Immortal Destiny Descends

Lin Tianlu was feeling a little unsettled.

So Taiyi Mountain had disappeared because he had absorbed it?!

This...

A mountain that huge had been stuffed inside his body. Surely he wouldn't end up with a kidney stone shaped like a mountain?

The corner of his mouth twitched as he tried touching the mountain peak with his mind.

Unexpectedly, he felt no resistance. It was ethereal and insubstantial, as though the mountain were merely an illusory image remaining inside him.

But upon closer inspection, Lin Tianlu discovered that Spiritual Energy was faintly rising within the mountain peak, slowly converging into the circulation of Spiritual Energy inside his body.

Although the amount was tiny, it had undoubtedly brought him some benefit.

Only after repeatedly confirming this did Lin Tianlu finally relax a little.

At least, under the current circumstances, the Taiyi Mountain inside his body would not cause him any negative effects.

He simply hadn't expected that the "immortal's methods" Hua Shuya had muttered about at the time would actually come true. He had truly taken Taiyi Mountain away in a muddle.

Lin Tianlu felt rather embarrassed.

But—

He soon threw back his head and let out a long sigh, revealing a somewhat excited smile.

Although this reincarnation had begun with him experiencing a desperate brush with death on his very first day, the sensation of being frozen and starved to death had truly been awful.

Yet after surviving death's door, this Immortal Destiny now held in his hands had completely transformed him, turning him into the "immortal" that the scholar had yearned and strived for during his lifetime.

A drink and a peck, fate was truly wondrous.

"To receive such an opportunity... I have to live this life seriously."

The excitement and delight in Lin Tianlu's heart gradually settled.

Perhaps it was because of the Spiritual Energy within him, or perhaps it was the influence of his leisurely life. Ever since coming down the mountain, his state of mind had remained tranquil and detached.

As he opened his eyes and rose, he walked to the table and gently brushed his hand over the few items he had dug out of Taiyi Mountain.

"If there are immortals in the mountain, then these things really might have been carried by immortal gods."

They had shown no unusual phenomena during ordinary use. Perhaps that was because he had not used the Spiritual Energy inside his body?

Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment before quickly trying to mobilize the Spiritual Energy.

What left him rather helpless was that...

Although the Spiritual Energy in his body was as vast as the sea, he could only mobilize it in fits and starts. He exhausted all his strength before finally condensing a dim point of light at his fingertip.

"I'm still not skilled enough. I have abundant capital, but I've never come into contact with any immortal cultivation or Spirit Refining techniques. Controlling it is truly... troublesome."

Perhaps he should look for some cultivation manuals later, something that could let him formally embark on the path of immortal cultivation more quickly.

In his current state, he probably only counted as an unorthodox half-baked novice?

He could barely deal with mountain ghosts and the like.

Lin Tianlu sighed inwardly as he condensed Spiritual Energy at his fingertip and touched the broken sword on the table.

Demons, monsters, ghosts, and strange beings seemed to be roaming and multiplying throughout this world. Perhaps he wouldn't encounter the female ghost he had happened upon in the forest again over the next several decades, but having more means of self-defense was ultimately no bad thing.

He had to try and see whether he could use his own Spiritual Energy to activate these objects—

The broken sword suddenly began to tremble.

Lin Tianlu's face lit up.

It was reacting!

Even if the broken sword was in poor condition, it had ultimately been a relic of an immortal sect. Sure enough, it could still—

The broken sword fell to the ground.

Lin Tianlu's expression instantly froze.

Still unwilling to believe it, he crouched down and poked it again with his finger.

The broken sword floated up slowly alongside his finger, wobbling unsteadily.

Then, with another slap, it dropped back down.

"..."

What, was his finger a magnet?

Lin Tianlu wore a speechless expression.

He simply picked up the broken sword and jabbed it twice against the stone floor beneath his feet.

Two tinkling sounds left two white marks.

Well, at least that proved the sword was actually made of metal and wasn't a toy model.

"Sure enough, I shouldn't have expected anything from a broken sword." Lin Tianlu sighed inwardly, set the broken sword aside, and picked up the jade flute on the table.

An immortal's musical instrument should surely need Spiritual Energy to operate as well.

Thinking of this, Lin Tianlu took a deep breath, guided the Spiritual Energy into his lungs and mouth, aimed at the flute's opening, and slowly blew.

"Pwee pwee, pwee-pwee-pweeeee—"

He lowered the flute with an expressionless face.

It sounded even worse, and there was a bit of a stink to it.

The immortal who had made this flute must have been somewhat lacking in musical talent.

No, there was definitely something wrong with his head.

In the end, only the string of broken jade pendants and this black-and-white board remained.

Lin Tianlu tried pouring Spiritual Energy into the pieces and the board, but nothing happened.

It seemed that this board really was merely a mundane object used by an immortal for amusement in his spare time. It was only because the jade case was sturdy that it had escaped destruction.

But this string of broken jade pendants—

Ding-a-ling!

The instant Spiritual Energy entered it, dazzling motes of light suddenly flickered within the dim, broken jade pendants.

Lin Tianlu widened his eyes in surprise.

"Finally, an immortal artifact that can be used?"

His heart filled with delight as he carefully examined it.

Yet after waiting for quite some time...

The broken jade pendants showed no other reaction whatsoever.

Unwilling to believe it, Lin Tianlu patted the jade pendants, swayed them from side to side, and tried flinging them at the wall twice. He even imitated what he had seen and gestured twice as though forming a hand seal.

A moment later, he lowered his head in dejection.

There were no special effects at all.

When he had absorbed the gray mist produced after that wild ghost was destroyed, he had assumed it would grant him some wondrous ability.

So it was just a Spiritual Energy-powered flashlight...

Although he had wanted to produce some cool, mysterious divine weapon or ancient artifact, when he looked at the things on the table... after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately did not complain aloud.

Receiving an Immortal Destiny was already a blessing accumulated over three lifetimes. Asking for too much would only spoil it. As for these objects, keeping them by his side could also count as a kind of memento.

"I'll find a craftsman in the county later and see whether they can be repaired."

Lin Tianlu walked to the window and gazed at the moonlight shrouded in dark clouds, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

Before he knew it, he had gradually grown accustomed to the unhurried life of this world. Perhaps a little regret and reluctance still remained in his heart, but in the end, they all became a light laugh with which he accepted it calmly.

"It's just a pity. If only someone could sit down and play chess with me right now."

Lin Tianlu shook his head with a laugh, feeling slightly itchy to play.

No...

Now that he had moved to Changling County, perhaps he should make time to learn Go?

It would still be better than playing Gomoku every day. That really had no class.

"But apart from these idle matters, the most important thing is still a method of immortal cultivation." Lin Tianlu raised his palm before his face and stared at the wisps of Spiritual Energy floating above it.

"To possess a body full of Spiritual Energy yet not know how to use it is truly a waste. If I can cultivate genuine immortal strength in this world and witness its beautiful landscapes, then this reincarnation will not have been in vain."

He would have to make time to interact with more people and see whether there were still any traces of immortals to be found in this world.

Perhaps, through a fortuitous encounter, he might even meet other fellow immortal cultivators?

"It's just that with cultivation as meager as mine, if other immortal cultivators saw me, they would probably laugh at me." He rubbed his chin and muttered, "Wouldn't it be better to honestly remain a scholar for a while and first cultivate my cultural refinement?"

His exchanges with Hua Shuya had nearly exhausted the little ancient vocabulary he had left.

If he kept chatting much longer, all sorts of plain modern speech might start slipping out. He really did not want to unconsciously blurt out "fuck" while conversing. That would ruin the atmosphere completely.

Knock, knock!

But at that moment, the faint sound of knocking came from the gate of the residence.

Lin Tianlu froze for a moment, wondering who would come calling so late at night.

"Coming, coming!"

He hurried through the covered walkway into the courtyard and went forward to slowly pull open the main gate.