Edited by: Molly

Yin Chongyue did not answer directly, but said, “A year has passed, so Yan Tianhen should also have passed his assessment, right?”

Lin Xuanzhi nodded. “He will go to the Northeast Land at the beginning of next month to train.”

“When a disciple goes out to gain experience, they must start from the simplest missions and at least do those for three to five years. After that, it’ll be up to the team’s teacher to decide whether the disciple can accept missions alone. However, looking at you, you probably don’t plan to start from the foundation, but plan to take him out directly, right?”

Of course, the academy wouldn’t just leave them out to dry after the disciples pass the examination. In order to be responsible for the safety of disciples, the missions performed at first were all simple missions led by the gentlemen, and they would progress from easy to difficult. The sect would never let disciples bite off more than they can chew.

Of course, if a gentleman was willing to take a disciple out to perform a difficult mission, the academy naturally wouldn’t hinder it either, and it would even be happy to see this — after all, this mission came from sect. After completion, the task results would be handed over to the sect, so the sect would be winning no matter what.

Lin Xuanzhi was not one of the academy’s gentlemen, but he occasionally taught classes for East Courtyard disciples and was also on temporary duty at Sword God Hall, so he was naturally qualified to take disciples out on missions. Therefore, Yan Tianhen did not sign up for the missions led by East Courtyard’s gentlemen but planned to act with Lin Xuanzhi from beginning to end.

Lin Xuanzhi answered, “This is the intention.”

Yin Chongyue smiled, “In that case, I will follow you wherever you go.”

“And take Yin Nian with you.”

“Of course. My son must follow me. Besides, any place you’ll visit is extremely safe.”

Lin Xuanzhi’s mouth turned up, and he said, “That may not necessarily be true.”

Yin Chongyue had a bad feeling. “Where do you plan to go?”

“The Tomb of Youshan.”

Yin Chongyue, “……”

……

……

“No, I just want to know why you’re so tired of living.”

“In fact, blood rust doesn’t necessarily have to be removed with the blood cypress sap. Let’s go find the Craftsmen Alliance, where there are many sword makers, and ask if they can remove the blood rust.”

“Besides, how would you know whether the blood cypress is still the same blood cypress tree from ten thousand years ago? Maybe it’s already died and rotted away a long time ago. Then, wouldn’t we have wasted our efforts in vain?”

“Hey–“

When Yan Tianhen came back, he saw Yin Chongyue, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time, following behind Lin Xuanzhi all day and nagging like a broken record. He seemed to want to dispel Lin Xuanzhi’s idea of going to the Tomb of Youshan.

Lin Xuanzhi was holding a book in his hand. He was reading it while walking and did not look askance. He turned a blind eye to Yin Chongyue and completely blocked him out.

When Yin Chongyue saw Yan Tianhen, he immediately pulled him over. “Show me your sword.”

Yan Tianhen took out Xiuxiu and handed it to Yin Chongyue.

Yin Chongyue looked at the scabbard, and his eyes immediately widened in shock. Disbelief flashed through his dark red eyes, and he tossed and turned the scabbard again, carefully feeling it. With narrowed eyes, he carefully examined the clear scale patterns on it.

Lin Xuanzhi glanced at him and immediately put down his book. “Do you know what material this is?”

Yin Chongyue gasped in shock. “Of course I know. The scales are shining and the color is subtle; it seems dim but is actually dignified and imposing. It feels cold and slippery to the touch, but in reality, it’s actually flexible and firm. It is impervious to both fire, water, and evil spirits. This is a scabbard made from the skin of a real dragon ah!“

Yan Tianhen made a stunned expression, “…”

Lin Xuanzhi’s gaze turned serious, and he took the sword and carefully felt it. He said gravely, “This is actually dragon skin? So that’s why I never had any impression of this material. Actually, it’s very likely. True dragons haven’t appeared in this world for countless years. It’s normal that I haven’t seen it before.”

Yan Tianhen almost sat on the ground in fright. “Dragon skin, if it’s really dragon skin, then why would this sword look like this?”

Yin Chongyue’s expression looked grave and also a little heavy.

He pulled out the rusty sword and examined it from beginning to end. “It seems that someone used blood rust to deliberately seal this sword. If that’s the case, then we really do need to visit the Tomb of Youshan.”

Yan Tianhen was at a loss. “What exactly is the story behind this sword?”

Yin Chongyue looked at Yan Tianhen. “Can you tell me in detail how you got this sword and what you experienced on Hidden Sword Peak?”

Yan Tianhen nodded and honestly recounted everything from beginning to end. He even included how the rusty sword deliberately attracted him and his inner thoughts when taking this sword down the mountain.

After listening to it, Yin Chongyue mused, “All the coincidences in the world are actually inevitable. Since this sword has chosen you, it seems to have some unspeakable fate with you.”

Lin Xuanzhi stared at Yin Chongyue. “Do you know something?”

Yin Chongyue smiled. “No, I don’t know much, but as a craftsman, you should know that the dragons symbolize the son of heaven in the mortal world, and even in the cultivation world, dragons are also the overlord of a Land. Every dragon has a reverse scale that cannot be touched, or else mountains will collapse and rivers will disappear, and heaven and earth will be destroyed. Moreover, I’ve never heard of any dragon from ancient legends who was stripped of their reverse scale and had it made into scabbard.”

Lin Xuanzhi’s eyes sank slightly, and he also seemed to understand something.

If nobody forced a dragon to give up its reverse scale, that meant that the dragon willingly contributed a piece of its own skin, and someone who could make the dragon behave like this must either be a person he cared about very much, or someone far more powerful than him.

No matter who it was, being able to use dragon skin to forge a scabbard showed that his identity was absolutely extraordinary.

“If the Sword Venerable didn’t own this sword, that means it would be a heavenly sword.” Yin Chongyue looked at this sword. “It’s just that with the fall of the unknown deity in the ancient Great Immortal-Demon War, the last heavenly sword capable of protecting mountains and rivers and deciding the universe had already turned to ashes. I have no idea where and when this sword came from.”

Yan Tianhen couldn’t help feeling excited. “I really can’t wait to see Xiuxiu break out of its cocoon and transform into a butterfly.”

Yin Chongyue narrowed his eyes. “Originally, I didn’t want to become involved in this muddy water, but I’ll go with you guys this time to the Tomb of Youshan. However, I’m afraid only a few of us are not enough.”

Lin Xuanzhi said, “There are also Ah Bai, Hu Po, and the Yin Yang Umbrella.”

Yin Chongyue said, “We still need someone good at using medicines and poisons. The Tomb of Youshan had fallen into enemy hands and degenerated, so it will be full of poisonous miasma.”

Yan Tianhen raised his hand and recommended himself, “I can do it.”

Yin Chongyue mercilessly shot him down, “You can’t.”

Yan Tianhen was unconvinced.

Yin Chongyue said nonchalantly, “You are too inexperienced and unqualified. At least one of the four gentlemen from ‘Cai Lan Dong Li’ must come with us.”

“I’m afraid they won’t go outside easily.” Lin Xuanzhi said, “The sect’s new disciples will go out to train, and the four gentlemen must already have arrangements to lead teams on missions. Furthermore, this matter is not a sect matter, but a private matter. I don’t want to ask them to risk their lives in that place with us.”

Lin Xuanzhi’s words were very reasonable. Not to mention getting a Hall Master level alchemist to go with them, Lin Xuanzhi was afraid that as soon as he told them where he planned to go, those alchemists would probably try to stop him with earnest and well-meaning advice.

That place was not something that ordinary people could visit. Huarong Sword Immortal was the light of the sect. In the future, he would carry Myriad Dao Academy forward and make it comparable to the sun and moon. How could someone like him easily take risks?

Since the four alchemists, Cai, Lan, Dong, and Li, couldn’t go, they could only settle for second best and choose other trusted people.

Yan Tianhen wanted to call his dad over, but after thinking about it, if he let his dad know that he and Lin Xuanzhi already had sex and had a close relationship with each other, he was afraid You Ming would ask enough questions to turn the sky upside down; he would be worried everyday and make a fuss out of nothing. Yan Tianhen got a headache just from thinking about it.

Lin Xuanzhi suddenly asked, “How have the matters today been handled?”

Yan Tianhen replied, “That City Lord Qin probably has a lot of informants in the city. When he saw Bai Shixiong and heard him mention Miss Bai and Immortal Blessing Pavilion, he understood his purpose. On the very same day, he sent people to drive out the pair in Immortal Blessing Pavilion and had them return the shop to Bai Shixiong. Bai Shixiong went to the shop and dismissed those two’s hardcore subordinates after giving them wages, and he kept everyone else for continued employment. It was easy to resolve.”

Lin Xuanzhi nodded and turned to Yin Chongyue, saying, “That Bai Yanqiu is Lord Fuxing, the doctor who travels the world to help others.”

Yin Chongyue raised his eyebrows. “Oh wow, this Myriad Dao Academy really is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. To think that even Fuxing came here as a disciple. Although I don’t know his current medical attainment, I can be sure that it’s definitely not lower than that of Mr. Lan. He came here hiding his identity — I’m afraid it’s because he wants to improve his alchemy skills. It would be wonderful if he can go with us, but who will be the lobbyist?”

Lin Xuanzhi said, “Little Nian has some history with him. It’s better to have Little Nian ask him.”

Yin Chongyue seemed to think of something and nodded thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen Little Nian for a long time.”

Yin Nian was quickly called over.

Yin Nian was just at the age where he wasn’t afraid of anything, not even heaven or earth. In fact, he wished for something dangerously exciting to happen. When he heard that Lin Xuanzhi and Yin Chongyue wanted to take him to the Tomb of Youshan, he immediately rubbed his hands together, itching to go, but when they mentioned that he would be inviting Bai Yanqiu to go together, Yin Nian wilted a little.

Yin Nian said, “I can certainly try, but Bai Dage may not be willing to go with us. I don’t have so much face.”

Lin Xuanzhi said, “If he won’t, then we’ll change to someone else. Let’s try asking him first.”

No one among them was familiar with Bai Yanqiu. At most, they just crossed paths on the matter regarding Immortal Blessing Pavilion, but unexpectedly, Yin Nian quickly sent back the news that Bai Yanqiu had actually agreed to the matter and even asked when they were planning to leave.

Thus, Lin Xuanzhi invited Bai Yanqiu to have a drink in Little Penglai. First, he congratulated him on taking back Immortal Blessing Pavilion. Then he told him about all the difficulties and obstacles that may be encountered in the Tomb of Youshan and asked him to weigh them carefully.

After listening, Bai Yanqiu smiled freely and raised his glass, saying, “To tell you the truth, I’ve wanted to go to the Tomb of Youshan since a long time ago, but I was afraid to venture deep into the valley alone, so I postponed it again and again.”

Lin Xuanzhi looked at him. “What items in the Tomb of Youshan can attract you?”

Ordinary people would avoid this place like the plague for fear of any accidents happening, yet Bai Yanqiu had already made plans a long time ago. There must be a treasure he wanted.