98: Apprenticeship Gift

After saying this, she did not give anyone time to react at all, transforming into a rainbow and departing.

Everyone looked at Lin Feng's face, which still carried helplessness and bewilderment, and finally could not hold back.

"So... he is the one Elder Lu has taken a fancy to..."

"He is actually unwilling? Heavens!"

"Elder Lu's only Disciple... a step into the heavens..."

On the high platform, the other Elders looked at each other, and finally smiled bitterly and shook their heads: "Junior Sister Yuchan's eye for talent... is indeed still as unique and... unquestionable as ever."

Lin Feng stood stunned on the spot for a moment; he felt that even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he could not wash himself clean. This Revered Master-Disciple relationship had been thrust upon him in a way that could not be refused.

He almost fled the square, returning to Baoyue Peak. Once the stone door closed, he was barely able to cut off the invisible disturbances from the outside world.

However, in the following days, even though he kept to himself, he could still feel the news fermenting from the occasional flashing eyes of his fellow Disciples and their deliberately lowered whispers.

The news that "Lu Yuchan had forcibly taken the 'mediocre' Disciple Lin Feng" had long spread throughout the entire Sect, spawning all sorts of bizarre versions.

Some speculated that he possessed rare treasures, some concluded he had great luck, and others were secretly grinding their teeth with jealousy, believing he must have used some unknown means.

Just as he was thinking about how to handle this, a communication talisman hovered in front of his Immortal Cave.

The talisman contained only a simple sentence: "Come to Yunmiao Peak immediately." It was Lu Yuchan's voice.

Lin Feng looked at the communication talisman, and the last shred of desire to procrastinate vanished into thin air. He sighed softly, knowing that this step could not be avoided no matter what.

Pushing open the stone door, he summoned his wine immortal gourd, transformed into a streak of light, and flew toward the most mysterious Yunmiao Peak within the Sect.

Lin Feng slowly landed in front of the mountain gate of Yunmiao Peak.

This peak's atmosphere was completely different from the Baoyue Peak where he resided; the peak was covered in a thin layer of cold mist all year round, and the surroundings were silent, as if even the birds avoided this place.

He took a deep breath and stepped onto the bluestone steps leading to the peak.

A huge white jade cloud platform was as flat as a mirror, with a sea of clouds churning at the edges, as if one were situated in the sky.

At the end of the cloud platform stood a pavilion, and hanging under the eaves was a wooden plaque with the three characters "Cloud Vast Pavilion".

In the center of the pavilion, upon a cyan jade meditation cushion, Lu Yuchan sat quietly with her eyes closed, dressed in white.

There was no powerful Spiritual Pressure radiating from her body, yet she seemed to have merged with the entire Yunmiao Peak, forming her own world, making one dare not look directly at her.

Lin Feng walked into the pavilion and bowed respectfully: "Disciple Lin Feng, I have come to pay respects upon the command of my Revered Master."

Lu Yuchan slowly opened her eyes: "My Yunmiao Peak does not value empty rituals and does not like noise."

"As for cultivation, rely on yourself when outside; when inside... you may come and ask me."

After saying this, she closed her eyes again.

Lin Feng stood in place.

Why would such a cold and aloof Elder choose him, who had deliberately kept a low profile?

It was not as if they had no prior connection; could it be because of that nine nether soul return grass in Xuan Yin Valley...

He took a deep breath, suppressing the slight discomfort in his heart, and spoke again: "This Disciple is dull, and there is a doubt in my heart... I dare to ask Revered Master for guidance."

Lu Yuchan did not open her eyes, only responding with a sound: "Mm."

Lin Feng continued to ask: "During the assessment, this Disciple's performance... was indeed mediocre, and my Aptitude is not top-tier."

"Why... did Revered Master choose this Disciple alone?"

Lu Yuchan was silent for a moment, then finally opened her eyes again.

She did not answer directly, but slightly raised her delicate hand, taking out a set of plain white tea set from somewhere unknown.

She picked up a white jade teapot and poured warm, clear tea into an empty cup in front of her, the sound of water gurgling.

She gently pushed the teacup toward the direction in front of Lin Feng, and only then did she pick up the cup of clear tea in front of herself, her fingertips lightly tapping on the warm rim of the cup.

"In the southeast of Canyang Valley, three 'Hidden Star Grass' grew at the intersection of wind blades."

"You used the basic Willow Catkin Following Wind Step, in three stages, for a total of twenty-seven steps, to precisely avoid all the gaps between the wind blades and pick them, without suffering a single scratch."

Lin Feng felt a chill run up his spine, his pupils contracted slightly, and he subconsciously held his breath.

How could she know so clearly?

Even the number of steps...

"By the Black Water Pool, you encountered an ambush by three 'Luo Gate Crocodiles'."

"You did not fight head-on, but used three lowest-grade 'Earth Trap Talismans' to utilize the mud by the pool to trap them for a moment, and escaped calmly."

"In the northern ruins, you discovered a remnant Restriction with weak Spiritual Pressure fluctuations, which others ignored."

"You slowly penetrated it with your own Spiritual Pressure to investigate for half a day, and after judging it to be a useless array, you decisively left."

His fingers hanging by his sides curled, and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

Those responses he thought were secret had actually long since fallen into the eyes of another.

She put down the teacup, her gaze falling on him: "Do you really think that little bit of hiding your true strength could be hidden from me?"

"Flowing Shadow Sword Art, Willow Catkin Following Wind Step," she recited two names, "The most bottom-tier Cultivation Technique in the Sect, yet you have practiced them until familiar, though your proficiency is barely acceptable."

"However, that Shadow Evasion Technique," she shifted the topic slightly, "The slight agility in the transition of steps has managed to grasp a bit of the essence, unlike the former two which are so rigid."

"Also," Lu Yuchan's gaze seemed to linger on him for a moment, "The Foundation of the Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art... this sword style is light and agile, and most of those who practice it in the Sect are female Disciples."

"Where did you learn it?"

When Lu Yuchan recited those two names of the Cultivation Technique, Lin Feng's ears involuntarily flushed with heat, and he subconsciously averted his gaze, not daring to meet hers.

That was his helpless choice in the early days, and now that it was pointed out to his face, he felt an embarrassment as if he had been stripped of his clothes and left naked.

When Lu Yuchan's gaze seemed to linger on him, Lin Feng involuntarily straightened his back, his fingertips slightly cold.

When asked about the origin of the Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art, his throat tightened, and after a slight hesitation, he answered in a low voice: "Returning to Revered Master, it was... it was taught to me by Senior Sister Fang of Yunni Peak."

Upon hearing this, a hint of hard-to-capture meaning seemed to flash in Lu Yuchan's eyes; she did not pursue the question further, but only said indifferently: "Although the form has not yet reached perfection, the intent already has a few points."

"Your Foundation in Sword Intent... is passable."

"We cultivate to become immortals, not to fight for dominance," she finally returned to the initial question, "But to seek a glimmer of survival amidst tribulations and tread a path of longevity that belongs to oneself."

"Your Dao Heart's resilience is compatible with mine."

"Therefore, I chose you."

She paused for a moment, and her fingertip lightly tapped in the Void Realm, causing an ice-blue rune to slowly emerge, emitting a bone-chilling coldness.

"Since you have entered under my tutelage, I will first teach you a set of Cultivation Technique," she said indifferently, "This is the basic seal of the Ice Soul Divine Light."

"Focus your mind and calm your Qi, watch carefully."

The ice-blue rune suddenly lit up, turning into a streak of light that entered the center of Lin Feng's forehead.

A sense of extreme cold swept through his Sea of Consciousness, and countless profound runes and cultivation routes emerged.

Lin Feng shuddered, feeling as if his limbs had been instantly frozen.

He barely managed to maintain his focus, digesting this sudden Legacy of information.

Just at this moment, a gentle and peaceful spiritual power quietly arrived from the outside, protecting his heart meridians and Sea of Consciousness.

"Ice Soul Divine Light is not a technique of slaughter, but a method of confinement."

"When cultivated to Major Achievement, wherever the eye reaches, time stagnates, and all things return to silence."

"This rune contains the detailed explanation of the first three layers of the Mind-Cultivation Technique for the Ice Soul Divine Light."

"Study it well."

"When you reach the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage, your spiritual power is perfected, and your Divine Sense can be divided into minute particles..."

Her words paused slightly here, before she continued: "...I may pass on the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique to you."

"This technique... is compatible with the Ice Soul Divine Light and has its own profound mysteries."