Chapter 18

Lin Du had been eating from a rice bowl that had been pressed so much it was deformed for several days, and each meal was followed by a bitter medicinal concoction waiting for her.

Every time Xia Tianwu came out holding that black clay pot, Lin Du couldn’t help but have a vision, fearing that this celestial-looking senior niece would say something like, “The imperial consort insists that the medicine must be completely finished.”

And in the next moment, she would be served a second cup at half price.

After finishing the medicine, a child eagerly watching her would hand over a plate of pastries.

At first, the pastries were crude, like rice cakes where the grains were still visible. But since Lin Du really couldn’t swallow them, they were later replaced with various candies and candied fruits.

The young girl’s cooking skills were much better than her second senior sister’s. In just four or five days, she managed to make some decent-tasting orange-flavored candies.

Lin Du had no complaints, but the system did.

“According to the plot, Ni Jinxuan was supposed to be captured into the Demon Lord’s palace as a slave, and it was only to please the Demon Lord that she began making pastries by hand.”

“Huh? So, what are you saying, that I’m less deserving than that demon lord?”

The system was momentarily at a loss for words. That wasn’t what it meant.

It just felt something was off.

The scent of citrus lingered.

The system shuddered; it remembered that this host was indeed quite experienced…

“You’re not planning to complete the task this way, are you?”

“Relax. Could you think a little better of me? I never play with the feelings of innocent young girls.”

Lin Du smiled slightly. “But it’s not my fault if my charm is too much to handle.”

The system trembled. A woman with a twisted heart like Lin Du’s was truly terrifying.

“In the original plot, you were supposed to follow the Ruthless way.”

“Oh, friend, that Ruthless way is not something to cultivate.”

In a thousand novels, eight hundred characters who try to cultivate the Ruthless way end up failing.

Lin Du clearly had no intention of becoming the eight hundred and first.

“Ice spiritual roots are a great fit for cultivating the Ruthless way.”

“If you send me a good seed, I’ll return it…” Lin Du suddenly fell silent because she saw Jiang Liang standing at a distance outside the door, his figure lonely, as if he was waiting for her.

“Go tell your master, it’s time for you to establish your foundation.”

Lin Du was taken aback. “Now?”

“As soon as possible. This bottle is filled with pills to help you recover after your tribulation.”

Jiang Liang tossed her a small jade bottle, still keeping his back to her, maintaining the air of a wise master.

No one knew that it was actually because he had social anxiety and didn’t want to meet anyone’s gaze.

In the world of cultivation, the first stage, Phoenix Initial Stage, gave mortals a lifespan equivalent to that of ordinary people, but only after establishing a foundation could one surpass these limits and achieve eternal youth.

For Lin Du, only by advancing quickly could she extend her life a bit more.

“I understand. You should’ve told me earlier. I’ve been holding back for half a month now, feeling quite stifled. I’ll establish a foundation tomorrow just to make it exciting for you.”

Lin Du really had been suppressing her progress for a long time.

Jiang Liang smiled helplessly. He knew that Lin Du was lazy and slippery, different from those well-behaved disciples from prestigious families, but her cunning wasn’t unpleasant.

Just as Lin Du was about to leave, she suddenly thought of something. “Why didn’t you just send a message to my master directly?”

Jiang Liang hesitated, lowering his eyes before speaking after a long pause. “The forbidden area of Lou Ze has a formation; it blocks the aura of outsiders.”

Lin Du raised an eyebrow. But when Ju Yuan took her in there, there didn’t seem to be any obstacles.

What were these two old men, who together were over 1,600 years old, playing at?

She was curious but didn’t show it. With a bright smile, she said, “Then it’s my master’s fault. I’ll be off now, thanks, senior brother.”

Lin Du flew on a leaf straight to Lou Ze and conveyed Jiang Liang’s thoughts to her master.

“Why didn’t he tell me himself?” Yan Ye frowned.

“You’re asking me? Maybe his fear of people started because of you?” Lin Du lazily sat across from him.

The person across from her didn’t argue, only chuckled softly. “He’s probably going to have to dig deep into his resources to treat you this time. I have a storage ring here. Just tell him these are some medicinal materials I can’t use and ask if he can make use of them. If not, he can sell them for money.”

The Supreme Sect, known for its many geniuses, quickly consumed pills and rare materials. While ordinary cultivators might struggle to absorb high-grade medicines all at once, this group could easily handle them.

Lin Du accepted the ring and nodded.

“Tomorrow marks three months since you entered the Taoism. Get ready to enter seclusion and establish your foundation.”

“Got it.”

With that, Lin Du turned to head into her cave.

“Lin Du,” Yan Ye suddenly called out to her.

Lin Du turned back to look at the white-haired, muscular man sitting calmly in meditation. “Yes?”

“You can survive the tribulation, can’t you?”

Lin Du smiled. “Who do you take me for? Just wait and see.”

Yan Ye quietly observed his young disciple with his spiritual sense. In just two short months, this child had grown considerably. Her back was straight, and her features were like the strong branches of a pine tree, exuding a natural, wild strength.

He had been holding her back from establishing her foundation because of the dangerous tribulation that would come with it. Given her frail and sickly body at the time, he feared she wouldn’t survive even one bolt of lightning.

But… if she didn’t establish her foundation soon, she wouldn’t live much longer.

They had no choice but to take the risk.

Was Lin Du truly unaware of the danger? She knew.

But she didn’t care.

If fate decrees that I must save others from disaster, yet shows me no mercy, then I’ll leave the job to someone else.

Lin Du entered her cave dwelling, which was extremely simple.

There was only a bed made of eternal ice and a stone table with matching stools—nothing else.

A thief would probably leave a couple of coins out of pity before leaving.

Lin Du sat cross-legged on the icy bed when suddenly, a message appeared in her mind.

[Current progress in the Mo Lin plot: 5%. Reward dropped: Ning Bi Pill ×1. Effect: Delays the host’s heart from collapsing and failing. Duration: Three years.]

She paused. “The plotline on Mo Lin’s side has been completed?”

[Yes. Would you like to view it, host?]

Lin Du nodded, and an image appeared in her mind.

A handsome and sunny young man sat under a tree, with a black-gold staff lying horizontally in front of him. He was holding a book in his hands.

The flickering light of a campfire cast shadows as Mo Lin lowered his head, flipping through the book. His frown deepened with each page, and he turned the pages faster and faster. Finally, with a slap of his hand, spiritual energy roared out like a tiger, exploding in the air and leaving a mist of blood.

As he turned another page, a scream echoed through the dense forest.

“Who dares to ruin my plans? You brat…”

In the next moment, a disheveled yet still alluring female cultivator, who looked pitiful even in her disarray, stumbled towards Mo Lin. Tripping over the stones, she fell with a thud right beside the young man.

She lifted her tear-streaked yet striking face and reached out a trembling hand. “Immortal, you seem to be a righteous disciple. Please save me! They’re from the demonic path and want to capture me as a cultivation vessel.”

The righteous disciple still held the book, frowning before he spoke. “You have no spiritual energy in your body. Clearly, you have blocked meridians. What kind of demonic sect would capture someone with blocked meridians to use as a cultivation vessel? They must be out of their minds.”

The woman: … What kind of righteous disciple would say such a thing to a weak woman?

Mo Lin then picked up his black-gold staff, and hope flared in the woman’s eyes. It didn’t matter if he was a bit dense, as long as he was willing to help.

The dense young man hefted his staff, noted the page number, tucked the book into his robe, and turned to leave.

This was clearly a classic setup from those trickster stories—an immortal being lured into a trap by a beautiful woman. There was no way he was falling for it.