Mortal: Fairy Song Yu has issued you a task.

Bai Haozhi continued, "The Ancient Sword Sect specializes in swordsmanship, and few of its disciples are proficient in array formations. I also find it difficult to trust cultivators from outside the sect, so I can only trouble Junior Brother Lin to make this trip. These ten mid-grade spirit stones are a deposit, and I will reward you handsomely after the matter is completed."

Lin Jingchu smiled and said, "Brother Bai, why be so formal between us? Besides, you saved my life back in Yuanwu Kingdom. I will do my best to help you with this."

"We still have to pay him; we can't let our junior brother make a wasted trip." Bai Haozhi shook his head and took out a small bag of spirit stones and a jade slip from his storage bag. "The jade slip contains a detailed diagram of the formation."

Seeing this, Lin Jingchu stopped refusing and put the spirit stone and jade slip into his storage bag.

Then, he took a long, narrow wooden box from Bai Haozhi. The box was quite heavy; when he took it, it felt slightly heavy, and he almost dropped it.

Upon opening the wooden box, one could see the rough shape of a longsword lying inside—its body was a mixture of black and white, its surface uneven, and only a general sword shape could be discerned, resembling an uncarved blank.

He reached out and touched it; the touch was icy cold. A wisp of spiritual light condensed at his fingertips as he probed the sword blank.

A moment later, Lin Jingchu raised his head, a look of surprise on his face: "Starfall Jade? This item is both precious and not precious."

"Its preciousness lies in the fact that it is an object from beyond the heavens, rarely seen. Its lack of preciousness lies in the fact that it is originally formed by the tempering and melting of various metal-elemental spiritual materials by the Nine Heavens Gale. Even the true fire of a Core Formation cultivator would require a great deal of effort to melt and purify it, and a single careless move could disrupt its fragile internal balance, turning it into waste."

Bai Haozhi nodded: "That's right. That's why I want to use the natural tempering power of the 'Gold-Cleansing Fiend Wind'. The longer the tempering time, the better the effect will be. Therefore, I don't want to miss this Jiazi year."

Lin Jingchu put away the sword box, his expression solemn: "I will certainly not let Brother Bai down."

……

With a long, drawn-out horn sound, the spiritual patterns on the surface of the enormous magic ship lit up one after another, its sails billowed, and it slowly rose into the air, heading towards the southeast.

Lin Jingchu watched the Dharma ship completely disappear into the sea of ​​clouds before turning back to his own cave.

In the quiet room, he sat cross-legged, and with a thought, he summoned the system panel and chose to claim the "Sword Dao Insight" reward he had just received from Bai Haozhi.

The next instant, he felt a strange sense of his soul being pulled away again. But unlike the experience he had gained from receiving weapon-refining, his consciousness seemed to be thrown into an endless void.

A pure, sharp, and chilling thought enveloped him tightly.

In this profound experience, he sometimes transforms into a solitary peak, enduring the relentless tempering of the ancient gales; at other times, he transforms into a lone pine tree on a precipice, enduring the ravages of wind and snow, yet its roots remain deeply embedded in the rock, standing firm and unyielding.

This insight was profound and ineffable, yet it was truly etched into the depths of his mind, becoming his new understanding of "sharpness," "tenacity," and "purity."

After an unknown amount of time, this strange feeling gradually subsided like the tide.

Lin Jingchu slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. He pointed his fingers like a sword and casually made a sweeping motion in the air ahead—

A cold, moonlit arc of light shot out from the fingertip, slicing through the air.

The arc of light appeared no different from usual, but its flowing luster was more refined and pure, and when it broke through the air, it seemed to have an indescribable chilling charm.

Sensing the subtle "meaning" contained within that flash of blade light, Lin Jingchu's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

The pure path of sword cultivation differs from some paths that rely on the material of flying swords or sword formations; it places great emphasis on talent and mental fortitude.

Although he did not follow the path of sword cultivation, the "Cold Moonlight" divine power unexpectedly resonated with this sword cultivation concept. If he could gradually master his own "sword intent" by drawing on the sword comprehension of others, his strength would surely increase greatly.

After gazing at this promising future for a moment, Lin Jingchu composed himself and took out the jade slip given to him by Bai Haozhi, placing it on his forehead.

As his consciousness sank in, a detailed diagram of a formation called the "Wind-Driven Spirit-Guiding Formation" appeared before him.

The materials and arrangement of this formation are not particularly complex, and its function is quite simple—it's like a giant "net" used to trap and filter the "purifying evil winds," removing the ordinary golden winds within. However, the area to be set up needs to be extremely wide, so it will probably take some effort to operate it.

Moreover, during periods of high winds, the winds in the valleys are fierce and violent, increasing the danger significantly, so extra preparations are necessary.

The next day, Lin Jingchu went to visit his master, Elder Feng, and obtained a blueprint for crafting an earth-element protective magic weapon from him.

Afterwards, he went to Linglong Pavilion and asked the shopkeeper to help him purchase all kinds of spiritual materials needed for refining.

……

The following spring, in the secluded pool, hundreds of flowers gradually bloomed, adding to the area's lush and beautiful scenery.

"You're setting off today? So early?" Song Yu sat by the pool, gently tossing a few crumbs of discarded pills into the water.

Several carp kept in the green pool smelled the aroma and rushed to the surface, vying for the food.

Lin Jingchu nodded. "I'll take this opportunity to travel around. Also, it's been almost twenty years since I accidentally embarked on the path of immortality, and I'd like to go back and visit."

He wasn't born into a family of cultivators in this life, but into a fishing family in a small fishing town by the river. He didn't know if the turmoil caused by the previous invasion of demonic forces had affected the mortal world.

"This journey is to the Yuanwu Kingdom, where demonic forces are entrenched. We must be extremely careful in everything we do." Song Yu wiped the dregs from her hands, turned around, and her beautiful and refined face showed obvious worry.

She reached out her slender hand to straighten Lin Jingchu's already neat clothes, and softly instructed, "If you notice anything amiss, don't hesitate, leave immediately."

"Don't worry." Lin Jingchu looked up at Song Yu, who was gazing up at him.

Her reflection was clearly seen in her bright, clear eyes, as clear as autumn water. In her early twenties, her figure was already slender and charming, and her delicate eyebrows, slightly furrowed with worry, made her even more pitiful to behold.

"You know the speed of the Azure Wing Boat. Besides, I have mastered the first level of the Great Luo Thousand Illusion Technique. If I want to escape and hide, my skills are not bad."

Lin Jingchu smelled the faint fragrance emanating from the beauty, and looking at her beautiful face so close to his eyes and her caring gaze, he couldn't suppress the flutter in his heart.

He suddenly reached out and embraced Song Yu's slender waist, then lowered his head and kissed her soft, tender cherry lips.

"Hmm!" Song Yu's beautiful eyes widened instantly, and her chubby, fair cheeks flushed with a captivating blush. She stiffened, like a startled fawn, and instinctively gripped Lin Jingchu's shirt tightly with both hands.

Foundation Establishment cultivators do not need to breathe through their mouths and noses. This kiss lasted for an unknown amount of time before Song Yu's tense body gradually relaxed. Her long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly closed her eyes.

After tireless efforts, Lin Jingchu finally managed to break through the tightly closed Jade Gate and enter.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment, and even the faint chirping of birds in the distance became background noise.

When the two finally parted, the beauty in his arms had a face as beautiful as a peach blossom in March, breath as sweet as orchids, and a shy smile in her eyes.

A flawless piece of jade, after being carved, shines even more brilliantly.