Two hours later.
Nourished by abundant yin energy, Lin Mo finally broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.
The female cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm lay on the bed, looking as though her body had been hollowed out.
Lin Mo, by contrast, looked radiant after his latest breakthrough.
And that was not all.
His arms, face, legs, and upper body seemed to have grown ten years younger overnight. He was no longer so thin and brittle that a gust of wind might blow him away.
Squeezing his wrists and thighs, which had finally gained a little flesh, Lin Mo felt as though he were basking in a spring breeze. His spirits soared.
"Immortal cultivation really is this world's greatest invention!"
Not long ago, he had been nothing more than a decrepit old man nearing death, with one foot already in the coffin.
Yet a road always appeared when the cart reached the bridge; beyond dark willows, bright flowers revealed another village.
A month ago, Lin Mo would never have believed, even under pain of death, that he would someday turn his fortunes around!
Although he lacked the cheat system that so many other transmigrators came equipped with, his pure yang sacred body could practically be called the strongest cheat on the Heavenly Abyss Continent.
Thank goodness I have the pure yang sacred body. Otherwise, this old man would probably have been nailed to the transmigrators' pillar of shame.
Lin Mo secretly rejoiced.
Although he was already over a hundred and ten years old, in the cultivation world, a hundred was just the age to strive for success!
Lin Mo firmly believed that as long as he worked hard at cultivating and raising his cultivation level...
Even if he could not regain the appearance he had had at twenty, he could at least look middle-aged again.
That would be enough.
After collecting himself, Lin Mo left the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
"There are still three days left before the ten-day interval Shangguan Wuqing mentioned is up. Just enough time to go back and recuperate."
Back in his little wooden hut, Lin Mo eagerly tested the power of the seventh level of Qi Refining.
It truly was on an entirely different level from the sixth.
Only...
Breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining had also left his pockets cleaner than his face.
If that she-devil Liu Ziyan hadn't set a target of five thousand spirit stones, I really wouldn't know where to get more next...
Reclining against the head of his bed, Lin Mo pondered.
His status as a menial disciple came with far too many restrictions.
Even if Lin Mo wanted to earn spirit stones, he had no way to do so.
The First Saint Sect offered sect missions that paid spirit stones, but only inner disciples could accept them.
Menial disciples were not qualified to take sect missions.
As for the sect's training expeditions, those were even further out of reach.
A menial disciple wanted to join a sect training expedition? Dream on!
"I'll have to find a way to milk more cultivation resources out of Liu Ziyan in the future." After pondering for a moment, Lin Mo already had a bold idea.
Rather than racking his brains and enduring countless hardships to earn cultivation resources himself...
Wouldn't milking them out of Liu Ziyan be much better?
If anyone asked who was the richest person in the entire First Saint Sect, the answer was undoubtedly its sect leader, Liu Ziyan.
Granted, that might make him seem like a kept man, but...
He was cultivating toward immortality. There was no shame in it!
Plenty of people wanted to live off Liu Ziyan but never got the chance!
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
On his way to Shangguan Wuqing's residence, he passed along a secluded woodland path.
Idly admiring the scenery, Lin Mo seemed to catch sight of a graceful female figure deep among the trees.
At first, Lin Mo thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, until he rubbed them and took a closer look.
Only then did he confirm that he had not been mistaken.
From her silhouette alone, Lin Mo could already imagine the peerless beauty of her face.
"Wait, that figure looks a little familiar..."
A moment later, realization dawned on Lin Mo.
Isn't that Holy Maiden Su Yu?
Just then, a flying spirit beast descended from the sky and landed in front of Su Yu. She glanced warily from side to side, then quickly slipped a note into its mouth.
At the sight, Lin Mo frowned.
He had a vague sense that something was amiss.
He immediately looked away and hurried off, acting as though nothing had happened.
After releasing the flying spirit beast, Su Yu surveyed her surroundings again.
She had thought no one had noticed her, until she spotted Lin Mo, who was almost out of sight.
Su Yu's delicate brows knitted slightly, and a cold glint flashed through her clear, lively eyes.
She quietly followed him until she identified who he was.
Old Man Lin? What is he doing here?
Su Yu could not make sense of it, no matter how she thought it over.
Nor could she be certain whether Lin Mo had seen her.
If he had, she was in serious trouble.
If he had not, approaching him rashly to fish for information might put him on his guard.
But... she could not rest easy if she simply left him alone.
Su Yu stared sharply at Lin Mo's retreating back until he vanished from sight.
Only after reaching a crowded area, where the chilling, piercing presence behind him finally disappeared, did Lin Mo let out a shaken sigh of relief.
That Su Yu... there's definitely something wrong with her!
Lin Mo thought to himself.
Su Yu must have noticed him.
Now it was no longer a question of whether he wanted to get involved, but whether Su Yu would let him go.
In theory, the answer was clearly no.
Then what should he do?
If Su Yu truly wanted him to disappear without a sound, his current cultivation would leave him utterly powerless to resist.
"Damn it, why does every shitty stroke of luck land on me? What rotten luck!" Just when his life was finally about to get on track, he had accidentally stumbled into this mess.
Unless he stayed inside his little wooden hut in the Purple Heaven Palace at all times...
Lin Mo could not think of any way to escape an assassination attempt by Su Yu.
For a time...
Even his eager anticipation of raising his cultivation through dual cultivation with Shangguan Wuqing faded somewhat.
"I'll just have to take things one step at a time. Worrying that the sky will fall won't do any good now."
At worst, he could simply keep hiding in his little wooden hut in the Purple Heaven Palace.
Lin Mo refused to believe that Su Yu would dare kill him without cause right under Liu Ziyan's nose.
After collecting himself, Lin Mo quickened his pace.
Before long, he arrived at Shangguan Wuqing's residence once again.
Shangguan Wuqing had already been waiting inside for quite some time.
After checking her surroundings and making sure no one was nearby, Shangguan Wuqing opened the door and let Lin Mo in.
They were in the same lightless room as last time.
Shangguan Wuqing looked Lin Mo up and down and said in considerable surprise, "The seventh level of Qi Refining already? No wonder you look much younger."
Previously, Shangguan Wuqing had not deliberately sensed Lin Mo's cultivation aura.
But she was absolutely certain that, ten days earlier at the Sect Trading Market, Lin Mo had not been at the seventh level of Qi Refining.
"Hehe, it was just luck. No need to be so surprised, Captain Wuqing," Lin Mo said, putting on a nonchalant expression.
"Excellent. That's good news for me!"
Shangguan Wuqing's red lips curved slightly, and she made no effort to conceal her feelings or desire.
Whatever else might be said, she still hoped Lin Mo could be a little younger. After all, he had previously been as thin as a bundle of firewood.
She had not dared be too rough with him, afraid that one careless move might shake his old bones apart.
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