Chapter 3: Endless Life
Each autumn rain brings a deeper chill.
Outside the Canon Pavilion, a light drizzle fell in a steady patter.
Autumn weather was the most unpredictable of all seasons.
Just moments ago the sky had been clear and bright; now a gentle rain had begun to fall.
The cold rainwater descended upon the ground outside the Canon Pavilion, as though heaven and earth had drawn a curtain of rain across the world.
The world was being washed clean.
The mountain forests grew more vivid — a tapestry of deep green mingled with red and gold — the moss slicker than before, and the streams murmuring as they flowed past.
Inside the Canon Pavilion, Lin Jiufeng quietly brewed tea.
Across from him sat a young man resting his chin in one hand, looking thoroughly bored.
At first glance, they might have seemed like grandfather and grandson — yet in truth, the difference in their ages was not so great.
"Senior Brother's Breakthrough this time added over a decade to your lifespan. Perhaps you'll live long enough to witness the fall of Yuhua Sect," Bai Yunfei said with a sigh.
Lin Jiufeng frowned, poured a cup of tea, and slid it toward Bai Yunfei. "Why do you say that?"
Bai Yunfei took a gentle sip and said, "Doesn't Senior Brother already know?"
Lin Jiufeng's brow furrowed. "Is it the Taishang Sect?"
"Indeed. Ever since the incident with Senior Zhou Sheng over a hundred years ago, the Taishang Sect has been relentlessly targeting our Yuhua Sect — sanctioning us, blockading us on all sides, doing everything in their power to crush us. Our situation has become extremely dire."
"Yuhua Sect suffered grievous losses in that battle three hundred years ago and even lost the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture]. Then came the incident with Senior Zhou Sheng, and we've been under the Taishang Sect's sanctions for over a century. By now, Yuhua Sect can barely hold on."
"This year's recruitment had a few promising candidates, but the Taishang Sect lured them all away with generous offers. And it isn't just that — many of our Elders and talented disciples have left as well. Now, counting myself as Sect Master, we have about ten disciples left, plus you, Senior Brother. That is Yuhua Sect as it stands today."
Bai Yunfei gave a helpless smile, his expression desolate as he spoke.
When he had taken over as Sect Master of Yuhua Sect, it was already a mess. He had spent years trying to hold things together, but facing the relentless pressure of the Taishang Sect — a force a hundred, a thousand times more powerful — the burden on him was immense.
Lin Jiufeng's brow knitted tightly. He had known the Taishang Sect was sanctioning Yuhua Sect, but he hadn't imagined it had gone this far.
Tempting disciples away with lavish rewards, poaching the sect's Elders, using every means available to suppress Yuhua Sect — it had been reduced to a handful of stragglers.
No wonder Lin Jiufeng had noticed fewer and fewer disciples visiting the Canon Pavilion lately.
So that was why.
Bai Yunfei drained the last of his tea in one go, then retrieved a powerful cultivation technique from the shelves. Clutching it in hand, he bid Lin Jiufeng farewell.
His retreating figure carried an air of grim resolve.
Lin Jiufeng watched Bai Yunfei disappear into the rain, feeling utterly helpless.
If Yuhua Sect fell, what would become of him?
He would never find another place as leisurely as the Canon Pavilion — somewhere he could read books and quietly cultivate in peace.
Watching the autumn rain grow heavier, Lin Jiufeng sighed helplessly. What could he possibly do?
He brewed his tea, watched the rain, and drifted into a state of serene emptiness.
Gradually, his thoughts dissolved, and his perception expanded without limit.
It was as though his soul had left his body, gazing down upon everything from high above.
He saw the vast rain falling from the heavens, landing on grass and trees, on roof tiles and rubble, into the flowing streams.
The mountains and rivers were purified; heaven and earth were baptized.
The autumn rain was cool and faint.
But to all living things between heaven and earth, this was the nourishment of life itself.
Lin Jiufeng watched green shoots burst through the soil, growing strong and lush under the rain's gentle blessing.
He saw flowers blooming with vivid beauty, nourished by the falling water.
Then his vision shifted, and he perceived the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth hidden behind the rain.
Countless raindrops fell, carrying with them boundless Spiritual Energy that permeated all of heaven and earth — each drop brimming with the breath of life.
In Lin Jiufeng's eyes, all of it came alive.
His eyes grew brighter and brighter.
His mind ignited.
[You have observed the rain and gained insight, activating Heavenly Comprehension. You have comprehended: Endless Life.]
A line of text appeared before Lin Jiufeng's eyes.
Only then did his consciousness return to his body. He lightly raised a finger and tapped toward the curtain of rain beyond the window.
Boom!
The rain across heaven and earth suddenly shuddered to a halt for an instant, then came crashing down all at once — onto the ground, onto the grass and trees, into the streams.
Immediately after, a vast surge of life energy poured forth from the soil, from the grass and trees, from the flowing water, and rushed into Lin Jiufeng's body.
Boom!!
That enormous surge of life energy flooded into him and directly shattered the threshold of the Second Seal.
Lin Jiufeng had comprehended [Endless Life] while watching the rain — and in doing so, incidentally achieved a Breakthrough to the Second Seal.
[Endless Life] was a special cultivation technique. If Lin Jiufeng were to exhaust his True Qi in battle, he could activate this technique to draw new energy from all living things between heaven and earth, restoring himself to his peak state.
Just now, Lin Jiufeng had drawn energy from the soil, the grass and trees, and the streams — and that was what had enabled his Breakthrough to the Second Seal.
That was the greatest power of [Endless Life].
Lin Jiufeng mused aloud, "In future battles, even if I can't win outright, I can simply outlast my opponent. Not bad at all."
Having unexpectedly broken through to the Second Seal, Lin Jiufeng's body underwent further changes.
His once fully white hair was now a mix of grey and white, his complexion rosy and unwrinkled — at first glance, he looked no older than a Daoist priest of fifty.
"My lifespan has grown longer, yet it seems Yuhua Sect is on the verge of collapse," Lin Jiufeng said with a rueful laugh.
He had lived in Yuhua Sect for a hundred years and naturally held deep affection for this place. The Canon Pavilion was quiet and peaceful, housing a vast collection of books from across the world. If Yuhua Sect fell, there would be no protecting this collection.
"Junior Brother, come to the Canon Pavilion," Lin Jiufeng said after careful thought, sending word to Bai Yunfei.
He intended to pass the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture] to Bai Yunfei, so that Yuhua Sect might be revitalized.
Only that way could Yuhua Sect's legacy be carried on — and he could continue to dwell in the Canon Pavilion, cultivating in peace and pursuing his own Dao.
After his moment of enlightenment in the rain, Lin Jiufeng knew that his future held limitless possibilities.
A single [Yuhua Ascension Scripture] was nothing to him.
Before long, Bai Yunfei arrived at the Canon Pavilion and looked at Lin Jiufeng in surprise. "Senior Brother called for me — what is it?"
Lin Jiufeng did not keep him in suspense. He recited the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture] from memory and conveyed it to Bai Yunfei in full.
Bai Yunfei grew more and more astonished as he listened, staring at Lin Jiufeng in disbelief — he could scarcely believe that the person before him was the Senior Brother he had known for eighty years.
When Lin Jiufeng finished, Bai Yunfei swallowed hard and stammered, "Sen... Senior Brother, where did you obtain the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture]?"
Lin Jiufeng smiled. "I comprehended it myself."
Only then did Bai Yunfei notice that Lin Jiufeng had broken through to the Second Seal.
He certainly hadn't done so when they were drinking tea earlier.
"Senior Brother, you've had a sudden awakening and risen from the ground to the clouds in a single moment," Bai Yunfei said with deep admiration.
"The [Yuhua Ascension Scripture] is yours now. Tell others you comprehended it yourself — I have no desire for the spotlight. I'll continue my quiet cultivation here in the Canon Pavilion," Lin Jiufeng instructed.
"Understood. With the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture], I'm confident I can break through to the Eighth Seal and protect Yuhua Sect. I will absolutely not disturb Senior Brother's cultivation," Bai Yunfei said with firm resolve.