Three years passed in a hurry,
Somewhere in the back mountain of the Lin family,
A low, muffled humming sound pervaded the small, man-made cave.
The cave was not naturally formed but was meticulously carved out by Lin Yi deep within the back mountain. It was slightly larger than a modest room, with the walls smoothed and infused with a faint trace of Yuan Power, making the interior dry and warm, perfect for cultivation.
Lin Yi sat cross-legged on a smooth, gray stone platform, his eyes closed in deep meditation.
Over the last three years, he had made immense strides. Under the guise of his father's direct tutelage, he had secretly reached the peak of the Tempered Stage.
His Force Camouflage technique had perfectly masked his true strength, showing the world only a gifted, but still manageable, Fourth Layer Tempered Body Stage cultivator.
At this moment, a subtle spiritual tremor, familiar yet distinctly foreign, ran through Lin Yi's soul. It was the signal from the 'Unlimited Return' talent.
[Target Character, Lin Dong has successfully achieved the Third Layer of the Tempered Body Stage]
[100x achievement return Initiated.]
[You have gained 100x the Yuan Power accumulation.]
Lin Yi smiled faintly without opening his eyes. The surge of raw Yuan Power flowed through his meridians, settling within his Dantian and further solidifying his foundation.
The boost, while substantial, was a huge ripple to his current strength, yet it was perfectly compressed and limited by his sealed power.
He had been awaiting this moment to proceed with his next strategic step. The Tempered Body Stage was about toughening the physical form; the next, the Earthly Yuan Stage, required the absorption and synergy of Yin Energy from Heaven and Earth to form the first seed energy.
'It's time to bind Qing Tan,'
Lin Yi thought, his consciousness sharp and focused. 'Lin Dong's path is vital for resources, but Qing Tan's innate physique is the key to accelerating my foundational cultivation in this realm.'
He recalled the unique talent Qing Tan possessed... the Terminus Devil Body, a rare, terrifying physique that innately generated a potent, pure Yin Energy.
If a ten-fold return on Lin Dong's basic achievement could elevate his current physique, what could a vastly superior achievement return from a legendary physique yield?
He directed his talent towards the small, white-haired girl who was currently residing in the Lin Clan's main courtyard.
[Character Binding: Qing Tan Initiated]
[Target Character, Qing Tan possessed the Terminus Devil Body (Heaven Level)]
[10,000x achievement return Initiated]
[You have gained the Pure Yin Holy Physique (Origin Level)]
A silent, cosmic explosion of pure Yin energy erupted within Lin Yi's Dantian. The sheer volume and quality of the energy surpassed anything he had ever felt before.
The Terminus Devil Body was powerful, but the Pure Yin Holy Physique is a legendary existence, a perfect energy of ultimate Yin that formed an unmatched Yin Origin power, which even felt more powerful than the Yuan Power.
His Dantian, already brimming with Yuan Power, began to rapidly absorb this new, potent Yin Essence. The transformation was swift and violent, forcing him to rapidly activate his personal Force Camouflage to prevent the sudden, overwhelming energy surge from shattering the cave's structure and alerting the entire clan.
The transformation took minutes, but it felt like an eternity. When it was over, Lin Yi opened his eyes, sighing in relief.
Earthly Yuan, Early Stage!
His pupils were no longer simply gray; they shimmered with an inner luminosity, the faint hint of a deep, glacial silver briefly flashing at their core.
'Perfect,' he mused, testing the new physical and energy limits. 'The Pure Yin Holy Physique... it not only supplies the purest Yin Energy required for the Earthly Yuan's realm progress, but also gives me a built-in mechanism for high-speed cultivation. I will not need to scour the continent for rare Yin-attuned spiritual items to break into the Heavenly Yuan Realm next. The resource is now self-contained.'
The Yuan Power in his Dantian was now an intense, silver-blue vortex, which was a mixture of Yin and Yuan force, perfectly balanced and ready for the next step.
Lin Yi stood up, the subtle humming of his Force Camouflage keeping his immense power tightly bound within his small physique.
He glanced at the large stone at the cave's entrance. After removing it easily, he walked outside toward the back mountain in order to find and 'abuse' some wild beasts with his current strength.
…
Another four years passed, like wind flowing through the mountains and returning each cycle,
The back mountain of the Lin Clan, which is now the exclusive property of Lin Xiao's family.
The crisp air of the back mountain was thick with the scent of pine and wild herbs. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, dappling the moss-covered ground near the entrance of Lin Xiao's family cultivation ground.
Lin Dong sat cross-legged on a worn stone, his small frame radiating a quiet, focused determination. His muscles were lean and perfectly toned, a testament to years of relentless, strenuous practice. He had just turned fourteen, and his dedication had pushed him far ahead of the average timeline for the branch clan.
He was currently at the peak of the Sixth Layer of the Tempered Body Stage, a rare feat for his age and a point of immense pride for his father. The Yuan Power within his limbs felt full, demanding to be refined and transformed into the next great energy stage.
Beside him, Lin Yi sat with an air of deceptive tranquility, his eyes closed. He was perpetually masked at the Ninth Layer, Tempered Stage, a respectable genius achievement that maintained his "comprehension talent" hidden without raising any further alarm.
While his current true strength is already at the Late Stage of Earthly Yuan Realm. Just a single step away from Heavenly Yuan realm.
Lin Xiao stood before them, his face serious but filled with immense satisfaction. His injury was long healed, and the hope his sons provided had fully restored his dignity and spirit.
...
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