Immortal Taoist

As the blinding light receded, the light around Meng Lin and Ruan Lee slowly began to reform, though the aftermath of the old man's attack had left the sky shaking, crackling with a residual shockwave.

Meng Lin opened her eyes cautiously, her heart still racing from the overwhelming display of power.

Below them, the island where the monstrous beast had once stood was now a gaping black void. The surrounding ocean water rushed inward to fill the void, creating a swirling vortex of crashing waves.

Meng Lin glanced over at Ruan Lee, who had a pale face and sweat on his forehead. He was clearly shaken, barely able to comprehend the destruction he had just witnessed.

The old man, on the other hand, stood calmly in the air, his expression cold and unreadable. His eyes, still glowing with a myriad of colors, scanned the void beneath him as if searching for any remaining traces of the beast.

But there were none.

The tension in Meng Lin’s body slowly began to ease, but a lingering sense of dread remained. The sheer magnitude of power displayed by the old man was beyond anything she had ever experienced.

It made her realize just how small she was in the grand scheme of things, how far she had to go to truly stand among the strongest; it ignited her ambition once more.

Just as she thought the danger had passed, the old man's voice cut through the air once again, this time quieter, more calming.

"That was but a fragment, a splinter of its consciousness," he said, his tone laced with frustration. "The real entity… dwells within the Primal Sea, far beyond the reach of most cultivators."

Meng Lin's eyes widened in shock. That creature... was only a fragment?

She couldn't believe it. The monster that had nearly killed her and wreaked havoc on the continent was not even at its full power? The thought alone was terrifying.

"Palace Master," Meng Lin's voice broke the silence as she floated closer, her expression still tense but more composed. "What is that creature?"

The old man remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the void where the beast had once been. His eyes, still swirling with a myriad of colors, narrowed slightly as if considering her words.

"A remnant of ancient times," he finally said, his voice filled with weariness. "A beast born from the chaos of the Primal Sea, where all sorts of monstrosities reside, seven centuries ago, this fragment appeared on this continent, wrecking havoc before being sealed by the Immortal Pavilion."

Ruan Lee, having calmed down, finally spoke, his voice determined. "The Primal Sea? If that was only a fragment, how can anyone stand against it?"

The Palace Master glanced at him, a flicker of amusement returning to his cold eyes. "Few can. That’s why it doesn't dare to show its actual form. This beast is only one of the dangers lurking within the Primal Sea; it's not special."

The old man turned then, his gaze settling on Ruan Lee. "You," he said, his voice deep with an unspoken command. "I sense a Dao Mandate on your body."

Ruan Lee blinked, clearly taken aback. "A Dao Mandate...?"

The old man nodded slowly. "When cultivators reach the Ascension Realm, they unlock their Dao Mandate, granting them unique divine abilities. If you unlock yours now, by the time you reach the Ascension Realm, you could be one of the most powerful cultivators in the realm."

The weight of the old man's words hung in the air, and Meng Lin felt the implications. She couldn't help but wonder about this junior brother of hers.

"Will you be my disciple?" the old man asked Ruan Lee, his voice echoing with authority.

Ruan Lee’s eyes widened in astonishment, clearly flattered and overwhelmed by the offer. He glanced at Meng Lin, unsure of what to do, but she simply nodded. This was a chance not to be missed, and if she were in his place, she would take it.

"Yes, I will," Ruan Lee replied, bowing his head, determination igniting in his eyes.

A flicker of approval crossed the old man’s features. "Good. And you, Meng Lin," he said, turning toward her. "I shall not interfere with your matters, but tread carefully when you leave the boundaries of this Blood Realm."

"I'll take you back now," the old man said, extending his hand toward Meng Lin. But she quickly stopped him, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"I don’t want to go back to the sect," she said firmly. The thought of Senior Sister Liu still lurking within the sect filled her with unease. She had no intention of walking back into that.

The old man studied her for a moment, his expression inscrutable. "Very well, then we shall take our leave."

Ruan Lee, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth to say something but in the end couldn't voice his thoughts. "Take care, Senior Sister Meng," he finally managed.

Meng Lin nodded, "You as well," she said as the old man extended his hand, causing the air to shimmer around them. The two warped in space and disappeared, leaving Meng Lin alone in the sky.

Meng Lin sighed, slightly relieved that the old man had left before anything else happened. Even now, there was anxiety gnawing at her, showing on her very fatigued face.

The events of the past few hours had been overwhelming, from the peak-stage beast’s attack to her fights with both Wei Wei and her Senior Sister Liu, to her death and resurrection, and the unexpected encounter with the Palace Master, or rather Xiao Luan, the man her master wanted revenge on.

Luckily she had taken everything from her villa before she left for the ancient spirit pool realm, as for the girls within her villa, she had stored them within her inventory in the unlikely case that Senior Sister Liu would use them against her, it has all worked out in the end.

Looking down at the emptiness of the void below, Meng Lin was reminded of the fragility of her situation. She had narrowly survived, but she was nowhere near strong enough to face such beings on her own.

Her cultivation journey, while progressing steadily, had shown her just how vast and dangerous the world could be, especially with ancient beings like the one she had just witnessed.

Still, her determination surged within her. She wouldn’t allow herself to be overwhelmed by fear. The presence of powerful beings like the old man and creatures from the Primal Sea only meant that the potential for growth in this cultivation world was high. She had come far, but she had much further to go.

“The remnant of the Levitation Sect and the Yuan Kingdom are a few hours to the south of here...” Meng Lin murmured to herself, recalling her earlier moments here in the Scattered Islands Region.

"Master," Meng Lin turned her gaze southward, her thoughts briefly drifting to her master, Li Ya.

After a moment of no response, Meng Lin gave up, thinking that her master was either being cautious and choosing not to speak for now or was in a deep dormant state.

Meng Lin took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts and focusing on the next steps of her journey. The encounters she'd had today made it clear that she couldn't afford to relax.

For now, she needed to recuperate and digest the experience and items she received from the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm. Without wasting any more time, she flew southward, her figure a blur as she raced through the sky, her mind sharp and focused.

After several minutes of flying, she spotted an island in the distance. It stood out against the vast ocean, a small piece of land surrounded by rough, crashing waves.

As she approached, Meng Lin noticed two novice Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators fighting against a rank 2 mid-stage beast.

The sight made her remember how this place used to be crawling with such beasts. It appeared that most of the beasts had been dealt with across the continent, with only a few left roaming the Scattered Islands Region.

Meng Lin shook her head slightly, remembering her early days of cultivation when such beasts would have posed a challenge. But now, they barely registered as a threat to her.

She hovered for a moment, watching the two struggling cultivators. They fought valiantly, but it was clear they were on the verge of exhaustion. A single misstep could cost them their lives.

For a brief moment, Meng Lin considered stepping in to help, but quickly discarded the thought. Intervening now wouldn’t benefit her, and she needed to replenish her energy.

"I can't afford distractions," she murmured to herself.

With a flick of her sleeve, she vanished into the sky once more, leaving the two cultivators to fend for themselves. Not long after, she found a secluded section of the island—an uninhabited, rocky corner that would be perfect for a temporary cave.

With a few swift hand movements, she carved out a small 10-meter-long cave into the side of a jagged cliff and entered it.

Once inside, she placed the Soul Confusion Array at the entrance and took out some illumination stones before sitting cross-legged in the center of the cave, her mind focusing inward.

She waved her hand, drawing several pills from out of nowhere—spiritual replenishment pills, along with a few recovery elixirs.

She popped them in her mouth and began to circulate her qi, her thoughts blank as she allowed herself a rare moment of stillness.

The medicinal power of the pills flowed through her spiritual veins, rapidly restoring her depleted qi and healing the minor injuries she had sustained from the earlier attack by the old man. Her breathing slowed, her body relaxing as the fatigue slowly lifted, and her spiritual energy grew more stable.

**Sixteen Hours Later**

Meng Lin slowly opened her eyes. Her vision clear and her spiritual consciousness spread, she scanned the entire island in an instant.

To her surprise, she saw the two novice cultivators seated near the center of the island, healing their wounds and replenishing their qi. It seemed that they were able to deal with the beast.

Nevertheless she didn't pay attention to them, she called out to the system, feeling her cultivation base slightly more consolidated, the effects of the recovery process stronger than she had anticipated.

[Meng Lin]

[Soul Wondering Stage (Middle)]

[Experience points: 1>6%]

System coin: 1080

Immortal Jade: 3

Taoist Gacha wheel:for  unavailable

Spiritual Roots: [Water > Fire > Gold > Wood > Earth]

Variant Elemental Qi: [Mud] [Erosion] [Water] [Darkness] [Fire] [Gold 13.8>20%]

[Heavenly Dao]

[Death]  

[Comprehension 0.02>0.06%]

Main Cultivation Method: [Elemental Qi Convergence Method]

Side Cultivation Methods: [Basic Qi Gathering] [Formless Cultivation Method] [Brute Vortex Cultivation Method] [Black Tortoise Essence Art, 5th Layer] [Imperial Water Art]

Techniques: [Celestial Moonlit Sword Art] [Hundred Unity Techniques] [Wrath of Thunder] [Physique Cleansing Sutra] [Vital Essence Exchange]

Secret Techniques: [Stellar Soul Shield]

Skills: [Immortal Flesh]

Ancient Spirit Seal: Crimson Tortoise Dragon

[Market] [Blacksmith] [Alchemy] [Daily Mission]

Meng Lin sat in silence, taking in the system's updates. Her cultivation had progressed steadily, and though the increase seemed small, it felt substantial in her current state.

Her spiritual qi had become more refined, and the Gold Elemental Qi had grown noticeably stronger. Even her comprehension of the Heavenly Dao of Death had increased ever so slightly.

Her gaze lingered on the Death Comprehension. She wondered if she had to die every time for it to increase; she noticed how it had not just increased by 0.02 percent like when she revived through the Immortal Flesh skill, but rather by 0.04 percent, perhaps because both her soul and her body had been destroyed and resurrected.

It was still a long way from mastery, but now she felt that if she were to focus on the Dao of Death, she could glimpse or understand some things better than before. If she were to intently meditate on it, then she could definitely achieve something from it.

She took out all the items that she got from the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm and began to look through them, first starting with the seven scrolls she had taken in haste.

Meng Lin carefully unfolded the first scroll, its intricate symbols shimmering in the cave's dim light. After, she went over the characters of each scroll for several hours, deciphering them one by one.

The first scroll, *Power of Elements and Spatial Boundaries*, explores the origins of spiritual elements and offers insights into its many different uses, even in everyday life.

It also talks about the spatial boundaries, phenomenons that have not been completely understood and its connection to the Primal Sea.

The second scroll, titled *Strange Tales of Man .5*, recounted the journey of an ancient cultivator who mastered Thunder Elemental Qi and founded a powerful sect.

His greatest achievement was a technique called Searing Thunder Art. He reached the Peak of Nascent Soul Realm and died in a fight against another cultivator, leaving a lasting legacy.

The third scroll, *Taoist Theory .2*, was dense with theories about inner demons, heavenly tribulations, and meridian cultivation, providing the harms and benefits to the body.

The next three scrolls, *Gold Core Experience*, *Flesh Refining Experience*, and *Breakthrough Experience*, offered insights into the understanding of the mentioned titles, and for one to navigate their paths.

It was the last scroll that caused her to finally show a reaction.

*Anuttara Scroll .5*. This scroll spoke of the interconnection of existence and the deeper understanding required for true cultivation.

In the end was a technique called the Void Reflection Technique, allowing one to project their spiritual consciousness into the void and create a temporary clone.

This clone had 20 percent of their power and could explore or engage in combat, channeling elemental qi and mimicking almost all the original's abilities.

Excitement surged within her; this technique perfectly complemented her. She envisioned its strategic potential, especially against formidable opponents.

However, she realized something: the system had not shown any panels asking her if she wished to learn the technique. Meng Lin wondered why.

Rereading through the technique, Meng Lin realized that mastering it would require intense meditation and a profound understanding of her spiritual consciousness.

She sighed, realizing that she might have to stay on this island way longer than she originally thought, at once she began contemplating the Void Reflection Technique.