A Place to Settle, Body Mutation?

Lin Tianlu walked leisurely through the town streets, occasionally glancing at the shops and houses lining the road, nodding to himself.

The architecture and the way people dressed were not much different from the Tang and Song Dynasties in his memory; there was nothing too out of the ordinary.

Although this Changling County wasn't wealthy, the surrounding security seemed decent. The marketplace was orderly, and the people were simple and honest, truly a place fit for living.

However, with a beauty by his side throughout the journey, it was inevitable that many people would cast curious glances their way.

"That scholar looks so shabby, his boots are full of holes..."

"Could he have been robbed by mountain bandits?"

"What a pity..."

Such idle gossip continued.

While Lin Tianlu paid it no mind, Hua Shuya repeatedly frowned. Finally, she let out a soft huff and quickly led him to a local cloth shop.

Unfortunately, the shop had very few finished garments. Most of it was various silks and fabrics. If high-end clothing was needed, it would still take several days for custom tailoring. Lin Tianlu simply picked out a scholar's robe that fit him reasonably well, changing out of his faded and worn-out clothes.

Upon seeing him emerge from the cloth shop, Hua Shuya's beautiful eyes lit up, and she marveled inwardly.

The man before her had a face like jade and the grace of a willow. The clean, crisp scholar's robe, though not luxurious, exuded an air of effortless charm. His upright posture drew silent admiration for his handsomeness. If the previous Lin Tianlu was merely extraordinary in demeanor, he was now completely transformed, like a young master from a wealthy family.

"Senior, this scholar's robe really suits you."

"After all, I am a scholar. In the end, this is the most comfortable attire for me," Lin Tianlu said, shaking his sleeves.

After a moment of hesitation, Hua Shuya spoke softly:

"Senior, earlier at the restaurant... did you have something you wanted to discuss with me in detail?"

"Miss Hua is quite perceptive."

Lin Tianlu raised an eyebrow slightly and then chuckled, "It was just a small matter. I merely wanted to remind you. Giving a silver ingot so generously to a beggar, a child, can easily lead to conflict. If a struggle were to break out, how could such a young child have the strength to protect such unexpected fortune?"

Hua Shuya's expression changed immediately upon hearing this.

"You don't need to worry. That child was quite clever and spent all the silver in public. Being able to exchange it for some grain to take home is not a wasted gift from you."

"Junior... was indeed thoughtless," Hua Shuya said with a look of guilt.

"You are young and already possess such kindness; that is commendable. Why blame yourself?"

Lin Tianlu smiled slightly and cupped his hands. "Rather, I should be thanking you. If not for your generous support, I, who have just arrived in Changling County and am unfamiliar with the place, would probably be freezing out here for a while."

Hua Shuya flusteredly waved her hands. "Senior, you jest! You saved my life; this small return is only natural."

Seeing the girl's amusing reaction, Lin Tianlu didn't press further and chuckled. "Alright, let's go see the house you rented for me first."

"Please follow me, Senior."

A short while later.

Lin Tianlu suddenly stopped, gazing intently, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"The 'return' you mentioned... was it really just 'this'?"

Looking at the spacious, ancient-style mansion before him, he almost thought he had come to the wrong place.

This was more like a fortune, wasn't it?

Hua Shuya nodded with a smile. "Since you'll be staying in Changling County for a while, Senior, I naturally had to choose a suitable residence for you.

I spoke with local real estate agents for a long time. They said this mansion has the best feng shui and scenery in Changling County. The previous residents were scholars, and all the furniture and furnishings are complete, with many calligraphic works and paintings left behind. You can move in tonight after a simple cleaning. So, I just bought it outright."

Bought... it?

Lin Tianlu was stunned.

This mansion was not cheap; ordinary people would find it hard to afford the rent, let alone buy it outright.

He was about to politely refuse, but seeing the girl's eyes shining and her hopeful expression, he could only reluctantly accept such kindness.

"Please come in, Senior..."

Suddenly, a small firework rose in the distance and quietly burst.

Hua Shuya was slightly taken aback, but her expression quickly turned serious as she cupped her hands towards Lin Tianlu. "Senior, please forgive me, but I must take my leave for now. That firework is an urgent notice from the local government office, and I need to go and assist."

"Urgent matter?"

"It's probably... apprehending some escaped criminals."

"Then Miss Hua should go and help," Lin Tianlu said, waving his hand with a smile. "I'll tidy up this mansion myself."

"Thank you for your understanding, Senior."

Hua Shuya bowed gracefully and immediately turned and ran off quickly.

The afternoon quietly passed, and the sky began to darken.

"Hoo—"

After tidying up a bit, Lin Tianlu wiped his hands and looked at the grand main hall of the mansion, nodding with great satisfaction.

The courtyard was indeed quite grand and full of character, befitting the hefty price paid for it.

However, within this vast mansion, he was the only one left, making it feel a bit desolate.

"Even without servants to help with cleaning, this quiet environment is still pretty good."

But once he returned to his room, his expression quickly turned serious.

The few artifacts he had excavated from Taiyi Mountain were now arranged on the table one by one.

"Finally, some private time to sit down and figure out what's going on."

First was--

Himself.

Lin Tianlu sat cross-legged on the bed with a slight awkwardness, slowly closing his eyes and trying to regulate his breathing.

Neither as the poor scholar he had transmigrated into nor as the ordinary college student before his transmigration had he ever encountered any methods of cultivation or Taoism.

Now, he could only try to imitate the 'meditation' techniques from fantasy and Xianxia novels.

But as soon as he calmed his mind, he became utterly clear-headed, immediately sensing faint, shimmering points of light within his body, like tiny stars in the dark night.

Even without looking with his eyes, he could feel everything within him reflected perfectly in his mind, extremely clearly.

"These things... could they be the so-called Spiritual Energy?"

Lin Tianlu was somewhat overjoyed.

After some deliberation, he tried to observe more deeply, pushing aside the dark, unfathomable clouds.

BOOM--!

A roar echoed in his mind, like the resonant sound of an ancient bell, lingering far and wide.

His meridians, previously dim and devoid of light, were illuminated at this moment. Countless brilliant points of light flowed and surged like waves, seeping into every bone and every piece of flesh, as if constantly changing every part of his body, undergoing a transformation akin to shedding one's mortal coil!

"This, this..."

Lin Tianlu was deeply shocked.

He had no idea when such a change had occurred in his body!

The Spiritual Energy flowing within him was so warm and abundant, coiling and circulating, forming an extremely perfect closed loop, as if it were endless.

Not only that, but within his subtle, dispersed perception, the surrounding environment also began to be filled with a large amount of misty Spiritual Energy, as if gathering from the land beneath his feet. It condensed into mist, and in the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire room, making it feel like being in a dreamlike immortal realm.

With every breath, a large amount of Spiritual Energy was drawn into his lungs, and the circulation of Spiritual Energy made his body full of vitality.

"Where is all this Spiritual Energy coming from?"

Lin Tianlu was utterly bewildered.

If he were some once-in-a-million cultivation genius, perhaps it could be barely understood.

With guidance from a high-ranking immortal sect expert, spending a few days or weeks to cultivate such Spiritual Energy would be somewhat plausible.

But he had no memory of ever cultivating, nor did he even know if there was Spiritual Energy within him. Where did such astonishing cultivation come from?

"Could it be... when I was unconscious before, I accidentally swallowed something from a cave?"

Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment, then focused his mind again.

He painstakingly peeled back the layers of Spiritual Energy within his body, peering into deeper levels.

As he parted the sea of clouds--

A mountain peak ten thousand feet high was suspended within his body!

Mist dragons writhed, auspicious clouds enveloped it, and countless immortal energies radiated brilliance. At a glance, it looked like a place for gods and immortals, ethereal and rainbow-like.

This mountain was so familiar that he recognized its name at first sight.

Lin Tianlu's eyes widened in astonishment:

"...Taiyi Mountain?!"