Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 708 - 703: Collecting 3

Chapter 708: Chapter 703: Collecting 3

After quite some time had passed,

Lin Xin’s eyes subtly stirred. He looked toward Huai Yang’s position, where the little girl’s intentions had indubitably reached a standard level, naturally exuding the harmonious aura of someone who had entered meditation.

The simplified version of the Green Yuan Decision was actually very simple to start with, but it was exceedingly taxing on the mind.

Therefore, the initial step was simply to train the mind through the induction of Elemental Energy.

With their scant spiritual power, they definitely couldn’t sense the Elemental Energy, but the training of the mind was still achievable.

The sign of successful training was the entire person suddenly feeling weakened in an instant.

Lin Xin himself had never experienced this simple stage because his foundation had been too strong.

But, with his extremely vast experience, he naturally understood the intricacies involved.

When he sensed Huai Yang’s spiritual power plummet like a cliff dive, he knew that the little one had succeeded on her first attempt.

"Good! Very good indeed!" Lin Xin exclaimed, repeating the word ’good’ four times, his face lighting up with a smile. Although it was early days, this beginning was not bad at all.

"Huai Yang can rest now," he declared.

No sooner had his words fallen than Princess Huai Yang, who was holding on by sheer willpower, suddenly swayed, nearly toppling over. But immediately an invisible force seemed to nudge her from the side, helping her to regain her balance.

She opened her eyes, and although they were fatigued, they shone with an unusual brightness.

"Thank you, Honored Master, for imparting the technique..."

Her words were a genuine expression of gratitude.

At the successful moment, she felt her mind become significantly clearer, despite her body feeling extremely weary. The distinct sense of surprise was clearly a sign of reaching a new level in her cultivation practice.

"Rest well," Lin Xin said to her with a smile, "The Green Yuan Decision is easy to learn but hard to master. The mind needs to be trained daily, without interruption. It’s a method of nourishing a strong mind with Essence Qi. It will also cause great harm to the body, so one must ensure a proper diet. Otherwise, it’s very possible to be worked to death while I’m away."

"The disciple understands," Princess Huai Yang, one of those who most firmly believed in Lin Xin’s divine power, said.

Perhaps it was that strange and embarrassing experience that had made her completely convinced of Lin Xin, allowing her to commit wholeheartedly to the practice of the cultivation technique.

Among the other kids, about half an hour later, Lu Li also suddenly swayed, almost falling to the ground.

Lin Xin went over to support her and found that the youngster had actually fainted from the practice.

The others had similarly exhausted their mental energy by now, yet none had achieved anything.

"Those who didn’t succeed, go down and carefully reflect on any mistakes in the process, then ask Huai Yang for the details," he instructed.

Lin Xin handed the task over to Princess Huai Yang directly.

"Each person is limited to seeking guidance for the duration of one incense stick. Understood?"

"Yes," came the collective response.

The group, big and small, quickly replied in succession.

"Take Lu Li back to rest, and Huai Yang, come with me," Lin Xin said, leading Princess Huai Yang aside and instructing the rest of the children to go and rest.

He leaned against the wall of the training ground, squinted his eyes, and sized up the princess who he had grabbed quite casually.

Dressed in a pale red robe and pants, which were exceptionally loose, her long hair reached her waist, shiny and smooth, her cheeks were rosy with a hint of baby fat, her large eyes blinked, and her lips were red with fair skin. She had a perfectly proportioned figure, especially her legs, which were slender and well-rounded with astonishingly perfect proportions.

This appearance, even in the cultivation world, would be considered above average.

But those female cultivators were all transformed by spiritual energy, something acquired postnatally.

Someone with innate qualities and temperament like Huai Yang’s was exceedingly rare.

Perhaps feeling somewhat embarrassed by Lin Xin’s gaze, Princess Huai Yang crossed her legs and looked down, her cheeks growing redder.

"Does Honored Master have any matters to discuss with me?" The princess emitted a faint natural body fragrance, not any scent of perfumed powder, but one that arose naturally.

"Going forward, you will be in charge of guiding the basic skills of all the disciples for me," Lin Xin stated plainly.

"As for you, I will instruct you separately," he added.

He pinched a piece of Spirit Jade hidden in his sleeve, quickly absorbing the spiritual energy contained within it.

He then extended his index finger and gently tapped forward.

As quickly as lightning, his fingertip precisely touched the center of Princess Huai Yang’s forehead.

Boom!!!

She stood frozen as if stunned, staring blankly.

A torrent of information, clarifications on cultivation queries, flashed through her mind.

Lin Xin then tapped the remaining spiritual energy from the Spirit Jade onto her shoulder, infusing it into her body, helping to transform her physique and restoring her strength.

Only then did he turn and walk away.

With that single tap, he had conveyed some key points about the introductory cultivation technique of the Green Yuan Decision to Huai Yang’s mind via the master-disciple link, using spiritual energy in the process.

It allowed her to develop a profound understanding of the First Layer of the Green Yuan Decision instantly.

In this manner, he needed only to instruct Huai Yang, who had an extremely high aptitude, and then have her in turn guide the other disciples.

After a little cultivation time, he could have the disciples teach more disciples in batches.

This way, layer by layer, a considerable number of Sect’s future talents could be nurtured quickly.

In this place, time passed swiftly. If he were to leave for a while and return later, he estimated that much time would have elapsed, and by then, the seeds would have taken root and matured.

When it was time to harvest the fruits, it would be just right.

Having settled matters with Princess Huai Yang, Lin Xin directly descended the mountain and headed for the Zhou Manor.

He hadn’t forgotten his promise to King Zhou to join in the excitement over the Phoenix Cry Hairpin.

However, unlike others, his purpose wasn’t the Phoenix Cry Hairpin, but to see how many promising youngsters this small world contained.

In other words, he was outright abducting people!

****************

Huai Yang Province, Huanlong Town.

Huanlong Town is located in the eastern part of the Empire, near the coastal area. There’s an ancient saying about dragons soaring and bringing rain.

Normally, the town had always been a peaceful scene. People coming and going did make it quite lively, but it was never overly crowded.

However, since last month, the rather small inns and taverns of the town have been packed with outsiders who suddenly arrived.

Under the blazing sun, the air was hot and stuffy. Inside the Snowflake Inn.

Wang Tong, while wiping his face with the towel draped over his shoulder, hurriedly made his way towards the entrance.

There was still some time before midday, but the inn was already bustling with people. Both the first and second floors were crowded with guests; some were there to wait for rooms, others to dine.

All the few attendants in the establishment were frantically busy.

He, with his flexible mind, was in charge of managing the other five attendants, assigning tasks in an organized manner.

Despite the busyness, he managed to keep things under control, which was quite impressive.

As he reached the inn’s entrance, about to hang up the "Full House" sign, he was suddenly taken aback by the sight of a silver-armored general cloaked in black, stepping into the inn with a few soldiers in large strides.

"Official... What brings you... As you can see, we’re already fully booked," he stammered, his heart missing a beat, feeling somewhat intimidated. Normally, when officials showed up, it was either to collect money or to make trouble – hardly ever for any other reason.

The officer glanced at him coldly.

"The military has its own quarters. Do you really think we would compete with commoners for space in your little inn?"

"Of course, of course... May I know what has brought the honorable official here?"

Wang Tong quickly nodded and bowed, asking in a subdued voice.

But then, the officer stepped aside, allowing a middle-aged Taoist standing behind him to come forward.

Wang Tong glimpsed at the Taoist and noticed his serene face and extraordinary aura. Just one look was enough to feel an awe-inspiring, intimidating presence that discouraged any belittlement.

Adorned in a luxurious dark Taoist robe embroidered with golden-threaded flowers and birds and a chest emblem of a dark gold yin-yang fish, particularly eye-catching were the five longswords on his back, arranged in a fan shape.

"Divine Monarch, this place is the busiest spot in town," the officer said respectfully to the Taoist.

The Taoist slightly nodded and proceeded into the inn, passing by Wang Tong.

The soldiers followed closely behind him.

"Goodness... where is this Taoist from? He sure looks imposing," Wang Tong muttered to himself, not daring to interfere, and promptly turned to find the shopkeeper.

The Taoist Priest was none other than Lin Xin, who had just arrived with Emperor Qing.

As he entered, the entire inn fell into sudden silence.

The once-noisy atmosphere chilled instantly, as if the force of his entrance with the soldiers had subdued the crowd.

"Hmm..." Lin Xin narrowed his eyes, sweeping a glance over the whole area, then shook his head, slightly disappointed.

"The shopkeeper has arrived!"

A young voice suddenly called out from nearby.

That caused him to glance in that direction.

"Huh??"

Lin Xin suddenly felt his luck might be exceptionally good.

He didn’t have to join the inspection, but knowing about the operation, he decided to come along anyway.

The purpose was to use the pretext of searching for Feng Qing Hall to gather good talent that he needed.

At first glance, about ninety percent of the people in the hall were adults or elderly, mostly over twenty years old. Their constitutions were already fixed and without training, leaving little room for potential.

That’s why he had shown a disappointed expression.

But just as he felt disheartened, he heard a voice and looked over.

The same young attendant he had previously ignored and had not bothered to examine closely, was running back into view, catching his attention once again.

This closer look brightened Lin Xin’s eyes, and he strode forward, firmly grasping the attendant’s shoulder.

"Young man," he tried to appear as kind and benevolent as possible.

But the kinder he tried to appear, the more frightened the attendant became.

"What do you... what do you want?" Wang Tong shivered under the gaze, feeling a numb weakness in his legs, secretly fearing he might have encountered a legendary kidnapper.

"Young man, I see a light shining on your forehead and a dark aura between your eyebrows, faint yet visible. If not treated in time, I’m afraid you won’t live past next year..." Lin Xin said with a worried look.

"What???!"

Wang Tong’s mouth hung open, and he found himself at a loss for words.

"I won’t live past next year?"

"Indeed," Lin Xin frowned, "do you experience sharp pains on the right side of your waist every midnight?"

"How... how do you know?!" Wang Tong was initially skeptical of a swindle, but he was startled by the remark. The pain had been a chronic issue for years, an old problem from childhood, and he had never mentioned it to anyone. He endured the pain because it wasn’t severe, and seeing a doctor would cost silver taels.

"Do you feel a constant itch in your tailbone every Dragon Boat Festival?" Lin Xin’s brow furrowed deeper.