The Summer Lotus Hall was a dazzling sight, housing the countless treasures of the sect’s Artifact Cultivators. Most of these items focused on ice-attribute spiritual roots.
Even after rising from a White Lotus Progeny to a Red Lotus Enshrined, one still had to rely on merit points to exchange for resources.
Lin Wu had visited the second floor once before with Yun Mengyao; however, the Tier 2 artifacts corresponding to the Foundation Building stage were unappealing to him.
Now that the Little White Lotus had achieved Gold Core and been promoted to the sect’s Chief Disciple, and since he had earned a significant amount of merit by refining medicine, reaching the third floor should allow him to enjoy a shopping spree.
The magic tools available to the public in the pavilion were at most Tier 4. Anything of a higher grade was extremely rare, mostly used by the Sect Master to reward elders for their contributions.
Lin Wu strolled through the fourth floor while holding the Little Celestial, once again finding himself babysitting the bitey brat.
The little Xiahe was soft and tender, exuding a strange milky fragrance. To be honest, she felt great to hold.
“Huff… huff… Nascent Soul blood is even sweeter than last time. You really are a rare talent!”
The old loli was cautious by nature, so she had set up an isolation barrier within the pavilion to host the Red Lotus Saint alone.
“Don’t speak while eating. Be a polite celestial girl.”
“Hmph… No need… Gulp. You’re teaching me how to do things!”
The treasures displayed on the shelves were varied and clearly priced, and none of them were cheap.
There were broken spoils of war as well as artifacts personally refined by elders and the Enshrined.
Lin Wu scanned the items, feeling a bit drawn to the **Frozen Magic Mirror**, which specifically targeted the soul.
Since he only had one chance, he shifted his posture to carry the Xia loli and humbly asked for advice.
“Doesn’t the celestial girl have some extraordinary private collection to give me a deal on?”
At the mention of this, Xiahe grew indignant.
She lifted her cute, round face and cursed, “Stinking brat, you’ve already extorted so many treasures from me, and you still want to get something for nothing!?”
“Last time was a private gift, while this time is a sect reward. One thing has nothing to do with the other. How can the deep feelings between me and Senior be measured by mere magic tools?”
“@#ï¿¥%…”
Xiahe cursed even as she ate, though she was nearly moved to laughter by Lin Wu’s flattering tongue.
“Here, the **Wormwood Whip** is a Tier 4 artifact I recently developed. A Nascent Soul cultivator will be entangled in thorns within ten breaths. Though it isn’t as good as the **Beast-Trapping Bracelet** I used against Leng Yu, it is still at the Tier 4 Profound level.”
Xiahe wrinkled her nose and reluctantly fished a black box out from a hidden compartment.
Lin Wu’s eyes lit up.
She really did have a private stash!
Whether it was heavenly treasures or miraculous pills, they were all categorized into levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.
Heaven-grade items were explosively powerful and could only be encountered by chance.
Earth-grade items were superior, enough for one to walk through the world with their head held high.
Most artifacts in the pavilion were of the Profound or Yellow grades, where the difference in spiritual energy amplification was not particularly large.
“Thank you, celestial girl!”
“Hmph, be grateful. I wouldn’t tell anyone else if it were anyone but you.”
Lin Wu smiled and reached for Xiahe’s small hand.
“What are you doing?” the old loli asked, her face full of confusion.
“Doesn’t the celestial girl mean to give me the **Beast-Trapping Bracelet** and settle for using the **Wormwood Whip** yourself? I will never forget this kindness!”
“Huh? When did I ever say… Quack!”
Xiahe choked suddenly, covering her small mouth and glaring at the red-robed youth with shame and indignation.
“Stinking brat, you have no professional ethics! Sneak attacking an old senior!”
“A drop of kindness will be repaid with a fountain,” Lin Wu replied.
Xiahe’s Jade Mansion was full, her sea of qi bulging rhythmically. Her tiny body was stuffed to the limit.
*Drip… drip…*
Snow melted in a cave, and the lotus heart trembled.
“I don’t want your repayment! You bad man, put me… put me down!”
Xiahe’s small embroidered shoes dangled in the air. Suspended in the void without her feet touching the ground, she could only cry out helplessly.
Lin Wu laughed inwardly. She finally looked like a child now.
“The celestial girl isn’t acting like an old woman anymore?”
“I was wrong, I was wrong! I’ll give it to you! I really can’t eat anymore, Mas — ter!”
***
When he finally left the fourth floor of the pavilion, the Summer Lotus Hall Elder looked resentful, her slender wrists now bare. The Earth-grade **Beast-Trapping Bracelet** had been turned into two exquisite rings worn on Lin Wu’s pinky.
If the Autumn Celestial was like a plate of fat bamboo shoots—fresh and succulent—then the Summer Celestial was like crunchy crown daisy—mature yet bitter in its youth. Both required different cooking techniques.
Lin Wu had once asked the two blood slaves for their real names, as the Ten Hall Elders of every generation shared the name of their respective blessed lands. Their original names were mundane secular ones, like Niu Aihua or Zhu Yanmei, which were quite down-to-earth.
After being appointed as Ten Hall Elders, they each took charge of a secret path in the Kunlun Ruins, and only the names Xiahe and Qiu Ming remained in the world. Their past ties to the mortal world had dissipated, leaving only the sect’s heritage to be passed down through the generations.
After having his fill, Lin Wu ran into Elder Qinghan and Yun Mengyao as he headed downstairs.
The top ten of the Great Sect Competition were all allowed to enter the pavilion and choose a treasure from their corresponding floor. Naturally, the newly promoted Chief Disciple of the Ten Halls had priority.
“Lin Wu greets the Precept Elder.”
The originally distracted white-haired girl brightened up with a look of surprise, her pretty face glowing.
“Rascal… Junior Brother Lin, you’re here too!”
“Mengyao, do not be rude. Your martial nephew is already a Red Lotus Enshrined. Within the sect, you should address him as Saint.”
“Oh…”
Elder Qinghan’s eyes were clear, her voice carrying a hint of teasing.
While she admired him, she also felt a bit of regret. This youth’s intellect and cultivation were both top-tier. If he and Mengyao were a perfect match, he might have helped the Qinghan Hall suppress the Leng Yu Hall.
Now that the Sect Master had exceptionally promoted him to Red Lotus Saint and put him in charge of the long-deserted Cold Abyss Ice Prison, the hidden meaning behind the move was difficult to discern.
“The Saint also came to the Summer Lotus Hall to select a magic tool?”
Her voice was as pleasant as a silk instrument—a mature, easygoing, and sophisticated tone.
The Qinghan Celestial had jet-black hair that reached her waist. Her bangs were straight above her willow-leaf brows, her clothes were deep red, and her skin was a pale, icy pink. Her boots reached past her knees, making her another rare beauty.
However, Lin Wu only remembered how Little Yao often complained about her boss being a miser…
“Indeed. The sect’s treasures are innumerable. Fortunately, I had Elder Xiahe to guide me.”
Xiahe gave a soft huff and nodded to her senior sister before floating away, terrified that her “filled bun” state might be exposed.
Qinghan glanced at Yun Mengyao, whose face was flushed. How could she not see what was on the girl’s mind? She smiled and said, “It just so happens that I don’t know much about spirit tools or artifacts. Since you two are already well-acquainted, I will leave Mengyao in the Saint’s care. I’ll wait for her downstairs.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Yun Mengyao watched Qinghan leave and immediately pounced into Lin Wu’s arms, firing off a barrage of questions.
“Rascal, how are your injuries! Where is that giant salamander? Did you beat that purple-haired brat to a pulp for me? I heard the elders say you reached Nascent Soul! Right, right—when the Master kept you behind, did she do anything to you?”
Yao was so flustered, terrified that her treasure was being snatched away.
Lin Wu chuckled. “So many questions at once. Which one should I answer first?”
Yun Mengyao thought about it seriously and said nervously, “Answer from the last one to the first.”
“Answer your head! The celestial girl broke the rules and charged right into me, but I didn’t let her have her way. So what if she sends me to sit in the ice prison? Keep the music playing and the dancing going!”
Lin Wu smiled and shook the red string, his Nascent Soul aura unhidden.
Yun Mengyao’s mouth hung open. Although she didn’t fully understand his words, she felt his powerful presence. Her eyes sparkled with pure worship.
“What about you? How does it feel to be the Chief Disciple of the Snow Lotus Sect’s Ten Halls?”
“It’s… it’s just so-so! Hmph, who asked you to let me win!”
Yun Mengyao wanted to act tough, but the sweet smile on her lips couldn’t be suppressed.
She knew that the merit points in those storage bags had been credited to her by Elder Leng Yu. The praise from the elders, the compliments from her peers, and the exaggerated merit rewards were enough for her to go back to her village and build a three-story immortal manor!
The girl’s small sense of vanity was greatly satisfied, and she was so happy she felt like she was floating. More importantly, she felt the blatant favoritism from her sweetheart.
It was sickly sweet!
“It’s like a dream. Being happy is one thing, but I didn’t want you to push yourself to that extent for me. It was so dangerous…”
Yun Mengyao pouted, clutching Lin Wu’s Red Lotus clothes as she complained and nagged like a newlywed wife.
“You got lucky this time and turned a disaster into a blessing. You aren’t allowed to do that again, or I’ll be really angry!”
“Actually…”
Lin Wu felt a warmth in his chest, but he couldn’t stand to hear such things. Explaining the truth now would be a mood killer, so he let the Little White Lotus keep overthinking and remain innocent and cute.
“Actually?”
Yun Mengyao tilted her head, her hands hooking around Lin Wu’s neck.
“It’s nothing. If I give it to you, just take it. It’s not that big of a deal.”
Lin Wu shook his head and pulled the girl’s slender waist close, sealing those chattering, rosy lips.
‘Was this not a big deal?’
Yun Mengyao hummed in response, her eyes half-closed. Her mind was filled only with the heroic image of the youth standing in front of her, fighting a bloody battle.
‘There will never be another boy in this world who treats me this well…’
This sight also frustrated the mischievous fox, who rolled around in annoyance.
The silly girl was overanalyzing things again. No matter what Lin Wu did, she would find a way to interpret it as a romantic gesture, never once considering if she was being used.