Chapter 135: Huang Qjngling's Spiritual Sense
Soon, Lin Jing thought of a reason.
"Fellow Daoist, I apologize…"
"Because I also frequently visit Fang Market, I didn't want to attract too much trouble, which is why I wore this hat."
"I hope Fellow Daoist can understand."
"The difficulties of Fellow Daoist, I can naturally understand," Elder Yu said and then cupped his fists in a salute to Lin Jing:
"It is rather the young ones at home who are mischievous, I apologize on behalf of them to Fellow Daoist."
"It's fine," Lin Jing likewise cupped his fists.
After that…
The three of them left the Secret Trade Room together.
"Both of you, I shall take my leave."
After leaving the Secret Trade Room, Lin Jing bid farewell to Elder Yu and Huang Qingling and left.
After Lin Jing had left, Elder Yu asked Huang Qingling again:
"Do you really feel like he resembles someone you know?"
Huang Qingling replied, "There is a similarity, but perhaps I'm overthinking it."
"Elder Yu, as you know, my Spiritual Sense is more sensitive than that of most people. I just had a familiar feeling." "But Spiritual Sense can also be mistaken, can it not?"
"That's also true…" Elder Yu nodded.
"If he really is someone you know, then I should probably also recognize him." Looking in the direction Lin Jing had left, Elder Yu said:
"Didn't he mention that he often goes to Fang Market? Maybe you have seen him there…"
"Perhaps… "
Huang Qingling said thoughtfully, nodding.
Having left the black market, Lin Jing changed back to his own appearance and directly returned to his small courtyard.
Lin Jing wasn't sure if Huang Qingling would come looking for him, so he didn't enter the System Space but instead sat in meditation in his house.
By the time a whole night had passed, Lin Jing realized he had worried needlessly. How could Huang Qingling possibly come in the middle of the night?
The next morning, Huang Qingling arrived.
She especially mentioned the incident from the day before to Lin Jing.
When it came to the end, Huang Qingling mentioned her feeling that the Elixir Valley Heir resembled someone she knew.
Lin Jing immediately asked why she felt this way.
Eventually, Huang Qingling's explanation allowed Lin Jing to breathe a sigh of relief.
It turned out to be her Spiritual Sense.
Spiritual Sense, an ethereal thing, is hard to articulate. Those with strong Spiritual Sense generally have decent combat talents.
More impressively, they can also foresee danger in advance.
For instance, many Demonic Beasts are born with exceptionally strong
Spiritual Sense, and their instinct to rely on it to avert danger is innate.
The Spiritual Sense of Human Cultivators, compared to that of Demonic Beasts, tends to be weaker, but occasionally, some individuals with extremely strong Spiritual Sense do emerge.
Clearly, Huang Qingling was one of these lucky ones.
Moreover, Huang Qingling mentioned…
After obtaining the Elixir Medicine, these past two days, Elder Yu had been making the final preparations and was soon to face the Tribulation.
After staying for a while longer, Huang Qingling left.
Two days later…
It was supposed to be the day for Elder Yu to confront his Tribulation, but it was postponed.
Because someone else took the initiative to undergo their Tribulation first.
This person was a Cultivator from the Li Family, like Elder Yu, also stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment for many years.
Just yesterday, this person began their Tribulation.
And…
Upon hearing the news, Elder Bai hurriedly notified Elder Yu, who was meditating, and the two of them went to observe together.
Due to secrecy, the Li Family cultivator's Tribulation wasn't made known to many, so Lin Jing and Huang Qingling were not included.
However, the news quickly spread.
The Li Family cultivator ultimately could not withstand the Heavenly Tribulation and was reduced to ash under the seventh strike of the tribulation lightning, resulting in a failed Tribulation.
The spread of this news cast a shadow over the hearts of the few Cultivators preparing for their own Tribulation.
Even Elder Yu was no exception, leading to the delay of his Tribulation.
For a time, the atmosphere in Fang Market also became somewhat somber.
However…
this challenge had to be faced regardless, for there was certainly no escaping it.
Therefore, five days later, Elder Yu, having fully recovered, was once again ready to begin his Tribulation.
That morning.
Lin Jing ended his meditation early, tidied up, and went straight out.
He first headed to the entrance of Huang Qingling's courtyard.
Approaching, he knocked "dong dong dong" several times.
No sooner had he lowered his hand than a dark shadow flew out from the courtyara.
The first to come out was actually Little Sparrow.
Upon its arrival, Little Sparrow, showing no stranger anxiety, directly landed on Lin Jing's shoulder.
Recently, Little Sparrow had been disturbing him less frequently.
Nonetheless, Lin Jing would still prepare some treats for it whenever it visited, so it was less resistant to him now.
Before long, Huang Qingling opened the door and stepped out.
At that moment, Little Sparrow also left Lin Jing's shoulder and perched on Huang Qingling's.
Clearly, compared to Lin Jing, it was much closer to Huang Qingling. "Fellow Daoist Qing Ling," Lin Jing greeted Huang Qingling.
"Shall we go…" said Huang Qingling.
"Yes…" Lin Jing replied.
Soon, the two of them walked towards the outskirts of Fang Market.
The agreed location for the Tribulation was on the outer edges of the Night Mist Mountain Range at a place called the Gravel Shore.
The Gravel Shore, with its flat terrain and no excess trees for cover, was not far from Fang Market and rarely frequented by Demonic Beasts.
It was perfectly suitable for setting up the Formation for the Tribulation.
Since the Formation needed to be set up in advance, Elder Bai had already set off earlier to prepare at the Gravel Shore.
The two arrived at Yuebaolou and met Elder Yu.
At this time, his breath was steady, his emotions stable, and his condition looked very good.
"You two are here, let's set off then," he said.
"Alright..
"Alright…'
The two responded, and then followed Elder Yu out towards the outside of Fang Market.
As soon as they left Fang Market, both Elder Yu and Huang Qingling rose into the air on their Flying Swords and urged Lin Jing to hurry.
"Lin Jing, quick…"
Seeing this, Lin Jing also took out his Flawless Sword and stepped onto it.
"Your Flying Sword is so peculiar, being formless and shadowless…" Huang Qingling was quite surprised, as this was the first time she had seen Lin Jing's Flying Sword.
'Yes…"
"This Flying Sword was a gift from a friend before," Lin Jing said.
"At the last auction, there was a sword technique that would have matched well with your Flying Sword."
After speaking, Huang Qingling shook her head regretfully, "What a pity…'
"That sword technique was taken by someone else; had you acquired it, it would have greatly enhanced your strength," she added.
Lin Jing replied, "You jest, Fellow Daoist Qing Ling. That sword technique mustn't have been cheap…"
"I imagine it's not something I could afford."
"Indeed…
Huang Qingling nodded emphatically.
"That sword technique was eventually auctioned for the astronomical price of five thousand three hundred Midium Grade Spirit Stones," Elder Yu interjected.
"Let's forget about that…
"Let's hurry to the Gravel Shore."
It took the three less than half an hour to reach the vicinity of the Gravel Shore.
If they hadn't needed to accommodate Lin Jing, Elder Yu and Huang Qingling could have moved even faster.
Then, the three of them retracted their Flying Swords and descended from the sky.
Heading towards the Gravel Shore in front of them. By this time, Elder Bai had finished preparing..
Chapter 136: The Eve of Tribulation
In the middle of the gravel beach, a formation had already taken shape, with its intricate pattern emitting a faint white glow, spreading over a considerable area.
Clearly, this was the formation that Elder Bai had prepared in advance for Elder
Yu.
Seeing the three people arriving, Elder Bai walked over.
Behind him, three other people followed.
And Lin Jing had seen all three of them before.
The Zhang Family Patriarch.
The old master of the Li Family.
And one more: the manager Lin Jing had met when he first arrived at Fang Market.
During the beast tide before, Lin Jing had seen him once more, and it was then that Lin Jing learned that he, too, was a Golden Core Immortal.
Together with Elder Bai himself, there were a total of four Golden Core Immortals prepared to act as protectors for Elder Yu.
It was common for cultivators undergoing tribulation to have protectors.
Protectors mainly served to prevent intentional sabotage.
It is known that the power of the Heavenly Tribulation would increase according to the number of people within its range; the more people within the area, the stronger the power of the tribulation lightning.
Moreover, the lightning struck indifferently, and if someone intruded midway through the tribulation, it was very likely that the power of the Heavenly Tribulation would double.
Consequently, this might lead the one undergoing tribulation to fail, resulting in death and the dissolution of their cultivation path.
"Elder Yu…" As the three immortals arrived, they greeted Elder Yu.
Elder Yu also stepped forward, cupping his fists in salute, "I thank the three immortals for protecting me today…"
"We'll all be comrades after this, such a trivial matter is not worth mentioning," the three replied in turn.
At this moment, Elder Bai came over and said to Huang Qingling and Lin Jing:
"Your cultivations are insufficient, making it easy for you to be affected by the tribulation lightning, so you cannot stay too close. Later, go over to that hillside to watch."
Elder Bai pointed to a hillside in the distance.
"Understood, Old Man Bai…'
"We'll head there now."
After instructing the two of them, Elder Bai turned around and went to Elder Yu's side, speaking with the three immortals about something unknown to the others.
Meanwhile, Lin Jing and Huang Qingling headed towards the hillside.
Soon, they arrived at the top of the hillside.
The hillside was sparsely wooded, so there was no worry about the view being obstructed, and from atop the hill looking down, the perspective was just right to see everything clearly.
It was still early, and the others who were planning to observe Elder Yu's tribulation had not yet arrived.
With nothing else to do, the two of them watched those few people from afar.
After a while, those who came to observe Elder Yu's tribulation started to arrive one after another.
Young members from each family, and even the Wu Cai Immortal and the Li Family's Golden Core Immortal, were present.
After all…
As the current Elder Bai held the position of a steward at Yuebaolou, his status was not ordinary, and he had never made enemies with anyone.
They would naturally come to observe Elder Yu's tribulation as well.
Even if Wu Cai Immortal had a veiled conflict with Elder Bai, he could not show it openly, for he still needed to keep up appearances.
Besides, there was another important reason for Wu Cai Immortal's presence; he came for his clan's younger generation, who was preparing to advance to the Golden Core Stage.
He brought him to observe the tribulation multiple times, so that when his time came, he would be better prepared.
For this purpose, Wu Cai Immortal did not even bring Liu Yiyuan.
He was afraid that Liu Yiyuan, upon seeing Huang Qingling and Lin Jing, might suddenly lose control of his emotions, causing unpleasantness.
And Wu Cai Immortal himself, of course, would not cause trouble. After all, even if Elder Yu successfully traversed his tribulation and entered the Golden Core Stage, he would be just a newly advanced Golden Core, posing no threat to him.
Moreover, the timing wasn't right, and he had not planned to make a move against Elder Bai.
At this point, down on the gravel beach…
Wu Cai Immortal and the Li Family Immortal were talking with Elder Bai and the others about something, looking quite harmonious.
At that time, a loud noise came.
Lin Jing turned his head and saw a group of youths walking toward this side, consisting of both men and women.
He even recognized a few of them.
Li Tangyu, and the girl who had appeared at the end of the auction, Lin Jing remembered; she seemed to be Li Tangyu's sister.
Then there was Zhang Yuan from the Zhang Family. Lin Jing had met him twice, and he had once intervened to save Lin Jing, although Lin Jing had been in disguise at that time.
Additionally, there was another person, Li Yao, the Li Family Young Master; his presence did not surprise Lin Jing.
After all, the previous matter between the Liu and Li Families and the Zhang Family had nothing to do with Elder Bai of Yuebaolou. It was normal for him to appear.
Beyond them, Lin Jing did not recognize anyone else.
Following that, Huang Qingling led Lin Jing to the top of the mountain.
A few people approached and greeted Huang Qingling.
"Qing Ling Daoyou…"
"Sister Qing Ling…"
"Daoyou Huang…"
In any case, there were all sorts of greetings, but no one paid any attention to Lin Jing.
Firstly, they did not recognize Lin Jing, having never seen him before; it was obvious that he did not belong to any of the family factions.
Secondly, they belonged to the same social circle and naturally resisted outsiders who were not part of their group.
They were merely curious about Lin Jing being able to follow Huang Qingling.
However, this curiosity did not lead them to approach and make his acquaintance on their own.
It was then that Li Tangyu approached and greeted Lin Jing with a fist and palm salute:
"Lin Daoyou."
"Li Daoyou…" Lin Jing replied with a similar salute.
"May I ask who this is?" The people found it strange when they saw Li Tangyu take the initiative to greet Lin Jing.
They quickly turned to Li Tangyu with inquiries.
They were aware of Li Tangyu, the Li Family's Young Master. The fact that Li Tangyu took the initiative to greet someone suggested that the person's identity was not simple.
Even Li Tangyu's sister, the cute girl, was puzzled as she looked towards her brother.
"Oh…"
"This is Lin Jing, he is a distant nephew of Pill Master Elder Yu." Li Tangyu replied.
"So, it's Lin Daoyou…"
Suddenly, several people greeted Lin Jing enthusiastically.
The rest, even if they did not actively greet him, nodded to Lin Jing in acknowledgment.
Lin Jing responded to each one in turn.
After a round of pleasantries, people stopped paying attention to Lin Jing and started chatting amongst themselves.
After all, Elder Yu had not yet become a Golden Core Immortal, had he?
Lin Jing was pleased with this arrangement and silently walked away to a distance, leaning against a large tree on the hillside, quietly watching the rocky beach below.
Lin Jing knew very well that he was never on the same path as these people; naturally, there was no need for him to be overly entangled with them.
At that moment, Huang Qingling was already chatting with Li Tangyu's sister; the two girls were chattering incessantly about something.
And the other youths, too, in pairs or threes, were engaged in their own discussions, making the scene quite lively.
Just then, Li Tangyu approached.
"Lin Daoyou, excuse the intrusion…"
After saying this, he pointed toward the crowd, where Huang Qingling and his sister were, and said to Lin Jing:
"Those two are too noisy. I'd like to borrow the tranquillity of Lin Daoyou's spot for a moment."
"Lin Daoyou wouldn't mind, would you?"
Having said this, Li Tangyu looked at Lin Jing with a smile. Lin Jing couldn't help but grin, "Li Daoyou, please, by all means.."
Chapter 137: Tan Yuyi
Shortly after…
Li Tangyu pointed toward the adorable girl who was chatting merrily with Huang Qingling and said:
"The girl with sister Qing Ling is my younger sister, Li Qingqing."
Lin Jing turned his head to take a look, then turned back and said to Li Tangyu, "Brother Li is indeed blessed."
Upon hearing this, Li Tangyu couldn't help but shake his head, revealing a wry smile, and then he sighed:
"Better not to mention it…"
Lin Jing immediately understood and thereafter fell silent…
Then, the two of them turned their heads to look at the immortals on the pebble beach.
At this moment, one more person came from that crowd.
"Seeking a bit of tranquility, please don't take offense…" This person was Zhang Yuan.
Lin Jing and Li Tangyu turned their heads toward Zhang Yuan.
"Please, feel free…"
"Please, feel free…"
The two said in unison.
Following that, the three of them stopped speaking.
By this time, the immortals had also finished their discussion.
Elder Bai and the other three immortals responsible for protection spread out from the pebble beach, each guarding in a different direction.
Meanwhile, Elder Yu moved to the center of the great formation and began to sit in meditation, preparing to make a breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage.
The crowd that had been talking just moment ago now quieted down and looked toward Elder Yu in the middle of the formation.
It wasn't until then that Huang Qingling noticed the three people seeking peace and quiet under this large tree.
Afterward, she directly pulled Li Qingqing over to their spot.
"Well, well, look at you…" "You've all managed to enjoy the quiet, even hiding away over here."
"Why didn't you tell any of us…"
Facing Huang Qingling's reproach, Li Tangyu remained silent, secretly giving Lin Jing a look, clearly leaving the matter to him to resolve.
"Just now, you two were chatting so happily that we didn't want to disturb you…"
Lin Jing straightforwardly spoke up, inventing a rather plausible excuse.
Li Tangyu silently gave Lin Jing a thumbs up. "Really?" Huang Qingling asked doubtfully.
"Look…"
"You only realized we were here when we came over, which surely means you were too engrossed," Lin Jing said. "That must be it…"
Huang Qingling said, a bit embarrassed.
"We were just talking about the Elixir Valley Heir; hence we weren't paying much attention to what was happening around us."
"By the way, Tan Yuyi, Qing Qing said you met the Elixir Valley Heir a long time ago; is that true?"
When Huang Qingling addressed Li Tangyu using that moniker, Li Qingqing, who was standing nearby, couldn't hold back…
"Pfft"
"Hahaha…"
Li Qingqing burst into laughter.
Li Tangyu, on the other hand, had a face full of black lines and spoke helplessly:
"Sister Qing Ling…"
"I know it's your habit, and you don't have to call me brother, heck, even calling me a fellow cultivator would do. But with that extra word, it feels like my name has changed its flavor."
Lin Jing was initially a bit puzzled and didn't understand why they reacted that way.
After pondering carefully for a moment, he finally realized.
"Tan Yuyi, isn't that just 'phlegm basin'? No wonder Li Tangyu said the flavor of his name has changed; the description is just too apt." Huang Qingling appeared unconcerned and simply said:
"It's fine, as long as you're used to it…"
Upon hearing this sentence…
Even Zhang Yuan, who had been quiet all this while, quickly lowered his head and covered his mouth, pretending to be deep in thought.
However, his shoulders kept shaking uncontrollably, clearly struggling to hold back his laughter.
Li Tangyu was at a loss for words.
One could imagine, after all, Huang Qingling dared to address Elder Bai as Old Man Bai, so when facing Li Tangyu, who was of the same generation, there was even less to be said.
Compared to Li Tangyu, Lin Jing was still relatively fortunate, at the very least he was called by his own name.
"Come on, hurry up and tell me…"
Huang Qingling was very curious as she looked towards Li Tangyu.
Li Tangyu naturally couldn't fuss over it with her and, with no choice, began to narrate:
"It was like this, previously, I had a bet with someone in the black market, to refine Pure Elixir."
"What was the result?"
Huang Qingling looked towards Li Tangyu with a face full of curiosity.
Li Tangyu spread his hands helplessly:
"That bet, I lost it."
"It was also after that incident, the Elixir Valley Heir showed up in the black market, so that's why I suspected he was the Elixir Valley Heir."
"Have you ever seen what he looks like?" Huang Qingling quickly asked. Li Tangyu shook his head: "No, he was always wearing a wide-brimmed hat." Huang Qingling nodded and said:
"It could very well be the same person, the Elixir Valley Heir I met was also wearing a wide-brimmed hat."
After speaking, Huang Qingling heaved a sigh:
"It's a pity that this person refused to remove his hat, so I couldn't see his face.
If only we knew what he looked like."
"That friend from Elixir Valley, since he's wearing a wide-brimmed hat, certainly has his own difficulties. Sister Qingling, you shouldn't be too persistent," Li Tangyu advised.
"That makes sense, forget it, let's not talk about him anymore…" Huang Qingling said.
At that moment, everyone was still waiting.
In the middle of the gravel beach, Elder Yu had taken the Cultivation True
Elixir for breakthrough and was vigorously attempting to reach the Golden Core Stage.
Just like this, they waited for four hours straight, and noon had already passed.
Just when everyone was at the height of boredom.
On the gravel beach, the aura around Elder Yu suddenly began to change.
At the same time…
The sky that was originally clear started to become unsettling.
Elder Bai and the other protector Golden Core Immortals were also taking action at this time.
They flew midair, distancing themselves even further from the gravel beach, and simultaneously began sweeping the surroundings with their Divine Sense.
This powerful pressure of Divine Sense caused the small animals in the surrounding woods to collapse on the ground, trembling frantically.
The atmosphere in the area was also becoming more and more oppressive.
Lin Jing looked up to see clouds suddenly forming in the sky, converging directly above Elder Yu's head.
Elder Yu also stood up at this moment, looking up at the sky while summoning his Magical Treasure to circle around him.
Gradually the clouds gathered, and the pressure transmitted from the sky became increasingly intense, and even from a great distance, Lin Jing could clearly sense it.
Heavenly Tribulation!
It was likely about to begin…
The crowd watched in breathless anticipation as the oppressive clouds in the sky pressed lower, and the atmosphere around them grew increasingly tense. Within those clouds, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled incessantly.
Suddenly…
"Crack"
A bolt of lightning came straight down, aiming directly at Elder Yu's head.
Elder Yu manipulated a shield-shaped Magical Treasure to block above.
The Formation Pattern of the grand array below them was also shining more brightly.
The bolt of lightning collided with the Magical Treasure but dissipated without breaking through its defense.
The first lightning strike was the weakest; the subsequent ones would grow progressively stronger.
Lin Jing saw that Elder Yu, after withstanding the first lightning strike, seemed as composed as ever, evidently suffering no great harm.
Then, before Elder Yu had a chance to regain his composure, the second lightning bolt struck down without any warning. This time as well, Elder Yu easily blocked it.
Following that, came the third…
The fourth…
Until the fifth bolt of lightning struck, Lin Jing saw that Elder Yu was beginning to show signs of strain.
After the fifth bolt of lightning struck, Elder Yu hurriedly took out a Pure Jade Box from his Storage Bag and tossed an Elixir Medicine into his mouth..
Chapter 138: Tribulation Success
Afterwards, he took advantage of this time to recover for a moment.
Less than the time it takes for a pot of tea to brew, the tribulation clouds in the sky began to churn again, and Elder Yu also hurriedly braced himself, commanding his magical treasure to meet the tribulation lightning.
The sixth bolt of tribulation lightning struck down, wounding Elder Yu slightly, but it seemed he was not seriously harmed.
Then, the seventh…
The seventh bolt was much more ferocious than the ones before it, and this time Elder Yu was seriously injured.
After the lightning had passed, Elder Yu even took out two elixir medicines and stuffed them into his mouth.
The eighth…
The great formation that had been helping Elder Yu withstand the lightning crumbled, and even the shield-shaped magical treasure that protected him showed some cracks.
This time Elder Yu was severely injured, and Lin Jing, looking over, saw multiple injuries on Elder Yu's body. In the worst places, you could even see stark white bones protruding out.
Lin Jing couldn't help but frown, afraid that at this rate, the ninth and last tribulation lightning would be very difficult to overcome.
However, Lin Jing knew that Elder Yu still had elixir medicines. He could only hope that Elder Yu had other preparations; otherwise it would be difficult to endure to the end under these circumstances.
Sure enough, after the eighth bolt of lightning, this time Elder Yu directly took out three Pure Elixirs and placed them into his mouth.
This move caused a stir among the onlookers witnessing the tribulation, surprised that Elder Yu actually had so many Pure Elixirs.
Especially the patriarch of the Li Family, who felt even worse in his heart.
If that clan member of the Li Family had so many Pure Elixirs, perhaps they wouldn't have suffered such a soul-shattering fate.
However, the tribulation lightning was slow in coming this time.
Everyone knew that the ninth bolt of lightning would be the most fierce one.
It is said that the ninth lightning is more powerful than the first eight combined.
At this time, the tribulation clouds in the sky were still gathering, and the area they spanned was growing larger, while the thunderous rumbling in the clouds grew incessantly. The aura they emitted became increasingly terrifying.
Just as the atmosphere reached its most oppressive point, Elder Yu rose to his feet and hurriedly took out a gourd-shaped magical treasure from his Storage Bag.
Then he held the gourd with one hand, while commanding the cracked shield-shaped magical treasure to fly above his head.
"Boom"
Finally, after brewing for a long time, the last bolt of lightning plummeted down, as thick as a bucket, shooting straight for Elder Yu's head.
The moment the lightning touched the shield-shaped magical treasure, it shattered under the lightning's force, and the lightning continued to fall unabated.
But before the lightning reached Elder Yu's head, the gourd he held in his hand split open, and then transformed into a ray of light that protected Elder Yu.
"A Defensive Prohibition Device!"
Someone who recognized the object exclaimed.
Then the lightning fell straight down, and surprisingly, it did not immediately shatter the ray of light produced by the Defensive Prohibition Device.
However, this last bolt of lightning was not a single strike, but persisted for a brief moment.
This bolt of lightning came suddenly…
It seemed to last a long time, but in reality, it also disappeared swiftly. As soon as the lightning had dispersed, Lin Jing quickly turned his attention to the middle of the stony beach.
At that moment, Elder Yu was charred all over, sitting motionless on a pile of rubble.
Lin Jing concentrated spiritual power in his eyes and looked over…
Upon seeing the slight rise and fall of Elder Yu's chest, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Although severely injured, it was clear.
Elder Yu had successfully passed the tribulation.
Soon, the tribulation clouds in the sky also gradually dispersed, returning to the clarity of before.
"Elder Yu actually succeeded…" Huang Qingling spoke.
"Mhm."
Lin Jing nodded.
At this time, a few people approached and said:
"Elder Yu's successful tribulation is indeed a cause for celebration."
"Lin Daoyou, we must get together more often in the future…"
As for the behavior of these people, Lin Jing was not surprised since they were from various families. He couldn't well say anything to their faces, so he casually gave non-committal responses and sent them on their way.
Elder Bai was also being bombarded with endless congratulations, to which he responded one by one.
At this time…
On the stony beach, Elder Yu was still recovering. This time was a crucial moment for stabilizing his cultivation after the breakthrough, and nobody dared to come forth and disturb him.
And so it went, until about an hour later Elder Yu's breathing gradually settled down, and at the same time, some of the blackened areas on his body began to flake off.
Afterward, Elder Yu's aura began to slowly climb, growing stronger and stronger.
In the end, it was a sweep of Divine Sense that passed by.
Elder Yu opened his eyes, and an aura unique to a Golden Core Cultivator emerged from him.
"Elder Yu has fully recovered, let's go over…" Huang Qingling suggested. "Wait a moment, there are too many people right now," Lin Jing said.
"That's fine…" Huang Qingling nodded.
It wasn't long before other people bid farewell and left, leaving only a few of them still there.
At this time on the Shattered Stone Beach, Elder Yu was conversing with several immortals.
By then, many people had already arrived.
At this moment, Elder Bai spoke, "Today, our Yuebaolou's Pill Master has successfully overcome the Tribulation, advancing to a Golden Core Immortal."
"To celebrate, I have decided to hold a grand banquet tomorrow at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and I hope all of you will honor us with your presence."
In the crowd, several people cupped their fists and spoke. "Rest assured, Elder Bai, we will definitely attend."
"Congratulations to Elder Yu…"
"Congratulations, congratulations…"
Elder Yu also responded with a cupped fist salute to each.
Finally, after a round of pleasantries, all these people left, even the Wu Cai Immortal and Li Family Patriarch made excuses to depart.
Leaving only the protectors, those few Golden Core Immortals from earlier.
Only then did Lin Jing and his group make their way over.
Before they got close, they heard the immortals discussing something.
"I'm telling you, Elder Yu, you're not being fair. Where did you get so many Pure Elixirs?
The speaker was the Zhang Family Patriarch, who had already taken the Lifespan Extension Pill, and seemed somewhat younger and in much better condition than before.
"Actually, it's no harm telling you." Elder Bai spoke up at this moment.
"Elder Yu was lucky, he encountered the Elixir Valley Heir in the black market and bought them from him."
"A total of five…"
"Tsk tsk… it cost 300 Spirit Stones…"
Elder Bai pretended to be pained and said. The others gasped when they heard this:
"Only 300 Spirit Stones…"
Li Family's old grandmaster was rather speechless before he finally said: "Could it be that you are talking about Superior Grade Spirit Stones?"
"Where would we get so many Superior Grade Spirit Stones in the Nanming
Domain, of course they are Midium Grade Spirit Stones."
It was then that Elder Bai revealed his true colors, speaking proudly.
"I knew it, you old chap…"
"Every time it's the same, you get a bargain and still act cute." Li Family's old grandmaster looked at Elder Bai with disdain.
At this point, the Zhang Family Patriarch spoke up:
"300 Midium Grade Spirit Stones for five Pure Elixirs, that's too cheap." "Do you have any more? If you have any left, give them all to me, I'll take them."
Elder Bai looked puzzledly at Zhang Family Patriarch and said:
"Your family doesn't have anyone undergoing Tribulation, what do you want those elixir medicines for…"
"Ahem…
At that moment, Li Family's old grandmaster gave a light cough, and everyone looked towards him.
"Previously, I owed Lin Daoyou a huge favor."
"I gave him that Cultivation True Elixir.."
Chapter 139: Reunion with Wu Nie
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the Zhang Family Patriarch, murmuring under their breath:
"This old fox is the true master of keeping a low profile."
Elder Bai curled his lips and continued:
"Elder Yu still has two Pure Elixirs, one Restorative Elixir and one Healing Elixir."
"If you want them, of course, it's not impossible…"
"Look, Elder Yu has just advanced to Golden Core, aren't you going to offer your
congratulations?"
After finishing his sentence, Elder Bai even rubbed his hands together.
At this moment, Elder Bai bore not a hint of the demeanor of a Golden Core Immortal, but rather resembled a petty old man from the market.
"I knew it…"
"You were waiting here for this," the Zhang Family Patriarch said with a smile.
"Alright… No problem…"
"I haven't had the time to prepare anything now…" "How about tomorrow?"
"Of course, that's fine…" Elder Bai nodded again and again. Afterwards…
After chatting for a while, everyone took their disciples and left.
After returning to Yuebaolou, because Elder Yu needed to go into seclusion to stabilize his cultivation,
Elder Bai reminded the two of them a few words, and Lin Jing and Huang Qingling went back first.
The next day…
When Lin Jing and Huang Qingling arrived at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, many people had already gathered.
This time…
Not only did people from various families come, but also managers of Yuebaolou, Pill Masters, Talisman Masters, and various other Offering Priests were present.
Just as Lin Jing reached the entrance, he saw two people standing on the street not far from the door of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, in conversation.
One of the figures seemed somehow familiar to Lin Jing, prompting him to slow his pace.
Meanwhile, Huang Qingling was only looking towards the inside of the Pavilion, utterly unaware that Lin Jing had slowed down.
Since they were quite close, Lin Jing heard their conversation clearly.
"This time Elder Yu of Yuebaolou has been promoted to Golden Core; many honored guests will come to celebrate. You must be careful and cautious, not to offend them in any way."
"Also…"
"Remember to listen more, speak less, and make sure to greet everyone with respect, do you hear me?"
"Yes, Master, I've got it," the other voice replied.
Recognizing the voice, Lin Jing felt a sense of familiarity and, glancing over, realized it was Wu Nie—the man who had lived opposite him back in Fang Market.
Wu Nie also noticed him.
"Lin Daoyou, what are you doing here?" Wu Nie asked, somewhat puzzled on spotting Lin Jing.
The other person, who had been facing away from Lin Jing, turned around and hurried over upon seeing him.
"Pill Master Lin…"
The newcomer greeted Lin Jing with a fist and palm salute; Lin Jing had seen him before and knew he was a Talisman Master and Offering Priest of Yuebaolou.
Considering that Wu Nie had mentioned finding a mentor from Yuebaolou, it must be this person.
He quickly introduced:
"This is the nephew of Immortal Yu, Pill Master Lin."
"Elder Yu's nephew…" Wu Nie was stunned, hardly able to believe it. 'Why are you standing there dumbstruck? Hurry up and address him
properly…" the Talisman Master scolded.
"Lin… Pill Master Lin.'
Wu Nie was incredulous, his words almost halting.
He could not fathom how the man who was once his neighbor in Fang Market had suddenly become a nephew of a Golden Core Immortal.
"Wu Daoyou…" Lin Jing said, smiling.
Having met this person several times and exchanged a few words, they could be considered to have met by chance. He didn't dislike him…
He had nothing to hide about his previous stay in Fang Market nor any reason to conceal it.
So…
Lin Jing forthrightly admitted:
"I was neighbors with Wu Daoyou before, you could say we're old acquaintances. There is no need for such formality…" "So, it turns out," Wu Nie's master hastily said. "He is indeed fortunate…" "Lin Jing, hurry up! What are you doing over there?"
At this moment, Huang Qingling, who had already entered the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, stuck her head out and called to Lin Jing.
"Alright, coming right now…" Lin Jing replied.
Then, he turned and said to the two with a fist salute:
"Gentlemen, someone is urging me, so I'll go ahead…"
Wu Nie's master, the Offering Priest Talisman Master from Yuebaolou, returned the salute to Lin Jing:
"Pill Master Lin, please go ahead…"
Wu Nie also hurriedly saluted Lin Jing: "Lin Dao… Pill Master Lin, take care…"
Lin Jing could tell he was a bit at a loss.
However, Lin Jing did not say anything else and then turned to leave…
After Lin Jing left, Wu Nie stood there, staring blankly at Lin Jing's back, muttering to himself:
"How could he be the nephew of a Golden Core Immortal…"
Wu Nie's master, at this point, patted him on the shoulder, and Wu Nie then came to his senses.
"Stop thinking about it, you two are not destined to walk the same path…" However, Wu Nie simply lowered his head and remained silent…
Arriving at the entrance of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Huang Qingling glanced at Wu Nie and his master, then asked Lin Jing with curiosity:
"What, do you know them?"
"I don't recall you being close with the other Offering Priests in the Pavilion?"
"That Offering Priest's disciple was my neighbor in the external Fang Market. I saw him today and chatted for a while," Lin Jing responded.
"Oh, I see…" Huang Qingling suddenly realized. "Let's go, let's head upstairs…"
"Tan Yuyi and the others are already up there."
Upon hearing 'Tan Yuyi,' Lin Jing couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Alright…"
After speaking, the two of them walked towards the upstairs.
When they reached the third floor of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, indeed, Li Tangyu, Li Qingqing, and Zhang Yuan were sitting together.
Upon seeing Lin Jing and Huang Qingling, Li Tangyu hurriedly motioned for them.
Also, on this third floor were several others from yesterday on the hillside.
Lin Jing even spotted Li Yao.
He and a few disciples from other families were sitting at a table by the window, seemingly discussing something.
Many people came over to greet Huang Qingling and Lin Jing as they arrived.
"Qing Ling Daoyou…"
"Lin Daoyou…"
The two of them also briefly responded before joining Li Tangyu and the others.
Huang Qingling came over and sat right next to Li Qingqing, while Lin Jing greeted a few people and then took a seat as well.
No sooner had he sat down than he heard Li Qingqing complain:
"You don't know, my brother is just too stingy. Because of him not being willing during the last auction, I missed out on a rare and good sword manual." "That's just how Tan Yuyi always is…"
"Aside from alchemy, he's uninterested in anything else. To make him spend Spirit Stones is probably asking too much."
Huang Qingling spoke openly, holding nothing back.
Again hearing 'Tan Yuyi,' Li Tangyu couldn't help but speak up:
"Sister Qing Ling, could you please change the way you address me? This 'Tan
Yuyi' really doesn't sound good."
"Okay, Tan Yuyi…"
"I got it, Tan Yuyi…"
The relentless teasing from Huang Qingling left Li Tangyu with a headache, but he had no other recourse.
This made Li Qingqing at his side giggle non-stop. And she forgot all about her complaints.
"What sword manual?"
Huang Qingling became interested at this point and asked..
Chapter 140: Slaughter True Law Sword
As the topic of sword techniques came up, Zhang Yuan also leaned forward a bit, clearly very interested.
Li Tangyu then spoke:
"Lingyin Yu Jian Jue…"
After saying this, he went on to explain:
"However, that sword technique is too expensive, and it also has special restrictions, so I didn't want Qing Qing to bid on it." At this moment, Li Qingqing was not pleased:
"Hmm… "
"If it weren't for me being bewitched and listening to your advice, and bidding just a little more, maybe I could have gotten that Lingyin Yu Jian Jue." Having said that, Li Qingqing continued with a pained expression: "How could I have been so foolish to believe you back then, causing me to regret it even now."
Li Tangyu shook his head, saying:
"Not necessarily…"
"Didn't I take you to find the buyer afterward, and also the reward we offered him wasn't low, yet he still didn't exchange it."
"He simply doesn't lack Spirit Stones, no matter how much you increased the price, he could have kept up with it."
Huang Qingling interjected at that moment, saying:
"That Lingyin Yu Jian Jue you're talking about, I remember…"
"It needs to be used in conjunction with a formless and shadowless Flying Sword to unleash its full power, right?"
"That's right…" Li Qingqing nodded.
Huang Qingling looked puzzledly at Li Qingqing:
"Without a formless and shadowless Flying Sword, what do you want that sword technique for?"
Li Qingqing replied, "I just really liked that sword technique when I saw it…"
"To have a formless and shadowless Flying Sword, with the technique in hand, then finding another Flying Sword like that would be good, right?" Just then, Zhang Yuan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up:
"To craft a formless and shadowless Flying Sword, one needs a large amount of transparence crystal, which is rare; I'm afraid the sword would be even harder to find."
"Is a formless and shadowless Flying Sword that hard to find?" Li Qingqing couldn't quite believe it.
"Brother Zhang is right; a formless and shadowless Flying Sword is indeed very hard to find." Li Tangyu nodded in agreement.
Huang Qingling's mouth twitched into a smile as she suddenly said:
"I have seen a formless and shadowless Flying Sword…"
Upon hearing this, Li Qingqing turned her head to look at Huang Qingling and quickly asked:
"Sister Qing Ling, where did you see it?"
Li Tangyu and Zhang Yuan also turned their gazes toward Huang Qingling.
Huang Qingling pointed and said:
"Lin Jing's Magic Artifact is…"
Upon hearing this, Li Qingqing immediately turned to look at Lin Jing, her eyes filled with hope.
And Li Tangyu was also interested.
"I wonder, Brother Lin, if it would be convenient for you to let us have a look at your formless and shadowless Flying Sword," Li Tangyu said.
"Of course, no problem…" Lin Jing spoke.
After finishing his words, Lin Jing took out the Flawless Sword and handed it to Li Tangyu.
Li Tangyu reached out to take the Flawless Sword, feeling its icy touch, and as he looked at it, his gaze passed straight through the blade, clearly seeing everything beneath it.
Moreover, this Flying Sword contained not a single impurity and, unless one looked closely, it was completely undetectable.
Li Qingqing's eyes sparkled as she looked at the Flawless Sword, even reaching out to touch it with the tip of her finger.
Li Tangyu caressed the Flawless Sword, sincerely marveling:
"A superb Magic Artifact, this Flying Sword is among the best in even the highest grade of Magic Artifacts, Brother Lin, you are really lucky…" Having said this, Li Tangyu curiously asked Lin Jing: "Could I ask how you came by this Flying Sword, Brother Lin?" "This Flying Sword was a gift from a friend…" Lin Jing said.
"So envious…"
Li Qingqing, standing to the side, was staring intently at the Flawless Sword, not willing to look away.
"With this Flying Sword and the Lingyin Yu Jian Jue, it would be a perfect
"What a pity…"
"Who knows who ended up taking that Lingyin Yu Jian Jue, otherwise, I would have paid a great price to get it."
Li Qingqing caressed the Flawless Sword, filled with regret…
"Indeed…"
Li Tangyu also agreed.
Lin Jing, however, remained expressionless.
Because the Lingyin Yu Jian Jue was in his possession.
After a while longer, Li Tangyu checked the Flawless Sword and returned it to Lin Jing, who promptly put it away.
After that, they shifted the topic and began discussing other matters.
Before long, several people came down from upstairs.
The newcomers were none other than the true people attending the banquet.
Seeing the true people descending from upstairs, the young scions on the third floor all stood up and respectfully greeted them with clasped hands:
"We greet all the true people." "Please, be seated…"
"No need for such formalities…
Subsequently, the true people approached Lin Jing and the others.
They all clasped their hands in a show of respect.
At this moment, the Zhang Family Patriarch stepped forward and said to Lin Jing:
"Young man, come here…"
Although filled with confusion, not understanding what the Zhang Family Patriarch intended, Lin Jing went over.
"Elder Chunfan, may I know what you instruct?" Lin Jing asked respectfully.
"I have a gift for you…" said the Zhang Family Patriarch.
After speaking, the Zhang Family Patriarch took out a dark red miniature sword less than an inch long from his Space Ring and handed it to Lin Jing.
"This Flying Sword is named the Executioner's True Sword. It's a Forbidden Artifact, capable of being used only once, but its power is extraordinary, even a threat to a Golden Core Immortal. I'm giving it to you for your protection."
A Forbidden Artifact, and one that could threaten a Golden Core Immortal, this Executioner's True Sword was indeed extremely precious.
Lin Jing dared not accept it and instead turned to look at Elder Yu beside him.
Elder Yu nodded and said:
"Since Elder Chunfan is giving it to you, take it."
Lin Jing understood that the two must have already discussed it. "Thank you, Elder Chunfan."
After Lin Jing spoke, he took the small Flying Sword and tucked it away.
Then, Elder Yu said to the Zhang Family Patriarch: "Since you've given a gift, I can't be without a gesture, can I?"
"Young man, come here…"
Elder Yu gestured to Zhang Yuan with his hand.
"I greet Elder Yu…"
Zhang Yuan came forward and clasped his hands to Elder Yu.
Next, Elder Yu took out a shield-shaped Magic Artifact from his Storage Bag and handed it to Zhang Yuan.
"I'm not as wealthy as your Zhang Family, but this shield is a top-grade Defensive Magical Artifact. Its defense capability is quite decent. Once you refine it, you can use it immediately."
"Go ahead, don't forget to thank Elder Yu…"
Zhang Yuan took the shield and once again clasped his hands:
"Thank you, Elder Yu."
"Since a gift has been given, it cannot be the only one…"
After speaking, Elder Yu took out a few more gifts and presented them to the siblings Li Tangyu and Li Qingqing. Even Huang Qingling received one.
However…
Their gifts obviously could not compare with those given to Lin Jing and Zhang
Yuan.
Afterwards, the true people left.
Before they left, the true people instructed them to get together when they could.
The meaning was clear…
Perhaps the true people had already reached some agreement in secret.
From now on, they would likely be 'people of the same camp'. After watching the true people walk away, Huang Qingling finally spoke:
"Lin Jing, come…"
"Let me have a look at your Executioner's True Sword."
Lin Jing took out the miniature sword and passed it over.
Huang Qingling stood up, took the Executioner's True Sword from Lin Jing's hand, and then examined it closely.
Li Tangyu and Li Qingqing also gathered around to take a look.
After a long while…
Huang Qingling finally passed the Executioner's True Sword back to Lin Jing.
"I'm really envious of you for getting such a wonderful treasure…"
"This won't do…
"I'm feeling unbalanced, you need to make up for it by cooking me some good food…" Huang Qingling said huffily..
Chapter 141: In the Blink of an Eye, Half a Year
Lin Jing couldn't help but cry and laugh at the same time:
"Okay…"
At this moment, Li Qingqing, who was standing to the side, sized up Lin Jing and then turned her head to ask Huang Qingling:
"Does Lin Daoyou also cook?"
"Of course…" Huang Qingling opened her mouth as if it were obvious.
"Lin Daoyou, how are his cooking skills?" Li Qingqing asked.
"Well, let's just say, he's quite on par with the head chefs of the Drunken
Immortal Pavilion…"
"Really?"
"Then one of these days, I must try Brother Lin's skills," Li Tangyu said.
"Count me in!" Zhang Yuan also chimed in at that moment.
"Qing Ling Daoyou is exaggerating. Although my cooking is passable, it's not comparable to the chefs of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion," Lin Jing modestly claimed.
"Talk is cheap. In a few days, you all come over, and let him show off his skills…"
Huang Qingling promptly decided.
"Okay…" the group responded.
After the banquet ended, everyone dispersed.
Lin Jing and Huang Qingling said goodbye to Li Tangyu and the other three and went back as well.
The day after returning, Elder Yu started his seclusion.
Since he needed a long time for this seclusion, he also had some matters to discuss with Lin Jing before he began.
In the days following Elder Yu's seclusion, members from both the Zhang Family and the Liu Clan underwent their Tribulations.
This time, perhaps learning from Li Family's lesson, both families were well-prepared, and both individuals succeeded in their Tribulations.
As for Fang Market, no one underwent Tribulation there. It was said that they had already sent the Cultivation True Elixir away.
The five Cultivation True Elixirs refined by Elder Master Li this time allowed three people to break through to the Golden Core Stage.
In Fang Market, this added three Golden Core Immortals.
For a while, Fang Market once again bustled with excitement.
Next…
After the hustle, days returned to their tranquil state.
Time passed in a whirl, and before they knew it, more than half a year had gone by.
By the end of October, the weather was cool and refreshing.
However, the nighttime weather was already cold enough to chill the bones.
On this day…
Lin Jing gathered with several others in his courtyard.
They were Huang Qingling and the siblings Li Tangyu and Zhang Yuan, among others.
Lin Jing was busy in the kitchen at the time, while Li Tangyu and Zhang Yuan were helping.
Meanwhile, Huang Qingling and Li Qingqing were chatting leisurely in the courtyard.
It was then that Li Tangyu suddenly spoke up:
"Brother Zhang, I heard that your uncle has stabilized his cultivation and emerged from seclusion?"
What Li Tangyu referred to was naturally the Zhang Family's newly ascended Golden Core and also one of Zhang Yuan's uncles.
"Mm, he just came out yesterday…" Zhang Yuan replied.
"It seems, if nothing unexpected occurs, Elder Yu should be exiting seclusion soon too…" Li Tangyu then turned to Lin Jing and said.
"Should be, and Elder Bai should be returning soon from his trip as well," Lin Jing replied.
"Oh, by the way, Brother Li…"
"I heard that you refined a batch of third- grade Elixir Medicine yesterday. How did it go?" Lin Jing turned his head and asked Li Tangyu.
Li Tangyu replied, "Not too bad, I managed a couple of Medium Grade ones at best."
After speaking, Li Tangyu sighed:
"Sigh…'
"The Spirit Plants needed to refine third-grade Elixir Medicines are too hard to find; this furnace was only the third one I've refined since advancing to a third – grade Alchemist."
"If I had the chance to refine a few more times and get more practice, I should be able to produce Superior grade Elixir Medicine."
Finding the Spirit Plants for third-grade Elixir Medicines indeed proved challenging, and even Li Tangyu, a scion of an Alchemy Dao family, rarely had the opportunity to refine third- grade Elixir Medicines.
Let alone Lin Jing.
Since Lin Jing became a third-grade Alchemist half a year ago, thanks to his proficiency.
Until now, he had not yet refined even one furnace of third-grade Elixir Medicine.
The most important reason is that the materials are hard to come by.
For Li Tangyu, Lin Jing was very envious. Born into an alchemic family, he could obtain those rare spirit plants with the help of his clan.
Whereas Lin Jing could only fend for himself.
"Are you done yet? We're starving…"
By now, Huang Qingling and Li Qingqing, who had been in the courtyard, came to the kitchen door and urged them on.
Li Tangyu looked up at the two and teased them with a smile,
"You two don't help at all, yet you have the nerve to rush us without feeling guilty?"
"Brother, don't you want to cook a delicious meal for your dearest sister…" Having said that, Li Qingqing put on a fragile look and blinked at Li Tangyu.
Then, she turned her head towards Huang Qingling. Huang Qingling caught on and spoke directly,
"Tang Yu…"
Before Huang Qingling finished speaking, Li Tangyu interrupted her.
"Alright…"
"No more words, I shouldn't have spoken. The two young misses, please go wait."
Li Tangyu seemed weary of the two, while Lin Jing and Zhang Yuan exchanged glances but kept a tacit silence.
At that moment, silence was the wisest decision.
Soon after, the preparations were finished, and the food was served. Everyone sat down to eat together.
"It smells so good…"
Upon smelling the aroma of the dishes, Li Qingqing's appetite was instantly aroused.
"Which dish did my brother make? I want to try that first."
"This vegetable and pork fish soup was made by him," Lin Jing said.
"Good… Let me try…"
"Lin Jing, have the Detoxification Elixir ready, just in case I accidentally poison myself. Please save me in time, Brother Lin Jing…" Li Qingqing's performance was quite exaggerated.
Since Li Qingqing was the youngest, she started calling Lin Jing "brother" after they became familiar with each other.
To differentiate from Li Tangyu, she also added Lin Jing's name, thus it became the address she used now.
Li Tangyu's face was lined with frustration.
Watching his mischievous sister, he gripped his chopsticks a bit tighter, almost ready to rap them on Li Qingqing's head next.
Li Qingqing took a spoon, scooped up some of the vegetable and pork fish soup into her bowl, picked up a slice of fish, and put it in her mouth. "Not bad at all; my brother's cooking has improved. You all should try too…"
After speaking, she scooped soup into bowls for the others.
Lin Jing also picked up a piece of fish and tasted it.
"Hmm… "Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children's st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys(.)c0m
"The fish is fresh, and the soup is delightful… Indeed, it's quite good…"
Huang Qingling and Zhang Yuan also nodded in agreement.
Just as Li Tangyu was smiling proudly to himself,
A remark from Huang Qingling made Li Tangyu's smile freeze instantly on his face.
"If you work a little harder, you might reach half the level of Lin Jing…"
"Yes, yes… I was about to say that…"
Li Qingqing nodded repeatedly, expressing her agreement.
Actually…
Li Tangyu's cooking skills were quite good, and he had at least eighty percent of Lin Jing's proficiency.
And this vegetable and pork fish soup was Li Tangyu's specialty, which he doubted even Lin Jing could surpass.
However…
Huang Qingling and Li Qingqing were just used to teasing and belittling Li
Tangyu.
Outside the home, Li Tangyu was always polite and gentlemanly.
Not only was he handsome, but he also possessed cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Moreover…
He was the youngest third-grade alchemist in Fang Market.
Many daughters from families within the market had feelings for him.
But Huang Qingling felt nothing towards him.
She and Li Qingqing spent their days mocking and belittling him for fun..
Chapter 142: Striking at Foundation Establishment
Li Tangyu also knew that it was pointless to reason with them, so he quickly changed the subject:
"Brother Lin, how is your recent progress in making second rank elixir medicines? Do you have any questions or anything that confuses you?"
Li Qingqing then eagerly spoke up:
"Yes, Brother Lin Jing…'
"If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask my brother. Although he isn't as good at cooking as you are, his alchemy skills are still very impressive…"
Upon hearing his sister's praise, Li Tangyu immediately felt a sense of contentment.
Lin Jing clasped his fist and said:
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Li."
"I've only recently become a second-grade alchemist, and so far, it's been going well. I haven't encountered any problems yet, but if I do, I will seek advice from Brother Li at that time."
Two months earlier…
Lin Jing felt that the time was right, and hence he elevated his hidden cultivation to the seventh level of Qi Refinement.
At the same time…
He also revealed some of his alchemy skills, becoming a second -grade alchemist.
After all, if he continued to hide his abilities, it wouldn't be good. Elde always been optimistic about him, believing in his talent for alchemy.
Now, after so much time had passed, it would be unreasonable for him not to advance.
Upon becoming a second-grade alchemist, he naturally became an official alchemist under the Yuebaolou, and his alchemy tasks were upgraded to making second rank elixirs.
However…
He had only been a second-grade alchemist for a short while.
Therefore, with special permission from Elder Bai, the number of elixir medicines he needed to turn in was less than others.
"Hmm, good…"
"If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to come and ask me," said Li Tangyu.
Afterwards, the group shifted the topic again and began to talk about other things.
At one point, they even mentioned Liu Yiyuan, remarking that they hadn't seen him for a long time and he had stopped pestering Huang Qingling.
Since the last time at the underworld market, Lin Jing had also not seen Liu Yiyuan for quite a while; he seemed to have disappeared.
Soon..
After a full meal and pleasant conversation, as night deepened, everyone bid farewell to Lin Jing and went their separate ways.
After Lin Jing saw them off…
He came back, cleaned the remaining mess on the table, put everything back in the kitchen, and then entered the System Space.
Inside the System Space, the Spirit Fields were still lush with Spirit Plants.
The last batch of Spirit Plants had already been harvested, earning another batch of Harvest Points, and the current batch had only recently been planted, with all being only seedlings.
Since third-grade Spirit Plants were hard to find, Lin Jing had to continue planting these second-grade Spirit Grasses in the space.
During this period, he had sold elixir medicines at the underworld market a few times, and had managed to save up some Spirit Stones, slowly starting to become prosperous.
However, during one visit to the underworld market, he encountered a cultivator selling a third -grade Spirit Plant that had just been picked and still had its roots.
Without any hesitation, Lin Jing purchased it.
That third -grade Spirit Plant was an auxiliary ingredient for making the Cultivation True Elixir, but it wasn't cheap; just buying that one plant cost Lin Jing more than half of his Spirit Stones.
Nevertheless, acquiring that Spirit Plant was worth it for Lin Jing.
In the meantime, Lin Jing's cultivation had also been steadily rising. Over four months ago, he had already crossed the ninth level of Qi Refinement, reaching the peak of Qi Refinement.
Now, his cultivation was overflowing, nearing the breakthrough point.
He entered the System Space this time to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Moreover, as soon as he had reached the peak of Qi Refinement, he started preparing the Foundation Building Elixir.
This time, for his Foundation Establishment, he directly prepared five flawless Foundation Building Elixirs. With these, even with his Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root, he should hopefully be able to break through.
Following that, Lin Jing went to the Alchemy Room.
As soon as he stepped into the Alchemy Room, Lin Jing felt that his Divine Sense had grown much stronger and become more substantial, and even the slight tipsiness from the alcohol vanished.
With the strengthening effect of the Alchemy Room on his Divine Sense, his breakthrough would be a little easier.
Upon entering the Alchemy Room, Lin Jing didn't rush to make his breakthrough but chose to sit cross-legged first, restoring his condition.
This meditation took Lin Jing a full hour.
An hour later, Lin Jing opened his eyes, feeling that his condition had completely recovered.
Next…
He reached into his Storage Bag and pulled out five Pure Jade Boxes, which contained the Foundation Building Elixirs he had prepared.
Then, Lin Jing opened one of the Pure Jade Boxes, and instantly a fragrance filled the Alchemy Room.
Lin Jing picked up the Foundation Building Elixir inside and placed it directly into his mouth.
No sooner had the Elixir entered his mouth than it turned into a warm stream, flowing into his stomach, and then…
With a "boom"…
The vast Spiritual Power contained within the Elixir exploded within Lin Jing's body.
Lin Jing hurriedly collected his thoughts, fully operating the Immortal Dao Five Elements Art to dissipate that huge amount of Spiritual Power.
One quarter of an hour…
Two quarters of an hour…
Time slowly passed…
Fine beads of sweat started to form on Lin Jing's forehead.
Clearly, Lin Jing's breakthrough was not an easy task.
After all, he had a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root, which made his breakthrough several times more difficult than others.
Especially at the critical juncture of advancing to the next realm, it was particularly tough.
If he didn't have so many pure Foundation Building Elixirs, he might have needed decades, even a hundred years of accumulation, to have a slim chance of breakthrough.
Just like the Zhang Family Patriarch, other Golden Core Immortals were generally in their two or three hundreds of age.
Yet, he was already over five hundred years old, nearing his life's limit, and still only at the mid Golden Core stage.
And this was with relatively good resources and luck.
The difficulty of a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root breaking through is evident.
Before long, more than two hours had passed, and Lin Jing felt he still hadn't reached the threshold for a breakthrough.
He then opened his eyes once more.
He opened the two Pure Jade Boxes he had set aside…
This time, he directly consumed two pure Foundation Building Elixirs.
As the liquid flowed down his throat into his lower abdomen, the mighty Spiritual Power erupted once again; this time, the explosion was even more intense, and Lin Jing felt like he was almost burst by that instantaneous force.
After the explosion of Spiritual Power, Lin Jing closed his eyes and continued to refine the liquid with all his heart and effort.
Time went by slowly…
Lin Jing, fully committed to his breakthrough, finally felt the bottleneck, like a towering mountain lying before him.
At this moment, there was still a lot of Spiritual Power generated from the two pure Foundation Building Elixirs he had refined, but Lin Jing didn't rush to challenge the bottleneck of the new realm. Instead, he continued refining…
Another hour passed, the medicinal power was completely refined, and Lin Jing operated the Immortal Dao Five Elements Art, gathering all the Spiritual Power in his body to strike at that bottleneck.
Once, without any movement…
Twice, there was some reaction…
Thrice, the bottleneck finally showed signs of loosening.
And this, was already Lin Jing's limit, it was evident…
The Spiritual Power wasn't enough…
This was the difficulty of breaking through with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root; even three pure Foundation Building Elixirs hadn't achieved a successful breakthrough.
He couldn't help but admire the Zhang Family Patriarch, wondering how he had managed to break through in the past.
That process must have been incredibly arduous as well….
Chapter 143: Successful Foundation Establishment
Then, Lin Jing opened his eyes again.
He stuffed the remaining two Pure Foundation Building Elixirs into his mouth in one go…
This time, Lin Jing didn't believe he could still fail to break through that bottleneck.
After almost four hours of refining, Spiritual Energy was everywhere within Lin Jing's body, and he felt as if he was about to burst from it.
Following that, Lin Jing circulated his Cultivation Technique, and launched a direct assault.
"Boom"
A mighty surge of Spiritual Power broke through, creating many cracks in the calm surface, and Lin Jing felt the Foundation Establishment Stage was right before his eyes.
And then, he continued to attack…
"Boom"
"Crack"
As if something had shattered, the obstruction vanished in an instant, and at that moment, Lin Jing felt an utter relief throughout his body, particularly within his Divine Sense.
It had suddenly become several times more powerful.
Even the Spiritual Power that had filled his body just a moment ago was instantly drawn into his meridians, flowing through them.
At this time, a system prompt sounded.
"Ding"
"System prompt: Congratulations to the host for successfully breaking through to a new realm, reward: 20 Harvest Points."
"I did it…"
As Lin Jing was indulging in the joy of his breakthrough, he suddenly smelled a foul odor and felt something sticky on his body.
Lin Jing opened his eyes and saw that many sticky black substances had seeped out from his body, which were the source of the stench.
Elder Yu had once mentioned that everyone purges impurities from their body during Foundation Building, and Lin Jing knew that this must be the impurities being expelled from his body.
Enduring the foul smell, Lin Jing took off his clothes and then used the Spiritual Energy Water Technique to wash away the filth.
After cleaning himself, Lin Jing circulated his Cultivation Technique to dry off the moisture, and then took out a clean set of clothes from his Storage Bag and put them on.
He then felt refreshed.
Next, Lin Jing cleaned up the clothes he had taken off and the water used to wash his body, wrapping them together.
He planned to take them out of the System Space later for disposal.
Such impurities were toxic, and while it would have been fine to bury them randomly outside, he was inside the System Space and could not simply discard them.
After all, this was his personal space. Lin Jing then said out loud,
"Open the system panel."
Immediately, a panel appeared before Lin Jing's eyes. He hadn't checked the system panel in a long time, so he looked up… System Space (Level 3)
Remaining Time: 212 hours (Accumulable: 300 hours)
Host: Lin Jing
Spirit Field Range: 30 mu
Spiritual Energy Concentration: 3 Time Flow Speed: 3
Daily Entry Time: 6 hours
Upgrade Required: (1260/2000 Harvest Points)
Special Functions: Alert, Observe, Time Accumulation, Four Seasons,
Environmental Terrain, Spirit Plant Repair, Enhancement Attachment.
In the past half a year, thanks to frequent Alchemy, Lin Jing had earned quite a few Harvest Points just from making Pure Elixirs.
In addition to those he got from mature Spirit Plants, he now had accumulated 1260 Harvest Points, and the next system upgrade was not far away. Next, Lin Jing reached out and clicked on the 'Host' section of the panel.
His own information panel appeared before his eyes.
Lin Jing (26/300)
Spiritual Root: Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root (Low Grade)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage – First Layer (8%)
Cultivation Techniques: Immortal Dao Five Elements Art, Ling Yin Imperial
Sword Technique (Second Layer), Controlling Fire Technique (Perfection)
Secondary Occupation: Third-Rank Pill Master (2613/30000)
Advancing to Foundation Establishment had significantly increased Lin Jing's lifespan. He now had a full three hundred years, and he was only 26 years old. According to the flow of time in the System Space, his actual age should have already exceeded 28 years.
However, when he was inside the System Space, his body's transformation seemed to be calculated based on the external flow of time.
That is to say…
Now, his body's growth rate inside the System Space had been slowed down by three times, always the same as the people outside.
This discovery left Lin Jing somewhat incredulous.
At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel at the power of the System.
Lin Jing looked on, and everything else on the panel was normal, except his cultivation had increased by an additional 8%…
Besides…
His Controlling Fire Technique had also been cultivated to perfection, incapable of any further improvement.
Then, Lin Jing had no intention of leaving the System Space.
Instead, he sat down directly and started to meditate and consolidate his cultivation.
He had just advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage and needed to stabilize his realm, and the dense spiritual energy within the System Space could speed up the stabilization of his realm.
Therefore, Lin Jing did not go out.
Time passed, and when Lin Jing felt it was about right and came out, it was already close to midday.
Lin Jing did a quick calculation and realized that he had spent no short period inside the System Space, exceeding one day's time.
Next, Lin Jing buried the black impurities and the set of clothes he had changed out of by digging a hole in the backyard and covering it.
After covering it up, Lin Jing cleaned himself again, and after sniffing, he found no strange smell on his body, which set his mind at ease. Subsequently, Lin Jing opened the door and headed out.
Today, he had to make a trip to Yuebaolou.
Upon arriving at Yuebaolou, Lin Jing walked straight through the hall to the backyard of Yuebaolou.
Along the way…
He encountered quite a few people, many of whom greeted Lin Jing.
Lin Jing also nodded in response.
Ever since Elder Yu had advanced to the Golden Core stage, Lin Jing's name had gradually become known to more people, many of whom recognized him and were exceptionally enthusiastic towards him.
This made Lin Jing rather uncomfortable, so he rarely visited Yuebaolou unless it was necessary.
Especially since Elder Yu was in closed-door cultivation, and Elder Bai was also away from Fang Market due to other matters, he was less likely to visit without a reason.
But, today was different…
Because today was the day he needed to turn in Elixir Medicines and collect alchemy materials.
Upon reaching the backyard, he unexpectedly encountered the pill master surnamed Wang and Yu Yan once again.
It seemed as if he was fated to run into these two, as it had happened several times already.
"Lin Daoyou…"
When there was still a considerable distance between them, the alchemist surnamed Wang started greeting Lin Jing.
Only when the three of them drew closer did Yu Yan also start to greet him:
"Lin Daoyou…"
"Wang Daoyou, Yu Daoyou…" Lin Jing responded.
At this moment, the alchemist surnamed Wang spoke up again and asked:
"Daoyou, are you also here to turn in Elixir Medicines?"
"Yes…" Lin Jing answered.
"Just recently promoted to a second-grade Pill Master, Lin Daoyou can complete tasks with ease, truly admirable," the alchemist surnamed Wang complimented.
"I just managed to do so somehow…"
Lin Jing simply responded, then took his leave from the two men.
"I still have several batches of Elixir Furnace Medicine to concoct today, so I
won't chat any longer… Wang Daoyou, Yu Daoyou, farewell."
"Since Lin Daoyou is busy, we won't disturb you. Farewell, Lin Daoyou," the alchemist surnamed Wang said with a fist salute.
"Farewell…" Yu Yan also saluted with his fist.
Lin Jing returned the salute and then departed.
After Lin Jing had walked some distance away, the alchemist surnamed Wang finally expressed his admiration.
"Being the nephew of the true person Yu and still so dedicated, Lin Daoyou truly is a role model for our generation…"
Yu Yan, standing beside him, looked at the alchemist surnamed Wang with a complicated expression but did not speak..
Chapter 144: Elder Yu Emerges from Seclusion
Lin Jing, after parting with the two individuals, arrived at the place where elixir medicines were to be submitted.
Upon entering the room, Lin Jing did not see the steward who had always been present there before.
Instead, it was Steward Cheng.
Steward Cheng, seeing Lin Jing's arrival, greeted him with a smile, saying,
"Ah, have you refined enough elixir medicines to come make your submission?"
Lin Jing replied,
"Yes, Steward Cheng…"
Having said this, Lin Jing then inquired,
"Steward Cheng, how come you're here, where's the previous steward?"
"He has some urgent matters to attend to, so he asked me to fill in for him temporarily."
"I see…" Lin Jing responded.
Then, Lin Jing took out several small porcelain bottles from the Storage Bag and handed them to Steward Cheng,
"Steward Cheng, these are the elixir medicines I need to submit, thirty in total, please examine them."
Since Lin Jing was now a Second Rank Alchemist, the elixir medicines he needed to submit were also upgraded to second rank medicines.
And because Lin Jing had only recently been promoted to Second-Grade Alchemist, Elder Bai had given him a certain level of consideration.
Therefore…
Lin Jing now only needed to submit thirty second rank elixir medicines each month.
While other Offering Priests had to submit at least fifty second rank elixir medicines, and they also had to include a certain number of superior grade elixir medicines to qualify.
There was no such quality requirement for the elixir medicines Lin Jing submitted.
Of course…
This consideration was definitely time-limited, it was estimated that after half a year, Lin Jing's alchemy requirements would gradually increase until they matched everyone else's.
In order not to draw attention, most of the elixir medicines Lin Jing submitted were of Low Grade, though there were also a few of Medium Grade.
According to the refinement success rate of a newly advanced Second-Grade Pill Master, this was just about right and would not arouse suspicion from others.
Steward Cheng opened the small porcelain bottles, checked them, and then nodded, saying,
"Hmm, this is fine, you've made great progress…"
"Compared to the elixir medicines you submitted last month, these are already quite good, keep it up."
"It's mostly thanks to Elder Yu's previous guidance," Lin Jing said humbly.
Steward Cheng waved his hand and said,
"Elder Yu's guidance is only part of it…'
"Of course, you've worked hard yourself, there's no need to be overly modest…"
After saying this, Steward Cheng changed the topic,
"Up next, you'll want to collect the alchemy ingredients, right…"
"Yes, Steward Cheng…" Lin Jing said.
"I have already prepared everything…"
Upon saying this, Steward Cheng took out a package from within his Storage Bag.
"A total of 100 portions of second rank alchemy ingredients, all already sorted, so you don't need to sort them yourself and can use them directly for alchemy." "Thank you, Steward Cheng…" Lin Jing bowed with his hands clasped.
Having collected the materials and leaving the inner courtyard, Lin Jing was about to head back when, he saw Elder Bai walking toward this place.
Elder Bai had actually returned!
Lin Jing calculated that this time Elder Bai had been away was not short, a good month or more.
Lin Jing stepped forward and bowed with his hands clasped, saying,
'Elder Bai…'
Elder Bai had already spotted Lin Jing. "Hmm…'
Elder Bai nodded and then spoke,
"Running into you is perfect, Elder Yu will exit seclusion tomorrow; you call Qing Ling over, and both of you come by tomorrow…"
"Once Elder Yu exits seclusion, we might have to leave for a while, and there are some matters I need to instruct you about."
Lin Jing, puzzled, spoke,
"Elder Bai, you've just returned and are going out again?
Elder Bai nodded:
'Yes!"
"This time leaving is different from before, and the time may be longer…" "So before departing, there are still some matters I must explain to you."
"Understood, Elder Bai…" Lin Jing nodded. Elder Bai gave an approving nod and said:
"Alright…"
"You may go back first, I still have some matters to attend to here."
"Elder Bai, I take my leave." Lin Jing bowed with his hands clasped and bid farewell to Elder Bai.
"Hmm… "
Elder Bai uttered a response and then headed inside Yuebaolou.
After returning from Yuebaolou, Lin Jing did not go back to the small courtyard where he lived but instead sought out Huang Qingling first.
After informing Huang Qingling about the matters entrusted by Elder Bai, Lin Jing returned home.
Back at his own small courtyard, Lin Jing took a brief rest, then summoned the system and entered the System Space.
Upon arriving at the System Space, Lin Jing walked to Spirit Field Number One and looked at the few spirit plants in the field.
The Youth-Retaining Fruit Tree had already grown to ten feet tall and was still more than seven years from maturity.
There was also the Biling Flower, which grew quite slowly; it looked like only a seedling now, still eight years away from maturity.
The last was the Second Rank spirit plant Rockheart Grass, an auxiliary herb for creating Cultivation True Elixir, also growing in Spirit Field Number One.
These three spirit plants were the most precious ones Lin Jing had acquired so far.
Lin Jing checked the growing condition of the three spirit plants and found everything to be normal, so he paid them no further attention. He then went directly to the Alchemy Room to start stabilizing his cultivation base.
After cultivating through the night, Lin Jing tidied up and left the house, heading straight for Huang Qingling's courtyard.
Arriving at Huang Qingling's gate, he knocked.
Before long, Huang Qingling came out, and it appeared that it was just Huang Qingling alone.
Lin Jing asked:
"Where's Little Sparrow?"
"It has flown out to hunt, no need to mind it. It will return on its own when it's time," Huang Qingling replied. "It has been like this for a while." "I see…
"Let's go then…" Lin Jing said.
"Alright…" Huang Qingling nodded.
Thereafter, the two of them walked together towards Yuebaolou.
Arriving at Yuebaolou, Lin Jing followed Huang Qingling, heading straight up the building, all the way to the top floor where Elder Bai used for his cultivation practice.
Just stepping into the top floor, the area was shrouded in formations as before, with a misty expanse around them.
"Old Man Bai, we're here…" Huang Qingling called out.
No sooner had the words been spoken than the formation opened, and the white mist in front of them instantly dissipated.
They walked straight in and upon entering the room, saw Elder Bai and Elder Yu sitting there, drinking tea.
Seeing Lin Jing come over, Elder Yu spoke up immediately:
"Lin lad, I hear that during the time of my seclusion, you've advanced to a Second -Grade Alchemist?"
"Yes, Elder Yu…" Lin Jing replied.
"Not bad at all, just today I've seen the elixir medicines you submitted.
Although there are some imperfections, they indeed are at the level of a
Second -Grade Alchemist. "
"It seems my judgement was not wrong, your talent for alchemy is indeed undeniable."
"Thanks to Elder Yu's guidance, without you, I could not have made such quick progress…" Lin Jing spoke.
Touching his beard, Elder Yu's smile could not be concealed.
"Old man, I haven't really done much to help you; it's all due to your own efforts."
"Enough about this…"
Continuing…
Elder Yu changed the subject and continued:
"You must already know about the departure of Old Bai and me…."
Chapter 145: Yiyun Pavilion
"Yes…" Lin Jing replied.
"Where are you guys planning to go? It even requires both of you to leave together," Huang Qingling asked at this time.
Elder Bai looked up and said to Huang Qingling:
"Elder Yu has advanced to Golden Core and needs to report back to the pavilion.
I left a while ago to report this matter to the pavilion."
"Now, I need to take Elder Yu back to the pavilion again."
Lin Jing knew that behind Yuebaolou was a mysterious organization, which allowed it to grow and expand in the Nanming Domain, but he had never heard Elder Bai or Elder Yu mention this organization.
However, this 'pavilion' mentioned by Elder Bai just now must certainly be the power behind Yuebaolou.
"The pavilion? What is that?" Huang Qingling asked.
Elder Bai then turned to the two of them and said:
"I suppose neither of you knows about it, so let me tell you both…"
Lin Jing turned his head and looked at Huang Qingling beside him, somewhat incredulous.
It made sense for Lin Jing not to know about the power behind Yuebaolou since he hadn't been involved with Yuebaolou for long.
But the fact that Huang Qingling, who was Elder Bai's niece, also didn't know about the power behind Yuebaolou, surprised Lin Jing.
Elder Bai glanced at Lin Jing, as if seeing through his doubts, but didn't explain.
Instead, he continued:
"Right now, in the Nanming Domain, on the surface, there are two major powers, one is the Qingyuan Sword Sect, and the other is the Nanming Immortal Sect."
"These two powers, one in the east and one in the west, occupy more than half of the entire Nanming Domain."
"Other sects and families occupy the rest of the regions."
"However…"
"Between these two major powers, there is another great power that has always been hidden in the background. This power has enough strength to compete with the Qingyuan Sword Sect and the Nanming Immortal Sect." "And this power is our Yuebaolou's backing organization—Yiyun Pavilion."
"Yiyun Pavilion rose to prominence ten thousand years ago, but unlike other sects…"
"Yiyun Pavilion has always been hidden, developing in the form of an organization, and then establishing a business guild, gradually taking control of a vast amount of resources."
"Aside from Yuebaolou, there are also Nanyun Chamber of Commerce branches throughout the Nanming Domain, which are also forces under Yiyun Pavilion." "Of course…"
"Besides these, there are many other forces, in fact, that are supported by Yiyun Pavilion in the background. But I won't go into detail about that with you…"
At this point, Elder Bai paused, and then continued:
"Now…"
"Elder Yu needs to return to the Yiyun Pavilion headquarters to report his duty after his promotion to Golden Core."
"Which is why I need to take Elder Yu back with me."
"This trip might be very short or quite long. In our absence, Yuebaolou will temporarily be managed by Steward Cheng."
"If other matters arise and cause a prolonged delay, then the pavilion will dispatch other Golden Core Cultivators to temporarily manage the Yuebaolou in Nanshan Market."
"During this period, the two of you should stay here and not go out causing trouble."
"Especially you, Qing Ling…"
Elder Bai said this and then turned to Huang Qingling:
"Old Man Bai, do you really have so little confidence in me?"
Elder Bails mouth twitched, ignoring her.
He instead turned to Lin Jing and said:
"During the time we're away, you need to keep a good watch on her, don't let her cause any trouble…"
"Of course…"
Elder Bai's tone then changed as he continued:
"If anyone thinks to take advantage of my absence and wants to do something to you, there's no need to panic…"
"If you encounter any other unexpected events, you can also go directly to the Li Family Patriarch or the Zhang Family Patriarch. I will warn them in advance…"
"Old Man Bai, is there someone who wants to harm us?" Huang Qingling asked, puzzled.
"I've received some information; someone may be looking for trouble with me."
"And you may also be implicated,"
"It's just that things are not very certain right now…"
"Before I leave, I will try my best to arrange this matter properly."
"Also, do not let your guard down, you must always be vigilant because anything can happen," Elder Bai reminded them once again.
"Elder Bai, Elder Yu…"
"Your return to report so soon, isn't it?" Lin Jing asked.
"It is usually quick, this time upon returning, there might be some rewards in the pavilion, and perhaps Elder Yu will also be given an opportunity for training."
"At that time…"
"It is very possible that Elder Yu will be reassigned to another place."
"I will help sort things out and see if I can get him reassigned to one of the nearby Immortal Cities or back to Nanshan Market."
"I see…" Lin Jing suddenly understood.
"Elder Bai, Elder Yu, please be assured"
"I will definitely pay extra attention when the time comes."
Regarding what Elder Bai said last, Lin Jing also had some thoughts. If there was anyone in the Fang Market they had an issue with, it could only be Liu
Yiyuan.
Speaking of which…
Ever since that time in the black market when Liu Yiyuan saw him and Huang Qingling so intimate, there had been no word from him.
Previously, he was always pestering Huang Qingling, which was well-known to everyone, and now this…
"Could it be that Liu Yiyuan, out of love turned to hatred, intends to target the two of them?"
Lin Jing couldn't help but think to himself.
"But a single Liu Yiyuan simply couldn't be the reason Elder Bai is taking this so seriously…"
"Unless, it's the person behind Liu Yiyuan…"
In the end, after finishing their discussion, Lin Jing and Huang Qingling left.
In the following days…
After Elder Bai and Elder Yu had made all the arrangements, they left.
And Lin Jings life returned to its peaceful routine.
During this time, Lin Jing and Huang Qingling's life remained much the same, without much change.
Meanwhile, they were invited to the Li Family's Spirit Field.
Of course, Huang Qingling was not interested in these matters.
But Lin Jing was another story; during that time, he learned a great deal from Li Tangyu about the cultivation of Spirit Plants, and in the end, Li Tangyu even gave Lin Jing several related books.
However, Lin Jing had no immediate use for this knowledge.
Strangely enough, the Spirit Plants in the System Space did not require his care at all and were growing remarkably well.
Even the most common pests in the outside world were absent, which couldn't be explained by the mere richness of Spiritual Energy.
For this reason, Lin Jing specifically conducted an experiment.
He caught a black-lined worm that was nibbling on a Spirit Plant in the Li Family's Spirit Field, intending to bring it into the System Space.
However, as soon as it entered the space, it turned directly into ash.
It seemed that, besides Lin Jing and these Spirit Plants, the System Space could not accommodate any living thing.
But not having to worry about pests for these Spirit Plants also spared Lin Jing a lot of trouble.
He just needed to plant the Spirit Plants and then harvest them when the time was right.
Just like that…
Lin Jing continued his previous lifestyle, cultivating daily, practicing Alchemy, and occasionally gathering with a few people in his small courtyard.
Life was quite comfortable.
That is, until two months later, when news finally came.
There was a message from Yuebaolou, but Elder Bai and Elder Yu had not returned.
Instead, Yuebaolou had a new steward..