On the way back, the four of them were still discussing Lei Li and Xie Yingying.
"Brother Lin Yun, how strong is Lei Li? Are you confident you can beat him?" Lin Dong asked curiously.
In the fight just now, Lin Yun and Lei Li were evenly matched, seemingly neck and neck, but Lin Dong knew that Lin Yun still had many techniques he hadn't used.
However, Lei Li's strength was also not bad. He had the advantage of a higher realm and abundant Origin Power. Lin Dong felt that if he faced Lei Li, he wouldn't have absolute certainty of victory.
Lin Xia and Qing Tan also looked at Lin Yun.
Now they had undoubtedly offended Lei Li completely. When the hunting event arrived, Lei Li would definitely look for an opportunity to retaliate.
"When the hunting event comes, it shouldn't be a big problem!" Lin Yun said modestly.
It's settled!
Hearing Lin Yun's answer, the three of them smiled with relief.
After spending this time together, they had a certain understanding of Lin Yun. In terms of strength, they had never seen Lin Yun pushed to his limit.
Whether it was after sparring and exchanging pointers, or successfully breaking through, Lin Yun would always say it was luck, barely, or good fortune.
However, the result was that they were completely dominated by Lin Yun.
Now saying it's not a big problem is equivalent to saying there is no problem.
In fact, Lin Yun was confident he could defeat Lei Li just now, even though Lei Li was one realm higher than him.
But he didn't do that.
Always keep a hand hidden, never let others know your trump cards... This was his style.
If he had defeated Lei Li, wouldn't he have become the number one genius in Qingyang Town?
As the saying goes, a prominent tree in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.
The hunting event was approaching. If he showed strength that could easily defeat Lei Li, it would mean that the Lei and Xie Families would not be able to gain any advantage in the hunting event. Like cornered dogs, it was possible that the two families might attack him in advance.
For the Lei and Xie Families, killing a Body Tempering Realm cultivator was not difficult now.
The most fearful thing when dealing with people and matters is having no hope.
Lin Yun deliberately put himself at a disadvantage in the fight against Lei Li, giving Lei Li the feeling that he was just a little bit away from defeating him. This gave Lei Li hope, making him feel that he could defeat Lin Yun without relying on the family's power for a dimensionality reduction attack.
Lin Yun's approach was like controlling his score on an exam!
Anyway, he had the strength, so it didn't matter how many points he scored normally, as long as he achieved his goal.
When the hunting event arrived, Lin Yun's strength would have increased again. At that time, he could pretend to barely defeat Lei Li, continue to hide most of his strength, and not have to worry about retaliation from the Lei and Xie Families.
...
Back at Lin Yun's courtyard! Lin Xia and Qing Tan were like two sensible young wives, helping Lin Yun tidy up the room. Today, the two of them had bought quite a few things for Lin Yun.
After they left, Lin Yun began to sort out today's gains.
First, the mission rewards.
"Two bottles of Fourth Grade Origin Qi Pills."
They came from Xie Yingying and Lei Li respectively.
In addition, there were fifteen Third-Grade Spiritual Herbs and two Fourth-Grade Spiritual Herbs obtained from the transaction.
Lin Yun took out the Alchemy Furnace, put all seventeen Spiritual Herbs into the furnace, and let Red Spirit automatically combine and refine them into Pills.
Red Spirit didn't need a pill formula to refine Pills. She could refine spiritual pills of higher quality than the Spiritual Herbs based on the available Spiritual Herbs.
After a while, the Pills were ready.
A total of thirty-two Pills.
Among them, twenty-two were Third Grade, nine were Fourth Grade, and one barely reached Fifth Grade.
The Pills refined by Red Spirit were the same as the ones rewarded by the system, they were top-grade Pills with no impurities, and there were no side effects after absorption.
Moreover, even if there were side effects, there was no need to worry.
The Divine Grade Automatic Alchemy Furnace also had another function, which could be used for cultivation.
Directly entering the Alchemy Furnace and treating himself as a Spiritual Herb to be refined, the pill fire could refine the impurities in Lin Yun's body, making Lin Yun's Physique purer.
However, Lin Yun's current body could not withstand the pill fire yet, he needed to reach the Core Formation Realm.
Anyway, Lin Yun could now safely swallow Pills and cultivate without worrying about side effects from taking too many Pills.
There were only a little over four months until the hunting event.
Lin Yun's next goal was to break through to Body Tempering Ninth Layer and impact the Earthly Yuan Realm.
Now, with sufficient Pills, Lin Yun could cultivate without restraint.
In the blink of an eye, more than a month passed.
Under Lin Yun's tireless cultivation, the Origin Power Seed in his meridians grew stronger and more condensed, beginning to impact the barrier of the Dantian.
Body Tempering Ninth Layer required Origin Power to break open the Dantian.
After multiple impacts, Lin Yun could faintly feel that the solid barrier of the Dantian was slightly shaky.
After consuming that pill, which was close to Fifth Grade, Lin Yun finally broke through in one go.
He stepped into the Body Tempering Ninth Layer!
The Origin Power Seed rushed into his Dantian, as if a dry pond had been irrigated. Lin Yun could feel his body undergoing a transformation, deriving from deep within and extending outwards.
That feeling was like a dragon ascending to the heavens, or a fish entering the vast sea!
[Task: Break through to Body Tempering Ninth Layer. Reward: Physique +2, Root Bone +2. Completed, claim?]
"Claim!"
[Physique 13 (Outstanding) -> Physique 15 (Outstanding).]
[Root Bone 21 (One in a Hundred) -> Root Bone 23 (One in a Hundred).]
The energy from the attribute increase integrated into his body, and Lin Yun's body experienced another small surge.
In just over a month, he had advanced from Body Tempering Eighth Layer to Ninth Layer. Such rapid cultivation speed, besides the pills, was largely due to Lin Yun's high attributes, especially his Root Bone attribute, which represented his talent for cultivating Origin Power. Reaching "One in a Hundred" was something ordinary geniuses couldn't compare to.
Lin Yun set up a task to continue cultivating.
[Task: Break through to Earthly Yuan Realm. Reward: Root Bone +2, Comprehension +2, Top-tier Cultivation Method Manual "Dragon Elephant Prajna Art".]
"This reward, a cultivation method manual!?"
Lin Yun's eyes lit up. A cultivation method manual was extraordinary.
This required reaching the Earthly Yuan Realm to cultivate.
Cultivation method manuals were different from martial arts. Martial arts could maximize the power of Origin Power, while manuals could fundamentally enhance Origin Power.
This was the difference between external and internal cultivation.
Martial arts were divided into grades one to nine.
Cultivation methods were divided into third-rate, second-rate, and first-rate.
The entire Lin Clan only had one cultivation method manual, and it was only a third-rate one.
Now, the reward was a top-tier cultivation method. Without a doubt, it was above first-rate.
If Lin Yun learned it, dominating the entire Qingyang Town would be no problem at all.
This gave him even more motivation to cultivate.
His pills were almost used up, so Lin Yun went to the Underground Exchange again. First, he used his savings to purchase a batch of First and Second Grade Spiritual Herbs, then had Red Spirit process them into pills, and then traded them for Third and Fourth Grade Spiritual Herbs.
Fourth Grade Spiritual Herbs were still too scarce. Lin Yun visited multiple exchanges but only managed to get three stalks.
However, with Red Spirit present, quantity could make up for the lack of quality.
As long as there were enough types of Third Grade Spiritual Herbs, Red Spirit could refine quite a few Fourth Grade pills by combining them.
In addition, besides the pills, there were also the Yin Pearls he had "borrowed" from Qing Tan.
Yin Pearls were extremely pure Innate Yin Sha Qi. Because the cold energy was too strong, Lin Yun couldn't absorb them before. Now that he was at Body Tempering Ninth Layer and preparing to break through to the Earthly Yuan Realm, the Yin Pearls could finally be used.
The Earthly Yuan Realm required the Origin Power within the body to merge with Innate Yin Sha Qi, making the Origin Power stronger. At this stage, the most important thing was to absorb the Innate Yin Sha Qi from the world.
And Innate Yin Sha Qi also had its distinctions of quality.
The Innate Yin Sha Qi in the world was divided into nine grades, with the first grade being the lowest and the ninth grade being the strongest.
For those in the Earthly Yuan Realm, the better the Innate Yin Sha Qi absorbed, the stronger their power.
Most people cultivated normally, absorbing ordinary Innate Yin Sha Qi from the world.
This ordinary Innate Yin Sha Qi could only reach grades one or two.
However, the Yin Pearls absorbed from Qing Tan's body could reach above grade five.
Innate Yin Sha Qi of this quality, let alone in Qingyang Town, might not even be found in Flame City, which was further up.
Lin Yun swallowed a Yin Pearl and began cultivating.
As the Yin Pearl entered his body, Lin Yun's body instantly stiffened. Icy cold energy spread wildly within him, and his skin was covered in tiny ice crystals.
He also experienced the suffering of Qing Tan's cold energy.
However, this bit of cold energy was only a part of what Qing Tan emitted, and its power was not great.
Coupled with Lin Yun's not-weak physique, although refining the Yin Pearl was a bit painful, he could endure it.
As the Innate Yin Sha Qi entered his Dantian, it slowly merged with his Origin Power.
After successful refinement, a faint trace of Innate Yin Sha Qi appeared in Lin Yun's Origin Power.
"As long as I continuously strengthen the Innate Yin Sha Qi in my Origin Power, I can break through to the Earthly Yuan Realm."
Lin Yun's face was full of confidence. Next, he would have more in-depth interactions with the little loli Qing Tan and strive to obtain more Yin Pearls.
Speaking of which, the Yin Pearls are such a great opportunity, and now I've obtained them. Can Lin Dong still successfully break through to the Earthly Yuan Realm? I wonder how many Yin Pearls he had stored from Qing Tan before. I hope it's enough for his cultivation.
Lin Yun felt a moment of pity for Lin Dong, then didn't dwell on it.
Anyway, he would never give Qing Tan to Lin Dong.
He didn't get the Ancestral Stone opportunity before, so be it. As for the opportunities that came after, whoever got them, got them.
If Lin Dong fell behind because of this, it didn't matter; Lin Yun had his back.
Another month passed in the blink of an eye.
Lin Yun had almost refined the pills and Yin Pearls, reaching the peak of Body Tempering Ninth Layer. The Origin Power in his Dantian also contained a strong Innate Yin Sha Qi, only a catalyst away from breaking through to the Earthly Yuan Realm.
Today, Qing Tan came to find Lin Yun again.
"Brother Lin Yun, I feel like my cold energy is going to act up again. I'll stay with you these two days."
"Qing Tan, your cold energy is acting up more and more frequently, and it's getting stronger. How much energy is hidden in your small body?" Lin Yun said, stroking Qing Tan's little head.
During this time, he had obtained many Yin Pearls from Qing Tan and could see that her cold energy was getting more severe.
"I don't know why there's so much." Qing Tan pouted, looking wronged... If Brother Lin Yun hadn't helped her, she would have truly suffered to death.
"However, with Brother Lin Yun's treasure, any amount of energy can be suppressed."
The lively Qing Tan quickly turned into a smiling face, saying optimistically.
"You, you only care about my treasure!"
Lin Yun said dotingly.
After helping Qing Tan for so long, and always being alone in the alchemy furnace, their relationship was now very good. Occasionally, they could say some intimate words and do some intimate actions.
On the second day Qing Tan stayed with Lin Yun.
Her cold energy acted up.
Lin Yun skillfully covered Qing Tan's eyes, then carried her into the alchemy furnace.
"Master, I can draw out more of the Innate Yin Sha Qi from her body, refine it, and then introduce it into your body. You can take this opportunity to break through to the Earthly Yuan Realm," Red Spirit suddenly transmitted.
"Hmm? You can do that?" Lin Yun was slightly surprised.
But he still asked first, "Will doing this harm Qing Tan?"
"No, Master. It's just helping her expel the excess cold energy in advance. At most, the next time her cold energy acts up will be delayed."
Red Spirit added concisely, "She won't feel pain, but you will."
"Then let's do it!"
It was just a little pain; he could bear it.
Then Red Spirit began to act as a "transfer pipe," not condensing it into a pill, but directly purifying the cold energy that erupted from Qing Tan through the pill fire and transmitting it to Lin Yun.
Lin Yun sat cross-legged opposite Qing Tan, cultivating. A frosty blue aura emerged from Qing Tan's body, then passed through the crimson flame area in the middle, gathered in front of Lin Yun, and was absorbed by him.
It was like a frosty blue line connecting the two of them.
As time passed, Qing Tan felt that the cold energy in her body was erupting more and more.
She was a little scared; this time the amount seemed too much, more than two or three times the previous amount.
"Brother Lin Yun, there's so much cold energy, I'm scared." Qing Tan was very nervous and instinctively reached out to grab Lin Yun, wanting to touch him and find a sense of security.
However, when she grabbed Lin Yun's hand, she felt an extreme coldness.
She was startled! The space in the alchemy furnace was filled with the aura of pill fire everywhere.
Red Spirit could control it precisely. It gave Qing Tan enough temperature so that no matter how much cold energy she erupted, she wouldn't feel pain. But Lin Yun was the opposite; he needed to absorb the cold energy to break through. Red Spirit couldn't give him temperature, as the power of the pill fire would weaken the effect of the cold energy. This caused Lin Yun's whole body to be ice-cold, just like when Qing Tan's cold energy erupted.
"I... I'm fine... Qing Tan... It... It'll be fine in a moment." Lin Yun said, trembling and stuttering slightly.
Qing Tan's cold energy was too strong; he was truly too cold. The bone-chilling pain made his teeth chatter uncontrollably.
However, this trembling voice, when it reached Qing Tan's ears, was like a bolt from the blue.
She was too familiar with this rhythm and tone of speech. When her cold energy had acted up before and she was in agony, she had spoken like this.
In an instant, Qing Tan thought of many things.
She wasn't cold, but Lin Yun was.
She wasn't in pain, but Lin Yun was.
What did this mean? Brother Lin Yun's treasure must be able to transfer pain! It transferred the pain she was supposed to bear to Brother Lin Yun.
Qing Tan thought of many details.
Why hadn't Brother Lin Yun spoken before?
Why did he tell her to sit still and not reach out to touch anything around her?
Why did he make her cover her eyes? Wasn't all of this just so she wouldn't know?
Before, Brother Lin Yun hadn't shown any abnormalities because the previous cold energy wasn't strong. Brother Lin Yun could endure it. But this time, there was too much cold energy, and Brother Lin Yun couldn't bear it either.
Her covered eyes instantly became moist.
"Brother Lin Yun, why... why are you doing this?" Qing Tan tightly held Lin Yun's ice-cold hand, her voice choked with sobs, her heart filled with gratitude... Why are you so good to me! Since childhood, besides her family, no one had treated her like this without regard for the cost.
"Ah... Qing Tan... You, listen to me..." Lin Yun was a little flustered. He thought Qing Tan had discovered he was absorbing a large amount of cold energy and wanted to explain.
"You don't need to say anything, Brother Lin Yun, I... I understand." Qing Tan suddenly interrupted Lin Yun, speaking in a tone that implied she understood him.
He wasn't her family, yet he was so good to her. If it wasn't because he liked her, what else could it be? "Wait until I grow up!" she added softly, her tone extremely gentle.
Just then, Lin Yun received a system notification that a quest was completed.
[Quest: Capture Qing Tan's Heart. Reward: Charm +10, Innate Yin Sha Qi. Completed, claim?]
Large chapter, please collect, recommend, and give good reviews! I originally wanted to release it in parts, but I felt that breaking it up would be bad for the readers' health, so I released it all at once. How about that, am I a good person?
As a price, tomorrow's update will be delayed a bit, hehe!
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