Chapter 271 - 260: Fellow Daoist, Might You Be Zhao Lin?
Chapter 271: Chapter 260: Fellow Daoist, Might You Be Zhao Lin?
Qi Province was situated in Southeastern Great Yue. It bordered the sea to the east and connected to the inland heartland to the west. Its waterways were well-developed and its resources plentiful, making it a land of culture and wealth since ancient times, known for producing many historical figures of both civil and military acclaim.
Denghai County, located on the northern tip of Qi Province, was surrounded by the sea on three sides. It was named for the legend of the Sea Guardian Immortal, Wu Qingfeng, who was said to have ascended to immortality there.
For this reason, despite Denghai County’s small size, over a dozen Daoist temples dotted the landscape both inside and outside the county seat. Incense burned brightly year-round, drawing an endless stream of faithful men and women and aspiring cultivators who came, drawn by the legend, to seek the path to immortality.
Strangely, however, a Daoist temple named Zhenyang Temple in the northern suburbs of the county seat was dilapidated and desolate. Only a few sparrows flitted before its gates, where a middle-aged Daoist was sweeping fallen leaves with a broom.
As noon approached, a figure appeared on the main road from the south. He looked to be in his twenties, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and an imposing build. Dressed in a simple gray cloth robe, he walked with a composed stride toward the temple.
The Daoist seemed to sense his approach. He stopped his work, straightened up, and raised his eyes to size up the newcomer.
The young man also looked over. Seeing the name "Zhenyang" on the temple’s plaque, he smiled, nodded, and muttered to himself, "Zhenyang Temple. I finally found it!"
This was none other than Zhao Lin, who had traveled all the way from Yan Province. He was here to rendezvous with the others before setting sail and passing through a mystical Array at sea to reach the Xuanyuan Continent.
Though he had long awaited this day, now that it was upon him, Zhao Lin felt a pang of trepidation, like a traveler hesitant to take the final step home.
’What is the Xuanyuan Continent like?’
’Will I be able to find my place in the Chenghua Sect?’
’The Spirit Beast Scroll helped me make huge strides in my martial arts, but will it work for immortal cultivation too?’
Gazing at the temple, Zhao Lin knew that once he left, he would be entering another world. A wave of emotion washed over him as he recalled the events of the past three months.
After Huang Zhusong and Lv Qing had left that day, Zhao Lin began to put his affairs in order before his departure.
The first matter was to organize and revise his Cultivation Techniques.
Having reached the Innate Realm, Zhao Lin’s perspective and understanding far exceeded that of any Primordial Realm martial artist. He could now use his abundant Primordial Qi to deduce and create new Cultivation Techniques.
He started by revising the techniques he had previously practiced. Then, drawing on years of insight, he created several new Cultivation Techniques for each of the three specialized types of True Qi: wind, ice, and thunder.
These techniques covered both offense and defense, forming a complete system of combat.
If the sect ever produced disciples with the right aptitude in the future, they could use these techniques to cultivate all the way to the Primordial Realm without being held back or wasting their talent.
The Xingyun Sect had treated him well. He did this partly to repay their kindness, and partly to leave behind his own "legacy."
He had heard countless stories and read many novels about some hero who found a secret manual and mastered peerless techniques.
But he was the one creating the techniques.
The thought filled Zhao Lin with a sense of pride.
The second matter before his departure: a tour of the nations.
Zhao Lin spent over a month visiting the four nations of Wuzhu, Wuche, Weizi, and Xiuzhao.
Ostensibly, the purpose was for martial arts exchange, but in reality, it was a show of force.
The Five Nations distributed resources like money, population, land, and rare medicinal herbs based on the results of a grand martial tournament. However, if one nation produced a Grandmaster who had entered the Innate Realm, it gave them an enormous bargaining chip in negotiations.
To put it simply, as long as Zhao Lin was alive, even if Great Yue performed abysmally in the tournament, no other nation would dare to have any ill intentions.
In this world, an Innate Realm martial artist was the equivalent of a nuclear weapon.
While passing through Wuche, Zhao Lin made a point of meeting with Basang, and the two had a long, in-depth conversation.
Zhao Lin had two reasons for doing this.
Basang was a once-in-a-century martial arts genius, but because of Zhao Lin’s presence, he had been thoroughly suppressed for three consecutive tournaments, always forced to settle for second place.
Zhao Lin had clashed with him several times and had even gained insights into the essence of Thunder Attribute Skills from their bouts. He felt a mutual respect for his old rival.
The second reason was that Basang had already stepped into the Primordial Realm, and Zhao Lin was confident he had the potential to reach the Innate Realm as well.
If that happened, they might one day be fellow disciples. Meeting now was a way to build a good relationship in advance.
Zhao Lin had learned from Huang Zhusong that while the Chenghua Sect primarily recruited talented cultivators from within Great Yue, it did not turn away promising youths from neighboring regions.
As long as their talent was exceptional and they adhered to the culture of the Central Plains, they could join the Chenghua Sect.
The final matter was to arrange for what he would leave behind.
Zhao Lin had to ensure that his family and friends would not fall on hard times or suffer humiliation because of his departure.
This was not difficult. His title, Duke Zhen, was a peerage without any real political power, so it didn’t involve him in the court’s internal power struggles. Moreover, with the Xingyun Sect backing him, no one would dare cause trouble, even in his absence.
With everything settled, he still had a dozen or so days left. Zhao Lin finally had some leisure time, which he spent at home with his elderly mother and older brother, occasionally gathering with old friends, and nothing more.
He didn’t have to waste time inventing a reason for his departure; one had already been prepared for him. The official story was that having reached the peak of the Innate Realm in his martial arts, he was unable to break through further and had set out to roam the world in search of inspiration and opportunities for his cultivation.
Three months passed in this way. When the time came, Huang Zhusong and Lv Qing reminded him that it was time to depart.
At first, Zhao Lin assumed the two would accompany him, but to his surprise, they both shook their heads.
"We are stationed cultivators and cannot leave our posts without authorization. There are other cultivators specifically responsible for escorting new arrivals."
After a few more questions, Zhao Lin learned that they weren’t the only two cultivators stationed in this world. It was divided into multiple regions, with no fewer than ten stationed cultivators in total.
On reflection, it made sense. The Great Yue empire was so vast that two people couldn’t possibly monitor it all, no matter how high their Mana was, especially with the four neighboring territories to consider.
Unfortunately, people with Spiritual Roots were hard to find. The two of them were constantly busy patrolling their territories, but in a whole year of searching, they had only found one person with a Spiritual Root: Zhao Lin.
Following their directions, Zhao Lin traveled southeast until he arrived in Denghai County in Qi Province.
He had assumed that a temple named Zhenyang—"True Yang"—would be home to "true" Daoists and would surely be famous. But when he entered the county seat and started asking around, he found that almost no one had ever heard of Zhenyang Temple.
It took a great deal of effort before he finally learned its location from an old woodcutter.
With the temple now clearly in sight, Zhao Lin couldn’t help but quicken his pace.
The Daoist at the gate seemed ordinary, but Zhao Lin could sense fluctuations of Primordial Qi around him. ’He must be a cultivator, too,’ Zhao Lin guessed. He walked forward, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoist."
Despite Zhao Lin’s mundane attire, he had addressed him as a peer. The Daoist didn’t seem to mind. His gaze sharpened as he asked, "Where are you headed, fellow Daoist?"
The question was strange—not "Where have you come from?" but "Where are you headed?" Zhao Lin knew this was the countersign. He immediately replied with the code phrase Huang Zhusong and Lv Qing had taught him: "To the Chenghua Sect."
The Daoist asked again, "And where is the Chenghua Sect?"
Zhao Lin replied, "In the Dongling Realm, on the Xuanyuan Continent."
The vast Xuanyuan Continent was divided into three "Realms," and the Chenghua Sect was located in the Dongling Realm.
Huang Zhusong had instructed Zhao Lin to answer this way, and in doing so, Zhao Lin had also learned a bit about the geography of the Xuanyuan Continent.
Only then did the middle-aged Daoist return the bow. He smiled and said, "If I’m not mistaken, you must be fellow Daoist Zhao Lin?"