"Disciple, the path of cultivation is one where the master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to you. I can teach you how to face difficulties and improve yourself, but I can't always be there to protect you. Otherwise, you won't experience true trials, and you'll always have a sense of dependence. A true strong person continuously gains insight and progresses through life-and-death situations. If you always rely on my protection, it will be hard for you to become strong in the future."
As she spoke, Leng Feiyan felt deeply guilty and even a bit heartbroken.
"Disciple, the road ahead is yours to walk. Can you do it?"
Leng Feiyan's tone was apologetic, mixed with heartache and helplessness.
It was like a beloved child whom she always wanted to protect and shelter from the storms of life. But one day, she had to push him out the door to face the world alone.
That kind of heartache and helplessness was fully reflected on Leng Feiyan's face.
She wanted to give her disciple the best protection, but she realized that her protection would ultimately harm him.
For the sake of her disciple's future, she had to let go, allowing Lin Jichen to face the storms alone.
Lin Jichen looked at Leng Feiyan's self-reproachful and sorrowful expression for the first time, realizing it was because she could no longer protect him.
He felt a lump in his throat, but more than that, he was moved.
"Master, don't worry. I can do it. I'll walk the path ahead on my own, and I'll do it beautifully!"
Lin Jichen said solemnly, his eyes becoming resolute.
What was wrong with him? Could he not live without his master's protection?
No! That wasn't him, not Lin Jichen!
Back then, even a useless innate talent couldn't crush his determination to become stronger. He relied on himself, constantly breaking through and learning from failures.
He eventually became the number one spell cultivator in the world, a top-ranked expert!
Now, with such a dreamlike start and an extraordinary talent, he was instead hesitant and fearful.
What was wrong with him?
Wasn't it just death? What's the big deal?
He had already died once. Heaven had given him a second chance, not to live in fear, but to live more brilliantly!
Understanding this, Lin Jichen's mood brightened, his mental knots untied, and his worries dissipated.
Leng Feiyan saw the change in Lin Jichen's demeanor, knowing he had truly understood. Her sadness eased a lot, and her eyes sparkled with admiration.
This disciple of hers grasped everything quickly.
More importantly, his Dao Heart was firm, and his mind was resilient.
Given time, his future was limitless, and surpassing her was highly possible.
Thinking of this, Leng Feiyan looked at Lin Jichen with a mix of pride and admiration.
Perhaps in the future, her disciple might even protect her, and maybe... they could form a Dao partnership...
Oh, what was she thinking!
A blush spread across Leng Feiyan's jade-like face, her thoughts in disarray.
"Master, are you alright?" Lin Jichen noticed her unusual expression and asked curiously.
"No... I'm fine," Leng Feiyan quickly composed herself.
[Ding! Leng Feiyan's affection level towards you +10! Current affection level: 45 (Heartfelt Connection)]
Lin Jichen was stunned, not expecting his master's affection level to rise again.
Most of this affection probably came from Leng Feiyan's guilt towards him.
But the higher, the better, hehe!
It seemed today wasn't so bad after all. At least his relationship with his master had taken a step forward.
"By the way, since you've successfully reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, I have a gift for you."
Leng Feiyan remembered and raised her jade hand. A black sword flew out.
In an instant, it crossed the hall, appearing in front of Lin Jichen, circling him once before hovering in front of him.
The sword had a translucent, spiritual quality, like the vast night sky. The blade was engraved with intricate patterns, double-edged, with hidden sharpness.
The hilt resembled an exotic beast, with two crimson gems embedded in it.
Lin Jichen grasped the hilt, tentatively rotating his wrist. The black blade flashed with a purplish sheen, as if it had a life of its own.
He tapped it with his finger, and the sword emitted a deep, thunderous hum, like a dark warrior.
This sword was no ordinary grade!
[Mysterious Grade · Dark Night]: Strength +40, Critical Hit +25, attacks cause bleeding effect, and comes with skills Swordmaster's Path and Death Execution.
Bleeding: Hitting an opponent causes 120 points of bleeding damage per second for 3 seconds, stackable up to five layers, upgrading to Blood Fury, doubling the bleeding effect.
Swordmaster's Path: If not injured within ten seconds of entering combat, forms a 300-point shield, with a 20-second cooldown.
Death Execution: If the opponent's health drops below 5%, it will directly execute them.
Requirements: Foundation Establishment Realm Sword Cultivator.
After reading the sword's description, Lin Jichen took a deep breath.
Compared to it, the Crimson Cloud Sword was like a crow compared to a phoenix.
No comparison at all!
Even among Mysterious Grade equipment, he could assert that no other Mysterious Grade equipment could surpass it.
This sword was named Dark Night.
Usually, only Earth Grade or higher magic treasures had unique names.
This was the dream weapon of all Sword Cultivator players.
In "Tale of Immortal," equipment grades didn't necessarily correlate with higher cultivation or stronger monsters yielding higher quality equipment.
Many Golden Elixir and Gathering Spirit players still used Spirit Grade equipment, though these Spirit Grade items had much better attributes than those for Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining.
But the grade wouldn't change.
This made high-quality equipment a dream for many players.
Only a few players could use high-quality equipment.
The attributes of this sword were so strong that Lin Jichen wouldn't need to replace it until the Crystal Formation Realm.
And Leng Feiyan just gave it to him.
What could Lin Jichen say?
He used to disdain being a gigolo, thinking it was a man's shame.
Now... oh, how sweet it was!
Who was he? The King of Gigolos!
"Thank you, Master. I love this sword."
Lin Jichen smiled brightly, carefully storing the sword like a treasure, unable to let go.
Leng Feiyan, seeing Lin Jichen's happy expression, couldn't help but show a satisfied smile.
She loved seeing her disciple's excited and silly look when receiving her gifts~
"Last time, you gave me a jade hairpin. As a return gift, I'll give you this Dark Night sword."
"How could I accept that? Hehe, to be honest, I was too poor last time and could only afford a mundane jade hairpin for you."
Lin Jichen said, taking out a gift he had bought this time, a treasure box.
"Master, during my last trip down the mountain, I saved some money and bought you a gift before returning."
"Silly disciple, you don't need to spend on me every time. Besides, the Sword Sect lacks nothing."
Leng Feiyan said, but her eyes lingered on the treasure box.
She wasn't coveting the gift, but because it was from her disciple, it was different.