Lin's Kindness Can Never Be Repaid

As the Netherworld Emperor's reincarnation and the true master of the Underworld, Duan De was an unparalleled grandmaster of tomb raiding. He had already reached a realm bordering on Fortune itself, and his sensitivity toward great tombs was practically instinctive.

Without anyone's reminder, he would still have been muddleheaded, deceived by the methods of Wan Qing, a Great Emperor of his generation.

But with Lin Xian's hint, the tomb-raiding grandmaster's instincts kicked in, and Duan De instantly sensed that something was off.

"Boundless, motherfucking Heavenly Venerable—there's a problem, a huge problem! One yang, one yin, embracing Tai Chi..."

Duan De flew back and forth through the sky in utter excitement, muttering nonstop. His hands were no slower, his five fingers forming seals and leaving afterimages as he surveyed the feng shui and traced the great tomb.

While Duan De worked above, Lin Xian trained Ye Fan below.

He had some methods at his disposal. Back when Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin had occurred, Ye Fan had not yet begun cultivation or opened up his Sea of Bitterness. Though he had a university education, he was illiterate on the path of cultivation and could not understand scriptures, making it difficult to teach him techniques.

Now, although Ye Fan's realm was not high, he was a genuine cultivator, and his capacity to endure had improved considerably.

"Ye Fan, how long have you been in the Big Dipper?" Lin Xian asked.

"Time passes differently in the mountains. I only remember flowers blooming and falling, and the wild fruit ripening once." Ye Fan narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "It should have been a year."

"You have cultivated for a year, and your Sea of Bitterness has taken shape. It is time to learn some divine arts." Lin Xian spoke leisurely, manifesting his Divine Sense. "Though you possess the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body and an invincible physique, you have more than enough means to protect yourself but lack offensive power. Come forward. I will teach you a few methods."

Ye Fan froze, then instinctively answered, "Can one attain immortality like this?"

Lin Xian was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. Teasingly, he said, "It is like fishing for the moon in water. The moon hangs high in the sky, while its reflection lies in the water. Though you can see it, there is nowhere to grasp it. In the end, it is all empty."

Ye Fan's delicate face reddened as he finally realized what foolish thing he had just said.

"Come, come, come." Lin Xian raised his hand and patted Ye Fan's head three times in succession.

His Divine Sense connected to Ye Fan's Sea of Bitterness as he imprinted Qi-State Origin-Flow, the Tranquilizing Mind Divine Spell, the Five Thunder Righteous Method, and the rest all at once. He especially focused on teaching Spirit Summoning and Dispatching.

"Heavenly Master... I can't fit any more in!"

"Don't talk. Digest it quickly."

Ye Fan operated the profound method of the Dao Scripture. Strands of golden light overflowed from his golden Sea of Bitterness and circulated throughout his body, nourishing his flesh, organs, and bones until he felt power filling every inch of him.

The bronze fragment flew into the pea-sized golden Sea of Bitterness, hanging in the darkness like a brilliant moon. It occupied the center and actually squeezed the golden book of the Dao Scripture aside.

The golden book shone brightly, the bronze fragment interwove with Dao charm, and the Bodhi Seed in his embrace stirred warmly. A flash of enlightenment arose within Ye Fan, allowing him to comprehend each divine ability and technique. His strength increased at a rate visible to the naked eye.

When he opened his eyes again and saw Lin Xian smiling warmly at him, Ye Fan's heart grew warm. Since arriving in the Big Dipper, most of what he had experienced had been deceit and intrigue, with little care from others.

He had only a handful of true relatives and friends.

Ye Fan clasped his hands gratefully. "Thank you, Teacher Lin, for bestowing these techniques."

"It is nothing. These Dao arts would only be wasted on me." Lin Xian sighed softly but said no more. He merely shook his head, three parts bitterness and seven parts helplessness surfacing in his clear eyes.

Ye Fan trembled and asked in confusion, "Why do you say that, Teacher Lin?"

"I was originally nothing more than a Mortal Body. By chance, I glimpsed a few pages of a damaged scripture and was fortunate enough to embark on the path of cultivation. I thought that once I reached the Big Dipper, I could continue my severed path."

Lin Xian sat cross-legged atop a bluish stone, his expression melancholy. He sighed. "But only after reaching the Big Dipper did I understand that the heavens were high and the road was long, with endless tribulations. The Great Dao was like the heavens themselves, realms lofty and distant. There were countless geniuses and outstanding figures in this world, while I was merely an ordinary man."

"Even if I was fortunate enough to enter the halls of cultivation, how far could I go? Setting physique aside, I do not even possess a volume of an Emperor Scripture. How could I speak of comprehending the Dao?"

"Ye Fan, you possess the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body. Though cultivation is difficult for you, there is ultimately a sliver of hope, and you may yet attain the Dao. Unlike me, who can only drift through life without achievement."

"Climb the path to heaven, tread onward in song, and with a flick of your fingers, shroud the heavens. There are so many beautiful sights in this world. Go see them for me."

Lin Xian rose and walked slowly away, gazing toward the setting sun and leaving Ye Fan with only a lonely silhouette.

He looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, and faint crystalline tears actually glimmered at the corners of his eyes.

"Teacher Lin..." Ye Fan was rendered speechless. Recalling how Lin Xian had supported them all along the way, he could not help but feel a pang in his heart.

If he ignored Lin Xian now, he would be destined to regret it for the rest of his life. He would probably wake up in the middle of the night and slap himself.

"Host, doesn't your conscience hurt?"

At this moment, even System 10086 could no longer stand watching and spoke up in condemnation. "Try being a human being."

"Sincerity is the ultimate weapon. I merely spoke the truth. What did I do wrong?" Lin Xian looked utterly innocent. Everything he had said was true; the rest had all been imagined by Ye Fan.

No matter how precious scriptures and divine treasures were, they could never be more precious than people. One's own family and friends were what mattered most.

Perhaps it was the bloodline inheritance of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body, the genetic legacy of the ancient Great Accomplished Saint Physique.

Ye Fan possessed perseverance and determination, along with a powerful sense of responsibility.

If he could not even save his own benefactor, could he still call himself human? Ye Fan's eyes became resolute in an instant, and he said solemnly, "Teacher Lin, please wait. I have a page of the Complete Dao Scripture."

"The Dao Scripture is in my Sea of Bitterness and cannot be lent out. If Teacher Lin wishes to see it, you may use your Divine Sense to inspect my Sea of Bitterness."

"The Sea of Bitterness is the foundation of a person's life." Lin Xian shook his head and said righteously, "Could I, Lin Xian, possibly be the sort of petty man who pries into another person's secrets?"

"I cannot trust others, but if Teacher Lin wanted to kill me, I would have died countless times already." Ye Fan spoke sincerely. In his eyes, Lin Xian had always been unfathomable.

If Lin Xian had wanted to act, he could have killed him and seized his treasures back during Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin. Why wait until now?

Ye Fan was not foolish. He had keenly sensed something fundamental.

Lin Xian bore him no ill will and had shown him kindness. That was the true reason he felt at ease.

"I couldn't possibly, I couldn't possibly." Lin Xian displayed the same spirit as refusing red envelopes during the New Year. After declining three times and being urged three times, he finally agreed to enter Ye Fan's Sea of Bitterness.

"Host, you really look like a scumbag." System 10086 mocked him. It had only seen this sort of maneuver in the female-oriented novels next door; the routine seemed strangely familiar.

Teacher Lin's kindness could never be repaid. Lin Xian's kindness accumulated interest upon interest, and he was really shearing Ye Fan alone like a sheep.

"Whether it's male-oriented or female-oriented, getting benefits earns praise." Lin Xian smiled faintly as his Divine Sense entered Ye Fan's Sea of Bitterness.

Ye Fan's body trembled. The Desolate Ancient Sacred Body instinctively repelled all methods, but under its master's deliberate restraint, it did not target Lin Xian's Divine Sense.

That golden blood surged and roared like rivers, seeming to question Ye Fan: "Your subjects were preparing to fight to the death. Why has Your Majesty surrendered first?"