Chapter 212: Absolute Resolve

Within the Cloud Heaven Sect, Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators are mainly concentrated in the Outer Courtyard. As for the Inner Courtyard, although there are fewer, they still exist. However, these Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators primarily focus their energy on Alchemy, rarely engaging in conflicts, and spend long periods in seclusion practicing Alchemy.

For instance, within this Southern Courtyard, there is one Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator. This person is currently in a secret chamber beneath the Southern Courtyard, closest to the Earth Fire, using their own Infant Fire combined with the Earth Fire to refine a batch of Medicinal Pills capable of increasing cultivation.

Wang Lin, halfway to the Southern Courtyard, concealed all his aura and moved like a phantom, so no one noticed him. He now stood outside the Southern Courtyard, gazing at the layers of white mist, then lifted his foot and stepped in without hesitation.

Cheng Xian had previously mentioned his location to Wang Lin. The white mist within the Southern Courtyard posed no obstruction to Wang Lin's eyes now; he only needed to sweep his Divine Sense across it to see the entire Southern Courtyard clearly.

Near the center, Wang Lin's Divine Sense immediately detected a wave of Nascent Soul Qi fluctuation underground. Based on Wang Lin's experience, he could tell at a glance that there was an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator inside.

The moment Wang Lin's Divine Sense swept past, this person also detected Wang Lin's presence. Startled, the Cultivator was about to emerge from seclusion, but soon, he paused, looking at the Pill Cauldron beside him that was emitting a medicinal fragrance, and couldn't help but hesitate.

As for Wang Lin, he didn't say a word. The instant he discovered a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator here whose cultivation was only Early Stage, he immediately waved his right sleeve, and a small black Restriction Banner swiftly shot out from his cuff.

Almost instantly, the banner grew against the wind, enveloping the secluded cultivation area of that Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.

A cold smile appeared on Wang Lin's lips. If the opponent's cultivation had reached the Middle Stage Nascent Soul, he would have immediately abandoned helping Cheng Xian and retreated to the Northern Courtyard.

But since the opponent was Early Stage, Wang Lin had no fear. Although the Restriction Banner's power would be greatly reduced without his direct control, it could still manage to trap an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator for a quarter of an hour.

This quarter of an hour was enough for Wang Lin to accomplish everything he intended to do.

Ignoring the Nascent Soul Cultivator, Wang Lin walked calmly through the white mist. No one detected his actions of releasing the Restriction Banner and trapping the Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Wang Lin moved freely through the white mist and soon arrived at Cheng Xian's residence. During his previous Divine Sense sweep, Wang Lin had already discovered Cheng Xian inside, but his current state was somewhat dangerous.

Cheng Xian lay on the bed in the room, staring blankly at the ceiling. Two streams of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes. The spiritual power within his body was in a chaotic state, running wildly through his system.

Beside him stood a slightly plump middle-aged man. The man frowned, pinched Cheng Xian's mouth shut with his right hand, and threw Medicinal Pills into it one by one. While force-feeding the medicine, he cursed, "You little brat! I told you long ago that beauty is the source of disaster! But you just wouldn't listen. Hmph, especially that Tong Yatou, she is deeply scheming. How could you possibly subdue her? Now look what happened! From now on, stop thinking about her all day. Following your master and practicing Alchemy is the proper path!"

Cheng Xian paid him no mind. As the Medicinal Pills entered his body, the spiritual power within him slowly calmed down.

His master sighed and said, "I know you are unwilling. How many times have you gone there already? If your master hadn't put aside his pride, your life would have been lost long ago. How can that Eastern Courtyard be a place you can trespass? This time, don't blame your master for placing a Restriction on your body. The Eastern Courtyard sent word that if you cause trouble again, they will cripple your cultivation." The plump middle-aged man shook his head and turned to leave the room.

Wang Lin stood outside the courtyard. After witnessing this scene with his Divine Sense, he pondered briefly, then leaped into the courtyard. Cheng Xian's master didn't notice anything at all, and Wang Lin had already entered Cheng Xian's room.

He looked at Cheng Xian, waved his right hand, and immediately broke the Restriction limiting his movement. Cheng Xian's body trembled, and he instantly sat up, staring at Wang Lin with hatred in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "You must be the one that bitch sent to kill me, right? Go on, do it! I'm not afraid!"

Wang Lin was wearing a mask, and furthermore, both his aura and cultivation were completely different from his Clone before, so it was impossible for Cheng Xian to recognize him.

Wang Lin glanced at Cheng Xian, and with a movement of his left hand, a residual image of a Restriction immediately appeared in front of him, instantly spreading out to envelop the entire house.

Cheng Xian's eyes narrowed, and then he gave a miserable smile, saying, "That bitch has good methods, to actually invite a Senior from the Outer Courtyard to deal with a nobody like me. Come on, if you want to kill me, kill me. If I so much as frown, I'm not Cheng Xian!"

After setting up the Restriction around them, Wang Lin slowly spoke in a cold tone: "I was indeed entrusted by someone, but not to kill you, but to help you. Tell me, what exactly happened? Be detailed."

Cheng Xian was stunned. He looked at Wang Lin and hesitantly asked, "Who entrusted Senior?"

Wang Lin frowned and said coldly, "I will only give you three sentences. That was the first one. If you haven't explained clearly within the next two, this matter is finished."

Cheng Xian gritted his teeth, a look of desperation appearing on his face, and said, "Gongsun Tong of the Eastern Courtyard, it was her. She caused all of this. That bitch, her purpose in approaching me was for Big Ape and Second Ape."

Wang Lin pondered for a moment and asked, "Are these Spirit Beasts yours?" Wang Lin's question was highly nuanced. It should be noted that there are many Spirit Beasts in the Cloud Heaven Sect, and their purpose is often to provide ingredients for those practicing Alchemy. If so, Gongsun Tong's actions would be understandable.

Cheng Xian nodded and said, "I know what Senior means, but Big Ape and Second Ape are not the Cloud Heaven Sect's Spirit Beasts. I acquired them before entering the Cloud Heaven Sect, and I brought them up here. According to the sect's rules, I am the owner of these two Spirit Beasts."

Wang Lin's gaze was calm. He slowly said, "Gongsun Tong first approached you, then asked you for these Spirit Apes. You gifted them to her to please the beauty, correct?"

A look of remorse appeared on Cheng Xian's face, and he said agitatedly, "But… but I thought she wanted the Spirit Apes as mounts! I never expected her goal was the Ape Inner Cores! Big Ape disappeared after its Inner Core was taken out, presumably dead. Now only Second Ape is left. I went to the Eastern Courtyard multiple times to demand them back from that bitch, but each time I was blocked outside. And Lu Song, the Disciple of Master Mu Da from the outer sect, is the one who repeatedly injured me."

Wang Lin frowned slightly. He was unwilling to get involved in such matters, but Cheng Xian had helped him obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill Formula, so he felt obligated, both logically and emotionally, to assist him.

After a brief silence, Wang Lin looked at Cheng Xian and said calmly, "How do you wish to retaliate?"

Cheng Xian's eyes were bloodshot. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "If Second Ape is fine, then forget it, I, Cheng Xian, will accept my loss. But if Second Ape is dead, then I want them to pay with their lives!"

Wang Lin nodded and said in a calm tone, "As you wish!"

Having spoken, he stepped back, instantly leaving the room and vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Cheng Xian stared blankly at the spot where Wang Lin had stood, his eyes filled with confusion.

As for Wang Lin, after leaving Cheng Xian's room, he moved quickly. But just as he was about to leave the Southern Courtyard, he suddenly paused and abruptly turned his head to look into the distance.

There, he sensed a trace of Divine Sense fluctuation. After a moment of silence, Wang Lin turned back and retreated. With a wave of his right hand, his body immediately transformed into white mist, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The moment his body disappeared, Li Muwan arrived swiftly like lightning, and behind her was the middle-aged man who still wore a gentle expression.

"Junior Sister, what exactly are you looking for?" The man frowned and slowly asked.

Li Muwan stopped. Through the Divine Sense in her glabella, she could clearly feel that person was right here, but why couldn't she see his figure? Li Muwan smiled bitterly. She was inherently intelligent and knew immediately that he simply did not wish to see her.

Li Muwan bit her lower lip, a look of sorrow on her face, and whispered, "I know you came. Why won't you even grant me a meeting?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed, and his Divine Sense immediately swept the area, but he found nothing unusual. His brow furrowed, and he looked at Li Muwan suspiciously, saying, "Junior Sister, who came? There is no one here!"

Li Muwan didn't even look at the middle-aged man. She closed her eyes, the sorrow on her face slowly calming down. Her voice was low but filled with a hint of absolute resolve. She whispered, "Wan'er asks for nothing else, only to see you once. For these past two hundred years, Wan'er has relied entirely on the bottle of spiritual liquid you gave me to maintain my vitality. If you do not appear today, Wan'er will commit suicide right here, considering this a resolution to the obsession in my heart."

The middle-aged man's eyes flickered as he cautiously looked around.

At this moment, a sigh came from within the white mist. Following that, a blurry figure slowly walked out of the mist. This person was Wang Lin. The moment he appeared, the middle-aged man's expression became extremely ugly, but he did not act rashly. Instead, he slowly reached for his Storage Pouch with his right hand.

Li Muwan stared blankly at Wang Lin, a stream of tears flowing from her eyes. Even though the man was wearing a mask, she was certain that this person was the one from back then!

Li Muwan softly said, "You came."

Wang Lin gave a bitter smile and said, "Why did you have to do this?" After speaking, a hint of cold light flashed in his eyes, and he directed his gaze toward the middle-aged man, saying in a calm tone, "The moment your hand touches the Storage Pouch is the moment of your death!"

The middle-aged man's right hand immediately froze. His expression changed repeatedly. The feeling the opponent gave him was too strange; despite only having Late Stage Core Formation cultivation, he exerted the kind of pressure one would only feel when facing a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.

He now had no doubt that if his hand touched the Storage Pouch, he would surely be ruthlessly killed by the other party. Large beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. He forced a smile and said, "Since Brother is Junior Sister Li's old friend, he is a friend of my Cloud Heaven Sect. How could I be presumptuous? Brother must have misunderstood."

Li Muwan looked at Wang Lin, having a thousand words in her heart, yet unable to utter a single one now. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Do you still keep that Jade Slip?"

Wang Lin looked at the beauty before him. After a long silence, he shook his head and said, "I threw it away!"

Li Muwan's body trembled, and sorrow appeared in her eyes. She forced herself to remain calm, pursed her lips, and whispered, "If you threw it away, then so be it. It wasn't anything valuable anyway." Despite her words, a fierce pain surged in her chest. This pain was like a tidal wave, drowning her body and mind.

That Azure Dragon Jade Slip was something she had painstakingly carved out, even at the cost of consuming her Lifespan. If not for the excessive mental exhaustion from that time, with the Medicinal Pills she had consumed over the years, even if she couldn't reach the Nascent Soul Stage, she would have at least reached the False Nascent Soul Realm.

How could she have remained stuck at Early Stage Core Formation without making any progress!

Now, hearing that the Jade Slip had been ruthlessly discarded by that person, her heart ached… extremely painfully… so painfully that even though she forced herself to remain calm, her body uncontrollably trembled, and her fair face turned pale, devoid of any color.

Wang Lin turned his head away, avoiding Li Muwan's gaze. After a moment of silence, he quietly said, "I'm leaving…" Having said that, Wang Lin slowly turned around and began walking slowly, one step at a time.

Li Muwan's heart was aching. She looked at Wang Lin's retreating figure and smiled softly. Although it was a smile, to anyone watching, it was clearly silent weeping.

"The Cloud Heaven Sect Ancestor wants me to form a Dual Cultivation Dao Companion relationship with this man. I had reasons to refuse before, but now, I have no reason left… If you are still in Chu State three months from now, I hope you can attend the Dual Cultivation ceremony…"

Wang Lin's steps immediately faltered, and complex emotions surged in his heart. He fell silent.

A bright light flickered in Li Muwan's eyes. She was waiting for his reply.

The middle-aged man now understood why Li Muwan was so resolute about the Dual Cultivation matter. The answer lay with this person. His eyes were calm, but a trace of killing intent flashed in his heart.

Wang Lin remained silent for a long time. With his back still turned, he said in a low tone, "Congratulations!" After speaking, his figure gradually drifted away… Li Muwan's body trembled. After a long while, tears streamed down uncontrollably. She murmured to herself, "I hate you… I hate you!!!!"

The middle-aged man finally breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward and whispered gently, "Junior Sister, he has left."

Li Muwan bit her lower lip, ignoring the middle-aged man completely, and turned to walk back to her residence without looking back.

The middle-aged man's expression remained gentle, but he sneered inwardly, thinking, "Bitch, if you didn't possess two hundred years of Primordial Yin, I wouldn't have encouraged the Ancestor to agree to this Dual Cultivation matter. With the aid of your Primordial Yin, plus the Medicinal Pills I've collected over the years, breaking through to Late Stage Core Formation is imminent. If you had agreed earlier, I might have treated you with some courtesy, but now? After I reach Nascent Soul, I will certainly humiliate and defile you in every way possible to repay the hatred of your repeated refusals!"

Wang Lin left the Southern Courtyard. Even though he was a ruthless man, he felt deep regret when facing Li Muwan. It wasn't that he couldn't accept her, but the things he had to do and the path he had to walk were simply unsuitable for having a woman follow him.

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There will be another chapter tonight. After reading everyone's comments, I see that Li Muwan is still very popular.