Bai Shan's eyes gleamed with pride. "Although he is still young, he has already become a powerful figure in the Southern Border, in charge of a palace. His cultivation is unfathomable, and he is fair and decisive in his dealings. He has managed the Ninth Palace to the fullest and his prestige is extremely high."
Lin Yu listened quietly, a sense of relief washing over him.
That girl from the mountain village back then has finally embarked on her own path and become dazzlingly brilliant.
But then, a complicated expression appeared on Bai Shan's face, and he lowered his voice, "It's just... the Palace Master always seems to have something on her mind."
"The Palace Master often inquires about you."
Lin Yu remained silent for a moment.
That's how emotions are; even in high positions, as time goes by, some marks remain deep.
"Is she in the palace now?" Lin Yu asked.
"Here I am."
Bai Shan said, "At this hour, the Palace Master should be handling daily affairs in the Myriad Gu Hall."
Brother Lin, should I immediately send a message to invite the Palace Master to come and see me?
Bai Shan's eyes were filled with anticipation. Bai Shan had watched Ayi grow up step by step, so he especially hoped that Ayi could meet Lin Yu.
To fulfill her wish.
Lin Yu picked up his teacup and took a sip of the unique Cloud Mist Spirit Tea from Southern Border. The fragrant and slightly bitter taste melted on his tongue.
He put down his teacup, looked calmly at Bai Shan, and slowly shook his head. "No need."
Bai Shan was taken aback. "Brother Lin, this..."
"Seeing that she is safe and sound now, and capable of handling things independently and shouldering heavy responsibilities, I am relieved," Lin Yu said calmly.
"I've come here for two reasons. First, to visit an old friend and make sure she's well. Second, I want to settle all ties from back then and repay this debt of gratitude."
He flipped his hand, and an ancient jade slip appeared in his palm.
The jade slip is neither gold nor jade; it is warm to the touch, and its surface occasionally glistens with a faint golden light.
"This jade slip contains some of the principles I've deduced and summarized over the years, based on my own learning and observations, regarding the origins of Gu Arts and the evolution of exotic insects."
"Some of the ideas within might be helpful for the future development of the Nine Palaces Gu Dao. Consider this my apology for trespassing into your palace back then."
Bai Shan looked at the jade tube in front of him and felt too embarrassed to reach out and take it.
"Brother Lin, this... this is unacceptable! This item is far too precious; I... Nine Palaces am unworthy to accept it!"
Lin Yu had already given him the greatest gift, Ayi.
This monstrously talented palace master can lead their Ninth Palace to become the number one among the Nine Palaces.
This is already an immense favor, so Bai Shan felt unworthy of such a generous gift.
"Elder Bai Shan, there's no need to decline."
Lin Yu placed the jade slip on the stone table. "This is merely a collection of deduction notes for me in my spare time; it's of no use to me."
"If this can benefit the Nine Palaces Gu Dao, then it will not be a waste of talent. I rashly entered back then and later had a request, and ultimately disturbed the tranquility of your palace. This item is a small token of my apology and also settles a karmic debt."
Bai Shan looked at Lin Yu's calm yet determined eyes, then looked down at the mysterious jade slip.
After struggling with the decision for a moment, I finally took a deep breath and solemnly extended both hands to receive it.
He no longer refused, took a step back, and bowed deeply to Lin Yu, his voice trembling with barely suppressed gratitude. "Brother Lin's great kindness is deeply appreciated by everyone in the Nine Palaces."
"I will certainly keep it safe and hand it over to the Palace Master, and assist him in comprehending it. I will not fail Brother Lin's expectations!"
Lin Yu accepted the bow with a smile and said, "The matter here is settled, and I should take my leave now. Elder Bai Shan, may our paths cross again someday, and may we both take care."
Bai Shan sensed the farewell in Lin Yu's words and was shocked. He quickly said, "Brother Lin, are you really not going to see the Palace Master? If she knows you're here, she will definitely..."
Bai Shan wanted to try to persuade him again.
But then he saw Lin Yu smile slightly at him, his figure gradually fading away.
It was as if it had never existed, leaving only the warm jade slip and the faint aroma of tea that had not yet completely dissipated in the air.
Bai Shan stood there in a daze for a long time before bowing deeply in the direction where Lin Yu had disappeared.
Meanwhile, deep within the Myriad Gu Palace, Ayi was reviewing reports.
Her hand holding the pen paused slightly. She raised her head and looked into the distance. A rare look of bewilderment, which even she herself was unaware of, appeared on her beautiful and dignified face.
"Just now... I think I sensed something..." she murmured to herself, then shook her head, suppressing the fleeting feeling and refocusing her attention on the official business at hand.
Having bid farewell to the Southern Border and severed all worldly ties, Lin Yu's heart was like ancient jade washed by mountain springs—warm, clear, and free of dust.
He did not rush back to Maoshan or directly use secret methods to Guanjiangkou. Instead, he transformed into a wisp of breeze, following his heart, and took in the landscape he had been away from for more than ten years.
The mountains and rivers remain the same, yet everywhere they reveal traces of new life. Most of the scars left by war have been healed by time.
This resilience and vitality after surviving the ordeal, intertwined with what he had seen and heard in the past few days, settled in his heart into a deeper understanding.
He walked to the top of a sea of clouds, with rolling waves of clouds beneath his feet and an endless blue sky above.
Far from the hustle and bustle of the world, this place, though lacking even a fraction of the spiritual energy of Guanjiangkou, possesses its own vast, ethereal, and natural charm.
Lin Yu stopped, stood with his hands behind his back above the sea of clouds, letting the breeze flutter his robes, his mind completely empty, merging with this world.
I don't know how much time passed; perhaps it was a moment, perhaps it was eternity.
Suddenly, the Innate Xirang energy within him, which had always been calm and profound, yet still stubborn despite being harmonized, trembled slightly without warning.
It emitted a resonance as if one were awakening from a deep sleep, sensing some kind of perfect harmony.
Immediately afterwards, his Pure Yang Immortal Power, which he had cultivated diligently and had become incomparably refined, also began to circulate spontaneously.
In a mysterious and indescribable way, it resonated with the creative power of the Xirang.
Lin Yu suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration and instantly entered a profound state of enlightenment, where he was completely absorbed in the world around him.
He didn't deliberately guide it; he simply observed quietly the spontaneous changes and integration within his body.
Within this power of creation, he seemed to see pure yang like the sun, and earth like the ground. The sun shines on the earth, and all things grow; the earth receives the sunlight, and life is nurtured.
Unbeknownst to him, the power of the laws that had been troubling him quietly dissipated.
His aura began to rise steadily, and the stagnant barrier of his realm melted away silently like snow melting in the spring sun in the face of this sudden enlightenment.
The pores on his body opened up, without causing a tremendous vortex of spiritual energy, but it seemed as if he had established a connection with the entire world.
Threads of indescribable Daoist principles spontaneously gathered and merged into his immortal body and Primordial Spirit.
The sky above the sea of clouds has quietly changed.
A faint purple aura wafted from the east, and a mysterious Daoist chant seemed to echo in the wind.
All living beings within a radius of hundreds of miles, whether wild beasts in the mountains or ordinary people, felt a sense of peace and tranquility, as if gently soothed by a gentle yet immense force.
As the last glimmer of understanding settled into the depths of his heart, the strange phenomenon slowly dissipated.
Lin Yu slowly opened his eyes.
"So that's how it is... Thick earth sustains all things, the foundation of change; pure yang shines everywhere, the source of life. The combination of the two is the beginning of creation." Lin Yu murmured to himself, a clear smile appearing on his lips.
"Master, thank you." Lin Yu looked to the side; although no one was there, he knew his master could hear him.
"Um."
Sure enough, Uncle Nine's gratified voice echoed in the sky.
With his strength, he could know the entire Earth with a single thought, and Lin Yu could also sense who was watching him.
When a disciple breaks through to a higher level, the master naturally has to protect him from the sidelines.
"Take care, Master. I will come to see you again later." Lin Yu had gained a great understanding of this method.
He grasped the Dao of Creation and also conceived a way to find the other "Four Qi".
I urgently need to return to the True Lord's Dojo for the experiment, so this is the only way I can say goodbye to Uncle Nine.
"Hmm." Uncle Nine remained silent, only giving a soft "hmm."