“Disciple, stepping into immortality is another new beginning. The path of cultivation ahead will be even longer and fraught with greater difficulties. Of course, an immortal’s cultivation cannot be rushed; take it slowly. My Shadow Hall will continue to nurture you wholeheartedly,” the black-robed man said.
“I understand, Master,” Mo Qing replied.
“You two haven’t seen each other for years, so I won’t intrude further. Lin Yun, Mo Qing has just entered the Heavenly God Palace and is unfamiliar with many things. You can guide her,” the black-robed middle-aged man said.
“Yes,” Lin Yun clasped his fists.
The black-robed man nodded and then turned to leave.
“Lin Yun, let’s go back to the residence,” Mo Qing said, her face beaming with a beautiful smile.
Lin Yun nodded and followed Mo Qing into the mansion.
The structure of this mansion was quite similar to the one Lin Yun resided in at the Heavenly God Palace.
The two sat on a long bench in the pavilion of the mansion’s courtyard.
Mo Qing sat close to Lin Yun.
Then, Mo Qing gently leaned on Lin Yun’s shoulder.
“Lin Yun, we can finally strive side by side and fight together again. It’s wonderful,” Mo Qing said, her face glowing with a happy smile.
All along, Lin Yun had been Mo Qing’s motivation for cultivation.
“Mo Qing, you must have endured many hardships over the years in this world,” Lin Yun couldn’t help but sigh.
Lin Yun knew that Mo Qing’s rapid ascent to immortality must be tied to the full support of the Shadow Hall, or perhaps she had inherited something from them.
Of course, her reaching immortality was also inseparable from her own efforts.
Relying solely on opportunities wouldn’t suffice; after seizing this opportunity, Mo Qing still had to depend on her own hard work.
“Stepping into immortality has also granted me relative freedom. I no longer have to be confined to the Shadow Hall and can return to your side. Everything was worth it,” Mo Qing said.
Mo Qing wished time could freeze at this moment, allowing her to stay by Lin Yun’s side forever.
“Lin Yun, you must have faced many hardships over these years too. Your senior sister couldn’t be with you or help you. But for the rest of our lives, no matter what difficulties you face, I’ll stand by you,” Mo Qing said softly.
Back when Lin Yun grew stronger at the Heavenly Sword Sect, a gap had formed between his strength and Mo Qing’s, so she had always dreamed of catching up.
“Senior Sister Mo Qing, here are fifteen hundred Bright Moon Crystals. Take them; they’re enough for you to break through to the Second Eternal Realm.”
Lin Yun took out fifteen hundred Bright Moon Crystals and handed them to Mo Qing.
With the five hundred she already had, it was just enough.
“Lin Yun, Bright Moon Crystals are said to be extremely rare and precious. The Shadow Hall has been very generous to me, providing all sorts of resources without reservation, but this time they only gave me five hundred, which shows how scarce they are. This… fifteen hundred at once is too much!” Mo Qing quickly waved her hand in refusal.
“Mo Qing, would you be willing to become my cultivation partner?” Lin Yun asked.
“Of course!” Mo Qing answered without hesitation.
“As cultivation partners, we should cultivate together, helping each other without reservation, right?” Lin Yun turned to look into Mo Qing’s beautiful eyes, his expression serious.
“Yes,” Mo Qing nodded.
“In that case, you should accept them,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“But… Bright Moon Crystals are vital cultivation resources for immortals. You need them too,” Mo Qing said earnestly.
“I’m currently stuck at a bottleneck and don’t need them for now. Besides, I have my own methods, so don’t worry,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“Alright then, thank you, Lin Yun,” Mo Qing said, no longer refusing.
“By the way, Senior Sister, does your Shadow Hall have a cultivation site that alters the flow of time? If not, I have a related treasure you can use to reach the Second Eternal Realm before the entrance trial,” Lin Yun said.
Participating in the entrance trial at the First Eternal Realm versus the Second Eternal Realm would yield vastly different results.
Lin Yun naturally wanted Mo Qing to achieve a good result in the entrance trial, not only to gain resources but also to make a name for herself in the Heavenly God Palace and earn their attention!
Undoubtedly, the better the entrance trial results, the easier it would be to gain the Heavenly God Palace’s recognition!
But with only one month, without a treasure that alters time flow, reaching the Second Eternal Realm would be difficult.
“Yes, our Shadow Hall has a very special place with an extremely fast time flow, reaching ten times the normal cultivation speed. However, it can only be used by one person at a time and isn’t open to ordinary members of the Shadow Hall, but it has always been open to me,” Mo Qing said.
“I see,” Lin Yun said, enlightened.
No wonder Mo Qing could step into immortality in such a short time; this must have played a role.
By this calculation, her actual cultivation time was much longer than Lin Yun’s.
During the twenty years Lin Yun was afflicted with the soul-breaking poison, Mo Qing effectively cultivated for two hundred years. During the five years Lin Yun spent as an ascetic, Mo Qing cultivated for fifty years.
In that case, Lin Yun wasn’t worried. Mo Qing would surely reach the Second Eternal Realm before the entrance trial.
“With a tenfold time flow, you effectively have ten months. Not only can you advance your realm, but you can also improve in other areas. With so much time, there’s no need to rush. Come, let me show you around the Heavenly God Palace and take a look at the Heavenly God Ranking,” Lin Yun said with a smile, standing up.
“Great!” Mo Qing also stood.
The two left the mansion.
At the mansion’s entrance, as Lin Yun and Mo Qing stepped out, a man in a black robe approached from a distance. He was tall, with distinct and slightly handsome features.
Lin Yun noticed the black robe he wore was that of the Shadow Hall.
“Greetings, Senior Brother,” Mo Qing said, a flash of surprise in her beautiful eyes as she saluted him.
“Mo Qing, I’ve told you before, there’s no need for such formality with me. I’m not a stranger,” the black-robed man said with a smile.
“Senior Brother, why… why are you here?” Mo Qing asked.
“Junior Sister, you’ve stepped into immortality. Of course, I came to congratulate you. After all, I’ve helped you quite a bit on your cultivation path, haven’t I?” the black-robed man said with a smile.
Then, he turned his gaze to Lin Yun. “Who are you? You’re not from our Shadow Hall, so why are you with Junior Sister Mo Qing?”
Lin Yun could sense caution and a hint of hostility in the man’s eyes…
“Let me introduce myself. I am Lin Yun, a disciple under the Fire Cloud Emperor. And you are?” Lin Yun looked at the black-robed man.
“So you’re Lin Yun. I am Bao Gang from the Shadow Hall, a fellow disciple of Mo Qing,” the black-robed man said.
“Bao Gang?”
Lin Yun immediately searched his memory for the name.
Heavenly God Ranking, forty-fourth place!
Lin Yun quickly recalled Bao Gang’s information.
“Lin Yun, Senior Brother Bao Gang is also an immortal of the Shadow Hall. Before I stepped into immortality, our Master was often busy with his own matters, so he frequently had Senior Brother Bao Gang guide me in some aspects of cultivation,” Mo Qing explained to Lin Yun.
