Ascending to Immortality by Slaying Spirits

Chapter 171 - Sudden Enlightenment of the Sun, Entering the Mountain Gate

When Ling Muzhu emerged from the bath with a flushed face, a gourd was left beside the tea table.

Without thinking much, she walked straight over, picked it up and drank it, as she needed to replenish her fluids after being dehydrated.

A refreshing sensation, like mint, shot straight to Ling Muzhu's head, causing her to shudder involuntarily. It felt so good.

After taking three more big gulps, Ling Muzhu was finally satisfied.

Setting down the gourd, whose weight remained unchanged, Ling Muzhu suddenly paused, as if remembering something. She couldn't help but touch her pink lips, which had just been drinking water.

Did I just use the water hyacinth that my junior brother used?
Upon realizing what had happened, Ling Muzhu's face, which had regained its fair complexion, suddenly turned red again.

She actually used something a strange man had used to kiss her!

Turning her head, Ling Muzhu breathed a sigh of relief when she found Lin Le was not there. Thank goodness he wasn't there.

With a clatter, Ling Muzhu hurriedly returned to her guest room, her feet adorned with embroidered shoes.

After she returned to her guest room, a beam of red and blue energy flew out of the quiet room and swept away the gourd.

Lin Le looked at the water stains remaining on the gourd in his hand, his lips twitched, then he wiped them away with his hand and hung it back on his waist.

The next day, Lin Le stepped out of the meditation room again, his cultivation level having dropped to the first stage of the Golden Core realm.

Sitting at the entrance, Lin Le watched the sea of ​​clouds roll and unfold, and the golden crow leaped up from the sea of ​​clouds.

Staring blankly at the sun gradually emerging from the sea of ​​clouds, Lin Le seemed to realize something: ten thousand human merits had been consumed.

With his mind connected to the heavens, Lin Le seemed to have arrived at a crossroads, with the great sun on the left and a sea of ​​fire on the right.

Sun, flames?
Without hesitation, Lin Le walked towards the direction of the Great Sun.

The True Meaning of the Crimson Sun began to progress rapidly.

A surge of intense heat rose from Lin Le's body, melting the snow piled up at the entrance and turning it into a trickling stream of clear water.

Inside the guest room, Ling Muzhu, who was doing her morning prayers, seemed to sense something and her mind was also immersed in a moon palace. On her lower abdomen, a silver moon was slowly evolving from a new moon to a full moon, as if it was accumulating energy.

After a long while, it was already noon, and Lin Le suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes emitting a faint golden light.

Blinking, Lin Le spat out a ten-foot-long white snake, concealing the brilliance in his eyes.

It was a pleasant surprise.

Lin Le felt a surge of joy.

The True Meaning of Crimson Sun has reached a minor level of mastery, and it is almost at the level of mastery!

'It looks like my luck is on the rise.'

Lin Le stood up, and flames appeared in his palm. A small fiery dragon appeared in his hand, its mane and scales clearly defined, as if it were alive.

With a clenched hand, the little dragon vanished as a wisp of green smoke.

After resting, Lin Le got up and returned to his meditation room to continue his cultivation.

Inside the guest room, the silver moon slowly faded away, and Ling Muzhu slowly opened her eyes, a hint of silver light appearing in them.

She seems to have grasped the situation.

Ling Muzhu pointed her hand forward, as if accompanied by frost.

This filled her with joy, meaning that Foundation Establishment was no longer a problem for her.

However, the thought of having to cultivate with Lin Le after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage made her feel somewhat down.

She had no aversion to Lin Le, but she couldn't accept the idea of ​​cultivating with someone she had no feelings for.

"Let's take it one step at a time," Ling Muzhu sighed and continued her cultivation.

Perhaps because he had descended from the Qi Refining Realm, this time his cultivation went exceptionally smoothly. All eight extraordinary meridians and twelve regular meridians were clear, and he had already achieved the circulation of Qi through the entire body by the time he started cultivating early in the morning.

Meanwhile, things got even more lively inside the Xuantian Sect, because someone in the Internal Affairs Hall revealed that the Tianqing Peak Sect Leader was going to take on another true disciple.

The other peaks were just watching the show, since it wasn't their peak; but there was some unrest within Tianqing Peak.

Since Xu Lingzi had no disciples to inherit his teachings, they had been working hard to become his third true disciple.

Although the fates of Xu Lingzi's first two disciples were not good, this did not deter them from their desire to improve.

Moreover, they are sword cultivators, extremely fierce and powerful, and they are constantly fighting outside, so it is only natural that fellow disciples would sometimes perish.

Halfway up the mountain, the three sword cultivators gathered in a small courtyard.

"Gentlemen, are you here to inquire about the new disciple that the abbot is going to take in?" A handsome young man raised his teacup and took a sip of tea.

He is Qingfengzi, one of the most outstanding inner disciples of the Tianqingfeng lineage.

“Yes,” said a slightly taller, stronger man beside him. He was Han Shanzi. “Qingfengzi, you’re always well-informed. Do you have any news about our senior brother?”

"If you want some benefits, just say so." The third person was a woman, with a figure as straight as a sword; she was Hong Jizi.

"No need for any benefits, I know what you're thinking." Qingfengzi put down his teacup, a hint of helplessness on his face. "But you should give up now and try another way."

Hong Jizi frowned: "What do you mean?"

“Our senior brother is only fifteen years old (by Chinese reckoning) and has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and he also possesses the Crimson Sun Spirit Body.” Qingfengzi sighed and said, “With such talent, he would be a true disciple in any lineage.”

A spirit body?! Hong Jizi and Han Shanzi were shocked. Spirit-level physiques were extremely rare even in the Xuan Tian Sect, and each one of them was a true disciple.

They exchanged a glance and sighed. Such talent was clearly not something they could challenge.

You should just stick to practicing your skills and getting promoted.

A day later, at Tianqiong Peak, all seventy-two peak masters of the Xuantian Sect, except those who were in seclusion, gathered here and lined up in two rows.

A lucky cloud flew in from the horizon; it was Xu Lingzi leading Lin Ledao.

Both men were dressed in flowing robes, and both looked dashing and upright.

As soon as the two landed, Lin Le felt many gazes directed at him, some malicious, some kind, and some slightly curious.

Lin Le kept those with malicious or benevolent intentions in mind, after all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and by the same token, the friend of my enemy is also my enemy.

Yunxiaozi, wearing a lotus crown, stood at the front, watching Xulingzi bring Lin Le to him.

The two men bowed respectfully, one after the other, and said, "Greetings, Sect Leader."

"No need for formalities." Yunxiaozi flicked his whisk.

Xu Lingzi and Lin Le stood up.

Yunxiaozi glanced at Lin Le, his gaze lingering on the vertical line between Lin Le's eyebrows: "Was that vertical line in your eyes something you were born with?"

"No, I obtained it by chance after refining the spiritual jade," Lin Le said truthfully.

"It is indeed a good opportunity." Yunxiaozi nodded slightly, without asking any further questions, and looked at Xulingzi, "Let's begin."

“Alright.” Xu Lingzi nodded. Yun Xiaozi chanted loudly: “The Xuanmen is vast, only sincerity can enter…”

His voice resounded throughout the entire Xuanming Sect, and countless inner and outer disciples stood at attention, bowing to Tianqiong Peak.

After singing the lyrics, he stood on the right, revealing the portrait of the ancestral master and the offerings that had been arranged behind him.

Xu Lingzi took the incense offered by the Taoist priest next to him, performed the three kowtows and nine prostrations to the portrait of the patriarch, and then placed the incense in the incense burner. Afterwards, the others stood on the left.

Next was Lin Le. He first performed three kowtows and nine bows to the Xuan Tian Ancestor before lighting incense, and then turned to perform three kowtows and nine bows to Xu Lingzi.

Then Lin Le crawled forward on his knees and held the apprenticeship letter written in cinnabar high above his head.

Xu Lingzi took the book, glanced at the words, nodded slightly, and, holding the ruler, began to loudly recite the sect rules and precepts:
"First, take refuge in the Way, and you will be forever freed from the cycle of rebirth; second, take refuge in the scriptures, and you will hear the true Dharma; third, take refuge in the Master, and you will not fall into wrong views..."

After the reading was completed, Xu Lingzi dipped a willow branch in sweet dew and sprinkled it on Lin Le's head, symbolizing the cleansing of impurities and the bestowal of a predestined connection to the Dao.

“Our sect has twelve characters: Xuanxiao Diling, Yunfeng Chongshan, Jihai Mingzhu. Each character changes every three years, and this year it is the character ‘Zhu’.” Xu Lingzi glanced at Lin Le. “Your secular surname is Lin. Forests are natural and naturally have spirits. Today, I bestow upon you the Daoist name ‘Lingzhu’. Are you willing?”

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this name upon me." Lin Le bowed again.

Xu Lingzi said, "From now on, you will be the thirty-sixth generation disciple of my Xuantian Sect, with the Daoist name Lingzhu."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone shouted in unison, "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings!"

Inside the hall, the chanting of sutras resounded, and the bells and chimes rang out in harmony, as if there were divine interventions, with the light of the heavens faintly piercing through the clouds.

After the chanting and prayers were finished, the sect leaders of each peak exchanged pleasantries with Xu Lingzi. When it came to a female sect leader, she stepped forward and affectionately pinched Lin Le's little face: "This little face is quite pretty, no less so than your master's. Here, consider this a gift."

He then placed a piece of golden metal with crimson patterns in Lin Le's hand.

"Junior Sister Baiyun is quite generous, giving away the sixth-grade spiritual material, Fire-Hot Gold, so readily." A slightly sarcastic voice came from the side; it belonged to an old Taoist priest.

"Senior Brother Mu Xuan, the spiritual materials are mine. I can give them to whomever I want," Bai Yunzi retorted coldly.

"Hmph." Mu Xuanzi snorted and tossed a bottle of pills to Lin Le. "Let's go. Junior Brother Xuling, remember to invite Junior Sister Baiyun over for tea whenever you have time. Your Daoist disciple's tea-making skills are quite good, hahaha."

Xu Lingzi's expression was calm, but Bai Yunzi's expression was unpleasant.

"Come visit my Tianwu Peak often when you have time. There is a good match for you among my disciples." Bai Yunzi composed himself and smiled at Lin Le again.

"Yes, Uncle Baiyun." Lin Le nodded, and made sure to remember her appearance, adding her to his kill list.

This old woman clearly likes Xu Lingzi; she's obviously a friend of the enemy, so she's usable but not trustworthy.

As for that old Taoist priest? Lin Le glanced at the departing Mu Xuanzi, wondering whether he was trustworthy or not.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Lingzi led Lin Le back to his cave.

"Now that you have joined my Xuantian Mountain sect, today I will impart to you the teachings of my Tianqing lineage." Xu Lingzi sat upright on a futon, looking down at Lin Le, who was also seated on a futon.
"Huang Ting's main cultivation method is the Azure Sword Yuan Scripture, and his divine sense secret method is the Myriad Phenomena Observation. These two methods are essential for my lineage to study, and I will impart them to you today."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Lingzi pointed his finger, and a beam of spiritual light entered Lin Le's forehead, followed by a massive influx of information into Lin Le's mind.

"I have placed a restriction on your consciousness. From now on, you are not allowed to pass on your skills to anyone who is not my disciple," Xu Lingzi said slowly. "Those who violate this rule will have their souls destroyed."

"This disciple will remember." Lin Le opened his eyes, his expression unreadable.

Xu Lingzi then passed a jade tablet to Lin Le: "This is the jade tablet of a true disciple. I have recorded three thousand Dao merits into it, which should be enough for you to cultivate back to the ninth level of the Golden Core. In the future, do not tarnish my reputation."

Lin Le suddenly looked up: "From what you're saying, Master, are you planning to let me go out more?"

“Jade must be carved to become a useful object. We sword cultivators should grow in the wind and rain.” Xu Lingzi nodded slightly. “Now that you have joined my sect, you should make a name for yourself as the number one sword cultivator.”

What kind of trick is that old bastard up to? Shouldn't we be keeping him locked up and not letting him out in this situation?

Lin Le was filled with doubt and uncertainty, but on the surface he nodded: "I will certainly live up to Master's expectations."

"Alright, go back and study my pulse cultivation method." Xu Lingzi waved his sleeve. "If you have any questions, come to me. I will be here for the next month, and after that I will go into seclusion for a period of time."

"Yes, disciple takes his leave." Lin Le stood up, bowed, and respectfully left the cave.

Stepping out of the cave, Lin Le gazed at the distant clouds and mountains, and suddenly smiled slightly. "Whatever the reason, this is definitely the worst move you've ever made, you old bastard."

Back in his cave, Lin Le began to study the Azure Sword Scripture and the Myriad Phenomena Observation.

Lin Le did not use merit to accelerate the process, but instead gradually came to understand it on his own.

The key to the Azure Sword Scripture lies in its single color; all the energies of heaven and earth are of the same color, allowing magical power to contain and utilize all energies.

To achieve the ability to utilize all energies, one must first understand them. The Myriad Phenomena Observation is a secret method of divine consciousness that accelerates the understanding of all energies.

Observe the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth, investigate their nature, and understand their principles.

After some thought, Lin Le entrusted the vast majority of his Huang Ting cultivation to the Qiankun Ring, leaving only his Qi Refining eleventh level cultivation.

Lin Le then began to cultivate the Zhengjian Scripture anew.

In just five days, Lin Le used it as his fundamental cultivation method to reach the third level of Foundation Establishment.

On this day, Lin Le was cultivating when he suddenly opened his eyes, a strange look appearing in them.

In a flash, he arrived in the guest room, where he saw Ling Muzhu's aura was unstable, as if she was breaking through.

Lin Le glanced at her foundation, a strange look appearing in his eyes; all three paths were actually at the extreme level.

However, it wasn't too surprising. When she was seriously injured, he used the Samadhi True Fire, consuming his own essence, to rebuild her foundation. Otherwise, she would never have been able to cultivate in this life.

With the help of the Supreme Elixir, it's only a matter of time before Ling Muzhu reaches the Ultimate Realm.

Lin Le just didn't expect this day to come so quickly; in just seven days, he had already entered the extreme realm.

Realizing that the old turtle's divine sense hadn't noticed this yet, Lin Le pondered for a moment, then summoned the Yin-Yang Twin Swords and set up an array to isolate divine sense.

Soon after, Ling Muzhu's aura suddenly rose to a new level, and she re-entered the first stage of Qi Refining.

In Lin Le's view, Ling Muzhu's three natal magic weapons appeared one after another.

The arc is like a crescent moon, with a curved blade swirling around Ling Muzhu; the jade phoenix flies out, transforming into a jade sword, but it is a phoenix swallowing a precious sword in its mouth; finally, there is a round mirror, reflecting people with exceptional clarity.

After the three natal magic artifacts were formed, they did not enter Ling Muzhu's body. Instead, they frolicked around Lin Le, as if there was something about Lin Le that particularly attracted them.

Lin Le channeled three strands of his own yang energy, and the three magical artifacts happily devoured it, then stuck it onto Lin Le's body, seemingly wanting more.

"Come back!" a woman's voice rang out, her tone seemingly tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.

Lin Le looked at the owner of the voice, and it was Ling Muzhu who had stabilized her state of meditation and woken up.

The three magical artifacts reluctantly flew back into Ling Muzhu's body.

Ling Muzhu looked at Lin Le and said, "Thank you, junior brother."

Lin Le nodded slightly: "It's what I should do."

"Also, Senior Sister, it's best to show only one of these three magical artifacts to the public, or not show them at all."

(End of this chapter)