Chapter 78: The Foolish Sword Immortal

Inside the wooden cabin.

Lin Ze sat at the edge of the bed and put down the Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand with a hint of resignation. “So it’s lost its effect already.”

Over a month ago, he was just half a step away from reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment, yet even now he had not managed to break through. He could faintly sense that this was due to the limitations of his natural aptitude.

Back in the Xiao family village, Lin Ze’s host card aptitude rating was only three points. After cultivating the Innate Art, that mysterious soul-grade breathing technique raised it to four points—barely an improvement, but better than nothing.

It wasn’t that the Innate Art was lacking; rather, his own foundation was far too poor.

If he wanted to advance further, the cultivation resources required would likely reach an utterly terrifying degree.

Now he faced his first major problem.

He had taken too many Foundation Establishment Pills, and their effects had become negligible.

He had foreseen this issue long ago, which was why he had devoted himself to the alchemical arts.

Among the recipes gifted by Elder Helin, there were also two third-grade formulas, both invaluable for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Lin Ze believed that with his current alchemy skills, he could manage them with a bit of practice. Yet all his ingredients came from simulating Xiao Bao, making them far too random—he still hadn’t gathered everything required.

“Perhaps it’s time to go out and explore,” Lin Ze muttered as he stood up, but suddenly sensed something amiss.

He turned around.

There, at the bedside, sat a familiar figure whose presence he hadn’t noticed entering.

“...” Lin Ze paused for a moment, then said calmly, “Next time, could you try coming up the mountain by the proper path, and at least knock before entering?”

“No,” the white-robed woman replied quietly, her expression serene. “Mount Dongyue is too dangerous.”

Lin Ze curled his lip at her words.

If you know it’s dangerous, why not just stay in your cave obediently? Why keep running to my Green Hill?

Besides, every time she came, she was as silent as a ghost—so much so that even his spiritual sense didn’t detect her. How did she manage that?

The visitor was none other than the Moon Immortal from Twin Moon Grotto.

Shu Yunyan paid no mind to his manner and got straight to the point. “He’s been here two and a half months already. By right, he should spend just as much time in Twin Moon Grotto.”

Lin Ze was taken aback, finally understanding her intent.

Was she worried that Yang Mu would only remember the goodness of Mount Dongyue and forget about Twin Moon Grotto?

What was there to worry about? He shook his head. That kid didn’t even know Twin Moon Grotto existed, so how could he forget it?

“You refuse?” Shu Yunyan bit her lip lightly, a trace of tension showing on her fair face—an expression that didn’t fit her usual icy demeanor and, in contrast, made her seem almost adorably awkward.

“That’s not it,” Lin Ze replied. Unfortunately, he was all too aware of the terrifying strength hidden beneath her delicate exterior, so he felt not an ounce of pity.

To him, she was no beautiful woman, but a fearsome being who could split mountains and rivers at will—those slender, seemingly fragile hands could easily snap his neck.

Precisely because of this, his attitude became all the more detached.

The Moon Immortal feared Mount Dongyue, so he had to present himself as her equal, never showing weakness.

Just as she boasted of thousands of disciples in Twin Moon Grotto, Lin Ze had to act as if he had hundreds of Golden Core elders behind him—if she dared misbehave, he’d wipe her out in an instant.

“I just want to ask, have you ever taken a disciple before?”

Letting Yang Mu spend some time in Twin Moon Grotto wasn’t out of the question, but recalling how the Moon Immortal had, without a word, shattered the youth’s sea of qi with a wave of her hand, Lin Ze easily concluded that she wasn’t skilled at interacting with others. In modern terms, she was a shut-in introvert.

And Yang Mu, lively and stubborn as he was, felt no affection for her at all.

If he sent him back, trust would plummet—as was only to be expected.

Even putting trust aside, as his own disciple, Lin Ze decided to probe further, at least to understand the Moon Immortal’s intentions.

At his question, Shu Yunyan was briefly stunned, subconsciously lowering her head. “No… I haven’t.”

“Have you thought about how you’ll teach him?” Lin Ze pressed.

“After two months… he should have grasped the basics of the Innate Art… first teach him the sword… then the true fire…” Shu Yunyan was recalling how her own master guided her, unaware that Lin Ze’s expression was growing increasingly odd.

Lin Ze couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

He truly couldn’t fathom how this woman had reached the Golden Core stage.

Is talent really all it takes to do as one pleases?

Her thinking was far too naïve; with a few words, she had revealed almost the entirety of her sect’s cultivation methods.

He shook his head and interrupted, “That’s not what I meant.”

Shu Yunyan looked up in confusion, only to hear him continue, “He’s barely ten, not the obedient type. How do you plan to teach him how to conduct himself? What if he goes astray?”

“If he goes astray, I’ll personally deal with him,” she said with a furrowed brow, her tone decisive, clearly only having heard the latter half of his question.

“…”

Hearing this, Lin Ze completely abandoned the idea of entrusting Yang Mu to her.

So this was how Twin Moon Grotto raised disciples?

It was like planting a sapling and letting it grow however it wished, but if it dared grow crooked, you’d cut it down yourself.

No wonder she turned out to be such an oddly shaped cultivator.

“If that’s all you intend, then there’s really no need for him to go to Twin Moon Grotto. Besides… he may not even want to go with you.”

Lin Ze sighed and turned to leave the room.

“Come with me.”

Shu Yunyan was somewhat unconvinced.

Once that boy saw the cultivation methods of Twin Moon Grotto, he’d realize their value. Even she, ignorant of worldly affairs as she was, understood just how tempting such knowledge was to ordinary cultivators.

How could a jade slip ever compare to a master’s personal instruction?

What gave this Daoist the confidence that the boy would rather stay here under a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator?

With these thoughts, Shu Yunyan temporarily suppressed her fear of Mount Dongyue and followed him outside.

One after the other, they headed toward the back mountain.

“Where are you taking me?” Shu Yunyan asked softly.

“To see my disciple,” Lin Ze replied bluntly.

“He’s mine, too,” Shu Yunyan insisted with a frown.

Lin Ze simply shrugged, indifferent.

By the ancient spirit spring, the white fox lazily stretched its neck, watching the Daoist in the distance with curiosity. “Who is he talking to?”

Seeing him leave toward the back mountain alone, the fox puzzled for a moment before curling up again.

Just then, a figure suddenly descended from the sky, calling out anxiously, “Where’s the sword? Where’s the sword?”

A black robe flashed by.

The newcomer reached out and grasped at the air.

The white fox jolted violently as the pendant at its neck shot upward, swelling in the wind and swiftly transforming into a broad, pitch-black greatsword, which Qin Hongxiu caught by the hilt with a whoosh.

“Well, I still have things to do,” she said apologetically, waving her hand. “Some old man’s being a nuisance. Tell that boy I’ll put it back on you in a few days.”

The white fox nodded blankly, and in the blink of an eye, she had vanished into the sky.

It stretched out a paw, sensing the vast spiritual power once again surging within its demon core, and began to ponder.

If it remembered correctly, that greatsword was meant to seal it.

When it looked up again, its eyes seemed an even deeper shade of crimson.