The malicious maid was finally driven away.
Lin Huanhuan finally found some peace. ‘It’s time to focus on my cultivation. If I calculate the time correctly, Foundation Establishment isn’t far off.’
Without much thought, Lin Huanhuan sat cross-legged once more. Her consciousness guided the spiritual energy within her body, gathering it at her spiritual altar. She slowly spread it out, preparing for the construction of her Dao Foundation.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
Lin Shuangye, having learned that Lin Huanhuan had retrieved the Black Water, took some time out of her schedule to visit her sister’s residence.
Lin Huanhuan quickly stood up and went forward to greet her. “Sister, you finally came. I was just about to go looking for you.”
Lin Shuangye nodded and smiled. “I was delayed by a few small matters, but I came as soon as I was free.”
As she spoke, she sensed Lin Huanhuan’s aura and nodded approvingly. “Not bad. Your state is quite good. It seems you haven’t been sitting idle these past few days.”
Lin Huanhuan raised her head happily. “Of course! I’m no longer the person I used to be. I am now the upgraded version of Lin Huanhuan!”
Lin Shuangye couldn’t help but chuckle. Although she didn’t understand what “upgraded version” meant, she understood that her younger sister was progressing in a good direction, which was something to be happy about.
She reached out and patted Lin Huanhuan’s head, feeling a bit nostalgic. That tiny, mischievous Lin Huanhuan who spent all day causing trouble felt as if she were still standing right there. In the blink of an eye, she had grown so much and become so sensible.
“I really miss the old days,” Lin Shuangye remarked out of the blue.
Lin Huanhuan gave a faint smile and struck a pose. “Why dwell on the past when there are endless mountains and rivers ahead?”
Lin Shuangye was slightly stunned, then she lightly tapped her sister’s head. She laughed and said, “You’ve certainly developed a silver tongue. I didn’t see you saying such things back in the academy. If you had, you wouldn’t have been punished by the teacher every day.”
Lin Huanhuan complained with a sour face, “Don’t even get me started. That teacher was like a madman. I just didn’t like turning in my homework, yet he made me stand in the corner every single day. He was absolutely detestable.”
Lin Shuangye scolded her jokingly, “Was it that you didn’t like turning in homework? You simply didn’t do it at all! You drove him crazy. But he couldn’t punish you too severely because he was worried about offending you.”
The two of them laughed together as they chatted about the past.
Lin Shuangye took out the heavenly treasures she had prepared beforehand and placed them on the table. “Once you are ready, you can begin your breakthrough.”
She then warned with a serious expression, “You must be extremely careful. Do not be impatient. Haste leads to chaos, and chaos leads to mistakes. If something goes wrong at this step, there will be real trouble.”
“I understand, I understand,” Lin Huanhuan nodded in agreement.
Lin Shuangye suggested, “You could go to the Dao Academy first and take a look. They specialize in researching Dao Foundations. You can also choose to get some items there that increase the success rate. Although they might slightly damage the Dao Foundation, it is a more stable approach.”
Lin Huanhuan then remembered that during the process of shaping a Dao Foundation, one could use certain items to increase the success rate. The most famous example was the Foundation Establishment Pill. Without exception, however, using these external items would cause a certain amount of damage to the Dao Foundation. They were only used as a last resort.
The Dao Academy was established by the Lingyun Sect specifically to increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment.
Lin Huanhuan nodded. “I’ll consider it.”
That was what she said on the surface, but she smiled disdainfully in her heart. ‘Why would I need those things? My Super Inner Demon should be able to solve it for me.’
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment requires refining ten types of heavenly treasures simultaneously. The process is difficult. Just make sure you know what you’re doing.”
Lin Shuangye didn’t continue that topic. Instead, her tone shifted as she asked, “Then we should talk about another matter. What do you think of your personal maid, Dong Yun’er?”
Lin Huanhuan was somewhat puzzled. “What do you mean? I look at her with my eyes.”
“Don’t be flippant. I’m being serious.” Lin Shuangye’s expression turned solemn. “Do you remember back when you chose her? How reluctant she was at the beginning?”
Lin Huanhuan rubbed her chin and shook her head. “I remember that. What about it?”
Lin Shuangye sighed again. “Everyone says you have the memory of a goldfish, and they aren’t kidding. You can even forget something this important.”
“Dong Yun’er’s talent isn’t very high, yet she is your personal maid. She carries the responsibility of looking after and protecting you. Don’t you think she’s already becoming a bit strained?”
“So, it’s also time for the next step…”
***
They didn’t know that from the moment Lin Shuangye entered, someone had been sneakily standing outside the door. With an ear pressed against the wall, they had overheard everything.
Dong Yun’er used a secret technique to conceal her aura and crouched there, listening.
Because Lin Shuangye didn’t think anyone would be spying here, she hadn’t scanned the area with her Divine Sense. As a result, this powerhouse at the peak of Foundation Establishment was actually being eavesdropped on by a Qi Refinement cultivator.
However, Dong Yun’er also knew she was just being clever. She didn’t dare use spiritual energy to enhance her hearing, relying only on her natural senses to listen.
When she vaguely heard “that little maid of yours is already very strained” and “it’s time for the next step,” her pupils shrunk violently. Her body trembled, and she nearly stumbled to the ground.
She bit her lip until it bled, her face filled with endless sorrow. ‘I thought there was still a chance. I didn’t expect this step to come so soon.’
‘They must be discussing how to let me leave the stage gracefully right now. Why must it come to this? I really don’t want it to be like this… but even if the Young Miss is unwilling, she probably can’t win against the Eldest Miss.’
‘Even if I can stay, a new personal maid will surely find me an eyesore. I’ll likely be suppressed and targeted constantly. I’m afraid she would be determined to drive me away, and then I would truly be at a dead end.’
‘But what can I do? I can’t do anything.’
Dong Yun’er clenched her fists and staggered out of the courtyard. Looking at the solitary moon hanging in the sky, her heart was a swirl of conflicting emotions. ‘If only my talent were a bit better. If that were the case, I definitely wouldn’t have to leave, and I wouldn’t lose my only identity.’
‘Sigh.’
Before this, she had fantasized that perhaps Lin Huanhuan would value the bond between them and wouldn’t replace her.
After all, changing a personal maid would require a long time to build rapport and reach a state of mutual understanding. A new person wouldn’t be as easy to use, and their loyalty would be another issue. It would bring a host of problems.
But after hearing this today, Dong Yun’er suddenly realized—what did those problems matter in the face of the path to immortality?
If there was a problem, solve it. If there was an obstacle, flatten it. How could that be difficult?
Her greatest advantage had now completely vanished.
‘What should I do? Should I leave on my own initiative to preserve the last bit of my dignity? Or should I shamelessly stay and wait to be completely kicked out…’
She asked herself, facing the moonlight.