Chen Lin had never expected to meet Zhao Mengru on this ship. The scene that happened between them in the basement of the ancient temple suddenly became clear to him.
After so many years, the other party's cultivation level is only the eighth level of Qi training. It seems that his aptitude is not that good.
His appearance hasn't changed much, he's just become much more mature. After all, if you calculate it, he's in his forties. If monks didn't age slowly, his face would probably be covered with wrinkles.
"Zhao Mengru, it's your honor that I like you. Now I give you two choices. Either you go to sleep with me right now, or you go hunt sea beasts right away. But I have to remind you that ordinary fish and shrimps will not work. They must be at the level of demon beasts. You have been overdue for a lot of tasks for such a long time!"
The cabins on the lower floor were all large, with a hall in the middle. An old man in a gray robe with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks was speaking nonsense to Zhao Mengru, who was looking furious.
There were many onlookers, but no one spoke for Zhao Mengru. They all looked like they were just watching the fun.
The two female fellow cultivators beside her also looked at the gray-robed old cultivator with fear on their faces. This old cultivator should have a high status on the ship.
Chen Lin hugged his shoulders and watched from behind with a smile, wanting to see how the clever woman back then would resolve the current dilemma.
"Xu Dachang, don't go too far. The new Senior Chen is familiar to me. If you piss me off, I'll let Senior Chen kill you!"
Zhao Mengru raised her head and suddenly said something that stunned Chen Lin. He thought the other party recognized him.
But he immediately realized that the other party was bluffing again.
He couldn't help but smile. Back then in the underground passage, the other party pretended to be someone from the Zhao family in Pingyang City, which allowed the two of them to escape.
Unfortunately, his trick didn't work this time. The gray-robed old cultivator curled his lips and said sarcastically, "Why didn't you say you were Senior Chen's Taoist partner? I remember when you first got on the boat, you said you were a relative of Master Zhuo. Why didn't he take you with him when he left? Later, you said you were a member of Senior Zhao's clan, but Senior Zhao also exposed you. You were lucky that he didn't kill you directly. Now you want to pretend to be an acquaintance of Senior Chen. I think you are addicted to pretending!"
After hearing what the other party said, Chen Lin was speechless. This guy is really used to taking advantage of the power of others.
However, I feel that his IQ seems to have decreased as he gets older. Isn't it asking for trouble to pretend to be the family of a foundation-building cultivator on this closed ship
He shook his head and stopped watching. If those seven foundation-building monks were really involved, it would be difficult for him to show up.
Thinking of this, he stepped forward and said, "Haha, you are wrong this time. She really is not pretending to be someone else. She is just an acquaintance of Chen!"
Chen Lin put away his breath-concealing technique, released the pressure of the foundation-building period, and used his spiritual sense to attack the gray-robed old cultivator, teaching him a lesson.
The monks in the hall were suddenly startled, and they made way for Chen Lin, looking at him with suspicion.
"Chen, Senior Chen, nice to meet you, Senior Chen!"
Just as the gray-robed old man was about to continue putting pressure on Zhao Mengru, he felt a huge pressure descending on him, as if struck by lightning. He greeted Chen Lin in horror.
Chen Lin glanced at the other person and ignored him. Instead, he walked to Zhao Mengru and said, "It's been many years since we last met. Brother Zhao Daoist looks much more haggard. Come with me!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
He had just arrived and it was impossible for him to kill people at will. It would be enough for him to teach the old monk a lesson.
Zhao Mengru was stunned at first, then her face changed for a while before she hurriedly followed Chen Lin's footsteps.
The Qi-cultivating monks in the hall looked at each other, and looked at Zhao Mengru with envy and jealousy. If they could climb up to the level of Foundation Establishment monks, they could live in the cabin on the top floor, enjoy superior resources, and they would not have to go out to perform missions at sea. It was like soaring into the sky.
The old cultivator in gray robe looked as if he had lost his parents, with a look of panic on his face. He had offended the foundation-building cultivator, and it would be difficult for him to survive on the ship in the future.
After bringing Zhao Mengru back to his residence, Chen Lin sat on a chair and looked at her with a smile.
Zhao Mengru was somewhat at a loss, and after a long while she whispered, "Fellow Daoist Chen, is that you?"
Chen Lin was stunned for a moment, then he gave him a thumbs up and praised him, "I thought your IQ had dropped over the years, but I didn't expect you to be so smart. Yes, it's me, Chen Shuangmu, actually called Chen Lin!"
"ah!"
Zhao Mengru's eyes suddenly shone with dazzling light.
A feeling of joy at having been saved from a desperate situation arose in her. She moved, as if wanting to get closer to Chen Lin, but she immediately remembered that their identities were different now. She bowed deeply and said, "I didn't expect it was really Senior Chen. Thank you for saving me."
Chen Lin waved his hand, "No need to be polite, we can just treat each other as equals. If you are not used to calling me fellow Taoist, you can call me brother. But why did you come to the ship of Lanyu City?"
Feeling Chen Lin's sincere attitude, Zhao Mengru felt relieved and slowly recounted her experience.
This is the bloody history of a casual cultivator, and Chen Lin felt the same way after hearing it.
The other party had been stuck at the bottleneck of the seventh level of Qi training for more than ten years. In order to find an opportunity to break through, he had to risk going to various dangerous places to look for opportunities, and finally wandered to Qi State where Lanyu City was located. Then the Qi Shen Sect appeared, and after several near-death experiences, he finally got the merit of exchanging for the Small Broken Mirror Pill, successfully entered the late stage of Qi training, and fled here with the retreating team.
"I didn't expect that after twenty years of separation, Brother Chen has already become a foundation-building cultivator. This is really enviable!"
Zhao Mengru sighed.
Back then, she was full of ambition and wanted to make a difference in the path of cultivating immortals. She didn't take the foundation-building stage seriously at all, and even thought that the golden elixir stage was not her goal. But reality taught her a bloody lesson, and she knew what the path to immortality was like, and what it meant to have high aspirations but low skills.
Especially the bottleneck in the later stage of Qi training, which made her feel like she was in ecstasy. She had the idea of giving up several times and finding someone to marry, but she was unwilling to do so, so she persisted until now.
But now she no longer has the extravagant hope of building a foundation. She only hopes to reach the other side of the sea safely and spend the rest of her life in peace.
But Chen Lin's next words made her stand there in a daze!
"Fellow Daoist Zhao, do you want to build your foundation?"
After drifting on the sea for so long, Chen Lin felt that a person's ability was limited after all, so he wanted to find two reliable companions. This would be beneficial both in dealing with dangers at sea and in development after arriving at the main continent.
But it has to be reliable. If it is unreliable, it is better not to have it.
Hearing Chen Lin's question, Zhao Mengru was stunned for a long time, and then a light flashed in her eyes.
But she immediately smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Chen, you are joking. Who doesn't want to build a foundation? But I have long been worn out by reality, and there is no place to get foundation-building pills on this sea. What can I do if I want to? Not to mention the orthodox foundation-building, even the unorthodox methods such as building a demon foundation and a Yin foundation, I can't achieve it."
After saying that, he secretly glanced at Chen Lin.
She knew that since Chen Lin asked this, he must have a method to build a foundation. However, she could consider the Yin foundation, but as for the Demon foundation, the appearance would change too much and she was a little scared.
"Haha." Chen Lin smiled. He could see through the other party's thoughts. However, he did not want to beat around the bush and said bluntly, "After all, we have known each other for a while. I see that your current situation is quite difficult. If you want to build a foundation, I can help you. And I don't want to build a foundation in an unorthodox way, but to build an orthodox foundation."
Without waiting for the other party to respond, he continued: "But there is no free benefit in the world. If you want me to help you, you need to pay something."
After saying that, he looked at the other person.
Zhao Mengru blushed slightly, and suddenly unbuttoned her clothes, and said resolutely: "Brother Chen, are you attracted to my weak figure? If so, please have mercy on me."
Chen Lin waved his hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and said, "What are you thinking? I just said that after I help you break through the foundation building stage, you must be my loyal partner and not betray me."
Zhao Mengru blushed, but she quickly recovered and swore, "I swear by my inner demon that from now on I will recognize Chen Lin as my master. If I betray you, I will be attacked by my inner demon and my soul will be destroyed!"
These years of experience have made her deeply aware of the importance of opportunity. This opportunity may be the last one in her life. If she can't grab it, there will be no hope.
Moreover, in the current situation, if she cannot maintain her relationship with Chen Lin, she will have to return to the bottom of the society, and it goes without saying what awaits her.
Therefore, Zhao Mengru swore the master-servant oath without hesitation.
Chen Lin didn't expect the other party to be so resolute, so he didn't know what to say.
Moreover, apart from the oath of the inner demon, he has no other means of restraint. Treasures like the soul contract are not easy to obtain.
"Okay, in that case, you can use these pills first and raise your cultivation to the ninth level of Qi training as soon as possible. Then I will give you the foundation-building pills!"
Chen Lin didn't say anything more and took out a bottle of Ninghua Dan and handed it to the other party.
Then, he felt that with the other party's aptitude, it might not be possible to break through the ninth level of Qi training in a short period of time with just ordinary pills, so he asked again: "Have you used the Marrow Cleansing Pill?"
Zhao Mengru happily took the pills and was very excited. Suddenly she heard Chen Lin's question and immediately shook her head and said, "How can I afford such pills? Later, I accumulated enough merits in the alliance, but I often had to go out to do demon hunting missions. I didn't dare to waste my merits on it. I exchanged them for magic tools and talismans."
Chen Lin nodded. If he didn’t have his natural talent, he might not be as successful as the other person, or even be unable to leave Kaiyuan City.
He also had quite a few Marrow Cleansing Pills on him, so he took one out and said, "It's good that you haven't used it before. If you use it now, you might be able to break through to the ninth level of Qi training. Take it and refine it quickly!"
After handing the pill to the other party, he reminded him again: "Don't tell anyone about this matter, and don't go back to your original residence. Just live in the room next to mine!"