Chapter 138: Chapter 133: Where to Seek Eternal Life

"Zhao Lin wins."

The great hall fell utterly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only Hu Xuancheng’s voice echoed within.

Hu Xuancheng sighed inwardly. ’I thought Miao Tianfeng and Lv Zhenglong from the inner institute were already peerless geniuses, the likes of which I’d only see once in my life,’ he thought. ’I never expected... another one would appear!’

The Water Mirror Elder stroked his beard, the corners of his mouth lifting as he shot a sideways glance at Elder Huoyu.

Elder Huoyu lowered his eyes in thought, his gaze fixed on a point in the empty air, his thoughts unreadable.

The Gold Stone Elder spoke up. "Since Zhao Lin has won two consecutive matches, he is now a disciple of the Wuxiang Institute."

Zhao Lin bowed. "Thank you, Elder."

"Zhao Lin, did your master, Zhu Huaishan, come as well?" the Gold Stone Elder asked, his lips barely moving as he spoke in an extremely low voice.

Zhao Lin’s hearing was sharp. He felt the sound condense into a thin line and travel directly into his ear. He guessed it was some sort of secret sound transmission technique and replied softly, "Yes. My master is currently waiting outside the mountain."

The Gold Stone Elder continued his transmission. "So many years have passed, and the true culprit has already been brought to justice. He can return to the sect now."

Zhao Lin replied, "I will relay this to my master."

The Gold Stone Elder nodded and looked past Zhao Lin. "Shi Jiangyong, Li Ying, although you were defeated, you both gave it your all. Take these two Nine Lotus Pills."

With a flick of his finger, two cyan pills shot from his hand. They seemed to float on an invisible current, gliding unhurriedly toward the two men.

"Thank you, Elder Gold Stone!"

Shi Jiangyong and Li Ying accepted the pills with both hands, their faces lighting up with pleasant surprise.

The Nine Lotus Pill was made from the petals of nine rare and precious herbs from Yanxing Mountain, ground and blended with morning dew. It was specifically used to heal hidden injuries within the meridians.

Although it couldn’t directly increase one’s power, healthy and unobstructed meridians were immensely beneficial for breaking through to the Blood Realm in the future.

Elder Gold Stone beckoned to the side of the hall. "Kong Cang, Han Yang, you two come here as well."

"Yes."

Kong Cang and Han Yang walked up to stand beside Zhao Lin.

Elder Gold Stone’s smile vanished, his expression turning solemn. "Before you officially join, I must ask the three of you one question: Is your true age the same as the one you reported?"

"Don’t answer just yet. It’s not too late to be honest. If I discover any discrepancies in your age, I’m sure you are aware of the consequences."

With calm expressions, Zhao Lin, Kong Cang, and Han Yang answered one after another, "There is no difference." "Please, Elder, verify."

Elder Gold Stone nodded, then raised his arm and waved, sending forth a gentle surge of power.

Zhao Lin knew the elder was using the Jade Illumination Skill to check his "bone age," so he stood perfectly still.

He felt a cool sensation seep into his body and sweep back and forth across his ribs. It was a tingly, numbing feeling, but not at all unpleasant.

’Is this Primordial Qi? It feels a lot like the white mist released from the Spirit Beast Scroll.’

A moment later, Elder Gold Stone withdrew his hand, a satisfied expression on his face. He then took out three square jade tokens from within his robes.

"These are the identification tokens for the Wuxiang Institute. Keep them safe. Go, settle your affairs, and report to the Wuxiang Institute within the next couple of days."

Zhao Lin accepted the jade token. On its surface was an exquisite and lifelike engraving of a flying elephant.

Just as the three were about to leave, Elder Huoyu suddenly spoke up. "Zhao Lin, you may report to the Fire Jade Department of the Wuxiang Institute tomorrow."

The Water Mirror Elder was stunned and turned to glare at him.

Elder Huoyu acted as if he hadn’t noticed and continued, "The Fire Jade Department has a red roof. Don’t go to the wrong one."

The Water Mirror Elder’s chest heaved. Suppressing his anger, he said in a low voice, "He cultivates the Sea Return Skill. He should be in the Water Mirror Department."

Elder Huoyu ignored him still, keeping his gaze fixed on Zhao Lin. "You’re only at the First Layer of the Qi Realm. It’s no trouble to switch your Cultivation Technique."

"The Red Flame Skill is supremely hard and suffused with yang energy. Its power is boundless. At its peak, you can unleash nine torrents of flame that will incinerate everything in their path!"

Zhao Lin was taken aback. He never expected such a drastic change in attitude from Elder Huoyu, the very person who had tried to prevent him from joining the Wuxiang Institute.

’Still, my primary focus is the Sea Return Skill, so I should logically be in the Water Mirror Department,’ he thought. ’Changing my Cultivation Technique is a major decision. I have to go back and ask Master first.’

’Besides, this old man is duplicitous. That’s no way for a master to behave.’

"Well..." Zhao Lin deliberately put on a troubled expression.

"Enough. This is not a matter to be discussed in front of a disciple. We will settle it later!"

Elder Gold Stone frowned and urged, "Xuancheng, escort them down the mountain."

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Hu Xuancheng quickly led Zhao Lin and the others out of the great hall, while Elder Huoyu and the Water Mirror Elder continued to argue behind them.

On the way down the mountain, several of the rejected candidates took the initiative to speak with Zhao Lin. Zhang Zhiyuan and Yao Lirong, in particular, spoke with a sycophantic tone.

Having failed to enter the Wuxiang Institute, they had been hesitant about stooping to join the outer institute. However, after witnessing Zhao Lin’s strength, they felt that the Xingyun Sect’s martial arts must be truly profound. If even an outer disciple could achieve such power, then they too had a great chance.

Zhao Lin remained humble, showing no signs of pride or complacency.

’He truly felt the same way. Without the Spirit Beast Scroll driving my body’s evolution,’ he thought, ’I wouldn’t have even made it into the Liuhe Sect, let alone gotten this far.’

However, whenever someone asked about his lineage and master, Zhao Lin would give only vague, noncommittal answers, never once mentioning Qinghe County or the Liuhe Sect.

One of the reasons he had come to the Xingyun Sect was so that he would no longer have to hide his cultivation level. But if people found out he had broken through to the Qi Realm in just a single year, it would absolutely cause problems.

In a guest room near the mountain gate, Zhu Huaishan was on pins and needles. One moment he was pacing restlessly, the next he was sitting and staring blankly into space.

’The sun is almost down. Why isn’t he back yet?’

He had great confidence in Zhao Lin, but too many things could go wrong in the selection. ’What if the person in charge of the Wuxiang Institute now is someone I had a falling out with years ago?’

’What if the two outer institute disciples they found were too strong, and Zhao Lin was no match for them?’

’Sigh... It wouldn’t be the end of the world if he lost, but I pray he doesn’t get injured and ruin his foundation...’

"Master, I’m back."

Just as Zhu Huaishan was lost in his worries, Zhao Lin walked into the room.

"How did it go?" was the first thing Zhu Huaishan asked.

Zhao Lin produced the jade token and smiled. "I was fortunate enough to succeed."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Huaishan breathed a sigh of relief, repeating the word three times.

Zhao Lin helped his master to a seat and gave him a rough recount of the selection trials.

A smile played on Zhu Huaishan’s lips, his face filled with pride and relief.

Looking at his master up close, Zhao Lin noticed many new white hairs on his head. He looked much older than he had a year ago when Zhao Lin first joined the Liuhe Sect, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.

When one reaches old age, their Qi and Blood begin to decline. Not even a martial artist of the Blood Realm can resist the erosion of time.

His parents in this life were the same, visibly growing older before his very eyes.

The thought that he, too, would one day face the same fate left a bitter taste in his mouth. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

If he hadn’t been reborn, it would be one thing. But having been granted a second life and the heaven-sent Spirit Beast Scroll, he refused to accept living for a mere few decades only to become a pile of bones.

Driven by a yearning for longevity, he made a silent vow. ’I’ll start with the Martial Dao. Perhaps there are even higher realms beyond the legendary Grandmaster?’

’Or I could search Yanxing Mountain for long-lived Spirit Beasts and take their Essence Souls!’

’Even in this world of martial arts, I must find a path to longevity.’