Before the jade-like skeleton lay a meditation cushion.
To Lin Fan, this scene always felt so familiar. That was when he noticed some tiny,蝌蚪-like characters carved on the stone bed beside the skeleton.
These ancient inscriptions posed no difficulty for Lin Fan.
“If you have come, you must be destined to be here. Take the cushion as your ground and kowtow eighteen thousand eight hundred times, and you shall inherit my legacy.”
Lin Fan read the words, then glanced at the jade-like skeleton, finally breaking into a smile.
“Hehe, no wonder this feels so familiar. Aren’t you pulling the exact same trick as in that old novel, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils? To be honest, if it weren’t for the little guy down there on your skeleton, I’d have thought you were Li Qiushui’s younger sister.”
Lin Fan was all too familiar with this套路. Kneeling down 18,800 times—wouldn’t that just knock someone senseless? It was obviously a trick designed to make someone rip open the cushion, revealing a hidden treasure inside. No big deal.
Without hesitation, Lin Fan ripped open the cushion with force. Sure enough, inside lay quietly a golden scroll.
The material of this scroll was likely woven from the silk of the Golden Silkworm King, capable of resisting the erosion of time.
Then Lin Fan noticed a piece of paper beside the scroll. The words written on it startled him, and he stared at the skeleton with disbelief.
“The world is not short of geniuses. Kneel enough times, and the skeleton infused with my entire life’s cultivation will transform into a torrent, pouring all its power into you. But if you forcefully tear it open, your mind will be corrupted. This ‘Seven Sages Radiant Sun Manual’ will then become nothing but a long and painful journey.”
After reading these words, Lin Fan stood there, stunned, blinking his eyes.
At that moment, only one thought echoed in his mind—he begged the heavens for a second chance.
When it came to martial arts techniques, Lin Fan had to admit that he was completely outmatched by one of the Seven Sages. The profundity of this skill was simply unfathomable.
“Grandfather, give me another chance!” At that moment, Lin Fan howled like a wolf, his heart aching in a way only he could understand.
The duck that had already landed had flown away right before his eyes.
“Boom…”
At that very moment, the small hidden chamber began to tremble violently.
Behind the jade-like skeleton, a rift in space suddenly appeared. Before Lin Fan’s very eyes, the skeleton slipped into the rift and vanished without a trace.
“Grandfather, don’t do this…”
But it was already too late. Lin Fan realized the space within the chamber had begun to distort. The stone table, the stone bed—all seemed like illusions, twisting and dissolving into nothingness.
“Wo wo wo…” At this moment, the little chicken on Lin Fan’s shoulder flapped its wings and crowed.
“Stop crowing!” Lin Fan grabbed the chicken and threw it into his backpack, then tossed the ‘Seven Sages Radiant Sun Manual’ in as well, and began sprinting toward the exit.
But the suction from the distorted space grew stronger and stronger, and Lin Fan found himself unable to move an inch.
“This is so unfair…”
In that instant, Lin Fan’s vision went black, and once again, he was cast adrift.
…
At the entrance of the Holy Sect’s mountain gate.
At this moment, a convoy of carriages, looking as though they had endured countless hardships, appeared at the entrance of the Holy Sect.
“Miss, we’ve arrived.” Wang Hu, as the head steward of the Gong Family, bore the responsibility of ensuring the young lady’s safety.
He had strongly opposed this move, for sects were not something ordinary families could meddle with. However, faced with the young lady’s determined expression, Wang Hu could only sigh helplessly.
From Mo City to the Holy Sect’s mountain gate, there was a shortcut. If one pushed hard, it could be reached in just a few days. But this shortcut was fraught with danger, teeming with monstrous beasts.
In the end, they had no choice but to take a relatively safer route. Though safer, this path was long and arduous, the terrain rough.
It had taken them over a month to finally arrive here.
At this moment, a jade-like hand extended from inside the carriage, followed by a woman of peerless beauty stepping out.
Her face bore a trace of sorrow, mingled with hesitation.
Gong Binye possessed unmatched beauty. For a woman with such looks, there were only two paths—either rely on a powerful protector or become powerful herself.
But for Gong Binye, only the first path was suitable.
Though the Gong family was wealthy, their resources were insufficient to support her cultivation. She was also well aware of her own talent—not suited for martial cultivation.
Reaching the先天 realm had already drained a significant portion of the family’s resources. Continuing endlessly down this path would likely result in no future at all.
“Miss, please reconsider. The sect is not as ideal as you imagine,” Wang Hu knew the young lady had made up her mind, but still couldn’t help but remind her.
Gong Binye smiled gently, like a blooming flower. “I’ve made up my mind. The Gong family is not something a mere woman can carry forward.”
Wang Hu clenched his fists, feeling helpless. He gazed at the towering peaks ahead—the sacred land of the sect that all aspired to reach.
“Let’s go up,” said Gong Binye.
“Alright,” Wang Hu nodded.
This journey had brought along several attendants, all loyal guards cultivated by the Gong family over the years.
…
“Who are you?” When Gong Binye and her group reached the summit, they were stopped by the Holy Sect’s mountain guardians.
“Esteemed sirs, I am Gong Binye, the head of the Gong family of Mo City. I have come here today to seek out Lin Fan,” Gong Binye replied.
Hearing this, the two mountain guardians were slightly taken aback. “You’re looking for our Senior Disciple Lin? He went down the mountain two months ago and hasn’t returned yet.”
Previously, Gong Binye had harbored some doubts about Lin Fan’s identity. Now, hearing the mountain guardian’s words, a sense of relief washed over her heart.
“I am Lin Fan’s concubine. He told me I could come to the Holy Sect to find him,” Gong Binye explained.
Upon hearing this, the mountain guardians’ expressions shifted slightly. They exchanged glances—Lin Fan’s concubine? How could that be? But then they looked at Gong Binye.
They had to admit, even the female disciples of Jialan Peak couldn’t rival her beauty. Only the eldest disciple of Jialan Peak, Mu Binyan, could perhaps match her.
They say beauty is but a painted skeleton, but how many truly see through it?
Thinking of how Lin Fan was still a man, it wasn’t impossible that he had incurred some romantic entanglements after descending the mountain.
“You wait here. I’ll go report immediately.”
“We appreciate it.”
…
Then, the mountain guardian hurriedly went to inform Elder Wuya, the supreme elder. Since Lin Fan had left, Elder Wuya had repeatedly descended the mountain searching for him, but to no avail. Now, someone claiming to be Lin Fan’s concubine had shown up—it was quite strange.
For two months, Elder Wuya had barely eaten or slept, constantly wondering where that little brat had run off to.
He had scoured every corner within a radius of ten thousand miles, yet found no trace. Especially since the kid left no aura behind, hiding himself completely, making him impossible to track. Eventually, he had given up.
“Master, there’s a young lady at the mountain gate claiming to be Senior Disciple Lin’s concubine…”
Upon hearing this, Elder Wuya was greatly startled. In an instant, he transformed into a streak of light and appeared at the mountain gate.
At the moment Elder Wuya arrived, he carefully observed the young woman before him. Though he was over a hundred years old and his heart had long been undisturbed by worldly matters, he couldn’t help but admit—this young lady was truly enchanting, though her talent was somewhat lacking.
As for whether she was truly that kid’s concubine, Elder Wuya couldn’t say for sure. After all, a beauty like this—if it had been his younger days, he might have fallen for her too.
As for that brat, though he hadn’t shown any romantic inclinations within the sect, at first glance, he didn’t seem like an upright fellow. It wasn’t impossible that after descending the mountain, he had gotten himself into some romantic mess and incurred some debts of passion.
After all, even the Sect Leader and others had gone through similar trials in their youth.
But someone showing up like this—this was the first time.
That kid, you’re something else. Once he returns, we must have a serious talk.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage