Volume One: Youths Meeting in Humble Times Chapter 144: Let’s Go! (4)

After examining the internal condition of Xu Kaijiang's body, Li Yu finally withdrew his hand.

Shen Yuan, standing nearby, asked, "Well, are you at ease now?"

Li Yu nodded, then bowed to Shen Yuan in gratitude, "Thank you, Senior, for stabilizing his injuries!"

Shen Yuan did not refuse nor put on airs; he accepted Li Yu's bow.

At this moment, Xu Kaijiang was still unconscious and completely oblivious to the outside world. In his consciousness, he saw a giant tree radiating a green glow. The tree gleamed all over, with countless particles of green light drifting about. Merely looking at it from afar filled the conscious Xu Kaijiang with a profound sense of comfort and well-being.

This sensation was as though his entire body and soul had become light and ethereal, drifting like the wind, yet as solid and steadfast as standing firmly on solid earth. He lacked the words to properly describe it, but if forced to, it reminded him of the pure and limpid vitality of a newborn infant.

Unawares, he found himself drawn to the giant tree, walking forward step by step until he sat down cross-legged beneath it, quietly bathing in the green light and receiving the tree's baptism.

He had no idea what a monumental stroke of fortune this was for him. Li Yu had witnessed all these visions while peering into Xu Kaijiang's consciousness, but he had suppressed his inner astonishment, not daring to reveal even the slightest trace of it.

Although Shen Yuan had now become his Dao Protector, one must always guard against others. Shen Yuan had not yet earned Li Yu's full trust, so he could not let Xu Kaijiang's secrets be exposed to another's eyes.

Yet, seeing these things, Li Yu harbored certain suspicions. He recalled the cultivation technique Xu Kaijiang had once mentioned to him—the *Longevity Scripture*.

He did not know whether Xu Kaijiang had ever practiced it. Judging from the outcome, if Xu Kaijiang had indeed practiced it, the duration could not have been long. For the resonance of the Daoist's transformation into the Dao to automatically set Xu Kaijiang's cultivation technique into motion—one could only conclude that this technique was exceptionally suited to him, or that his bloodline was a perfect match for it. If Xu Kaijiang had never practiced it, and the technique was activating on its own now, there was only one possible explanation: a planted intent.

Families of great prestige practiced their own unique arts. The more profound and exquisite the technique, and the less stringent its preliminary cultivation requirements, the more likely these aristocratic clans were to implant the technique directly into the souls of their children during infancy, using it as an identifying mark of their lineage.

Only the elite and powerful clans of the cultivation world possessed the ability to plant such an intent.

As for Li Yu's own Li family, they were born bearing the Imperial Spirit Seal—an existence far more miraculous than a planted intent. It was precisely because of this unique trait that the Li family was universally regarded as the paramount leader among all cultivation clans.

Xu Kaijiang's background was by no means as simple as his mother had described in her letter.

He feared that in the future, Xu Kaijiang's identity and very existence would become a massive trouble.

Yet, would Li Yu be afraid? Absolutely not! Leaving aside the fact that Xu Kaijiang had literally traded half his life for him, forging a bond of life and death, Li Yu's current temperament was such that simply avoiding unnecessary trouble was already a stretch, let alone when trouble came looking for him.

If the former Li Yu's philosophy of survival had been self-preservation—minding his own business, shaking his head and pleading ignorance to any inquiry—then the present-day Li Yu believed in never provoking trouble, but never fearing it either. When necessary, he didn't even mind meddling in other people's affairs.

This was the way the Daoist of Lin lived his life. While Li Yu could not claim to have fully mastered it, he had grasped its essence. From the very moment the Daoist of Lin passed away, Li Yu had effectively become half of him, which was also his way of commemorating the Daoist.

Having finished inspecting Xu Kaijiang, Li Yu prepared to head out again. Seeing this, Shen Yuan asked, "Where are you going?"

Li Yu answered simply, "To find someone."

Hearing this, Shen Yuan hurriedly advised him, "We had best leave this place immediately. You should know that Tianmen Town is no longer the Dao-forsaken wasteland it once was; an increasing number of people will be able to enter. Moreover, you are the Daoist of Lin's disciple—that is no secret. Once they collect their wits, you will certainly come to no good end. They will vent all their fury upon you."

Unflustered, Li Yu merely glanced back at Shen Yuan and said, "I am not afraid. In fact, from the very moment my master transformed into the Dao, they are the ones who should be afraid."