Ruoyin

Although the decisive battle between the Seven Sects and the Six Demonic Path Sects had been set for two months later, everyone knew that wartime agreements were nothing but hot air. Besides, those of the Demonic Path were treacherous by nature and would never honor the agreed date. According to the news sent by Lin Yun's puppet incarnation in the Ghost Spirit Sect, the sect had already finished its preparations for war and could attack at any moment.

The Seven Sects' defeat was therefore already foreseeable, and it would certainly come within two months!

Thus, Lin Yun left the Yue Capital without delay and set out for the Yuanwu Kingdom. First, he intended to bring Xin Ruoyin back so they could hurry to repair the Teleportation Array. Second, he would collect the five-metal raw materials stockpiled by his merchant association in the Yuanwu Kingdom.

Four days later.

After traveling as fast as he could, Lin Yun finally reached the Yuanwu Kingdom.

The scenery on the little mountain where Xin Ruoyin lived remained unchanged, but the Five Elements Reversal Formation laid out there seemed to have undergone further changes. Perhaps it could no longer even be called the Five Elements Reversal Formation.

Gazing at the little mountain shrouded in thin mist, Lin Yun did not barge straight in this time. Instead, he sent a voice transmission into the mist on a streak of sword qi.

A moment later, the mist churned and parted to reveal a passage. Xin Ruoyin walked out through it and smiled gently at Lin Yun. "Brother Lin, you're here."

Lin Yun smiled and nodded, following Xin Ruoyin into the formation. As he observed the fluctuations of spiritual qi within the surrounding formation, he remarked thoughtfully, "It looks like your mastery of formations has reached another level, Ruoyin."

Xin Ruoyin was now a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator. Her cultivation, spiritual sense, and knowledge all surpassed what she had possessed in the original timeline, so naturally, her mastery of formations also exceeded that of her original self.

Xin Ruoyin said nothing, but there was no hiding the upward curve of her lips or the joy in her eyes.

Lin Yun followed Xin Ruoyin to the bamboo house on the mountain. Although everything appeared just as it had on his last visit, the place seemed to have taken on a different feel, looking much warmer and more welcoming.

After the two sat down in the little flower garden in front of the bamboo house, Xiao Mei came over to serve tea and said happily, "Young Master Lin, you've finally come! You have no idea how happy my mistress was when she received your voice transmission just now."

Xin Ruoyin's pretty face flushed, and she chided her softly, "Xiao Mei!"

"I'll go pack our things." Xiao Mei gave a sheepish smile, then hurried away.

A thoughtful glint flashed through Lin Yun's eyes at this, but he said nothing outright.

The atmosphere between them gradually grew awkward.

He was no clueless fool. Having known Xin Ruoyin for so many years, he could more or less see the affection she held for him.

On the one hand, Xin Ruoyin possessed the Dragon-Yin Body. Although pills could suppress it temporarily, they treated only the symptoms, not the root cause. As such, she had always restrained herself, never expressing her feelings for Lin Yun.

On the other hand, although Lin Yun was also fond of Xin Ruoyin, he was now practicing cultivation methods of the Zu Mountain Daoist Orthodox School. Above all, these methods forbade losing his virginity and depleting his innate true yang, so he could not readily respond to Xin Ruoyin's feelings for the time being.

Still, nearly sharing a night of passion with Nangong Wan in the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land had brought Lin Yun to his senses. Surely I can't go on doing nothing forever? Dual cultivation is cultivation too!

Thus, Lin Yun had already begun seeking a solution. For one thing, he planned to incorporate cultivation methods native to the mortal cultivation world into his own, improving them to escape their restriction on losing his virginity.

Beyond that, Lin Yun was also trying to find a way to refine a batch of Marrow-Supplementing Essence-Benefiting Divine Pills. This pill was a secret formula passed down by Cloud-Chasing Old Man Bai Guyi. It could replenish marrow and essence and restore primordial yang, specifically compensating for the innate depletion caused by losing one's virginity. Though it might not necessarily work, he could prepare it in advance.

However, every ingredient required for the pill was a thousand-year-old spirit herb. Although Lin Yun had managed to get some out of Han Li, certain herbs in the formula could not be found anywhere in the Heavenly South. He therefore still needed to rework the formula and find substitutes.

None of these plans, however, could be completed in a short time.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yun was the first to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Ruoyin, how is the repair of the Ancient Teleportation Formation coming along?"

A flicker of disappointment passed through Xin Ruoyin's eyes at his words, but she quickly rallied and said, "The plans are finished, and I've already gathered all the raw materials needed for the repairs. I can repair the formation at any time."

Lin Yun smiled and nodded. "Good. The Seven Sects have now agreed on a date for their decisive battle with the Six Demonic Path Sects, but the Demonic Path is sinister and treacherous. I don't think the Seven Sects' crushing defeat is far off. We need to prepare as quickly as possible. How about we leave in three days?"

Xin Ruoyin nodded. "Whatever you say, Brother Lin. I'll go pack my things."

Watching Xin Ruoyin's slender figure retreat, Lin Yun shook his head with a touch of melancholy, poured himself a cup of tea, and once again began working through some of the crucial hurdles in jointly refining astral and baleful qi.

Early the next morning, Xin Ruoyin and Xiao Mei were still packing. Over the years, Xin Ruoyin had recorded many insights from her research into formations and had also made numerous incomplete formations to test her ideas, so there was a great deal to sort out and pack.

Lin Yun left Xin Ruoyin to her packing and departed the little mountain early that morning, heading to several nearby cities to collect five-metal raw materials.

Since he had had little time to establish his operations, and the five-metal raw materials supplied by the two major merchant associations in the Yue Kingdom were already sufficient, Lin Yun had not made extensive arrangements in the Yuanwu Kingdom. He had only established a merchant association in nearby Golden Horse City to gather five-metal raw materials for him.

Lin Yun handled this merchant association the same way he had those in the Yue Kingdom. After taking away the final batch of materials, he left the association to the manager in charge. With nothing more than a parting "Look after yourself," he departed.

After leaving Golden Horse City, Lin Yun went to the nearby Heavenly Star Sect Market to purchase some supplies.

With the Three Great Sects supporting the Yue Kingdom, business in the Heavenly Star Sect Market had not suffered. In fact, the war had made business at the shops selling talismans and magical artifacts even better than before. Yet the number of cultivators in the Market had noticeably dwindled.

Notably, Lin Yun actually spotted a shop called the Cloudsky Refining Workshop in the Heavenly Star Sect Market.

After making some inquiries, Lin Yun confirmed that the owner of this thriving refining workshop was indeed Qi Yunxiao.

Without meeting Xin Ruoyin as he had in the original timeline, Qi Yunxiao had instead brought his talent for artifact refining to the fore. He was now an artifact refiner with a modest reputation in the Heavenly Star Sect Market.

Lin Yun heard that Qi Yunxiao was now a disciple of the Divine Weapon Sect, one of the Three Great Sects in the Yuanwu Kingdom. His current absence from the Heavenly Star Sect Market was because he had returned to the Divine Weapon Sect.

After making a circuit of the Heavenly Star Sect Market, Lin Yun returned to Xin Ruoyin's little mountain.

By then, Xin Ruoyin and Xiao Mei had almost finished packing.

Xin Ruoyin chose not to dismantle the formation on the little mountain and take it with her. Instead, she left it behind to continue guarding the home where she had lived for nearly twenty years.

Early on the third morning, the three prepared to set out for the spirit stone mine where the Ancient Teleportation Formation lay.

Lin Yun handed the Taiyi Five-Smoke Gauze to Xin Ruoyin, letting her carry Xiao Mei and fly beside him on the artifact, while he used the Clearvoid Invisible Sword to conceal all three of their auras as they flew toward the spirit stone mine.