Yin Spirit Pavilion was situated on a Ten-Thousand-Ren Sheer Cliff, standing within an ancient courtyard halfway up the mountain. The mountain wind never ceased day or night, swirling the mist like crashing waves. Below the cliff, the sea of clouds churned, where one could vaguely see a silver waterfall hanging from the heavens, its sound like a dragon's roar. This place was shrouded in smoke and clouds year-round, with occasional Spirit Birds gliding through the air, their wings vibrating like drums. Suddenly, a loud and startled cry broke the silence as an Azure-Feathered Spirit Bird, as if frightened, dove sharply from the clouds, its feathers scattering into points of green light. Looking down from the sky, Spirit Qi fluctuated in the Outer Courtyard of Yin Spirit Pavilion, appearing as though a certain spot had been abruptly triggered, with shimmering light flowing and Spirit Pressure surging like a tide, startling the disciples in the courtyard into looking sideways.
In a disciple's quarters in the Outer Courtyard, the Spirit Qi slowly dissipated and the fierce winds subsided, leaving figures flickering. Qin Yue stared blankly at Lin Dalu, her bright eyes shaking incessantly, her lips slightly parted, unable to speak for a long time. She only felt a chill in her heart and sweat seeping from her palms, even the Spirit Power in her chest seemed to vibrate with a slight tremolo.
"You... you have actually reached Qi Refinement Level 5?!" Qin Yue's voice trembled, carrying an irrepressible shock and confusion. Lin Dalu smiled without speaking, merely lowering his eyes and smoothing his sleeves.
Qin Yue took a deep breath, stepped forward half a foot, and closely examined his breath. The Spirit Power was like a spring, truly without falsehood. Her voice grew louder and her speech quickened, "Even for those with exceptional natural talent and top-grade Spirit Roots, it takes over a decade of Diligent Cultivation to firmly enter the third level. If one wishes to advance further, it is impossible without the aid of medicinal pills. You actually broke through to the fifth level in thirteen days?! This... this is something that has never happened since the founding of Yin Spirit Pavilion! According to historical records, even the fastest took six years to succeed!" She murmured, the light in her phoenix eyes flickering, as if touched by some unknown fear.
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Lin Dalu's expression remained unchanged, but waves rose in his heart. He wanted to use this opportunity to probe whether Qin Yue knew the whereabouts of Xiang'er. He feigned realization and said, "Perhaps it is because of the Profound Yin Spirit within my body that Master mentioned."
Qin Yue was slightly stunned, her red lips pursed, and her expression flickered as if an old memory had been stirred. After a moment, she managed a forced smile, "Even with the Profound Yin Spirit, it should not be this fast. That year... well, that Fang--" At this point, her expression froze and her gaze drifted as if she realized she had misspoken, letting out a light cough to cover it up. "The person that year also possessed the Profound Yin Spirit Constitution, yet... ha, yet they ultimately never reached this realm."
Lin Dalu's mind sharpened, yet he remained calm on the surface, only nodding faintly, "Oh? There was actually a precedent in this world?"
Qin Yue lowered her head to brush her sleeves, her smile shallow, "Matters of cultivation are all determined by heaven."
Lin Dalu understood in his heart that Qin Yue must know about Xiang'er's past but was intentionally hiding it. Thinking of this, his chest felt slightly tight, yet he forced himself to remain steady, not revealing his edge.
Qin Yue leaned down, touched Lin Dalu's Qi pulses with her fingertips, and after observing for a moment, she withdrew her Spirit Power and sighed, "Qi Refinement Level 5, it is indeed no falsehood."
Lin Dalu then clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Senior Sister Qin, Master instructed me to practice the Qi Refinement Levels 2–5 Cultivation Formula, and I have now completed them all. Could I trouble Senior Sister to grant me the subsequent formulas?"
Qin Yue's expression shifted slightly, her gaze softening but carrying a hint of feigned helplessness. She said slowly, "Before the Pavilion Master departed, he only ordered me to pass you the Qi Refinement Levels 2–5 Cultivation Formula; as for the rest--nothing was explicitly stated. Junior Brother's Cultivation Progress is truly beyond expectation, likely even the Pavilion Master did not foresee it." She smiled sweetly, raising a finger to lightly cover her sandalwood mouth, her tone half-serious and half-playful, "This makes it quite difficult for me as your Senior Sister... hehe, if I pass them to you without permission, I fear incurring the Pavilion Master's punishment." Her voice was soft as silk, yet it contained a hidden probe. Lin Dalu lowered his eyes, his expression indifferent, having long since seen through the schemes of this person.
Lin Dalu clasped his hands slightly and said in a deep voice, "Since that is the case, this disciple shall naturally follow Master's orders and dare not overstep. It is just that Master has not returned to the pavilion for a long time, and my current cultivation has slowed, leaving me with much leisure. Having just entered Yin Spirit Pavilion, there is much I do not understand about the sect. If Senior Sister could lead me on a tour, I might learn where the rules lie to avoid losing decorum."
Hearing this, Qin Yue lowered her eyes in thought, her fingertips lightly tapping the Jade Writing Desk, making a faint tap-tap sound. After a while, she smiled, "Very well. Although you have just entered the sect, you are the Pavilion Master's personal disciple, so you should be familiar with the rules of our pavilion. Moreover, this trip can help you perform Qi Stabilization and Condensing Awareness, which can be considered a part of cultivation." After saying this, she lightly swayed her water sleeves and stepped out of the hall, the fragrant wind brushing past as her voice echoed, "Follow me. But remember--there are Multiple Forbidden Zones in Yin Spirit Pavilion, you must not peer into them or ask about them recklessly." Lin Dalu clasped his hands and replied, "Lin shall keep it in mind, thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister."
The two walked side by side along the long corridor, the clear breeze brushing their clothes and the bells swaying gently. Lin Dalu's gaze was not obvious, but his heart was as fine as silk, every place they passed, he memorized in his heart.
Qin Yue's steps were light, her fingertips occasionally tapping lightly, causing ripples of Spirit Radiance to appear, revealing the layout of the various restrictions within the pavilion. She glanced back and said, "There are restrictive formations surrounding this area, disciples are not permitted to approach, touching them will result in injury." Lin Dalu said solemnly, "Understood." A hint of scrutiny flashed in his eyes as he silently deduced the formation patterns of Yin Spirit Pavilion.
The Outer Courtyard had broad terrain with stretching stone steps, where Pill Furnaces, Spirit Wells, and Thatched Huts were distributed, with Spirit Qi permeating and mist swirling. Spirit Radiance interlaced in the sky, and occasionally birds flew past, making a whoosh-whoosh sound. Disciples came and went incessantly, their sleeves fluttering, some patrolling with swords and others standing silently guarding formations.
While passing the Martial Training Ground, the clashing of swords suddenly erupted, and Lin Dalu's footsteps paused slightly. His gaze moved as he saw the disciples wearing different colored robes, so he asked, "Senior Sister, why is there a distinction between blue, grayish-brown, and earthy yellow for those robes?"
Qin Yue lightly gathered her cloud sleeves, her jade finger pointing toward the disciples' robes from a distance, her voice like an oriole's cry, "In the cultivation world, the color of clothing is used to distinguish between the noble and the lowly."
Lin Dalu clasped his hands slightly, his smile subtle, and said, "I ask for Senior Sister's guidance." The two walked side by side, their footsteps fading into the wind, blending into the gurgling sound of the Spirit Springs.
Qin Yue parted her vermilion lips, her voice seductive and carrying the composure of a senior sister, "In this cultivation world, whether it be Demon Cultivators, Dark Cultivators, or Qi Cultivator sects, every sect has its own sect uniform to display the sect's prestige. It serves as the face of the sect and facilitates the upper sect's dispatching and governance of subordinate sects." As she spoke, she raised her hand to brush her sleeve, pointing toward several patrolling disciples not far away, all wearing Ash-Brown Pavilion Robe swaying in the wind.
"The attire of my Yin Spirit Pavilion was personally established by the founding ancestor--Blue Pavilion Robe is the most noble, granted only to the Pavilion Master, Inner Pavilion Elder, personal disciples, and Incense-Serving Handmaid. This color represents Pure Yin Qi, governing souls and commanding spirits. Earth-Yellow Pavilion Robe is worn by Outer Pavilion Elder and the Pavilion Master's Guard, who station themselves in the four directions to manage punishment and law. As for Ash-Brown Pavilion Robe, those are the clothes worn by ordinary disciples." Having said this, Qin Yue smiled lightly, her slender fingers brushing over her own collar, where Dark-Gold Interlocking Branch Embroidery was embroidered. Her eyes flickered toward Lin Dalu, her tone carrying a hint of teasing, "It seems ordinary, but in fact, with these clothes on, one can distinguish between the noble and the lowly. In the cultivation world, regardless of whether cultivation is high or low, the way of rules must not be disrupted."
Lin Dalu clasped his hands and thanked her warmly. But his heart stirred slightly--when he first met Xiang'er, was she not wearing those Ash-Brown Pavilion Robe? It seemed she had purposely donned the ordinary disciple attire to avoid notice so that she could escape. At this thought, a surge of bitterness hit his heart, and Xiang'er's smile and backward glance seemed to appear before his eyes again. He raised his eyes to hide his expression and merely said, "I shall keep Senior Sister's teachings in mind."
Turning into the great hall, the hall doors were as wide as mountains, with giant pillars on both sides carved with coiled dragons, surrounded by rising smoke. Hundreds of lamps hung from the ceiling, their Spirit Fires flickering, the flames casting shifting shadows on the azure floor, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance and the smell of iron and blood.
Lin Dalu's footsteps paused, his heart trembling slightly. This place was exactly where Qiu Shengshui had executed Diao Sandai and Zhuo Huan that day. Now the hall was empty and silent, with only a few faint lights shimmering, the previous scenes of blood and tragedy had long been cleaned away. But that moment of horror and the sound of the two falling still echoed in his ears.
"Buzz--" The fire lamps hummed slightly, as if responding to the past scenes. Lin Dalu stared for a moment, then silently brushed his sleeves and composed his mind.
Behind the hall, the main building towered into the clouds, its body featuring green tiles and red eaves, surrounded by mist, appearing to pierce straight into the heavens. The wind fell from high above, causing sleeves to flap loudly.
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Qin Yue lightly lifted her fragrant shoulders and spoke eloquently, "This building is called the Zhu Que, with eleven floors in total. The first to third floors manage the pavilion's large and small affairs, the fourth floor is where Inner Pavilion Elder reside, the fifth floor is for the Pavilion Master's Concubine, the sixth floor stations the Pavilion Master's Guard, from the seventh floor up, no one is permitted to ascend unless summoned by the Pavilion Master. The top floor is the Pavilion Master's place of quiet cultivation, gathering Yin Spirit Essence-Soul and Soul-Capturing Qi." Her voice was slow and gentle, her fingertips unintentionally tracing circles at her waist, her smile faint, "However, the tenth floor is the Pavilion Master's private quarters, when we serve... we must also go there." The last few words were as soft as a mosquito's hum, yet they contained a hint of speculation and testing, her eyes flickered as if spying on Lin Dalu's reaction.
Lin Dalu's expression was normal as he bowed, but his five fingers within his sleeves quietly clenched. He only replied faintly, "Thank you for the explanation, Senior Sister." He remained steady, his gaze shifting as he silently memorized the layout of the main building.
Arriving at the back courtyard, the mountain wind grew gentler and the trees were lush and green. A small pavilion stood independently there, with a Stream Bridge and flowing water in front, clear waves gurgling, the sound of water interlacing with the swaying of bamboo leaves. In the distance, the clouds rolled, and the clear cry of Spirit Birds came vaguely.
Qin Yue's sleeves swayed lightly as she stepped to the bridge and turned with a smile, "This is the sect's Method Archive Tower, housing the successive generations of techniques and secret scrolls of our Yin Spirit Pavilion. Since your cultivation has reached Qi Refinement Level 5, you may enter and select some ancient scrolls of techniques suitable for yourself." She raised her hand to form a seal, and a ray of Spirit Radiance shot from her sleeve, touching the carvings on the pavilion door. With a low hum, the stone door slowly opened, and Spirit Qi permeated from within. Lin Dalu clasped his hands solemnly, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister."
——(To be continued)