The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 143 I wish to be a pair of wings in the sky and a pair of branches on the ground.

In front of the thatched hut, Lin Jiao stood quietly, looking at Lin Xiao who was cultivating from afar, a glint of joy in her eyes: "Brother Lin Xiao, congratulations on your advancement to the Second Jiayin Realm again! This will increase our chances of winning against the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord."

Lin Xiao heard the familiar voice and stopped practicing. He slowly exhaled, turned around and smiled, "It's going pretty well, but I've also heard some news about the Ancient Tree Spirit Venerable these past few days. It's said that it has already broken through to the ninth level of transformation."

"what!"

Lin Jiao was stunned, her brows furrowed, and her tone was filled with undisguised shock: "A month ago, it was only at the eighth level of transformation. I didn't expect it to improve so quickly."

"Yeah, it's incredible." Lin Xiao said solemnly, and added hesitantly, "Why don't we take a long-term view? After all, the opponent's strength is beyond our expectations."

Lin Jiao stared at Lin Xiao's expression and found that his eyes flickered a little. His tone was a little doubtful: "Brother Lin Xiao, are you avoiding entering the ancient forest with me again?"

Lin Xiao's heart trembled, and he forced a smile and said, "Really? No, you're overthinking it."

But Lin Jiao's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, staring directly into Lin Xiao's, as if to see through his thoughts. Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel a little uneasy under her gaze, and finally sighed helplessly and dropped his disguise.

"You're right." He spoke slowly in a low voice, "I really don't want to take you on any more risks. You'll be heading to Tianshu Academy in a month, a place where many geniuses gather. If you get hurt again now, it will be very detrimental to your path of cultivation."

Lin Jiao was slightly startled, then smiled softly and said, "I know you are doing this for my own good, but..."

After a moment of contemplation, she solemnly proposed, "Let's make a pact. When I return from Tianshu Academy, my strength will undoubtedly increase significantly. Then, we can venture into the ancient forest together. How about that?"

Lin Xiao sensed the determination in her eyes and nodded, "Okay, it's a deal!"

Lin Jiao smiled brightly, held out her pinky finger, and like a child, offered Lin Xiao a pinky promise. "Then let's make a pinky promise. No one is allowed to go back on their word."

Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and hooked his pinky finger with hers. "Okay, it's a deal!"

The two people's fingertips were tightly clasped together, as if at this moment, their destinies were intertwined.

Lin Jiao looked at Lin Xiao deeply, as if she wanted to engrave his appearance in her heart, and then said, "Brother Lin Xiao, if you have anything in the future, you must tell me directly. No need to beat around the bush."

Lin Xiao smiled awkwardly: "I thought too much this time. I will say it directly next time." After the two chatted for a while, Lin Jiao went down the mountain. Before leaving, Lin Xiao asked her to visit Wang Yiming.

Watching her figure gradually walking away, Lin Xiao sighed heavily, returned to the cave, sat cross-legged on the stone platform, and entered the state of cultivation again.

The energy in his body flowed slowly, he closed his eyes, and immersed himself in the mystery of "The Art of the Boundless Sea of ​​Mind".

In the blink of an eye, another month passed, and Lin Jiao's last day at the Feng Shui Academy quietly arrived.

In the evening, the mountains were crimson and the clouds were like fire. Lin Jiao arrived at the back mountain as promised, her expression filled with reluctance and a hint of separation.

The two of them sat quietly by the well, their shadows stretched out in the afterglow of the sunset. Lin Jiao leaned gently on Lin Xiao's shoulder, not saying a word for a long time, as if enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.

"Brother Lin Xiao, let me tell you a story." Lin Jiao broke the silence, her voice as soft as the wind.

"Okay, I'd like to hear your good story." Lin Xiao responded with a smile and turned his head to look at her.

Lin Jiao pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "In a small village by the Yellow River, there lived a boy named Liu Sheng and a girl named Huang Ying. They met because of their shared love for birds and soon fell in love. However, due to their disparate social status, their love was strongly disapproved of by Mr. Huang."

Lin Jiao's voice was tinged with sadness as she continued, "Yūsei was eventually severely beaten by Mr. Huang's servants and thrown into the surging Yellow River. Huang Ying rushed to the scene, but it was too late. She was distraught, weeping until her heart broke, and eventually, from excessive grief, she vomited blood and died. At the moment she collapsed, a small bird with a missing right wing leaped from her heart. And in the Yellow River, a small bird with a missing left wing also flew out of Yosei's heart."

"They met by the Yellow River, as if they were destined to be together. The two little birds merged together, turned into a complete lovebirds, flew into the sky, and never separated again." Lin Jiao said softly, with a faint light in her eyes.

"Is there another poem?" After Lin Xiao finished listening to Lin Jiao's story about the lovebirds, a familiar poem emerged in his mind, and he couldn't help but ask.

"What poem?" Lin Jiao raised her head curiously, her eyes sparkling like stars.

Lin Xiao recited softly: "In the sky, I wish to be a pair of wings, and on the ground, I wish to be a pair of branches."

Lin Jiao was stunned for a moment, then softly repeated the poem: "I wish to be a pair of wings in the sky, and a pair of branches on the ground..." Her voice was filled with infinite yearning and admiration, as if these two lines of poetry had touched the depths of her heart and made it extremely soft.

"It's so well written." Lin Jiao sighed softly, looking at Lin Xiao gently.

The sky gradually darkened and the moonlight quietly fell on the mountains.

The two of them sat in silence, just quietly enjoying this brief tranquility. It was not until night fell that Lin Xiao got up and escorted Lin Jiao down the mountain.

They walked along the winding path in silence. Lin Xiao felt a strong sense of reluctance to leave for some reason, but he knew that Lin Jiao's departure to Tianshu Academy was her inevitable fate.

When they reached the fork in the road, Lin Jiao suddenly stopped and turned to look at Lin Xiao.

A hint of determination flashed in her eyes, and then she stood on tiptoe and gently kissed the corner of Lin Xiao's lips. At that moment, Lin Xiao felt his mind go blank and he stood there in a daze.

Lin Jiao's cheeks flushed slightly, but she still smiled: "Brother Lin Xiao, I will wait for you at Tianshu Academy."

After saying that, she turned around and left quickly, as if she was afraid that if she stayed any longer she would be reluctant to leave.

Lin Xiao looked at her back as she walked away, feeling mixed emotions.

After a moment, he secretly made up his mind: "I, Lin Xiao, must go to Tianshu Academy! Wait for me!" Then he turned around and returned to the cave in the back mountain, continuing to practice with concentration and improve his realm.

The next morning, at dawn, Lin Xiao got up early, ate some dry food, and hurried to the main hall.

Today was the day Lin Jiao set off for Tianshu Academy. The headmaster would activate a teleportation array in front of the main hall, sending her on her new journey of cultivation.

When Lin Xiao rushed to the main hall, he saw Liu Yi, Wang Hao, Yuan Hong, and Senior Brother Lin Qing and others surrounding Lin Jiao, bidding her their final farewell.

Lin Jiao had a gentle smile on her face and listened to their instructions patiently.

"Sister Lin Jiao, you must take good care of yourself when you arrive at Tianshu Academy. We are not afraid of trouble, but we also don't cause trouble." Liu Yi said reluctantly.

"We will miss you." Wang Hao added reluctantly with red eyes.

Lin Jiao smiled and nodded, gently patted the heads of the three of them, and comforted them in a gentle voice: "You also have to practice well and wait for me to come back."

Lin Qing stood aside, and although he didn't say much, he was deeply concerned: "Take care."

"Yeah." Lin Jiao responded softly, her eyes gentle, but her heart was filled with melancholy of parting.

As time went by, the elders arrived one after another.

Elder Xuantian appeared with Zhang Ning. The two exchanged glances with Lin Xiao. Although no words were exchanged, there was a hidden ripple of emotion. Lin Xiao didn't want to get entangled with them, so he stood quietly aside.

Soon, the door of the hall slowly opened and people walked in one after another.

On the high platform in the center of the hall, the Sect Master and Senior Brother Ye Xuan were already in place. Everyone saluted and then stood on either side, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The headmaster waved his whisk, chanted a spell, and formed a seal with one hand. Then a blue light bloomed from his hand.

The spiritual light spread rapidly, and the space ahead seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force. A portal slowly formed, through which the scene on the other side could be vaguely seen.

The head of the sect looked at Lin Jiao with reluctance in his eyes: "Lin Jiao, once you step through this door, you will be able to reach Tianshu Academy directly. Taoist Siqi is waiting there."

Lin Jiao took a deep breath, knelt on both knees, and kowtowed to the headmaster three times solemnly: "Disciple is grateful for the teachings of Feng Shui Academy. When I achieve success in my cultivation in the future, I will never forget my teacher's kindness."

The headmaster nodded and sighed, "Remember, don't forget your original intention." His eyes were kind, but concealed a hint of reluctance.

Lin Jiao stood up and waved goodbye to everyone.

She walked up to Lin Xiao, hugged him gently, and whispered softly in his ear: "Brother Lin Xiao, you must take good care of yourself. I will wait for you at Tianshu Academy."

Lin Xiao's heart trembled, feeling her warmth, he couldn't help but nodded gently: "Wait for me! !"

Lin Jiao said no more, resolutely turned around, and stepped into the portal. With a dazzling light, the portal instantly closed, and the entire hall returned to silence.

Elder Xuantian and Zhang Ning looked at each other, with a hint of joy in their eyes.

The headmaster sighed, waved his sleeves and said, "Today's ceremony is over, everyone can go."

Everyone obeyed the order and left the hall. Lin Xiao walked side by side with Lin Qing and the others, but the thought of Lin Jiao's departure still lingered in his mind.

"The master just cut open the space. Is that a portal?" Wang Hao asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Lin Xiao nodded, but his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was also thinking about the mystery.

At this time, Senior Brother Ye Xuan slowly stepped down from the central platform and explained, "It's a teleportation portal. Our Feng Shui Academy is located in a remote corner of Yunyin Lingzhou, while Tianshu Academy is in the heart of Yunyin Lingzhou, over 100,000 kilometers apart. If we rely on physical skills to travel, it will take at least ten years to arrive."

"Then why can the master teleport instantly?" Liu Yi couldn't help but ask.

Ye Xuan smiled faintly and patiently replied, "The Sect Master used a secret technique to split the space and form a portal. This is a spell that consumes a lot of spiritual energy. Meanwhile, Taoist Siqi was also performing a secret technique on the other side of the space, establishing a connection at the other end. This eliminated any deviation in the space transmission, ensuring that Lin Jiao could reach Tianshu Academy without error."

Hearing this, Lin Xiao finally let go of the heavy burden in his heart and breathed a sigh of relief: "Now I can rest assured."

After hearing Ye Xuan's explanation, everyone nodded in relief. Lin Jiao was relieved to have such thoughtful arrangements for her first trip.

Ye Xuan looked around and saw that no one had any objections, so she waved her hand and said, "If you have nothing else to do, please go back and practice. I have something to say to Lin Xiao alone."

"Yes, Senior Brother." Liu Yi, Wang Hao, and the others said goodbye to Ye Xuan and Lin Xiao, then turned and left. The hall suddenly fell silent, leaving only Ye Xuan and Lin Xiao.

"Brother, what do you want me to do?" Seeing that there was no one else around, Lin Xiao asked directly.

Ye Xuan looked at Lin Xiao, her expression gentle yet solemn. "Before she left, Lin Jiao specifically told me that after she left, her Zen temple would be left to you. She also told me that if you ever want to go into the Ancient Forest alone, you must notify me and go with me. She said she doesn't believe in the pink pact you two made."

Hearing this, Lin Xiao's lips curled up slightly, and he couldn't help but think of Lin Jiao's stubborn yet gentle appearance. He chuckled and said, "It seems she understands me very well. Brother, don't worry. If I really want to go to the Ancient Forest, I will definitely go with you."

Seeing that he agreed, Ye Xuan felt relieved, but she still warned him seriously, "Remember, don't act on your own. She entrusted these words to me, so I must ensure your safety."

"I understand, senior brother. Then I will go to her Zen temple first." After Lin Xiao thanked her, he said goodbye to Ye Xuan and walked straight to Lin Jiao's Zen temple.

The temple was still pristine, as if Lin Jiao had cleaned it before leaving. The garden within the courtyard was filled with colorful flowers, swaying in the breeze and emitting a faint fragrance.

The Zen room was still in perfect order, with a clean, flat bed and a simple, rustic desk. On the desk lay three scrolls, attracting Lin Xiao's attention.

Lin Xiao reached out curiously, gently picking up a scroll, then carefully unfolded it. Inside, a picture of his innocent six-year-old self appeared. The brushstrokes were delicate and vivid, as if freezing a childhood memory.

Then, he unfolded the remaining two scrolls one by one. One was a picture of himself at the age of seven, still a little immature, while the other was a picture of himself at the age of sixteen, already beginning to show his heroic spirit.

He stared at the portraits of himself at different ages for a long time. His heart was like a pot of mixed feelings, his thoughts surged like the tide, and he couldn't help but sigh.

It turned out that during the time when he was unaware, she had been silently expressing her endless longing for him through these paintings!

After gazing in the quiet Zen room for an unknown amount of time, Lin Xiao finally came to his senses. He lowered his head slightly and whispered softly, "Silly girl, just wait for me at Tianshu Academy. I will surely break through all obstacles and come find you soon."

At the same time, he secretly made an iron determination in his heart to unravel the secrets behind the Shadow Monkey King and the mysterious map within the limited time of this year.

Then, he carefully put away the scroll, because he felt that the tranquil atmosphere of the Zen temple did not quite match his somewhat rough temperament. The quietness of the back mountain could calm his mind better, so he planned to take the scroll back to the back mountain and put it away properly.

So, Lin Xiao found Ye Xuan, told her all his thoughts and reasons, and sincerely asked Ye Xuan to arrange for disciples to take good care of Lin Jiao's Zen temple all year round, and then turned around and returned to the back mountain.

He held his breath and concentrated, slowly injecting a weak strand of his own energy that contained his own aura into the scroll to prevent mosquitoes from invading, and then gently placed it into the secret compartment of the stone platform. Only then did he return to the platform to sit in meditation and practice.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight fell on the back mountain, Lin Xiao slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was deep as he murmured to himself, "Now is the time to resolutely rush to the middle layer of the Desolate Ancient Forest to meet the renowned Ancient Tree Spirit Lord and test his true strength."

After saying this, he stood up, jumped off the stone platform with a nimble figure, walked steadily into the cave, and simply took some food.