Mortal: Li Feiyu, who came from the realm of a supreme being

Chapter 86 Ling Yuling's Thoughts

Six months later.

Li Feiyu was studying the incomplete scrolls of magic techniques in his cave when a rustling sound suddenly came from outside, followed by Ling Yuling's voice:

"Junior Brother Li! Come out quickly!"

He got up and walked out of the cave. He saw Ling Yuling standing in the open space in front of the hall, holding a crane in one hand and a smug smile on her face.

Those two cranes were spirit birds released into the sixty-ninth floor. They usually flew gracefully among the clouds, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance. But now, held upside down by Ling Yuling, their feathers were disheveled, and their long legs hung limply. Where was the trace of their former celestial aura?

Li Feiyu was stunned for a moment: "This is..."

"Roast it and eat it!" Ling Yuling tossed the crane to the ground, clapped her hands, and said, "Didn't you say you used to roast chicken often in the village? I've been craving it for ages. Today, with my successful Foundation Establishment, let's have a celebration feast!"

Looking at her excited expression, Li Feiyu was momentarily speechless.

This crane is kept by the Star Palace. Although it's not a rare or precious mythical beast, it's still public property...

But then I thought, given Ling Yuling's status, let alone eating two cranes, even if she roasted all the cranes on the sixty-nine floors, probably no one would say anything.

"Okay." He nodded. "Then you're in charge of killing it, and I'll be in charge of roasting it."

"I won't kill," Ling Yuling said matter-of-factly. "You kill."

Li Feiyu: "..."

Half an hour later, a fire was set up in the open space.

The two cranes had been cleaned and skewered on branches, then roasted over the fire. Li Feiyu turned the branches, ensuring the flames evenly licked the bird meat, occasionally sprinkling on some seasonings bought from the market.

Ling Yuling sat cross-legged to the side and pulled out two wine jars from somewhere.

"This was also brought back from the market by someone." She handed over a jar. "They said it's a fine wine brewed by mortals, something like... 'Drunken Fragrance'?"

Li Feiyu took it, broke the mud seal, and a clear, refreshing aroma of wine wafted out.

"It's good wine."

Ling Yuling also opened her own jar, tilted her head back and took a swig, then frowned: "It's a bit spicy."

Li Feiyu smiled and continued to turn the roasted crane over.

The flames crackled, and the aroma of meat gradually wafted through the air. Ling Yuling stared at the two cranes that were slowly turning golden, her eyes sparkling.

"How much longer?"

"What's the rush? This is just the beginning."

Ling Yuling took another swig of wine, this time without frowning, she just let out a soft breath.

The two sat there, chatting idly. The firelight shone warmly on their faces.

"When I was a child, the villagers often did the same thing," Li Feiyu said casually. "During the off-season, a few strong men would go into the mountains to hunt some wild game, come back, build a fire, roast it, and the whole village would eat together. The children would run around the fire, and the adults would drink and chat..."

As Ling Yuling listened, a hint of longing appeared in her eyes.

"When I was a child..." she paused, "I lived here all my life, I never went anywhere else."

Li Feiyu did not respond.

Ling Yuling took another sip of wine, her voice softening slightly: "Actually, I've lived here since I was very young. There are dedicated stewards to take care of my daily life, and someone delivers pills and spirit stones every month. I lack nothing, except that I can't leave the Holy Mountain."

She looked down at the wine jar in her hand, the firelight flickering on her face.

"When I was very young, I didn't like cultivating. Back then, I could still talk to my parents occasionally." She smiled, but the smile was somewhat bitter. "Later, my parents went into seclusion, and I gradually grew up. I was told that I had to form my core before I could leave this place."

Li Feiyu turned the roasted crane over without saying a word.

"But cultivating immortality is not easy; it's basically all about figuring things out on your own," Ling Yuling continued. "Some people send me resources, but no one teaches me how to practice. I take the cultivation manuals and study them myself. If I don't understand them, I just practice them anyway, and no one points out my mistakes. Over the years, I've taken countless detours and made countless mistakes."

She looked at Li Feiyu with a complicated expression: "If I hadn't met my junior brother, I might still be stuck in the Qi Refining stage for two more years."

Li Feiyu shook his head: "Senior brother's aptitude is not bad, he just lacks guidance. Once someone gives him guidance, things will naturally go smoothly."

"But why doesn't anyone guide me?" Ling Yuling suddenly asked, her voice tinged with grievance. "I'm not...I'm not their daughter, are I? Why don't they care about me?"

Li Feiyu remained silent.

He knew the answer, but he couldn't say it.

"I don't know either," was all he could say.

Ling Yuling stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled, looked away, and took another sip of wine.

"Never mind, let's not talk about that." She pointed to the roasted crane. "Is it ready yet? I'm hungry."

"Soon."

After a while, the roasted crane was finally ready. Li Feiyu tore off a leg and handed it to her. Ling Yuling took it, took a bite, and her eyes lit up immediately.

"tasty!"

She ate heartily, completely abandoning her usual aloof demeanor.

Li Feiyu also tore off a piece of meat and chewed it slowly. Crane meat was indeed excellent, more tender than wild game from the mortal world, and even carried a faint trace of spiritual energy.

The two ate roasted cranes and drank wine, gradually finishing a whole jar of Zuilixiang wine.

Ling Yuling's cheeks flushed, her eyes slightly unfocused. Leaning against the nearby rock, gazing at the night sky, she murmured, "Actually, I'm especially happy today..."

"Um?"

"Reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is one thing." She paused, "The other thing is... having someone to talk to."

She turned her head to look at Li Feiyu, her eyes sparkling in the firelight.

"For the first ten years or so, I lived alone, sometimes for days without saying a word. When the deacons came to deliver things, I would ask them about cultivation matters, but they would all say 'I don't know,' deliver the things, and leave. I didn't know who to talk to..."

As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered, eventually turning into a muffled murmur.

"Thank you... Junior Brother Li..."

Then, she tilted her head to the side and fell asleep against the rock.

Li Feiyu looked at her peaceful sleeping face and sighed softly.

He finished the last piece of meat and was wondering whether to wake her up and send her back when he suddenly felt something and looked up.

A figure emerged from the sea of clouds and landed not far away.

Elder Ma.

He glanced at the drunken Ling Yuling, then at the crane feathers and bones on the ground, and his lips twitched.

"This girl..." He shook his head and then shook Ling Yuling.

Ling Yuling stirred groggily, mumbled something, and then fell back into a deep sleep.

Elder Ma looked at Li Feiyu: "Come with me."

Li Feiyu nodded, stood up, and followed Elder Ma away.

The two walked one after the other through the sea of clouds, heading upwards.

Li Feiyu silently counted the floors. Seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two...

Elder Ma only stopped when he reached the 80th floor.

Ahead stood a magnificent palace, several times larger than the sixty-nine-story buildings, constructed entirely of a pale golden stone that gleamed softly in the moonlight.

"Go in," Elder Ma said. "The Grand Elder wants to see you."

Li Feiyu nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped into the hall.

……

The moment he stepped into the main hall, his whole body tensed up.

An invisible force swept over him, as if an eye was scrutinizing him from the inside out. The force touched his soul, made a light touch, and then withdrew.

A spell to determine the age of a soul.

Li Feiyu understood, but remained outwardly calm and continued walking forward.

He had already thoroughly investigated the matter of probing the age of the soul. This type of spell probes the "state" of the soul, not the specific years of existence—an old monster who has cultivated for five hundred years would inevitably have a soul that is weathered and solid; while a true seventy-year-old cultivator, no matter how powerful his soul is, would still be in a youthful state.

He came to this world bringing only memories and consciousness; his soul grew along with his body. A seventy-year-old Core Formation cultivator's soul state is equivalent to that of an ordinary teenager.

After that force withdrew, there was no further movement.

Li Feiyu walked into the hall and saw a man sitting at the head of the table, none other than Jin Kui.

"Li Feiyu greets the Grand Elder."

Jin Kui looked at him, his gaze calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"sit."

Li Feiyu sat down on the futon opposite her as instructed.

Jin Kui didn't speak immediately, but instead observed him. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "How do you feel about your cultivation of the 'Three Eternal Radiance Technique'?"

"It's acceptable," Li Feiyu said. "This technique requires practice in accordance with the timing of the day. The sun, moon, and stars each have their own opportune time. If you find the right time, it will be smooth; if you don't, it will be stagnant. I've been exploring for a year before I've finally grasped some of the basics."

Jin Kui nodded: "Have you looked at those incomplete scrolls?"

"I've seen it."

"What are your thoughts?"

Li Feiyu pondered for a moment and said, "Although the scroll is incomplete, the ideas it contains are quite valuable. For example, the missing part of the 'Golden Light Escape' seems to be about the coordination of escape speed and light. If it can be completed, it should be an extremely practical escape technique."

A flicker of interest crossed Jin Kui's eyes, and he asked a few more questions.

Li Feiyu answered each question one by one. Some were about the principles of cultivation techniques, some about the interaction of the five elements, and some about innovative ideas for spells. His answers were not in-depth, only touching on the surface, and he would occasionally pause for a moment, as if he were thinking.

Jin Kui became increasingly interested as he asked more questions, and gradually posed several rather profound ones.

After listening, Li Feiyu pondered for a moment and said, "I cannot answer the Elder's question at this time."

"Oh?"

"Judging from the description, these questions should involve the principles of cultivation techniques for later stages," Li Feiyu said frankly. "This disciple has not yet reached that stage, and relying solely on descriptions is like looking at flowers through a fog; it's ultimately impossible to see clearly. If I were to force an answer, it would only be guesswork, which is meaningless."

Jin Kui was slightly taken aback, then a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

This attitude is far superior to that of so-called geniuses who pretend to know everything and spout nonsense.

He suddenly realized that this young man in front of him was quite interesting.

"Have you encountered any bottlenecks in your work so far?" he asked.

"Not yet," Li Feiyu said. "My cultivation of the Three Eternal Radiance Technique is going smoothly, and I've also gained some insights from studying those light-based fragments. Everything is going well so far."

Jin Kui was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "You know about the Star Palace Hidden Abyss Pavilion, right?"

Li Feiyu nodded.

"You may freely peruse the cultivation manuals inside," Jin Kui said. "From today onwards, you will concurrently serve as the Inspector of the Cangyuan Pavilion, responsible for inspecting and repairing any incomplete manuals within."

Li Feiyu's heart skipped a beat.

Cangyuan Pavilion... casually browse through it?

The Star Palace has controlled the Chaotic Star Sea for tens of thousands of years, producing countless Nascent Soul cultivators. Even if its lineage is not systematic, the cultivation techniques, scriptures, and insights accumulated over so many years are absolutely massive.

He didn't seem too excited, but solemnly bowed and said, "This disciple obeys the order and will certainly live up to the Grand Elder's trust."

Jin Kui waved his hand: "Go ahead."

Li Feiyu stood up and took his leave.

As he stepped out of the main hall, the night breeze made him realize that his heart was beating faster than usual.

Star Palace Hidden Abyss Pavilion.

This trip was totally worth it.

……

When they returned to the 69th floor, Ling Yuling had already been sent back.

The embers of the fire on the ground were still visible, and the two cranes had eaten them all, leaving only a pile of bones.

Li Feiyu stood in the open space, gazing at the starry sky, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Cangyuan Pavilion.

In the years to come, I'll have something to do.