Joe Di gazed at the cup of Starspire Tea before him. Within the Celestial Jade Cup, only a single tea leaf floated—a leaf he had just refined, and a cup forged moments ago, both infused with the foundational laws and Dao resonance he had mastered.
Within the cup, the lone tea leaf unfurled as water was poured, transforming the vessel into a vibrant world teeming with life. In this realm, tranquility was no longer absolute; instead, it was suffused with the gentle sounds of awakening.
Birds called melodiously in the fields, fish sent bubbles rippling across the pond, and the faint rustling of unknown insects crawling through the grass became clear and vivid.
This cup of tea was no longer a vessel of silent stillness, but a tranquility born from the awakening of a world. Only with movement and sound could true peace emerge. True serenity was never born of lifeless silence, but manifested through the gentle harmony of life.
Joe Di let out a quiet breath, finally perceiving the subtle essence of tranquility he had refined into the tea leaf.
Even before tasting the tea, his heart was already cooled and refreshed, as if he had left behind the monotony of cultivation and the clamor of the cosmos.
Joe Di raised the Celestial Jade Cup and took a sip. In that instant, he felt as though he had merged with the starry expanse of the universe, his very being dissolving into the boundless natural cosmos.
As the tea flowed into him, he sensed foreign elements, not belonging to his body, gradually seeping out.
These were the impurities accumulated through cultivation, and even traces of pill toxins lingering within him...
A deeper, more harmonious tranquility surged within his heart. Though his cultivation had not advanced, Joe Di felt as if he could break through to a higher realm at any moment—without even needing to cultivate.
The Dao follows nature—this is the true Way of Nature. Joe Di picked up the tea leaf from his cup, murmuring to himself, "This is the Starspire Tea I have long sought. From now on, it shall be called..."
This tea allows one to merge with the cosmic starfields, to sense the tranquil Dao within the vastness of nature. Since it was refined beneath the starlit sky, it shall be named Starlight Tea.
Starlight Tea is not some supreme treasure, nor does it grant cultivators a surge in power or much spiritual energy. Yet it allows one to experience true tranquility, to blend into the starry universe, and even to purge pill toxins and stabilize their cultivation foundation through the insights gained from its tea Dao.
True value does not always reside in the most exalted treasures; greatness is often born of the ordinary.
Originally, Joe Di had planned to wait for a harvest from his Starspire Tea Garden before launching the Starspire Tea business. But now, with each cup requiring only a single leaf—and the age of the leaf being irrelevant—he could begin his enterprise immediately.
This was excellent news for his prospects in Cauldron Haven, the legendary city of freedom.
Just as Joe Di was pondering how to begin his new venture, an urgent distress message arrived from Sprout via his Commsphere.
Joe Di swiftly gathered his belongings and dashed out of the shop without hesitation.
The place where Sprout was in trouble was not far from Joe Di’s shop. Not only had Sprout encountered danger—Moria Lane was also in peril.
When Joe Di arrived, he saw Moria Lane pinned to a stone pillar beside a shop by an Arcane Pike, while Sprout knelt at the shop’s entrance, one arm severed and blue blood still flowing from the wound.
Joe Di seized the Arcane Pike, weaving a series of hand seals over Moria Lane’s body before placing a Thousandfold Pill into her mouth.
"Huh!" A long-haired girl exclaimed in surprise as she watched Joe Di pull the Arcane Pike from Moria Lane, only to see her unharmed.
This Arcane Pike was not casually driven through Moria Lane; it was imbued with a lethal seal. Any attempt to remove it should have spelled certain death for her.
Had Moria Lane died, Cauldron Haven would have immediately arrested Joe Di for committing murder within the city. Yet against all expectations, Joe Di saved her, foiling the scheme entirely.
Joe Di ignored the girl, turning his attention to Sprout. He grasped Sprout’s severed arm, reattaching it with practiced ease and dispelling the seal afflicting him.
"You’ve got guts—and some real skill," the girl scoffed, watching Joe Di rescue two people in an instant without striking a single blow.
"Big Brother..." Sprout called out as Joe Di approached, "They’re shameless beyond belief!"
"What happened? And why did Sister Moria come with you?" Joe Di’s voice was calm. If Sprout had caused trouble, he would not hesitate to restrict his movements in the future. Yet, knowing Sprout, he doubted the young tree would act so recklessly—especially in Cauldron Haven.
The Thousandfold Pill was a fourth-rank immortal healing pill, and Joe Di had administered a rare nine-patterned variant. The assailants had pinned Moria Lane with the intent to kill her the moment Joe Di tried to remove the Arcane Pike. Yet, thanks to the Thousandfold Pill’s restorative power, she recovered almost instantly.
In truth, Moria Lane herself had no idea what had happened. She simply stood beside Joe Di, waiting for Sprout to explain.
With Joe Di by his side, Sprout’s spirits revived somewhat, and he hurried to explain, "Big Brother, I was cultivating in the shop as usual. Lately, I’ve been thinking about our own business, so I went out to see how others run theirs. When I reached this shop’s entrance, I saw a crowd gathered for a street auction. Curious, I squeezed in and saw they were auctioning a Liora Starfruit…"
Upon hearing this, Joe Di’s heart sank.
Sure enough, Sprout continued, "I’d only heard of the Liora Starfruit before and never seen one. As I tried to get a closer look, someone suddenly shoved me from behind. I accidentally knocked over the white jade box containing the fruit. The Liora Starfruit hit the ground and instantly turned to dust…"
Joe Di understood at once—someone had deliberately set Sprout up.
Street auctions were common—many shops held them to boost their popularity and increase the value of their wares.
But the Liora Starfruit was no ordinary item—it was a seventh-rank immortal fruit, and an exceptionally rare one at that. The Liora Starfruit was prized for refining the legendary King's Liora Pill, a pill that allowed Grand Immortals to ascend to the Immortal King realm—a single pill was worth a fortune.
Even if the Liora Starfruit wasn’t refined into a King’s Liora Pill, consuming it directly gave a Grand Immortal a ten percent chance to break through to Immortal King.
The Liora Starfruit had to be stored in a jade box—once exposed to the ground, it would instantly disintegrate into dust and nothingness.
Auctioning such a treasure on the street? Who would believe that? Besides, even for a street auction, there would be safeguards in place—a seal at the very least. How could Sprout have toppled it so easily?
Sure enough, Sprout went on, "That woman claimed the Liora Starfruit was hers, left here for consignment. Because I ruined her Liora Starfruit, she demanded I pay ten million Liberty Credits in compensation…"
Joe Di drew a sharp breath—ten million Liberty Credits, even selling himself wouldn’t raise that much.
"I couldn’t pay, so she told me to fetch my master. I didn’t dare call you directly, Big Brother, so I sent a message to Sister Moria instead. As soon as she arrived—before she could say a word—the woman pinned her to the stone pillar with a single strike…"
Though Sprout was usually fearless, he was deeply uneasy at this moment.
Standing beside Joe Di, Moria Lane explained, "I knew you were in closed-door cultivation, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I thought Sprout’s problem was minor and came to ask about it. But the moment I arrived, before I could speak, I was pinned to the stone pillar."
Joe Di fixed his gaze on the long-haired girl, his tone calm: "Was it you who pinned my friend to the pillar?"
The long-haired girl snorted, "That’s right. I did it. If you don’t pay ten million Liberty Credits today, none of you are leaving…"
Before she could finish, a surge of murderous intent swept over her, so fierce she barely had time to summon her magical artifact.
But the killing intent was too overwhelming—she had no chance to react. An Arcane Pike tore through the air, piercing her chest and nailing her to the same stone pillar where Moria Lane had just been pinned. Blood streamed down the shaft, dripping steadily onto the ground.
Impossible! The long-haired girl stared at Joe Di in terror. He was clearly an Immortal Lord, just like her. How could she be so utterly powerless before him?
"How dare you attack me! You’re courting death…" the long-haired girl shrieked in fury.
Before the long-haired girl could send a message, several figures burst from the shop, swiftly surrounding Joe Di.
Unfazed, Joe Di activated the alert signal on his Liberty Pass.
"You’ve got some nerve, killing someone in Cauldron Haven…" growled a middle-aged man from the shop, his tone icy. If not for the city’s rules, he would have attacked Joe Di on the spot.
"Are you blind, mutt? Which eye saw me kill anyone?" Joe Di retorted coldly.
No matter what it took to establish himself in Cauldron Haven, Joe Di would never swallow such humiliation.
"What’s going on here?" came a chilling voice, as a gray-robed man appeared before the crowd.
Joe Di breathed a sigh of relief. This man was a late-stage Grand Ether Immortal—just as he’d hoped, not an Immortal King. Dressed in the official robes of Cauldron Haven, he was clearly the steward Joe Di had summoned.
"Steward Lewis, this man destroyed someone’s treasure in Cauldron Haven and refused to pay compensation. Worse, he attacked without warning, pinning Sect Master Huang’s beloved daughter, Huang Quan, to the stone pillar." Before Joe Di could speak, the middle-aged man from the shop launched his accusation.