Chapter 10: Xiaobai's Discovery

The intimate gesture made Lin He very uncomfortable. Growing up, apart from the last time when he was on the brink of life and death, he had never been so close to a woman. That kiss didn't count; it was a despicable sneak attack!

Lin He's discomfort made Yun Xiangyi laugh triumphantly, but she soon stopped. She pushed Lin He away and pointed at him, stammering: "You... you... you..."

"What about me?" Lin He could only grumble in his heart. This girl was powerful, and he couldn't beat her, so he had to endure it. Today, Yun Xiangyi seemed a bit strange to Lin He. Her neckline was a bit low, revealing a hint of white, and her face didn't look bare. Cultivators rarely spent time on their appearance, but women were special. Any woman, regardless of her status, would care about her appearance. In short, Lin He felt that this woman had carefully dressed up before coming. It seemed she wasn't coming to see him but to meet her lover, just stopping by. Wasn't her lover only Si Zilong? Could they have rekindled their relationship?

Thinking of Si Zilong, Lin He felt a bit of old resentment. Back in the master's door, Si Zilong often used Lin He as a negative example to educate the younger disciples, making Lin He, who entered the sect first, a laughingstock among the inner disciples. This woman used to be Si Zilong's accomplice, often saying cold words to him. If they rekindled their relationship, wouldn't he be in big trouble? After careful thought, this seemed unlikely. Women hold grudges for a long time!

While Lin He was lost in thought, Yun Xiangyi continued: "Alright, you're already at the third level of Qi Cultivation. I didn't realize it before. You deceived my feelings!"

Yun Xiangyi instantly elevated the accusation to an emotional level, leaving Lin He speechless. He wanted to retort, "What feelings do we have?" but he feared the wrath of his second senior sister, who could turn into a tyrannosaurus.

Putting on a pitiful look, Lin He said, "How could I deceive Second Senior Sister? I only made a breakthrough in the past two months."

"That's not right. You must have some secret cultivation method. Confess!"

Yun Xiangyi wasn't planning to be reasonable; she just wanted to see what she could get. Lin He, unaware of her ulterior motives, spread his hands and said, "No secrets. I just practiced three times a day and didn't stop. Then I broke through to the third level recently."

Yun Xiangyi carefully observed him and felt he wasn't lying. She nodded and let him off, saying, "I understand. It must be your Spirit Gathering Array. Using your array, the spiritual energy, though not as abundant as a spirit vein, is still 50% better than normal. Thanks to you, I can enter the ninth level of Qi Cultivation in at most half a year. I thought it would take three to five years."

Yun Xiangyi had come to thank Lin He today. In the past two months, she had been in seclusion, advancing from the middle stage of the eighth level to the high stage. This was a significant improvement, all thanks to the power of Lin He's Spirit Gathering Array, and also because her residence was naturally rich in spiritual energy. What Lin He and Yun Xiangyi didn't know was that due to the use of the Spirit Gathering Array, the spiritual energy within a kilometer of Yun Xiangyi's residence had become half as abundant, greatly weakening the cultivation effects of the surrounding disciples.

"Congratulations, Second Senior Sister. I wish you success in the inner disciple selection competition," Lin He quickly flattered.

"It's not that easy. Si Zilong has already reached the high stage of the eighth level a few months ago. In terms of cultivation talent, I am indeed inferior to him. However, in terms of talent, the youngest sister is the best. Yesterday, she came out of seclusion, and I saw her. She is now the top new disciple in the inner sect, having reached the ninth level of Qi Cultivation." Yun Xiangyi said with a sour tone, but she wasn't really convinced. The youngest sister was the daughter of Wan Chongshan and Yao Yao, and the treatment of the master's daughter was naturally different. She had a blessed place for cultivation, and with her high talent, it was normal for her to progress quickly.

"Right, Second Senior Sister, I also received a notice to participate in tomorrow's selection competition," Lin He quickly changed the topic, as Yao Yao had saved his life. One shouldn't forget one's roots. Yao Yao's decision to abandon him wasn't because she was cold-hearted but because inner disciples were an important resource. There were only so many people who could take on disciples, and it was normal to abandon a disciple with no hope for the future of the sect.

"You...?" The suspicious look made Lin He very angry. Living alone in this small cottage for a long time, with no one visiting, he was actually quite happy to see Yun Xiangyi. Young people don't like loneliness, especially when a beautiful woman visits. Even if he suffered a bit, Lin He was happy.

"Never mind, I'm not angry with you. I knew you would look at me this way. I know I'm just going through the motions. But I'm not at the first level of Qi Cultivation anymore. The door to the Great Dao is open, and I will continue to strive forward." Lin He encouraged himself, and Yun Xiangyi, feeling embarrassed, quickly said, "Yes, I believe you can do it, but not this time."

Lin He: ...

What was originally a normal day became extraordinary because of Yun Xiangyi's visit. Despite having to cook and teach Yun Xiangyi how to maximize the power of the Spirit Gathering Array, Lin He didn't get any tangible benefits, just a few smiles. But he was still happy because he had company and didn't have to face loneliness alone.

Yun Xiangyi was also happy. Being with Lin He gave her a strong sense of safety. This guy posed no threat to her and had no hidden motives. He even used the array he learned to help her. Recently, Yun Xiangyi's mind often recalled that brief, intense contact in the darkness. Thinking about it, outside the cloak was death, and inside was survival. Lin He could have avoided the threat of death, but he faced it without hesitation.

When Yun Xiangyi left, she left behind... uh, chicken bones! And she took a furnace of just-refined Spirit Gathering Pills with her!

Lin He was again regretful and pained. He resolved never to be deceived by this woman's smile again. In the end, she was just a robber. She ate his food, used his things, and took them when she left.

While reflecting on the ups and downs of life, Lin He held a broom and swept the mess left after dinner. Suddenly, a lump appeared on the ground and moved toward him. Lin He was startled. What was this? Without a flying sword or time to set up an array, Lin He could only pull out a Cold Ice Spike talisman, trembling and shaking, and shouted, "What kind of demon is this!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the lump opened, revealing a muddy head. It looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, it was Xiaobai, the white tiger. How did he end up like this?

"Xiaobai, how did you come back from underground? You're a tiger, not a mole. You need to accept this harsh reality and be content with being a cute, lazy white tiger. It's a promising career, don't fantasize... What are you doing? My clothes..."

Still shaken, Lin He angrily scolded Xiaobai. However, the little creature showed no sign of remorse, instead biting Lin He's trouser leg and dragging him backward. Xiaobai, the name Lin He gave the white tiger, was a very common name, and Xiaobai didn't seem to mind it.

What did this mean? Not wanting to harm Xiaobai, and to save his one pair of trousers, Lin He had to submit to the white tiger's sharp teeth and follow him out of the cottage into the dark night, heading into the mountains. The white tiger moved quickly, and if it were before, Lin He would have had to use a divine speed talisman. Now, with his breakthrough, he had more stamina and could keep up. But why was he out at night, not staying at home, and following Xiaobai around? It seemed like a good life experience!

After some self-consolation, Lin He's mood became more peaceful. As they moved forward, he constantly observed the surroundings. It seemed they were on Bai Mu Peak, where Xiaobai had hatched.

He mentally calculated that they had been walking for about two hours. Bai Mu Peak was not a place where cultivators often stayed because the spiritual energy here was weak. Lin He had discovered the effect of white stones by chance, which was why he came here. What did Xiaobai mean by leading him here?

When they reached the mountain waist, Xiaobai stopped in front of a large rock, looked back at Lin He, and then pounced on the rock. An odd scene unfolded as Xiaobai seemed to sink into the rock, like water. He quickly came out, looking at Lin He with a cute expression, as if to show his achievement.

As a cultivator, Lin He understood what was happening. This was an illusion set up by a cultivator, and it was quite sophisticated. Otherwise, with the density of cultivators in Wan Xiu Mountain, someone would have discovered this place long ago.

An illusion, in essence, was a magical array. Lin He, who had studied arrays, didn't dare to step in lightly, not knowing what dangers might be inside. As he hesitated, Xiaobai impatiently rushed in, and Lin He, without much thought, quickly followed. In the blink of an eye, the scene before him brightened.

This was the entrance to a cave. At the high end of one wall, a night pearl hung, emitting a faint light, illuminating a section of the cave. As they moved further in, the signs of human activity became more apparent. Every fifty meters, there was a night pearl on the cave wall. The most surprising thing was the abundance of spiritual energy inside the cave, making it feel like being surrounded by high-grade spirit stones.

Could this be a spirit vein? A blessed place, a heaven on earth!

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