Six Years

Aptitude...

Lin Sui was no longer the same as before, no longer a child who understood nothing. He understood that if the immortal had not taken a liking to him for his natural talent, he would probably be no different from a wild blade of grass by the roadside.

He sat glumly on the Quiet Contemplation Terrace, watching the clouds and mist scatter in the wind, his heart feeling somewhat clogged. Foundation Establishment posed no real difficulty for him.

That trace of joy had completely faded. For several days in a row, he had been in no mood to cultivate, sitting quietly here without so much as changing his posture.

The sky darkened, and rain suddenly began to fall, a fine drizzle spreading across the cloudy sky.

Lin Sui closed his eyes and let the rain wash over him. In his heart, it seemed that he alone remained in the vast world.

"There's no need to be so harsh when cultivating."

Hearing the familiar voice behind him so suddenly, Lin Sui hurried to his feet.

"Master."

Su Fuxi appeared, spiritual light flickering faintly around her, not a drop of water touching her. She slowly stepped through the air and floated down before him.

She turned over her fair hand, and a blue-green umbrella appeared in her palm. With a swish, she opened it over Lin Sui's head.

"Come."

She spoke neither loudly nor softly. Her voice was muffled by the rustling rain and slowly fell away and dissipated with the wind and rain, yet it reached Lin Sui's ears clearly. "Let's go back. I have something to tell you."

Su Fuxi held the umbrella out toward his chest, indicating that he should take it. Lin Sui obediently accepted it. As their fingers crossed for an instant, he felt a touch of coolness, like the dew of an autumn night.

The two walked back to the pavilion side by side, at an unhurried pace.

When they reached the doors to the main hall, Su Fuxi was completely dry, without a trace of dampness on her. Her feet had not even touched the ground on the way.

Though Lin Sui knew this, he had still instinctively held the umbrella toward her. As a result, most of him was now soaked through, and he had even forgotten that he could use spiritual power to keep off the rain.

Click. He closed the umbrella, shook off the heavy rainwater, and carefully dried it with spiritual power. Only after making certain he had missed nothing did he offer the blue-green umbrella, marked with strange runes, to Su Fuxi. "Master."

"No need." She waved a hand and was about to step over the threshold when she saw Lin Sui standing there stiffly, water dripping from his whole body, his purple disciple robes darkened in large patches.

"Remember to keep out of the rain next time."

Su Fuxi raised a hand and patted his shoulder. A wave of warmth quickly dried him from head to toe, while Lin Sui did not dare move a muscle.

Su Fuxi withdrew her hand and turned to enter the room. "Keep the umbrella as a protective magical treasure."

Her voice held not the slightest emotion.

As the saying went, one should not refuse a gift from an elder. Lin Sui pressed his lips together. Her words had never left room for argument.

With a thought, he made the blue-green umbrella flash and vanish into his storage bag, then stepped inside after her.

"You've been away for three years. Core disciples receive a monthly allowance of twenty spirit stones. Remember to collect yours."

Su Fuxi sat in the seat of honor and accepted the cup of tea Lin Sui served her. Only after taking a sip did she speak:

"Lin Sui, I will be going into seclusion for several years. A secret realm will open in seven years. You must cultivate and advance as well, and come with me when the time comes."

"Yes, Master. This disciple obeys." Lin Sui paused in surprise. It seemed he still needed to improve his cultivation.

"You're already familiar with tempering yourself and strengthening your body. Be careful when you go out from now on. Here is a soul-refining cultivation technique and a soul flag. Study them yourself. Do not disturb me without good reason."

Having given her final instructions, Su Fuxi vanished directly from her seat, just as she finished her tea.

No years passed in seclusion.

In the secret chamber, Su Fuxi spent a full six years refining a flag of restrictions.

The flag, half a foot long, glowed purple as it floated slowly before her.

Pale purple light from her divine sense flickered at the center of her brow. Her hands formed seal after seal without pause, driving every restriction she had gathered over the past few centuries into the Restriction Flag, whether defensive or offensive.

With only eighty-one defensive restrictions and eighty-one offensive restrictions, the Restriction Flag had reached minor completion. It could withstand one attack from someone at the Nascent Soul Stage and severely injure someone at the Golden Core Stage.

This was already the limit of what she could achieve at present. She lowered her hands, and the Restriction Flag flashed purple, shrinking in an instant to the size of her palm and falling into her hand. Su Fuxi took a deep breath and put it into her storage bag.

She stood up, her hair swaying and falling to her waist. Under the light of the crystals, a glint of silver suddenly flashed among her dark hair. A closer look revealed a lock of white hidden amid the black.

As for her cultivation, after devouring the Golden Core she had obtained in Locust Tree Village, she had barely returned to her peak.

Su Fuxi moved, and her whole figure appeared outside the pavilion. A sweep of her divine sense told her that Lin Sui was not in the sect.

She had not said exactly how long she would be in seclusion, so it was normal for him to be absent. Presumably, he was still outside and had not returned.

"You've come out of seclusion." She first went to report to the sect leader, and Li Yuanqing indicated that he understood. "You're taking your disciple out for tempering. Good. In that case, this old man will give each of you a strand of sword intent."

Su Fuxi hurriedly cupped her hands. "Many thanks, Sect Leader!"

Sword intent! The sect leader's sword intent was a rare magical treasure indeed!

Li Yuanqing appeared to be at the Mid Nascent Soul Stage, his cultivation having changed little in centuries. But Su Fuxi had heard that he was one of the few sword cultivation grandmasters in the Tianshui Kingdom, known by the Daoist title Purple Dragon Sword Lord.

The sect leader formed seals with both hands, condensing two golden lights flickering with arcs before his chest. With a flick of his fingers, the golden lights flashed, turning into two balls of light that flew toward Su Fuxi.

A fierce pressure from Nascent Soul sword intent immediately spread out. Su Fuxi's scalp went numb and her mind shook. If this sword intent struck at her with killing intent, she would have no power to resist at all!

Steadying herself, she reached out and chose one of the balls of light. At once, she was startled to discover that it was ownerless sword intent!

Without the sect leader's divine sense imprint on it, it would be easier for its user to control.

She quickly sent a soul imprint of her own onto the ball of light, bringing it under her control, then pressed it into her forehead.

The ball of light, with faint arcs of electricity flickering around it, entered her sea of consciousness. She swiftly formed seals, wrapping the fierce sword intent in countless golden threads and placing it in a corner far from her spiritual platform.

As for the other ball of sword intent, she wrapped it in her divine sense and put it into her storage bag:

"I will remember your kindness, Sect Leader. I will make sure to bring it to Lin Sui. I thank you on his behalf."

Li Yuanqing waved a hand casually. "The Forgotten Land will open again in a year. This time, only a few Golden Core disciples intend to go. Will you go again?"

Su Fuxi nodded. "Yes. I intend to take my disciple there for tempering. We'll stay on the outskirts and won't enter the ruins at the center."

Li Yuanqing stroked his beard and nodded. "There is constant fighting in that place, and it is extremely dangerous. Be sure to protect Lin Sui."

"Also, your eldest senior brother is going as well. He asked me to speak to you in private. With no hope of forming a Nascent Soul, would you be willing to become his Dao companion for dual cultivation? What do you think?"

"Eldest Senior Brother?" Su Fuxi frowned slightly. Even though she knew these people all had some thoughts about her, this eldest senior brother was the first to bring the matter up explicitly. Of course she was unwilling!

She sneered inwardly. How could a great man live in gloom as someone else's wife!

Anyone who dared covet her could go to hell!

If he wanted to become her Dao companion, they would see whether his life was tough enough!

She put on a look of alarm and said awkwardly, "Sect Leader... this, this is far too sudden. Fuxi was completely unprepared. I... I have no intention of becoming anyone's Dao companion."

"I was fortunate to have Senior Brother look after me that time in the Forgotten Land, and Fuxi is very grateful, but... please decline for me, Sect Leader!"

Seeing that she was clearly unwilling, Li Yuanqing smiled kindly. "Very well, there's no need to mention it again. I'll tell him."

If Su Fuxi did not have Lin Sui as her personal disciple, Li Yuanqing would have considered the sect's interests and tried to bring the two Golden Core cultivators together.

But Su Fuxi had a heaven's chosen as her disciple in Lin Sui, so he could not offend her carelessly and risk creating a rift between her and the sect.

The sword intent had been given more for Lin Sui's sake; giving her one had merely been incidental. Su Fuxi naturally understood this. Li Yuanqing had done it so that she could better protect Lin Sui.

Su Fuxi's face filled with joy. She bowed. "Many thanks, Sect Leader. Fuxi will go down the mountain now."

With that, she withdrew from the hall, transformed into a streak of rainbow light, and vanished into the horizon.

Standing on her flying sword, Su Fuxi left the drifting clouds behind her, her face dark enough to drip water.

"Hmph, having a face this beautiful isn't a good thing either. All sorts of people dare to dream of becoming my Dao companion!"

She had spent years single-mindedly cultivating in seclusion and had hardly met that eldest senior brother more than a few times. They had only worked together in the Forgotten Land. After all these centuries, he wanted to become her Dao companion. It was utterly baffling!!