Chapter 166: Master Lingji

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At that moment, Liang Qiuyang, who was standing nearby, seemed to think of something. He turned to Lin Le and said, “Mr. Lin, there is something I should perhaps tell you first.”

“Oh? What is it?” Lin Le asked.

“There is a rumor circulating in the martial world that the master of the Divine Elixir Sect is apparently a successor of the Inner Daoist School.” A trace of apprehension entered Liang Qiuyang’s voice as he said this.

Clearly, Liang Qiuyang was bringing this up to warn Lin Le about the Divine Elixir Sect’s strength. He did not want Lin Le to provoke them if it could be avoided.

“Someone from the Inner Daoist School?” Lin Le was taken aback. He had assumed that the so-called Divine Elixir Sect was probably nothing more than a group of mediocre occult practitioners from the martial world. He had never expected them to have such formidable origins.

Yet Lin Le was also puzzled.

As far as he knew, the Inner Daoist School had strict rules governing its disciples and all its members. Under ordinary circumstances, they were not permitted to interfere lightly in the world of ordinary people outside their school.

That was because every member of the Inner Daoist School possessed extraordinary abilities. Even the slightest disturbance caused by one of them in the outside world could trigger tremendous upheaval and very likely draw the intervention of relevant government agencies. Such a thing would be highly detrimental to the Inner Daoist School as a whole.

Although the members of the Inner Daoist School were indeed immensely powerful, they were far fewer in number than the people of the outside world. Moreover, the special institutions and departments in the outside world were not to be underestimated. Relying on advanced modern technology, they were still capable of contending with the great adepts of the Inner Daoist School.

The Nine Provinces Bureau, where Lin Le had once served, was one such special department.

In truth, there was more than just the Nine Provinces Bureau among special organizations of this kind throughout the world.

The Eagle of Liberty from America and the Red Shield Sixth Division from the British Isles were both special agencies capable of standing alongside China’s Nine Provinces Bureau. Their very existence was intended to restrain extraordinary forces such as China’s Inner Daoist School and the Shadow Ninja Way of Japan.

For this reason, members of the Inner Daoist School would not enter the outside world unless absolutely necessary. A single careless act could result in them being hunted down by one of those special departments.

To say nothing of a sect like the Divine Elixir Sect, which had brazenly established itself and acted with such fanfare in the outside world. Such behavior was practically suicidal.

Thus, the moment Liang Qiuyang mentioned all this, Lin Le almost immediately concluded that the rumors about the Divine Elixir Sect being connected to the Inner Daoist School were probably exaggerated.

At that moment, Ji Xiaorui, who was standing nearby, asked curiously, “Master, what exactly is this Inner Daoist School you’re talking about? Is it similar to the Inner Martial Arts School?”

Ji Xiaorui was merely a martial artist and knew little about Daoism.

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“The nature of the two is more or less similar. However, the Inner Daoist School is far more powerful than the Inner Martial Arts School. As far as I know, many of the great adepts within the Inner Daoist School are even stronger than martial arts experts who have reached the Profound Connection realm.” Lin Le calmly explained this world to Ji Xiaorui.

Lin Le suddenly realized that he might be a rather negligent master. Ji Xiaorui had, after all, already become his disciple, yet he had taught her nothing—not even explained the affairs of the martial world to her.

He secretly resolved that he would have to devote more effort to this little girl in the future. Otherwise, given her naturally troublesome temperament, if she went out and got into a fight only to lose, would that not make him look extremely bad?

“Profound Connection? You mean a Great Grandmaster of the Profound Realm?!” Ji Xiaorui was utterly stunned. Her clear, limpid eyes opened wide, making her look especially adorable.

It was no wonder she was so shocked. To a martial artist like Ji Xiaorui, a Great Grandmaster of the Profound Realm was practically a figure from mythology, an existence of almost legendary stature.

“People from the Inner Daoist School are actually even more powerful than Great Grandmasters of the Profound Realm? That’s unbelievable!” Ji Xiaorui exclaimed in astonishment.

“Exactly. So if you ever happen to run into someone from the Inner Daoist School, you’d better keep your head down. Otherwise, you may not even know how you died,” Lin Le warned, deliberately frightening her.

“I’m not afraid. Besides, I still have you, Master!” Ji Xiaorui flashed a mischievous smile with her charming, doll-like face and took the opportunity to flatter him.

Liang Qiuyang, standing nearby, sighed inwardly. He wondered what the girl would think if she learned that her master was actually a genuine member of the Inner Daoist School. She would probably be even more excited.

Only Qi Sheng looked utterly bewildered as he listened to Lin Le and the others discuss the Inner Daoist School, the Inner Martial Arts School, Profound Connection, the Profound Realm, and the like. Yet in his heart, he found Lin Le even more unfathomable.

Then Lin Le suddenly remembered something else and said, “Master Liang, I never expected you to know so much about the Divine Elixir Sect.”

A bitter smile immediately appeared on Liang Qiuyang’s face.

“Mr. Lin, to be honest, I once tried to contact people from the Divine Elixir Sect because I wanted to return to the Dao. That is why I know so much about them. I even saw the face of their sect master from a distance.”

“Oh?” Lin Le had not expected Liang Qiuyang to have had such dealings with the Divine Elixir Sect.

“I’m rather curious. What kind of person is the master of the Divine Elixir Sect?” Lin Le asked.

“The master of the Divine Elixir Sect is known by the Daoist name Lingji, and is called Perfected Lingji. Although I only saw him from afar that day and never spoke to him directly, from what I observed, Perfected Lingji does possess some genuine abilities.” Liang Qiuyang spoke honestly.

Lin Le nodded. This did not surprise him in the slightest.

After all, the capital was a place where dragons and crouching tigers abounded. If Perfected Lingji had possessed no real ability and were merely a fraud, he would have been exposed long ago and would never have attracted so many devoted followers.

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“However, Master Liang, if Perfected Lingji truly possesses genuine abilities, why didn’t you ask him to restore your spiritual root back then?” Lin Le asked, puzzled.

“That… I’m honestly not entirely sure myself.” Liang Qiuyang shook his head.

“At the time, I went to great lengths to make the acquaintance of an elder of the Divine Elixir Sect. I told them about my situation and hoped that Perfected Lingji would be willing to help me. But afterward, that elder told me that their sect master had refused outright. He even told me never to approach the Divine Elixir Sect again. The way they acted was practically as though they were guarding against a thief.” Liang Qiuyang spoke with resentment.

Yet Liang Qiuyang now felt somewhat fortunate. Thankfully, he had been cautious and had not truly believed Perfected Lingji. Otherwise, he might have handed the Chaos-Heaven Furnace over to him. In that case, how could he ever have had the chance to meet a true master of immense supernatural abilities like Lin Le?

After hearing Liang Qiuyang’s account, Lin Le sneered inwardly. It seemed that the reason Perfected Lingji had refused to meet Liang Qiuyang was most likely because he had a guilty conscience. Perhaps he was afraid of exposing himself in front of Liang Qiuyang, or worried that Liang Qiuyang might set a trap for him. That was why he had refused to meet him.

At that moment, Qi Sheng said worriedly, “Mr. Lin, why don’t you leave for now? The people from the Divine Elixir Sect should already be on their way. They may arrive at any moment. If they happen to run into you here, things could become troublesome.”

Although Qi Sheng had earlier claimed that it would be fine, he was clearly still extremely wary of the Divine Elixir Sect.

“All right. Then we won’t impose on you any longer, Boss Qi,” Lin Le replied, understanding his meaning.

“What about the payment?” Lin Le asked.

They had been so occupied discussing the Divine Elixir Sect that he had not yet paid Qi Sheng the ten million for the thousand-year-old lingzhi.

“You can transfer the money to me after you get back, Mr. Lin. It’s nothing urgent.” Qi Sheng spoke with complete trust.

After their brief encounter, Qi Sheng had already judged Lin Le’s character and believed that he would never default on a debt. Besides, Teacher Jia had vouched for him, so there was nothing to worry about.

The only thing Qi Sheng wanted now was for Lin Le and the others to leave as soon as possible. The people from the Divine Elixir Sect were simply far beyond his ability to provoke.