Dean Zhu Lao's eyes glowed when he saw it, like a little child who had gotten a new toy. But he held himself back as he stored it away. The rest of the guests seemed to have noticed gifts were being given so they too came along and soon the area Yang Qing was, became the center of the party.
From the interactions, Yang Qing discovered that some of the palace stage members present at the party were former students of Dean Zhu Lao. Most of them were in the later stages of the palace realm.
The vice warden had made his way too at some point. Yang Qing was shocked to discover he had a gentle tone despite his cold look. His name was Shao An. He seemed to be very close with Dean Zhu Lao and Meng Chao.
Among the list of shocking discoveries, he was also one of the youngest quasi-saint experts in the whole of the Order. Having just reached that realm in 300 years.
If the requiem didn't need his services so badly he would have been tapped to join the spirit council.
The moment he revealed his gift even the peach blossom flower they were in started to quiver. He had a small red wooden square box and the inside of it was half filled with grey ash.
The ash had faint heat coming from it but what stood out was the misty auspicious qi it produced when the box was opened. A faint regal bird cry was produced along with the auspicious qi. It also had an astronomical amount of vitality in it.
Yang Qing came to discover it was phoenix ash. The ash is produced during a phoenix's rebirth from its flames. He didn't even know how Vice warden Shao An got such an invaluable thing. For one he was always stationed in the Requiem prison and another was knowing about phoenix ash and actually acquiring one were two completely different things.
A phoenix just when hatched has the base strength of a palace stage expert and that is even discounting all its other abilities like its flames that can burn through everything even the soul, the feathers, and talons that are harder than any monarch-grade artifact, and its natural affinity to different daos.
So just getting its ash is thought to be an impossible task since only phoenixes that have grown into adulthood can undergo a flame rebirth and every time they do it's either when they are breaking through to a higher cultivation base or healing from grievous wounds. Either of these scenarios ensures the phoenix is always on high alert and tense in such a situation that snagging even a milligram of ash is thought to be an impossible task with a high fatality risk. Yang Qing couldn't help but wonder how Vice warden Shao An got his hands on one as even a seasoned soul formation expert would be hard-pressed to get their hands on one.
However, despite the many difficulties and dangers of getting phoenix ash, many cultivators would still risk their lives to get their hands on it. One of the reasons is its ability to pull someone even at the brink of death back to life due to its high vibrancy. It's considered the highest panacea one can get As long as you have a breath in you no matter what injury you have suffered, with the phoenix ash you can guarantee your life and a full recovery. And that is only one of the uses that most people know of as there are many other hidden uses that a select few groups of people know such as inducing the phoenix flames of rebirth through those ashes and using them to undergo a cleansing like a phoenix.
…..
"This..brother Shao," Dean Zhu Lao didn't know what to say as he even wanted to return the gift back before he was stopped by Vice warden Shao An.
"There's no need for that. I have no use for it and unlike others, it's not as difficult for me to get it. Just like you said if it can help someone else why not use it though I'm not sure it will be of any use in his state, a try can't hurt, and if it can speed up his reemergence all the more reason you should have it.
But if you still insist on giving it back then I may as well donate it to brother Ren Shu and let the medicine valley use it as fertilizer and cultivate precious ascendant-grade herbs with it," said Vice warden Shao An as he scoffed.
Dean Zhu Lao went silent at this as he knew Vice warden Shao An wasn't kidding he really might do it.
"Then I will have to be shameless and accept. Many thanks, brother Shao An," Dean Zhu solemnly said.
The gift-giving went on for quite some time before everyone present had given theirs. Dean Zhu Lao was practically beaming towards the end as Yang Qing was green with envy and when he looked around and still noticed no food present his mood sank even further.
"Now then, young friend Yang Qing this is an interesting object you have here," Dean Zhu Lao said as he scrutinized the logo syllabic scripts on the clay tablet.
The other gifts he received were already stored in his storage ring, this was the only gift still in his hand. Other than some mechanism that prevented it from being stored in storage rings, Dean Zhu Lao still held it because he was rather fascinated by it.
"Where did you find it, little Qing?" Dean Zhu Lao asked
"In some cultivator's stall during the cultivators' open-air market," Yang Qing answered choosing to ignore why Dean Zhu Lao kept calling him little Qing.
"REALLY!!!?" Dean Zhu Lao asked wide-eyed.
"Yes, really?" answered Yang Qing confused at Dean Zhu Lao's dumbstruck reaction.
"Tsk..some people really have good luck out there," Dean Zhu Lao enviously said with some resentment in his tone.
"Well little Qing it seems you stumble onto a remnant of the ancients," said Dean Zhu Lao as his eyes glowed with strange runes as he examined the clay tablet.
