Chapter 256: Shengmiao Forbidden Land!
At the side, Liang Shanshan and her father were both dumbfounded.
That’s it? Just a casual tap or two and the technique was successfully transmitted?
Liang Shanshan even mimicked Lin Mu’s actions, pointing her fingers in the air a couple of times, only to find...
Is this a joke? But judging by the senior Taoist’s expression, he seems serious. Could Lin Mu really be some kind of Martial Way master? No, that can’t be right.
Although Liang Shanshan was not a Martial Artist, she had heard from her family’s elders that when Martial Artists taught the Martial Way, they always started with the fundamentals. Who had ever heard of transmitting a technique just by poking someone twice with a finger?
However, Liang Sheng’s face was solemn.
"A Grandmaster’s methods are like those of an Immortal!"
Hearing her father’s words, Liang Shanshan shuddered.
"Grand... Grandmaster??"
She widened her beautiful eyes at Lin Mu. This guy is a Grandmaster? You’ve got to be kidding me. How old is he?
Lin Mu paid no mind to the thoughts of the Liang father and daughter. He had only accepted Qing Yu as a disciple because Qing Yu was loyal and handled his tasks reliably. With Qing Yu around, many matters could be entrusted to him in the future.
Lin Mu said, "Qing Yu, now that you have entered my tutelage, there is no need to use your Taoist name. Use your former secular name."
Qing Yu’s expression stiffened. "Master, there’s no need for that, is there?"
Lin Mu looked at him, puzzled.
A shiver went through Qing Yu’s heart, and he quickly said, "This disciple will heed Master’s wishes."
Taking on a disciple also means telling him what name to use? Liang Shanshan wondered. Nevertheless, her curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "Senior Taoist, what is your secular name?"
Qing Yu replied with some embarrassment, "Li Xiaotian."
Liang Shanshan: "..."
In the next moment, the room filled with Liang Shanshan’s boisterous laughter.
Even Lin Mu couldn’t help but crack a small smile.
The name does have a certain archaic charm to it.
Qing Yu—no, Li Xiaotian, to be precise—rubbed his hands together and said, "My apologies, I’ve made myself a laughingstock."
"Not at all, not at all." Liang Shanshan stifled her laughter and said, "That name is very... very impressive!"
Li Xiaotian also laughed, but he was laughing about something else entirely.
The two Divine Skills his master passed on to him are truly Immortal Techniques. Not to mention the Divine Weapon Tempering Technique, the Heavenly Emperor Nine Steps alone gives me the confidence to achieve the final breakthrough within a few years. I will advance to Grandmaster! Only a Grandmaster can be called a true expert. Moreover, the Divine Weapon Tempering Technique also includes a qi-refining mantra that is countless times more powerful than the Cultivation Technique I practiced before. It can truly be called a genuine Immortal Technique. No wonder Master is so powerful. In front of him, even someone like Yun Xu would be killed with a single palm strike.
Lin Mu said, "Alright, cultivate the Divine Skills I have passed on to you diligently. Do not disappoint the expectations I have for you."
Li Xiaotian’s expression turned serious as he vowed, "This disciple will absolutely not let down Master’s painstaking efforts!"
Seeing Li Xiaotian about to bow again, Lin Mu waved his hand. "There aren’t so many rules here with me. There’s one more thing. You have a Senior Brother; I’ll take you to meet him when there’s time."
Li Xiaotian was taken aback.
A Senior Brother? He must also be an unrivaled expert with profound cultivation.
Seeing Li Xiaotian’s reaction, Lin Mu was somewhat amused.
I wonder what kind of expression Li Xiaotian will have when he finally meets Liu Xiaolin.
***
「Zhao Family Hall.」
"Mr. Lin, these are the medicinal herbs you requested."
Zhao Hedong tremblingly held out two boxes, his expression uneasy.
"Weren’t there three types? Why are there only two?" Liang Sheng asked, his dissatisfaction clear upon seeing only two kinds of herbs in the boxes.
Zhao Hedong immediately put on a woeful expression. "Boss Liang, I truly didn’t mean to deceive you, but the last herb, the Sky Star Grass, has already been taken."
"Taken?" Lin Mu’s brows furrowed.
With the two herbs Zhao Hedong had produced, the main ingredients for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill were nearly complete. However, the Sky Star Grass was an indispensable and irreplaceable main ingredient.
Zhao Hedong said, "Indeed. Before you arrived in Xijiang, Lord Liu—that is, Ma Liu—sent someone to take away the Sky Star Grass. He said it was a gift for the Shamanic High Priest of the Shengmiao."
"High Priest?" Li Xiaotian suddenly asked. "Which High Priest?"
Not daring to hide anything, Zhao Hedong replied, "The Shamanic High Priest of the Shengmiao, in Thunder Mountain."
"So, it’s him!"
An imperceptible coldness flashed in Li Xiaotian’s eyes, and he subconsciously clenched his fist.
"What, you know him?" Lin Mu asked, raising an eyebrow.
Li Xiaotian nodded. "Yes, I know him. He is my elder brother!"
***
At the edge of Thunder Mountain, Li Xiaotian stared at the dense fog with a complex expression. "Master," he said slowly, "if we walk for another two hours from here, we will enter the Shengmiao Forbidden Land."
The heavy fog obscured their vision and carried a faint, foul odor. This fog was lethally poisonous.
"Oh? Is this where you lived when you were young?" Lin Mu asked, seeming quite curious.
Lin Mu had learned from Li Xiaotian’s explanation that he was a direct descendant of Chi You, from the main bloodline, and had grown up deep within Thunder Mountain. Although he was the second son, his innate talent was exceptionally high, and his cultivation speed was swift. Doted on by the elders, they had planned to support him to become the next Clan Leader.
But he had an elder brother.
According to clan rules, Li Xiaotian was not eligible to inherit the position of Clan Leader. His brother, far from ordinary, was also fiercely ambitious. Later, after their father’s death, his elder brother joined forces with several Elders to kill all who opposed him, successfully seizing the position of Clan Leader.
Because of this, the Li Clan split into two factions. One was controlled by Li Xiaotian’s elder brother, the High Priest, while the other revered Li Xiaotian as its leader.
However, Li Xiaotian had left Southern Sky years ago. He wandered the lands, and his ambitions gradually faded. He had returned to Thunder Mountain this time only to help his master acquire the Sky Star Grass.
"The fog is poisonous," Li Xiaotian said. "Outsiders can’t enter. Even a Martial Artist would risk their life forcing their way in."
Lin Mu nodded. With his profound strength, he had no need to worry.
And so, the two swiftly stepped into the fog.
The Liang father and daughter didn’t follow. The Li Clan’s rules were strict, and not even Li Xiaotian dared to break them.
His master, however, was an exception.
Passing through the fog, they arrived in a valley filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers. The trees were lush, and a stream babbled gently.
"I never would have thought a paradise like this still existed," Lin Mu remarked with a slight nod, seeming quite pleased.
What surprised him most was that the valley was filled with abundant Spiritual Energy. Cultivating here would certainly yield twice the results with half the effort.
"It’s beautiful, but things are not what they used to be," Li Xiaotian said, his voice laced with melancholy.
Ever since his family died, he no longer had any desire to inherit the position of Clan Leader. He could only avoid the clansmen who had sworn to follow him to the death and travel far from home. He had been away for many years before this return.
Suddenly, Lin Mu stopped. "Someone’s coming." He looked toward a specific spot.
Li Xiaotian immediately grasped the Heavenly Punishment Blade on his back.
RUSTLE. RUSTLE.
The sound of footsteps followed, and two figures leaped out from the undergrowth, their expressions wary as if facing a formidable enemy.
Seeing the two of them, Li Xiaotian first froze, then his expression changed. "Li Zhou? Li Tong?"