In the small tea house, waves of tea fragrance drifted out.
Lin Sheng picked up the teacup and took a gentle sip.
The unique taste of the tea flowed into his throat. He wasn't particularly fond of tea, but this time the tea was unusually good.
An incense stick's time passed, and the tea in the pot had been completely drunk by him, and the few small plates of snacks placed in front of him were also mostly empty.
The old woman was still standing at the counter, greeting the occasional guests entering the tea house with a smiling face.
At this moment, a tall, middle-aged woman wearing a long dress stepped into the tea house, nodded to the old woman at the counter, and then sat down opposite Lin Sheng.
Lin Sheng's gaze fell on the other party. This middle-aged woman had very white skin, but it appeared rough. Her facial features were decent, but not particularly striking.
The woman was also observing him at this time, with a hint of inexplicable amusement in her eyes.
"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect you to reach Linjiang Prefecture so quickly. I originally thought you would come to find me immediately, but you were delayed for a few days."
Hearing the woman's words, Lin Sheng's heart stirred. He carefully looked at the woman, and finally spoke slowly.
"May I ask if you are Senior Qi Ning?"
"That's right, I am Qi Ning."
The woman blinked her eyes a few times, revealing a lively spirit, and said with a smile. At the same time, she beckoned to the old woman at the counter, who quickly brought over a pot of tea and set it down.
Watching the woman pick up the teapot and pour herself a full cup of tea, Lin Sheng then spoke softly.
"May I ask Senior Qi Ning, what about the Magic Seed of that Phantom Demon Beast?"
His purpose for coming to this Misty Rain Tower was twofold: first, to meet the person his Brother Lin Miao mentioned who could help him solve his troubles, and second, to inquire about the current situation of the Phantom Demon Beast.
"Phantom Demon Beast? You know I'm from Dark Star?"
The middle-aged woman leisurely picked up her teacup and slowly savored it, while looking at Lin Sheng with a half-smile.
"Naturally, I know, Lord Thousand Faces Blazing Star Envoy."
Lin Sheng looked directly at the other party and said in a deep voice.
This time, the middle-aged woman opposite him showed a hint of surprise on her face.
"Interesting, kid, you can actually recognize me."
"I wasn't sure just now, but now I am certain."
Lin Sheng also showed a smile on his face.
The Thousand Faces he spoke of was the black-robed person he had met in Yangping Town back then, the high-ranking Dark Star Organization member who had brought him into the Dark Star Organization and made him a Gray Star Envoy directly.
In fact, he had long suspected the other party's identity. After all, from the situation in Yangping Town at that time, the relationship between this black-robed person and his cheap Brother was clearly good.
Moreover, as a Blazing Star Envoy, the other party's status in the Dark Star Organization was not low, and their strength was extremely strong.
At the same time, using Thousand Faces as her code name, in his opinion, it was highly likely that she was proficient in the art of disguise and transformation, so whether the other party was male or female was still unknown.
And the person named Qi Ning, whom Lin Miao said could help him solve his troubles in a large city like Linjiang Prefecture with so many experts, clearly had absolutely high strength and was also very likely a member of Dark Star.
Adding the two together, plus the woman's words when they met just now, further confirmed his guess. It now seemed his guess was correct.
"Not bad, as expected of the person I favor. Although your Bloodline is not as good as your brother's, other aspects are not inferior at all."
Qi Ning, or rather, Thousand Faces, smiled at the corner of her mouth and picked up the teapot to pour Lin Sheng a cup.
"You've already entered the Forging Tendons Late Stage, not bad. As expected, your comprehension is extremely strong, but..."
Qi Ning's gaze was on Lin Sheng, seemingly sensing something. She then reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, but her brows quickly furrowed.
"You didn't enter Forging Tendons Completion with the Ape Embryo Skill, but with another martial art. No, the Ape Embryo Skill has also achieved some progress in cultivation, and similarly, you are about to enter Forging Tendons Completion."
She withdrew her hand and looked at Lin Sheng with a frown.
"It seems you are cultivating a poison technique. Its power is good, but why aren't you focusing on cultivating the Ape Embryo Skill? Instead, you are distracted by other martial arts. Even if your comprehension is much higher than ordinary people, this won't do you any good."
"Can it really not be concealed?"
Hearing Qi Ning's words, there was no surprise on Lin Sheng's face.
To be able to reach the level of a Blazing Star Envoy, the other party's strength had probably reached the Divine Transformation Realm. Even if he intentionally suppressed the fluctuations of his own vital energy and blood, he would definitely not be able to hide it from the other party.
He just didn't expect the other party could even tell that he was cultivating a poison technique.
"That's right, the other martial art I am cultivating is the Three Corpse Soul Severing Palm."
"I knew it. You wouldn't just get a second-rate martial art for nothing. It seems the martial art you chose at the Tongzhi County station was this poison technique."
Qi Ning stroked her chin and then reached out again to carefully examine Lin Sheng's internal condition.
"This poison technique has good power, but unfortunately, the cultivation difficulty is extremely high, and it's basically impossible to Cultivate it to the later stages. I didn't expect you to succeed in cultivating it, and your cultivation speed is so fast."
She was extremely surprised in her heart, because she had just carefully examined his physical condition and found no signs of poisoned blood attacking the heart after cultivating a poison technique.
This situation could only be achieved by those with naturally rich Bloodlines and extremely high poison resistance, such as those with the Bloodline of exotic beasts.
However, she was certain that the kid in front of her did not have such a Bloodline.
Seeing the puzzled expression on Qi Ning's face, Lin Sheng pondered how to explain.
But the other party shook her head first and spoke.
"Never mind, your success in cultivating this poison technique is also your personal destiny. And being able to Cultivate to Forging Tendons Completion in such a short time, your comprehension seems to be even stronger than I imagined. With such comprehension, you should focus on mastering one martial art and concentrate on cultivation to break through Realms. That is the best choice."
Speaking of this, Qi Ning changed the subject.
"I think you are also very clear about this principle, but you still choose to Cultivate multiple martial arts simultaneously. You probably have your own reasons. As long as you are aware of the pros and cons, that's fine. Everyone has their own destiny, it just depends on how you grasp it."
"I understand." Hearing this, Lin Sheng's expression became serious, and he replied solemnly.
The other party saying this saved him the trouble of explaining.
"As for the matter of that Phantom Demon Beast, Huang Quan has already spread the news through the organization. I think the Lin'an government will take corresponding action, but it's just a mere Magic Seed, it won't cause much trouble."
"On the other hand, your trip to the Yuanyang Beast Sect doesn't seem to have gone smoothly."
Qi Ning said indifferently.
"Indeed, I could start as an outer Disciple, but for me, it would take too long and there are many restrictions."
Lin Sheng wasn't surprised that she knew his trip to the Yuanyang Beast Sect hadn't gone smoothly. It was clear that she had learned about it from Huang Quan.
"Your Bloodline is thin, and you Cultivate several martial arts simultaneously, and your vital energy and blood are mixed. It is indeed difficult to catch the eye of these forces."
Qi Ning said indifferently, as if she had long expected this matter.
"So what do you plan to do next?" She looked at Lin Sheng and asked.
"The Ape Embryo Skill and the Three Corpse Soul Severing Palm are enough for me to Cultivate and enter the Blood Transportation Realm. I will plan further when that time comes."
Lin Sheng replied truthfully.
"Hehe..." Hearing this, Qi Ning chuckled lightly. "After cultivating these two second-rate cultivation methods to Completion and entering the Blood Transportation Realm, your vital energy and blood will be fixed. It will be even more troublesome to join a sect at that time than it is now, and it will also completely waste your comprehension."
"Vital energy and blood fixed?"
"After your vital energy and blood are fixed, if you switch to cultivating other martial arts, your cultivation progress will be significantly slower. Even if you have some methods that can reduce this impact, those sects must recognize them."
"Moreover, by joining a sect, you will always receive the sect's resources and training. Having a sect behind you is much better than being a lone wolf."
Speaking of this, Qi Ning paused.
"It's just a pity that my cultivation method is not suitable for you, otherwise I could teach you a bit."
Hearing Qi Ning's words, Lin Sheng narrowed his eyes, already understanding the other party's meaning.
"May I ask if Senior has any good places to recommend?"
"As expected, you are smart and understand with just a hint. Since you didn't pass the blood test at the Yuanyang Beast Sect, the result at the Tianxiang Sword Sect will likely be the same, so there's no need to waste time. As for the Situ Family, don't even think about it. It's unlikely you can join the three major forces in Linjiang Prefecture. Of course, the Imperial Court is also a good place, provided you can accept restrictions, and once your Dark Star identity is discovered, the consequences will be severe."
Qi Ning clicked her tongue twice, her smile unchanged, and looked at Lin Sheng without saying more, clearly wanting to keep him in suspense.
Lin Sheng was well aware of some people's mischievous habits, and stared closely at the other party, cooperating by asking.
"Then, Senior, what then? What should I do?"
Hearing Lin Sheng's question, Qi Ning's smile grew even wider. She picked up her teacup, drank it in one gulp, and then continued speaking.
"Linjiang Prefecture spans more than ten thousand li, and the Fu City occupies the most important area within the prefecture. The sects and forces within it are not as numerous as ox hairs, but they are like carps crossing the river. Besides these three major forces, there are many others, some of which have long traditions."
"Outside Linjiang Prefecture City, there are three cities: Yuanyang City, Tianxiang City, and Snow Wolf Fortress. Is there another city you know of?"
"Is Senior referring to Wanhua City?"
Lin Sheng's heart stirred, and he immediately said.
He had specifically checked information about Linjiang Prefecture. Besides the three large cities centered around the three major forces, this Wanhua City was also a large city, and in terms of scale, it was significantly larger than any of the three cities.
This city was a mix of dragons and snakes, unlike the three cities which were dominated by one voice. The number of large and small forces in Wanhua City was countless. The small ones were like local Gangs such as the Ya Gang, and the large ones were only slightly inferior to the three major forces.
It was these large and small forces that formed Wanhua City.
"That's right. There is a sect in Wanhua City called the Seven Forms Sect, with a thousand years of history. The true art within the sect is quite profound and considered good among true arts. Compared to the core cultivation methods of the Yuanyang Beast Sect and the Tianxiang Sword Sect, it is not much different, and in my opinion, its inner meaning should be quite compatible with you."
Qi Ning said unhurriedly, as if remembering something, a smile appeared on her face.
"Seven Forms Sect..."
Coming out of the Misty Rain Tower, Lin Sheng chewed on this name.
He had never heard of this sect, but with a thousand years of history, it should not be weak.
Moreover, Qi Ning's strength was evident. Since she said it was suitable for him, there should be no problem.
Thinking this, he had made up his mind to go to the Seven Forms Sect and give it a try to see what it was like.
In addition, he also had a small book with only a few pages in his hand.
The book had no name, and there was even a slight smell of ink on it, indicating it had been written not long ago.
This was given to him by Qi Ning after she had just finished writing it.
It was a method called the Shape Concealment Art, with only one function: to conceal the fluctuations of one's vital energy and blood.
Back in Yangping Town, he had been searching for a method to conceal his vital energy and blood, but unfortunately, he had found nothing.
This time, meeting with Qi Ning, she directly gave him this Shape Concealment Art, which also solved his urgent need.
After returning to the inn, he asked Lao Zhou, Wang Dehai, and Xiao Shi to search for information about the Seven Forms Sect.
After all, it was a well-known force. In less than half a day, information about the Seven Forms Sect was in his hands.
"Seven Forms Sect, with a history of over 1,300 years, one sect with seven halls, each with its own specialty, involving palms, legs, fists, and fingers. The Sect Leader, Ouyang Bing, has extraordinary strength and has been in the Peak of the Bones Transformation Realm for many years. In Linjiang Prefecture, he is also considered a renowned expert."
After reading the intelligence brief about the Seven Forms Sect, Lin Sheng fell into thought.
The collected intelligence information was not much, after all, they had not been in Linjiang Prefecture for long and their foundation was unstable. However, he had a good general understanding of the information.
"From the intelligence, the Seven Forms Sect has a wide range of interests and is indeed quite good, worth a visit."
Soon, he made up his mind to go to the Seven Forms Sect in Wanhua City tomorrow.
One day, as the sky brightened, Lin Sheng left the Fu City and headed straight for Wanhua City.
Although Wanhua City was not small in area, it was much farther from the Fu City than Yuanyang City and others. It took him a full three days to finally arrive at Wanhua City.
This city was quite large, but its location was remote, connected to steep mountain Peaks on one side and adjacent to the Fengnan River on the other. It only had two city gates, to the northeast.
The Fengnan River was a large river that almost crossed two prefectures, and Linjiang Prefecture was named after it.
Lin Sheng did not enter the city, but headed towards the steep mountain wall on the south side of Wanhua City. The Seven Forms Sect was not located within Wanhua City; its headquarters were on the mountain wall behind it.
At the foot of the mountain, one could see a large upright stone tablet with the words "Seven Forms Sect" written on it.
However, no Disciples were seen guarding it.
Ignoring this, Lin Sheng walked up the mountain along the steep stone steps.
He walked for the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, but still didn't see a single person. If it weren't for the stone tablet at the foot of the mountain, Lin Sheng would have even doubted if he had come to the wrong place.
Besides the Sect Leader Ouyang Bing, the other seven hall masters of the Seven Forms Sect were also Martial Artists who had entered the Bones Transformation Realm, but they were much weaker than the Sect Leader at the Peak of the Bones Transformation Realm, and also inferior to the previous generation of Seven Forms Sect hall masters.
Therefore, the Seven Forms Sect had been much more low-key in recent years than before.
Lin Sheng also knew a little about this from the intelligence.
However, it seemed the situation was even more low-key than expected.
While surprised, he didn't feel that anything was wrong.
After all, this is the way of survival. People are, and sects are too.
Thinking this, he had already quickened his pace, and it wasn't until he was almost halfway up the mountain that he finally saw people...
