Chapter 207: Old Acquaintance

This group of stunningly beautiful women came and went just as quickly, but their fleeting presence stirred the thoughts and captivated the hearts of the few selected youths.

However, among these six selected individuals, besides the little girl who traveled with Wang Lin wrinkling her nose, there was still one person whose gaze remained calm and undisturbed, unaffected by the women's charm. This person was Wang Lin.

In Wang Lin's opinion, although these women were all beautiful and alluring with well-proportioned figures, their beauty was slightly inferior to Li Muwan's back then, and their flirtatiousness was far from Liu Mei's many years ago at Xuandao Sect.

Thus, how could they catch Wang Lin's eye? Not to mention his firm resolve, always unmoved by feminine beauty. Therefore, in his eyes, these women held no particular appeal.

The little girl who had traveled with him suddenly turned her beautiful eyes to Wang Lin. Seeing his calm gaze, she inexplicably felt a surge of joy.

After the women left, the middle-aged man cleared his throat, looked back at the youths, and finally fixed his gaze on the little girl. He smiled and said, “What a lucky girl. You also don't need to participate in the second test. You'll come with me to see the Sect Leader later.”

With that, he flew forward. The deeper they flew into Cloud Heaven Sect, the more Spirit Beasts appeared on the ground. These tigers, monkeys, bears, and other creatures, which should have been mortal beasts, had cultivated for countless years. Within Cloud Heaven Sect, they now exuded powerful Spiritual Qi from their bodies, clearly possessing considerable cultivation.

These Spirit Beasts either lay quietly on the ground or climbed nimbly.

As they flew, Wang Lin gradually noticed that all the carved pavilions and gardens were arranged in an almost circular pattern. In the very center of this circle, a magnificent and solemn grand hall appeared before everyone's eyes.

This grand hall was extremely spacious, easily accommodating a thousand people without feeling crowded. In the square outside the hall, seven huge Pill Cauldrons were arranged in a line. From each Pill Cauldron, wisps of white smoke rose, soaring straight up as if connecting with heaven and earth.

The entire grand hall, inside and out, exuded a pervasive aroma of Medicinal Pills. At this moment, outside the hall, dozens of people were gathered, divided into two rows, some sitting with closed eyes, others conversing softly.

In the center, an old man with white hair and a green robe stood with his hands behind his back, smiling as he watched the approaching crowd.

The middle-aged man who led Wang Lin and the others here landed on the square, set down Wang Lin and the youth who received the token, and respectfully said to the green-robed old man, “Ninth-generation Disciple Zhou Lin greets the Sect Leader. For this Cloud Heaven Sect Disciple recruitment ceremony, a total of six people have been selected: three received Jade Slips, two received Medicinal Pills, and one received a token! The first girl who received a Jade Slip has already been sent up the mountain by my arrangements.”

Upon arriving, Wang Lin immediately showed reverence, respectfully lowering his head. In his opinion, these old fellows here all possessed Nascent Soul Stage cultivation. Cloud Heaven Sect truly lived up to its reputation as the number one School in Chu Country.

The green-robed old man nodded with a smile and said gently, “For the three who received Jade Slips, arrange for them to undergo the second test. If they pass, they can become Inner Sect Disciples.”

The middle-aged man quickly affirmed. He hesitated slightly, then pointed at Wang Lin and said, “Sect Leader, this Disciple wishes to take this person as my apprentice. The Medicinal Pill he received is water-attributed, which perfectly suits this Disciple's current Alchemy needs.”

The green-robed old man heard this and glanced at Wang Lin. His gaze suddenly brightened in that instant, like a knife, scrutinizing Wang Lin thoroughly, inside and out.

Wang Lin sneered inwardly. Although the green-robed old man's cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul Stage, his body was indeed only at Qi Condensation third layer, so he wasn't afraid of others looking. However, his body still trembled, and a look of fear appeared in his eyes.

In an instant, the green-robed old man withdrew his gaze, a smile returning to his lips. He said, “To be able to obtain a Medicinal Pill indicates this child has considerable good fortune. So be it, you may take him as your apprentice.” He wasn't worried about spies from other Schools mixing in with the new Disciples. If the item within the black mist pillar found its owner, it meant the person was normal. However, he didn't know that Wang Lin had forcibly drawn out the item using an ancient Restriction technique.

The middle-aged man, Zhou Lin, immediately showed joy. After thanking him loudly, he glanced at Wang Lin, signaling him to follow.

But just then, an old woman seated in the second position on the right side lifted her eyelids, revealing her dim eyes. After sweeping a glance around, she said in a hoarse voice, “I want this girl!” With a flick of her right hand, the little girl who had traveled with Wang Lin exclaimed, her body involuntarily floating forward to land before the old woman.

The little girl was quick-witted. She immediately knelt and said sweetly in a low voice, “Disciple greets Master.”

As soon as she spoke, everyone seated around them showed strange expressions. Even the old woman was stunned for a moment before she laughed and said, “You're quite a clever girl. Do you know that all Disciples who enter my Cloud Heaven Sect become tenth-generation Disciples?”

The girl's pretty face flushed red, and she fiddled with the corner of her clothes, unsure what to say.

The old woman carefully looked at the girl for a few moments, then smiled and said, “Alright, you may rise. Although I cannot immediately take you as my apprentice, if you can refine a second-grade Spirit Pill or higher within three years, I will make an exception and take you as a Named Disciple.”

The green-robed old man shook his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over to the youth holding the token, a solemn expression on his face. After a short deliberation, he said to the middle-aged man, Zhou Lin, “You may go down.”

Zhou Lin quickly affirmed, signaling Wang Lin to follow him as he walked out.

Behind Wang Lin, the other two youths who received Jade Slips evidently also received instructions and quickly followed. As they walked out, these two youths looked at Wang Lin and the other selected individuals, their faces revealing envy.

After exiting the grand hall, the middle-aged man turned to face the two youths who received Jade Slips and said in a flat tone, “You two wait here, do not wander. I will return shortly.” With that, he grabbed Wang Lin with one hand, leaped up, and transformed into a long rainbow, disappearing into the distance.

Zhou Lin's speed was incredibly fast. Before long, he brought Wang Lin to a residential courtyard in the outer perimeter of Cloud Heaven Sect. Pushing open the courtyard gate, they entered a small herb garden. In this courtyard stood a bronze Pill Cauldron taller than a man.

“My Cloud Heaven Sect has no cumbersome rituals. I accepted your Medicinal Pill, so you are naturally my Disciple, Zhou Lin. From your record plate, I know your name is Wang Lin. Wang Lin, I have never taken an apprentice in my life; you are the first. From now on, you will live in this Alchemy room. After I finish handling this Disciple recruitment ceremony, I will naturally teach you the art of Alchemy.” After speaking, Zhou Lin gave some instructions about the details of the place, then turned and left.

After the other party left, Wang Lin's eyes flashed. At this moment, he was considered a member of Cloud Heaven Sect. He took a deep breath and looked around. The courtyard was planted with many flowers and plants, and as Wang Lin looked, his heart pounded with increasing excitement.

Just a ninth-generation Disciple's herb garden actually contained many precious herbs that were extremely rare in the outside world. Moreover, these herbs were all perfectly preserved, and nourished by the Spiritual Qi here, their medicinal efficacy would certainly not be lost in the slightest.

After seeing everything, Wang Lin sighed with emotion again. This Cloud Heaven Sect was truly too extravagant, too wealthy.

Using jade as bricks and tiles, raising Spirit Beasts like livestock, and a mere ninth-generation Disciple possessing such herbs—everything before him displayed the power of Cloud Heaven Sect.

At this moment, an impulse arose in Wang Lin's heart. He imagined that Cloud Heaven Sect's Pill Repository must contain countless Spirit Pills and wondrous medicines. If he could get his hands on them, he would basically not lack any Medicinal Pills before the Soul Transformation Stage.

As soon as this thought arose, he reluctantly dismissed it. This was simply an impossible task, unless… he could make his main body reach the Nascent Soul Stage! In that case, it might not be entirely impossible.

After a short silence, Wang Lin put away this unrealistic idea. After all, his Clone was only at the third layer of Qi Condensation.

The herb garden was not large. Behind it, there was a row of houses. Except for the first room, which was protected by a Restriction, the other rooms had no obstructions.

Wang Lin chose the last room. Upon entering, his gaze swept around. The room was fully equipped with almost all daily necessities. In addition, there was also a small Pill Furnace in the room.

Although Wang Lin hadn't studied the quality of Pill Furnaces, he knew a little about them. In his opinion, the gigantic Pill Cauldrons in the grand hall square were almost legendary treasures.

Even the small Pill Cauldron in Zhou Lin's herb garden was a rare Magic Treasure-grade item. At the very least, in the Cultivation Devil Sea, a Pill Cauldron of similar quality would have an unimaginably massive cost.

Finally, upon examining the small Pill Furnace in this room, Wang Lin was secretly astonished. The quality of this small Pill Furnace was almost on par with the one he had given to Li Muwan back then. In other words, this single Pill Furnace was equivalent to a complete Dragon hide from a Spirit Beast.

One must know that Cloud Heaven Sect had many carved pavilions and courtyards, and each courtyard contained numerous such small rooms. Clearly, every room contained such a Pill Furnace, which meant their quantity was enormous.

Evidently, this type of Pill Furnace was not considered high-grade within Cloud Heaven Sect.

To verify his conjecture, Wang Lin leaped out of the room and consecutively checked every single house. He ultimately confirmed his analysis: every house contained such a Pill Furnace.

All the sights and experiences since entering Cloud Heaven Sect demonstrated the sect's power. At this moment, Wang Lin took a deep breath, once again sensing the unfathomable strength possessed by a massive sect.

In the room, Wang Lin pondered for a moment, then waved his right hand, sending out a Restriction that landed on the door. Afterward, he sat cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes to meditate.

Time slowly passed. When night arrived, Wang Lin's mind suddenly stirred. He could feel a unique Spiritual Qi being transmitted from the Restriction he had set.

He knew that Zhou Lin had returned. Zhou Lin's cultivation was merely at the Early Stage of Core Formation, so it was impossible for him to see through Wang Lin's Restriction.

This Cloud Heaven Sect was divided into Inner and Outer Sects. The Inner Sect focused on Alchemy, and the Outer Sect on resisting enemies. As an Inner Sect Disciple, Zhou Lin's cultivation wasn't the main point; his Alchemy was!

“Come out and see me!” Zhou Lin's voice slowly drifted in from outside. Wang Lin opened his eyes, stood up, and walked out of the room. Although it was late at night, a bright full moon hung in the sky. For cultivators, visibility was no different from daytime.

Zhou Lin stood in the courtyard at this moment. After Wang Lin emerged, he flicked his right hand, tossing out a Jade Slip, and said, “I, your Master, am going into seclusion. It will be a few months at the least, or several years at most, to digest that Water Spirit Pill. Thus, I won't have much time to oversee your Alchemy studies.

This Jade Slip contains my Alchemy experiences and some Pill Formulas from the past few decades. You should explore it on your own first. If there's anything you don't understand, you can go to the third courtyard in the Southern Courtyard and seek your Grandmaster. I have already reported the matter of taking you as my apprentice to her.”

Wang Lin took the Jade Slip and, sweeping his Divine Sense over his forehead, was immediately startled. He hadn't expected Zhou Lin to give him such a Jade Slip. This Jade Slip meticulously recorded his countless Alchemy experiences over the past few decades, with particular emphasis on detailed records of Alchemy failures or reductions in quality.

Judging by the level of detail, this Jade Slip was of immense value to Wang Lin at this moment.

He and Zhou Lin had only met a few times. He never imagined that the other party would actually give him such a Jade Slip. This was in stark contrast to the Master-Disciple relationship full of deceit and trickery that Wang Lin had imagined. For a moment, Wang Lin held the Jade Slip, a complex feeling rising in his heart.

Zhou Lin did not notice Wang Lin's abnormality. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, “Your Grandmaster is gentle by nature and will surely tell you in detail about all the precautions regarding Alchemy. Also, you can freely use the herbs in my courtyard, but remember not to uproot them so they can continue to grow here. As for that Pill Cauldron, you shouldn't touch it. This Cauldron cannot be used without a certain level of Alchemy mastery.”

Wang Lin took a deep breath and nodded.

Zhou Lin was silent for a moment, then sighed, “Actually, I should have taught you some Alchemy techniques before going into seclusion, but if the Water Spirit Pill is not used immediately, its efficacy will decrease over time. After I come out of seclusion, I will refine a few batches of pills to solidify your foundation and Cultivate your origin as compensation.” He finished speaking, glanced at Wang Lin, and continued, “My place of seclusion is in the back mountain of Cloud Heaven Sect, so you can continue to live in this courtyard. My room is protected by a Restriction; do not touch it.”

After speaking, Zhou Lin took out a set of clothes, a token, and a Storage Pouch from his Storage Pouch. He placed them aside, then pondered for a moment and took out a white jade bottle, saying, “These are the tenth-generation Disciple clothes I collected for you. As for this white jade bottle, it contains three half-grade Spirit Pills. Take two, and use the last one for analysis according to the method in my Jade Slip.”

After he finished, Zhou Lin's body transformed into a long rainbow and left the courtyard.

Wang Lin stood silently for a moment, then rose, picked up the clothes and Medicinal Pills, and returned to his room.

Zhou Lin's attitude gave Wang Lin a very unfamiliar feeling, a feeling he had almost never encountered before. After a long while, Wang Lin opened the white jade bottle, and immediately, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out from within.

Inside were three crystal-clear yellow Medicinal Pills, each the size of a lychee. Wang Lin picked one up, looked at it for a moment, but did not immediately consume it. Instead, he patted his Storage Pouch, and a palm-sized exotic beast immediately flew out. The small beast flapped its wings, emitting gusts of whistling wind.

Wang Lin flicked his finger, and the Medicinal Pill fell into the small beast's mouth. Immediately afterward, he focused his eyes on the small beast, observing its every move.

After a long time, not only did the small beast show no negative effects, but it became even more energetic, flapping its wings with increasing force. Its size even slowly grew by a circle.

Wang Lin watched for a moment, then retracted his right hand, and the small beast flew back into the Storage Pouch.

He planned to observe it for a few days, and only if the small beast showed no abnormalities would he consume the Medicinal Pill.

A night of meditation passed without incident.

The next morning, Wang Lin awoke from his breathing exercises. He could feel that the Spiritual Qi within his body had increased considerably. The Spiritual Qi in Cloud Heaven Sect was extremely abundant, making cultivation here very effective.

Wang Lin got up and put on the Cloud Heaven Sect Disciple's clothes, which was a white long robe with a red Pill Cauldron embroidered on the cuffs. After putting away the token of identity and the white jade bottle, Wang Lin patted his Storage Pouch, and an item suddenly appeared in his right hand. Although this was also a white jade bottle, the liquid inside was priceless, several times more precious than ordinary Medicinal Pills.

After drinking a mouthful of spirit liquid, Wang Lin meditated for a moment, then his hands moved rapidly, forming afterimages in front of him. The spiritual power converted from the spirit liquid in his body quickly circulated through the Meridians in his hands, slowly seeping out.

Gradually, Wang Lin's hands moved faster and faster. Sweat slowly dripped from his forehead, and at the same time, he shouted, "Go!"

Immediately, the afterimages from his hands flew out, intertwining with each other to form a complete Restriction circle, which imprinted itself on the ground.

In an instant, a circular halo appeared on the ground, shimmering with light.

Wang Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead. With the Clone's cultivation, it was still possible to cast a scattered Restriction, but to cast a complete Restriction circle, he needed the help of spirit liquid, and it placed a certain burden on his body.

After the Restriction circle imprinted on the ground, a faint chill slowly emanated from within it. At the same time, Wang Lin's true body slowly emerged from within the Restriction circle.

After confirming that this Restriction was effective, Wang Lin took a deep breath, and his true body once again submerged into the Restriction.

This was Wang Lin's life-saving method. When he was in seclusion researching the Divine Dao Arts, he considered that if his Clone ventured out alone, it might encounter some dangers. Thus, according to the memories of the Ancient God, he used two Inkstone pieces as a guide to refine a Restriction Gate. As long as his true body and Clone each held an Inkstone piece, they could use it as a connection.

It was just that when his cultivation was not high enough, casting the Restriction circle took a little longer.

Two months passed in a flash. Zhou Lin still hadn't returned, and Wang Lin's courtyard was almost isolated from the world; no one came. Wang Lin had read every word of the Jade Slip Zhou Lin left behind. The details recorded within were very thorough, and after reading it, Wang Lin was certain that Zhou Lin had not altered any of the content on the Jade Slip.

As for the small beast that had consumed the Medicinal Pill, it was noticeably stronger than its peers over these two months, and even its Divine Sense had increased. This showed that the Medicinal Pill was also harmless.

This made Wang Lin's heart even more conflicted. He could now confirm that Zhou Lin truly regarded him as a Disciple.

However, this relationship was built on the premise of no ulterior motives. If a conflict of interest arose, whether it could be maintained, Wang Lin didn't know. He only knew that he had almost never encountered such a feeling before.

In two months, Wang Lin's cultivation rapidly increased from Qi Condensation Third Layer to Qi Condensation Eighth Layer. This rapid progress, in addition to the help of the spirit liquid, was also due to Wang Lin's Alchemy.

He came to Cloud Heaven Sect originally to obtain Medicinal Pills for Cultivate, but now the Jade Slip detailed Alchemy methods, and there were many Spiritual Plants in the courtyard. Thus, Wang Lin took the time to do Alchemy himself.

The Dao of Alchemy is vast and profound. Besides a certain talent, it requires more diligence and sweat. This Dao of Alchemy is even more difficult than Cultivate immortal arts.

The earlier one is in the initial stages, the higher the failure rate. Wang Lin had been trying Alchemy for these two months since he thoroughly understood the Jade Slip, but in these two months, out of countless attempts, he only succeeded once.

That one time, he consumed a large amount of Spiritual Plants and barely refined seven Foundation Establishment Pills. After consuming them, combined with the spirit liquid and the time difference of the Heaven Defying Bead, he managed to leap from Qi Condensation Third Layer to Eighth Layer within two months in reality.

On this day, a bang sounded from Wang Lin's room, and a layer of rippling light curtain immediately appeared over the entire courtyard. After the light curtain swayed slightly, the courtyard returned to normal.

Wang Lin walked out of the room, covered in dust and ashes. He had a bitter smile on his face; the previous Alchemy attempt had failed again.

This time, he failed to control the intensity of the earth fire, leading to excessive activation, which caused the Pill Furnace to break and all the Medicinal Pills inside to be ruined.

Fortunately, Cloud Heaven Sect lacked nothing, especially Pill Furnaces, which were numerous. In these two months, Wang Lin had already destroyed four Pill Furnaces. Of the seven Pill Furnaces in the seven rooms of the courtyard, only three remained.

Wang Lin walked in the courtyard, his eyes deep in thought. In each room, there was an earth fire switch. His own spiritual power was the key to controlling the earth fire, but this had nothing to do with the strength of his spiritual power, but rather a technique called "micro-control" in the Jade Slip.

Using one's own spiritual power as a bridge to connect the earth fire and the Pill Furnace, it required spiritual power to maintain a stable state. This stability was not unchanging, but rather adjusted according to the fluctuations of the earth fire, the time limit of the Spirit Pill, and the process within.

If any part of the process deviated, Alchemy would fail. If the deviation was too great, the Pill Furnace would shatter.

This step is the most difficult hurdle for Alchemy beginners to overcome. Of course, if one's cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul Stage, then refining with infant fire has no such requirements.

In addition to controlling the earth fire, the combination and application of Spiritual Plants are also key to Alchemy. Having only a Pill Formula is not enough. The Art of Alchemy is not a standardized Divine Ability that everyone can learn.

To say that with just one Pill Formula, a hundred people could refine a hundred identical Spirit Pills, is an utterly absurd notion.

A Pill Formula, no matter how detailed its record, is merely a guide. In actual Alchemy, there will be all sorts of unimaginable problems, such as the amount of spiritual power in the surrounding environment, external changes, whether the herbs contain Impurities, and also the various combinations of herbs. Each combination has anywhere from a few to hundreds or thousands of different variations. These matters are far beyond what a single Pill Formula can clearly explain.

It is truly too difficult to become a Great Master.

During these two months in Cloud Heaven Sect, Wang Lin had already learned from the Jade Slip that Alchemists, like Medicinal Pills, are divided into nine grades. An Alchemist of a certain grade can produce Medicinal Pills of that grade.

Currently, throughout the entire Cloud Heaven Sect, there are only three Fifth-Grade Alchemists. One of them is Zhou Lin's Master, who is also this Clone's Grandmaster.

This person is female. She is not a direct descendant of the Cloud Heaven Sect, but came from Xuanwu Kingdom. After joining the Cloud Heaven Sect, she immediately obtained the status of Guest Elder, and several years later, she even became one of the Elders.

It is precisely for this reason that Zhou Lin, despite being a ninth-generation Disciple, can preside over the Disciple-acceptance ceremony. Even the Sect Leader tries his best to meet Zhou Lin's requests, after all, one must consider the Buddha's face, not the monk's.

As Wang Lin walked through the courtyard, he pondered the reason for his recent failure. Everything had been going smoothly before, but at the moment the Medicinal Pill was about to succeed, the earth fire suddenly intensified, leading to failure.

"Does the earth fire suddenly strengthen every time Alchemy is about to succeed?" Wang Lin wondered inwardly, but he quickly remembered that in these two months, he had succeeded once, and that situation had not occurred then.

After a brief silence, Wang Lin collected some herbs, then went to a room with a Pill Furnace and began Alchemy again.

This time, at the moment of impending success, the earth fire suddenly became violent, fluctuating greatly. No matter how he controlled it, he couldn't stop the spread of the earth fire. Immediately, with a bang, the Pill Furnace exploded again.

Wang Lin looked grimly at the Pill Furnace shattered into pieces and the muddy dregs within, his brows tightly furrowed.

He was silent for a moment, then tried twice more. In the end, the remaining two Pill Furnaces also exploded into pieces. Thus, in these past two months, all seven Pill Furnaces had become fragments.

Wang Lin gave a bitter smile and sighed inwardly. If Alchemy failed, so be it; with continuous attempts, there would always be a time for success. But now, the Pill Furnaces were self-destructing. If this phenomenon couldn't be alleviated quickly, Wang Lin was worried that he might be the first person to be expelled from Cloud Heaven Sect for consuming too many Pill Furnaces.

After all, Wang Lin knew the preciousness of these Pill Furnaces. Every time a Pill Furnace was destroyed, he felt a pang of heartache.

At the same time, Wang Lin also deeply understood why, in the entire Cultivation World, although there were many Alchemists, those who could reach a certain level were extremely rare. Alchemists could be said to be the most resource-intensive type of people.

To become a Great Master, one must consume an astronomical amount of Materials and Pill Furnaces before there is even a slim possibility.

Thus, ordinary Schools simply could not afford to support an Alchemy Great Master. Only a large School like Cloud Heaven Sect, which specializes in Alchemy, could support so many Alchemists.

Wang Lin smiled bitterly. After clearing away the Pill Furnace fragments, he hesitated for a moment, then got up and walked out of the courtyard.

With no Pill Furnaces left, if he wanted to continue Alchemy, he needed new ones. But Zhou Lin was in seclusion, so he certainly couldn't know about this. Thus, Wang Lin could only go find the so-called Grandmaster.

Additionally, Wang Lin also planned to consult about why the Pill Furnaces had been self-destructing during every Alchemy attempt recently. After all, if this problem wasn't solved, he wouldn't be able to do Alchemy again.

The inner sect of Cloud Heaven Sect is divided into four cardinal directions: East, West, South, and North, which intersect circularly, surrounding the central Great Hall.

Wang Lin, wearing a Disciple's long robe and a token at his waist, walked through the Cloud Heaven Sect. Although he encountered many fellow Disciples along the way, no one came to question him. At most, they would glance at him and nod in acknowledgment.

As he walked, a long crane cry came from the distant sky. Immortal Cranes flew from afar. As they passed over Wang Lin, a light laugh suddenly came from above. A bell-like voice said, "Oh, it's you."

Wang Lin looked up and saw that it was the annoying girl who had traveled with him. She poked her head out from an Immortal Crane, gave Wang Lin a triumphant look, and was about to speak when a gentle voice beside her said, "Junior Sister, Master is waiting for you. If you're late, you'll be punished to clean the Pill Cauldron again."

The girl pouted her small mouth, muttered a few words, then glanced at Wang Lin again before flying off into the distance with the flock of cranes.

Wang Lin retracted his gaze and was about to walk forward when his eyes suddenly flashed with a cold light. He looked back and saw a shifty-eyed boy peeking out from behind a large tree not far away. His eyes were filled with infatuation as he stared at the gradually flying cranes. After taking a deep sniff, he muttered to himself, "These little girls are getting more and more alluring. Especially that new Disciple, tsk tsk…"

As if noticing Wang Lin's gaze, he chuckled at Wang Lin, then his body flashed, leaping down from the tree and quickly coming to Wang Lin's side. He clapped Wang Lin's shoulder, but Wang Lin took a step back, dodging his hand.

The man was startled, but quickly returned to normal. He said mysteriously in a low voice, "Junior Brother, do you know that girl?"

Wang Lin's gaze was calm, and he shook his head.

The young man raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Junior Brother, don't be stingy. That girl clearly recognized you just now. Junior Brother, don't worry, Senior Brother here isn't interested in that girl. My heart only loves one person, and that is Senior Sister Wang Tong, who possesses both beauty and wisdom."

Wang Lin glanced at him and said, "I really don't know her." After speaking, he turned to leave.

The young man quickly followed, walking alongside Wang Lin, and said, "I say, Junior Brother, what's your esteemed surname? I'm a Disciple from the Southern Courtyard. Seeing the direction you're heading, could it be that you're also going to the Southern Courtyard?"

Wang Lin looked at this person, a faint smile appearing on his face, and said, "My name is Wang Lin."

The young man chuckled and said, "My name is Cheng Xian, Senior Brother. I say, Junior Brother Wang, are you also going to the Southern Courtyard?"

Wang Lin nodded.

"The Cloud Heaven Sect's four courtyards—East, South, West, and North—have clear divisions. Junior Brother Wang, it might be difficult for you to enter the Southern Courtyard. If it weren't for that, I would definitely go to the Western Courtyard every day. You know, it's full of beauties there. If I could hook up with one or two and engage in that wonderful Dual Cultivation, then I wouldn't have cultivated immortality in vain!" Cheng Xian said with emotion, then his eyes darted around, and he continued to ask, "By the way, what are you going to the Southern Courtyard for? Maybe I can help."

Wang Lin listened to Cheng Xian's greatest dream in this life and chuckled, "There's no need for help. I, Wang, probably won't be stopped from entering the Southern Courtyard."

Cheng Xian was stunned, looked at Wang Lin a few times, then suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "You're named Wang, Wang Lin… I remember now, you're the Disciple taken in by Junior Martial Uncle Zhou Lin two months ago. You… you're too lucky! Do you know how many people dream of becoming Zhou Lin's Disciple?"

Wang Lin looked surprised and said, "Why is that? Is my Master's Art of Alchemy very high?"

Cheng Xian's eyes showed deep envy as he said, "Zhou Lin's Art of Alchemy, while not low, has only reached the Third Grade at most, which is nothing special. This young Master can already refine Second-Grade Medicinal Pills, and I believe it won't be long before I can refine Third-Grade Spirit Pills."

Wang Lin nodded, walking towards the Southern Courtyard while listening to Cheng Xian explain the Karma.

But Cheng Xian, after saying this, suddenly stopped and, with that shifty-eyed look on his face, chuckled, "Junior Brother, I can tell you, but you have to promise to take me to the Western Courtyard once, how about it?"

Wang Lin's expression was normal, and he said, "If you don't want to say it, then don't."

Seeing Wang Lin unmoved, Cheng Xian quickly said, "Senior Brother Wang, look, I've already called you Senior Brother. You just need to say a word, and you can let me enter the Western Courtyard, it's just a small favor!"

Wang Lin turned to look at him and said calmly, "Are you asking me to take you to find that 'little girl' you mentioned, and use that as an excuse to enter the Western Courtyard to find your great ideal, Senior Sister Wang Tong?"

Cheng Xian was stunned, but quickly grinned and said, "That's right, that's right, this is very simple, Senior Brother, what do you think?"

"Speak, why does everyone want to become Zhou Lin's Disciple?" Wang Lin said slowly.

"Because Zhou Lin has a good Master. Wang Lin, you don't know, if we talk about the most beautiful woman in our Cloud Heaven Sect, she's actually not in the Western Courtyard, but in the Southern Courtyard! Elder Li of the Southern Courtyard not only possesses immortal beauty but is also one of the three Fifth-Grade Alchemists in Cloud Heaven Sect. Think about it, becoming Zhou Lin's Disciple naturally means entering Elder Li's tutelage. This way, you can not only see her immortal countenance but also obtain various Spirit Pills and miraculous medicines. Who wouldn't bite the bullet and strive for such a thing?" Zhou Lin said with emotion.

"Elder Li?" Wang Lin murmured to himself.

"It is said that Elder Li was a Disciple of the Luohe Gate in Huofen Kingdom in her early years…"