"Just you wait!" Alice clenched her fists tightly. "I swear I'll make you willingly take me as your disciple!"

"Good. Then take the first step of your 500-mile journey now."

After Lin Mu finished speaking, he picked Alice up and threw her off the Chu Family's Back Mountain.

"AAAAH!"

A scream pierced the night sky as a figure soared through the air.

Alice landed on the road and quickly checked herself over. Thankfully, she wasn't injured, but her face was ashen with lingering fear.

"Dammit, that was barbaric!" Alice glared back at the mountain and raised her fist. "Once I'm strong enough, I will get my revenge!"

"Haha, let's see you walk to Suzhou first," Lin Mu's voice clearly reached her ears. "I'll hold on to your ID and wallet for you. I'll give them back when this is over."

"Remember, from this moment on, you don't have a single cent. If you starve or die of exhaustion on the road, I'll collect your corpse."

"Of course, if someone kills you, I will avenge you."

Lin Mu's voice carried a hint of indifference. "But remember, if you really die halfway, don't blame anyone else. This was your choice!"

Hearing Lin Mu's words, Alice's expression flickered. She quickly took a deep breath, a determined light filling her eyes. "I can definitely do it! You can do this, Alice!"

However, when Alice prepared to take her first step, she froze.

Because... she didn't know which way to go.

What a jerk. He didn't even give me a map. I'm definitely going to get lost...

...

Lin Mu simply ignored all of Alice's complaints.

He had left a trace of Divine Sense on her, so if she tried to use any form of transportation, he would sense the increase in her speed. That would prove she had failed the trial. Furthermore, he would also be able to sense it if Alice encountered any danger.

Of course, he didn't actually care if she lived or died. It was merely to make it more convenient to collect her corpse.

Forcing Alice to walk hundreds of kilometers wasn't Lin Mu's attempt to deliberately torment her.

This was a Path of Heart Refinement! It was a journey that tested one's determination, Dao heart, willpower, and even their ability to endure loneliness.

Anyone who wished to pursue Cultivation had to possess these latent qualities.

It was the same kind of crucible faced by the monk Tripitaka and his disciples on their Journey to the West—a path meant to temper their hearts, starve their bodies, toil their minds, and fortify their wills. For a foreigner like Alice, such a trial would be immensely beneficial.

After dealing with Alice, Spirit Seer awoke.

Spirit Seer's eyes flew open, flashing with a brilliant light as a terrifying aura emanated from his body. It seemed he had completely mastered his new physical form.

"Spirit Seer thanks you for this great kindness, Master!"

The moment he awoke, Spirit Seer knelt and kowtowed three times to Lin Mu. The bows were utterly sincere, marking his complete acknowledgment of Lin Mu as his master. Beyond Lin Mu's various astonishing abilities, the simple act of restoring his body and teaching him secret techniques was enough to earn Spirit Seer's undying gratitude.

"Hmph." Lin Mu said, brandishing the Soul Communion Realm in his hand. "Where did you get this?"

Although it was only a replica, even in the Cultivation World, this Soul Communion Realm would require a cultivator at the Golden Core realm or higher to forge. And since it was a replica, a genuine one must exist. The genuine Soul Communion Realm would certainly be a treasure above the rank of a Spiritual Artifact.

Thus, Lin Mu didn't believe for a second that Spirit Seer had crafted it himself.

"Master, I truly do not know," Spirit Seer replied with a bitter smile. "I've had this mirror with me for as long as I can remember. All of my current strength is thanks to it."

"Oh?" Lin Mu was slightly surprised. "You don't know either?"

"I would never dare to hide anything from you, Master," Spirit Seer hurriedly explained. "I was adopted as a child. My foster father told me that when he found me, this mirror was the only thing I had. He assumed it was a keepsake and told me to guard it well, thinking it might one day help me find my family."

"Unfortunately, so many years have passed that I gave up on that notion long ago," Spirit Seer said, his tone frank. "Besides, for us cultivators, severing worldly ties aids our Dao Cultivation! It's also because of this Soul Communion Realm that I later took Spirit Seer as my Daoist name."

Lin Mu nodded. "Did he say where he found you?"

"Mount Lingyan in Suzhou."

Lin Mu's eyes flashed. "Since this might have been a gift from your family, you should keep it."

He suddenly tightened his grip, and a surge of Mana flooded into the Soul Communion Realm.

Instantly, wind and clouds roiled above the entire back mountain as a tyrannical power swept through the area. This was because Lin Mu's own power had triggered a change in the Heavenly Dao.

"DECREE!" he uttered a single word.

The clouds scattered, the wind died down, and the world returned to tranquility. The Soul Communion Realm in Lin Mu's hand, however, now pulsed with a powerful energy, too intense to look at directly.

"This object's Dao Charm was about to dissipate, so I helped you refine it a little. This only stopped the Dao Charm from fading further. Improving its quality will require specific materials, but we can discuss that later."

With that, Lin Mu tossed the Soul Communion Realm back to Spirit Seer.

"Ah?"

Spirit Seer scrambled to catch the mirror. He could feel that it was somehow different than before, as if... it was now suffused with a heart-stopping energy.

The Master enhanced the Soul Communion Realm's power with just a casual touch? Such an ability is nothing short of miraculous!

Spirit Seer was once again astounded by Lin Mu's methods. He hesitated, then said, "Master, this Soul Communion Realm is a treasure I obtained only after surviving countless perils. All of my current achievements are thanks to this mirror. But your grace saved my life, and I have no way to repay you. Please, accept this Soul Communion Realm as a token of my devotion!"

Though it pained him to part with it, Spirit Seer knew that Lin Mu had given him his life back. Compared to his life, a mirror—even a priceless treasure—was nothing. He knew what choice to make.

"Haha! If you hadn't said that, I might have actually considered taking it. But now, it's yours to keep," Lin Mu laughed heartily. "Besides, a mere Magic Artifact is beneath my notice."

Hearing this, Spirit Seer was stunned for a moment before letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Master!" Spirit Seer said with deep admiration. "With your abilities, a treasure that we Mortals consider priceless is indeed unworthy of your status."

At the same time, he understood. Those few words were a test. Thank goodness I made the right choice. His admiration and respect for Lin Mu deepened. The Master's perspective is far beyond what a mere Mortal like me can comprehend.

"Master, what about this person?" Spirit Seer asked, glancing at Chu Zhengbo and hesitating over whether he should kill him. After all, leaving someone alive who knew so many of their secrets was a liability.

Lin Mu pondered for a moment. "I have my own plans for him. Let's head down the mountain first."

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