Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

270: Zhan Tai MingyueLin Jingyu’s gaze gradually turned cold.

He was not someone who feared trouble, especially since his Thunder True Intent had just formed and needed stronger pressure to temper and consolidate. How could he retreat easily due to a mere threat?

Moreover, on this Mountain of Thunder, this was naturally his home ground; how could he fear others?

“What if I insist on passing?”

Lin Jingyu’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve. His surrounding Qi remained restrained, but an invisible Aura had begun to gather.

The two guards exchanged glances, and a fierce look flashed in their eyes. The skinny guard said coldly, “Then we’ll just have to ask you to ‘scram’ down the mountain!”

Before his voice faded, both figures moved simultaneously.

Like two streaks of azure lightning, they rushed toward Lin Jingyu, one from the left and one from the right, forming a pincer attack.

The skinny guard pressed his fingers together like a sword, and sharp and unparalleled Sword Qi pulsed from his fingertips, stabbing straight toward Lin Jingyu’s throat with astonishing speed.

The burly guard, on the other hand, blasted out a punch. The punch force was fierce and overbearing, vaguely carrying the momentum of a mountain pressing down, smashing toward Lin Jingyu’s chest.

The two cooperated tacitly, and their offensive was fierce. They clearly specialized in Combined Attack Techniques, and their moves were vicious, intending to force Lin Jingyu back in a single move.

Relatively speaking, however, they had held back and did not use Spiritual Artifacts for the attack.

“Good timing!”

A sharp light flashed in Lin Jingyu’s eyes. He wanted to test his strength after the initial formation of the Thunder True Intent. Facing the pincer attack, he advanced instead of retreating.

He executed the Flowing Cloud Steps to the extreme, his body flickering slightly like a phantom, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge of the sword-finger.

At the same time, he slightly spread the five fingers of his left hand. Purple electric arcs danced on his fingertips, and he met the burly guard’s heavy punch head-on without dodging.

“Bang!”

Fist and palm met, emitting a muffled sound.

The burly guard only felt an overbearing, scorching force, accompanied by an intense numbing sensation, rushing straight up the Meridians of his arm, making his entire arm instantly sore and unbearable.

His punch momentum involuntarily stalled, and a look of horror appeared in his eyes. His punch was enough to crush an ordinary Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator, yet it was casually taken by the opponent, and he even suffered a hidden loss?

Lin Jingyu, using the counter-shock force of that palm strike, spun like a top. He pressed his right fingers together, and a condensed streak of purple electric light, like a viper leaving its hole, accurately struck the side of the skinny guard’s attacking sword-finger.

“Sizzle!”

The electric light collided with the Sword Qi, producing a grating, tearing sound.

The skinny guard felt that the Spiritual Power attached to his sword-finger was instantly defeated and disintegrated by the strange power of thunder, and a burning pain came from his fingertip.

He couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan, drifting back several steps, his gaze toward Lin Jingyu filled with shock.

What powerful and overbearing thunder power.

One must know that the Young Lord had taught them the Thunder Body Tempering Method, making their resistance to thunder stronger than that of ordinary Body Cultivators.

Yet, at this moment, they had no way to block it directly.

In a single exchange, the combined effort of the two guards at the Peak of Ninth Level Qi Refining failed to gain any advantage; instead, they were subtly placed at a disadvantage.

Lin Jingyu stood firm, his sleeves fluttering, fine electric arcs faintly circulating around him. His breathing was steady, and his gaze was sharp as lightning.

He was also slightly startled internally. The strength of these two guards was considerable, much stronger than ordinary Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivators in the Southeast Market Town.

Their power was multiplied when they teamed up. If his Thunder True Intent hadn’t just formed, he might have suffered a loss just now.

As expected, the Qinglan Sect truly had hidden Dragons and crouching Tigers; even two random guards possessed such strength.

The youth in the moon-white brocade robe, who had been Cultivating with his eyes closed, finally opened them slowly at this moment.

His eyes were not the usual black and white, but a strange pale purple. As they opened and closed, subtle currents seemed to flash, and his gaze was calm and profound, yet carried a power that saw through people’s hearts.

His gaze fell upon Lin Jingyu, lingering for a moment particularly on the electric arcs around him that hadn’t fully subsided, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

“Stop!”

The youth spoke, his voice clear and resonant, carrying an undeniable majesty.

Hearing this, the two guards immediately ceased their attack and retreated, respectfully standing behind him, but their gazes toward Lin Jingyu were still full of vigilance.

The youth slowly rose, his movements calm and unhurried. He sized up Lin Jingyu, his tone peaceful yet inherently carrying a condescending implication:

“To be able to withstand the combined strike of my two guards and possess such pure thunder power, you are definitely no ordinary Cultivator... Fellow Daoist, you do not seem to be a Qinglan Sect Disciple. May I ask your name? And where are you from?”

Lin Jingyu felt the unfathomable Qi on the opponent’s body and the invisible pressure brought by those pale purple eyes.

He was even more powerful and unfathomable than Xu Li. He knew in his heart that this person was absolutely no ordinary Qinglan Sect Disciple.

He cupped his hands and spoke neither subserviently nor arrogantly:

“I am Lin Jingyu, from the Lin Family down the mountain. Through a fortunate Opportunity, I received help from a friend and came here to Thunder Mountain to Cultivate. May I ask Your Excellency who you are?”

“The Lin Family? I seem to have never heard of it. Could it be a Cultivation Family from outside Chiyan Prefecture?”

The young man did not inquire further, stating calmly, “My name is Zhan Tai Mingyue.”

Zhan Tai Mingyue!

Lin Jingyu’s heart trembled slightly. Although he was new to the Qinglan Sect territory, he had heard this name from Feng Xixi and Xu Li.

He was one of the most elite True Disciples of the Qinglan Sect’s current generation, possessing extraordinary talent, and was rumored to be close to Foundation Establishment.

He might have even successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, possessing unfathomable strength, and was practically guaranteed to become a Core Formation expert.

He was hailed as one of the pillars of the Qinglan Sect for the next century. He never expected to meet him here.

Zhan Tai Mingyue continued:

“Fellow Daoist Lin, it is truly rare for someone so young to be able to Cultivate the Thunder True Intent to such a degree. I am here comprehending the crucial points of thunder techniques and do not like to be disturbed. However...”

He changed the subject, a hint of scrutiny in his gaze.

“Observing your Thunder True Intent, although pure, it seems to lack a systematic Legacy. To reach this stage relying only on personal comprehension is nothing short of a miracle. If Fellow Daoist does not mind, would you care to come forward and Discuss the Dao?”

As soon as he said this, the two guards behind him showed surprise.

How high were their Young Master’s standards? Even the Elders within the Sect might not earn an active invitation from him to Discuss the Dao, yet today he extended an invitation to an unknown youth?

Lin Jingyu’s heart also stirred.

Zhan Tai Mingyue’s words highlighted his current situation. Although he possessed the Taihao Elixir Canon and his own comprehension, he truly lacked a profound, systematic Legacy in the Dao of Thunder.

If he could Discuss the Dao with such a figure, he would undoubtedly benefit greatly. Moreover, the opponent seemed overbearing, but he hadn’t truly used his power to pressure him; instead, he showed appreciation for talent.

Furthermore, the fact that the two guards did not use offensive methods like Spiritual Artifacts or Talismans earlier was enough to illustrate his character.

Lin Jingyu pondered briefly, then replied frankly, “Fellow Daoist Zhan Tai, you flatter me. It would be my honor to receive guidance from Fellow Daoist.”

He stepped forward, ignoring the vigilant stares of the two guards, and sat cross-legged on a flat bluestone three zhang away, opposite Zhan Tai Mingyue.

This distance showed both respect and maintained necessary vigilance.

Seeing this, a hint of appreciation flashed in Zhan Tai Mingyue’s eyes. He nodded slightly and sat down again.

Separated by several zhang, the two sat amidst the roar of thunder light filling the sky, and a discussion concerning the Great Dao of Thunder thus began.