"Dong'er, Yi'er," Lin Xiao began, his voice low and solemn. "You have both worked tirelessly to strengthen your bodies. Today, we will move beyond foundation. I will now pass on to you the Qingyuan Art."
Lin Dong immediately straightened, his eyes burning with anticipation. This was a true cultivation technique, the key to reaching the Seventh Layer of Tempered Body Stage and forming the crucial Yuan Power Seed.
Lin Xiao glanced at Lin Yi, who merely nodded silently. "This art allows you to absorb the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth and refine it into true Yuan Power within your Dantian. It is the beginning of the path of a true cultivator."
He then knelt between them, placing a hand on each of their foreheads, and began to transmit the complex mental blueprint and circulation routes of the Qingyuan Art into their minds.
Lin Dong received the instruction with ferocious concentration, immediately beginning to visualize the demanding energy channels within his body.
Simultaneously, a distinct, powerful tremor ran through Lin Yi's consciousness.
[Target Character, Lin Dong has successfully learned the Qingyuan Art]
[100,000x achievement return Initiated.]
The simple, mid-tier Qingyuan Art vanished from Lin Yi's mind, instantly replaced by a legendary, scorching-hot cultivation technique that resonated with the highest energy of the Martial Universe.
[You have gained the Nine Sun Art (Heaven Level)]
Nine Sun Art: Practicing this art to top level will evolve the physique into Sun Holy Body.
An unbelievable torrent of pure, scorching Yang Energy erupted within Lin Yi's Dantian. This energy was the perfect counter to the immense Yin power stored by his Pure Yin Holy Physique. The two colossal forces... Yin and Yang... met and began to violently merge.
'Nine Sun Art! A Heaven-Level Yang technique! This is exactly what I needed to perfect the foundation of the next Heavenly Yuan Realm!'
Lin Yi thought, his consciousness sharp and focused despite the internal energy storm.
The sheer volume of the incoming energy immediately shattered his Heavenly Yuan Early Stage - Middle Stage boundary.
The Yuan Power Seed within his Dantian rapidly spun and enlarged, transforming from a simple seed into a complex dual seed, perfectly balanced Yin-Yang vortex of immense power.
He gripped his control over the Force Camouflage, forcing the overwhelming surge to remain contained. His small body, already toughened, absorbed the residual energy, strengthening his meridians to an unbelievable degree.
Heavenly Yuan, Late Stage!
In a matter of seconds, Lin Yi had bypassed the entire Heavenly Yuan Stage, standing at the door of the Yuan Dan Stage, the fourth critical realm on the path of cultivation.
Lin Xiao, withdrawing his hand, noticed nothing. He looked at Lin Dong, whose face was pale with effort, and then at Lin Yi, who remained perfectly composed.
"Excellent, Yi'er, your comprehension is once again leagues ahead," Lin Xiao praised, misinterpreting his son's stillness for instant mastery. Then he reminded Lin Dong solemnly,
"Dong'er, don't rush. This art requires patience. You both start your closed-door training now. Do not emerge until you successfully form the Yuan Power Seed."
Lin Dong, though slightly deflated by his brother's apparent ease, nodded with fierce determination.
Lin Xiao left the clearing, confident in the future of his sons.
Lin Dong immediately plunged back into his meditation.
Lin Yi, however, opened his now-gold-flecked gray eyes. 'I need to break through the Yuan Dan Stage next, I have already laid the perfect triple-layer foundation... Yin, Yang, and the unified Yuan. The resources for the Heavenly Yuan Stage are pure Yang Energy. And now, I have the Nine Sun Art to generate the ultimate Yang energy.'
He glanced at Lin Dong, whose dedicated, earnest breathing was beginning the slow, arduous process of forming his first Yuan Power Seed.
'The path is clear. While he is cultivating the Qingyuan Art, I will be cultivating the Nine Yang Art and preparing for the ultimate breakthrough.'
The sunlight began to fade, casting long shadows across the small clearing. Lin Dong, energized by his father's instructions and the promise of a true cultivation path, knew he couldn't practice the Qingyuan Art here. The technique required intense focus and a secluded environment to absorb the spiritual energy effectively.
He rose quietly, giving one last glance at the spot where his father had stood. His heart was a drumbeat of determination. He ran silently down the familiar path toward the deepest, most secluded part of the back mountain.
After a while,
Lin Dong soon arrived at a location known only to him: a small, hidden fissure in the rock face, camouflaged by thick ivy. He pushed the heavy vines aside and slipped inside. The fissure opened into a small, naturally formed cave, its main feature a shallow pool of water fed by a slow, constant trickle from the ceiling.
He settled cross-legged beside the pool, his breathing slowing as he re-visualized the Qingyuan Art blueprint. He began to circulate the latent Yuan Power in his body, trying to draw in the spiritual energy of the surrounding environment.
It was slow, too slow.
He could feel the spiritual energy... the essence of Heaven and Earth... but it was thin, like trying to drink water through a single strand of hair. He gritted his teeth, pouring more will into the process. The path to forming the Yuan Power Seed was going to be long and arduous.
Then, a sudden, powerful shift occurred.
He felt a dense, almost tangible flood of spiritual energy pouring into his Dantian. It wasn't the thin air he was drawing from; it was an internal, concentrated source. The Yuan Power within his meridians surged, and the Qingyuan Art began to circulate with a dizzying speed, far beyond his control.
"What is this?" Lin Dong gasped internally, forcing his concentration to stabilize the runaway energy.
He looked around the cave, his gaze falling on the small, unassuming pool of water. A faint, almost imperceptible purple glow emanated from the pool's depths, and the surface of the water was now subtly vibrating. The spiritual energy felt strongest right above the water.
'It's the water! Or... something inside it!'
Instinct taking over, Lin Dong stood up, discarding his outer robe. He took a deep breath and plunged into the frigid water. The moment he submerged, the influx of spiritual energy increased tenfold. It felt like diving into a lake of pure Yuan Power.
...
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