Time slowly passed as Wang Lin condensed the red mist. Apart from the buzzing of the mosquitoes, there was only the sound of sleeping men.
Gradually, the first rays of the sun appeared at the edge of the horizon, the light slowly dispelling the darkness of the night.
Wang Lin opened his eyes and took a deep breath towards the east. Suddenly, two purple dragons that mortals couldn't detect entered his nostrils. After circulating around his body, he spat them out again.
This cycle repeated itself. Wang Lin clearly felt that his body was like an immortal, as if he could break through the void and fly straight up.
This feeling was something that Wang Lin had never experienced in the past 400 years. It was clear that only when one's mind reached a certain level of calmness would one be able to experience the aura of heaven and earth.
After one night, the red mist around Wang Lin's body had shrunk by another 10%.
Wang Lin wasn't in a hurry. He knew that condensing the red mist was not something that could be done in a short period of time. It would take a relatively long time.
Early in the morning, the people in the caravan woke up one by one and washed up. At this time, the doctor who had always been in the carriage, the old man, stepped down from the carriage. After taking a deep breath, he stretched his arms and legs in an empty space. Gradually, he began to prepare himself for a variety of things.
Wang Lin glanced at him and was quite surprised. Although the movements that the old man was making did not have any offensive power, each of them had the effect of strengthening the body. After linking them together, the effect was even better.
After a while, the old man withdrew his fists and let out a long breath. Then, he hesitated for a moment and walked towards Wang Lin.
When he got close, the old man smiled and said, "Little brother, did you rest well last night?"
Wang Lin nodded slightly and didn't say anything.
The old man hesitated for a moment and asked, "Little brother, where did you find that hundred-year-old willow leaf?" After saying that, his eyes revealed a look of curiosity.
"I picked it up on the side of the road," Wang Lin said.
The old man suddenly paused. After thinking for a while, he bitterly smiled and said, "Little brother … you have good luck!"
After chatting with Wang Lin for a while, no matter how much he tried, he still couldn't get the information he wanted from Wang Lin. The old man sighed and turned to leave.
If there was a real comparison, Wang Lin's age was more than enough to be the old man's ancestor. The old man's questions might be useful to a young person who had just started out, but to Wang Lin, they were useless.
As he followed the caravan, Wang Lin gradually adjusted his mentality and slowly integrated himself. Several days passed in a flash. During these days, the little maid would often come to talk to Wang Lin. However, every time she spoke, her face would turn red and her eyes would reveal a strange light. It was unknown what she was thinking.
Seeing the light in her eyes, Wang Lin bitterly smiled. He often saw this light in Li Muwan's eyes, so he knew what it was.
However, Wang Lin knew that his age was even higher than this girl's ancestor, so he always had a strange feeling in his heart.
On this day, the capital city was within sight.
The capital city of a rank 4 cultivation country was beautiful, but in Wang Lin's eyes, it was very ordinary. There was nothing special about it.
If it wasn't for the fact that there were vortexes of spiritual energy above the capital city, Wang Lin wouldn't have even looked at it.
Wang Lin spread out his divine sense and the entire capital city appeared in his mind. There were a total of nine vortexes in the capital city. As for the ones that gave off these vortexes, they weren't cultivators, but nine towering black pillars.
According to the size of the pillars, the amount of spiritual energy they gave off was different. Aside from one being the largest, the other eight were all weaker.
This pillar was very big. The smallest one would require ten people to encircle it. As for the biggest one, it would require 100 people to encircle it.
There were people meditating inside each of the nine pillars. Furthermore, there was a layer of spell formation around the pillars that prevented divine sense from probing inside. However, to Wang Lin, the spell formation was like an empty shell. He could tell at a glance that the people meditating inside the pillars were all cultivators.
The one with the highest cultivation level has reached the advanced stage of the Core Formation Stage. The one with the lowest cultivation level is of the advanced stage of the Foundation Building Stage.
Wang Lin was also interested in this peculiar structure. When they entered the city, Lv Xing noticed that Wang Lin's gaze was fixed on the nine black pillars in the center of the city, so he whispered, "Brother Wang, don't stare at them. It will be troublesome if you're discovered."
Wang Lin stroked the mane of the colt he was riding and said doubtfully,
"Brother Lv, what are these black pillars?"
Lv Xing revealed a look of envy and said in a low voice, "They are immortal wood. This is the capital of our country. Under the protection of immortals, the emperor gathered all the craftsmen in the country and built these nine immortal pillars according to the requirements of the decree."
"Immortal wood …" Wang Lin's expression was a little strange.
"There are immortals living inside the immortal wood. When my father was young, he personally saw immortals flying out."
Lv Xing's tone revealed a sense of pride, as if his ancestor seeing immortals was something he was very proud of.
If he knew that Wang Lin, who had traveled with him for seven days, was someone hundreds of times stronger than the person his ancestor had met, who knew what he would think?
One should know that the cultivator his ancestor saw, even if he saw Wang Lin, had to respectfully call him senior.
Wang Lin withdrew his gaze and smiled, not saying a word.
On a pontoon bridge between the north and south of the city, Wang Lin bid farewell to Lv Xing and the others. Although Lv Xing had not known Wang Lin for long, they felt like old friends. He patted his chest and promised Wang Lin that if Wang Lin encountered any trouble, he could look for him.
There was also Second Sun, who gave up his horse. In the past few days of drinking, he was sincerely convinced by Wang Lin. At the time of parting, he told Wang Lin that if he was bullied, he, Second Sun, would definitely take action.
Finally, the old man came down from the carriage. Behind him was a woman with a white veil over her face. Beside the woman was a pretty servant girl.
Seeing that Wang Lin was about to leave, a trace of melancholy appeared in the servant girl's eyes.
After the old doctor went up and chatted with Wang Lin, the woman with the white veil did not move. Instead, she bowed slightly to Wang Lin in the distance and returned to the carriage without saying a word.
As for the servant girl, she leaned forward and chatted with the woman with the white veil. Then, she quickly walked over to Wang Lin with a bag made of ice silk. She handed the bag to Wang Lin and said softly, "Miss wants me to thank you. There are ten taels of gold in here. Consider it the consultation fee."
Wang Lin did not decline and took it. This was the first time he had received such money from the mortal world, apart from 400 years ago.
Wang Lin clasped his fists and turned to leave.
It wasn't until he was far away that the servant girl let out a sigh and returned to the carriage. The carriage followed the bridge and entered the southern part of the city.
Squeezing the ten taels of gold in his hand, Wang Lin walked through the capital city. The capital city was indeed the place where the emperor lived. There were many pedestrians and shops on both sides of the street.
Shortly after, Wang Lin's eyes lit up an undetectable amount. He had seen no less than 10 cultivators in the mortal capital.
Although the highest cultivation level of these cultivators was only at the 12th or 13th layer of Qi Condensation, this was something that Wang Lin had rarely seen in other countries.
After pondering a little, Wang Lin looked at the nine black pillars in the center of the city. He already had an answer in his heart. This must be the specialty of a rank 4 cultivation country.
It was not until the afternoon that Wang Lin was still wandering the streets. Some of the shops in the capital city were clearly not for mortals but for cultivators. Some of them even sold jades, magical treasures, and other things.
However, these shops all had a layer of restriction around them that mortals couldn't enter.
The people of the capital city were very familiar with this phenomenon, so almost no mortals would enter these shops.
As Wang Lin walked, he would occasionally enter a shop to look around. When he walked out of a shop, he heard a commotion coming from not far away. He saw a sloppy old man being pressed to the ground by a large man. A fist the size of a bowl was aimed at the old man's chest.
The old man let out a series of miserable screams. At the same time, large mouthfuls of blood came out of the old man's mouth. There seemed to be a certain rhythm to it. Every time the large man punched him, he would cough out a mouthful of blood.
The large man punched him a few more times, then stood up and cursed.
"Old thing, if you come to my shop again, I'll beat you up every time I see you. You're already so old, yet you're still so dirty!" After the large man finished cursing, he even spat on the old man.
At this moment, a middle-aged man standing next to Wang Lin shook his head and sighed. "Ah, this old man gets beaten up almost every day just to watch those women change their clothes. Is it worth it?"
Wang Lin was startled when he heard this. He looked at the old man for a moment before turning around and leaving.
However, he only took a few steps before he suddenly turned around and saw the old man proudly walking toward him while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Wang Lin moved to the side and his eyes gradually turned cold.
The old man walked past Wang Lin, but he only took a few steps before he suddenly turned around with a surprised expression. He looked up and down at Wang Lin and suddenly said, "Little brother, I can see that your forehead is full and your body is glowing purple. You're definitely not a mortal."
Wang Lin frowned. With his divine sense, he could tell that this old man was only a mortal without any cultivation. There were even many bruises on his body, clearly caused by being beaten often.
Wang Lin had no interest in this person at all, so he turned around and left. If this old man continued to follow him, then Wang Lin didn't mind sending him on his way.
The old man revealed a look of pity as he looked at Wang Lin's back and shook his head. "If there's no one to guide you, I'm afraid you won't be able to reach the Soul Formation stage in this life. What a pity."
Wang Lin's body suddenly stopped and his aura suddenly raged. He slowly turned around and stared at the old man as he coldly asked, "Who are you?!"
The old man didn't feel any discomfort facing Wang Lin's raging aura. He put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky. His mouth was filled with an ancient aura as he said, "You don't need to know who the Old Man is, but the Old Man knows how to help you reach the Soul Formation stage."
Wang Lin's eyes lit up. No matter how he looked at this old man, he was only a mortal, but this person was able to see through his cultivation at a glance. There was only one explanation for this, and that was that this person's cultivation was far beyond the Soul Formation stage. This was why Wang Lin couldn't see through it.
Wang Lin frowned and asked, "How can I reach the Soul Formation stage?"
The old man looked at Wang Lin and said, "I'm getting old. Once I'm hungry, I can't remember anything. I know a good restaurant. How about we talk while we eat?" With that, he licked his lips and his stomach let out a few growls of hunger.
Fortune Restaurant was one of the most luxurious restaurants in the capital. The old man walked in with his chest out.
Eating in the main hall obviously didn't enter the old man's eyes. After he entered, he directly went to a single room. When the waiter saw the old man appear, he looked at Wang Lin with a strange expression and immediately went up to serve him.
Wang Lin frowned. He felt that there was something fishy about this matter.
The old man was clearly very familiar with this restaurant. He ordered a lot of dishes that Wang Lin had never heard of before. The entire table was filled with dishes. The old man acted like he hadn't eaten in a long time as he swept through everything.
Wang Lin didn't say a word as he drank a jug of wine. His gaze occasionally swept over the old man and became colder.
After the old man ate for a while, Wang Lin coldly said, "Speak, I'm all ears."
The old man grabbed a pork knuckle and took a big bite. With an oily face, he said, "This matter can be discussed, it can be discussed. Wait until I finish this pork knuckle."
As the old man spoke, he swallowed the entire pork shoulder in two or three bites. Then, he burped and wiped his hands on his body, saying, "To reach the Spirit Severing stage, you need to comprehend the Heavenly Dao. I think you should have some understanding of this. In addition, if you want to reach the Spirit Severing stage, you must have a kind of Intent Realm. Do you understand Intent Realm?
Young man, understand it well. Once you understand domain, you won't be far from the Soul Formation stage … Um, I need to go to the bathroom. I'll tell you when I come back. "The old man suddenly touched his stomach and stood up with a bitter expression.
As if he was worried that Wang Lin wouldn't let him go, he let out a "pu" sound as he stood up. A stench immediately filled the room.
The old man smiled awkwardly and left in a hurry.
Wang Lin waved his right hand and a gust of wind appeared, blowing away the stench in the room. At the same time, his divine sense followed the old man closely. The old man's series of actions were all very strange, but the Soul Formation stage he mentioned was consistent with what Wang Lin knew. This kind of thing was impossible for mortals to know.
While he was puzzled, Wang Lin's eyes suddenly flashed and he stood up. In his divine sense, he saw the old man leave from the back door of the restaurant with a proud face. After a few steps, he disappeared into the crowd.
Wang Lin's body flashed and disappeared from the restaurant. When he reappeared, he was already outside. His eyes were cold as he leisurely followed behind the old man.
He saw that the old man had changed his clothes and was digging in his mouth for a long time. After digging out a piece of minced meat, he didn't throw it away. Instead, he stuffed it back into his mouth.
While walking, the old man suddenly stopped and looked at a middle-aged man in a purple robe in the distance. His eyes lit up and he smiled as he quickly walked forward.
The middle-aged man seemed to be aware of it. He turned around and frowned at the old man before ignoring him.
At this time, the old man suddenly shouted, "Little brother, I see that your forehead is full and your body is covered in purple light. You are definitely not a mortal."
The middle-aged man was startled and stopped. He turned around to look at the old man with a cold gaze.
The old man revealed a look of pity and shook his head. "Unfortunately, if there is no one to guide me, I'm afraid I won't be able to reach the Core Formation stage in this life."
The middle-aged man's eyes flashed and he asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"
The old man shook his head. "Who I am is not important. How about we find a place to relax and talk while we relax?"
Wang Lin's expression was gloomy. The middle-aged man was also a cultivator, but he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. It was obvious that this old man had learned these words from somewhere and was especially good at tricking cultivators.
However, this old man was still alive, so this matter was not simple. Unless Wang Lin was the first person he had been tricked, this old man wouldn't have been able to live until now.
As an immortal cultivator, he was actually tricked by a mortal. If it was anyone else, they wouldn't let this old man off easily.
Another strange thing was that this old man seemed to be able to see through a cultivator's cultivation. If it was a Foundation Establishment stage, then he would say Core Formation. If it was a Core Formation stage, then he would say Nascent Soul. As for Nascent Soul cultivators like Wang Lin, he would say they were Soul Formation cultivators.
For the entire afternoon, Wang Lin had been staring at the old man. He wanted to see what secrets this old man had.
In the afternoon, the old man had tricked a total of four people, including Wang Lin. The things he tricked were quite interesting. They were all food and drinks, and the most outrageous one was a trip to a brothel.
However, the three of them, including the man in purple, didn't show any signs of wanting to cause trouble for him. It was as if the old man's words had some sort of magical power.
The more Wang Lin watched, the more shocked he became. The old man seemed to know a lot about how to break through to the next cultivation level. Often, with a few simple words, he would be able to enlighten these cultivators.
Because of this, no one thought he was a swindler. Instead, they felt like they had met a senior and were very polite to him.
Gradually, Wang Lin pondered a little and retracted his divine sense. This person was very mysterious. Wang Lin had a feeling that it was best not to provoke this old man.
After Wang Lin retracted his divine sense, the old man was in the brothel with a beautiful woman in his arms. His eyes lit up and he looked in the direction of Wang Lin with a smile that wasn't a smile. Then he muttered to himself, "Nascent soul stage, and mid stage at that. Should I help him?"
While he was pondering, the woman in his arms called out to him. The old man immediately threw Wang Lin to the back of his mind and happily left.
After no longer thinking about the old man, Wang Lin pondered for a while. Then, he found a secluded area in the west of the city and rented a small shop for eight pieces of gold. After tidying it up a bit, he moved in.
If one wanted to reach the Soul Formation stage, one must first become a mortal, experience life, and understand the heavens. This was the method that Wang Lin thought of to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. After calmly looking at the shop, Wang Lin quietly sat in the back of the house and quietly experienced the mortal world.
At this moment, Wang Lin was hiding in the bustling mortal capital. He quietly felt the heavens and the cycle of reincarnation. In order to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and enter the Soul Formation stage, he was making comprehensive preparations.
I am too tired and I owe 1000 words. I will write them in the next few days, please understand.
(To be continued)