Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Outside Xuanshui Cave, heavy snow swept across the mountainside, falling like pear blossoms from the sky.

A thousand peaks were draped in white overnight, ten thousand pines adorned with frost and snow, their gnarled branches bending but not breaking. Where the wind passed, snowflakes danced in the air, swirling with the mountain clouds into mist. The temples and monasteries of Laoshan were hidden in a vast expanse of white, their upturned eaves adorned with long icicles that refracted the sunlight into delicate, shimmering fragments. Along the main ridge of the Linlingxi River, a thin layer of ice had already formed; snowflakes fell onto the ice, melting silently, only to instantly condense into frost. The world was a scene of pristine, holy purity; the snow-covered landscape of the immortal mountain was magnificent yet serene.

Lin Yan, cradling the spirit tortoise, stepped out of Mingxia Pass.

Having already achieved mastery of the Foundation Establishment realm, he no longer needed to climb the mountain on foot. With a mere thought, a layer of pale blue aura of azure water rose around him, gently lifting him into the air. His toes left no trace on the snow, his robes fluttered and tore through the air, and he transformed into a light and swift blue rainbow, speeding towards the main peak.

The spirit tortoise in his arms poked its head out slightly, its crystal eyes gazing at the swirling snowflakes, curiously exhaling soft breaths. The ancient golden water pattern on the tortoise's shell flickered with the flow of Lin Yan's spiritual energy, the auras of man and tortoise merging and resonating, becoming increasingly unified.

As they reached the halfway point up the mountain, a frosty snowflake landed right between Lin Yan's eyebrows.

A bone-chilling cold suddenly seeped into my soul.

The next moment, the scene collapsed—raging waves, shattered ship planks, icy, choking seawater, howling wind and desperate cries in his ears… The nightmare of that near-death shipwreck from his childhood swept over his consciousness without warning. It was a fear and trauma etched deep into his soul, one that even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he still found it difficult to completely escape.

"Well……"

Lin Yan felt a sharp pain in his soul, the world spun around him, and his spiritual energy instantly became chaotic.

He hastily withdrew his strength, the light of his flight dimmed, and his figure, like a kite with a broken string, plummeted down into a hidden mountain valley completely buried by thick snow.

"Bang!"

His feet sank heavily into the snow, reaching his calves. Lin Yan pressed one hand against the cold mountain wall, suppressing the churning blood and dizziness, and gasped for breath.

As his vision gradually cleared, he was suddenly startled.

Beneath the snow-covered mountain walls lies a deep, secluded crevice that is virtually impossible for ordinary people to detect.

Stepping inside reveals a completely different world.

The cave was warm and dry, with no wind or snow intruding. The air was filled with an extremely rich and mellow medicinal fragrance that had been aged for thousands of years, mixed with a faint but pure ancient alchemical fire lingering in the air. This resonated subtly with the innate alchemical fire hidden in his fingertips, giving him a jolt.

In the center of the cave stands an ancient alchemy furnace with three legs and two handles.

The furnace body is covered with ancient water spirit patterns, and although it is covered with thick dust, it still faintly emits a lustrous blue light; the surrounding stone walls are carved with layers of stone shelves, which are now empty, but still retain a rich and lingering spiritual medicinal essence; the ground is scattered with petrified medicinal residue and faded and decayed elixir prescription fragments, revealing the vicissitudes of time everywhere.

This place is clearly the secluded alchemy retreat of an ancient master of alchemy.

On the bluestone table beside the alchemy furnace, a simple and unadorned scroll lay quietly.

Lin Yan reached out and gently touched it.

"Buzz—"

A gentle yet vast power of inheritance suddenly surged into his soul, and countless principles of alchemy, techniques of heat control, medicinal properties of herbs, and secrets to condensing pills flooded his mind like a tide. These perfectly matched his pure water spiritual root, the Azure Wave Sword Technique, the Golden Finger Technique, and his innate pill fire, as if they were born to belong to him.

He didn't have time to savor this incredible opportunity. He quickly put away the alchemy manual, leaped out of the cave, and flew into the air again, heading straight for his master's residence.

Before long, Lin Yan landed and withdrew his stance, concealing his Foundation Establishment aura, and walked lightly into Elder Guanhai's secluded residence.

Inside, the stove was warm, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air.

Elder Guanhai, dressed in a loose gray robe, was sitting by the stove brewing tea. He half-closed his eyes and looked at the snow falling outside the window. He looked like a drowsy, carefree, and indifferent old Taoist priest, showing no sign of his hidden, astonishing cultivation.

"Disciple Lin Yan greets Master. I have successfully established my foundation and have returned to report."

Elder Guanhai slowly hummed in agreement, slightly raising his eyelids. His turbid gaze swept over Lin Yan, a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of approval flashing in his eyes before returning to his languid and nonchalant demeanor: "It's good that you're back. With a solid foundation in Foundation Establishment, this period of dormancy wasn't in vain."

Lin Yan bowed and agreed, then recounted how he had unexpectedly stumbled upon an ancient cave on his way home and obtained a scroll of alchemical scriptures, but he did not know its origins and was therefore seeking guidance from his master.

Upon hearing this, Elder Guanhai straightened up slightly, picked up his teacup and gently blew on the steam. His expression became more wistful and solemn as he slowly spoke:

"What you have encountered is the former residence of Ling Xuanzi, an ancient sage from Laoshan. Senior Ling Xuanzi was a great master of ancient Water Spirit Alchemy, whose Water Cloud Alchemy was unparalleled in the East Sea. He could use spiritual springs as a catalyst and water vapor as fire to refine pills that not only aided cultivation but also purified evil spirits and suppressed demonic miasma. His spiritual roots, cultivation methods, and bloodlines are all of the same origin as yours. He secluded himself in Laoshan to refine pills, leaving behind many inheritances. Your ability to obtain this opportunity is both destiny and the result of your own Dao heart."

Lin Yan was awestruck, realizing the incredible fortune he had stumbled upon. He immediately bowed and solemnly thanked his master for his guidance.

After a brief pause, he thought of his comrades who had gone through thick and thin with him and couldn't help but ask about the recent situation of Yunxi, Ye Qing, Chen Dagang, and Yi Azhu. His words were filled with worry and concern.

As Elder Guanhai listened, his gaze gradually became hazy and unfocused, reverting to his usual confused and absent-minded demeanor. He stared out the window at the swirling snow, seemingly muttering to himself, his voice indistinct yet clear enough to reach Lin Yan's ears:

"That girl Yunxi... while you were away, she practiced swordsmanship like a madwoman all day long, almost wearing her sword out of shape, all she wanted was for you to come back. That sword-shaped black jade she carries is no ordinary object; it and your Guanhai inkstone are a pair of treasures of the same origin, born with a sword spirit, pure in heart, and with a very strong obsession..."

After saying this, Elder Guanhai didn't seem to care at all. He took a sip of hot tea, then squinted his eyes, nodding his head and dozing off, as if he had just casually uttered an unimportant remark.

Lin Yan stood there, his whole body suddenly stiffening, as if struck by lightning.

The tortoise in my arms seemed to sense something, and it raised its head and let out a clear, silent call. The ancient golden water patterns on its shell suddenly lit up.

Lin Yan subconsciously lowered his head, his divine sense sweeping over the inkstone and the Minghai Dingyuan Pearl in his storage ring, which were filled with spiritual energy.

The inkstone was slightly warm, as if responding to some distant resonance.

In the distance, on the training ground beside the Lingxi River, a tall figure was practicing swordsmanship amidst the snow. The wind and snow rustled, and the sound of the sword rang out clearly.

Yunxi, dressed in a simple white outfit without a protective cloak, let the swirling snowflakes fall on her shoulders and hair. She held her natal spirit sword, its light piercing the air like a snow-white ribbon. Each move was sharp and decisive, her sword intent clear and fierce, shredding the falling snow into a misty haze. Her white figure moved nimbly through the snow, sword light intertwining with the snow's hue, a sight both serene and breathtaking.