The past had already become a memory. Coming back to his senses, Chu Xingyun could not help letting out a sigh. He murmured, "Fortune plays tricks on us, and such is the will of Heaven."
Had the Nine-Curtain Jade Immortal Fruit appeared back when Chu Xingyun had not yet dissolved his physical body, he would have seized it for himself without the slightest hesitation. After all, that was a legendary supreme treasure, and to say he was not tempted would be a lie. But now, Chu Xingyun was left with only a sliver of a soul that would soon scatter into nothingness, beyond any hope of salvation.
"Very well. As your master, I shall bestow upon you a great fortune. May you walk farther than I ever did," Chu Xingyun said to himself.
With that, he formed hand seals, and a crimson flame shot forth, wrapping around the Nine-Curtain Jade Immortal Fruit to refine it. Within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the fruit dissolved into a pool of deep green liquid. Chu Xingyun pointed a finger at Li Lin's dantian, and the deep green liquid burrowed right inside.
Li Lin's brows furrowed, but an expression of profound comfort immediately followed.
At that moment, all eight extraordinary meridians within Li Lin's body were surging with explosive energy. Guiding that torrent of energy bit by bit, Chu Xingyun spoke: "Kid, steady your mind and carefully experience the cultivation path I am leading you through."
After running through a minor heavenly cycle, the energy inside Li Lin began to circulate automatically, flowing as smoothly as a familiar road. A look of satisfaction appeared on Chu Xingyun's face.
Meanwhile, Li Lin's cultivation realm was steadily climbing—from Qi Condensation Level 1, to Level 2, to Level 3, finally stopping only at Level 4 Peak. This signified that Li Lin had truly stepped into the Cultivation World.
At the same time, a layer of black, sticky substance was expelled from Li Lin's face, arms, and feet, emitting a pungent, foul odor.
Chu Xingyun nodded in satisfaction. As expected of a legendary supreme treasure, it not only cleansed Li Lin's marrow and broadened his meridians, but also noticeably elevated his innate aptitude—putting him at least in the upper-middle tier.
Chu Xingyun knew this was only because Li Lin's realm was still too low and he was unfamiliar with circulating cultivation techniques, allowing him to absorb only a tiny fraction of the Nine-Curtain Jade Immortal Fruit's energy. Yet there was nothing to be done about that; he could only help him this far. From then on, Li Lin would have to rely on himself to slowly absorb and refine it—a long and gradual process.
At that moment, however, a heaven-and-earth overturning transformation was taking place within Li Lin's mind. Ever since Chu Xingyun transmitted his cultivation, Li Lin felt his perception become acutely sensitive. Although he was inside the cave dwelling, everything outside felt as if it were right before his eyes, completely clear and unobstructed, down to the tiny bugs crawling underground.
It was as if a door to a new world had been swung open for Li Lin, and everything was filled with wonder.
Profound and obscure cultivation techniques, many of which he could not understand, appeared before him like flowers viewed through mist. Exotic experiences were not only novel, but shattered his previous worldview, revealing a vast and boundless realm.
So the Li Family Village was merely as tiny as a speck of dust; beyond it lay six major prefectures, countless cities, and four great empires reigning supreme. Cultivation clans were as numerous as the hairs on an ox, and cultivation sects boasted forests of powerful experts who looked down upon the heavens.
Like a giant sponge, Li Lin greedily absorbed all this information he had never touched before.
***
Time knows no years in cultivation; the snap of a finger spans an age.
Li Lin had no idea how much time had passed. He sat in meditative concentration, desperately trying to digest the legacy Chu Xingyun had imparted to him. Unawares, his cultivation had already reached the Qi Condensation Level 5 Peak—truly astonishing progress.
On this day, seeing that Li Lin still showed no signs of waking up, while his own residual soul grew increasingly faint and flickered erratically, Chu Xingyun knew his time was running out.
With no other choice, he let out a stern reprimand: "Disciple Li Lin, wake up this instant! How much longer do you intend to wait?"
His voice boomed like great temple bells, deafening and thunderous.
Li Lin's body shuddered, and he slowly opened his eyes as a flash of sharp light vanished from them. Rising to his feet, Li Lin cupped his fists and bowed deeply to Chu Xingyun. "Master, I am sorry. I have made you worry."
Waving a hand, Chu Xingyun said, "Sit back down. Your master has things to tell you."
"Yes, Master," Li Lin replied, crossing his legs and sitting down in an obedient and well-behaved manner.
"This remnant soul of mine has exhausted its vital essence and cannot last much longer. I have a few matters to entrust to you now. You must engrave them upon your heart," Chu Xingyun said in a low voice.
An expression of panic crossed Li Lin's face, and he started to speak. Chu Xingyun raised a hand and gestured for him to remain silent.
"I know the state of my own condition, so you needn't worry. Just listen to me until I finish."
"First: that spiritual fruit within you has already been refined into your dantian by me. In time, it will be slowly absorbed and continuously raise your cultivation. You need not dwell on it, and above all, never let anyone know that you obtained the Nine-Curtain Jade Immortal Fruit, or it will inevitably bring a fatal disaster upon your head."
"Second: the cultivation technique I transmitted to you is called the Ziyang Heart-Clearing Formula. This is an incomplete manual your master found within an ancient ruin. At that time, I was only at the Golden Core Early Stage. While practicing the Ziyang Heart-Clearing Formula, I attempted to deduce and complete it, but my abilities were limited, and I could only derive it up to the Nascent Soul Mid Stage before making zero further progress. Your master stopped right there and could advance no further. Yet I believe this technique goes far beyond this level. I hope you can carry it forward, deduce the rest, and fulfill the wish your master left unfinished."
"Third: your master was originally Chu Xingyun, the Sixth Prince of the Canglong Empire. Once you achieve success in your cultivation, if the Empire ever faces a crisis and you have sufficient confidence, I hope you can lend them a hand to weather the storm. Ever since I stepped into the Cultivation World, I have rarely returned to visit. My heart carries a heavy debt of guilt."
With a single-handed beckoning motion, Chu Xingyun summoned an object from nearby and tossed it to Li Lin, instructing him, "This is my identity token. Firstly, it might still prove useful if you go to the Canglong Empire in the future. Secondly, over by my bedroom, there is a rune-covered stone door that can only be opened with this token. Inside is a training chamber along with a cold pool—both are treasures, so you must never reveal this to outsiders."
"Fourth: the final matter."
A look of pain crossed Chu Xingyun's face, and it was a long while before he spoke again. "Disciple, this matter must also wait until your strength is formidable enough before you even think of tackling it. I had originally not wanted to drag you into this, but I simply cannot let it go in my heart. I hate this!"
Pointing toward a spirit tablet on the stone table, Chu Xingyun said, "That tablet belongs to your mistress."
Li Lin turned his gaze toward it. He was no longer the ignorant person he had been when he first arrived—back then, he couldn't even recognize those characters. But after Chu Xingyun's transmission, Li Lin had completely mastered this script, which differed entirely from worldly writings.
Written upon the tablet were the words: *Spirit Tablet of My Beloved Wife, Duanmu Chi.*
Pausing to steady himself, Chu Xingyun continued, "Your mistress and I met during a journey of exploration. At that time, we were both mere cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and your mistress was an inner sect disciple of a minor sect—far more impressive than I was. If not for her help during that excursion, I never would have escaped alive." At this point, a trace of tenderness and adoration appeared on Chu Xingyun's face.
"Later on, we became good friends. Through my relentless pursuit, she finally fell for me. Together, we cultivated, traveled, hunted for treasures, explored ruins, and upheld justice in the pugilistic world."
"On one occasion, in order to refine a Spirit Treasure, the Heavenly Fiend Sect set up a Blood Fiend Soul-Locking Array, ruthlessly slaughtering an entire city to perform a blood sacrifice—a truly heinous and monstrous act. Your mistress and I happened to stumble upon it, and they sought to silence us by killing us all."
"At that time, your master was at the Nascent Soul Mid Stage Peak, and your mistress was at the Nascent Soul Early Stage. Yet the enemy vastly outnumbered us; there were three Nascent Soul Stage cultivators alone, alongside countless Golden Core Stage cultivators."
"We fought to the death and desperately tried to break through the encirclement. I fought two opponents at once, until I was finally injured by the enemy's Spirit Treasure, the Soul-Breaking Banner, suffering severe damage to my divine soul. Seeing me wounded, your mistress momentarily lost her focus and exposed an opening. The enemy seized the chance to strike her down, and she perished."
"During their conversation, one of them addressed another as Senior Brother Xuanyin, and another replied to Tie Ming as Junior Brother. A third person remained completely silent."
"You must engrave every word of what I've told you into your mind. In the Cultivation World, strength speaks above all else. Until you possess absolute strength, you are strictly forbidden from doing anything dangerous. Although revenge is my final wish, I would much rather see you live in safety."
Li Lin dropped to his knees and knocked his head heavily against the floor. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Thank you, Master, for your grace of rebirth. Disciple Li Lin will engrave this upon his heart. From now on, I shall strive diligently in my cultivation, aiming for the pinnacle so as not to bring shame upon your honorable name. I swear that once I achieve success in my cultivation, I will fulfill your dying wish for you."
Chu Xingyun nodded in gratification, a gentle smile gracing his wrinkled face. "Good disciple, everything in this cave dwelling is a welcoming gift from your master. Don't be shy with me, haha, haha."
Lifting his head, Li Lin said, "Thank you, Master."
Chu Xingyun nodded, a look of reluctance flashing across his face. Then his remnant soul flickered violently, shattering into dust before vanishing entirely from this world...