Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 466: The Key to the Secret Garden

As a mentor who had lived two lifetimes, Lin Yu knew better than anyone that the path of cultivation was essentially a single-plank bridge paved with loneliness and bones. Mundane grudges and romantic entanglements were like vines wrapped around the bridge ropes, seeming to offer a little helping warmth but, when facing the wind and thunder of heavenly tribulation, those vines would turn into the deadliest shackles, dragging a person straight into a pit beyond all redemption.

That Su Ming could sever that tangled mess cleanly in his own way, and in the process hone his Dao heart to such a round, unobstructed state, brought Lin Yu more comfort than if Su Ming had learned hundreds of ancient seal characters.

"Since the worldly matters are already settled, seal them completely in the corner of your memory. Unless you meet a heart-demon tribulation, never go digging them up again," Lin Yu's gaze was like two sharp blades, piercing Su Ming's eyes. "The waters of the cultivation world are far deeper and far murkier than that little puddle in the Great Xing nation."

Su Ming nodded solemnly. "Disciple understands. After returning, I consolidated my cultivation to the peak of early Foundation Establishment. Master Xuanheng granted me a pass to the Formation Peak Secret Realm. I plan to enter it and seclude myself for half a year once I breakthrough to mid Foundation Establishment."

"Half a year..." Lin Yu tapped the stone table silently with an ethereal finger, producing a soundless tapping sensation. "That schedule is actually reasonable. Whether it was dueling or setting arrays when you went down the mountain, you relied on raw Foundation Establishment spiritual energy to crush things. Your techniques are still too crude. A secret-realm retreat is perfect for settling and refining."

Su Ming put the mundane matters aside. He straightened his back and took out the roll of Analysis of Ancient Runes from his storage pouch.

"Master, there is one more thing from my trip down the mountain that still lingers on my mind." Su Ming placed a jade slip flat on the stone table and tapped the tabletop with his knuckles.

Lin Yu's soul body floated in midair with legs crossed, his hands tucked into his illusory sleeves.

"Speak." Lin Yu lifted his chin slightly.

"Elder Qingquan once guided me to the ruins of the Great Yan imperial palace, and he mentioned the Lantai Secret Garden there," Su Ming said at a calm pace.Lin Yu's soul body leaned forward and he raised an eyebrow.

"The secret realm left behind from the Great Yan dynasty, reputed to contain treasures of the previous court," Su Ming continued. He recalled the massive gate in the depths of the rift valley.

"Outside the Secret Garden I studied the formation. The prohibitive runes on that ten-zhang stone gate were extraordinarily intricate," Su Ming looked up at Lin Yu. "I noticed that the large seal-script characters on the gate looked somewhat familiar."

Lin Yu relaxed his hands from his sleeves and drifted down to the empty seat across the table.

"Familiar?" Lin Yu placed his fingers on the tabletop, producing a faint tapping sound with his fingertips. "Draw it for me to see."

Su Ming nodded. He raised his right hand and pressed his index finger together with his middle finger.

energy surged through his meridians into his fingertip, condensing into a single droplet

closed his eyes and reconstructed the ancient

void. The droplet stretched into an extremely

energy, injecting into the

archaic and crude, the turns carried the

that fell, the air in the cave dwelling thickened a little. Sweat beaded

characters that carried ancient laws consumed divine sense terribly. He

hour passed, and at last a structurally

water line glowed a dim blue, and every corner of the character carried

Ming withdrew his finger and exhaled, lifting a teacup to

is the character." Su Ming pointed to the ink-like seal character hovering in the

it, his brows knitting

half a circle around the stone table,

jade-like translucent finger and traced the character's strokes

Lin Yu squinted. "They look more like... some imperial sealing script

it over and over, then closed his eyes and fell into

strong fingers drummed the tabletop unconsciously. Though only a soul body, the motion stirred a breeze that made

not

eyes snapped open and he slapped his own thigh

Yu pointed at

was

Hanlin Academy!" Lin Yu's speech quickened. "The characters on that seal's bottom and the seal-script on

damp, musty storeroom from five years ago

the storage pouch at his waist

discarded formation plates and debris, he

and a thumb-sized object dropped into his

was the