Extraordinary and Unparalleled

Earth-rank high-grade?

Lin Xiao thought to himself, the system rated the Taoyuan Wankong Mantra as A-grade, while Liao Pantu said it was Earth-rank high-grade. Did that mean A-grade corresponded to Earth-rank high-grade in this world?

After pondering for a moment, he asked Liao Pantu:

Senior Liao, could you show me that original mental cultivation method you created?

Hearing this, Liao Pantu directly pulled out his Soul Refining Mantra from his robe and handed it to him:

Here you go. Let me tell you, I am not boasting, but even though my Soul Refining Mantra is not as high-grade as yours, it is still an exceptionally good mental cultivation method. The benefits of my Soul Refining Mantra are...

Lin Xiao did not have time to listen to him brag. He took the Soul Refining Mantra, placed it into his private inventory, and activated the appraisal function.

[Soul Refining Mantra, B-grade mental cultivation method, created by Nascent Soul cultivator Liao Pantu]

Just as I expected.

This Earth-rank low-grade corresponded to B-grade.

Lin Xiao returned the Soul Refining Mantra to Liao Pantu.

Seeing that he did not actually read it and returned it so quickly, Liao Pantu did not say anything and silently took it back.

Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly said:

However, why does your mental cultivation method not require a compatible spiritual root to practice?

Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao were confused. Lin Xiao asked:

What do you mean?

Liao Pantu coughed and explained:

Generally speaking, mental cultivation methods need to be compatible with certain spiritual roots. For example, my Soul Refining Mantra is compatible with my wood-attribute spiritual root. Thus, the cultivation speed for someone with a wood-attribute spiritual root practicing this method is very suitable. But if someone with a different spiritual root tries to practice it, it would be extremely difficult.

But looking at your Taoyuan Wankong Mantra, it does not seem to require any specific spiritual root compatibility at all...

Hearing his doubt, Lin Xiao smiled at him and said:

Senior, our mental cultivation method truly does not require a spiritual root.

Liao Pantu did not quite understand:

Since ancient times, cultivation has always emphasized that the purer the spiritual root, the smoother the path of cultivation. The spiritual root is the medium to communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Not using a spiritual root, this...

Lin Xiao opened the sect member panel to check Liao Pantu's details.

[Name: Liao Pantu]

[Gender: Male]

[Bone Age: 522 years old]

[Aptitude: Extraordinary]

[Cultivation: Mid Nascent Soul stage]

[Sect Status: Outer Sect Disciple (Changeable)]

[Sect Position: None (Changeable)]

Seeing his profile, the first thing Lin Xiao noticed was not his aptitude, but his age.

He was actually 522 years old!

This was the first time Lin Xiao had actually met someone who had lived this long!

Although, in reality, what he was seeing now was just a small fragment of a soul body.

Lin Xiao looked up and glanced at Liao Pantu.

In the past, he would never have imagined even if beaten to death that this senior, who looked to be in his sixties or seventies at most, was actually someone over five hundred years old.

The world of immortal cultivation was truly magical.

However, seeing that his aptitude was Extraordinary, Lin Xiao thought for a moment, pointed at the Taoyuan Wankong Mantra, and said to him:

Senior, do you want to give this mental cultivation method a try?

Hearing this, Liao Pantu immediately picked up the Taoyuan Wankong Mantra, stood up, and said:

Give me a cultivation room, I am going to try it right now!

Lin Xiao rubbed his nose, too embarrassed to tell him that they only had one cultivation room in total. He and Sun Yigao stood up and led him out of the sect hall toward the cultivation room.

Although he had a premonition that this sect was rather shabby, Liao Pantu had not expected it to be this shabby!

So many people were actually squeezing into a single cultivation room to practice at the same time!

But thinking of the mental cultivation method in his hands, Liao Pantu said nothing.

For someone at his level of cultivation, cultivation rooms, sect halls, and sect scale were all worldly possessions.

Only cultivation necessities like mental cultivation methods were what truly mattered.

Thus, under Lin Xiao's introduction, Liao Pantu walked into the cultivation room.

Looking at the group of little kids in the Qi Condensation stage inside, Liao Pantu remained extremely calm.

After all, their sect master and master was just a kid at the eighth level of Qi Condensation.

Having seen this sect, he felt that nothing else could shock him anymore.

Seeing Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao return, everyone was pleasantly surprised.

They crowded around to warmly greet them. It took a while before everyone quieted down at Lin Xiao's signal. Then, after his repeated emphasis and a bunch of psychological preparation, they welcomed the great senior who had newly joined their sect.

...or rather, a fragment of his soul body.

Because Lin Xiao had given everyone a heads-up beforehand, when they saw a wooden figure shaped like the character six walk in, no matter how shocked they were inwardly, they maintained steady expressions.

Then, they held a joyful sect welcoming ceremony.

For a time, the entire Lingxian Sect was filled with harmony and joy.

After temporarily settling Liao Pantu in the cultivation room, Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao finally bid farewell to the group and went down the mountain to return home.

Having not been home for several days, they both felt some concern in their hearts.

Not to mention that faint evil aura that constantly lingered around lately.

Feeling a bit uneasy, the two hurried toward their respective homes.

Lin Xiao did not return to his own house; he went directly to his family's fields.

The sun was just right at this hour, so his dad was definitely busy in the fields, tending to the crops.

Arriving at their fields, he indeed saw Lin Dayou with his head down weeding, while his eldest uncle Lin Dashan and cousin Lin Lei were working hard in the adjacent field.

Lin Xiao thought for a moment and took out a few Water Mist Lotuses he had picked earlier in the secret realm from his private inventory.

This was a purplish-red fruit shaped like a rose apple. It contained a faint trace of spiritual energy; ordinary people eating it would only strengthen their bodies without any side effects.

Moreover, a single one was the size of an adult's fist, seedless, and a single bite would leave a lingering fragrance with abundant juice.

Lin Xiao cast a minor freezing spell on the Water Mist Lotuses in his hands and then walked toward the three of them.

Dad! I am back!

Lin Dayou, who was sweating profusely from working in the field, looked up at the sound and saw his youngest son running toward him, arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye.

He wiped away the sweat dripping from his forehead onto his eyelids and squinted, saying:

If you are back, why don't you hurry home? What are you doing here?

Lin Xiao went straight up and supported his dad, cast a dust removal spell on his hands, stuffed a Water Mist Lotus into his hands, and grinned:

Haven't I missed you after not seeing you for a few days? Here, Dad, hurry and eat this. I picked it in that secret realm, it is delicious!

Feeling the slight chill coming from the fruit in his hands, Lin Dayou raised his hand to look at it. Seeing its bright red color and appealing appearance, he brought it to his mouth and took a big bite.

Hiss—so fragrant!

Lin Dayou only felt an abundance of juice flowing in his mouth, the fragrance spreading between his lips and teeth. The fruit's flesh was slightly crisp, yet the texture was incredibly light and fluffy.

Coupled with its slight icy coolness.

In this scorching field, the exhaustion of labor seemed to be instantly dispelled by this chill.

In just a few bites, Lin Dayou devoured the entire Water Mist Lotus into his stomach.