plumnovel Chapter 141 Zhangshan
Chapter 141 Zhangshan
Zhang Lin landed his celestial boat outside the formation, stored it in his storage bag, and then switched to walking on the wind.
As they passed through the outer array, the personal disciple token at their waist automatically emitted a faint light, resonating with the array. The restrictions parted to the sides like ripples, making way for a passage.
Traveling from the mountain gate to Cuiping Peak, one can feel the wind and move freely without hindrance thanks to their identity token.
By the time we saw the eighteen peaks of the outer gate, we had already walked for almost half an hour.
Along the way, we passed Furong Peak and Zizhi Peak. The mountain peaks were as dark as ink in the night, with only a few peaks shining brightly, as if the great array of the mountains was in operation.
Zhang Lin did not alert anyone.
He climbed the mountain path, passing through the Thousand-Foot Cliff. The old pines on the cliff swayed slightly in the night breeze, as if nodding to him.
Without lingering long, his first stop was the small courtyard where Lu Yuanshan lived on Cuiping Peak.
The small courtyard is in sight, and the gate opens by itself without any wind.
Zhang Lin stepped into the courtyard, where Lu Yuanshan was sitting at a stone table with a pot of spiritual tea in front of him. The aroma of the tea was still lingering.
He seemed to have known all along that Zhang Lin would be back tonight, and even prepared enough tea for two people.
"You're back?" Lu Yuanshan looked up at him with a calm gaze.
"I'm back." Zhang Lin clasped his hands in a salute and sat down on the stone bench opposite his master.
Lu Yuanshan skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point: "You've got the Thick Earth Black Jade?"
Zhang Lin nodded without saying anything more.
Lu Yuanshan didn't ask any further questions.
He never inquired about the details of his disciples' opportunities; this was his habit and also reflected his character.
Everyone has their own path to walk. What a master should do is lend a helping hand when his disciple needs it, rather than interfering in everything and meddling in every aspect.
He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then changed the subject: "The sect's grand competition in September is less than a month away."
"You did a good job with the mission in Baishi Town. As for the matter at the Criminal Law Hall, the sect leader personally made the decision: the Zhou, Du, and Chen families were dismissed and investigated, and Zhou Mingxuan's cultivation was abolished and he was expelled from the sect."
He paused, his tone becoming serious: "But you must remember, this is only the official response. The powerful families have deep roots, and a temporary setback will not cripple them."
"You still need to be careful when you're out and about."
Zhang Lin nodded: "This disciple understands."
Lu Yuanshan gave him a satisfied look.
What reassured him most about this apprentice was not his talent or physical constitution, but his composure.
If it were anyone else, after killing six people and seizing two spiritual artifacts and tens of thousands of spirit stones in Liangjie Mountain, they would at least be a little smug, if not overjoyed.
But Zhang Lin did not.
He returned from Qingluo City, traveling incognito all the way. After entering the sect, he first reported to the main peak without making a fuss.
This mindset is more precious than any talent.
Lu Yuanshan looked at him with a mixture of scrutiny and expectation in his eyes: "If you can win the top spot on the list of the eighteen outer sect peaks in this competition, the sect will reward you with a hundred-year-old spiritual item, which you can choose from."
Zhang Lin's eyes suddenly lit up: "Anyone?"
"Choose any you like," Lu Yuanshan said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "As long as it's in the sect's treasury, you can choose it. This is a promise made personally by the sect leader. The top-ranked contestant in the competition will receive this honor."
Zhang Lin quickly began to calculate in his mind.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Does the treasure vault contain any hundred-year-old spiritual artifacts of the wind or thunder element?"
Lu Yuanshan was slightly taken aback, then smiled.
"You certainly have a good eye." He stroked his beard. "There are indeed wind and thunder elemental spirits in the treasure vault. Have you decided which element you'll choose?"
Zhang Lin nodded: "I've thought it through. If I win the championship, I'll choose the lightning element."
With the foundation laid by the Heavenly Dao, he already possessed nine spiritual objects, including water and earth elements, all of which were of thousand-year quality.
The Sun and Moon systems are cultivated by Yu Youwei using the Primordial Light and can be completed in three years.
The three elements are metal, wood, and fire. In the White Stone Town mission privilege, you can exchange sect contribution points for one of the five elemental spirit items. The top scorer in the competition will receive another one, and the remaining three will be obtained separately.
He has three years to fill this gap.
Looking at the calm light in Zhang Lin's eyes, Lu Yuanshan nodded slightly in his heart.
This apprentice knows what he's doing.
"In that case, I won't ask any more questions." Lu Yuanshan picked up his teacup. "You've just returned, so go and rest first. Don't rush to redeem the rewards from the White Stone Town mission. Wait until you have the last of the five elemental spirit items left, and then see which one you're missing before redeeming it."
"Also, go check on Yu Youwei. The cultivation of the Sun and Moon Spirit Seed is on track. She has been working very hard these days. Go see her tomorrow so that she can rest assured."
Zhang Lin nodded and took his leave, rising to clasp his hands in a fist salute: "This disciple will take his leave now."
Lu Yuanshan waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
Zhang Lin turned and walked out of the courtyard.
A mountain breeze blew by, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, as well as the fishy smell of freshly turned soil from the distant spiritual fields.
He took a deep breath and walked along the mountain path toward Songtao Residence.
------
The next day, as dawn broke and the morning mist still lingered.
Zhang Lin awoke from his meditation. His spiritual energy flowed smoothly like a stream, and the fatigue from a night's journey had vanished.
He pushed open the stone gate of Songtao Residence and walked down the mountain path. Birds chirped in the forest, their calls clear and melodious.
The courtyard at No. 73 was radiant with spiritual light, and the brilliance of the sun and moon shone above the courtyard like a tai chi canopy.
Once outside the courtyard, he didn't push the door open and go in directly, but instead stood outside and looked inside.
In front of the Tai Chi nursery, a slender figure sat cross-legged, surrounded by a faint spiritual light.
He then raised his hand and knocked on the door frame.
"Come in." Yu Youwei's voice came from inside, slightly hoarse from just waking up from meditation.
Zhang Lin pushed open the door and entered.
In the courtyard, a circular nursery, resembling a tai chi symbol, was set up. It was about three zhang square, with dark brown soil that seemed to emanate a faint spiritual light.
This is top-quality spiritual soil, containing visible fragments of spiritual stones.
In the nursery, two tender shoots of the sun and moon, each less than five inches tall, sat facing each other.
A plant with a pale gold color all over, its leaves as thin and shiny as gold foil, shimmering with a faint golden light.
The plant is entirely silvery-white, with leaves as white as frost and snow, and a faint silver light flowing through the veins.
One gold and one silver, shining brightly together, exude a powerful sense of Tao and vitality simply by looking at them.
Yu Youwei stood up from in front of the nursery to greet them.
Today she wore a light blue Taoist robe, her long hair simply tied up with a jade hairpin. After three months apart, she seemed more serene than before.
"When did you get back?" Her voice was soft, as if she were talking about something trivial, but the fleeting glint in her eyes betrayed her emotions.
"Last night," Zhang Lin's gaze fell on the nursery, "the seedlings are growing well."
Yu Youwei followed his gaze to the two seedlings, her tone earnest: "Tai Su Xuan Guang nurtures them for an hour every day without fail."
"The Moonflower Seed has taken root, penetrating 1.2 inches into the soil. The Sunflower Seed sprouted last month, five days earlier than expected."
She paused, seemingly considering her words: "Three months later, the first true leaf may appear."
Zhang Lin squatted down in front of the nursery and observed carefully.
A very thin layer of pale silver halo clung to the leaves of the Sunflower variety, a trace of the primordial light that had permeated the leaves.
The same is true for the Moonflower variety; the silver light on its leaves flows slowly like ripples on water.
"It's faster than I expected." He stood up and looked at Yu Youwei. "What level have you reached in your Tai Su Xuan Guang cultivation?"