Chapter 31: Emerging from Seclusion

Chen Lin examined the talisman repeatedly before his eyes, yet he remained unable to guess its purpose.

After looking at it for a while, he set it aside.

He had completed the task.

It was better not to know its function; even if Yu Yuehai discovered it, he would have an excuse: "Your woman asked me to refine it, how could I dare refuse? I didn't even know what it was."

With this thought, his heart eased slightly, and he took out the storage bag he had long coveted.

Ye Jingyun had already stated that as long as he refined the talisman, the item would be his, so he naturally could not be polite.

A storage bag was a rare commodity even in Kaiyuan City; not only was its price extremely high, but like medicinal pills, it was a luxury that money could not easily buy.

Because refining such an item required a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a certain understanding of spatial magic, no one outside the five great families could produce them.

He hadn't expected to obtain it so easily.

With a storage bag, he could carry many items on his person instead of hiding them here and there, constantly fearing they might be lost.

There was no spiritual imprint on the storage bag. Using a newly learned secret technique, Chen Lin smoothly implanted his own spiritual imprint, establishing a wondrous connection with it.

Sensing it with his spiritual power, he perceived a small, greyish space, roughly about one cubic meter in size, which was currently empty.

Though small, it was sufficient.

Chen Lin felt no dissatisfaction. Instead, following what he had heard about how to use a storage bag, he used his spiritual power to cover a piece of talisman paper on the table. With a thought, the paper vanished.

Turning his perception back to the interior of the storage bag, he saw that the talisman paper was indeed lying quietly in a corner.

With another thought, the paper changed positions.

Interesting!

Chen Lin nodded; the method of use was quite simple.

Next, he stowed everything he could into the storage bag and hung it at his waist.

He immediately felt that this was too conspicuous, so he took it off, unfastened his robe, and found a sturdy rope to tie the bag to his waist.

After giving it a hard tug to ensure it was secure, he put his robe back on.

Satisfied with the result, he felt he no longer had to worry about others coveting it.

Having finished this, he stood by the window and looked toward Yu Yuehai's residence, but Ye Jingyun did not appear.

Perhaps the other party had not expected him to refine the talisman so quickly, but he could not deliver it yet; after all, he had been warned not to let Yu Yuehai know.

After waiting a while longer without seeing her, he returned to contemplating the Vajra Shield spell.

The sky gradually darkened.

After eating dinner, Chen Lin found himself unable to endure his own lack of comprehension and began refining Enlightenment Pills once more.

Just as he started the furnace, he felt a powerful surge of energy outside. Then, the door opened without a gust of wind, and Yu Yuehai's figure slowly walked in.

Chen Lin felt an abyss-like power erupt from the man's body, making it difficult even to breathe.

Startled, he immediately stood up and looked at the man with a complex expression.

The mere residual waves of leaking mana were enough to suppress him so heavily; there was only one explanation: the man had successfully established his Foundation!

The Blood Demon Pill truly lived up to its reputation!

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Yu—no, Senior Yu. Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment!"

Coming to his senses, Chen Lin hurriedly bowed and offered his congratulations.

Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement were no longer on the same level. Among cultivators, strength was supreme; regardless of age, one had to address someone a major realm higher as "Senior."

"Mhm."

Yu Yuehai's face showed no emotion as he gave a curt nod, his gaze sweeping across the room.

At that moment, Ye Jingyun's figure appeared at the doorway. Chen Lin noticed a hint of tension on her face; though she tried her best to hide it, some traces were still discernible.

However, once she saw the scene inside the room, she immediately relaxed and gave Chen Lin an appreciative look.

This change left Chen Lin somewhat bewildered. A thought rose in his mind, but he felt it was impossible.

Just then, Yu Yuehai, walking toward the iron cauldron, suddenly spoke: "Even though the Black Essence Insects are present, you must use these improved Enlightenment Pills sparingly. The insects are not a true antidote; they only alleviate the pain. Long-term use of this pill will cause irreversible damage to your spiritual sea."

Chen Lin was stunned.

He had never imagined the man would actually care for him.

But he immediately nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Yu. I will be careful."

Yu Yuehai seemed quite satisfied with Chen Lin's attitude. He nodded slightly. "Prepare yourself. When the time comes, we will leave this place."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Jingyun, standing behind him, immediately spoke up: "Senior Brother, why don't we leave immediately? Every extra day we stay here increases the danger."

Hearing this, Yu Yuehai laughed heartily.

"After being stuck in this place for so many years, how can I leave empty-handed!"

With that, he took out a bottle and tossed it to Chen Lin. "These are Blood Qi Pills refined from my own essence blood. Take one every ten days to feed the Black Essence Insects. Do not feel burdened; if this trip goes smoothly, you only need to do one more thing for me, and I will let you go!"

Having said that, he turned to leave.

After two steps, he turned back and tossed a small vial to Chen Lin.

"This is Mingqing Spiritual Water. Applying it to your eyes will grant you the ability to see red lines for a short time. Use it sparingly; I don't have much left."

This time, he truly departed.

Ye Jingyun followed closely behind, but before leaving, she gave Chen Lin a questioning look.

Chen Lin gave a slight nod, and she immediately showed a look of pleasant surprise before following Yu Yuehai without looking back.

This scene only deepened Chen Lin's confusion; he couldn't fathom what the woman was up to.

After thinking for a while without finding an answer, he simply decided to ignore it.

However, one thing did put his mind at ease: Yu Yuehai had said he would let him go if he did one more thing.

Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to believe the man would actually let him go, but since the man still had a use for him, he wouldn't kill him now or abandon him.

He was safe for the short term.

After contemplating for a while with nothing else to do, he continued refining Enlightenment Pills. Upon obtaining them, he immediately swallowed them to comprehend the Vajra Shield spell.

Even though Yu Yuehai had warned him, it was not yet time to give up on the Enlightenment Pills.

After using the pills, he finally mastered the Vajra Shield, reaching a level of proficiency.

Circulating his mana and forming a hand seal, a faint shroud of light enveloped him.

He tested it by using the Object Manipulation Technique to direct a flying sword; the defensive power was decent.

While it couldn't block the flying sword entirely, it could deflect most of its power and slow its speed, giving him time to dodge.

As his proficiency increased, the defensive power could be further enhanced.

At that moment, the bronze bell in the corner rang. He immediately stopped his cultivation and went to the window.

Pushing the window open and looking up at the starry sky, everything remained silent.

The subtle sensation of energy draining from his body appeared, and it seemed to be happening faster than before.

He took out the small vial of Mingqing Spiritual Water and dropped one drop into each eye.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, the sky was instantly filled with red lines!