Pushing open the secret chamber, the snow outside had long stopped. The world was vast and boundless, as if entering a white fairyland, with snowflakes gently covering the branches, making the trees appear to wear silver-white attire.
"Young Master, you’re out?"
Yun Xiu exclaimed joyfully.
"The young master has gone to the school. Shall I prepare a meal for you, Young Master?"
"No need, I want to go to Master."
Zhong Lin had no appetite now, the only thing on his mind was to hurry to get the Upper Third Grades Qi Refining Technique from his Master.
As he walked, the snow under Zhong Lin’s feet crunched noisily.
Along the way, servants were busy clearing the snow off the paths. Wherever he passed, everyone quickly stopped what they were doing and bowed in greeting.
A shout came from afar, and in the next moment, Mei Weixuan appeared in front of Zhong Lin.
Seeing who it was, Zhong Lin’s face also lit up with a smile.
"Haha, I knew, I just knew you’d be fine. Zhong Lin, you’re amazing, to escape unscathed from Wu Jingguang, that’s just like a difficult cow birth—badass! Quick, tell me, how did you do it?"
Mei Weixuan shouted excitedly.
He had thought that even if Zhong Lin didn’t die being chased by Wu Jingguang, he’d get skinned alive, given the huge gap between a Fifth Grade Inner Strength and a Third Grade Inner Breath expert. There was simply no chance of escaping.
However, Mei Weixuan had also heard that Zhong Lin seemed to have taken something from Wu Jingguang, prompting the chase. He believed that even if captured, Zhong Lin’s life wouldn’t be in danger, so he quickly sent a pigeon to notify his father for rescue.
He didn’t expect to hear from his father that Zhong Lin was safe and that he had returned by himself, while Wu Jingguang had turned into a pool of blood and flesh outside the city gate.
"Luck my ass, you’re still not being honest with me. I heard from my dad, Wu Jingguang chased you for a day and a night. Normally, that’d be impossible. How did you do it?" Mei Weixuan asked, full of curiosity.
"Master taught me a secret technique, and before leaving I also took enough elixirs, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it to Tianyang City, let alone waited for Master."
"I see, it’s good that nothing happened. Come, let’s go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, we must have a good celebration for you."
Saying this, he pulled Zhong Lin to leave, but with a stumble, he couldn’t move him.
"Not today, I have some matters to handle with Master," Zhong Lin explained.
"I’ll go with you. Today, no matter what, you must come out with me, my treat."
Mei Weixuan shouted loudly.
Zhong Lin’s mouth curled into a smile, knowing that Mei Weixuan was just trying to express his apology. Clearly, he blamed himself for being chased by Wu Jingguang, as if it wasn’t for Mei Weixuan dragging him out for sightseeing, they wouldn’t have encountered him.
Even if there was a Guard Team, with Wu Jingguang’s power, he could easily massacre them, to no avail.
Zhong Lin replied with a smile.
The Master’s courtyard was not cleared of snow. After the snow, the snowflakes fell on the pine branches and on the wooden roof, surrounded by mist, appearing hazy and deep.
In the pavilion, Gu Yourong was kneeling by the side, brewing wine. Master Yin Daoyan was leisurely appreciating the snow scene around and a plum tree in front.
A world of glass, white snow red plum.
"Greetings to Master Yin."
Yin Daoyan glanced at the travel-weary Mei Weixuan, smiling as he said, "You little monkey, you’re back too; your Training to Perfection is complete; well done, you haven’t been slacking."
Mei Weixuan scratched his head, "Thank you for the compliment, Master Yin. I also had some fortunate encounters, otherwise, I wouldn’t have completed Training to Perfection so quickly."
"Regardless of the fortune, it’s yours. I promised you that once you achieve Training to Perfection, you can join the Sword Cauldron Sect. In a few days, come with me back to the sect!"
Mei Weixuan was overjoyed, kneeling to the ground.
"Thank you, Master Yin, thank you, Master Yin."
"Get up! The path I’m on isn’t suited for you. Taking you as a disciple is a waste of your talent. Once you enter the Sword Cauldron Sect, your future achievements will depend on yourself."
Yin Daoyan waved his hand, an invisible qi force lifted Mei Weixuan, his face full of smiles.
Zhong Lin also clasped his hands with a smile, "Congratulations, congratulations on achieving your heart’s desire. From now on, we’ll be brothers."
Mei Weixuan smiled broadly, standing with hands on his hips, feigning disdain, "Why don’t you quickly call me senior brother then?"
Kneeling beside, brewing wine, Gu Yourong rolled her eyes at Mei Weixuan, as if saying she had expected this behavior.
Zhong Lin raised his eyebrows, smiling nonchalantly, "To become my senior brother isn’t that easy. At least, your cultivation should be higher than mine!"
"Tch, being fast in cultivation is nothing special! The Middle Third Grades realm is about the accumulation of qi-blood. How about we see who reaches the Upper Third Grades realm first? Upper Third Grades aren’t achieved by cultivation speed alone; opportunity and insight are indispensable. Let’s see who practices Qi first to be the senior, alright?"
Mei Weixuan shouted, full of confidence.
Zhong Lin’s cultivation speed was indeed fast, but speed also meant an unstable foundation. How could he compare to himself?
"A gentleman’s word?"
Zhong Lin said with a sly smile.
"Quick as a whip." [Quick as one’s word.]
The two of them clapped to make a gentleman’s agreement.
Zhong Lin suddenly turned to salute Yin Daoyan, solemnly saying, "Master, this disciple is fortunate to have not failed the mission."
Yin Daoyan, who had been relaxed, was shocked, his eyes sparkling intensely.
Moving in a flash, he appeared beside Zhong Lin, grasped his wrist with his right hand, then a flood of inner breath like a tide surged into his body, making Zhong Lin’s hair-like inner breath look like duckweed in water in the face of this power.
"Good, good, good. Qi-blood full, dantian qi generated, indeed it’s inner breath. I didn’t misjudge you as a teacher."
Yin Daoyan roared towards the sky, not hiding his inner excitement, while the snow in the courtyard scattered due to his loud roar.
Gu Yourong slowly stood up, her fervent gaze wanting to melt Zhong Lin.
"Junior brother, congratulations on condensing inner breath, stepping into the Upper Third Grades realm."
Zhong Lin Ye smiled and returned the courtesy, "Thank you, senior sister."
Mei Weixuan slapped himself in disbelief, mumbling, "Dreaming, I must be dreaming. I actually dreamed that Zhong Lin congealed inner breath, becoming a Third Grade Martial Artist."
Mei Weixuan sized up Zhong Lin, suddenly showing a fierce expression, grabbing Zhong Lin by the collar, gritting his teeth, "It must be a dream, right? We both just reached Perfection together. It’s been only three days, and you’re not even at the Fourth Grade Divine Power Realm yet. How could you have congealed inner breath?"
Zhong Lin, with a smile, gently loosened Mei Weixuan’s grip and smoothed the creases in his clothing.