### Chapter 59: Follow Your Senior Brother—You Won't Regret It!
Lin Yi returned to his courtyard, his mind racing. The *Shattering Spirit诀 (Shattering Spirit Technique)* was as potent as the old man had claimed—an all-or-nothing move that would drain his spiritual energy but detonate a blast powerful enough to cripple even a Seventh or Eighth Level cultivator. It was a last resort, but in the Black Veil Forest, last resorts might mean the difference between life and death.
He'd barely stepped through the gate when a core disciple emerged from a neighboring room—a young man with a sharp jaw, his aura steady at Sixth Level Qi Refinement. Lin Yi nodded in greeting; they'd passed each other in the courtyard before, but hadn't spoken. The disciple nodded back, then headed toward Elder Guan's quarters, leaving the courtyard quiet.
Lin Yi made his way to Pan Yu's room, tapping lightly on the barrier. Pan Yu opened the door instantly, his eyes lighting up. "Senior Brother!"
"Grab dinner—enough for two," Lin Yi said, grinning. "We're celebrating."
Pan Yu hurried off, returning half an hour later with a tray loaded with food: a steaming bowl of 灵鸡汤 (spiritual chicken soup), two plates of stir-fried vegetables, and heaping bowls of rice. They settled in a stone pavilion, the evening breeze carrying the scent of jasmine from the garden.
"This is better than outer sect rations," Pan Yu said, shoveling rice into his mouth.
Lin Yi laughed. "Core disciple perks. Get used to it."
They ate in silence for a while, savoring the meal. When the last grain of rice was gone, Lin Yi reached into his storage bag and pulled out two items: the mid-grade sword he'd looted earlier, and the mid-grade defensive robe Steward Zhang had given him.
"These are for you," he said, handing them over.
Pan Yu's eyes widened. "Senior Brother, I can't—"
"Take them," Lin Yi insisted. "Tomorrow, we march into the Black Veil Forest. Demons, traps, who knows what else? You'll need them more than I will." He patted the *Shadowpiercer* at his hip and the *Waveguard* robe he wore. "I've got upgrades."
Pan Yu clutched the sword and robe, his voice thick. "Thank you. I… I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll survive," Lin Yi said, clapping him on the back. "Stick close to me, and you will. Trust me—跟着师兄混,准没错 (follow your senior brother, and you won't regret it)."
His tone was light, almost playful, but there was steel beneath it. Pan Yu was more than a servant—he was the first person to stand by Lin Yi when everyone else mocked him. He'd earned this.
Pan Yu nodded fiercely, tucking the gifts into his storage bag. "I will, Senior Brother. I swear it."
After Pan Yu left to clean up, Lin Yi returned to his room. He didn't immediately dive into cultivating the *Shattering Spirit Technique*. Instead, he sat cross-legged, staring at his wrist where the bracelet hid.
The old man's words lingered in his mind. *"I want to see you筑基."* And the whispers between the elders—mentions of 封承运 (Feng Chengyun)'s 心魔 (demon of the heart), of the sect's fragile future.
*What am I getting into?* he wondered.
He pulled out the jade token from the True Scripture Pavilion, turning it over in his fingers. It was ordinary-looking, but he'd felt the 禁制 (restriction) activate when he'd taken the *Shattering Spirit Technique*. A tracker? A monitor?
Lin Yi's jaw tightened. He'd trusted Elder Guan, but doubt gnawed at him. If the token was a ploy, what else was the elder hiding?
*Tomorrow*, he decided. *Focus on the Black Veil Forest first. Survive that, then dig into the secrets.*
He closed his eyes, cycling the *Eternal Life Art* to steady his mind. The courtyard fell silent, save for the rustle of leaves and the distant hum of cultivators meditating.
Outside, the moon rose, casting silver light over the peak. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled.
Lin Yi smiled faintly. *Demons, elders, secrets… bring it on.*
He had his sword, his robe, his *Shattering Spirit Technique*, and a bracelet that held a world of power. And for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like a lone cultivator scraping by. He had Pan Yu, Steward Zhang, even Fang Yue—all people who'd earned his trust.
*跟着师兄混, 准没错*, he thought again. *Not just for them. For me, too.*
The next dawn would bring danger, but it would also bring opportunity. And Lin Yi was ready to seize it.