BAM! BAM! BAM!
Lin Xuan's fists slammed heavily against a tree stump, which groaned under the repeated impacts. With every punch, beads of sweat flew from his body. His shirtless torso was drenched, revealing the faint outline of his developing muscles. After finishing a simple set of fist techniques, he slowly retracted his fists. Specks of blood now dotted the stump's surface.
He then took some medicinal herbs from a bamboo basket at his side and applied them to his knuckles. The sting of pain made him suck in a sharp breath, but he knew this was the fastest way to heal.
'Next, a run around the forest.' Lin Xuan bent down and picked up a bamboo basket. Besides the herbs, it unexpectedly held a large rock, weighing about two hundred pounds. He hoisted it onto his back and began a long run around the woods. In addition to the rock, he also carried the Dragon Cloud Rod. All told, the extra weight on his body was a full six hundred pounds!
Two weeks had passed since he left the Lin Family. Instead of heading directly to Qingcheng Mansion, he had chosen to engage in his Cultivation deep in the mountains.
Qingcheng Mansion was recruiting. One's talent could be slightly lower, but their Cultivation had to be sufficient. The minimum requirement was the Seventh Layer of the Body Refining Stage. He was at that level now, but his physical conditioning was still lacking. He had to strengthen himself significantly, or he wouldn't even pass Qingcheng Mansion's assessment.
This was all Lin Hua's suggestion. There was still some time before the Qingcheng Mansion assessment, so he would use this period to train hard out here. With Lin Hua personally guiding him, his Cultivation speed was simply astonishing!
"The Body Refining Stage is all about continuously strengthening your body to achieve a breakthrough. Your constitution is only average, so it needs to be significantly reinforced. Only by strengthening your physical body can you withstand my possession for longer periods!" Lin Hua constantly instructed him in his mind.
Soul Possession felt wonderful, but the drain on both Elemental Power and the physical body was immense. On top of that, the consumption of soul energy was also staggering. The requirements for the soul's stamina were relatively low, and since Lin Hua didn't know how to cultivate the soul, he could only teach Lin Xuan how to strengthen his physical body.
"I know!"
Lin Xuan grunted, his entire body drenched in sweat. He never complained about this kind of hardship. He had always been this way, especially since his poor eyesight made this aspect of his Cultivation more difficult. Now, he seized every minute, using all his strength to improve. 'Otherwise, how could he ever catch up to Lin Xue?'
At the thought of Lin Xue, a smile touched his lips. 'I don't want her to protect me. I want to be the one who protects her!'
...
Late that night, Lin Xuan, who was meditating at the edge of the forest, suddenly snapped his eyes open. A sharp glint flashed in their depths as an invisible aura surged from his body, causing the nearby grass to bend slightly.
"Whew... After taking the Solid Essence Pill, my Elemental Power has stabilized, and my strength has increased from about four hundred pounds to eight hundred—a twofold increase. I'll definitely be able to break through again soon." Lin Xuan could feel his Elemental Power was more condensed, and he was much stronger than before.
It had only been two weeks, and he was already on the verge of another breakthrough. Such speed was dumbfounding. With this rate of progress, how could he possibly have a mere Third-class Talent?
"The Lin Family's Celestial Level Technique, the Cloud Return Technique, is top-tier even among Celestial Level Techniques. It's a shame I only have an Earth Level Technique, the Divine Wave Technique. Otherwise, combined with the Young Master's bloodline, its effects would be maximized. Paired with the Lin Family's Martial Techniques, it would be a match made in heaven!" Lin Hua sighed with regret. However, since he wasn't of the purest Lin Family bloodline, it was impossible for him to have learned the Cloud Return Technique.
Although he didn't have the top-tier Cloud Return Technique, the Divine Wave Technique was still a Middle Grade Earth Level Technique. Cultivation Techniques were divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper Grades. Above those were the Human, Earth, and Celestial Levels! In Qingcheng Mansion, the best Cultivation Technique available to an ordinary introductory disciple was merely Human Level, and even learning one at that Level was impossible without significant contributions.
But with Lin Hua's help, things were different. It saved Lin Xuan a great deal of time, especially the time he would have spent searching for a Cultivation Technique. He couldn't casually use the Lin Family's Martial Techniques, but a Cultivation Technique was fine. A good Cultivation Technique could double the results of his Cultivation with half the effort; otherwise, Lin Xuan would never have progressed so quickly.
Soul Possession!
Lin Xuan suddenly shot to his feet. The Soul Pearl inside him glowed with a faint white light, and Lin Hua's soul immediately possessed his body. In an instant, his aura changed completely, as if he had merged with the heavens and the earth.
"Wave Cloud Palm!"
Lin Xuan let out a low roar and charged forward, viciously striking a giant boulder before him. A wave of condensed Elemental Power blasted from his palm and poured into the stone. With a CRACK, he shattered the entire boulder into several pieces with a single strike!
This power far exceeded his current limits, reaching at least the level of the Eighth or Ninth Layer of the Body Refining Stage!
The next moment, the Soul Possession vanished. Lin Xuan's forehead was beaded with sweat. Just that simple possession had consumed nearly half of his Elemental Power, but the effect was obvious—a massive increase in power.
It was just like the Eight Extremes Staff Technique; its power was not something he could unleash at his current stage.
'That palm strike just now must have had a force of a thousand pounds. The effect is pretty good, but my body feels seriously overdrawn...' Lin Xuan immediately felt pain wrack his body. There was no gain without pain. To control Lin Hua's soul, there was bound to be a price to pay.
Unless his Cultivation reached the Spirit Pill Stage, it would be difficult to unleash its full power at any lower stage. He could even push himself further for an explosive burst of power—Lin Xuan guessed he could probably generate two thousand pounds of force—but the result would undoubtedly be tragic...
His body wouldn't be able to handle it. If he forced it like that, even if his opponent didn't die, he himself would be half-dead.
"This level is already very good... If you keep up your Cultivation, you'll definitely be able to fully utilize my power..." Lin Hua's voice was faint. He had been quiet before, but now he sounded as if he'd just recovered from a serious illness.
"Uncle Lin, what's wrong? Uncle Lin!" Lin Xuan immediately sensed something was amiss. He probed with his Spiritual Sense, and his own soul entered the Soul Space. There, he saw Lin Hua's soul flickering in and out of existence, as if about to disappear.
"I feel like I'm about to break down into those specks of light... I think I might really be disappearing." Lin Hua wore a faint smile, showing no sign of pain.
He was a man who had already died once. To have survived for so long and to see his Young Master before he departed—what more was there to hold onto?
"How... How is this possible? Everything was fine, how did it come to this?" Lin Xuan was frantic, but he couldn't think of any solution.
"The very existence of a soul is a Heaven-Defying act. I am already content just to have been able to see you again, Young Master..." Lin Hua reached out a hand, resting it on Lin Xuan, and gently patted his head, as if he could truly feel him. "Young Master, from now on, you'll have to rely on yourself. I hope that after I'm gone, you won't probe my memories. I know you're capable of it... Do not probe them unless you truly reach a level of Cultivation sufficient for revenge. Promise me!"
Watching the rapidly fading Lin Hua, Lin Xuan's eyes turned red. In these past two weeks, Lin Hua had taught him so much. He had already come to see Lin Hua as his master.
"I promise you! If I haven't reached a level of Cultivation sufficient for revenge, I will absolutely not probe Uncle Lin's memories!" Lin Xuan answered resolutely.
Lin Hua smiled faintly, and his entire soul vanished, dissolving into a small cluster of Energy specks that floated in the air, no different from the surrounding Soul Energy.
Lin Xuan took a deep breath. Looking at the cluster of Soul Energy, he did not probe Lin Hua's memories. Since Lin Hua didn't want him to know, it wasn't because his enemy was too powerful, but because something truly horrific must have happened... 'That scene might be a true Purgatory. Seeing it would probably have a negative effect on me.'
Since Lin Xuan had made a promise, he would not probe them. Not until his Cultivation reached the Core Formation Stage!