Chapter Sixty-One: The Supreme Purity Elixir

Lin Yue'er had attributes favoring speed, similar to Yang Xueli's evolutionary traits, but her movements were even more ethereal, possessing a certain degree of confusion. It was likely she had studied comparable martial arts techniques. The ten-meter distance vanished in an instant. Fang Desheng, standing nearby, watched with an increasingly grim expression; only now did he realize that during their previous exchange, she had not exerted her full strength.

Was this the difference between second-rate and first-rate martial artists?

Yet, before overwhelming power, no matter how exquisite the martial techniques, they were ultimately useless. Even without wearing the Lone Walker exoskeleton armor, Lin Lei's abilities, by the standards of this world, belonged among the legendary innate masters. Under the sweep of his spiritual sense, Lin Yue'er was riddled with flaws. Lin Lei casually swung his hand; though it appeared without form or method, at the final moment it struck Lin Yue'er in the chest, sending her back to her starting position.

It was said that the gap between second-rate and first-rate martial artists was considerable—at least they could counterattack and hold their own for a dozen or so moves. Yet between first-rate practitioners and innate masters, a grandmaster realm lay in between. With just one move, a single strike, Lin Yue'er was defeated.

She could not even comprehend how it happened—not because she could not see his movements, but because she saw everything clearly and yet was still unable to evade. It felt as though, with the mere raising of his hand, the entire room was filled by his palm, leaving nowhere to escape, so she simply ceased to run.

Stranger still, though she had been sent flying over ten meters, her body suffered no injuries.

Such miraculous abilities she had witnessed only in one other person.

“External projection of true energy—are you an innate master?” Lin Yue'er quickly grasped the situation.

True energy (divine power) could only be possessed by cultivators at the innate realm (awakened stage) and above. It could be transferred through physical contact, temporarily residing within another person’s body to harm or protect them.

To save face for the Lin family, Lin Lei had shielded Lin Yue’er’s body with divine power as he struck, preventing any harm. Otherwise, after her rapid dash and subsequent repulsive force sending her flying, without divine power’s protection, she would have been dead.

Lin Lei’s expression momentarily stiffened before returning to normal. He spoke calmly, “You have lost. You promised the old man earlier—no reneging.”

At this moment, Lin Lei found himself even more intrigued by Lin Yue’er.

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Merely through the touch of divine power, his opponent could discern his realm, indicating she had previously encountered awakened-stage cultivators.

In this world of scant spiritual energy, awakening could only be achieved with the aid of extraordinary materials.

For Lin Yue’er to reach the ranks of a first-rate martial artist at such a young age, she had likely benefited from rare treasures.

If a single person acquired such a treasure, it could be chalked up to exceptional luck. But if many did, it meant somewhere existed a place rich in such resources.

“A bet’s a bet. What do you want to ask?” Lin Yue’er, facing an innate master, finally became obedient, her heart wavering—could he truly be a deity descended to earth?

After all, the innate master she knew had lived past one hundred and twenty years, wielding power beyond mortal comprehension; calling him an immortal was not an exaggeration.

Lin Lei ordered Fang Desheng and the others to leave. Once only Lin Yue’er remained in the drawing room, he asked, “Where does your strength come from?”

Lin Yue’er stared wide-eyed at Lin Lei, utterly baffled. What kind of question was this?

“Ahem… What I mean is, for someone your age to become a first-rate martial artist, surely you’ve had some fortuitous encounter?” Lin Lei clarified.

So he was probing her martial sect background! Lin Yue’er finally understood, her eyes darting as she considered sect rules. “A fortuitous encounter? I was born with exceptional talent. Any martial technique I see, I master at once. Does that count? Seventh Elder, are you perhaps impressed and wish to take me as a disciple?”

“Daring to spout nonsense in front of me—do you truly think I am powerless against you? Have you heard of soul-searching arts? A person’s memories reside in their soul; once the soul-searching technique is performed, one can obtain any information desired. Though I have shed my immortal form and my power has waned, I can still barely use this art. However, your soul may not remain intact; at best, you’ll become an imbecile after the process,” Lin Lei threatened as she started to ramble.

Of course, soul-searching art was pure fabrication; even the system could not produce such a technique.

But in the system’s exchange space, there was something similar—a truth serum.

Five contribution points per dose, effective below the awakened stage, ideal for interrogations.

If someone refused to confess? One injection and they’d comply.

“It was the Wudang Sect’s Taiching Pill! I ate several Taiching Pills when I was young,” Lin Yue’er, clearly frightened, confessed at once.

“Taiching Pill? Such a rare elixir—how did you obtain it?” Lin Lei pressed further.

If it were commonly available, there wouldn’t be so few first-rate martial artists in the Qing dynasty.

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“Weren’t you only supposed to ask one question?” Lin Yue’er muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Lin Lei’s gaze sharpened.

“Nothing… nothing. It was because my great-grandfather once did a great service for the Wudang Sect, and my second uncle is also a disciple there…” Lin Yue’er recounted in detail.

It turned out Lin Yue’er’s great-grandfather, Lin Fengsheng, father of Lin Shiyin, had served as magistrate of Yunyang Prefecture during the Taiping Rebellion, when the Taiping forces besieged Wudang Mountain, intent on destroying the temple.

Lin Fengsheng led troops to rescue Wudang, fighting the Taiping army beneath the mountain for a month, ultimately driving them off.

To thank him, Wudang’s abbot made an exception, accepting Lin Fengsheng’s second grandson, Lin Xuanji, Lin Yue’er’s second uncle, as a personal disciple.

Of course, this relationship alone was not enough to acquire the Taiching Pill.

The key was that fifteen years ago, Lin Xuanji, during a visit home, discovered Lin Yue’er’s aptitude for cultivation and took her back to Wudang, personally teaching her for over five years.

With her uncle’s protection, Lin Yue’er, though only a named disciple, received five Taiching Pills.

Had she not left for overseas studies, Lin Xuanji would have recommended his niece to train at Emei Mountain.

“How is the pill’s production rate?” Lin Lei was tempted.

Though not a true celestial treasure, its value was certainly high, and crucially, it could be mass-produced.

“My uncle said the success rate is extremely low—thirty pills a year is considered good,” Lin Yue’er replied, resigned to the fact that the secret was out.

“It seems I’ll need to visit each sect in turn,” Lin Lei mused.

He cared nothing for the success rate; he only needed the raw materials. If Wudang had its own exclusive elixir, then Shaolin, Emei, Kongtong, and their peers likely had their own treasures as well.

Having learned what he wanted, Lin Lei dismissed Lin Yue’er and returned to his television drama.

However, after leaving, Lin Yue’er did not depart immediately. She sought out Fang Desheng and produced a token: “I am the Holy Mother of Yellow Lotus…”

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