"Ascension?"
Ying Chen raised an eyebrow and asked.
Then, without changing his expression, he inquired, "What happened next?"
Steven shook his head. "To be honest, I don't know if it was real. With the thunderstorm and the extreme distance, it's possible it was just the shadow of a tree or a rock. As for what happened next, I saw that figure fly into the sky and collide with the lightning."
"The lightning exploded one after another, with large fireballs dazzling the eyes, illuminating the entire sky so that nothing could be seen. Let alone the figure, even the lightning itself was invisible."
"When everything returned to normal, the figure was nowhere to be seen, and the lightning had also vanished. It was for this reason that I saw the four-character idiom on the cliff face. Thus, I concluded that these four words were definitely not simple; they were definitely a guidance for me."
"The thunderstorm lasted for about ten minutes. Not a drop of rain fell before it dissipated and the sky cleared. I looked at the slowly emerging moonlight, and a wave of sleepiness washed over me, so I leaned against a tree and fell asleep."
"When I woke up the next day, I suddenly felt a bit cold. Looking around, there was no trace of the mountain and cave paradise. The surroundings had reverted to a snowy wasteland. The previous experience felt like a dream."
"But my recovered injuries and my stomach that didn't feel hungry at all told me: that wasn't a dream; it was real!"
"Oh, right. I checked myself at the time and found that a few berry seeds had accidentally remained between my fingers. I treasured them like jewels and hired the world's top botanist to help me cultivate them. That botanist said he had never seen such a plant and asked me where I got them."
"I didn't tell him the truth, just asked him to cultivate these seeds as quickly as possible. However, this botanist spent half a year, expending a great deal of effort, and not only failed to get any fruit but couldn't even successfully cultivate the most basic seedling!"
"Not only did the seeds fail to sprout, but they also began to rot. In the end, all the few seeds I managed to bring out rotted away! Not a single one was left!"
Steven sighed deeply as he reached this point.
It was evident that even after all these years, he still felt a profound regret.
Ying Chen, listening to Steven's account, had a general idea forming in his mind.
The cave paradise in Mount Zhongnan likely belonged to a cultivator from the past.
And the figure Steven saw was both real and not real.
It was real in the sense that ascension by that figure had indeed occurred;
It was not real in the sense that it was merely an illusionary projection.
The owner of the cave paradise, that figure, had most likely perished under the heavenly lightning tribulation.
Since the Qin Dynasty, Ying Chen had not heard of anyone successfully ascending.
After the ancient sage kings severed the connection between heaven and earth, the path of ascension had effectively been broken.
To re-establish it was incredibly difficult. Ying Chen and his "good master" couldn't achieve it, let alone subsequent cultivators.
As for the cave paradise, with its owner's demise, it would have become unclaimed territory.
The feng shui array concealing the cave paradise, not being maintained for years, would inevitably malfunction occasionally, revealing itself to the human world.
This was why Steven was able to enter it.
As for when the next malfunction would occur, it was hard to say.
It was even possible that the array, with the passage of time and changes in the landscape, might shift or drift as a whole.
For Steven to find that cave paradise again would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Regarding the berries, based on Steven's description, Ying Chen immediately thought of a particular fruit.
A fruit that had been recorded in ancient texts but which even Ying Chen had never seen or tasted.
Dan Mu!
This was a fruit recorded in the "Shan Hai Jing" (Classic of Mountains and Seas).
"With round leaves and red stems, yellow flowers and red fruits."
This closely matched Steven's description.
Most importantly, Dan Mu also possessed the effect of alleviating hunger.
"Its taste is like honey, and eating it makes one not hungry!"
The "Shan Hai Jing" also recorded another effect of Dan Mu.
If this effect were also confirmed, then it would be almost certain that what Steven encountered was Dan Mu!
With this thought, Ying Chen, without any hesitation, grabbed Steven's wrist.
Steven was startled, not knowing what Ying Chen intended to do.
Just as he was about to ask, he saw a flame suddenly leap from Ying Chen's fingertip!
It moved towards Steven's wrist, ready to burn it!
Steven was terrified to the point of despair.
He didn't understand; he hadn't offended Ying Chen, so why was he suddenly trying to silence him?
But no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
He could only watch helplessly as the flame approached his wrist.
Steven braced himself, ready to scream in pain.
But then, something unbelievable happened!
The flame was clearly attached to his skin, yet he felt nothing!
Not the slightest hint of pain!
"What... is happening?" Steven stammered.
Seeing Steven's expression, Ying Chen immediately knew that the second effect of Dan Mu had been verified.
With a casual wave of his hand, he extinguished the flame.
Of course, what Ying Chen had used was just ordinary talisman fire.
If he had directly used his Zi Zhu Ming Fire, Steven would likely be no more.
"Immortal Master, what's going on? Why did the flame burn me, and I felt no pain? And my wrist only has a faint scorch mark, with no real damage. This is amazing! Is this a magic trick you performed?"
Steven clearly hadn't realized the root cause was the fruit he had eaten, mistaking it for the effect of Ying Chen's flame.
Ying Chen explained calmly, "The berries you ate are called Dan Mu. Besides the characteristic of 'not feeling hungry,' Dan Mu also possesses the effect of 'fire resistance.' In other words, your body can now withstand ordinary flames. If there were a fire, others might turn to charcoal, but you would not die."
"So that's how it is?" Steven was stunned.
"However, don't get too happy too soon. It's hard to say how long this effect will last. It might fade in a few years. In any case, it's best not to put it to the test."
Hearing Ying Chen's warning, Steven quickly nodded, "Thank you, Immortal Master, for the reminder. I'll remember it. It's a pity. If I had met you immediately back then, I could have given you the seeds of those berries to cultivate. It wouldn't have been such a waste."
Ying Chen scoffed, "Dan Mu has extremely harsh growth requirements. It cannot be cultivated in places with insufficient spiritual energy. Even if you had given them to me, I might not have been able to cultivate them successfully. So there's nothing to regret."
"If you truly feel it's a pity, you might as well go back to Mount Zhongnan and continue searching for that vanished cave paradise!"
"Perhaps the Dan Mu has already evolved into another form. That would be much more valuable than simply 'alleviating hunger' or 'fire resistance'!"
The hunger-alleviating effect of Dan Mu only lasts for two to three days, which is not a significant benefit in today's society with abundant food. After all, people's pursuit of food has shifted from satisfying hunger to deliciousness.
As for fire resistance, modern technological materials can achieve similar or even better results. If cultivators in the Xuanmen practice diligently, they can also achieve it.
It's not an exceptionally rare or marvelous ability.
But!
The "Shan Hai Jing" also records another form of Dan Mu!
If it were in that form, not only in this era, but even two thousand years ago, it would have been enough to make people's mouths water!