The Profound Yin Seal’s Secret and the Hall of Enlightenment’s Call

Fortunately, Mu Qingli’s storage ring, given by Zhao Qiubai, was loaded with good stuff.

There were still some healing pills and other things.

After swallowing the medicinal pill, Lin Mo felt a warm current surge throughout his body, and his broken bones miraculously mended.

Mu Qingli, however, seemed somewhat abashed, subtly avoiding Lin Mo’s gaze.

The atmosphere, in any case, was quite awkward.

Yet Lin Mo understood the situation perfectly.

What was their current predicament? He had no right to dwell on such a ‘minor incident.’ Indeed, even mentioning it would be akin to courting death.

Taking a deep breath, he deliberately broke the uncomfortable silence with as steady a voice as he could muster. “Master,” he began, clearing his throat, his gaze falling upon the immense thousand-year-old purple sandalwood pillar nearby, which had almost vanished into nothingness, leaving not even a scorch mark. “What exactly happened just now? I’m only at the Qi Condensation stage; how could I have caused such a colossal disturbance?”

Lin Mo had not been in this world for a short time, and though he had been confined within the Qiu family, he was keenly aware of their profound foundations.

The entire Qiu family estate was a veritable mountain of rare treasures, and even the beams used to construct their dwellings were priceless thousand-year-old purple sandalwood!

He still remembered how Yang Po Po, seemingly afraid he wouldn’t grasp the Qiu family’s extravagance, had once pointed to the dark purple colossal pillars supporting the magnificent halls and explained, “Little Lin, do not underestimate these timbers. This is thousand-year-old purple sandalwood, impervious to blades and swords, resistant to water and fire, shunned by insects and ants, and everlasting for a millennium! Let alone ordinary weaponry, even a full-force strike from a Qi Condensation cultivator would struggle to leave a significant mark upon it; even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would need to expend considerable effort to damage it!”

Yet, for him to have inflicted such damage upon this very pillar now… it was truly an eye-opener.

Seeing that Lin Mo harbored no resentment towards her, Mu Qingli quietly exhaled a sigh of relief, gracefully stepping down from her awkwardness.

The unnaturalness faded from her face, replaced by her usual veil of cool detachment, though a trace of unquelled agitation still lingered deep within her eyes.

Following Lin Mo’s gaze, she saw that the spot where the massive hall pillar once stood was now utterly vacant; even the most minute dust particles seemed to have been completely purified by the terrifying force unleashed moments ago.

This sight silently attested to the horrific power of that previous strike.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she pondered for a moment. “This anomalous power… it indeed far surpasses conventional understanding. Perhaps it is related to the ‘Profound Yin Seal’ I imbued within your body.”

Lin Mo felt his scalp prickle; the stronger that power became, the more intensely he felt the sensation of being bound by chains in his heart.

‘The more Mu Qingli valued him, the exponentially harder it would be for him to escape in the future!’

“Then… what about me now…?” His voice held a hint of imperceptible dryness as his gaze remained fixed on Mu Qingli, trying to discern a clue on her face, a hint regarding his future destiny.

Mu Qingli’s elegant brows were slightly furrowed, clearly contemplating this sudden change.

After a brief deliberation, her cool voice commanded with an air of inquiry, “Circulate the Bright Jade Profound Yin technique. Circulate it with full power, feel the meridians of the cultivation method, and see if there are any anomalies.”

Lin Mo closed his eyes as instructed, his consciousness sinking into his dantian. The familiar mental cultivation method of Bright Jade Profound Yin slowly flowed.

Icy spiritual energy circulated through his meridians, stirring up bone-chilling gusts of wind that enveloped his body, while cold currents flowed within him like a stream.

Yet—

There was nothing.

It was just as usual; in fact, even after the sudden anomaly and the appearance of those ice crystals infused with red, he hadn’t felt any difference in his body.

There were no dazzling streams of light, no violent energy fluctuations, not even a trace of residual aura could be detected.

It was as if the earth-shattering scene from before had merely been a dying hallucination.

He concentrated his mind, introspecting his dantian’s sea of qi, searching meticulously.

But no matter how he probed, only the chilling aura of Bright Jade Profound Yin remained.

Mu Qingli did not miss the subtle changes on Lin Mo’s face, nor the utterly normal energy fluctuations as he circulated his cultivation technique.

Without further hesitation, she stepped forward, her slender, jade-like hand, imbued with an irresistible pressure, directly pressing upon Lin Mo’s dantian and sea of qi!

Buzz!

A powerful and frigid spiritual sense, like the most precise probe, instantly delved into Lin Mo’s body.

Mu Qingli meticulously scanned every meridian and every acupoint within Lin Mo, reaching directly to the core of his dantian.

But it was utterly empty within; the power she had just sensed had vanished, and perhaps even the Profound Yin Seal itself.

‘Could it be… that fleeting, terrifying power was merely a temporary anomaly triggered by the ‘Profound Yin Seal’ being activated?’

‘And now that the seal had dissipated, the power had vanished along with it?’

Mu Qingli’s spiritual sense continued its careful search within Lin Mo’s body, and the deeper she probed, the more astonishment and doubt gathered in her cool eyes.

Indeed!

The ‘Profound Yin Seal’ she had personally planted was now utterly gone!

‘It seemed the recent attack had completely consumed her ‘Profound Yin Seal,’ which was why Lin Mo had been able to momentarily unleash an attack far beyond his cultivation level.’

No trace remained, as if it had never existed.

The seal was as if utterly incinerated and devoured by that explosive ice and fire power, leaving not even a speck of residue.

However, what truly shook her to her core was this—

In the core of the dantian, where the Profound Yin Seal had once resided, she perceived an extremely faint, yet incredibly ancient and profound, aura of a brand.

The aura emanating from that brand… was so bizarre and deadly!

It wasn’t merely a simple warmth, but an ultimate temptation that reached deep into the soul, drawing one into oblivion!

It was as if the rising sun melted ancient ice, or sweet rain fell upon a desert parched for ten thousand years.

An indescribable sense of satisfaction, tranquility, and a warmth and security akin to returning to a mother’s embrace, like the most mellow and intoxicating nectar, surged forth, enveloping Mu Qingli’s probing spiritual sense!

This warmth was so pure, so sweet, even carrying an illusory, captivating fragrance that made one’s heart tremble!

Mu Qingli’s spiritual sense, as firm as ten thousand years of profound ice, unexpectedly experienced a trace of relaxation, an unprecedented weariness, in the face of this aura.

A terrifying thought quietly sprouted: ‘Just sink into this… let my spiritual sense reside here forever, slumbering in this boundless warmth and tranquility… as if this were the ultimate destination, eternal liberation…’

Danger!

In that critical, split second, just as Mu Qingli’s spiritual sense was about to be completely lost, assimilated, and devoured by that warm abyss!

Ohm—!

A surge of Profound Yin Qi, originating from her own essence and already linked with the residual Yin Qi within Lin Mo, erupted with the most extreme chill and fury, like an ancient ice dragon whose territory had been invaded!

It was no longer merely cold air; it transformed into countless law-imbued spikes, forged from ten thousand years of profound ice, carrying the aura of absolute zero and annihilation!

Puh-chi—!

An intense, bone-chilling agony, as if capable of freezing the very essence of the soul, pierced through Mu Qingli’s immersed spiritual sense like a billion ice needles.

That extreme cold clashed most violently and directly with the brand’s ultimate warmth!

“Ugh!” Mu Qingli let out a short, suppressed groan of pain, her face instantly turning ashen white!

This bone-deep, soul-piercing agony, like the most violent alarm bell, abruptly yanked her sinking consciousness back from the sweet trap!

Clarity!

An unprecedented clarity!

Fear!

A primal fear of annihilation, stemming from her very life instinct, instantly seized her heart!

Without the slightest hesitation! Terrifying brilliance erupted from Mu Qingli’s cool eyes, and a powerful will to survive overwhelmed everything else!

Almost instinctively, with speed surpassing all limits, she violently severed the connection with that probing wisp of spiritual sense!

Whoosh—!

That wisp of spiritual sense, as if bitten by a venomous snake, retracted back into her Sea of Consciousness with lightning speed!

Thump-thump-thump!

Mu Qingli couldn’t even control herself, stumbling back two steps before barely steadying her figure.

One hand tightly clutched her chest, which felt as though it had been pierced by an ice pick, while the other pressed firmly against her throbbing temples.

Waves of tearing dizziness and bone-chilling residual pain emanated from her Sea of Consciousness, causing her breathing to quicken and her full bosom to heave violently.

Cold sweat instantly drenched her back.

Her heart was pounding!

No, it was an immense fear and lingering dread, as if she had just narrowly escaped death!

‘That momentary indulgence just now… had it not been for the Profound Yin Qi’s instinctive protection of its master and that soul-freezing agony… her spiritual sense would likely have been completely captured and dissolved by that seemingly warm, yet terrifyingly potent, brand!’

“Master… are you alright?” Lin Mo asked, concerned, upon seeing Mu Qingli’s abnormal expression.

“I’m fine…” Mu Qingli’s flustered expression faded, returning to composure, and she said calmly, “I have a few preliminary conjectures. Next, I’ll need to conduct some experiments to confirm them. If my suspicions are correct, then the ordeal at the Hall of Clarity might not be so arduous after all.”

For the next three days, leading up to the official commencement of the Hall of Clarity, Mu Qingli remained with Lin Mo, continuously using the Profound Yin Seal to verify her hypotheses.

Three days later.

Dong—! Dong—!…

Nine drawn-out, frigid chimes of the jade chime rang out, like the sighs of deities, piercing through the layered clouds above the Xuan Nv Sect.

In an instant, they penetrated every peak and every newly admitted disciple’s residence, precisely echoing within Lin Mo’s heart.

No summons were needed; this celestial sound was itself the supreme decree, silencing all other noises, announcing the Xuan Nv Sect’s inviolable core tenet: the Hall of Clarity had begun, initiating three months of sealed training.

Lin Mo opened the main hall doors, behind him a flushed, profusely sweating Mu Qingli lay sprawled on the writing desk, constantly gasping for breath.

Lin Mo silently wiped away his tears, tidied his clothes, and after bidding farewell to Mu Qingli, stepped outside.

Nothing untoward had happened; it was merely that Mu Qingli had either expended too much Profound Yin Qi, or some other chaotic reason, or perhaps to prevent her from being unable to absorb his Yang Qi after he left.

For the last four hours, Lin Mo hadn’t undergone any training; Mu Qingli had simply held onto him, ‘absorbing’ him repeatedly.

How to put it? It was as if his bodily scent was like the aroma of fine wine, causing Mu Qingli to become utterly intoxicated by the end, directly collapsing onto the writing desk, unconscious.

Lin Mo now truly understood the suffering of a cat being repeatedly doted upon and ‘absorbed’ by someone.

One must remember, Mu Qingli was no ordinary woman. Once she got ‘high’ from absorbing, her actions lacked any sense of moderation.

Although the experience provided numerous benefits to a certain extent, the pain of repeatedly fractured bones was not something a person could endure.

High in the firmament, a crystal lotus platform, transparent throughout, broke through the misty clouds and slowly descended, its ethereal glow shimmering and suffusing the surroundings with a cool, serene light.

Beside the lotus platform, two women in plain white long dresses stood as still as frost and snow, swords at their slender waists, their scabbards faintly glinting with a cold sheen.

They faced Lin Mo, their postures respectful yet imbued with an undeniable authority, and bowed their heads, saying:

“Disciple Lin, please ascend the platform immediately. We are under orders to escort you to the Hall of Clarity—the sect’s collective training has commenced.”

Lin Mo swallowed hard. Finally… the moment that would decide his future destiny… had arrived.