Chapter 60

Lin Fan pinched his fingers, and a sewing needle shot out from his palm, striking the rock. The needle broke, but the rock remained unharmed. Lin Fan walked over and shattered the rock with a punch. He compared the results, finding little interest, but since it was the sect leader's instruction, Lin Fan didn't hold back. On the first day, he only managed to practice with one needle. On the second day, he could shoot three needles simultaneously. By the third day, he could control five needles. Zhenren San San was right; as the number of needles increased, so did their power.

A few days later, Lin Fan was practicing by the hall when Zhenren San San floated out of his room. Lin Fan shot ten sewing needles at him. Zhenren San San's protective qi slightly expanded, and the needles barely penetrated one layer of it. Lin Fan shook his head in disappointment, and Zhenren San San said, "You've only been practicing for a few days, why are you in such a hurry... Lin Fan, take a break today. I want you to come with me to see a friend."

Lin Fan followed Zhenren San San, absentmindedly asking, "Sect leader, is it necessary to practice with these needles? Sewing needles and talismans are both mundane items. Talismans at least borrow the power of gods and ghosts, but sewing needles... I might as well make a Zhuge repeating crossbow and load it with hundreds of needles to shoot."

Zhenren San San replied seriously, "Lin Fan, what I'm having you practice is the Heavenly Edge Heart Method, not the sewing needles. Don't confuse the main and secondary aspects."

"Huh?" Lin Fan didn't understand.

Zhenren San San explained, "To control a sword, you need sword techniques. Right now, you're just throwing ten sewing needles using the Heavenly Edge Heart Method. Can you make them turn? Can you make them return? Can you control their speed? The Bamboo Sword Hall controls 108 bamboo swords, grouped in nines, with twelve groups in total. But even Xue Ji can't control all twelve groups at will. How many needles can you control freely now?"

Lin Fan replied sheepishly, "Two, one in each hand."

"This is not just a heart method, but also a skill. Just like drawing talismans, can you draw a perfect stroke at the beginning? Practice makes perfect, so keep practicing."

Lin Fan said, "But in the future, two treasure swords will be enough for me."

Zhenren San San didn't speak, but with a wave of his hand, he sent out a dozen earth thunderbolts straight toward the main hall of the Orthodox Sect. As Lin Fan waited for the hall to be destroyed, the last thunderbolt caught up with the first, and they exploded together. The subsequent thunderbolts accelerated while the preceding ones slowed, creating a loud noise without a single thunderbolt falling.

Lin Fan nodded, "I understand."

"Drawing talismans refines the heart talisman, and sword techniques can transform into heart techniques." Zhenren San San said no more and led Lin Fan toward Mount Taiqing.

Mount Taiqing was only twenty miles from Mount Zhengyi, and they arrived in an instant. It was a beautiful mountain with many wooden houses built by humans, trees, and unusual rocks. Most of the Cloud Clearing Sect's spirit beasts lived here, and the area was exceptionally quiet. The spirit beasts were not afraid of humans. When Lin Fan landed, a deer ran over and licked his palm. Lin Fan generously took out a few raw sweet potatoes, and the deer nodded in gratitude.

The spirit beasts in the Cloud Clearing Sect lived up to two hundred years, and none could transform into humans or speak. However, those over a hundred years old could understand some human speech and were quite close to humans. They lived from the halfway point down to the foot of the mountain. Looking up, the area above the halfway point was shrouded in clouds, and Mount Taiqing was one of the three high mountains in the Cloud Clearing Range.

Lin Fan was puzzled, "Sect leader, why stop at the halfway point and not go straight up?"

Zhenren San San shook his head, "We'll walk up."

Lin Fan didn't say anything and followed Zhenren San San's footsteps. After the halfway point, the spirit beasts disappeared, and artificial structures began to appear. The halfway point looked as if it had been split by a divine axe. As they walked, a massive rock loomed overhead. The path was narrow, and an ordinary person might easily slip and fall off the cliff.

A man in a gray robe, about forty-five or forty-six years old, sat cross-legged on a rock at the edge of the cliff. His eyes were clear, and he gazed calmly ahead, seemingly unmoved even by the collapse of the heavens. Zhenren San San and the sect leader passed behind him, but he remained oblivious. Zhenren San San turned back and said, "His name is Qi Shi. He is a promising young talent of the Tianxing Sect. He cultivated the Golden Core and advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, but due to improper control, he suffered a mental breakdown. After being cured by the former sect leader, his realm broke through the Nascent Soul stage, and he couldn't stop, eventually becoming like this. If you ask how high his cultivation is, I can tell you that you can easily defeat him now. If you ask how high his realm is, I can tell you that he has reached the Nascent Soul stage and entered the Lesser Transcendence realm."

Lin Fan understood. This was a recluse, thinking and not thinking at the same time. He had transcended himself to contemplate the universe, and he didn't care about anything around him, not even himself.

As they continued down the path, Lin Fan saw more recluses. He was puzzled, "Sect leader, I didn't know Mount Taiqing was full of recluses." Recluses usually lived within the sect, in a designated area.

"This is Liu Ping. In his twenties, he abandoned his official position to seek the Dao, seeking immortality and becoming a transcendent being. After joining the sect, he only read Daoist books, didn't practice Daoist techniques, and didn't interact with others. He left his wife and children and became obsessed with the principles of Daoist techniques. I don't know his realm, but I can tell you that if I kick him, he will die."

Zhenren San San continued as they walked, "Lin Fan, I just want to tell you that human desires are not scary. What's scary is the lack of desire. They don't need to eat or drink, and their lifespan can reach several hundred years. They don't even need clothes; they don't care if their clothes turn to soil and they are naked."

Lin Fan laughed, "Sect leader, I have many desires. My Bag of Holding is full of food."

Zhenren San San didn't speak and didn't introduce each person. They walked to the top of the mountain, where there was a beautiful place on the eastern side. A delicate immortal pavilion stood at the edge of a cliff, with two treasure swords in front of it—one red and one purple, both shimmering with spiritual energy. Further ahead, a man sat cross-legged on a stone drum, his long hair flowing over his shoulders, his eyes gazing calmly ahead, no different from the other recluses.

Zhenren San San walked up to him and said, "The most hateful recluses are people like this. They have divine weapons by their side but look down on everything, wasting their talents. The red sword is called Red Lotus, capable of burning and slaughtering for miles, invincible. The purple sword is called Xiacai, capable of exterminating evil and dominating all. Decades ago, these two swords entered the desolate land and swept away the three evil sects, making evil spirits within a hundred miles dare not approach, showing great heroism."

Lin Fan was puzzled, "There's no record in the literature."

"That's because the sect leader ordered it not to be recorded, as it would be too embarrassing." Zhenren San San raised his voice, "The Cloud Clearing Sect's top expert, Lin Xiege, after his beloved wife died, became disheartened and was taken advantage of by villains. He killed twelve disciples of the demon sect, one demon sect protector, and... his master, the Cloud Clearing Sect's law enforcement elder, who was also my master and the current sect leader's master, fell to his hands."