Rong Jun sneered as he watched Li Yundong speak with such self-assurance. "You're responsible for Mr. Shen's death, yet you still argue so fiercely. I'd like to see how you manage to turn this root, caked in filth, into fresh West Lake lotus seeds!"

The crowd turned to look at Li Yundong, their gazes complex, filled with doubt, mockery, and disdain.

Even the Third Concubine and Shen Hui watched Li Yundong with alarm, the look in their eyes making it clear they did not believe a word he said.

Only Su Chan knew that Li Yundong had already subtly displayed his transcendent, saintly magical cultivation.

In Chinese history, Zhang Boduan, the founder of the Ziyang School and one of the Southern Five Patriarchs of Taoism during the Northern Song Dynasty, once agreed with a monk to travel to Yangzhou in spirit to admire the Osmanthus flowers.

After both souls instantly departed their bodies, they returned a short time later. The monk enthusiastically recounted the sights of the Osmanthus flowers he had seen. When he asked Zhang Boduan what he had witnessed, Zhang Boduan merely smiled without speaking. He then took a plucked Osmanthus flower from his sleeve. The monk was instantly shocked, realizing his own spiritual attainment was inferior to Zhang Boduan’s, and asked how he had achieved such a feat.

Zhang Boduan smiled and replied, "I cultivate both Xing (nature/spirit) and Ming (life/essence), thus I cultivate the body of the Yang Shen (Active Spirit), which can touch physical objects. You, however, only cultivate Xing and neglect Ming, so you cultivate the Yin Shen (Passive Spirit), which cannot interact with the material world."

What Li Yundong was employing now was the power of the Yang Shen. He had instantly flown to West Lake, but since it was winter, there were no lotus flowers on the surface, let alone seeds. Thus, he flew to the bottom of West Lake and retrieved a section of lotus root.

Li Yundong had already reached the peak realm of the Yang Shen, where transformation was effortless and all methods flowed naturally. Changing this section of lotus root into seeds was merely the work of a thought.

Seeing their doubt, he did not become annoyed. He simply smiled faintly, reached his hand back into the basin of water, buried the root, and swiftly mobilized the purest Yuanyang Qi within his body, channeling it into the root.

All things begin in spring; life grows because of the Yang energy that gradually emerges then. While the Yang energy between heaven and earth is abundant, it is sparse and thin—how could it compare to the supreme, pure Yuan Qi accumulated and stored in the Dantian by a cultivator over time?

As Li Yundong’s wisp of supreme Yang energy from heaven and earth merged with the lotus root, it instantly stimulated the root, which still held a trace of vitality, causing it to grow and develop rapidly.

At first, the crowd saw no movement, but soon, the lotus root in the basin began to sprout tendrils and stalks. Then, it grew longer and longer; in the blink of an eye, lotus roots and leaves emerged from the basin!

Everyone was momentarily stunned, their mouths hanging wide open, their eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets.

But what followed was even more astonishing. After the leaves emerged, a layer of lush green lotus leaves quickly covered the surface of the water in the basin, their verdant green so intense that people felt they were in warm spring, not the harsh winter outside!

Not long after, the onlookers watched as a fresh, tender, pink lotus flower quickly pushed up through the leaves. This flower then grew at a visible rate, swaying and expanding—from the size of a little finger, tender and ready to drip dew, it quickly grew to the size of a fist, still tightly budded.

Before the crowd could gasp in amazement, the lotus flower suddenly burst open. Petal after petal peeled back, revealing the crisp, fresh green lotus receptacle at the center, dotted with seeds clearly visible, resembling droplets of crystal-clear water gathered upon it.

Li Yundong then flipped his wrist, plucked the receptacle, held it up before the crowd, and said with a smile, "Well, if I said they were fresh West Lake lotus seeds, then they are fresh West Lake lotus seeds, aren't they?"

The crowd finally snapped back to reality, issuing a wave of profound astonishment. "Heavens! Did I see that right? Is this... is this magic?"

"Where in this world can someone perform such magic! Didn't you hear Mr. Shen say it earlier? It’s an immortal art, an immortal art!"

"Then, is this fellow an immortal? That’s too exaggerated!"

Some, like Rong Jun, remained skeptical. He loudly challenged, "Are these lotus seeds real or fake?"

Li Yundong smiled, passed the lotus receptacle toward the Third Concubine, and instructed, "Hurry and pluck the seeds, crush them, and feed them to Mr. Shen."

The Third Concubine trembled with excitement. Having witnessed such a divine miracle from Li Yundong, she finally understood why Shen Wancai held this young man in such high esteem, even calling him an immortal and inviting him to the banquet against his family's wishes!

The Third Concubine now revered Li Yundong like a deity, certain that someone as godlike as him could surely save Shen Wancai. She immediately cupped the receptacle with both hands, trembling slightly, and said to Shen Hui, "Quick, quickly, help me shell these seeds!"

Although Shen Hui had witnessed Li Yundong's astonishing divine skills several times, never had she been so profoundly shaken. She suddenly began to grasp her father's intention in wanting her to take this young man as her master.

But now was not the time for fanciful thoughts. Shen Hui quickly composed herself and followed her mother into the kitchen.

Soon after, the two hurried out carrying a bowl.

Shen Hui held the porcelain bowl with both hands as if it contained the Golden Elixir divine fluid of the Jade Emperor. The Third Concubine beside her stared intently at the crushed West Lake lotus seeds in the bowl, her expression suggesting she wished she could snatch a bite herself.

She wasn't the only one. After witnessing Li Yundong's divine skill, most people in the room harbored a thought: these West Lake lotus seeds must be no ordinary object. While they might not grant eternal life, surely they could extend longevity and promote health, right?

Shen Hui carefully fed the crushed seeds, mixed with water, bit by bit into Shen Wancai's mouth. After only two mouthfuls, Shen Wancai suddenly convulsed, spat out the lotus soup he had just swallowed, and cried out loudly, "So bitter, so bitter!"

Seeing Shen Wancai, who had appeared utterly dead moments before, revive as soon as the seeds entered him, the onlookers widened their eyes and cried out in shock, "He's alive! He's alive!"

The Third Concubine and Shen Hui embraced, weeping with joy. Li Xiaoxian and Shen You, however, exchanged a look of utter horror, trembling uncontrollably.

Li Xiaoxian’s mind worked with lightning speed. She immediately let out a wail, her face streaming with tears, and threw herself onto Shen Wancai, crying loudly, "Old Shen, you scared me to death! Thank heavens you’re alright. You must clear my name!"

Li Yundong watched Li Xiaoxian's tears flow on command; her acting was so exquisite it would shame many modern film stars. He couldn't help but secretly admire her skill.

Yin Mengfan, seeing that Shen Wancai had finally awakened, let out a breath of relief, placing her hands together. "Thank the heavens, Amitabha, I was terrified! Li Yundong, I thought you wouldn't be able to save him! The last time I saw you, you saved Yin Mengfan in just a few moves. Why was this time so much more complicated?"

Li Yundong smiled. "CEO Cao was young, and her body merely suffered from energy leakage; her internal Qixue (vital energy and blood) was not weak. It was just a sudden event that caused the supply to fail, leading to a life-threatening situation. I used massage techniques to circulate the already vigorous Qixue within her, which is why she recovered immediately."

"But Mr. Shen is over sixty years old; his body is already in decline, and his Qixue is very weak. If I had used massage techniques to manipulate his already scarce Yuan Qi, even if I saved him temporarily, it would ultimately harm him. Soon his Qixue would be depleted, and his Yuan Qi exhausted, leading to death. Therefore, I had to use Dragon Liver and Phoenix Gallbladder to nourish his constitution, and then use fresh West Lake lotus seeds, brimming with Yang energy, to augment his Yang. Not only have I saved him now, but I dare say, Mr. Shen has gained ten years of life because of this!"

Saying this, Li Yundong suddenly turned his head and smiled at Rong Jun, who had been opposing him the entire time. "Young Master Rong, I said this was Dragon Liver and Phoenix Gallbladder, and I said these were West Lake lotus seeds. How about it, are they or aren't they?"

If Li Yundong had said these words fifteen minutes earlier, perhaps no one here, save Su Chan, would have believed him. But having just watched him conjure a lotus root from nothing in a basin of water, transforming decay into miracle by turning the root into flower and seed—such astonishing divine skill witnessed firsthand—who dared disbelieve him now?

No matter how unconvinced Rong Jun might be, he dared not utter a single word of dissent.

At this moment, the crowd revered Li Yundong like a god. Some of the older, esteemed guests rushed toward him like a tide, disregarding their status, shouting, "Young Master Li, no, no, Immortal Li, do you have any more Dragon Liver, Phoenix Gallbladder, or West Lake lotus seeds? Could you give me some? Ah, no, no, I'll buy them at any price! Just name your price!"

The hall instantly erupted in clamor, and Li Yundong was surrounded shoulder-to-shoulder.

Shen Wancai, who had just woken up, was utterly bewildered. He looked around, patted Li Xiaoxian’s back, signaling her to rise, then raised his hand toward the Third Concubine and asked, "What is going on here? What happened?"

The Third Concubine helped Shen Wancai up, holding his hand, and said with tears and a smile, "Thank the heavens, Old Master, you’ve finally come back to life! You must properly thank this living immortal!"

Shen Hui, seeing the old master revived, seemed to snap back to her senses, regaining her usual quick wit. She rapidly explained what had happened, carefully omitting the parts where her mother and Li Xiaoxian were scheming against each other, worried about the old man's health.

Shen Wancai listened, remaining silent for a long time. Seeing that his complexion was rosy and he showed no signs of having been near death, the Third Concubine glanced at the West Lake lotus seeds nearby and asked wistfully, "Old Shen, what did those fresh West Lake lotus seeds taste like? Were they really that bitter?"

Shen Wancai merely glanced at the Third Concubine and understood what she was thinking. He initially wanted to glare and snap, Are you trying to steal my medicine too?

But as his gaze swept over Li Yundong nearby, something suddenly stirred in his heart. He pushed the bowl toward the Third Concubine and said with a smile, "You defied the objections of everyone to save my life; this is for you!"

The Third Concubine trembled with excitement, as if afraid Shen Wancai would change his mind, and immediately pulled the bowl close, not even allowing others to look at it.

The crowd watched with envy turning their eyes red. They thought: This Shen Wancai was just like a corpse moments ago, but after just two or three mouthfuls of these lotus seeds, he immediately revived. This proves the miraculous power of the seeds to revive the dead and restore flesh to white bones! If he ate the whole bowl, wouldn't he become an immortal?

Under the scrutinizing eyes of the crowd, the Third Concubine nervously stood up, making a hasty excuse, and ran upstairs. At first, she walked with the poise of a noblewoman, but after a few steps, she couldn't resist breaking into a run, like a refugee fleeing disaster.

Rushing into her room, the Third Concubine drank the contents of the bowl ravenously, crying out loudly as she ate, her voice echoing from the room, "So bitter, so bitter!"

Su Chan couldn't help but let out a chuckle. These people didn't grasp the secret core of the matter, but she knew perfectly well that the true elixir was the inconspicuous Nine-Cycle Jade Dew Pill given earlier. Without the Jade Dew Pill nourishing Shen Wancai's Qixue, no amount of West Lake lotus seeds could have saved him.

But the crowd only believed what their eyes saw. Seeing Shen Wancai revive immediately after consuming the lotus seeds, they mistakenly believed the seeds were the miraculous cure, thus regarding them as peerless treasures.

The little girl, however, had no intention of correcting them, and she knew it would be useless even if she did. She simply gazed at Li Yundong with undisguised admiration, thinking to herself: This is how it should be. Someone with great ability like Yundong deserves respect wherever he goes, instead of being looked down upon, bullied, or framed!

The little girl felt a secret surge of satisfaction watching everyone treat Li Yundong with such deference.

Li Yundong seemed to sense her thoughts. He smiled, reached out, and gently tapped the little girl's nose. Su Chan giggled and made a funny face at Li Yundong.

As the two engaged in this intimate moment, oblivious to others, Shen Wancai approached Li Yundong, let out a soft sigh, and said, "Young Master Li, my gratitude is beyond words! I wonder if Young Master Li could spare a moment for a private word?"

Li Yundong smiled and replied, "Certainly!"

Shen Wancai chuckled, "Then let's go upstairs to talk!"

Li Xiaoxian and Shen You, seeing that Shen Wancai was awake but completely ignoring them, grew increasingly uneasy and fearful due to their guilty consciences. Li Xiaoxian couldn't help but call out, "Old Shen..."

But Shen Wancai did not look back, ascending the stairs with Li Yundong, leaving Li Xiaoxian trembling in panic where she stood.

Once inside the room, Shen Wancai shut the door and immediately knelt down before Li Yundong, saying with utmost respect, "Young Master Li, I know you are a living immortal; you need not hide it. Please, you must accept me as your disciple!"