Chapter 245: Retreating into Seclusion

Time slowly passed as Wang Lin condensed the red mist. At night, apart from the occasional buzzing of mosquitoes, there was only the sound of men snoring in their sleep.

Gradually, a nascent sun appeared on the horizon, its light slowly dispelling the night.

Wang Lin opened his eyes and took a deep breath towards the east. Immediately, two purple Qi Dragons, imperceptible to Mortals, were inhaled through his nostrils, circulated within his body, and then exhaled from his mouth.

Repeating this cycle, Wang Lin clearly felt a sense of ethereal lightness throughout his body, as if he could break through the Void Realm and ascend straight up.

Wang Lin had never experienced this feeling in his previous four hundred years. Clearly, only when his mindset reached a certain level of peace could he truly perceive the Qi between heaven and earth.

In a single night, the red mist outside Wang Lin's body had condensed by another tenth. Wang Lin was not in a hurry; he knew that condensing the red mist was clearly not something that could be accomplished in a short time. It required a relatively long period.

In the early morning, everyone in the caravan woke up one by one and washed. At this time, the accompanying physician, the old man who had always been in the carriage, stepped down. After taking a deep breath, he stretched his limbs in an open space, gradually performing various movements.

Wang Lin glanced at him, quite surprised. Although the movements this person performed had no offensive power, each one could strengthen the body, and when performed continuously, the effect was even better.

A moment later, the old man finished his exercises, exhaled a long breath, then hesitated slightly before walking towards Wang Lin.

Approaching, the old man smiled and said, “Little brother, did you rest well last night?”

Wang Lin nodded slightly, not speaking.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Little brother, where did you find that hundred-year-old willow leaf?” After speaking, his eyes showed a look of inquiry.

“I picked it up by the roadside,” Wang Lin said.

The old man immediately froze, thought for a long time, and then smiled bitterly, “Little brother… good luck!”

He chatted with Wang Lin for a few more sentences, but no matter how he tried to probe, he still couldn't get the information he wanted from Wang Lin. The old man sighed inwardly and turned to leave.

If they were truly compared, Wang Lin's age was more than enough to be the old man's Old Ancestor. The old man's subtle probing might be useful for young people who had just started out, but for Wang Lin, it had no effect whatsoever.

Following the caravan, Wang Lin gradually adjusted his mindset and slowly integrated into it. Several days passed in a flash. During these days, the little maid often came to talk to Wang Lin, but each time, her face would turn red as she spoke, and her eyes would show a strange light, making it unclear what she was thinking.

Seeing the light in the girl's eyes, Wang Lin smiled bitterly inwardly. He often saw this light in Li Muwan, and now he understood completely.

However, Wang Lin thought that his own age was more than enough to be this girl's Old Ancestor, so he always felt a strange sensation in his heart.

On this day, the capital city was already visible.

The capital of a Level Four Cultivation Country's Mortals, though magnificent, appeared utterly unremarkable in Wang Lin's eyes, without any distinguishing features. If it weren't for the Spiritual Qi Vortexes above the capital, Wang Lin wouldn't have even glanced at it.

Wang Lin's Divine Sense swept across, and the entire capital city formed in his mind. Within the capital, there were nine Spiritual Qi Vortexes. The source of these Spiritual Qi Vortexes was not Cultivators, but nine towering black pillars. According to the size of the pillars, the spiritual power they emitted also varied in strength, with one being the largest and the other eight being secondary.

These pillars were very large; the smallest required ten people to encircle it to barely touch, while the largest required a hundred people.

Within these nine pillars, people were meditating, and there was a Formation outside the pillars to prevent any Divine Sense from prying. However, this Formation was like a mere illusion to Wang Lin; he saw at a glance that all those meditating within the pillars were Cultivators.

The highest cultivation among them had reached the Core Formation Late Stage, and the lowest also possessed Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation.

Wang Lin was quite interested in this peculiar structure. After the caravan entered the city, Lu Xing noticed Wang Lin's gaze consistently fixed on the nine black pillars in the distant city center, so he whispered, “Brother Wang, don't keep staring. If someone notices, there will be trouble.”

Wang Lin stroked the mane of the pony between his legs and asked curiously, “Brother Lu, what are these black pillars?”

Lu Xing's eyes showed envy as he whispered, “Those are Immortal Woods. This is our country's capital, protected by Immortals, who bestowed an Immortal Edict. The Emperor gathered artisans from across the nation to construct these nine Immortal Woods according to the Edict's requirements.”

“Immortal Woods…” Wang Lin's expression was a bit strange.

“Immortals live within these Immortal Woods! My father personally saw Immortals fly out of them when he was young.” Lu Xing's tone carried a hint of pride, as if his ancestors having seen Immortals was a matter of great honor for him.

At this moment, if he knew that Wang Lin, who had traveled with him for seven days, was hundreds or thousands of times stronger than the Immortal his ancestor had seen, what would he think?

One must know that the Cultivator his ancestor saw, even if he saw Wang Lin, would respectfully address him as Senior.

Wang Lin withdrew his gaze, smiled, and said nothing.

On a floating bridge between the north and south of the city, Wang Lin bid farewell to Lu Xing and the others. Although Lu Xing had not known Wang Lin for long, he felt a sense of familiarity. He patted his chest, assuring Wang Lin that if he encountered any trouble, he could just find him.

And Sun Lao'er, who had given up his horse, had been thoroughly convinced by Wang Lin during their days of drinking together. At this moment of departure, he, like Lu Xing, told Wang Lin that if he was bullied, Sun Lao'er would definitely intervene.

Finally, the old physician stepped down from the carriage. Behind him followed a woman with a white veil, and beside her was the pretty maid.

Seeing Wang Lin about to leave, the maid's eyes showed a hint of melancholy.

After the old physician talked with Wang Lin for a few moments, the woman with the white veil did not move, but slightly bowed towards Wang Lin in the distance. Then, without saying a word, she turned and returned to the carriage.

As for the maid, she leaned in and spoke a few words with the veiled woman, then, holding a silk pouch, she quickly approached Wang Lin, handed him the pouch, and softly said, “Young Miss asked me to thank you. There are ten taels of gold inside, as a consultation fee.”

Wang Lin did not decline and accepted it. This was the first time he had received money from the Mortal Realm, apart from a brief encounter four hundred years ago.

Wang Lin clasped his fist and turned to leave.

It wasn't until he had walked a great distance that the maid sighed faintly, then turned and returned to the carriage. The caravan followed the floating bridge and entered the South City.

Clutching the ten taels of gold in his hand, Wang Lin walked through the capital. The capital, indeed worthy of being the Emperor's seat, had numerous pedestrians and countless shops lining both sides of the streets, encompassing everything imaginable.

Before long, Wang Lin's gaze flickered almost imperceptibly. In this Mortal capital, he had already seen no fewer than ten Cultivators.

Although the highest cultivation of these Cultivators was only at the twelfth or thirteenth layer of Qi Condensation, Wang Lin had rarely encountered such a phenomenon in other countries.

After a moment of thought, Wang Lin glanced at the nine black pillars in the city center, and an answer already formed in his mind. This must be a characteristic of a Level Four Cultivation Country.

Until afternoon, Wang Lin was still strolling on the streets. Among the shops in the capital, some were clearly not for Mortals, but for Cultivators, selling Jade Slips, Magic Treasures, and other items.

However, these shops all had a Restriction outside, preventing Mortals from entering.

The people of the capital were clearly familiar with this phenomenon, so almost no Mortals would enter these types of shops.

As Wang Lin walked, he occasionally entered shops to browse. As he exited one shop, he suddenly heard a commotion not far away. A disheveled old man was being held down by a burly man, who was smashing his chest with a fist the size of a bowl.

The old man let out screams, quite shrill, and at the same time, large mouthfuls of blood sprayed from his mouth, seemingly with a certain rhythm: every time the burly man punched, he would spit out a mouthful of blood.

The burly man threw a few punches, then stood up and cursed, “Old geezer, if you come to my shop again, I'll beat you every time I see you! You're so old, yet so lewd!” After cursing, the burly man also spat.

A middle-aged man standing next to Wang Lin shook his head and sighed, “Alas, the world is degenerating. This old man gets beaten almost every day. Is it really worth it just to peek at women changing clothes? Alas.”

Wang Lin was startled by what he heard, glanced at the old man, and then turned to leave.

But before he had taken many steps, he suddenly turned around, only to see the old man wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, walking triumphantly in his direction.

Wang Lin stepped aside, his gaze gradually turning cold.

The old man walked past Wang Lin, and after a few steps, suddenly turned around, his eyes showing surprise. He sized Wang Lin up and down, then suddenly said, "Little brother, I see your forehead is full and purple light permeates your body; you are certainly no Mortal."

Wang Lin frowned. With his Divine Sense, he could tell at a glance that this old man was merely a Mortal, without any cultivation. Furthermore, he had several bruises inside his body, clearly from frequent beatings.

Wang Lin had no interest in this person and turned to leave. If the old man continued to follow, Wang Lin wouldn't mind seeing him off.

The old man's eyes showed regret as he looked at Wang Lin's retreating figure, shaking his head and saying, "If there's no one to guide him, I'm afraid he won't be able to reach the Soul Transformation Stage in this life. What a pity."

Wang Lin's body suddenly stiffened. His entire aura flared violently at that moment. He slowly turned around, staring at the old man, and coldly said, "Who are you!"

Facing Wang Lin's rampant aura, the old man showed no discomfort. With his hands behind his back, he looked up at the sky and said with a profound, ancient tone, "You don't need to know who this old man is, but this old man knows how to help you reach the Soul Transformation Realm."

Wang Lin's eyes flickered. No matter how he looked at this old man, he was just a Mortal. Yet, this person saw through his cultivation at a glance. There was only one explanation for this: this person's cultivation far surpassed the Soul Transformation Stage, so under his concealment, Wang Lin couldn't detect anything.

"How can I reach the Soul Transformation Realm?" Wang Lin frowned and asked.

The old man glanced at Wang Lin and said, "When one gets old, if the stomach is empty, one can't remember anything. I know a good restaurant; why don't we eat and talk?" After speaking, he licked his lips, and his stomach cooperatively made a few hungry rumbling sounds.

Fushun Restaurant, one of the most luxurious and extravagant restaurants in the capital. The old man walked in with his head held high and chest puffed out.

Eating in the main hall was clearly beneath the old man's notice. After entering, he walked directly towards a private room. The waiter, seeing the old man appear, immediately gave a strange look at Wang Lin behind the old man and promptly stepped forward to serve them.

Wang Lin's brows were tightly furrowed; he always felt there was something strange about this matter.

The old man was clearly very familiar with this restaurant, ordering a large array of dishes Wang Lin had almost never heard of, filling the entire table. The old man devoured them like a whirlwind, as if he hadn't eaten for days.

Wang Lin remained silent, drinking a pot of rice wine, his gaze occasionally sweeping towards the old man, growing increasingly cold.

"Speak. I am listening attentively," Wang Lin said coldly after the old man had eaten for a while.

The old man, grabbing a pork hock and taking a big bite, said with an oily face, "This is easy to say, easy to say! Just let me finish this hock first."

As the old man spoke, he swallowed the entire hock in a few gulps, then let out a burp. Wiping his hands on his clothes, he said, "The Soul Transformation Stage requires comprehending the Heavenly Dao. I think you should have some understanding of this. Besides that, to reach Soul Transformation, you must cultivate a Concept. Do you understand Concept, young man? Experience it well. Once you comprehend a Concept, you won't be far from Soul Transformation… Well, I need to go relieve myself. I'll continue telling you when I get back." The old man suddenly clutched his stomach, his face contorted, and quickly stood up.

As if afraid Wang Lin wouldn't let him leave, he let out a loud "poof" as he stood up, releasing a pungent fart that immediately filled the entire private room with a foul odor.

The old man gave an awkward smile and hurriedly left.

Wang Lin waved his right hand, and a gentle breeze appeared, dispersing the foul smell in the private room. At the same time, his Divine Sense closely followed the old man. The old man's series of actions were all utterly strange, yet what he said about the Incarnation Realm aligned with what Wang Lin knew. Such a thing was impossible for a Mortal to know.

In his confusion, Wang Lin's eyes suddenly flashed with a cold light, and he stood up. His Divine Sense saw the old man leaving the back door of the restaurant with a smug expression, quickly running a few steps before disappearing into the crowd.

Wang Lin's body flickered, disappearing from inside the restaurant and reappearing outside. His eyes were cold as he unhurriedly followed behind the old man.

The old man, who had changed his clothes at some point, was picking at his mouth with a small stick for a long time, digging out a piece of meat floss. Instead of throwing it away, he put it back into his mouth.

As he was walking, the old man suddenly stopped, looked at a middle-aged man in purple robes in the distance, his eyes lit up, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he quickly walked forward.

The middle-aged man seemed to sense something, turned around, frowned, glanced at the old man, and then ignored him.

At this moment, the old man suddenly said loudly, "Little brother, I see your forehead is full and purple light permeates your body; you are certainly no Mortal."

The middle-aged man was startled, stopped, turned to look at the old man, his eyes revealing a chilling glint.

The old man's eyes showed regret as he shook his head and said, "What a pity. If there's no one to guide him, I'm afraid he won't be able to reach Core Formation in this life."

The middle-aged man's eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

The old man shook his head and said, "Who I am isn't important. Why don't we find a place to relax and talk while we relax?"

Wang Lin's face was ashen. That middle-aged man was also a Cultivator, but his cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Clearly, this old man had learned these words from somewhere and specialized in swindling Cultivators.

However, the fact that this old man was still alive made the matter not so simple. Unless Wang Lin was the first person he had ever deceived, otherwise, this old man would definitely not have lived until now.

As a Cultivator, to be tricked by a Mortal—anyone would certainly not let this old man off lightly.

Furthermore, the most peculiar thing was that this old man seemed to be able to see through a Cultivator's cultivation at a glance. If it was Foundation Establishment Stage, he would say Core Formation. If it was Core Formation Stage, he would say Nascent Soul. As for Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators like Wang Lin, he would naturally say Soul Transformation.

Throughout the entire afternoon, Wang Lin kept his gaze on the old man. He wanted to see what secret this old man truly held.

In the afternoon, including Wang Lin, the old man had tricked four people. The things he tricked them out of were quite interesting, mostly food and drink. The most excessive was just a trip to a brothel.

However, the three others, including the purple-robed man, showed no signs of wanting to cause him trouble, as if the old man's words possessed some kind of magic.

The more Wang Lin watched, the more alarmed he became. The old man seemed extremely knowledgeable about how to achieve a Breakthrough in cultivation, often saying a few casual words that could enlighten those Cultivators.

As a result, no one considered him a swindler. Instead, they felt as if they had encountered a Senior expert, and all became very polite.

Gradually, Wang Lin pondered for a moment, then withdrew his Divine Sense, no longer observing. A mystery emanated from this person, and Wang Lin had a premonition that it would be best to avoid this old man.

After Wang Lin withdrew his Divine Sense, the old man, inside the brothel, embracing a charming woman, his eyes flashed. He gave a half-smile glance in Wang Lin's direction, then muttered to himself, "Nascent Soul Stage, and Middle Stage Nascent Soul at that. Should I help him out?"

While he was contemplating, the woman in his arms called out to him coquettishly, and the old man immediately cast Wang Lin to the back of his mind and happily indulged himself.

After no longer thinking about the old man, Wang Lin was silent for a moment. In a relatively secluded area in the west of the city, he rented a small shop for eight taels of gold. After tidying it up, he moved in.

To reach Soul Transformation, one must first become a Mortal, experience life, and comprehend the Heavenly Dao. This was the method Wang Lin thought of to Breakthrough the Nascent Soul Stage. He calmly glanced at the shop, then quietly sat cross-legged in the back room, silently experiencing the Mortal world.

As the saying goes, 'Minor recluses hide in the wilderness, major recluses hide in the city.' Wang Lin was now hidden in this bustling Mortal capital, quietly experiencing its Heavenly Dao and Reincarnation, making full preparations to Breakthrough the Nascent Soul Stage and enter Soul Transformation.

—

I'm really too sleepy. I owe a thousand words, which I will make up for soon. Please understand.