I Am Carefree

"Tian'er, stay with me for the next few days. Your mental cultivation is about to break through, and there might be some changes then," Lingyun said to Ling Tian with a solemn expression.

"Oh? Father, what kind of changes?" Ling Tian was confused. He had read Introduction to Cultivation, and it didn't mention any changes.

"I don't know if there will be any. It's best if there aren't, but isn't it good to be prepared? Besides, I have some things to tell you then," Lingyun said, trying to sound relaxed to avoid burdening Ling Tian.

"Mm, I know. I've been bored of 'bullying' the small animals in the mountains for a long time. I was just thinking about a change," Ling Tian said with a slight smile.

Since catching the Swift Shadow Rabbit, Ling Tian had spent another month catching other animals on Qingyou Peak. He could now catch anything on Qingyou Peak, and the lack of challenge meant a lack of excitement.

"Heh heh, you have the same temper as your mother," Lingyun said with a smile.

"Then when do we start?" Ling Tian asked.

"Tomorrow. You prepare yourself today, and then find me tomorrow."

"Okay, Father. I'm going then." After speaking, Ling Tian bowed to his father and went to prepare.

The next day, as dawn broke, Ling Tian got up. He went to his father's courtyard and saw both Ling Yun and his wife there. He bowed and asked with some anticipation, "Father, where are we going to cultivate?"

"To Qingming Peak. There's a special mist sea there that's perfect for your cultivation," Ling Yun said with a slight smile after a moment of thought, as if contemplating the uniqueness of the Qingming Peak mist sea.

"Mist sea? Oh, let's go, Father." Ling Tian was a little puzzled but didn't ask further.

Ling Yun led the way as soon as Ling Tian finished speaking, and Ling Tian had no choice but to follow. After walking for a while, Ling Tian became confused and couldn't help but ask, "Father, why aren't we using Object Flight?"

"You haven't seen the other peaks yet. We'll walk there. We'll go to Qingyun Peak first, then Qingming Peak. We can also check on your cultivation progress along the way. The Xuan Tie chain bridges to the other peaks aren't easy to cross, you know," Ling Yun said casually, playfully teasing Humei on his shoulder.

"Oh, I see. Then, Father, I'll go ahead. Please guide me if I'm lacking in any way." Ling Tian then unleashed his movement technique and dashed towards the Xuan Tie chain bridge, his movements as fast as the wind. He wasn't afraid that his father wouldn't be able to keep up.

Ling Yun smiled slightly. Without any apparent movement, he appeared behind Ling Tian in a few blinks. No matter how Ling Tian tried his best, he couldn't shake Ling Yun off. Ling Yun simply followed at a leisurely pace, his expression calm and unhurried, clearly at ease.

Soon, the two of them and the fox arrived at the Xuan Tie chain bridge. The bridge consisted of only three Xuan Tie chains. Calling it a bridge seemed too simplistic. There was nothing on the chains, just three bare chains stretching parallel to each other, disappearing into the misty clouds not far away. As no one had crossed in many years, the mist shrouded the area, and the air was so damp it felt like water was dripping. The chains were rusty and covered in moss. A slight mistake could lead to a fall from the cliff, resulting in a shattered body.

Ling Tian didn't hesitate. He leaped onto one of the chains. The chains were as thick as a bowl, so there was no fear of not having a place to stand. Ling Tian lightly tapped his feet, leaping forward like a swallow in the clouds. His movements were swift and agile, and he disappeared into the mist sea in moments.

The chain stretched for an unknown distance. After running for a while, even with Ling Tian's movements as light as a swallow, the chains began to sway. Ling Tian wasn't too worried. He walked with ease, not even needing to look at his feet. His relaxed demeanor showed that he had already achieved some mastery in his movement techniques.

After about fifteen minutes, Ling Tian vaguely saw some magnificent buildings on Qingyun Peak through the dense mist. Ling Tian leaped lightly and landed at the head of the chain bridge. He looked back and saw that his father was already behind him, silent and unseen. Ling Tian gave a wry smile, wondering when he would reach the point where he could be as silent as his father.

Not far from the iron chain bridge, several Qingyun Sect disciples were on duty. However, they were gathered together chatting. They were surprised to see someone gracefully descend from the iron chain bridge. The iron chain connecting Qingyun Peak to Qingyou Peak hadn't been used in many years, and today, someone was crossing it, and not just one person, but two. They didn't count Humei, assuming she was the person's pet.

"Junior greets Senior Ling Yun!" a tall, thin, and somewhat sharp-eyed disciple's eyes lit up. He seemed to recall something and hurriedly bowed.

Ling Yun ignored them and walked past. These snobbish people used to call him a waste behind his back, and he disdained to pay them any mind.

Seeing Ling Yun and the others walk away, a slightly plump disciple asked curiously, "Could he be the 'waste' Peak Master of Qingyou Peak? But why should you be so respectful to him? He hasn't even reached the Golden Core Realm yet."

"Hush, shut up!" The one who had greeted Ling Yun quickly pulled him aside, secretly glancing at the departing Ling Yun with great reverence. Seeing that Ling Yun hadn't turned back, he cautiously said, "Don't drag me to your death! Don't you know that Peak Master Ling Yun is a Senior Expert?"

"What do you mean?" Seeing his extreme deference to Ling Yun, the others were also bewildered.

"It seems you haven't heard. More than ten years ago..." The disciple pulled the others closer and whispered in their ears, embellishing the heroic tale of Ling Yun's feat of shaking the Five Elements Domain and making five sect masters bleed across the sky with a single song.

"What? How, how could this be?" The slightly plump disciple who had just called Ling Yun a waste began to sweat profusely, his voice trembling.

"I didn't believe it at first either, but later, Peak Master Huang Se's prized disciple told a friend of mine, who then told me. There are also some rumors about this matter on the other peaks, and the Peak Masters of each peak have also instructed their disciples not to offend Peak Master Ling Yun of Qingyou Peak," the tall, thin disciple said with a shiver, clearly still feeling a sense of lingering fear.

"Then I'm doomed, aren't I?" The slightly plump disciple's face turned ashen. He had offended someone that even the Sect Master of Qingyun Sect couldn't afford to offend. He didn't believe he could survive.

"You can only pray for yourself!" the other disciples whispered, though their expressions held a hint of schadenfreude. They were clearly annoyed by the plump disciple's "loose tongue," and they had been implicated because of it.

"Ahem, it's not necessarily so. Senior Experts have their own pride. Why would they bother with insignificant people like us?" The tall, thin disciple cleared his throat and paused before continuing, "Besides, so many people used to speak ill of Peak Master Ling Yun behind his back, and he didn't bother with them, did he?"

"Alas, I hope Peak Master Ling Yun will overlook my petty offenses. If I get through this without incident, I'll definitely control my loose tongue from now on." The slightly plump disciple swore, even slapping his own mouth hard a few times as he spoke.

"But I heard that his adopted son, Ling Tian, has Congenital Meridian Blockage. It seems the title of 'waste' will fall on him. Qingyou Peak still can't shake off the reputation of being a waste," the tall, thin disciple said smugly again, seeing that Ling Yun and his son were no longer in sight.

"What do you mean?" The others' gossip-mongering hearts were immediately piqued. They quickly forgot their fear, and even the slightly plump disciple became curious.

"It is said that..." The group began to whisper amongst themselves.

Regardless of the disciples' hushed conversation, let's return to Ling Yun and his son.

"Father, why didn't you..." After moving some distance away from the chain bridge, Ling Tian's expression turned displeased, and he looked at Ling Yun with some concern.

"It's nothing. Why bother with the words of those snobbish people? There are so many of them. Are you going to kill them all?" Ling Yun said nonchalantly, as if the "waste" they had just spoken of wasn't him.

"I know, but..." Ling Tian still seemed indignant. Anyone would be furious if people were speaking ill of their father behind their back.

"There's no 'but.' Remember this: you are destined to be far above the common people. Don't let these petty people cloud your vision. Moreover, true strength is the best retaliation against such people," Ling Yun said leisurely, still with a calm and unhurried demeanor, but his words carried deep meaning.

Ling Tian took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and after a moment, said, "Father, Tian'er has learned his lesson."

"Haha, that's more like it, Ling Yun's son! I live freely, pursuing my own great freedom, and I fear no worldly judgment!" Ling Yun laughed heartily, a sense of disdain for the world suddenly emerging.

"I live freely, pursuing great freedom?" Ling Tian murmured to himself, lost in thought.

"Heh heh, let's go," Ling Yun chuckled and took the lead.

"Greetings, Benefactor. May I ask why you have graced us with your presence?" Just then, a green figure flashed and appeared before Ling Yun, bowing slightly. It was none other than Green Cloud Master.

"Just taking Tian'er for a stroll. You can attend to your own matters; you don't need to follow us," Ling Yun said indifferently, flicking his robe with a hint of impatience.

"Then I shall take my leave. Benefactor, please proceed as you wish." With that, Green Cloud Master's figure flashed and disappeared.

Ling Tian and his father continued on their way.

In a certain Great Hall, Green Cloud Master was furious, his hands clenched tightly. With a face full of Sha Qi, he roared, "Hmph, one day I will..."

His voice was low and sinister, nothing like Green Cloud Master's usual immortal demeanor.

"Father..." Seeing his father's coldness towards Green Cloud Master, Ling Tian was full of confusion.

"Let's not discuss this for now. Focus on cultivating your mental energy first." Lingyun waved his sleeve, clearly unwilling to talk about Green Cloud Master.

Ling Tian nodded and followed his father without another word.