Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 92: Three Years of Hard Training, Sword Yuan Dacheng

Time flies, and three months have passed like quicksand between fingertips, vanishing in a flash. Lin Fan secluded himself in his secret training chamber, his mind fixed on refining his mana into sword energy. The path of cultivation was fraught with obstacles, the difficulties and perils far beyond imagination. After all this hardship, he had barely completed 10% of his goal. Lin Fan secretly estimated that at his current rate of progress, converting all his mana into sword energy would take at least another three years.

However, the agreement with Wanbaolou's owner, Liu Ruyan, had expired, and it was time to fulfill it. Lin Fan, filled with helplessness, could only temporarily put his cultivation on hold. He slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of reluctance in them, and then he let out a long sigh, rising and stepping out of the cave. In an instant, his figure flashed, transforming into a stream of brilliant light, and flew towards Tainan Market at lightning speed.

Lin Fan's flight was incredibly fast, streaking across the vast sky in the blink of an eye. In just half a cup of tea, he landed safely at the entrance of Wanbao Tower. Upon entering, he was greeted by rows of shelves filled with a dazzling array of magical instruments, elixirs, and spiritual materials. Each treasure emanated a unique glow, drawing the attention of the passing cultivators. Lin Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, taking in the familiar and bustling atmosphere. He then secretly channeled his spiritual energy, emitting the powerful aura of a Jindan stage cultivator.

This aura was like a sharp gust of wind, instantly spreading throughout the Wanbao Tower. The monks who had been chatting in low voices all cast glances of surprise and awe.

Soon, hurried yet graceful footsteps echoed, and Liu Ruyan emerged from the inner hall with graceful steps. She wore a moon-white dress embroidered with delicate silver patterns. Her movements resembled flowing moonlight, a dreamlike experience. Her lustrous black hair was tied into an exquisite bun, with a few strands cascading down her fair face, adding a touch of allure.

"Senior!" Liu Ruyan quickly walked up to Lin Fan, bowed slightly, and saluted respectfully. A perfect smile graced her face, her eyes filled with enthusiasm and respect. "You're finally here! I've been looking forward to seeing you for a long time."

Lin Fan nodded slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of anxiety. "Oh, how's the collection of spiritual herbs going?" Liu Ruyan smiled gently, a hint of apology on her face, and replied respectfully, "Senior, most of them have been collected. However, there are some extinct spiritual herbs that are truly difficult to find. I have tried my best, and I hope you will forgive me." After saying this, she stepped aside and gestured for him to come. "Senior, please move to the private room. I will send someone to fetch the collected items."

Lin Fan remained silent, following Liu Ruyan forward. Along the way, the sounds of people coming and going from the Wanbao Tower, the chatter of cultivators, and the clatter of objects mingled, but Lin Fan automatically filtered out these noises. At that moment, his mind was preoccupied with the elixirs, and his pace unconsciously quickened.

Soon, the two of them walked into an elegantly decorated private room. Inside, sandalwood tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and several spiritual paintings with profound artistic conception hung on the walls. The lingering sandalwood fragrance wafted from the incense burner in the corner, bringing a sense of peace and comfort to the body and mind.

As soon as they sat down, a young maid in a pale pink silk dress glided in, carrying a pot of steaming spiritual tea. The fragrance of the tea instantly filled the room. Immediately afterwards, another maid in a light yellow dress hurried in, holding an exquisite tray, on which sat a shimmering storage bag.

Liu Ruyan took the storage bag and handed it to Lin Fan with both hands. She said sincerely and respectfully, "Senior, please check the collection of spiritual medicines in the storage bag."

Lin Fan closed his eyes, his consciousness like a wielding gossamer thread, instantly reaching into the storage bag. Instantly, the scene within the bag unfolded like an unfolding scroll, clearly visible in his sea of ​​consciousness. He saw spiritual herbs of varying shapes neatly arranged, some emitting a soft halo, others exuding a faint, mysterious aura. His consciousness swiftly moved through them, accurately capturing the characteristics, age, and quality of each spiritual herb.

In just a few breaths, Lin Fan had thoroughly examined the contents of his storage bag. He frowned slightly, mentally estimating the amount. After a moment, a complex expression crossed his face. Despite the abundance of spiritual herbs, they were barely enough to create two ancient elixir recipes.

As for the other recipes, they were either missing a key elixir, the finishing touch that rendered the entire formula ineffective; or they were missing two or three main ingredients, putting the alchemy project on hold. It seemed that if they wanted to gather all the necessary ingredients, they would have to explore other countries.

"Well done." Lin Fan opened his eyes, his expression calm. He looked at Liu Ruyan, his tone filled with assurance. "How many spirit stones are these spiritual herbs and materials worth?" A flicker of delight crossed Liu Ruyan's face at the compliment, and she replied respectfully, "Senior, these are a total of 6,500 low-level spirit stones." Lin Fan nodded slightly, and without further comment, his slender fingers reached into his storage bag and skillfully removed 65 mid-level spirit stones. The spirit stones felt slightly cool to the touch, radiating a bright and rich spiritual energy. Clear, deep spiritual patterns snaked across their surfaces. He gently placed the stones on the table, and the stones clashed against each other, making a crisp, melodious sound that was particularly clear in the quiet room.

"You did a good job this time," Lin Fan raised his eyes and looked at Liu Ruyan's face. His expression was calm and there was a rare gentleness in his tone. "Although I failed to collect all the spiritual medicines, but considering your hard work, I will give you this foundation-building pill as a reward." After he finished speaking, he reached into the storage bag again, paused for a moment, and gently picked up an ancient jade bottle with his fingertips.

The jade bottle was translucent, intricately carved with patterns, and faintly exuded a mysterious elixir fragrance. Lin Fan handed the jade bottle to Liu Ruyan, his expression calm yet unquestionable: "Take it." Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan's eyes flashed with surprise and gratitude. Her hands trembled slightly as she took the jade bottle, her voice trembling with excitement: "Thank you for the reward, Senior. Ruyan will definitely remember your kindness!"

"This isn't just any ordinary foundation-building pill," Lin Fan said slowly, his head tilted upwards, a hint of pride on his face. "It's a top-grade pill I refined using an ancient recipe." His gaze settled on the jade bottle in Liu Ruyan's hand, a hint of confidence etched in his eyes. "As long as your luck isn't too bad, taking this pill will give you at least a 70% chance of successfully building your foundation. To refine this pill, I added several thousand-year-old spiritual herbs."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan was deeply shocked, her gaze towards the jade bottle in her hand instantly becoming intense and filled with awe. A top-grade foundation-building pill with a 70% success rate was extremely rare, especially considering it was made using an ancient recipe and infused with several thousand-year-old medicinal herbs. It was truly priceless.

"I'm leaving now. See you again sometime!" Lin Fan said, not wanting to linger any longer. He stood up gracefully and strode out of the Wanbao Building. As soon as he stepped out of the Wanbao Building's gate, spiritual energy surged around him. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a dazzling streak of light, streaking towards the cave like a meteor, leaving behind only a fleeting trace of light.

Liu Ruyan, still immersed in shock and joy, clutched the jade bottle, carrying boundless hope, tightly in her hands. She stood there for a long moment, slowly regaining consciousness. She gazed in the direction Lin Fan had left, her eyes filled with gratitude and reverence. She silently chanted, "Senior, I will never forget your kindness. If I have the chance, I will repay you with all my heart." Then, she carefully placed the jade bottle in her arms, as if it were the most precious treasure in her life. She straightened her clothes and, with mixed feelings, returned to the Wanbao Tower.

After returning to the cave, Lin Fan didn't pause for a moment. He headed straight for the medicinal fields he had cultivated. This patch, meticulously tended, was filled with spiritual energy and a faint aroma. Lin Fan planted the newly collected spiritual herbs from Liu Ruyan one by one, gently placing each one in the fertile spiritual soil. His movements were skillful and meticulous, as if he were caring for the most precious treasure in the world.

After placing the elixir, Lin Fan eagerly returned to his training chamber to continue cultivating his sword energy. Inside, his five hearts turned toward the sky, and spiritual energy surged wildly throughout his body. The overwhelming momentum seemed to threaten to rupture the entire chamber. Each time he cultivated his energy, it felt like he was battling the forces of heaven and earth. Sweat soaked his clothes, yet he remained oblivious.

Time flies. Every seven days, Lin Fan would go to the medicine field on time, take out the Taiqing Jade Bottle, pour the Taiqing Immortal Liquid into the clear water, and then sprinkle the clear water on the spiritual medicine that needed to be ripened.

Three years passed in a flash. One day, Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes in the secret room, and a brilliant light burst out from them, as if containing endless power.

He felt the surging Sword Energy surge through his Dantian, his heart filled with relief. After three years of unremitting effort, the mana within his Dantian had been completely condensed into Sword Energy, and his strength had increased by at least three levels. Now, his every move exuded a powerful aura, as if he were a completely different person.

"It's time to refine a defensive magic weapon," Lin Fan muttered to himself, his voice brimming with determination and confidence. With that, he flashed, transforming into a stream of brilliant light, flying towards Yuelu Hall.

(End of this chapter)