“Senior apprentice sister Lin Shuang, I checked the collection of books but couldn’t find anything,” said one character.
“Apprentice sister, several masters at the Hall of Transmission are either in retreat or away,” replied another.
After the evil cultivator abducted disciples to the Auction Pavilion, many elders from the sect who remained followed the disciples of the Soul Refining Hall, pairing one against many to secretly protect them while they undertook trial missions.
“What? Not a single elder left in your Clearwater Sect?” Xiao Qi couldn’t believe it.
“If things keep going like this, apprentice sister Lin Shuang will be drained completely.”
Everyone anxiously gathered around a large vat.
Lin Shuang, speechless, applied a waterproof talisman to the novel in her intact right hand and continued reading.
However, after flipping two pages, a stream of water suddenly shot from her right fingers like the Six Meridians Divine Sword.
Everyone: “!”
Xiao Qi hesitated, then unwrapped the outermost silk cloth covering his precious sword, attempting to wrap it around Lin Shuang’s right hand.
But he was reluctant too, “Apprentice sister, this is the only piece I can spare for you.”
“…”
No need, really!
Lin Shuang, her eyebrow twitching, declined.
She had already put on swimming goggles talisman; after all, one never knew when or from where water might spray out, risking injury to her eyes.
“Apprentice sister Lin, come with me to the inner sect and pay respects to Elder Chen.”
Chen Xingchuan, who had connections within the inner sect, belonged to the Chen clan, most of whose disciples followed Elder Chen.
Right now, elders like Xiaohong, Xiaolv, and Master Li Daowei, who were familiar to Lin Shuang and the others, were all in retreat, reaching a critical point of breakthrough. Waking them up could result in an unpredictable drop in cultivation.
This was different from the time they had woken up the Zhao family’s old ancestor, who had long reached the peak of Transcendence and hadn’t made any progress in a century.
Chen Xingchuan’s suggestion earned a firm nod from Zhao Keran.
“Apprentice sister, I’ll carry you.”
Lin Shuang, sitting cross-legged in the vat, had no choice but to agree.
“Fine, but get me a bigger vat. I don’t want to spill water all the way and affect the sect’s environment.”
How considerate of you for the sect.
Bian Bo was furiously taking notes, his eyes gleaming. Finally, he would be able to enter the inner sect of Clearwater Sect.
He had gathered all the information about the outer sect’s wooden huts and menial tasks in the past few days. But the inner sect remained a mystery.
“Chih—”
Suddenly, water shot from Lin Shuang’s left arm, splashing straight onto Bian Bo’s face with a plop. He fell backward!
“Ah… everyone, raise your protective barriers.”
“…”
Lin Shuang couldn’t control her water manifestation, which randomly attacked the surrounding area—water arrows, water jets, unpredictable in timing and direction, like it all depended on everyone’s luck.
Huangpu Yuan lined up a series of defensive treasures, many of which were giant cauldrons.
He made an inviting gesture, inviting Lin Shuang to step into his cauldron.
Lin Shuang, wearing goggles and a swim cap, wrapped in a dryness and sweat-proof talisman, wearing an embroidered robe provided by Kong Miaoke from the Hundred Flowers Sect, stepped into Huangpu Yuan’s giant cauldron.
She squatted down.
Without mercy, Huangpu Yuan slammed the golden lid shut.
Lin Shuang: “…”
It must be because she had sprayed water on his fur earlier.
What a petty guy.
*
Right away, Chen Xingchuan took the lead.
A large group marched from the outer sect’s wooden huts straight to the eastern inner sect.
The first place they passed was the Rongbao Studio.
“I just remembered, I’ve always wanted to ask that fastest senior apprentice sister for a fourth-tier talisman table.”
Meng Zi, upon reaching the spot, recalled his spirit-gathering table.
He quickly took out a communication talisman.
Inside the cauldron, Lin Shuang expressionlessly set the communication stone to silent.
Huangpu Yuan looked down at the cauldron, then lovingly at Meng Zi.
Passing Rongbao Studio, they entered an area of misty mountains.
It seemed like a natural barrier, blocking the view of surrounding disciples, and also like a dead-end path. Those flying swords, such as Xiao Qi and others, felt a restriction on their spiritual energy, preventing further progress.
“This is where the elders are in retreat. Wait here a moment while I go ahead and report.”
Chen Xingchuan had already wisely stopped flying.
He shot his Chen clan disciple badge forward!
Instantly, a path opened in front of him, just wide enough for a single person to pass through!
The mist vanished, the view cleared, and the barrier disappeared.
Lin Shuang and the others finally saw the full picture of this ‘elders’ retreat area.’
Before them was a vast lake, misty and vast, with the occasional immortal crane flying over, cleaning its feathers, and now and then a few fish leaping from the lake surface, creating sparkling splashes.
At the far end of the lake, mountains surrounded it on three sides.
“These mountains are the spiritual abodes of the highest-level disciples of Clearwater Sect, those with numbers above nine thousand.”
The highest-tier Soul Refining disciples were surprisingly close to the elders’ retreat area.
As Chen Xingchuan spoke, he waved his hand and summoned several immortal cranes.
From his pouch, he took out a coral-colored jade box, opened it, and took out several pieces of jade-like crane feed.
Clearly, this wasn’t something every inner sect disciple had.
“I wish to see Elder Chen Wei. Please, Lord Crane, announce my arrival.”
Chen Xingchuan respectfully bowed to the leading, most graceful-looking crane.
The immortal crane glanced at him, then instantly swallowed the jade-shaped feed and tilted its head back to swallow.
Only then did it fly low, directly facing the lake, spreading its wings, creating a huge gust of wind and waves. The lake’s surface surged with waves and ripples, reflecting the images of one after another water cave residence.
Among them, one bore the plaque ‘Elder Chen Wei.’
Other caves were blurred, their plaque names unreadable on the water’s surface.
“So the elders’ abodes of Clearwater Sect are all underwater?”
Bian Bo was about to start writing furiously again.
But Lin Shuang blinked, her water-leaking index finger pointed upward.
Bian Bo looked up and saw the sky’s clouds dispersing, revealing Elder Chen Wei’s abode.
Like a mirage, one after another, large and small, elegant or quiet abodes, each at varying distances, were arranged across the sky.
Among them, Elder Chen Wei’s abode was clearly close to others, forming a village-like cluster of Chen family abodes, two or three together.
Other abodes were far away from them.
“Thank you, Lord Crane.”
Chen Xingchuan also looked up, saw the path to Elder Chen Wei’s abode, and resumed flying.
He smiled back at Lin Shuang and the others, “Come on, the cranes have cleared the way. We can reach by flying.”
But as he took a step forward, Meng Zi grabbed the collar of his robe from behind.
The abode revealed earlier, Elder Chen Wei’s plaque, suddenly changed—’Elder Chen Wei is out today.’
Chen Xingchuan hissed, quickly stopped, and reluctantly threw another piece of crane feed to the leading crane.
“Then I’ll visit Elder Chen Wenda. Thank you.”
Then, the crane nodded, flapped its wings.
In the mirage, another abode’s plaque became clear in the swirling clouds—Elder Chen Wenda is out today.
Chen Xingchuan opened his mouth.
—Elder Chen Lao is out.
—Elder Chen Zhi is out.
—Elder Chen Youxin is consulting the divination today and is not receiving visitors.
“Did they also go to protect the disciples on their trials?”
“Or is my luck just bad today…”
Not a single one was home.
Chen Xingchuan staggered back a step.
Zhao Keran was very worried, “Is there any other flavor of crane feed? Maybe change the taste. Or ask which elder is at home.”
Chen Xingchuan: “…”
Huangpu Yuan’s eyes flickered as he looked at the ‘crane leader’ who was already preening on the side.
Under his gaze, the crane, now with a full belly, shivered suddenly.
It closed its small black eyes like mung beans and was about to fly away.
“Hey!”
Chen Xingchuan was about to chase on his sword.
But Huangpu Yuan took out silkworms from the Zhao family from his pouch and pressed them toward the crane. With a puff, the two long crane legs were stuck, forcefully dragged back.
Chen Xingchuan: “…Don’t. This is the elders’ immortal crane, not those from the outer sect.”
Huangpu Yuan smiled faintly, looking at the two slender, trembling crane legs of the elegant immortal crane before him.
“Lead the way. Otherwise—”
The minds of spirit pets and beast companions were much simpler than those of human cultivators.
The strongest was the ruler!
He didn’t continue, but the immortal crane gulped, trembling, using its wing feathers to gesture, waving.
Instantly, the lake surface reflected a whole series of adjacent Zhao family abodes.
Among them, in front of the deepest abode, stood an expensive white-ground blue-and-white porcelain vase, faintly swaying with the lake’s ripples.
The celadon glaze seemed to depict many swimming fish and immortal cranes.
The colors were delicate, with water ripples dotting the surface. The fish leaped out of the water as they looked at it.
Everyone couldn’t help but look up at the sky, where the mirage now also included an out-of-place slender blue-and-white porcelain vase.
“Let’s go.”
Huangpu Yuan released the crane, which wanted to vomit.
The crane hurriedly flew away, its feathers in disarray.
Meng Zi immediately took flight on his sword, dragging the giant cauldron where Lin Shuang was reading her novel while sitting cross-legged, heading quickly toward the blue-and-white porcelain vase in the sky.
“I’ve been here many times but have never seen this…”
Chen Xingchuan wanted to stop them but was too late.
Bian Bo, eager for the spectacle, and Kong Miaoke, anxious about Lin Shuang, and Zhao Keran, worried about Lin Shuang, all rushed past him one after another.
Chen Xingchuan could only grit his teeth and chase after them.
While flying, he whispered, “Don’t cause any trouble. All the elders’ abodes are here. If you accidentally intrude or offend someone, even Elder Shui might not be able to protect you.”
“I’m only at the Ningyuan stage, not the most favored among the disciples of the Chen clan.”
Not to mention, today all the Chen elders were out.
If something happened, no one would protect them.
Chen Xingchuan felt uneasy, especially when he saw Bian Bo looking around curiously, even wanting to drop grass seeds at the elders’ abode entrances, scaring him nearly out of his wits.
Fortunately, Lin Shuang, sitting in the treasure cauldron flipping through her novel, comforted him, “Don’t panic. Don’t you think this blue-and-white porcelain vase looks a lot like me right now?”
Chen Xingchuan: “!”
He looked back at the cauldron, then at the blue-and-white porcelain vase.
Pah—As soon as the words were spoken, Meng Zi charged forward fearlessly but seemed to hit an invisible barrier, falling off his sword.
The cauldron he was carrying also rolled down.
Lin Shuang, soaked in water, instantly jumped out and stood on her wide sword.
Papap—
Xiao Qi from the Sea and Mountain Sect, Bian Bo from the Hundred Flowers Sect, and even Huangpu Yuan were all blocked just a step away from the blue-and-white porcelain vase and the cluster of abodes by a layer of clouds.
Huangpu Yuan raised his brow, stretched out his hand to touch the nearby white cloud.
He pinched it.
Instantly, spiritual light appeared.
The floating white clouds that blocked them transformed into countless rusted long swords.
These swords seemed dead, devoid of spiritual nature, floating in the air.
In groups of two or three, they occupied eight directions, surrounding them.
“It’s a formation!”
Bian Bo from the Hundred Flowers Sect, usually so flirtatious, immediately turned serious.
“A fifth-tier Bagua entrapment formation.”
“We must find the only safe exit to escape.”
Chen Xingchuan: “…”
He had just said not to cause trouble, hadn’t he?
Otherwise, why would he always feed the immortal crane first instead of coming directly?
Zhao Keran took out cloth from her pouch to wipe Lin Shuang dry, then turned back to fly in the original direction.
But soon, she stopped, her expression strange.
A soft cloud just a few steps away in front of her suddenly solidified.
She was blocked.
Zhao Keran moved her hands and feet simultaneously, sending sword qi in four directions—southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.
Suddenly, four streams of flowing clouds solidified.
Her four sword qi were instantly reflected back!
Zhao Keran took a deep breath and quickly flew upward.
The four reflected sword qi collided exactly where she had stood moments ago, the spiritual energy violently shaking nonstop!
If she hadn’t reacted quickly, she would have been injured.
Zhao Keran, frightened, flew back to the original spot and turned to Lin Shuang, saying, “Senior, I tried. We are already in the formation. We can’t go back the way we came, nor can we move in other directions.”
“We must break the formation. But if we break it by force, we will be attacked. The attack will match our own cultivation level and techniques.”
Hmm. Her junior’s ability to read the problem is impressive.
Lin Shuang nodded approvingly. Her face, washed by the water, displayed naturally hydrated, glowing skin.
With each nod, her skin seemed even more radiant than before.
Huangpu Yuan couldn’t help but look at her again.
“Why not try contacting Elder Shui? Although he is in the Sea and Mountain Sect, he must have other disciples, besides those two Xiaohong and Xiaolv you mentioned?” Bian Bo suggested.
Lin Shuang raised her hand, and water dripped down her left arm.
Meng Zi hurriedly lifted the cauldron again, letting her stand inside.
Lin Shuang stepped in and said,
“Attacking this entrapment formation will result in retaliation. The retaliation’s strength and techniques will match the disciple’s own cultivation level.”
Yes. This was a perfect practice problem.
Her eyes sparkled.
The reason doing problems often wasted time was because the content was hard to perfectly match the student’s actual level.
For a good student, often ten problems were needed to find one mistake—meaning ten times the time to find a single oversight or blind spot in what they had learned.
But this formation perfectly solved this problem.
It created an ‘enemy’ exactly like oneself.
“This is a great opportunity to check for my own oversights!”
Lin Shuang’s eyes gleamed.
Zhao Keran understood immediately, “Review? Senior, after the competition ended, you’ve already rested for three days. The elders took this opportunity to have everyone review all previous trials comprehensively.”
Lin Shuang nodded. What were they doing now by coming to find the elders?
It was equivalent to a student encountering difficulties in their studies and coming to the teacher’s office for help.
This ‘entrapment formation’ was like giving the student time to summarize their own issues before entering the teacher’s office.
The formation’s master could also use this to understand the level of the student seeking advice.
This saved time for both the questioner and the responder!
Lin Shuang nodded toward the blue-and-white porcelain vase behind the clouds, her expression showing unmistakable admiration.
This elder truly understood her heart.
“I get it. Then let’s go!” Zhao Keran clenched her fist, “That southwestern cloud is mine. Thank you, elder, for the guidance!”
Chen Xingchuan: “?” Really? There’s actually such a thing? He had come many times and never encountered it. He had no idea at all.
It seemed like all those previous visits were in vain.
Elder Chen was biased!
Meng Zi’s eyes flickered. “Then since I’m here, a free Transmission Hall? Fine.”
“Thank you, Elder of Qing Shui Sect.” Xiao Qi immediately drew his sword. “I claim this sacred ground for sword practice!”
Bian Bochai and Kong Miaoke: “!”
They watched intently, observing everyone’s ultimate techniques.
*
“…Elder Grandmaster, so this formation was meant for this purpose. You truly went to great lengths for your disciples.”
Behind the blue and white porcelain vase, many elders peeked out.
They were all actually there.
Qing Shui Sect had indeed sent out many elders to protect disciples going outside.
But someone had to remain behind at the sect.
These elders had stayed by their own doors, secretly watching Lin Shuang and the others.
“The Eight Gates Everlasting Formation—so that’s its purpose. I never knew before.”
“I thought it was just Elder Wu Shui asking them to wait a bit. Now I understand.”
“Truly worthy of the Grand Elder.”
The Grand Elder’s main body: “…”
“Ah, right. Grand Elder, about the spiritual tea you just instructed me to prepare—should I serve it now? Lin Shuang and the disciples seem to be training in the Eight Gates Formation for quite a while.”
“…”
The Eight Gates Formation—once the Gate of Life was found, one could walk out smoothly without needing to draw a sword or blade.
But now… Lin Shuang and the others were happily treating it as a sacred ground for sparring.
Where else could one find an opponent exactly as strong as oneself?
To exchange blows so freely, every sword strike and slash perfectly matched, without ever falling to the ground!
Nowhere else.
After one incense stick’s time, everyone was drenched in sweat, hands trembling, but in their eyes, four words were clearly written—reluctant to leave!
“I’ll take a pill, meditate for a bit, then continue!”
Xiao Qi was delighted.
Lin Shuang was also satisfied. Finally, she had found the perfect fat-burning partner for one incense stick—another version of herself!
Filling gaps, balancing strength.
Meng Zi and the others were all addicted, realizing the wonders of this formation.
Crack—suddenly, as everyone took a brief rest and were about to jump back into action, Meng Zi slashed his blade into a gap in the clouds.
Instantly, the formation opened wide.
The Gate of Life!
After too many attacks, Meng Zi’s thirteenth strike had found the Gate of Life.
“Don’t! I haven’t fully taken advantage of this free Transmission Hall yet—”
Meng Zi reached out, trying desperately to glue the two separated clouds back together.
Zhao Keran silently accelerated her hand and foot strikes at lightning speed!
Lin Shuang’s eyes gleamed. She raised her water-like hand and pulled out a fifth-tier ink brush.
“Step aside. Let me close the Gate of Life again.”
By sealing the Gate of Life, the formation would continue operating.
They could continue leveling up here for a while longer.
She was certain in her heart—since the elders hadn’t come looking for her, her water-related issue wasn’t urgent.
Training temporarily was fine.
In an instant, she repaired the formation.
It resumed operation.
“Nice job, Lin Xiaoshuang. You’re quite skilled at imitation.”
Meng Zi was touched.
He continued ‘taking advantage,’ swinging his blade frantically. A free training room—why not train?
But as his blade flew out, in an instant, his third-tier treasure sword vanished into the distance.
Meng Zi: “!”
“Lin Shuang, come in now and resolve your issue!”
A solemn voice rumbled through the air.
Lin Shuang immediately rose from the corner where she had been repairing the formation, turning her head toward the now-nearby open blue and white porcelain vase.
The clouds and mist all scattered. The sword blades inserted in the air slowly disappeared.
Sigh, well then.
The fat-burning incense time was about up.
Lin Shuang nodded with lingering satisfaction, took one step forward, and instantly arrived before the blue and white porcelain vase.
She saw that around her was a mountainous area surrounded by pure spiritual essence water. At this moment, a child with rosy lips and white teeth sat on the mouth of the cave dwelling cluster’s blue and white porcelain vase.
With lotus-like bare feet dangling, two red-cord-tied pigtails, she turned her head back to look at them.
In her hand, she held a bamboo fishing rod, seemingly fishing inside the vase.
As Lin Shuang and the others arrived, she had just pulled a golden-red, seventh-tier koi fish out of the vase!
With a splash, the koi flew toward the cave dwelling behind her.
She cast her fishing rod back into the vase, and both feet followed inside.
Who was this child, with pigtails, wearing peach-red rouge on her little face?
A Daoist acolyte?
No. Daoist acolytes were at the Core Formation stage at most. They couldn’t fish out a seventh-tier fish spirit—only a Transcendent could.
Was this the elder of the Qing Shui Sect?
The two from Bai Hua Sect were astonished.
Meng Zi suspiciously turned to look at Chen Xingchuan, only to find him even more bewildered than they were.
Lin Shuang was about to bow in greeting when a scroll suddenly flew out from the pouch at her waist.
—“Comprehensive Guide to the Current Elders of the Qing Shui Sect.”
Lin Shuang: “!”
Meng Zi, Huangpu Yuan: “…”
Before the Shan Hai Sect team battle, they had asked Xiao Hong and Xiao Lu about the conflict between Shan Hai Sect and Qing Shui Sect. Xiao Hong had suggested they exchange for scrolls.
Lin Shuang had coincidentally exchanged for this one as well, spending thirty thousand spirit stones.
At the time, the battle was imminent, and there were plots from the Shan Hai Sect. This thousand-page scroll had not been read.
Because Lin Shuang had thought that the “Comprehensive Guide to the Current Elders of the Qing Shui Sect” was neither urgent nor important during the Shan Hai Sect battle.
But now, to her surprise, the scroll moved on its own.
It flew out, needing neither flipping nor searching, but automatically formed flowing water-like text in the air!
Circling around to hover beside the pigtailed little girl before them.
[Among the current elders of the Qing Shui Sect, the first person below the first-generation elders in seclusion: Elder Chen Wu Shui, at the peak of Transcendent. Her lifespan is 1*** years (don’t ask, don’t look, don’t think, or you will die).]
“…”
Lin Shuang lifted her eyes.
Everyone, including Chen Xingchuan, twitched at the corners of their eyes.
[Elder Chen Wu Shui’s relationships within the sect:]
[Father: The sole remaining first-generation elder of the Qing Shui Sect, currently in seclusion (Chen Wu Shui is the youngest daughter of the first generation, and the only surviving descendant).]
[Beloved disciple: The current Sect Leader Lu of the Qing Shui Sect.]
[Spouse: Shui Qian Tan.]
“Pu—cough, cough.”
Meng Zi opened his mouth in surprise, and in an instant, a stream of water from Lin Shuang splashed into his throat.
He immediately choked, coughing violently.
Even Chen Xingchuan was too shocked to speak.
Bian Bochai from Bai Hua Sect’s eyes sparkled even more.
“Comprehensive Guide to the Current Elders of the Qing Shui Sect,” available at four thousand layers, worth thirty thousand spirit stones—indeed, it delivered its promised value.
Unlike his own “Collection of Single Disciples,” this scroll required no input of spiritual energy from the disciple to search.
When carrying the scroll and approaching an elder, the scroll would automatically condense the elder’s introduction, presenting their life story and preferences!
“Wait, let me calculate,” Kong Miaoke, the gossip queen, quickly started counting with her fingers. “This Elder Chen is the youngest daughter of the first generation. Elder Qian Tan is the 130th-generation elder of the Qing Shui Sect. Then Elder Chen and Elder Shui… this is…”
This was a younger romance, a sister-brother love, a love across generations!
Lin Shuang couldn’t help but widen her eyes.
Tsk, to be a woman like Elder Chen!
As long as you’re strong enough, your partner could still be in kindergarten!
Lin Shuang looked at the pigtailed little girl fishing.
“Ancestor.”
Chen Xingchuan had already knelt and bowed.
Even he had never seen the daughter of the first generation, only heard of her in rumors.
Among the Chen clan, aside from the first-generation ancestor, who had long been in seclusion and was nearing the end of his lifespan, the second-ranking elder was the Great Elder Chen Wu Shui, the fifth-generation elder of the Qing Shui Sect!
The current leader of the Chen clan!
This pigtailed elder, her form like a child, yet with each step in the air, she created water-formed lotus petals.
Each lotus petal was exactly the same size, the petals vividly lifelike, the stamens delicate and refined, supporting her feet like steady steps, not even getting her pants damp.
With each step she took, her childlike form changed slightly.
By the time she reached Lin Shuang, she had transformed from a three-year-old child into an eighteen-year-old girl!
Her clothing also changed from a child’s short tunic and golden necklace into an eighth-tier luxurious embroidered robe from the Bai Hua Sect.
[Elder Chen Wu Shui cultivates the “Time Like Water” heart technique, a Celestial-level method, spending most of her time cycling between childhood and old age.]
[She is most kind during childhood, most capricious during adolescence, and most peaceful in old age. See what luck you have, meeting which version of her.]
Elder Chen Wu Shui’s scroll text floated around her.
She didn’t even seem to mind, not stopping it, but instead watching with interest alongside them.
“Oh? Is this the biography written by an inner sect disciple thirty years ago?”
“…”
Chen Xingchuan didn’t dare to read further.
He was afraid something shocking might be written later.
But Lin Shuang and the others read it with great interest.
Looking at the now eighteen-year-old beauty Elder Chen, they silently cross-checked—most capricious.
[Elder Chen Wu Shui’s preferences: sweets during childhood, handsome men during adolescence, and quietness in old age.]
[Elder Chen’s dislikes: Shui Qian Tan.]
Lin Shuang: “…”
Elder Chen Wu Shui, now an eighteen-year-old girl, casually waved her hand, carefree, pulling her skirt and sitting down at the cave dwelling entrance.
“Peaceful breakup, the joy of being single—you young ones wouldn’t understand.”
Lin Shuang: “!”
“Elder Chen, the other elders avoided meeting me because, from the beginning, it was you who decided to meet me?” Lin Shuang quickly pieced things together.
Chen Wu Shui, currently the most active Chen elder outside.
Chen Xingchuan had originally planned to bring her to seek help from other Chen elders, but they were either absent or refused to meet anyone.
“This girl is indeed clever.”
Chen Wu Shui, with a delicate face, exuded a naturally pure aura, like a clean spring.
She looked at Lin Shuang, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
“Currently, within the Qing Shui Sect, there are over nine hundred descendants of the Chen clan, from Transcendent to Foundation Building and Core Formation.”
“Lin Shuang, if one day you need a Dao companion, I’ll let you choose freely among those guys. How about that?”
Chen Xingchuan: “…”
Meng Zi: “…”
Lin Shuang pressed her forehead. “So, Elder, does that mean I don’t have to find a Dao companion right now?”
Chen Wu Shui lightly laughed, her red lips curling. “You understand between the lines. Good.”
Immediately, she extended her hand, and the blue and white porcelain vase, as large as a small mountain, shrank into her palm.
She tilted it downward.
The water gushed forth endlessly, gradually forming a floating, stream-like ribbon in midair.
The seventh-tier golden koi she had just fished out leapt into it, swimming joyfully.
She lightly tapped her finger, and a leaf-shaped boat formed in the water.
“Water can carry a boat, and also overturn it.”
“It nourishes all things, yet is ever-changing. However, when it is purest and kindest, there are no fish.”
Lin Shuang followed her fingertip, watching. Others also tried to think deeply.
“Elder, does this mean that cultivating this technique actually requires worldly desires?”
Lin Shuang couldn’t help but ponder.
“But attaining immortality requires shedding mortal bones, not pursuing human emotions and attachments.”
This seemed contradictory.
Chen Wu Shui looked at her, then swept her gaze over Meng Zi, Huangpu Yuan, and Zhao Keran beside her.
“When a person becomes water, becoming water itself, existence becomes like death.”
“Cultivating goes against the heavens. If water follows all things, it walks the opposite path of ascension, leading to a dead end.”
“But to go against the heavens, one must first find the path of following.”
“Find your own place.”
Lin Shuang sensed her gaze drifting toward the others, recalling Xiao Hong’s reminder about finding a Dao companion, and began to understand.
“Elder, does that mean that when I cultivate this technique, ‘The Sea is All Water,’ and I am about to become water myself, I will surely lose awareness of myself? At that time, I must rely on those around me to pull me back, finding a way to constantly remind myself ‘I exist, I am, I have this rebellious spirit’?”
“In this way, I won’t be lost, won’t truly become water?”
Chen Wu Shui nodded. “Exactly.”
But soon, her eyes flickered.
“The Sea is All Water?? When did the name of this technique change!”
She sighed and stood up. “Lin Shuang, I admire you, and I secretly watched your trio’s team battle.”
“However, team coordination is only needed for competition. Whether there is someone by your side who can constantly awaken you when you become water—”
“This question, I don’t know.”
Zhao Keran clenched her fist, Meng Zi scratched his head, Huangpu Yuan frowned.
Lin Shuang immediately understood. “So, you changed your name to Chen Wu Shui, having experienced being water and then not water. Changing your name serves as a reminder, never to truly become water.”
Chen Wu Shui lightly laughed, flicking her sleeve.
Instantly pushing them ten zhang away, she sent them all out of the mountain range of the elders’ cave dwellings.
At the same time, the “Yin Chuan Ten Thousand Volumes Book House Transfer Leaf” on everyone’s body automatically activated from their spirit pouches.
“Actually, the answer to how to control this technique was already given to you by Shui Qian Tan long ago.”
“Go find a technique of your own—’If you become water, I shall become the boat.'”
“Remember, techniques can both counteract and complement each other.”
“Complementing does not mean using, nor sacrificing for others.”
As her voice faded away, the transfer leaf activated.
Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan, who had scroll-layer transfer leaves, instantly entered the corresponding stone layer of Zhen Chuan.
Zhao Keran, who had been rewarded with a scroll-layer transfer leaf by Xiao Hong, also disappeared.
Xiao Qi reacted, pulling out a stone from his spirit pouch. “Ten Thousand Volumes Book House—is it Ten Thousand Volumes Book Chuan? Then I have one too.”
He crushed it instantly, and he disappeared as well.
Bian Bochai and Kong Miaoke hesitated. “Ten Thousand Volumes Book Grove? Bai Hua Sect has one too.”
They also took out their rewards from the Nine Thousand Trials of Bai Hua Sect.
Disciples who could participate in the elite competition were already the best among their sects.
They had long passed the corresponding stone layers and performed excellently, earning transfers or rewards from monitoring elders.
In an instant, they all disappeared.
A line of text appeared before them.
[Bian Bochai, Kong Miaoke, Xiao Qi—disciples from other sects—who activated the Nine Thousand Transfer within the Qing Shui Sect territory.]
“All stone layers and martial arts rewards have been converted into Zhenchuan Nine Thousand.”
“Zhenchuan Layer 5848: Myriad Scroll Sea.”
“This time, I will only take one ladle from you.”
“The trial requirement for this layer: find the martial art you desire in your heart, learn it, and then combine techniques with Lin Shuang to pass the trial.”
“Zhao Keran, below five thousand layers, has special permission from Elder Chen Wushui to enter Layer 5848.”
“After learning the first two stages of a martial art, you may attempt to combine techniques with Lin Shuang. If you fail, it will count as a failure in Layer 1888, retreating five hundred layers and erasing memories related to that martial art.”
Instantly, Zhao Keran’s round face turned solemn.
She gazed at the senior apprentice sister who had entered the portal earlier, saying, “I can definitely do it! Senior apprentice sister, wait for me!”
Not a soul remained in the air.
No, except for the isolated Chen Xingchuan and Zhao Ming, who looked at each other.
Chen Xingchuan sighed in relief. He wasn’t the only one considered useless.
He hadn’t received the reward from the book pavilion level.
Luckily, he wasn’t alone.
But Zhao Ming remained calm, saying, “I’m an outer sect manager of Shanhai Sect. I never participate in the Nine Thousand Trials.”
Chen Xingchuan: “… “
Only he was considered useless!
*
Inside the Shanhai Sect’s Hall of Discipline.
The avatars and elders of the twelve sects were solemnly discussing.
“Yueshi also said that the person is about to return. Indeed, it was correct for us to send elders to protect our disciples.”
“A century ago, that person’s cultivation suddenly advanced because he devoured several individuals with extraordinary talents. Later, our sects strengthened their defenses. However, we never expected that a century later, he would strike again!”
“The competition among disciples of Lianshen must be held as soon as possible after Yueshi and Sect Leader Wang complete their matters.”
“Yes, we can’t delay anymore! I feel that this time, ‘he’ won’t give up easily! This year, we must find a way to unite the twelve sects and send the Lianshen disciples into the Nine Thousand Layers!”
“Once Elder Chen Wushui arrives today, we will perform a soul search on Yueshi and Sect Leader Wang. We can’t wait any longer!”
During the discussion.
Master Lv, the leader of Qing Shui Sect, who had come here to discuss matters, sent an avatar to gaze at the water stains on the ground.
“The three disciples of Lin Shuang must not be allowed to come to harm—”
Although Master Lv hadn’t attended the viewing of the middle and lower-level competitions, during these days of discussions, he had heard from other elders about how ‘formidable’ Lin Shuang’s disciples were.
The water stains on the ground faintly floated, “It’s okay. Wushui has already informed me, sending Lin Shuang and others for training in Zhenchuan.”
Master Lv sighed in relief, “That’s good.”
Zhenchuan, being a trial, was also the safest place.
When the first generation built it and laid down the rules, they were nearly at the level of immortals.
As long as the disciples followed the rules for training, even if they faced tribulations, no one could harm them.
However, as they spoke, a stone hidden behind a screen entered the underground prison of the Hall of Discipline.
“Yueshi.”
“This is your last chance. Go to Zhenchuan for the trial and capture Lin Shuang!”
“As the elder who created the Nine Thousand Trials, your avatar can enter any layer you created within the Nine Thousand.”
“Capture Lin Shuang, and after the Master absorbs her, he can ascend and become invincible in the world, and then he will save you.”
Yueshi, wearing chains, slowly raised his head.
*
Layer 5848.
“This time, I will only take one ladle from you.”
Lin Shuang gazed at the words before her.
[Due to the simultaneous entry of disciples from Baihua Sect, Shanhai Sect, and Qing Shui Sect.]
[Activating the viewing permissions for disciples of Baihua Sect, Shanhai Sect, and Qing Shui Sect.]
Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan all looked up.
Instantly, countless words floated over their projections.
“Hey, I was watching the Baihua Sect disciples’ trial, and suddenly it switched to Lin Shuang!”
“What? The competition is already over, and Lin Shuang has followed us into Baihua Sect’s Nine Thousand Trials!?”
“Leave us alone, Lin Shuang! Hmm? I’m from Shanhai Sect, so why can I see this too!”
Petals fell, mountains floated, and springs surrounded them.
[Welcome disciples, activating the Nine Thousand Trials—Triple Sects United Mode.]
Lin Shuang: “… “
Even an online game has appeared!
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