Meng Zi wore the dark cloak of the Yannie Pavilion, a bamboo hat, and two overlapping black masks on his face.
“The Yannie Pavilion is here to apprehend Liu Ba, the Golden Hammer.”
A bronze badge engraved with the character “灭” flew from his waist to the front of Lin Shuang and the others.
“Please grant us passage.”
As he spoke, Meng Zi sharply looked at Liu Ba, who was covered in talismans and had a desperate expression in his eyes. Liu Ba’s face was gaunt, his spiritual energy drained, as if he had suffered some inhuman torment.
“An assassin from the Yannie Pavilion?” Zhou Xuanwu cautiously halted midair on his sword.
Meng Zi lightly coughed, glancing at Lin Shuang, who was leisurely lying on a broadsword, and then at Zhou Xuanwu, similarly dressed in Qing Shui Sect robes, before stiffly adjusting the mask on his face.
The Yannie Pavilion, born in obscurity a century ago, had gradually become a massive assassin organization renowned in both the eastern and western regions. It was said that as long as enough spirit stones were paid, they could assassinate anyone desired. Among their top ten assassins, the strongest possessed cultivation levels nearly equivalent to those who had transcended and ascended to immortality. However, assassins always conducted their business in secrecy, wearing masks and bamboo hats, and no one had ever seen their true faces. After all, they operated in the shadows, concerned only with the bounty.
Meng Zi turned his head slightly, lowering his bamboo hat to evade the other’s probing gaze. Fortunately, his disguise was always with him, and he had no fear even when encountering fellow junior seniors. As he thought this, he lowered his voice and said, “Indeed.”
However, beneath his bamboo hat, his gaze remained fixed on the still-laying Lin Shuang. From inside the Qing Shui Sect to outside its gates, she had remained in that position. Was she like this even on external missions?
Meng Zi’s peach-shaped eyes flickered as he withdrew his gaze and nodded to Zhou Xuanwu and Xiao Qi, “It’s a bounty mission from the Yannie Pavilion—Liu Ba, the Golden Hammer, worth 5,000 spirit stones. I previously accompanied another assassin and severed his right arm, but he escaped. Since you two captured him, you can take the larger share—3,000, and we’ll take 2,000. How does that sound?”
He deliberately ignored the useless Lin Shuang.
However, Zhou Xuanwu and Xiao Qi turned to look at her instead and asked, “Senior apprentice sister Lin, what do you think?”
Meng Zi: “?”
Basking in sunlight, Lin Shuang examined the Yannie Pavilion member who had arrived. Acting and speaking before careful observation could significantly increase the risk of misunderstanding, creating a bad impression, and communication failure. Supporting her forehead, she sat up on the broadsword, her gaze flickering over the unevenly overlapping edges of the other’s double masks, the disheveled corner of his black cloak tucked into his belt, and the mismatched socks peeking from his boots, pausing slightly. Then, her gaze dropped to the plain square wooden table beneath his feet—the corner had a familiar chip.
It was the same table that Xiao Ai’s first edition talisman had knocked into the corner of the wooden house when serving tea.
Lin Shuang looked up at the sky.
So this was the “Wu Zui Generous” who had bought her table?
This sloppy appearance was very similar to the leading patrolling disciple outside cabin number ninety-nine that day, whose clothes had been in disarray.
Right now—standing on a table, which itself was balanced on a sword, was a truly shocking acrobatic pose.
This posture… she had no intention of trying it!
She decided she wouldn’t draw talismans on tables for her personal use in the future.
“Hmm, he was already critically injured when he came here. Taking 3,000 spirit stones is fair enough,” Lin Shuang had no objections. Bargaining wasn’t on her schedule. After squeezing the last bit of energy from this Yuan Condensation heretic, any remaining windfalls were just lucky gains. She had no attachment to them. Keeping her mindset balanced and her emotions positive would increase efficiency.
She nodded at the other party and quickly lay back down.
Meng Zi twitched his temple and turned his gaze away. He counted out three mid-grade spirit stones and tossed them to Zhou Xuanwu.
Zhou Xuanwu flew forward on his sword and caught them swiftly.
“Farewell!” Meng Zi turned and left, dragging the limp Liu Ba with him.
Left behind, Zhou Xuanwu’s gaze remained fixed on the table.
“This table… is it a third-tier talisman?!”
Xiao Qi turned to look at Lin Shuang.
“A talisman artist must find the talisman’s acupoints with their brush, channeling spiritual energy into the yellow paper’s grain… The grain of this spiritual wood table is far more complex than a thin talisman paper. How could one draw a talisman on such a wooden table…”
“There truly is always someone better out there…”
Zhou Xuanwu, who always aimed to be number one, once again felt the vastness of the world and fell into self-doubt, wondering why he couldn’t measure up.
Lin Shuang closed her eyes as if it had nothing to do with her.
Xiao Qi couldn’t help but reach out and poke her from behind.
Lin Shuang avoided his touch with a look of disdain, giving him a glance that said, “You’re so easily impressed.”
“What’s the big deal? Just split your spiritual consciousness into one hundred and eight streams, enter the table’s grain, search for the most potent talisman acupoints while simultaneously connecting to the power of heaven and earth and writing the talisman. Isn’t that easy enough?”
“???”
Xiao Qi staggered.
What, how many streams of spiritual consciousness do you have?
One hundred and eight?
[Experimental Notes of Lin Shuang]
[January 3rd, Year 1]
Today, I trained the 1st to 25th single-numbered spiritual consciousness and the newly added 26th to 30th. Gradually becoming proficient.
[February 7th, Year 2]
Today, I mastered the switching operation of ‘using single-numbered consciousness to draw first-tier talismans and double-numbered consciousness to study the second-tier Haoran Technique.’
Preliminary validation of the two theories I proposed.
1. The division of labor between the left and right brain can be applied to developing different abilities in single and double-numbered consciousness.
2. I hypothesize that the development of the human brain is similar to the development of spiritual consciousness: frequent use of the brain and conscious training can make spiritual consciousness more active and powerful, producing more abilities.
[December 1st, Year 2]
Today, my spiritual consciousness finally increased from 107 to 108 strands.
It feels like this is the limit of this body’s brain development.
I will continue to alternately train the different abilities of single and double-numbered consciousness.
In a month, I will start training the flexibility of consciousness in multiples of 1, 2, and 3.
In half a year, I will strive to control all 108 strands of consciousness simultaneously.
[December 9th, Year 2]
Sigh.
The experiment of using 108 strands of consciousness to do 108 different things at once failed.
Wishful thinking.
It seems I must quickly advance to the Ru Xu stage, master the technique of creating clones, to handle multiple tasks simultaneously!
[January 3rd, Year 3]
Hmm, I’ve made some progress again.
Using all 108 strands of consciousness simultaneously to focus on a single task can increase efficiency by nearly 100% to 999%.
Continuing to develop the acuity of my spiritual consciousness shows promise for further improvement.
What about my dantian? Can my current 36 gas-forming dantians cultivate 36 different techniques simultaneously?
Forget it, Lin Shuang, focus to progress faster.
…
[Summary of Lin Shuang’s Spiritual Consciousness Cultivation (Draft 137)]
Always something new upon rereading.
Reminded by Xiao Qi, Lin Shuang once again reviewed her spiritual consciousness cultivation diary.
Because her spiritual consciousness intensity had gradually become saturated, and its growth rate had slowed.
She hadn’t recorded anything for a long time.
Now, rereading it, she clearly sensed that the 108 strands of spiritual consciousness she had formed about eight years ago had become more flexible and refined after nearly 3,000 days of daily use.
[Indeed, a scientific arrangement of study, entertainment, and rest has more effectively enhanced my spiritual consciousness.]
[P.S.: The types of entertainment and rest activities should be diversified, not limited to two or three. For example, watching movies and observing battles between Zhou Xuanwu and others—my first experience showed surprising effectiveness in resting and strengthening my spiritual consciousness.]
[However, others like Xiao Qi watching Zhou Xuanwu’s battles seem to have no rest or growth in their spiritual consciousness. Strange, is it because of their poor mindset or lack of long-term training?]
—Summary of Spiritual Consciousness Cultivation—Draft 138
After finishing her records, Lin Shuang was satisfied, blew on the ink to dry it, and nodded.
She stretched lazily on the broadsword.
“Senior apprentice sister Lin, I’m returning to the Shanhai Sect. Let’s meet again next time for a journey or a fat-burning workout.”
At the entrance of the Qing Shui Sect, Xiao Qi continued westward, parting ways with them.
Zhou Xuanwu hesitated, then finally kept silent, following Lin Shuang into the sect’s main gate.
As soon as the scattered outer disciples saw them, they joyfully rushed to the management hall.
“Senior apprentice brother Xu Rui, they’re back!”
“They’re safe, safe! They didn’t run into that heretic Golden Hammer!”
Xu Rui, the senior apprentice brother carrying a Bagua sword, flew out instantly. Seeing the two of them, his expression relaxed instantly, “Thank goodness, thank goodness. There was almost trouble in the Dahuang Mountains, but you two didn’t encounter that Yuan Condensation practitioner, what a relief.”
Zhou Xuanwu: “…”
Senior brother, not only did we meet him, we defeated him.
“Junior apprentice brother Zhou, why is your face so pale?”
Xu Rui quickly noticed the anomaly.
“Was your mission smooth?”
Zhou Xuanwu opened his mouth but closed it again.
Xu Rui had managed the outer sect affairs for ten years and already understood the personalities of each disciple.
Shaking his head, he didn’t expect the silent stick to speak, quickly shifting his gaze to observe Lin Shuang instead.
He saw her eyes shining with brilliance, her cheeks slightly flushed like early peaches, her outer sect robe neat and fluttering, without a single tear.
Clearly, she hadn’t suffered any losses.
“As long as there were no major difficulties, it’s fine,” Xu Rui sighed in relief. “Come on, let’s go to the management office to complete the mission.”
At the outer sect management office, there stood a towering pine tree over 300 years old by the entrance.
To the west of the pine tree was the ranking stone tablet for disciples.
Zhou Xuanwu and Lin Shuang handed the mission evaluation written by the caravan leader Sun Lao to Xu Rui.
Xu Rui flipped it open and was stunned.
[Zhou Xianren: Grade A+. Bravely fearless, willing to sacrifice.]
[Lin Xianzi: Grade A+. Her fairy kung fu was mighty, powerfully protecting us, and she was approachable, sharing interesting stories along the way.]
This Sun Lao was clearly a master of balancing praise.
Although their cultivation levels were vastly different, he had given both of them the highest evaluation.
Xu Rui sighed lightly, “Most mortals respect cultivators, which is why you easily received such excellent grades. In the future, as your cultivation levels rise, you will inevitably encounter tasks commissioned by fellow cultivators or even seniors. At that time, remember to be diligent and careful.”
After he finished speaking, the mission record was quickly updated to an A-grade mission.
At the same time, the stone tablet at the entrance of the management hall emitted spiritual light.
[Zhou Xuanwu completed an A-grade mission, evaluated as A+.]
[Lin Shuang completed an A-grade mission, evaluated as A+.]
[Mission difficulty changed: originally 200 contribution points, doubled reward, issuing 2000 sect contribution points.]
[A+ evaluation, additional reward of 500 sect contribution points.]
[Zhou Xuanwu’s ranking among outer disciples updated: 2→1.]
[Lin Shuang’s ranking among outer disciples updated: 17291→14993.]
Xu Rui nodded approvingly, especially encouraging Zhou Xuanwu, “Good job, keep cultivating.”
But Zhou Xuanwu heard nothing, only staring at the stone tablet in a daze.
Lin Shuang, ranked 14,993rd.
Unconsciously, he recalled the image of her tiny fists that had driven the Yuan Condensation hammer into the ground…
In his mind’s eye, he saw Lin Shuang gazing at the ranking stone tablet with a satisfied smile.
She was still unremarkable, at the bottom of the rankings.
“You two go and rest for a while.”
Just as Senior Brother Xu Rui was about to leave the management hall, he stopped again, “Oh, junior brother Zhou, I’ve already recommended you for the elite disciple nomination the outer sect will submit to the elders at year’s end.”
Zhou Xuanwu watched Lin Shuang casually turn and leave, her hands tucked in her sleeves, riding her broadsword like a snowboard.
“Next spring equinox, the competition among the strongest outer disciples of the twelve major sects in the Donghua region will depend on you two.”
Senior Brother Xu Rui gave his shoulder a parting pat of encouragement.
Then, quickly correcting his obsessive-compulsive tendencies, he patted the other shoulder as well to maintain balance.
Zhou Xuanwu suddenly snapped out of his daze, “Senior brother, did you recommend senior apprentice sister Lin as well?”
“Hmm?”
“Which Lin Shuang are you talking about?”
Already gliding away on her broadsword like a snowboard, Lin Shuang’s figure hesitated midair.
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