Chapter 41: Famous in the Northern Region, Surging Undercurrents

Lin Xuan was carried back to the Guest Elder Courtyard by Wang Mang and Li Dali.

It wasn't that he couldn't walk, but rather that those two absolutely refused to let him walk on his own.

"Brother Lin! You are our hero! A hero must be treated like a hero!" Wang Mang said righteously, his large face beaming like a flower, as if he were the one who had just crushed a Golden Core Early Stage opponent with one punch at the martial arena, rather than Lin Xuan.

Li Dali didn't speak, but the hands supporting Lin Xuan were trembling slightly. It wasn't from fear, but excitement.

Crushing a Golden Core Early Stage with a single punch.

He hadn't just never seen such a thing; he hadn't even heard of it.

A Qi Refinement Stage fighting a Foundation Establishment Stage was already a battle across ranks. A Qi Refinement Stage fighting a Golden Core Stage? That was a myth. And Lin Xuan had achieved a Breakthrough to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment during the battle, then sent the Golden Core Early Stage Wolf Seven to his knees with one punch—this was no longer a myth; it was a legend.

"Brother Lin, do you think that Wolf Seven will ever dare to come back?" Wang Mang asked as they walked, his face full of anticipation.

Lin Xuan did not answer. His gaze fell ahead.

Standing at the entrance of the Guest Elder Courtyard was a person.

Old Wu.

On that face that was perpetually expressionless, there was actually... a trace of a smile? Although the smile was very faint, so faint it was almost imperceptible, it was definitely a smile.

"The Old Ancestor is waiting for you," Old Wu said hoarsely. His gaze lingered on Lin Xuan for a moment, and a complex light flashed in his cloudy old eyes—there was relief, admiration, and also a hint of... heartache?

Lin Xuan nodded and said to Wang Mang and Li Dali, "You two go back and rest first."

The two looked at each other and obediently entered the courtyard.

Lin Xuan followed Old Wu through the bamboo forest, along a winding stone path, toward the depths of the villa. This was his first time entering the core area of Bailian Villa.

On both sides of the stone path were groves of ancient trees with lush foliage that blotted out the sun. Occasionally, a few stone houses could be seen hidden among the trees, radiating faint fluctuations of spiritual power. Those were the secluded cultivation places of the villa's Elders.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

In the center of a small clearing stood a solitary stone house. The stone house was so simple it was almost shabby, completely different from the magnificent buildings elsewhere in the villa. But Lin Xuan could feel an extremely subtle Formation fluctuation permeating the area around it. The sophistication of that fluctuation far exceeded any Formation he had ever seen.

Old Wu stopped ten zhang away from the stone house, made a "please" gesture to Lin Xuan, and then turned to leave.

Lin Xuan walked toward the stone house alone.

Pushing open the weathered wooden door, a faint scent of medicinal herbs wafted toward him.

The furnishings inside were simple: a bed, a table, and a prayer mat. Ouyang Ye sat cross-legged on the mat, with a pot of tea and two teacups before him. The tea fragrance curled upward, mixing with the herbal scent to create a unique atmosphere.

"Sit," Ouyang Ye pointed to the opposite mat.

Lin Xuan sat down across from him.

Ouyang Ye picked up the teapot, poured two cups of tea, and pushed one toward Lin Xuan. His movements were slow and deliberate, like an ordinary old man hosting a Junior.

Lin Xuan picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea was warm, slightly bitter upon entry, but immediately transformed into a clear, crisp sweetness that reached his very heart. More miraculously, after the tea entered his stomach, it turned into a gentle warm current that resonated with the Indestructible Body of the Martial God inside him, slowly nourishing the internal injuries aggravated by the battle.

"This is..." Lin Xuan was slightly moved.

"Hundred-Herb Yuan-Nourishing Tea," Ouyang Ye said calmly. "It is harvested from Spiritual Plants over a hundred years old in the villa's back mountain, paired with Earth-Fire Spirit Spring water, and prepared with special techniques. It has miraculous effects on internal injuries."

He paused, looking at Lin Xuan, a complex light flashing in his cloudy eyes. "I saw both of the matches you fought today."

Lin Xuan didn't speak, just listened quietly.

Ouyang Ye was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "In the first match against Yan Lie, you won beautifully. That kid is arrogant, but he does have some skill. Being able to defeat him without using your full strength shows your Foundation is solid."

His tone shifted. "But in the second match against Wolf Seven, you were too reckless."

Lin Xuan looked up at him.

Ouyang Ye continued, "In that battle, you made three mistakes. First, you shouldn't have forced yourself to fight a Golden Core Stage while your injuries weren't yet healed. Second, you shouldn't have forced a Breakthrough during the battle; that was gambling with your life. Third, you shouldn't have thrown that punch with full power after the Breakthrough."

He looked at Lin Xuan and said word by word, "Right now, you have at least seven torn Meridians, three cracks in your bones, and your internal organs have suffered varying degrees of shock. If you don't recuperate properly, at best you'll be left with hidden ailments, and at worst... it will be difficult for your cultivation to progress another inch."

Lin Xuan was silent for a long time before slowly saying, "I know."

"You knew and still fought?" Ouyang Ye frowned.

Lin Xuan raised his head, his gaze as calm as water. "Because if I didn't fight, it would have been worse."

Ouyang Ye was taken aback.

Lin Xuan continued, "The people from those four Sects did not come with good intentions. They didn't come to observe; they came to test us. If I showed weakness, they would take an inch and want a mile. If I backed down, they would become even more aggressive. When that happened, not just me, but the entire Bailian Villa would be dragged down."

He paused and said emphatically, "So, I had to win. Furthermore, I had to win beautifully, win decisively, and win so that they... wouldn't dare come again."

Ouyang Ye looked at him for a long time and suddenly laughed.

The smile was aged and gratified, like an Elder looking at his most prized Junior.

"Good lad." He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "You're right. Today's battle has bought at least three months of peace for Bailian Villa."

He set down the teacup, his gaze becoming deep. "However, what about after three months?"

Lin Xuan did not speak.

Ouyang Ye sighed and said slowly, "The people from the main Sect of the Yunni Sect are already on their way. The one leading the group is Zhao Yuanqing's Senior Brother—Zhao Yuanzhen, a Golden Core Late Stage who is only one step away from the Nascent Soul. He is coming this time nominally to investigate the Black Wind Ridge ruins, but in reality... he is coming for you."

Golden Core Late Stage.

Lin Xuan's heart sank slightly. With his current strength, he might have a chance in a fight against a Golden Core Middle Stage, but against a Golden Core Late Stage... the chances of winning were slim.

"And then there's that Su Qingyue," Ouyang Ye continued. "The Seal inside her has already piqued the great interest of the Yunni Sect's main Sect. As far as I know, the Yunni Sect has a Grand Elder who has been in seclusion for many years specializing in ancient secret methods. If the Seal in Su Qingyue's body truly relates to the ancient Martial Dao, that Grand Elder might personally take action."

He looked at Lin Xuan and said meaningfully, "What exactly are your thoughts regarding that girl?"

Lin Xuan was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "She testified for me and offended Han Feiyu and Zhao Yuanqing. I owe her for that favor."

"Is that all?" Ouyang Ye raised an eyebrow.

Lin Xuan did not answer.

Ouyang Ye smiled and didn't press further, merely taking a Jade Slip from his robe and handing it to Lin Xuan.

"This is a remnant manual I obtained in my youth called the Divine Forging Record. It records some methods for tempering the Divine Soul, which might be useful for your current situation."

Lin Xuan took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense. A moment later, he looked up, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

This Divine Forging Record was actually a secret technique specifically for tempering the Divine Soul and enhancing willpower! When cultivated to a high level, one could even condense the Divine Soul into a physical form for attack or defense! For him, having just broken through to the 'Spirit-Martial Unity' realm and needing to further stabilize his Foundation, this was practically a godsend!

"Thank you, Senior," Lin Xuan bowed solemnly.

Ouyang Ye waved his hand. "Don't be so quick to thank me. I'm giving this to you on one condition."

Lin Xuan looked at him.

Ouyang Ye said slowly, "Three months from now, if the people from the Yunni Sect's main Sect really come, I hope you can... stay alive."

Lin Xuan was startled.

Ouyang Ye looked at him, his cloudy old eyes full of complex light. "I've lived for nearly three hundred years and seen too many geniuses, and seen too many geniuses fall. You are the one I've been least able to see through in all my time. I don't know how far you can go, but I hope... you can keep going."

He paused, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse. "Because only by continuing can you see the legendary scenery."

Lin Xuan was silent for a long time, then nodded solemnly.

...

By the time Lin Xuan left the stone house, it was nearly dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the mountain forest, gilding the ancient trees and stone houses in a layer of warm gold. Lin Xuan walked alone on the stone path back to the Guest Elder Courtyard, Ouyang Ye's words echoing constantly in his mind.

Three months.

The people from the Yunni Sect's main Sect.

The Golden Core Late Stage Zhao Yuanzhen.

And... Su Qingyue.

He stopped and looked toward the north.

There, in the direction of the Yunni Sect.

Under the setting sun, a few wisps of faint clouds drifted in the sky like invisible chains.

He withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.

His steps were as steady as ever.

...

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away at the Yunni Sect's main Sect.

Deep within a quiet courtyard, Su Qingyue sat alone by the window, watching the sky grow dark. Her face was pale and her aura was weak, but her eyes were brighter than ever before.

The Seal inside her had been in an active state ever since it loosened that day. Although it had been suppressed by the Sect Elders working together, that Seal could only suppress it, not eliminate it. She could feel the Seal was eroding bit by bit, and before long, it would completely break through.

When that time came...

She didn't know what would happen.

But she knew someone was waiting for her.

She looked up toward the south.

There, in the direction of Bailian Villa.

"Lin Xuan..." she murmured softly, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her mouth. "Will you come?"

No one answered.

Only the night wind blew gently past.

(End of Volume 2, Chapter 41)

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[Next Chapter Preview]: Famous in the Northern Region, Surging Undercurrents! Lin Xuan's battle has shocked the world, but it has also drawn in even more powerful enemies. The Golden Core Late Stage expert from the Yunni Sect's main Sect, Zhao Yuanzhen, has already led a team toward Bailian Villa. Meanwhile, the Seal inside Su Qingyue is breaking bit by bit. These three months are a buffer, but also a countdown. Can Lin Xuan take another step forward within three months? And when will the many more forces hidden in the shadows surface? Next Chapter: Rising Winds and Surging Clouds, Formidable Enemies Pressing In!