Chapter 106 – Secluded Cultivation

“Leave everything to me, I will deliver the Dao-Containing Stone in the shortest time possible.”

After speaking, Yan Yunyu hesitated for a moment, then reported to Mu Lin: “Sister Lingluo has been filled with self-blame during this time. Young Master Mu, could you allow Lingluo to share in the task of collecting the Dao-Containing Stone? Consider it giving her a chance to apologize.”

This immediately made Mu Lin shake his head:

“…She owes me nothing and does not need to apologize.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that Chu Lingluo, who had been eavesdropping nearby, looked downcast, with tears glistening in her eyes.

Realizing he couldn’t fully explain the situation, Mu Lin sighed softly and said, “Forget it, handle it as you see fit.”

Unwilling to dwell on the tangled matter, Mu Lin decided not to concern himself further. On the verge of advancing and having just collaborated with Yan Yunyu, he planned to go into seclusion as soon as the Dao-Containing Stone arrived.

He would only emerge once his Mana had transformed and fully stabilized into the Gushing Spring.

While Mu Lin was making his plans, on the other side, hearing that her Mu Lin brother still allowed her to help, Chu Lingluo’s expression instantly brightened with joy.

“Brother Mu, don’t worry, I will find the highest quality Dao-Containing Stone for you.”

With those words, she immediately ran out, ready to spend Spirit Stones to purchase Dao-Containing Stones for Mu Lin.

As she took action, so did Yan Yunyu.

However, as soon as she left Mu Lin and Chu Lingluo, her maidservant couldn’t help but speak up.

“Young Miss, why are you helping Miss Lingluo? Isn’t she your rival now?”

Although it was Mu Lin who needed resources and Chu Lingluo was kindly sharing the burden, in the maidservant’s words, it sounded as if her young miss was helping Chu Lingluo—a situation that seemed somewhat strange.

Even stranger was that Yan Yunyu, who was both shrewd and intelligent, actually agreed with this perspective. And this was precisely the status of a Master Grade Talisman and Formation Master.

Even though Mu Lin was only showing potential, Yan Yunyu still believed that helping him was a worthwhile investment.

As for her maidservant’s question, Yan Yunyu gazed toward the courtyard where Mu Lin resided and sighed as she spoke:

“Aunt Chu, like me before, completely misjudged Mu Lin. He is not a wandering cultivator with an uncertain fate and future, but a Prodigy destined to become a Master. Once he graduates and reveals his talisman and formation skills, no one will allow him to fall into true danger. Therefore, he is certain to grow.”

“Right now is precisely the time when Mu Lin is lying low and has yet to rise. If I were to seize the opportunity, I could indeed push Lingluo aside and have Mu Lin all to myself.”

At this point, Yan Yunyu clenched her fist, feeling a strong surge of temptation.

And what she said was not untrue.

Although Yan Yunyu and Mu Lin had conflicts, these were not irreconcilable blood feuds—merely some gaps and disagreements.

Moreover, Mu Lin had not yet fully matured and was at a stage where he most needed resources.

Yan Yunyu believed that if she gave her all and wholeheartedly considered Mu Lin’s interests, their conflicts could be eased.

She also thought that even heroes find it hard to resist the charms of a beauty. She was beautiful, and her status was quite lofty compared to Mu Lin’s current standing.

Although she had previously looked down on Mu Lin and acted arrogantly and disdainfully, she did not consider this entirely a disadvantage.

As a rather cunning and clever girl, Yan Yunyu was well aware of some men’s peculiar tastes.

Originally aloof and looking down on him, a noble lady from a prestigious family now humbly submitted beneath this poor boy—such a scenario would undoubtedly stir Mu Lin’s heart with excitement.

Moreover, Yan Yunyu believed she could maintain her haughty demeanor in front of others, only bowing and submitting before Mu Lin, which would fully satisfy his self-esteem and sense of conquest.

By acting this way, Yan Yunyu was confident she could make Mu Lin forget all previous displeasure.

The more she thought about it, the more Yan Yunyu felt her plan had a high probability of success, except:

“Chu Lingluo is special to Mu Lin; she is likely his first love. And he is clever—this matter cannot be hidden forever.”

“Sooner or later, he will discover that I deceived him and forced Chu Lingluo away.”

The maid Xiao Xue agreed with her young lady’s judgment, but she still did not understand her actions.

“If it cannot be hidden, then so be it. As long as Miss Lingluo is driven away, I believe that with your wisdom, you will surely be able to be with Young Master Mu and establish a close bond with him. By then, even if he finds out and gets angry, what can he do? Your relationship will already be solidified.”

Having grown up in a merchant family, Xiao Xue was well-versed in human affairs. She clearly understood that marriage was not just a matter between two individuals but between two families.

Moreover, she had confidence in her young lady’s methods.

Thus, she believed that as long as her young lady took the initiative, even if misunderstandings arose later, the two would not be able to part easily.

“You are right. If Mu Lin’s future were only that of a Master, with the influence of the Yan Family, I could firmly tie him down. If he harbored resentment, I could find him a few concubines to appease him, and it would have no impact on me.”

“But his future is not limited to Master.”

As she spoke, Yan Yunyu recalled the terror of Mu Lin advancing his talisman array to Expert level in a single day.

She also remembered earlier, when Mu Lin said his cultivation method had already broken through to the 3rd realm.

‘Although the cultivation method of the Yin Eight Gates lineage is obscure, it is not easy to master. To break through to the 3rd realm in just one or two months—Mu Lin’s comprehension is even higher than Ji Xue’s!’

Yes, Yan Yunyu believed Mu Lin’s comprehension surpassed Ji Xue’s, even though Ji Xue had advanced earlier.

She held this view for two reasons. First, aside from cultivation, Mu Lin was busy with other matters: paper folding, earning money, studying puppet talisman arrays… All these tasks and miscellaneous affairs must have hindered his progress. Yet, despite this, their cultivation method realms were nearly the same (not mana cultivation, but cultivation method realm), which was enough to demonstrate Mu Lin’s excellence.

Second, and most importantly… Mu Lin had no resources to assist him.

As a scion of a wealthy family, Yan Yunyu was well aware of her advantages.

Every time she cultivated, she drank calming tea, lit spirit-nurturing incense, and wore bracelets, jade pendants, and clear-sound bells that enhanced her comprehension.

In addition, she had Clan Elders from her family to personally instruct and enlighten her, as well as a lineage-inherited True Spirit Diagram for her to contemplate.

With so many resources poured into her, her cultivation method had still not broken through to the 3rd realm.

Meanwhile, Mu Lin, who had nothing, had broken through first. At that time, Mu Lin had completely shocked her.

With such comprehension, Yan Yunyu’s assessment of Mu Lin was no longer Master, but Grandmaster and Top Expert.

Unlike the love-struck Chu Lingluo, Yan Yunyu had always been rational and exceptionally clear-headed.

Because of this, Yan Yunyu could see through many things.

Master Mu Lin, she believed she could use her family background to keep him in check.

But if Mu Lin were to become a Grandmaster, or if he displayed overwhelming strength, then he would have the capital to act willfully and pursue perfection.

At that time, she certainly wouldn’t be the only one trying to please Mu Lin.

And then, as the one who deceived Mu Lin, made him abandon his first love, and left him with regrets, she might be disliked, neglected, and eventually cast aside.

Having thought this through, Yan Yunyu did not take the opportunity to force Chu Lingluo away but instead chose to delay.

As for why she chose to delay rather than facilitate their relationship, it was because:

“Mu Lin, the potential you’ve shown so far is indeed impressive, but there are far too many people who are all show and no substance. Without actual combat, I can’t be sure whether your potential is real or not.”

“The Southeast Joint Examination is also a test I’ve set for you. If you display talent beyond my expectations, what’s wrong with letting you enjoy the blessings of both? After all, Chu Lingluo is naive and poses no threat to me.”

“But if your strength turns out to be mediocre, then you’ll just have to obediently listen to me…”

…

Mu Lin was unaware of Yan Yunyu’s thoughts. After obtaining the Dao-Containing Stone and making all necessary preparations, he immediately went into seclusion.

This time, during his seclusion, Mu Lin set aside everything else and focused entirely on improving his Cultivation Level, specifically his Taiyin Life-Nurturing Qi.

“Mana is indeed the foundation of everything. In that case, I’ll focus on raising my mana first!”

With this mindset, Mu Lin practiced the Taiyin Life-Nurturing Scripture daily, refining Moonlight Jade Dew to increase his Taiyin Life-Nurturing Qi.

He trained diligently for half a day at a time, only pausing when his meridians could no longer endure, at which point he would practice other Mystical Arts.

As he immersed himself in this rigorous cultivation, time flew by quickly—seven days passed, then ten, fifteen, twenty…

Disappearing for so many days in one go, Mu Lin, who was still somewhat noticeable, sparked discussions among his classmates.

Eventually, most people believed that Mu Lin had gone into seclusion because he felt pressured by Ji Xue.

“Going into seclusion—could it be that he refuses to accept defeat and wants to compete with Lady Ji Xue for first place?”

“To not give up even when facing someone as powerful as Ji Xue is admirable in courage, but also utterly foolish.”

“What courage? I think he’s just arrogant…”

“No, I think it’s unwillingness. If he becomes Dao Palace First and ranks fifth in the Southeast Region, he’ll have the Dao Palace’s support to transform his Spirit Root. This is his chance to defy fate. If it were me, I’d give it my all too…”

“It’s a shame. Mu Lin is quite strong, but our class has the even more monstrous Ji Xue…”

“I don’t think it’s a shame. He’s just returning to his original place… Even without Lady Ji Xue, as Zhou Liang and Jing Yeming start to exert themselves, Mu Lin would gradually fall behind. A Third-Class Spirit Root is ultimately no match for a First-Class Spirit Root.”

…

Amidst these discussions, everyone believed Mu Lin had been so shaken by Ji Xue that he had entered a life-or-death seclusion.

As for the competition between Mu Lin and Ji Xue, everyone favored Ji Xue. Apart from Yan Yunyu and Chu Lingluo, who were in the know, no one believed Mu Lin could win.

Mu Lin… knew nothing of these comments.

In seclusion, he cut himself off from the outside world, devoting himself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

As for Chu Lingluo and Yan Yunyu, who were aware of the situation:

The former trusted Mu Lin unconditionally—whatever he said, the wealthy young lady Chu Lingluo believed it.

In the Training Ground, she was the only one who insisted that Mu Lin would definitely win.

Meanwhile, Yan Yunyu, with her remarkably resilient mindset, quietly observed.

Thus, amidst the discussions of the crowd, another ten days passed.

During this time, another event occurred at the Dao Palace: a team arrived.

Of course, this still had nothing to do with Mu Lin. After nearly a month of seclusion, the courtyard where he had been secluded finally opened, and Mu Lin, unseen for so long, emerged from the courtyard.

What made Chu Lingluo somewhat anxious was that when Mu Lin pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped out, the predominant expression on his face was not joy but—bitterness.

‘Could it be that the breakthrough failed?’

Thinking this, the worried and heartbroken Chu Lingluo immediately stepped forward to comfort Mu Lin.

“Brother Mu, don’t be too disheartened. Everyone makes mistakes, and even horses stumble. One failure doesn’t mean anything—we can cultivate slowly…”

While the heartbroken Chu Lingluo offered comfort, Yan Yunyu let out a sigh.

However, with her own complex emotions, she herself was unsure whether this sigh was one of relief or disappointment.

(End of Chapter)