175: Clues to Ascension

The Disciples bowed respectfully on the surface, but their hearts had long since been stirred into a frenzy.

Look! Elder Yan is here again!

This is already the third time this month, right?

Have you noticed that after Senior Brother Lin answered that question the Elder asked last time about 'Moonlight Condensing Needles,' she went into seclusion for two days, and when she came out, her aura seemed even more refined!

It seems Senior Brother Lin truly has talent; even Elder Yan...

Elder Yan Jing might have heard these discussions, but she never paid them any mind.

To her, breaking through a Bottleneck and pursuing the Dao were far more important than Face.

And Lin Feng did indeed benefit her time and again with his insightful perspectives, forcing her to acknowledge the extraordinary nature of this young man.

With Elder Yan Jing 'leading by example,' the interactions between the female Disciples of the Illusory Moon Sect and Lin Feng became more natural and frequent.

From initial questions about Cultivation Techniques, the conversations gradually expanded to chatting about interesting anecdotes from outside the Sect. Lin Feng had practically become a special yet accepted existence within the Illusory Moon Sect.

One day, with the sunlight just right, several female Disciples were gathered outside the Listening Bamboo Pavilion, watching Lin Feng demonstrate how to gently weave Water and Wood elemental spiritual power into a defensive barrier.

Elder Yan Jing happened to pass by. She stopped, stood not far away, and watched quietly for a while without making a sound to disturb them, only a trace of imperceptible appreciation flashing in her eyes.

A moment later, she turned and left, the corners of her mouth seemingly twitching slightly.

All of this was seen by the sharp-witted Junior Sister Liu. She quietly said to Yun Zhi beside her: 'Senior Sister, look, Elder Yan... she seems to have smiled?'

Yun Zhi glanced at the retreating figure of Elder Yan Jing, then looked at the man in green robes in the courtyard chatting and laughing with fellow Disciples, and whispered: 'Perhaps, the arrival of Senior Brother Lin is really not a bad thing for our Illusory Moon Sect.'

As the days passed, the Listening Bamboo Pavilion gradually became a unique place within the Illusory Moon Sect. Every day, besides interacting with visiting female Disciples, Lin Feng spent most of his time immersed in the Scripture Pavilion.

The Saintess fulfilled her promise, allowing him to consult those classics that did not involve the core Legacy. These scrolls and Jade Slips recorded the thoughts and explorations of the Illusory Moon Sect's Seniors regarding the path of immortality over a thousand years.

At first, Lin Feng only read with the intention of broadening his horizons. But soon, he became immersed in them.

The Illusory Moon Sect's understanding of power attributes such as 'Yin,' 'softness,' 'stillness,' and 'concealment' reached a level of subtlety he had never imagined.

When he combined this with his own insights from cultivating the Nine Profound Sword Heart Art, especially the subtle sensing of the power Origin by that strange heaven-stealing vine in his Sea of Consciousness, and then looked back at these classics, he often had a feeling of sudden enlightenment.

He no longer just looked at specific Spell techniques, but instead tried to understand the common principles behind them.

For example, the Illusory Moon Sect's Cultivation Technique emphasizes 'like mercury pouring onto the ground, penetrating every crevice,' which gave him a bit more realization about the Water-attribute Sword Qi he cultivated, that 'the utmost softness can also be the utmost hardness.'

Or, for example, the 'nourishment' and 'extinction' of the power of moonlight seemed to correspond to the 'growth' and 'withering and flourishing' of Wood-attribute Sword Qi, both being different manifestations of the same Origin.

He gradually understood why his Water and Wood Sword Essence had resonated in the beginning.

Late one night, he closed an ancient leather scroll titled 'Miscellaneous Discussions on the Grand Yin True Explanation,' where a passage about 'isolated Yin cannot be born, solitary Yang cannot grow' flashed through his mind like a ray of light.

He sat blankly on the meditation cushion, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on his knees.

'Five Elements... Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth... Since they are divided into Yin and Yang sides, can the Sword Essence of the sword manual I Cultivate also be divided into Yin and Yang?'

He recalled the subtle differences when he cast Spells.

When stimulating plant growth, the Wood-attribute spiritual power was gentle and full of vitality, but when he used the Wood-attribute Spell 'Green Vine Entanglement' against an enemy, that power carried a feeling of tenacious binding.

When controlling water flow, it could gently heal, or it could condense water into ice, turning it into a sharp blade.

'The Nine Profound Sword Heart Art might be able to delve into the interior of every attribute, simultaneously mastering its two Yin and Yang changes, and being able to transform and perform Fusion at will!'

Thinking of this, he felt as if his eyes were suddenly opened, as if he had pushed open a door leading to a broader world. The path of future Cultivation suddenly became much clearer.

If he could simultaneously control the growth and nourishment of Wood, and the rushing and moistening of Water, how unpredictable his methods of fighting enemies would be? This had already surpassed simple attribute generation and restriction, touching upon the deeper mysteries of power evolution. This undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for his future Dao path that far exceeded his peers.

Besides his Cultivation insights, Lin Feng also kept an eye out while reading through those old, neglected miscellaneous records piled up in the corner. He always felt that the history of the Illusory Moon Sect, especially regarding the Origin of that Profound Yin Rift and the grand yin pearl, hid some secret.

One day, he wiped the dust off a dark-colored, unremarkable black Jade Slip. When his Divine Sense habitually probed into it, the heaven-stealing vine, which had always been quiet in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, suddenly transmitted a tremor—not like a warning, but rather like it had encountered some kind of residual, extraordinary aura imprint.

The content in the Jade Slip was mostly scattered and disorderly, consisting of trivial records of old, bygone events.

But near a few passages mentioning 'star fall' and 'earth Dragon turning over,' the vine seedling's sensing would become slightly clearer. He focused his mind and, following this subtle guidance, carefully sorted through those seemingly useless fragments of information.

Gradually, a vague outline was pieced together:

About a thousand years ago, an earth-shattering anomaly occurred here, and it seemed that something extremely terrifying had appeared in the world.

At that time, there was a brilliant and talented Senior in the Sect with the Daoist name 'Yue Xuan,' and her Cultivation Technique seemed to be extremely special.

The records became chaotic at this point, leaving only a few vague, seemingly deliberately erased verses: '...Moon shadows tilt west, Yin and Yang are in chaos... sacrificing oneself to merge with the Dao, only then can one obtain a glimmer of heaven's secret... treading on the moon to the west, the Karma is hard to describe...'

'Treading on the moon to the west...' Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat.

Could this be referring to that legendary Senior who achieved Ascension?

But 'Yin and Yang in chaos,' 'sacrificing oneself to merge with the Dao'... this didn't sound like a description of a normal Ascension at all, but rather carried a sense of tragedy and determination.

He tried to find more clues, but the content later in the Jade Slip had been completely obliterated.

Since the crisis of the Profound Yin Rift was initially contained and the grand yin pearl stabilized, the tense atmosphere that had persisted for months within the Illusory Moon Sect finally eased. The attitude of the entire Sect toward Lin Feng also gradually shifted from initial curiosity and wariness to general respect and gratitude.

There was still no shortage of female Disciples coming to ask for advice in front of the Listening Bamboo Pavilion, but the topics were no longer limited to difficulties with Cultivation Techniques and began to include some curiosity about the world outside the Sect.

Lin Feng was happy to have some peace and quiet; he discussed the Dao with others during the day and meditated alone at night, feeling that his understanding of the Five Elements and Yin and Yang was becoming increasingly profound through mutual verification with the Illusory Moon Sect's Cultivation Techniques.

Early this morning, just as Lin Feng finished regulating his breath, a set of footsteps—different from usual, extremely light yet carrying an invisible dignity—came from outside the courtyard.

He felt something, looked up, and saw that the Saintess was already standing quietly at the courtyard gate, her aura perfectly integrated with the surrounding heaven and earth; if he hadn't seen her with his own eyes, he would have barely been able to perceive her existence.