You were put to guard a shabby mountain gate, yet all your disciples became Immortal Emperors.

Lin Zhou struggled to support his trembling legs, mentally ranting and raving.

Dude, you're blushing, fine, but what's with the steam coming out?

How about boiling water?

He maintained a calm and collected demeanor as he slowly spoke to the stunningly beautiful woman before him.

"Fellow Daoist, I observe that your blood and qi are surging, and white mist is rising from the top of your head. This is a sign that your cultivation technique has gone wrong and you are about to suffer a qi deviation."

Shen Han was taken aback and subconsciously touched his burning cheeks.

She could feel her heart pounding like crazy, and all the blood rushing to her head.

The "Ice Heart Severing Dust Technique," which he had cultivated for many years, was as fragile as paper in front of this man.

"I...I didn't!"

She spoke toughly, but there was already a hint of panic in her voice.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lin Zhou took a step forward, and a faint masculine scent wafted over him.

Shen Han's breath hitched, and he involuntarily took half a step back, his blush deepening and the steam rising from his head thickening.

"How about I take a look at it for you?"

Linzhou smiled like an old Chinese medicine doctor.

"Don't misunderstand, your teacher... cough, I have some medical knowledge and specialize in treating all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases."

"No...no need!"

Shen Han felt that if he stayed any longer, he might really "boil over" on the spot.

She left with the words, "If there is any further disturbance here, I will come again," and then turned and flew away on her sword as if fleeing.

Watching that hurried figure disappear, Lin Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief and plopped down on the ground.

Loading and unloading is really tiring, especially loading and unloading empty blue parts.

Having tricked "Steam Princess" away, Lin Zhou took out a youth-preserving pill from his pocket and swallowed it without thinking.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a cool medicinal power flowed throughout the body in an instant.

The wrinkles around his eyes had visibly faded, and his skin had become much firmer.

Although he still looks like a middle-aged man, the original sense of vicissitude is gone, and he has gained a more otherworldly and dignified air.

The silver hair at his temples, paired with his face, doesn't make him look old at all; instead, it gives him a unique charm of a mature and handsome man.

"Not bad, not bad, you can make a living off your looks from now on."

Lin Zhou touched his face with satisfaction. The spiritual energy he had used up with the inheritance card had been mostly restored thanks to the domineering Chaos Breathing Technique.

He stood up and looked at Xiao Fan, who was still kneeling on the ground, with a smile.

"System, open your third eye!"

[The Eye of Destiny has been activated!]

Lin Zhou looked at Xiao Fan and saw a dazzling golden beam of light shooting into the sky above the boy's head, almost blinding him.

Name: Xiao Fan

[Aura: Gold (Emperor Level)]

[Destiny: Chosen One]

[Physique: Chaotic Fire Spiritual Root (Unawakened)]

What the hell!

Lin Zhou cursed inwardly.

Golden destiny! Chosen one! Chaotic fire spiritual root!

This setup... isn't this the standard Celestial Dragon protagonist?!

I've struck gold!

The reason for the decline in cultivation level was simply because this spiritual root was too powerful, requiring too much spiritual energy, and thus temporarily stagnating at the next level.

The once useless apprentice is now, in his eyes, a walking super power bank!

From now on, I'll have to rely on this guy for all my skill cards and secret martial arts manuals!

"My disciple, my good disciple, get up quickly."

Linzhou's attitude made a complete 180-degree turn; he became incredibly enthusiastic and personally helped the boy up.

"Master..."

Xiao Fan was still immersed in the devastating finger strike he had just witnessed, and his expression towards Lin Zhou was filled with admiration and fervor.

With such an amazing master, challenging Rong Ruoyue a year later... doesn't seem impossible!

Lin Zhou took out the ten Body Tempering Pills from the system's inventory, stuffed them into his hand, and spoke earnestly.

"Disciple, this is a Body Tempering Pill that I refined. Take it and use it to strive for a breakthrough as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Master!"

Xiao Fan's eyes reddened with emotion.

Although his family had no shortage of elixirs, this was the first time his master had given him anything!

The meanings are completely different!

[Ding! Xiao Fan's admiration points +30!]

Lin Zhou nodded slightly, just as he was about to say a few more witty remarks to boost his admiration points, when a series of arrogant shouts and curses suddenly came from the mountain path.

"You bunch of trash from Xiaoqiong Mountain, get out here!"

A fat man dressed in the robes of an elder of the Lingxiao Sect swaggered up with two lackeys.

Lin Zhou narrowed his eyes.

Name: Li Mu

[Identity: Elder of Qingyun Peak, Lingxiao Sect]

Cultivation Level: Golden Core Realm

[Aura: White]

Oh, the cannon fodder has arrived.

Li Mu walked up to the two of them, pinched his nose, and looked at the dilapidated thatched hut with a look of disgust. Then he took out a sect notice.

"Linzhou, on behalf of the sect, I hereby issue this final ultimatum!"

He read in a death sentence tone: "If no disciple of your Little Qiong Mountain can enter the top ten in the outer sect competition three months from now, you will be disbanded immediately, and the mountain will be taken back!"

After reading it, he threw the notice in Linzhou's face, his expression full of sarcasm.

"Did you hear that? You useless mountain lord, occupying this place without doing anything, it's time for you to get out! I've already spoken to the higher-ups about this land!"

Xiao Fan was so angry that his face turned pale, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Lin Zhou reached out to stop him, picked up the notice from the ground, dusted it off, and even had a Zen-like smile on his face.

"Okay, I understand."

"?"

Li Mu was stunned. He had prepared a whole host of humiliating words, but Lin Zhou's reaction made him feel like he had punched cotton.

"Is that all you're going to do? You're such a piece of trash!"

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right."

Linzhou has a "I'm bad and I'm proud" attitude of just giving up.

Li Mu was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed.

Lin Zhou suddenly seemed to remember something and added with a grin.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. My apprentice's goal this time isn't just to be in the top ten."

"He's going to kick Rong Ruoyue, that pride of Qingyun Peak, off her pedestal!"

Upon hearing this, both Li Mu and Xiao Fan were shocked.

Li Mu laughed wildly, pointing at Linzhou as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Hahahaha! Him? A piece of trash at the mid-stage of Body Tempering? Lin Zhou, are you awake?"

Xiao Fan was also stunned. He tugged at Lin Zhou's sleeve and whispered, "Master, this..."

Lin Zhou turned his head and looked at Xiao Fan with a serious expression.

"My disciple, do you know why I have ignored you for the past two years?"

"Why...why?"

"Because I'm tempering your character! A piece of jade must be carved to become a work of art! Now that your character is formed, it's time for you to soar to great heights!"

[Ding! Xiao Fan's admiration points +10!]

Xiao Fan suddenly realized, and his eyes were filled with emotion.

So... my master had been testing me all along!

I misunderstood him!

Li Mu's laughter stopped abruptly. He looked at Lin Zhou, who was seriously trying to fool his apprentice, and his face darkened.

"Linzhou! The sect leader took pity on you and gave you the position of mountain lord, and you actually think you're something special?"

"How dare you!"

Xiao Fan was furious when he saw him addressing his master by his given name.

The smile on Lin Zhou's face vanished instantly, his expression darkened, and he stared coldly at Li Mu.

"What did you just call me?"

Li Mu felt a jolt in his heart as he was stared at, but relying on his Foundation Establishment realm cultivation, he stubbornly retorted.

"What's wrong with calling you Linzhou? Are you deaf? I..."

boom!

A muffled thud.

Lin Zhou immediately threw out a system-generated Cloud-Sweeping Palm (Golden Core Realm) time-limited card!

Pure Golden Core Palm Force!

Before Li Mu could finish speaking, he felt a blur before his eyes, and an irresistible force slammed into his chest.

He flew backward like a tattered sack, rolling several times on the ground, wincing in pain.

Xiao Fan was completely dumbfounded.

Master...aren't you in the late stage of Body Tempering?

Li Mu is at the Golden Core stage!

"Lin Zhou, you dare hit me!?"

Li Mu clutched his chest, scrambled to his feet, and looked utterly incredulous.

"You're asking for it!"

"Whoever you are, if you dare to cause trouble on my Little Qiongshan Mountain, you'd better be prepared to leave on your own!"

Lin Zhou snorted coldly, "The effect of the Cloud-Sweeping Palm hasn't worn off yet!"

He raised his hand and waved it, and a visible palm print of spiritual energy shot out, striking Li Mu squarely in the chest.

"puff!"

Li Mu was sent flying backward again, spitting out a mouthful of blood while still in mid-air.

"Spiritual energy is emanating outwards!"

His pupils suddenly contracted; this time he saw it clearly!

To be able to project spiritual energy to this extent, one must be at least at the Golden Core stage!

When did this useless mountain lord break through to the Golden Core realm?!

Li Mu fell heavily to the ground, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted.

He glared venomously at the nonchalant Lin Zhou, then scrambled away with his two terrified disciples.

"Linzhou, you just wait! After the outer sect competition, I'll make sure you and Xiao Qiongshan get the hell out of here!"

Watching the fleeing figure, Lin Zhou curled his lip in disdain.

I finally managed to convince the power bank to cooperate, and you're going to ruin it?

"Master, I'm sorry..."

Xiao Fan lowered his head, his face full of self-reproach and guilt.

He recalled last year's outer sect competition, where he was eliminated in the first round and became the laughing stock of the entire sect.

It is all because of me that my master and the sect have suffered this humiliation.

"What are you apologizing for?"

Lin Zhou patted his shoulder confidently, exuding an air of dominance.

"With your master here, even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn't be able to disband our Little Qiongshan!"

joke!

If his apprentice runs away, his family heirloom will be lost. Where will he find such an awesome power bank to use for skill cards again?

Our pension depends entirely on him!

"Master..."

Looking at the man in front of him who had shielded him from everything, Xiao Fan's eyes welled up with tears, and he was deeply moved.

[Ding! Worship points +10!]

[Ding! Worship points +20!]

……

As Lin Zhou listened to the constant notification sounds in his mind, the corners of his mouth turned up in a wild grin.

Get it!

Three months from now, I'll show you what the true value of being a chosen one really is!