Mortal: Fairy Song Yu has issued you a task.

Chapter 40 Dual Cultivation in the Ancient Temple

The burly man left the restaurant, wandered through the streets and alleys, and finally turned into a quiet alley, pushing open the door to an inconspicuous courtyard.

In the courtyard, a petite and sweet-looking woman approached: "Xu Lang, how did it go? Did those two fish take the bait?"

The woman who spoke was also at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

The burly man surnamed Xu, who had previously identified himself as Pei Meng, shook his head: "Those two are quite shrewd."

"Shall we look for other targets?"

"Sister Ruan, we can't give up now. Young masters from noble families already possess magical artifacts and talismans, and they've only just encountered two Foundation Establishment cultivators. That girl is clearly a direct descendant of a noble family, so she probably doesn't have much experience in combat; the man beside her is likely a guard or attendant. If we can take him down first, we'll have more than enough!"

Upon hearing this, the woman surnamed Ruan's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "In that case, have 'Grey Feather Falcon' keep a close eye on them. In a couple of days, when they've lowered their guard, we'll ambush them!"

……

As soon as Lin Jingchu and Song Yu stepped out of the city gate, they summoned the Azure Winged Boat and sped eastward. Although they did not spread their wings and fly at full speed, they did not stop for a moment. Only when the sun was setting and the moon was beginning to appear did they slow down.

After a day of continuous travel by boat, Lin Jingchu could not hide the fatigue on his face.

Song Yu took out a bottle of pills: "These are Spirit Restoration Pills. Taking them will quickly replenish your spiritual energy and relieve fatigue."

Lin Jingchu was no stranger to this pill; after presenting the Purple Frost Fruit yesterday, the system rewarded him with a bottle of this pill.

He took the pills and swallowed a few, then said, "Having flown this far, that person probably can't catch up. There seems to be an abandoned temple halfway up the mountain ahead. Why don't we go down there to rest for the night and set off again tomorrow?"

"It was my oversight on this first trip; I should have brought a flying artifact that could carry people as well," Song Yu said, looking annoyed.

"It's just a journey." Lin Jingchu said as he slowly lowered the flying boat toward the indistinct mountain range in the twilight, "Back in the day, when I was only at the late stage of Qi Refining, I traveled all the way north from Yuanwu Kingdom..."

The Azure Winged Boat landed silently in an open space in front of an abandoned mountain temple. Lin Jingchu put away the flying boat.

The ancient temple appeared even more dilapidated in the deep twilight, with only half of the wooden door hanging crookedly on the doorframe.

Lin Jingchu took out array plates and array flags and set up protective and early warning arrays; Song Yu picked up dry branches and firewood around him.

After a flurry of activity, the two finally entered the temple.

The temple was empty; the original clay statues of deities had long since collapsed and crumbled, covered in cobwebs. A large hole had sunk in the roof, through which one could look up and see a sky full of stars and a gradually rounding moon.

Song Yu made a hand seal and cast a spell, and a gentle whirlwind swept through the temple, clearing away years of accumulated dust and fallen leaves.

She then set up a pile of dry branches in the open space of the hall, and then flicked her finger to shoot out a fireball the size of a fingernail.

"call--"

Flames suddenly shot up, and the leaping flames cast the shadows of the two people onto the mottled wall, flickering on and off.

"Oh dear, what a blunder!" Lin Jingchu suddenly exclaimed in regret. "I should have bought some pre-prepared chicken, duck, and fish from the restaurant! We could have grilled them right now."

"Don't be so jumpy." Song Yu was startled by his sudden outburst and glared at him. "Instead of wasting your time, you should calm down and regulate your breathing."

On his first time away from the sect for training, Song Yu was targeted by villains, which made him both nervous and excited.

"It was just a joke," Lin Jingchu said with a grin. "Don't worry, the Moon Gazing Technique has its own mysteries. After practicing it for one night, you'll be full of energy again tomorrow."

In response to him was a barely audible "hmm" from Song Yu. She had already closed her eyes, preparing to begin circulating her cultivation technique.

Lin Jingchu looked up and glanced at the cold moonlight shining through the hole, then his gaze fell on Song Yu, who was sitting cross-legged on the futon.

"Senior sister, how about we try dual cultivation?"

"You...what did you say?" Song Yu's eyes snapped open, her cheeks flushing crimson. She nearly lost her balance while sitting cross-legged. "No! Not now...not now!"

Seeing her almost jump up, Lin Jingchu slowly continued, "What I mean is, the 'Moon Gazing Technique' I cultivate can attract and condense moonlight. I observe that Senior Sister's spiritual power is predominantly Yin, and moonlight is also Yin, which would greatly benefit your cultivation. Why not go and cultivate together where the moonlight shines? What are you thinking, Senior Sister!"

Following the direction he pointed, Song Yu saw a milky-white beam of light cascading down from a hole in the roof of the temple, illuminating a small patch of ground.

She turned her head again to look at Lin Jingchu, who had a "righteous and awe-inspiring" expression. She knew she had been tricked by him. She gritted her teeth and squeezed out a few words: "Junior Brother Lin, could you please speak more clearly next time?"

After saying this, he got up and walked towards the pillar of moonlight.

Lin Jingchu grinned inwardly and followed.

If only I had a photo recorder, I would definitely capture Song Yugang's flushed face and panicked expression.

However, just as Song Yu was about to step into the moonlight, she suddenly turned around and said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Lin, did you used to enjoy teasing and flirting with other female cultivators like this?"

Lin Jingchu met her cold, gleaming eyes and felt a chill run down his spine.

He quickly straightened his posture and raised his hand as if to swear: "By the grace of Haoyue! I, Lin Jingchu, have never had any intimate relationship with any other female cultivator before meeting Fairy Song Yu. If I break this oath, may my inner demons..."

"Alright." Song Yu raised his head. "I believe you." He turned and stepped into the moonlight, sitting cross-legged.

Upon seeing this, Lin Jingchu quickly sat down opposite her, and a delicate, elegant fragrance, like that of orchids, wafted into his nose.

The girl was bathed in moonlight, her jade-like face appearing even more ethereal in the clear glow. Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings, drooped down and trembled slightly, as if she were about to open her eyes in confusion.

Lin Jingchu quickly composed himself and activated the "Moon Gazing Technique." Strands of moonlight condensed and swirled within the pillar of light, enveloping Song Yu, who was almost within reach.

With each breath Song Yu took, moonlight seeped into her meridians, circulating throughout her body as she practiced the "Jade Pot Ice Soul Technique."

When the moonlight seeped out again, it carried a clear and cool fragrance and finally flowed into Lin Jingchu's body.

……

Dozens of miles away.

"Damn it! No wonder he's from a noble family, he has quite a lot of treasures on him. He flew this far in half a day. Luckily, the two of us took turns driving the magic weapon, so we were able to catch up." The burly man surnamed Xu cursed under his breath.

The woman surnamed Ruan behind him looked worried: "What if we're going the wrong way?"

The two of them were now riding together on a flying magical artifact shaped like a shuttle, cutting through the wind and flying swiftly.

"Don't worry, the Grey Feather Falcon is a level three demonic beast, skilled at concealing its presence. It's been keeping a close watch from a distance. They just stopped at a dilapidated temple to rest, but that kid seems to be an array master, having set up several arrays. Let's see if he'll let his guard down for a few days."

"Xu Lang, your Soul Splitting and Soul Transfer Technique is truly amazing. Without this secret technique, it would be much more difficult for the two of us to hunt down lone cultivators."

"No matter how difficult it is, we must persevere. Those powerful clans and immortal sects monopolize all the resources of heaven and earth. If they didn't, how would the two of us find our way to pursue the Great Dao!"