Lin Ran felt his heart tightened. He thought that Daoist Li had discovered something. However, he had always been cautious. What mistakes could he have made that exposed him.
Looking at Daoist Li's calm expression, Lin Ran sensed that he was probably at the sixth or seventh level of the Martial Master Realm. Could it be that he was also hiding his strength?
Just as Lin Ran was guessing…
"I know that you were originally the champion of the Martial Arts Examination, but you ended up becoming just an insignificant mountain guardian. You were even mocked and looked down on by your former opponent whom you defeated. You must be indignant."
The next second, what Daoist Li said relieved him.
It turned out that he was talking about the incident in the Imperial Garden. Lin Ran did not expect Daoist Li to be there as well. Back then, Lin Ran indeed felt a gaze fixing on him and thought that it was just a passing palace maid or eunuch.
"But you also have a good mindset. You didn't give up on yourself or become hopeless."
Daoist Li looked impressed. Although he couldn't see, he could feel that Lin Ran had done a good job.
Even though Lin Ran cultivated diligently every day, he wasn't making any progress and had been stagnating for a long time. However, he didn't give up on himself and went on cultivating day in and day out.
If Lin Ran knew what Daoist Li was thinking, he would definitely burst out laughing. His current strength was well-hidden. Only a Senior Grandmaster could discern his true level of cultivation.
What what more, the few Senior Grandmasters known to the world were either cultivating in the deep mountains or in seclusion. How could they possibly show themselves in the secular world?
"You're not arrogant or impatient but are calm and composed. Even if you're humiliated, you can still maintain your composure. Very few young people are like you now."
He let out a long sigh and continued, "The mortal world is replete with all forms of temptations. Most martial artists are easily lost in it and forget the very reason for which they started cultivating. Those people are more like mortals than martial artists."
Daoist Li did not know that Lin Ran was actually in a completely different realm than him. At this moment, he wanted to give Lin Ran some guidance. Perhaps Lin Ran was not as talented as others, but his mindset was rare among the new generation.
Even if he was blind, he was by no means a fool. After observing Lin Ran for a year and seeing the interaction between Lin Ran and Zhou Hao, Daoist Li had a high regard for him.
"You've been wiping swords at Mount Sword for a year now. We're, in a way, destined to meet here in the middle of nowhere. Let me tell you something about the sword technique."
Although Lin Ran was much stronger than Daoist Li, there were many things he might not know. Moreover, he had only been in this world for a short time, whereas Daoist Li had lived in this world for the better half of his life and was definitely very experienced.
Lin Ran said humbly, "That would be terrific. I'm all ears."
"Come with me."
In silence, Daoist Li brought Lin Ran to walk along a small path.
He remembered that this direction should lead them up to the mountaintop. Lin Ran followed behind with a look of surprise. He had been in Mount Sword for so long, but he didn't know such a path existed.
As if he knew that Lin Ran was surprised, Daoist Li said, "There are still plenty of miseries and secrets in Mount Sword that you will unravel one by one in the future."
What Daoist Li said seemed to carry a double meaning.
Lin Ran had a feeling that he was listening to the words of a dying man.
As the two of them went deeper, the surrounding vegetation became lush. As far as the eye could see, there were nothing but towering trees that blocked that sunlight from seeping in, causing it hard to tell whether it was day or night.
Lin Ran vaguely saw something in front of him.
When he walked closer, he was surprised to find that it was a stone tablet that looked like it had been standing on the spot for centuries. Weathered by the wind and rain, it was overgrown with moss. In the middle under the moist moss, two words could be vaguely seen.
They were probably words of the ancient language. Lin Ran didn't understand the meaning, but the handwriting was strong and powerful as if the words were carved instead of written. It was filled with an indescribable pressure and strength, making people afraid.
Lin Ran even felt a special energy fluctuation from it that even he could not figure out.
He was surprised to find that after living on Mount Sword for so long, he didn't notice such a place. It seemed that he had underestimated Mount Sword.
Daoist Li had a complicated expression on his face. He carefully brushed away the fallen leaves and said, "Do you know where this is?"
Without waiting for Lin Ran to answer, he continued, "This stone tablet is called the Demon Subduing Tablet. There is an array formation seal on it. Every once in a while, you have to reinforce this seal."
So this was the Demon Subduing Tablet!
Hearing this name, Lin Ran couldn't help but feel awed.
Many questions popped up in his mind. Then what was sealed here? Could it be related to something on the mountaintop?
He recalled the strange roars he had heard occasionally.
As expected, Mount Sword was not as simple as it looked. There might be a huge secret hidden somewhere. This was probably the reason why Daoist Li told him not to wander about.
"The Five Elements Sword Technique is needed to reinforce the seal."
Daoist Li's voice interrupted Lin Ran's thoughts. He couldn't help but ask, "What is the Five Elements Sword Technique?"
"The Five Elements Sword Technique contains the power of the five elements, namely metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. To perform it, a specific mahogany sword is required. In addition, the Five Elements Divine Stone is also needed to stabilize the core of the array formation."
Just by listening to it, one could tell how complicated the procedure was. Even Lin Ran couldn't quite understand what Daoist Li was talking about. However, it wasn't hard to imagine that this array formation should be extremely powerful, and that the thing being sealed must be powerful too.
He couldn't help but look up in the direction of the mountaintop.