197: Brother Lin's wisdom

Several months ago, Xuanjian Sect, Reincarnation Mirror Control Hall.

"Brother Xuanjian, this disciple of yours is quite extraordinary."

"To reach such a level through self-study alone—why not let me have such a talent? I am willing to exchange ten thousand time coins for him."

A creature with a massive head watched Lin Ge skillfully operating the reincarnation mirror, a hint of admiration flashing in its eyes.

This had been modified by the "Time Traveler Association," yet the boy before him could manipulate it with ease. Such talent would be a waste if left in a cultivation sect like this.

"Elder Ming, you must be joking. Lin... Lin... cough, that disciple is also an elite that my Xuanjian Sect is focusing on nurturing."

Mr. Xuan Jian was delighted to hear this and immediately declined the offer politely.

One must know that the person before him was a technical consultant for a major power; to receive such an evaluation from him meant this disciple was indeed capable of standing on his own.

Although ten thousand time coins were precious, they were insignificant compared to the cost of hiring an outsider to manage the reincarnation mirror.

"That is truly a pity."

Elder Ming sighed with regret and smiled at Mr. Xuan Jian:

"Since your noble sect has such a brilliantly talented disciple, there is nothing I can offer in terms of guidance. My own sect's affairs are pressing, so I shall take my leave."

"As for the fee of 3,000 time coins, since I was of little help, I will only take half..."

"Elder Ming, you are mistaken. Your personal visit is worth far more than these few time coins."

Mr. Xuan Jian, in a great mood, laughed:

"However, since Elder Ming has business to attend to, I won't keep you any longer. Let me see you out."

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."

"As it should be. After you."

As the group departed.

Two disciples looked at Lin Ge with eyes filled with a mix of worship, surprise, gratitude, and disbelief.

"Wait, Brother Lin, you actually know how to do it!"

"You scared me to death, Brother Lin! If you'd said you had this skill earlier, would we have needed to be so afraid!"

The two suddenly became lively. Although they felt a sense of betrayal—like "we agreed to be poor students together, but you studied in secret"—it was insignificant compared to the prospect of a better life ahead.

"It's nothing, really. I have things to do, so be quiet for a moment."

Lin Ge waved his hand dismissively; he had no time to deal with these two deadweights right now.

Sinking his consciousness into his identity token, he said excitedly:

"Thank you, Patriarch! Thank you! You are truly amazing."

"Just some minor tricks. If I can re-refine the reincarnation mirror, I can defeat that treacherous disciple and retake control of the Xuanjian Sect. When that time comes, I will take you as my disciple and teach you some truly powerful techniques."

Lin Ge's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he hurriedly said:

"Patriarch, the materials you need aren't particularly rare, but you require such a large quantity. I don't have enough funds for now, so it might take some time to gather them all..."

"Greetings, Venerable One."

Just then, two hurried greetings interrupted Lin Ge's communication. He looked up to see Mr. Xuan Jian, who had just seen Elder Ming off, returning. He quickly stood up to salute, while secretly explaining via voice transmission:

"Patriarch, I am currently living under someone else's roof and must play along with this traitor. Please forgive me."

"Rise."

On the other side, Mr. Xuan Jian looked at the disciple with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

He hadn't expected a mere outer disciple to possess such talent, and his voice immediately softened:

"What is your name?"

"Reporting to the Venerable One, this disciple is Lin Ge."

"Mhm, not bad."

Mr. Xuan Jian nodded. "I promised before that if you all maintained the reincarnation mirror well, you would be promoted to core disciples. Although it hasn't been long, since Elder Ming of the Suzi Chamber of Commerce praised your talent, I will grant you the reward early."

"From this day forward, you are a core disciple of the Xuanjian Sect."

"Thank you, Venerable One! Thank you! I will certainly give my all for the Xuanjian Sect until my dying breath!"

A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Lin Ge's face as he hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

"No need for such formalities. Just serve the sect well."

Mr. Xuan Jian waved his hand, glanced at the trials proceeding normally within the reincarnation mirror, nodded with satisfaction, reached out toward Lin Ge's head, and then merged something into a token:

"This is the Core Disciple Token. Your soul imprint has been integrated into it. With this token, you can enjoy the treatment of a core disciple from now on."

"I understand."

Lin Ge took the token and put it away, speaking respectfully.

After a few more words of encouragement, Mr. Xuan Jian turned and left.

As the strongest person in the sect, he focused most of his energy on the Ascension Battlefield.

Meanwhile, Lin Ge, with a joyful face, transmitted his voice to the identity token:

"Patriarch, there's a way! Core disciples can go to the sect treasury to choose one treasure for free. If I pick something of high value, it should be enough to trade for many of the materials you need."

Saying this, he instructed the other two disciples to watch the reincarnation mirror and immediately rushed toward the sect treasury.

With the aura of the Core Disciple Token, he encountered no obstacles along the way.

Only at the treasury entrance did an elder calmly remind him that he could only take one item before opening the gates to let him through.

Most of the items in the Xuanjian Sect's core disciple treasury were elite equipment forged by past experts, while others were precious treasures accidentally obtained during travels; naturally, their values varied greatly.

Lin Ge, who had never seen so many treasures, was immediately dazzled upon entering. It took him a long while to barely calm down.

"Patriarch, please guide me."

"Walk forward."

The Statue of Liberty, who had entered with Lin Ge, silently emitted a scanning beam.

Although she didn't understand much about the cultivation side, energy fluctuations and material rarity could not be faked.

Soon, she selected a device shaped like a small bell.

Lin Ge picked it up without hesitation, and a wave of information was instantly transmitted into his mind.

"Oh? It's actually a Mysterious-rank Grade Seven treasure! And a rare protective type at that."

His eyes lit up, and he said happily, "A treasure of this level can be sold for at least 30 million Profound Crystal Coins, which can exchange for a tenth of the materials you need. It's a pity I can only choose one; if only I could pick more."

"Only a tenth?"

The Statue of Liberty, hidden within the identity token, pondered silently.

"I don't know how things are on His Excellency's side. I must take control of the reincarnation mirror as soon as possible to establish contact with him..."

After a moment's consideration, she silently painted a grand vision:

"There's no need for regret; this is just the most basic treasury of the Xuanjian Sect. Since you are working for me, once I slay the traitor and retake the sect, what's the harm in giving all this junk to you?"

"All of it for me!"

Looking at the treasures around him, Lin Ge couldn't help but fantasize about the spectacular sight of hundreds or thousands of treasures flying at a wave of his hand. His heart surged with excitement, and he could no longer suppress it.

He gritted his teeth and suddenly said:

"Patriarch, I have another way to help you quickly gather these materials."

"With my current status as a core disciple of the Xuanjian Sect, I can obtain massive amounts of wealth on credit from major trading houses in the Xuanjian Great World. I can also trick some other disciples into taking out credit with me. We should be able to gather all the materials you need in a short time!"

Lin Ge's eyes sparkled with the light of wisdom.

"Anyway, once you retake the Xuanjian Sect, this small amount of credit will be nothing but a drop in the bucket..."

...