...
The discontent was unconcealed, and the voices weren't quiet. Most of the people present heard it and turned to look at Lin Xuan as he slowly approached, their eyes filled with displeasure. 'If only Lin Xuan's share of Elixir Pills could be theirs, how great would that be? A double portion would let them raise their Cultivation much faster.'
Leaning on his wooden staff as he walked over, Lin Xuan's body stiffened slightly, and his grip on the staff turned his knuckles white. He paused for only a moment before continuing toward them, but his feet felt so heavy.
Lin Kailong glanced over. He found the situation a bit strange. Lin Xuan was basically a cripple, yet the Lin Family hadn't ordered a stop to his distribution of Body Refining Pills. Therefore, he had to keep giving them out unless Lin Xuan himself stopped coming to collect them. What surprised him was that Lin Xuan could withstand so much ridicule. 'If it were me,' he thought, 'I'd just obediently hide in my room instead of coming to get these Body Refining Pills.'
"Look, Miss Lin is here!"
"Why is Miss Lin here? Isn't she cultivating in the Inner Hall?"
...
A low murmur spread through the crowd. The disciples looked to the side and saw a beautiful young woman gracefully approaching. Her white dress billowed gently as she walked, and a faint fragrance emanated from her. She didn't put on any airs, offering a faint smile to the many Lin Clan disciples. Her stunning face captivated everyone present; in their eyes, she was a Fairy who had descended to the mortal world.
She was Lin Xue, the daughter of the Lin Clan's Clan Leader. In terms of talent and status, she was among the top echelons of the Lin Clan.
Lin Xue's talent was astonishing, reaching the level of a Sixth-class Talent. Among the other disciples present, the highest achieved was only the Fourth Layer, while Lin Xuan's talent was merely at the Third-class Talent level.
One day of Cultivation for Lin Xue was equivalent to a week for Lin Xuan—that was the most direct comparison of the gap between them! In the entire Lin Clan, only two people had reached the level of a Sixth-class Talent. One was the Clan Leader, Lin Feng, and the other, naturally, was Lin Xue.
As the Clan Leader, Lin Feng's Cultivation had already reached the Spirit Pill Stage, and he was preparing to break through to the legendary Core Formation Stage! In the entire Soaring Dragon Empire, his talent was considered to be at an exceptional level. Lin Xue, having inherited her father's talent, had also reached the level of a Sixth-class Talent, which meant that the Lin Clan was destined to have another Spirit Pill Stage expert in the future!
No one had expected her to come here today; it was a surprise to many. Normally, she would never come to this place.
Lin Xue's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering on Lin Xuan for half a second longer before moving on to the others. Then, she smiled faintly and said, "I came here today to tell everyone something. I've been recruited by the Qingcheng Mansion as an Inner Hall Disciple. If all goes as planned, it will be several years, or perhaps even longer, before I can return. I came here today to personally hand out the Elixir Pills one last time as a final farewell."
Her words caused an immediate uproar among the surrounding disciples. The Qingcheng Mansion! It was an extremely famous Sect whose power far surpassed that of the Lin Clan. It was no exaggeration to say they could crush the Lin Clan with a single finger! And Lin Xue had become one of their Inner Hall Disciples, a position of high status second only to the Core Disciples. How could this not shock everyone? But on second thought, it wasn't surprising that someone with a Sixth-class Talent would be recruited by the Qingcheng Mansion as an Inner Hall Disciple.
Furthermore, Lin Xue had never been lax in her Cultivation. She had already reached the Peak of the Tenth Layer of the Body Refining Stage and was preparing to break through to the Spirit Refining Stage! She was only sixteen, so reaching such a level was truly astonishing. Most of the disciples present were only at the third or Fourth Layer of the Body Refining Stage, yet she was already on the verge of breaking through to the Spirit Refining Stage. Her talent truly left others in the dust!
Lin Xuan froze. He suddenly looked up, but his vision was still filled with a field of black. He couldn't see anything; all he could hear was her voice.
Her words left a bitter taste in his heart. Before he went blind—or rather, when they were children—he and Lin Xue had been very close. They were childhood sweethearts, and the feelings were mutual. As the Clan Leader, Lin Feng hadn't stopped them from interacting back then. But not long after, they gradually lost contact. Perhaps his talent was too low, and Lin Feng felt they had no future together, so he had Lin Xue cut ties with him.
In the Lin Family, only those with high talent were allowed to cultivate in the Inner Hall. Though it was the same place, it was like two different worlds. Disciples from the Inner Hall could come and go as they pleased, but the disciples here could not enter the Inner Hall at will. This was the strict standard of the hierarchy; a privilege that couldn't be enjoyed without strength. With his poor talent and blindness, it was impossible for Lin Xuan to go to the Inner Hall, let alone meet her.
'To think that after so many years, she has already climbed to such heights.' He felt he couldn't even hope to look up to her anymore.
Lin Xuan reached into his robe and clutched the unfinished Wood Carving. The Wood Carving was, in fact, of Lin Xue! He hadn't seen her for so long, and having been blind for years, he seemed to have forgotten what she looked like. Or rather, he wasn't clear on her grown-up appearance; all he could clearly remember was how she looked as a child.
The process of lining up for the Elixir Pills wasn't complicated. Lin Xue just had to hand over the prepared vials. In the blink of an eye, it was Lin Xuan's turn. He was the last one.
Lin Xue handed a vial to him and said softly, "Take care..." She kept her voice very low, so low that only the two of them could hear. Her tone carried a note of finality, as if they might never cross paths again in this lifetime.
Lin Xuan accepted the vial of Elixir Pills. The moment his hand closed around it, his fingers stiffened. He immediately sensed that the weight was off—or rather, there was more than usual.
Having been blind for many years, his senses of hearing and touch were much sharper. After collecting these Elixir Pills for so long, he knew their weight perfectly. But with Lin Xue's arrival, that weight had changed noticeably.
'Did Lin Xue deliberately give me extra? Or did everyone get more?' But he couldn't see her expression. The only thing he could feel was the warmth her hand had left on the vial.
There was no further exchange. After handing the Elixir Pills to Lin Xuan, Lin Xue said her goodbyes to the crowd and prepared to leave. He clutched the vial, his heart in turmoil, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. 'Perhaps this really is the last time I'll ever see her.'
"Wait," Lin Xuan suddenly called out.
Lin Xue, who was just about to leave, paused. She saw Lin Xuan take the unfinished Wood Carving from his robe and hold it out. He said softly, "This is for you..."
Lin Xue looked at the Wood Carving in Lin Xuan's outstretched hand, and her eyes reddened slightly. She reached out, took it, and gently tossed a single word back: "Thanks..." Then she turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
A sense of resentment and frustration welled up in his heart, only to be immediately soothed by an icy sensation.
The White Pearl hanging on his chest released a trace of coolness, calming his agitated heart. Whenever he felt agitated, this Light Pearl would emit a cooling sensation that seeped into his body, quickly pacifying his inner turmoil.
He had found this pearl. He didn't know what it was, only that it had a calming effect on him. He also had a persistent feeling that the pearl was anything but simple, believing there was some kind of Energy inside it. But no matter how he fiddled with it, he couldn't get anything to happen. 'Maybe it's just an ordinary stone after all.'
He didn't know how long he had been standing there. It seemed the other disciples had already taken their Elixir Pills and gone back to their Cultivation, leaving him standing there all alone.
"Hey, blind boy, what are you going to do with so many Elixir Pills? Why don't you give them to us? It's useless for you to keep them. No matter how many you eat, you'll still be a cripple."
"Yeah, you're already a cripple, what's the use of eating them? Give us the Elixir Pills, and from now on, if you want to go anywhere, just tell us and we'll take you. Like to the brothels outside, hehe."
At that moment, a few mocking laughs sounded in his ear. He turned his head, his eyes still vacant, but he could tell from their tone that their intentions were malicious. He could also sense how many people were around him: there were three.
Lin Xuan held his wooden staff in one hand, "looking" at them as he said calmly, "And what if I say no?" He stood there silently. Despite being blind, he was not intimidated, nor had he lost his will to fight!
Just then, the pearl hidden in his chest emitted a faint white halo, and his mind became as clear as a mirror!