Innate Nine Layers Perfected

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed.

Library Pavilion.

"Phew, finally reached the perfection of the Innate Realm." Lin Cheng gazed into the distance outside the window, his pupils like ink, shimmering with a light deeper than the night sky.

Rip!

With a casual flick of his finger, the air exploded with a sharp crack.

"Now, I finally have a shred of self-preservation."

Feeling the Innate True Qi surging through his meridians like a rushing river, Lin Cheng was extremely satisfied. Once he polished his skills a little more, he would begin preparing to break through to Foundation Establishment. Only then could he truly come and go as he pleased in this Southern Region.

Although he possessed a heaven-defying cheat like the "Nine Transformations of the True Spirit" and would face no bottlenecks in his cultivation, he still lacked a reserve of True Qi.

However, Lin Cheng maintained a cautious attitude and decided to adapt to the power within his body a bit longer.

I feel like I'm ridiculously strong right now.

I wonder, with my current cultivation at the perfection of the ninth level of the Innate Realm, combined with the "Nine Transformations of the True Spirit," who would be stronger or weaker between me and a Foundation Establishment master...

Lin Cheng quickly shook his head.

What was the rush?

The Nine Transformations of the True Spirit had nine levels, and he had barely reached the perfection of the first level.

As long as he gave himself some time, let alone a Foundation Establishment master, even if a Nascent Soul old monster came along, it would be nothing more than a matter of a single slap.

Keep a steady mindset, and your strikes will be ruthless.

Can't let it go to my head.

Although Lin Cheng really wanted to test his strength, he dismissed the idea of finding a Foundation Establishment cultivator to spar with.

With nothing better to do, Lin Cheng suddenly remembered the Blood-Oath Sect from a while back.

Since he was idle, he began to rummage through the bookshelves.

Although Lin Cheng possessed the "Eye of Truth-Breaking," a tool comparable to divine sense, he still looked through the books one by one with his naked eyes. As for why... Lin Cheng could only answer that it was a sort of ritual for being a human.

"Found it."

Lin Cheng looked at the records concerning the Blood-Oath Sect, his brows furrowing in thought. "I didn't expect the Blood-Oath Sect and the Jingyun Sect to have such a deep grudge. It was rumored that the previous generation's Innate Realm ancestor of the Jingyun Sect died from a cultivation deviation, but it turns out he fell victim to the Blood-Oath Sect's treachery."

He read for several hours straight.

"This Blood-Oath Sect is truly no good; they are a cancer to the Southern Region. The Yin-Yang Valley is even worse, harvesting Yin to supplement Yang and vice versa, harming countless people. If I run into them in the future, I'll just crush them to death."

As a model youth of the twenty-first century, Lin Cheng detested evil forces with a passion!

He absolutely could not let them be!

Among the ten major sects of the Southern Region, besides the Jingyun Sect, there were the Blood-Oath Sect, Yin-Yang Valley, Five Elements Sect, Mystic Pill Sect, War Puppet Sect, Myriad Array Mountain, Treasure Pavilion, Beast Taming Mountain, and Shadow Sect.

Among them, the Five Elements Sect was the undisputed number one.

The Jingyun Sect, however, sat at the very bottom of the rankings.

Seeing this, the corners of Lin Cheng's mouth twitched. He hadn't expected the sect he was staying in to be so pathetic. If it were destroyed one day, wouldn't he be caught in the crossfire?

The answer was certain.

Since they were destroying the sect, they would naturally wipe everyone out. How could they spare him just because he was a menial servant in the Library Pavilion?

It was far more likely they would just crush him like an ant in passing.

"Forget it, forget it. If it really gets destroyed, I won't have it easy either. If I run into something that isn't too much trouble, helping out a little wouldn't hurt... though my own interests come first, of course." Lin Cheng struggled with the thought for a moment. He lacked nothing now except time!

Give him enough time, and he could tear a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal apart with his bare hands!

"The Jingyun Sect must absolutely not be destroyed."

If that day really came, even if he didn't die, he would certainly be plagued with trouble. That was his concern.

"But I just want to sign in peacefully. Why invite trouble upon myself?"

"However..."

"Hmm, those old men and women seem to value the little girl quite a bit. They might even make her the sect successor. If I am her master, wouldn't I become the sect ancestor? Since I'm the ancestor, I must be the biggest boss. By that logic, this Jingyun Sect is my private property..."

"Those old men and women are all my own disciples and descendants!"

"Eh?"

Lin Cheng was suddenly startled. He hadn't thought of it before, but the more he thought about it, the more it made perfect sense!

That's right!

The Jingyun Sect was his. The elders and disciples were all working for him, so it definitely couldn't be destroyed.

"Yes, that's it!"

"Someone touched my private property; I definitely can't just let that slide."

Thinking of this, Lin Cheng suddenly saw the light!

The heart that had been brooding over his recent actions finally let go, and he turned to sweep the floor happily.

Taking action for his own people was only right.

It didn't count as violating his principles.

Right, no problem there!

On the other side, in the forbidden grounds behind the Jingyun Sect.

"Little girl, when you see the Grand Elder in a moment, you must be polite. Don't speak loudly, don't look around, and be respectful, understand?" Elder Hao instructed as usual.

He chattered on like a nagging mother, listing a pile of precautions that left Meng Tangtang completely bewildered. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief and say, "Did you memorize all that? If you disturb her, no one will be able to bear the consequences if she decides to blame someone."

"Rest assured, Elder, this disciple understands."

Meng Tangtang nodded repeatedly.

At the same time, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, her eyes darting around as she suspiciously thought, This really seems to be the place where the Grand Elder lives. Could it be that she really isn't my Master?

On the way here, Meng Tangtang had already started to have doubts.

When she first heard she was being taken to see the Grand Elder, she thought they were going to the Library Pavilion, but it turned out not to be the case.

She hadn't thought much of it at the time.

For someone like her Master, it was only normal that he wouldn't stay in a place like the Library Pavilion.

Later, when they arrived at the forbidden grounds behind the mountain, Meng Tangtang noticed that her Master hadn't contacted her, which made her heart murmur, and a bold guess faintly emerged...

Could it be that my Master is not the Grand Elder?

But rather, someone else entirely!

Once this thought appeared in Meng Tangtang's mind, many of her doubts were instantly explained. No wonder every time Master gave me pointers, he told me to go to the Library Pavilion, and he himself never claimed to be the Grand Elder; it was all just my own wild guessing.

Thinking of this, Meng Tangtang was shocked by her own conjecture.

She hadn't expected the Jingyun Sect to hide a senior expert at the Xiantian realm.

On the other hand, her originally calm state of mind began to fluctuate.

Since the person she was about to meet wasn't her Master...

Then.

Meng Tangtang swallowed hard, realizing that at some point, her palms had become sweaty with nervousness and her legs were trembling slightly.

Although both were at the Xiantian realm.

Meeting her own Master versus meeting the Grand Elder.

Those were two completely different concepts!

Toward her Master, her heart was filled with gratitude; she respected him but did not fear him.

But toward the Grand Elder, she had no confidence; she felt more fear than anything else.

Thinking of this, Meng Tangtang suddenly stopped in her tracks, lamenting inwardly. She had thought she was only going to meet her Master, but things weren't as she had imagined, and she had no psychological preparation at all.

Suddenly realizing this, she was filled with tension.

In front of the cave dwelling.

Elder Hao, seeing Meng Tangtang suddenly stop and tremble, assumed his words from just a moment ago had frightened her. He chuckled inwardly, This little girl, I really thought she wasn't nervous at all. She acted like it was nothing the whole way here, but now that we've arrived, her true colors are showing!

He had said it!

No one could face a Xiantian realm existence and remain calm and collected.

Back when he first met the Grand Elder, he had almost wet his pants... ahem, dark history, dark history; the past is too painful to look back on, better not mention it!

"Don't be nervous, the Grand Elder is actually a very good person."

"Come, follow me inside."

Elder Hao comforted her with a chuckle, then led the anxious Meng Tangtang inside.