Chapter 22: Taking a Master on Qingxuan Peak, Master Enters Seclusion

Chapter 22: Becoming a Disciple at Shangqing Mystic Peak, Master Goes into Seclusion

The moment those words were spoken, the great hall fell into utter silence.

The Supreme Elder's gaze turned sharp, and he remained silent for a long while.

In his thousands of years of cultivation, he had seen countless rare arts and explored all manner of cultivation methods, yet he had never witnessed someone who could conjure a spiritual vine out of thin air—one that carried its own cycle of life and deadly poison. Such a gift went far beyond ordinary spiritual roots.

It was a long moment before the Supreme Elder finally regained his composure, his expression turning solemn and grave.

"I see. Such an extraordinary talent is rarely seen in all these ages—too astonishing, and all too likely to invite greedy eyes and ill-intentioned schemers."

"Yu'er, remember this matter deep in your heart. Treat it like a heaven-sent treasure you stumbled upon by luck—never let it be known. Protect yourself, and only then can you cultivate in peace."

Lin Yu obediently nodded and answered in a soft voice.

"Disciple remembers. I will follow Master's teachings."

With his warning delivered, a warm, quiet stillness settled over the hall as the Supreme Elder laid down the rules.

"From now on, come with Lin Che to the rear mountain of Qingxuan Peak at the Chen hour (7–9 AM) each day to cultivate and seek enlightenment. Cultivate your qi morning and night, and strengthen your foundation through all four seasons. Begin tomorrow at the appointed time—don't slack off."

Ling Xuance bowed slightly and answered steadily: "Disciple will follow Master's instructions and will bring A Yu here on time without fail."

Time passed silently, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had slipped by.

Ten years of disciplined daily cultivation had worn down Lin Yu's timid, withdrawn nature.

Now, he could use the sect's teleportation array on his own, traveling back and forth between Xuanyue Peak and Qingxuan Peak without needing Ling Xuance to tag along everywhere.

When he occasionally encountered True Person Lianhua and the others on the rear mountain, he would take the lead in nodding and greeting them.

Only those who knew him well realized that this simple greeting was the result of ten years of slow, daily change.

And the strange spiritual herb within his body, nurtured by a decade of the lotus's dao aura, had grown from a tiny sprout into a lush, leafy sapling.

The sapling took root in his dantian, carrying a unique balance of life-giving vitality and bone-melting poison.

Even Ling Xuance, whose cultivation had advanced greatly over the years, couldn't hold out for more than a few minutes within the vine's aura.

Over these ten years, Lin Yu's foundation had grown ever more solid. Having advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage, he had become the most steadfast pillar of the Taiyi Sect.

One afternoon, as cultivation on the rear mountain drew to a close, a clear breeze wove through the forest, petals drifted down with a soft rustle, and the lingering spiritual energy spread across the hills.

The Supreme Elder raised his hand, his warm fingertips gently brushing through Lin Yu's soft hair, yet a faint hint of seriousness lingered in his expression.

"Yu'er, your master's cultivation bottleneck has been loosening lately—there are signs of advancement. I must go into seclusion to cultivate, and Qingxuan Peak will have no one to watch over it. From now on, you and Lin Che shall cultivate on your own."

Lin Yu's heart sank a little at those words, understanding his master's meaning.

In the cultivation world, going into seclusion was the most dangerous thing you could do. Advancement was an act of defying heaven itself—one misstep could damage the dao heart, or even invite inner demons.

A faint reluctance flickered in his eyes, yet he also understood that the path of cultivation could not be reversed. He could only go along with his master's path.

After a moment's thought, Lin Yu made a move. He raised his hand and waved it, and dozens of ancient jade boxes appeared in midair, landing softly on the stone floor.

"Master, I have something to offer you."

Just two years after becoming his disciple, Lin Yu had told the Supreme Elder how he'd taken the lotus seed Senior Sister Jinling had given him and grown an entire pond of spiritual lotuses from it.

The inner sect's spiritual lotus resources at Taiyi Sect were strictly controlled—they only produced seeds once a century, and only core disciples with exceptional contributions could receive a single lotus seed.

But Lin Yu, through years of careful cultivation, had amassed an absurd number of mature seeds—nearly enough to fill sacks.

The Supreme Elder gazed at the pile of jade boxes piled up on the ground. He had long known this disciple excelled at nurturing spirit plants, but he had never imagined the boy could take a single seed and multiply it into such a huge stash of rare spiritual materials.

"Master, since you're going into seclusion to break through your bottleneck, these seeds will calm your mind and steady your spirit—they'll greatly help your advancement." Lin Yu pushed all the jade boxes forward. "I hope Master can break through soon and come out of seclusion safely."

The Supreme Elder looked at the young man, and without turning down this heartfelt gift, accepted all the seeds with a smile. With a sweep of his sleeve, a flowing robe of cloud-patterned dharma fabric, shimmering with faint light, appeared in Lin Yu's hands.

"Keep this protective dharma robe on you at all times." The Supreme Elder instructed carefully. "While I'm in seclusion, if anything comes up, follow Lin Che's lead. If something's too hard to handle, go to the Sect Master or True Person Lianhua."

Lin Yu accepted the robe with both hands and held it tightly against his chest. "Disciple remembers."

With all matters settled, the Supreme Elder turned and returned to the main hall of Qingxuan Peak, where he set up a protective barrier.

With no daily cultivation lessons to attend, Lin Yu returned alone to Xuanyue Peak. Ling Xuance sensed his young companion's return, ended his meditation, and rose to his feet.

"Has Master gone into seclusion?" he asked softly.

Lin Yu nodded and gave a soft "mm" in acknowledgment, then recounted everything that had happened on the rear mountain in detail—including the gift of the seeds and the protective dharma robe.

"Don't worry. Master's dao heart is solid—this seclusion will go smoothly, and he'll break through and come out safely."

The young man leaned into his warm, steady embrace, and all the lingering worries in his heart melted away completely.

He had always trusted Ling Xuance above all else. As long as he was by his side, he feared no storms in the world.

With his days now free and easy, no longer needing to rush to the rear mountain to cultivate, Lin Yu spent his time on Xuanyue Peak nurturing spirit plants, turning the idle plots of land into thriving, qi-rich gardens. Life passed quietly and pleasantly.

One day, when the sunlight was just right, the Sect Master of Taiyi came alone to Xuanyue Peak and found him in the courtyard.

Ling Xuance rose to greet him as he arrived.

The Sect Master got straight to the point, looking a bit helpless.

"Lin Che, I've come to ask a favor of you on behalf of the sect."

"An outer secret realm is about to open soon—one full of both opportunity and danger. The spiritual energy within is dense, making it the perfect place for disciples to break through via real combat. However, the killing intent within this realm is extremely heavy."

He paused, then continued: "Lian Hua is in seclusion, trying to break through her bottleneck, and the other elders don't have enough cultivation to protect the disciples inside."

"This time, I just need you to go along as a guardian and make sure the sect's disciples come out alive. Everything else is up to the disciples' own skills. What do you say?"

Ling Xuance looked down, thinking, neither agreeing right away nor turning it down outright.

On a stone bench nearby, Lin Yu sat, nibbling on snacks that Senior Sister Jinling had sent over earlier.

The Sect Master's gaze fell upon the young man, and seeing his abundant spiritual energy, he started up a conversation.

"Little Martial Uncle has gotten more and more steady over the years. The spiritual fields on your peak are really well-kept—the spirit plants are thriving. Your daily cultivation must be going smoothly too?"

"Mm, cultivation's going well—I haven't slacked off."

Seeing how well he was doing, the Sect Master felt relieved. He chatted a while longer about sect affairs, and as night fell, he got ready to leave.

After the Sect Master left, Ling Xuance looked down at the young man beside him and asked softly, "A Yu, do you want to go to the secret realm together?"

"Okay. If Brother Che goes, I'll go too."

Over the years, Ling Xuance's cultivation had been firmly anchored at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, all because he had long been stationed guarding the sect, lacking the chance to break through through life-or-death trials.

Ling Xuance looked at the boy, who considered everything with him in mind, and lowered his head to kiss him gently.

The tender kiss lingered and lingered, trailing from his brows to the corners of his lips, sweet and lingering, completely losing control, and with that, he scooped the boy up in his arms.

Lin Yu obediently wrapped his arms around his neck, quietly gazing at the man who leaned over to look at him, his eyes pure and untainted.

The boy did not understand the torment of restraint and endurance beneath it all, only feeling that the tenderness between their lips was cozy and safe. Seeing Ling Xuance pause and stop moving, he took the initiative to tilt his head up slightly.

"Brother Che, why did you stop?"

Ling Xuance pressed his forehead against the boy's, letting out a low, soft laugh, his voice hoarse and magnetic, wrapped in deep affection.

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask A Yu, when we were just kissing, what did it feel like?"

Lin Yu lowered his gaze and thought seriously for a moment.

"Sometimes it's soft and warm, very comfortable, and I want Brother Che to kiss me more. It's just... sometimes when Brother Che pinches my butt, it hurts a little."

Hearing this, Ling Xuance let out a low laugh, a gentle smile spreading across his eyes and brows.

The next moment, Lin Yu hastily added another sentence, sincere and hitting right in the feels: "But if Brother Che likes it, then I don't feel much pain."

That simple sentence instantly shattered every bit of restraint Ling Xuance had held onto for years.

So his A Yu had also been going along with him and putting up with him all this time.

A hint of confusion flickered in Lin Yu's eyes as he gently tugged at Ling Xuance's robe on his own.

"Brother Che, I really don't feel much pain, and I like it a lot. You don't have to keep holding yourself back."

Ling Xuance's whole body went stiff. He raised his eyes to look at the pure, naive boy beneath him. He had always thought the boy remained ignorant and naive, but he never expected—had he actually caught on a little?

"A Yu, do you know what you're saying?" His voice got even raspier.

Lin Yu shook his head.

"I don't know exactly what it is, I just feel like... Brother Che never seems to really enjoy it. If you want to do more, we can give it a try."