Chapter Thirty-One: Elder Lin

"Old Lin, I've done it!"

"Hmm, not bad." The soul-shadow of Lin Jun looked back at him, a hint of admiration in his eyes. This kid was indeed worthy of becoming an Immortal Venerable. Even before awakening his "Inverse Spiritual Root," he had relied solely on his own perseverance to reach the first level of Qi Refining within five days. Although he sensed that the boy had been wary of him from the very beginning, Lin Jun did not mind.

"Old Lin, how did you end up in this state? Did you encounter some enemy? If you could tell me their name, I, Wang Nixian, will surely avenge you in the future."

"Nonsense! I have thousands of avatars; my presence in this stone is merely to bestow a stroke of destiny upon you, brat. Don't be ungrateful!"

"Alright, Old Lin, will you always stay by my side?"

"That is hard to say. It is true that I am being hunted, but I have already taught you what I could. I am likely of no further use to you, so you need not dwell on it."

"...Old Lin, do not jest. I, Nixian, am a man who values loyalty and righteousness. The grace of your teachings shall never be forgotten!"

"Fine, since you have such a silver tongue, I will teach you one more technique... In truth, you possess an heaven-defying spiritual root that requires a special method to activate. Even if one day I am no longer here, you must continue to practice this method diligently. Only then will we have a chance to meet again."

"Old Lin, where are you going?" Wang Nixian asked, suddenly alarmed.

"Let us not speak of that for now. Remember the key instructions..."

Over a dozen days later, under the moonlight, Wang Nixian was straining himself, walking on his hands in a handstand, his face flushed red. Yet, his eyes burned with astonishing persistence.

"First invert the spirit, then invert the body, and finally invert the intent; only then can the divine art be achieved..."

Perched on a tree branch under the moonlight, watching the hardworking Wang Nixian, Lin Jun sipped the monkey wine the boy had offered him, a faint smile always lingering on his face. The hidden Inverse Spiritual Root this boy possessed required a specific method to trigger. The technique he taught might look undignified, but it was truly effective in helping the boy condense his "Inverse Intent."

But calculating the time, it was almost enough. For a disciple with an Inverse Spiritual Root, one could not raise them like Ye Zhetian. Wang Nixian was no hothouse flower; if he were kept on the Peak of Ten Thousand Laws, not only would he fail to condense his intent, but he would likely be spoiled. He had his own destiny to fulfill; walking the path outside, through cruel and bloody battles, was the only way forward. Otherwise, it would be equivalent to cutting off his path to becoming an Immortal Venerable.

Another dozen days later, due to his cultivation, Wang Nixian had grown taller, his face etched with a more determined fortitude, as if nothing could strike him down.

"Old Lin, where are we going?" he asked silently in his heart. Originally, he had intended to cross the Hundred Thousand Mountains to join the Demonic Path and seek a master, but after meeting "Old Lin," that was no longer necessary.

Thinking of "Old Lin," his heart warmed. At first, he had been wary of the old man, but later he realized that the elder was truly not some ghost or demon. Though the old man never admitted it, he had taught him everything without a hint of malice. Recalling this, he felt a twinge of guilt for his past suspicion... With this bond, even if "Old Lin" were truly a monster, he would still be Wang Nixian's benefactor.

"To where you ought to go. I must leave now. Remember to cultivate diligently in the future; do not become lazy or lax just because I am not by your side."

Old Lin's voice echoed, instantly filling Wang Nixian with a dark premonition.

"Old Lin, what are you saying? Didn't you want me to find you a suitable physical body?"

"It is too late. He is here."

Wang Nixian looked up and immediately saw a red-clad man with an evil expression hovering in the sky. Just by glancing at this man, Wang Nixian’s mind reeled, and he felt as if his blood had frozen. He knew this was the innate pressure brought about by a vast disparity in cultivation levels!

"Today, I cannot leave. You must cultivate well in the future and never fail my teachings."

As Lin Jun's figure manifested, Wang Nixian felt his mobility return, but large tears rolled down his cheeks, a sense of foreboding overwhelming him.

"Go now. If fate allows, we shall meet again."

The soul-shadow of Lin Jun waved a hand lightly, and Wang Nixian, filled with earth-shattering rage, was sent away.

"Old Lin, no! Let me stay and help you!" Wang Nixian roared through his tears, unable to resist being pushed back.

"Cultivate well." The soul-shadow of Lin Jun looked back and gave a faint smile, then grasped the phantom of the "Heavenly Heart Seed" manifesting in the void, and together, they detonated!

"No!"

Wang Nixian’s eyes cracked at the corners, but he was powerless to change the outcome.

With a shift of his divine soul, Lin Jun returned to his own body, and the system prompt sounded.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully taking on a disciple. Reward: One Immortal Venerable Gift Package!]

In the tree hollow, Lin Jun smiled, then turned invisible once more, keeping his attention on Wang Nixian’s movements.

Looking down from above, he saw the boy, his small face covered in tears of blood, picking up the countless shattered fragments of the stone, clutching them to his chest with reluctance. He then used his hands to dig a high, empty grave in the ground, carving "Tomb of Master Old Lin" onto a wooden board, before walking step by step out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, his eyes burning with astonishing killing intent.

"He wants to avenge me..." Although they had no further communication, Lin Jun understood his intent and sighed, wondering if what he had done was right or wrong.

However, the growth of an Inverse Spiritual Root is often accompanied by blood and slaughter; hothouse flowers were not their domain.

Lin Jun followed him through the void for a long time, finally leaving a mark upon him before allowing him to tread his own path of growth. As for himself, he returned to the Peak of Ten Thousand Laws.

On this day, amidst a drizzling rain, a man in black walked falteringly toward the Peak of Ten Thousand Laws. Having endured some unknown hardship, every step he took appeared exceptionally painful. It was none other than Lin Qingxuan, who had been missing for so long.

He knelt heavily at the foot of the Peak of Ten Thousand Laws.

"Master, Xuan'er was wrong..." he murmured to himself, his eyes already devoid of light.