Necromancer: I Am A Disaster

The powerful skill, once sustainable for only 30 seconds and used solely for survival or to slay formidable enemies, had become permanent.

Lin Moyu could hardly fathom the magnitude of this increase in strength.

He was certain that even advancing three to five levels would not yield such a dramatic improvement.

The only regret was that the fusion rate had reached merely 50%.

Increasing it later would be far more difficult than achieving the initial fusion.

“This is already excellent. I shouldn’t be greedy.”

“Stopping while I’m ahead is wiser. Excessive greed only invites trouble.”

Lin Moyu firmly cautioned himself to act with moderation.

At that moment, space seemed to twist.

A wondrous fragrance filled his senses as warm sunlight washed over him, sweeping away all lingering fatigue.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back inside the pavilion.

After returning, his soul rank had clearly risen, and his senses had sharpened considerably.

The pavilion still exuded antiquity and desolation, but now Lin Moyu sensed something more—a heavy pressure.

Previously, he had been focused entirely on the trial and hadn’t paid close attention.

Now, with the trial complete and both skills acquired, his mind finally relaxed. Only then did he notice the hidden pressure beneath the ancient and desolate atmosphere.

“No… there’s more than pressure. There’s killing intent.”

Lin Moyu frowned. The sensation was unmistakable.

This pavilion was a weapon.

It had seen battlefields, slain countless enemies, and been soaked in blood, blood of powerful beings.

Otherwise, such killing intent could not have persisted for countless years without fading.

Like the lingering aura left on him by the Dragonkind, this was the residual presence of powerful individuals at the moment of their deaths.

“You’ve guessed correctly, Young Friend.”

A sudden voice came from ahead. Lin Moyu looked up to see a stone table that had appeared outside the pavilion at some point.

An old man sat beside it, tea already brewed. The fragrance drifted toward Lin Moyu along with the voice.

The secret realm itself was filled with enchanting scents, yet even they could not conceal the aroma of the tea.

“This tea is extraordinary.” Lin Moyu thought to himself.

He had tasted countless fine teas—every one served at the White Court Courtyard was of the highest quality—but compared to this, they were worlds apart.

Lin Moyu stepped out of the pavilion and approached. Only when he drew closer did he clearly see the old man’s appearance.

He froze.

After several seconds, he recovered and hurriedly bowed, “Greetings, Senior.”

It was the same old man who had ridden a green ox through the starry sky, annihilating countless powerful enemies with a mere wave of his hand.

Lin Moyu suspected that this man was Laozi of legend, but he dared not ask.

The old man smiled faintly, “Young Friend, you have many questions, do you not?”

Lin Moyu nodded, then quickly shook his head.

“The nod is instinct, the desire to ask. The shake is restraint; fear that the more you know, the sooner you may die.”

Lin Moyu stared at him in shock.

If it had been a guess, that would be one thing. But if it wasn’t…

Cold sweat broke out across Lin Moyu’s back.

The old man continued calmly, “You’re thinking that if this were merely a guess, it wouldn’t be frightening. But if it weren’t… then it would be.”

He knew… again.

Lin Moyu’s heart skipped a beat. Abandoning further speculation, he said plainly, “Senior, please stop teasing me.”

The old man gestured to the stone stool beside the table, “Sit. Have some tea.”

Lin Moyu shook his head, “In Senior’s presence, I dare not sit. I will stand.”

The old man chuckled, “Then you expect me to crane my neck to speak with you?”

Lin Moyu smiled awkwardly and immediately moved to sit.

Before doing so, he picked up the teapot and poured a cup for both the old man and himself.

The tea was colorless, clear as water, yet its fragrance was overwhelming.

Lin Moyu sat down and gazed into the cup, unable to help himself, “This tea is truly extraordinary.”

The old man smiled, “You haven’t even tasted it. How do you know?”

Lin Moyu replied without hesitation, “Its aroma is so pervasive that even the unique scents of this secret realm cannot suppress it.”

“And?” The old man prompted.

Lin Moyu gathered his courage and continued, “Moreover, tea usually has color, yet this tea is completely colorless. Fragrance without color, this alone proves it is extraordinary.”

The old man nodded, smiling faintly, “Although you’re talking nonsense, you pass. Since you claim it’s extraordinary, drink it.”

“Thank you for the gift, Senior!” Lin Moyu did not hesitate. He lifted the cup and drank.

The tea was like clear water, utterly tasteless.

Before the liquid could even pass his throat, it turned into vapor within his mouth.

In the next instant, a surge of pure energy shot straight toward his soul.

The Nine-Colored Dragon Soul Crystal showed no reaction, allowing the energy to flow freely.

His soul felt as if it were bathed in sweet dew, and an indescribable sense of comfort washed over him.

His soul rank surged upward, rising an entire level in an instant, reaching level 92.

The higher one’s soul rank, the harder it was to advance.

It had taken him a long time to progress from level 90 to level 91, yet a single cup of tea carried him from level 91 to level 92.

“Senior, your methods are truly unfathomable.” Lin Moyu exclaimed.

He had already realized that concealing anything from this old man was pointless.

It was far safer to be direct and sincere.

If the old man harbored any malice, there would be no need for such roundabout measures. One glance would suffice.

The old man asked, “Now you finally speak honestly. Why does a good child like you cultivate so many schemes?”

Lin Moyu gave a wry smile, “There are too many mysteries in this world that I cannot resolve. I seek answers, and some answers cannot be obtained without a bit of cleverness.”

“The mysteries you speak of are clear as day to me.” The old man said, “Do you know why?”

Lin Moyu answered plainly, “Strength, realm, and insight.”

The old man nodded in satisfaction, “Not bad. And then?”

Lin Moyu continued, following his lead, “So I shouldn’t try to be overly clever, nor pursue answers too early. When strength is sufficient, when realm is achieved, when insight broadens, the answers will naturally reveal themselves.”

The old man hummed in acknowledgment and took a sip of tea, “Understand one principle, and a hundred follow. There is no need for deliberate striving. The more forced the effort, the poorer the result.”

“You need only keep a pure heart and continue climbing upward. The answers will appear on their own.”

Lin Moyu’s eyes lit up, “I will remember that, Senior.”

The old man then asked, “Do you know why Gui Fu wanted to kill you?”

Lin Moyu heard the name for the first time, yet immediately understood. Gui Fu was the old man who had presided over the trial earlier.

He shook his head, “I don’t know, but I believe it’s related to my second Primordial Skill.”

The old man nodded, “Then have you ever wondered whether the ancient starry sky you saw earlier was real?”

“I had my doubts.” Lin Moyu answered honestly, “But my intuition told me it was real, that you truly wiped out countless powerhouses with a single wave of your hand.”

The old man smiled, “If that is so, and Gui Fu claims to be my servant, how did you dare disobey him?”

Lin Moyu smiled awkwardly, knowing his small trick had not escaped notice, “I didn’t want to give up the Primordial Skill, yet I also didn’t dare offend him.”

“Hahahaha!” The old man burst into hearty laughter.

Lin Moyu suddenly realized that Gui Fu laughed the same way.

No, Gui Fu’s laughter was merely an imitation of this old man. Not just his laughter, but every movement.

Yet Gui Fu imitated only the form, never the essence.

Every action of the old man flowed naturally, effortless and unforced, embodying the dao’s harmony with nature.

Gui Fu, on the other hand, felt deliberate. This was one of the reasons Lin Moyu had been suspicious of him from the start.

After his laughter subsided, the old man said, “You are very perceptive. You began doubting him early on.”

“Some of his words were true, and some were false. It is true that I appointed him to oversee the trial space. It is false that he is my servant.”

“His desire to kill you was indeed because you sought a second Primordial Skill.”

“That stems from a wager I made with him. As for what the wager was, do you wish to know?”

Lin Moyu shook his head vigorously, “No. You already told me that when strength, realm, and insight are attained, the answers will naturally reveal themselves.”

The old man chuckled, “Good, good. Applying what you’ve learned. You truly are outstanding.”

Lin Moyu said sincerely, “Thank you for your guidance, Senior. I will engrave it in my heart.”

The old man nodded, “I will now grant you one opportunity to ask a question. Only one.”

“No matter what you ask, I will answer truthfully.”

His intention was obvious: he wished to see what kind of question Lin Moyu would choose.

If the question were too profound, the answer would only confuse him, or even invite disaster. If it were too shallow, it would be disappointing.

This single question was yet another test.

After a moment of thought, Lin Moyu asked carefully, “May I truly ask anything?”

“Yes.” The old man replied, eyes half-closed as he sipped his tea, “Anything.”

Lin Moyu took a deep breath, “Gui Fu wished to kill me because of the second Primordial Skill. I want to know—why?”

He spoke cautiously, watching the old man’s expression with utmost care.