Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 574: Confirm love, meet Hunxuzi again
The Jade Serpent's Three-Flower Pupil cannot control pure-blooded magical beasts... Lin Yuan did not consider this an insurmountable rule.

Just like the Calamity Poison Body, which would cause death at the Dou Zong and Dou Zun stages due to the outbreak of the poison body... This was the "ironclad rule" of the past, but after the creation of the Poison Pill and Poison Seal techniques, this so-called "ironclad rule" or "fate" has been broken.

In Lin Yuan's view as a time traveler, human power and wisdom inherently possess infinite possibilities to break the 'rules'.

The special physical constitutions such as the Calamity Poison Body and the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupils have only shown their inherent basic power so far, and there is still a great deal of potential to be explored.

Although they are inherently limited, it is not impossible to overcome these limitations with human wisdom and strength.

If Qinglin wants to climb to even greater heights, this is a step she must take!
On the other side, Qinglin listened quietly to Lin Yuan's words, her bright green eyes now sparkling with thoughtful light.

After a long while, she looked at Lin Yuan seriously and nodded solemnly: "Young Master, rest assured, Qing'er will definitely work hard to develop the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupil and live up to your expectations." Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying a sense of determination and persistence.

Looking at the girl's charming yet earnest expression, Lin Yuan's lips curled up slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face. He reached out and gently stroked her soft hair.

"Don't rush things; this is not something that can be accomplished overnight!"

"For now, your main focus should be on improving your cultivation. Just keep my suggestion in mind. In your spare time, you might as well calm down and think about and experiment with it."

“You are someone I raised... cough, nurtured, so I hope your thinking can be different from ordinary people, and that you will not be bound by convention.”

At this point, a hint of anticipation crept into her gentle voice.

Qinglin had been following Lin Yuan since she was twelve or thirteen years old, growing up under his influence. Among all the women, she was the one whose thinking was closest to his.

Furthermore, she is also a gem that Lin Yuan believes, with proper development of her abilities, she could rival Zi Yan in the future—Zi Yan, after reaching her peak, represents the pinnacle of individual combat; if Qing Lin can reach Lin Yuan's vision, she will be the pinnacle of group combat.

Feeling Lin Yuan's high expectations for her, Qing Lin felt a surge of joy, but she didn't say much, only nodding heavily once more.

At this moment, a gentle breeze swept by, ruffling Qinglin's hair and stirring Lin Yuan's clothes.

"Let's go see your sister Xiyue!"

Lin Yuan smiled slightly, gently took the girl's cool, delicate hand, and prepared to head towards the Netherworld.

One of his purposes in coming to the Nether Serpent Mountains was to deliver some pills to Medusa. Otherwise, once Medusa had fully completed her transformation and her strength had advanced to the fourth or fifth star Dou Sheng level, the effect of the precious pills in enhancing her cultivation would be greatly reduced!
However, Qinglin seemed to be rooted to the ground, and Lin Yuan, who did not pull hard, was unable to move the girl for a while.

"Qing'er, what's wrong?!"

Lin Yuan was slightly taken aback, turned around, and looked at Qing Lin with some confusion.

Qinglin pursed her lips slightly, a blush rising on her fair, jade-like cheeks. Her eyes held a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, along with a touch of shyness.

"Young Master, I'm an adult now, and my cultivation has reached the Dou Sheng level... Does that promise still stand?!" She pursed her lips slightly and let out a shy voice, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it clearly reached Lin Yuan's ears.

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head even further, as if afraid to see Lin Yuan's reaction, or as if waiting for the answer she had been longing for.

Lin Yuan was taken aback by Qing Lin's sudden question.

After regaining his senses, a gentle look flashed in his eyes, but he deliberately frowned slightly, pretending to be thinking hard, and muttered, "Agreement? What agreement? I don't think I remember it very well."

Upon hearing this, Qinglin's face turned pale. She looked up at Lin Yuan in disbelief: "Young Master... how... how could you forget?"

Her clear voice was tinged with a tremor and a sob.

Her bright green eyes widened instantly, filled with panic and helplessness. Her left hand gripped the hem of her clothes, her fingers turning white from the force.

"Ha ha--"

Seeing Qinglin's anxious look, Lin Yuan couldn't help but smile and let out a hearty laugh.

"Silly girl, I was just teasing you. How could I forget?!" He reached out and gently stroked Qinglin's small nose, his eyes full of laughter. "Now that you've grown up and have such cultivation, I'm overjoyed. So the promise will naturally stand."

"We've been together for so many years, even if you want to run away from me, hehe, your young master won't let you leave..."

Although his tone was slightly playful, his eyes were full of seriousness.

Upon hearing this, Qinglin finally realized what was happening. After a moment of silence, she clenched her embroidered fist and gently punched Lin Yuan's chest with a force as gentle as a spring breeze.

"Young master, you're so mean, you always bully me."

Although the words were meant to be reproachful, there was not a trace of resentment in their tone; instead, they were full of sweetness.

Lin Yuan smiled, gently pulled the girl into his arms, lowered his head, and slowly pressed his lips to her alluring red lips.

Qinglin crashed into Lin Yuan's broad chest, her cheeks instantly burning. The next moment, enveloped by his hot breath, she let out a soft moan and struggled slightly, but the force seemed more like a reluctant acceptance.

After a long while, their lips parted.

"Young master, Qing'er will never leave you. I will always stay with you."

Qinglin wrapped her arms around Lin Yuan's waist, buried her face deeply in his chest, and her shy yet firm voice rang in Lin Yuan's ears.

"Yes, I know!" Lin Yuan nodded slightly, his lips touched the girl's smooth forehead, and his hand, which was holding her slender waist, couldn't help but move quietly, then broke through her clothes and touched her warm and smooth skin like jade.

Feeling Lin Yuan's hand touching her, Qing Lin's cheeks immediately burned, and her bright eyes were now misty.

Lin Yuan's throat bobbed slightly, and his mouth felt dry.

However, when his gaze swept over the desolate scenery around him, he took a deep breath, suppressed the restless flames in his heart, and let reason regain its dominance.

In a place like this, to so hastily take Qinglin seems like a betrayal of her years of waiting!

From a cultivation perspective, indulging in momentary pleasure is a huge waste—most advanced dual cultivation methods are most effective the first time, and partners at the Dou Sheng level are extremely rare, so it shouldn't be such a waste!
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan reluctantly removed his hand from her firm, upright figure, slowly pulling it out from under the girl's dress, and gently stroking her long, black hair.

On the other side, the dazed look in Qinglin's eyes slowly faded, and her gaze returned to clarity. "Young Master, I...I'm going to cultivate!" Recalling what had just happened, her face flushed crimson as if it were about to bleed. She quickly broke free from Lin Yuan's embrace and, without waiting for his response, sped off into the distance.

Watching the beautiful figure disappear into the distance, Lin Yuan gently clenched his fist, savoring the moment he felt her upright posture, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Hehe, this girl has really grown up!"

With a light laugh, Lin Yuan lazily stretched his body, then transformed into a streak of light and flew straight towards the Nine Netherworlds.

Two days later, Lin Yuan, with a cold and aloof expression, flew out of the Netherworld.

Afterwards, he found Qinglin, who was cultivating, and taught her a high-level "cultivation" secret technique. He spent two days with the girl and then, without further hesitation, left the Nether Serpent Mountain Range under the girl's shy gaze, heading straight towards the Southern Region!

Having lost contact with the Soul Hall for a long time, it was time for him to go back, catch up on the news, and see what their recent movements were like...
-
One day later, in the Southern Region, at the Twenty-Third Hall of the Earthly Fiends.

Yuan Tianzun sat on his throne in the main hall, quickly flipping through the top-secret intelligence document in his hand. His brows were furrowed, and his face was full of solemnity.

Below the throne, the two celestial beings, Zhaixing and Lanyue, stood bowing.

About fifteen minutes later, Yuan Tianzun closed the scroll in his hand. His somewhat heavy voice, like muffled thunder, echoed in the empty hall.

"So many things have happened during my seclusion! Dozens of branch temples outside Zhongzhou have been destroyed, and hundreds of Dharma Protectors have been silenced. Yet, to this day, we still have no clue who or what is responsible!"

“That’s right!” Old Ghost Zhaixing stepped forward, his face also looking rather grim.

"This time, our Soul Palace has indeed suffered a great loss, and the Vice Palace Master is furious... Although we dispatched the Fourth, Eighth, and Ninth Heavenly Venerables to lead people to deal with it, the opponent is extremely cunning, and whether we can resolve this matter smoothly is still unknown."

"Lord Hunyuan, the Vice Hall Master has ordered you to use your channels to investigate this matter and see if the Pill Tower was involved."

"The others we've planted haven't yet penetrated deep into the core of the Dan Tower."

The old ghost who picks stars paused slightly, then secretly glanced at the young man on the throne, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes—this person in front of him definitely knows the inside story of the Pill Tower.

Danta would never have imagined that the future leader they had chosen would be one of their Soul Palace's Celestial Venerables.

And this Celestial Venerable was brought into the Soul Palace by the Star-Picking Celestial Venerable!
Thinking of this, Old Ghost Zhaixing felt a sense of pride—a pleasant feeling that he, a mere Dou Zun, had influenced the continent's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure of the world).

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tianzun casually waved his hand, "Assisting in the investigation... Tell the Vice Hall Master that I will take action on this matter!" This development was already within his expectations, and he even had a well-thought-out plan in mind on how to report this matter to the Soul Hall.

"Understood, I will pass on the message!" Old Ghost Zhaixing nodded slightly, then flipped his hand, and a black jade slip appeared in his palm.

"By the way, this is something the Vice Hall Master asked me to give you; it contains that person's plan!"

When the words "that great one" were mentioned, Old Ghost Zhaixing seemed to recall a scene, and the look of awe in his eyes involuntarily intensified.

"The cheap master's plan?" Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, he rolled the jade slip into his hand, then casually instructed, "Zhaixing and Lanyue, you two may leave! Oh, and this is your reward..."

As he spoke, he flicked his finger, and two jade bottles flew out from the Nether Sea Ring, hovering not far in front of the two of them.

"Thank you, sir. I'll take my leave now!"

Seeing the extraordinary pills emanating from the bottle, filled with spiritual mist, the two were overjoyed. They quickly bowed respectfully, accepted the pills as instructed, and left.

Seeing the two leave, Lin Yuan had a thought and transformed into a transparent barrier, separating the inside and outside of the entire hall.

"Just to be on the safe side, let's hide it a little!"

Looking at the black jade slip in his hand, Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment's thought, he formed several profound hand seals.

The moment the seal was formed, a white mist surged out of his body, like a surging tide, intertwining and converging towards his brow, eventually transforming into a lotus mark.

At that moment, Lin Yuan's aura fluctuated violently, and it took a quarter of an hour for it to stabilize again.

However, the aura emanating from him at this moment was no longer that of a late-stage one-star Dou Sheng in the late Heaven Realm, but rather that of a early-stage one-star Dou Sheng in the middle Heaven Realm.

"By concealing my aura with Nightmare Mist, unless someone at the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm or a high-level Dou Sheng examines me face-to-face, they should be unable to see through my true realm... Nightmare Mist, as expected of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint's signature technique, is not only versatile in its uses but also incredibly effective!"

Lin Yuan sensed his own aura and, finding no flaws, nodded in satisfaction, a smile appearing on his lips.

Once the preparations were complete, Lin Yuan no longer hesitated and crushed the black jade slip in his hand.

The moment the jade slip shattered, a surge of soul power rippled out. Lin Yuan's eyes flickered, and his consciousness entered a strange space, landing on a towering, precipitous peak.

On the edge of the cliff, a man dressed in black stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the sea of ​​clouds below.

Sensing the commotion, the man slowly turned around, scrutinized Lin Yuan for a moment, and then chuckled softly, "Hehe, long time no see, my beloved disciple! Your soul has already reached the mid-stage of the Heavenly Realm? Not bad, exceeding my expectations!"

Looking at the man in black before him, and at the scene that felt so familiar, Lin Yuan smiled knowingly. He bowed slightly and calmly performed a disciple's salute.

"You flatter me, Master Hunxuzi! It was just a fluke."

The calm voice no longer conveyed the forced composure of the past, but rather the composed confidence of someone who had everything under control.

Unlike a few years ago, there is no longer an insurmountable distance between Lin Yuan and Hun Xuzi; they can now clearly see each other's backs.

If someone is cunning and unprepared, it's not impossible for them to be killed.

Under these circumstances, Lin Yuan's mindset underwent a subtle change when facing Hun Xuzi, a Pill Saint of the Soul Clan.

On the other side, Hun Xuzi didn't care about Lin Yuan's thoughts, or rather, he disdained to guess the thoughts of a chess piece that was under a restriction... This wisp of soul had no intention of "reminiscing," and after withdrawing his scrutinizing gaze, he directly issued the order.

"I have personally devised a plan for each ancient clan, and I need your assistance in completing it. You cannot refuse."

　Romance scenes are so hard to write.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)