Chapter 51: Using Lin Qi as a Sparring Partner
Dust and smoke enveloped the arena stage.
Six silver flying shuttles hovered around Lin Qi, their tips pointing at Lin Chuan at the same time. Lin Qi's eyes glowed with a silvery-white light; only at this moment did he truly reveal his trump card.
"Admit defeat. My Mental Strength is close to two hundred units, and the control range of my flying shuttles exceeds fifty meters. As long as you are still on the arena stage, it's impossible for you to escape them."
Lin Chuan was highly amused by this and hooked his finger at him.
"Who the hell are you posing for? Come on, let's fight!"
Lin Qi's face darkened, and the six flying shuttles shot out simultaneously.
Two flying shuttles pressed towards Lin Chuan from the front, while the remaining four dived into the dust, flanking him from the left and right to get behind him. Just as the silver light completed the encirclement, a burst of lightning exploded beneath Lin Chuan's feet, and his entire body shifted sideways.
The six flying shuttles immediately changed direction to follow.
The most troublesome part of Mental Weapons is that they constantly change direction according to the controller's thoughts. Evading them once with ordinary movement techniques is completely meaningless; as long as Lin Qi has enough Mental Strength, the flying shuttles can chase indefinitely.
Standing thirty meters away, Lin Qi curled his fingers inward.
"Your Thunder Flash Step is indeed fast, but you have to exert force again every time you land. I have six flying shuttles—how many rounds can you dodge?"
The silver lights crisscrossed, biting toward Lin Chuan's shoulders, knees, and lower back.
After a perilously close dodge.
[Thunder Flash Step proficiency +2!]
Seeing the prompt before his eyes, Lin Chuan's eyes lit up.
His Thunder Flash Step had already reached Great Mastery, but it was still a long way from Perfection.
Truth be told, it was only because Lin He practiced from entry-level to Minor Achievement.
That his own Great Mastery could be returned and upgraded to Perfection.
According to normal cultivation speed, grinding out this bit of proficiency would probably take at least another ten days or so.
Lin Chuan was in a hurry!
Naturally, the higher the level of his movement skill, the better. After all, he still had to go with his Shifu to deal with the Tianyi Cult.
Fighting the Tianyi Cult would not be like fighting in an arena where people watched and would step in to stop it if danger arose.
Fighting the Tianyi Cult meant life-and-death combat in the truest sense.
Battling against flying shuttles could actually rapidly increase his Thunder Flash Step proficiency.
Lin Chuan was delighted.
What's more, the flying shuttles were getting faster and faster.
Their angles were tricky enough, and they could chase and attack him repeatedly.
Even if he spent money to hire a sparring partner at a martial arts hall, they might not be as dedicated as Lin Qi.
Lin Chuan simply retracted his four True Qi arms, weaving through the flying shuttles relying solely on his Thunder Flash Step.
Seeing this, Lin Qi's gaze grew even colder.
"Knowing that your True Qi arms can't block them, so you plan to save some True Qi? Too bad, the longer you drag this out, the more energy your movement technique will consume. If you keep running, you won't even have the strength left to admit defeat."
Lin Chuan sidestepped to let a flying shuttle pass, offering a critique in passing.
"No, no, this one was half a beat too slow. The coordination between the flying shuttles is too poor. Your Mental Strength is close to two hundred units, and this is the level you've trained to?"
"Fuck you! When it pierces your throat, I hope you can still talk this big!"
Infuriated, Lin Qi raised both hands, and the speed of the six flying shuttles increased once more.
Silvery cold light flashed everywhere within the dust, completely swallowing Lin Chuan's figure. The viewers in the livestream room couldn't see the details clearly and could only occasionally catch a glimpse of lightning.
"Why did Lin Chuan retract his True Qi arms? Is he planning to give up resisting?"
"With six flying shuttles targeting his vital points, he can't even get close to Lin Qi. How can he win?"
"A Spirit Reader fighting a close-combat Martial Artistalready has the upper hand. No matter how fierce Lin Chuan's previous performance was, it's useless if he can't even touch his opponent."
In the spectator stands, Lin Rongchang had already broke into a smile.
"Lin Chuan's strongest asset is his close-quarters strength. Now that he's being chased around for his life by the flying shuttles, what right does he have to compete for the position of Young Patriarch?"
Several clan elders nodded in agreement.
Lin He, on the other hand, watched tensely. He actually wanted Lin Chuan to win so that he could beat him up mercilessly in the finals.
Only Lin Xuance kept staring at the dust, his brow gradually furrowing.
Sensing his expression, the person beside him couldn't help but ask, "Young Shifu Xuance, is there something wrong with this match?"
"This Lin Chuan's movement technique is getting stronger and stronger."
Lin Xuance stared at a streak of lightning flashing through the dust, a hint of surprise entering his tone.
"At first, he would take an extra half-step back to dodge the flying shuttles. Now, every movement just barely evades the tips, wasting less and less distance."
Lin Qi has probably been used by him.
The clan elder still didn't quite understand.
"What do you mean 'used'?"
On the arena stage, Lin Chuan had already provided the answer for him.
[Thunder Flash Step proficiency has reached 100%!]
[Congratulations to the host, Thunder Flash Step has been promoted to Perfection!]
The True Qi within his body flowed through his legs on its own, and all of Lin Chuan's doubts regarding the Thunder Flash Step vanished instantly. He didn't even need to consciously look for a landing spot; his body could move with the most free-flowing and harmonious steps.
A flying shuttle shot directly toward the space between his eyebrows.
Lin Chuan took half a step forward.
The tip of the shuttle pierced through the afterimage left in place, while he had already appeared three meters away. The entire process was so fast that even the thunder beneath his feet seemed to lag by a beat.
Lin Xuance's gaze narrowed.
"Perfection-grade Thunder Flash Step!"
A wave of exclamations instantly erupted from the spectator stands.
A Great Mastery movement technique already belonged to the geniuses of the same generation, while Perfectionmeant that this Martial Technique had been thoroughly mastered. Many Martial Masters cultivated for over a decade and might not necessarily be able to push a Tier 3 movement technique to this level.
Lin Qi also heard the voices from outside the arena.
He had controlled his flying shuttles to chase Lin Chuanfor so long, only to personally help his opponent train his movement technique to Perfection?
"Lin Chuan! You were using me to train your movement technique from the very beginning?"
"You only realized just now?" Lin Chuan rolled his ankles and said with a smile, "Free sparring partners are hard to find. Since you seemed to be working so hard, I trained for a bit longer."
The calmness on Lin Qi's face vanished completely.
"A Perfection-grade movement technique won't change the outcome! I'd like to see how long you can keep running!"
"Who told you I was still planning to run?"
Lin Chuan's gaze turned cold, and he raised his right hand.
Clang!
A pitch-black demonic blade rose from behind him, dark red spiritual runes rapidly lighting up along its blade.
Immediately after, a wisp of purple electrical arc wrapped around the blade, and the entire demonic blade was instantly enveloped in lightning.
Lin Qi's pupils contracted.
The demonic blade had already charged into the dust.
Boom!
The silver flying shuttle at the very front had just made contact with the blade when it was blasted flying by the violent lightning energy, crashing into the two flying shuttles behind it in succession.
The three silver lights lost control simultaneously, with one of them even pinning itself into the ground of the arena.
Lin Qi hurriedly controlled the remaining flying shuttles to besiege the demonic blade.
The flying shuttles excelled in lightness and agility, but in a head-on collision, they were far from a match for the demonic blade.
Moreover, it was a demonic blade wrapped in terrifying lightning energy.
Even with six flying shuttles surrounding and attacking a single demonic blade, they couldn't suppress it!
The voices of the people who had just been discussing how long Lin Chuan could run suddenly changed completely.
"Strange, why can the demonic blade fly on its own?"
"Are you stupid? Lin Chuan is also a Spirit Reader!"
"Ah? So it wasn't that the blade suddenly had a mind of its own!"
Lin Xuance sat up straight, re-evaluating Lin Chuan's strength.
Poison-type Talent, Limit-Realm Fist Technique, Perfection-grade movement technique, plus Mental Power.
Any of the abilities Lin Chuan had publicly displayed would be enough to contend for first place among Haicheng's younger generation.
Yet, all of these abilities were concentrated in a single person.
The sound of clanging echoed once again.
The second one.
The third one.
Six Tier 3 demonic blades rose into the air one after another, hovering around Lin Chuan, their dark red blade light and purple lightning intertwining.
The bullet comments in the livestream room completely filled the screen.
"A single demonic blade suppressed six flying shuttles, and he actually has five more!"
"Controlling six Tier 3 Mental Weapons simultaneously—Lin Chuan's Mental Strength must be at least over 120 units!"
"Who dares to say he's just a close-combat Martial Artist? His ranged attacks are even fiercer than Lin Qi's!"
Lin Nan sat in the spectator stands, remaining silent for a long time.
He also had no idea that Lin Chuan had cultivated Mental Strength.
A clan elder beside him turned to look at him, his tone carrying undisguised suspicion.
"A Spirit Reader! Lin Chuan is actually a Spirit Reader!
His Mental Strength exceeds one hundred units, meaning he must have cultivated it for at least several years. Lin Nan, how could you not have noticed such a major matter at all?
Are you even his father?"
Lin Nan's face burned with embarrassment.
"The Old Shifu was most partial to Lin Chuan when he was alive, so he must have left him a mental cultivation technique. If Lin Chuan kept it hidden and didn't say anything, how could I possibly know?"
With just two sentences, he shifted the blame entirely onto both the Old Shifu and Lin Chuan.
As for how he had never cared about Lin Chuan all these years, Lin Nan didn't even want to mention it.
Lin He's attention, however, fell on the lightning on the surface of the demonic blades.
"Why can he use lightning power?"
The Six-Color Ancient Thunder vibrated continuously inside his body.
The moment that purple lightning appeared, he actually felt an instinctive sense of oppression, as if his S-Rank Talent had encountered some higher-level power.
Lin Rongchang glanced at him.
"Lin Chuan bought a Tier 3 thunder bead yesterday. That thing can store lightning energy in advance. Attaching the lightning energy to weapons using Mental Strength indeed increases destructive power. However, this method consumes a lot of energy, and the power inside the thunder bead won't last long."
Only then did Lin He breathe a sigh of relief. He had thought that Lin Chuan had also awakened a Lightning-type Talent.
If that were the case, it would be bad.
On the arena stage, the situation had completely tilted to the other side.
The six demonic blades surged forward simultaneously, and with every contact, the six flying shuttles were smashed away.
Lin Chuan wasn't even in a hurry to attack Lin Qi; instead, he controlled the demonic blades to collide with the flying shuttles from different angles, as if he were familiarizing himself with his mental control.
"You're fucking using me to practice your mental control too!"
The more Lin Qi fought, the more aggrieved and frustrated he became.
First, using his flying shuttles to train his movement technique.
After perfecting his movement technique, using his flying shuttles to train his blades.
Are you even human?
From the start of the battle until now, Lin Chuan hadn't treated him as an opponent at all.
"Lin Chuan!"
Lin Qi roared, pouring all of his Mental Strength into the six flying shuttles.
"I don't believe you can keep suppressing me forever!"
The six flying shuttles emitted sharp hums simultaneously, crashing toward Lin Chuan from different directions. Lin Chuan glanced at the silver light closing in again, having already lost interest in continuing the sparring session.
"That's about enough."
Perfection-grade Thunder Flash Step activated.
Lin Chuan stepped past the blockade of the flying shuttles, instantly closing a distance of twenty meters. Lin Qi only saw a flash of lightning arrive in front of him, and the six demonic blades had already vanished from his mental perception.
Five of the demonic blades remained behind, pinning the six flying shuttles firmly to the ground.
The last demonic blade flew close to the arena stage, emerging from below Lin Qi's line of sight.
Slice!
The blade pierced into Lin Qi's right leg and was immediately pulled out under Lin Chuan's control. The wound wasn't deep, but the Numbing Toxin and Demon Blood Tracking Poison had already entered his body through the bloodstream.
Lin Qi immediately circulated his True Qi, attempting to force the toxin out of the wound.
"I've long been on guard against toxins. If you think this tiny wound can make me—"
His right leg suddenly lost all sensation.
Lin Qi's body tilted, and he fell to one knee on the ground. His mental control lagged as a result, and the flying shuttles suppressed by the five demonic blades lost their silver glow one after another.
The final demonic blade rose once more, stopping right in front of the space between his eyebrows.
The referee instantly rushed onto the arena stage.
"The match is over!"
"Lin Chuan wins and advances to the finals!"
Cheers surged from all directions. Lin Chuan retrieved his demonic blades and looked down at Lin Qi, who was kneeling on the ground.
"You're a pretty good sparring partner. I'll look for you again next time there's a job like this."
Lin Qi looked up, his eyes almost completely bloodshot.
Only after his defeat did he completely understand.
Lin Chuan dived and dodged the flying shuttles at the very beginning to improve his Thunder Flash Step. Later, when he summoned the demonic blades, he was also using him to practice his blade technique.
The trump card he had exerted all his strength to produce was, in Lin Chuan's eyes, actually just a free set of training equipment.
This kind of humiliation was even harder to bear than being defeated right from the start.
Lin Qi firmly engraved Lin Chuan's face into his memory.
Lin Chuan couldn't be bothered with what he thought and turned to walk into the players' tunnel. After avoiding the cameras, he took out his phone and sent six words to Pei Wubing.
"Shifu, the mark is set."
Chapter 52: Lin He Advances
Lin Qi stepped off the stage, walking outward with a gloomy face.
Several elders looked at each other and quickly gave chase.
"Lin Qi, losing a match is nothing. Your Divine Sense has great cultivation value. As long as you are willing to join the Third Branch, soul-nourishing potions and spiritual weapons can all be prepared for you."
Lin Qi stopped in his tracks, turning back to stare at them.
"Do I need your cultivation?"
That elder's expression sank.
"The Clan is willing to cultivation you; this is for your own good. Cultivating all by yourself, how many resources can you possibly have?"
Lin Qi completely failed to suppress his temper.
"You think a few bottles of potions are enough to make me risk my life for you? Are you trying to brush off beggars?"
"Is that any way for a child to speak!"
"That's just how I speak. Who gives a damn about your pathetic little things? Keep them to supplement your own brains!"
After cursing, Lin Qi left. The several elders stood in place, their expressions growing uglier by the moment.
Inside the martial arts arena, the staff had already begun repairing the stage.
The match list for the second semifinal also appeared on the large screen.
[Lin He versus Lin Xuance!]
Lin He was a newly awakened S-Rank Talent in Haicheng, while Lin Xuance was a young Grandmaster from the Longdu Main Family.
The qi-locking ring could suppress Lin Xuance's Realm to the ninth stage of Martial Artist.
But his physical body, experience, and Xuanjin Battle Bonecould not be suppressed.
After all, it was impossible to dismantle his bones on the spot and store them.
Ye Qinghe looked at the two people stepping onto the stage and asked in a low voice, "Who do you think can win?"
"Lin He." Lin Chuan answered quickly.
"So certain?"
"That good younger brother of mine is quite formidable."
Ye Qinghe glanced at him.
"You care about him a lot?"
The smile on Lin Chuan's face was extremely sincere.
"As an older brother caring for his younger brother, isn't that completely normal? I even hope he achieves a breakthrough on the spot today, comprehends three moves in a row, and best levels up after finishing the fight."
Ye Qinghe felt even more odd hearing this. With Lin Chuan's expression, he looked nothing like he cared about his younger brother; he clearly looked like he was hoping his Clan's sow would litter a few more piglets at once.
On the stage, Lin Xuance raised his hand and touched the qi-locking ring on his wrist.
"My Realm has already been suppressed to the ninth stage of Martial Artist. Come on, let me see to what extent you can perform."
Lin He put on the thunder pattern gloves, and the Six-Color Ancient Thunder continuously jumped along the gaps between his fingers.
"This is Haicheng, and you are the challenger!"
Lin Xuance smiled.
"Having spirit is a good thing. Come on."
The referee withdrew from the stage, and the match officially began.
Lin He pulled his hands outward, and the patterns on the thunder pattern gloves lit up simultaneously.
Boom!
The thunder of six colors exploded from around him, covering the entire stage in the blink of an eye. After a forty percent amplification from the thunder pattern gloves, every bolt of thunder was thicker than the previous match, and the alloy ground was quickly blasted into large patches of charred black.
"How is one supposed to dodge this? There isn't even a place to land on the stage."
"Why is Lin Xuance still standing? Is he really planning to take it head-on?"
Lin Nan looked at the center of the stage and finally revealed a slight smile.
"The thunder pattern gloves are very suitable for Xiao He. Under a forty percent amplification, this Six-Color Thunder Prison is already close to the Martial Master level."
As soon as his voice fell, a muffled sound came from the center of the thunder sea.
Lin Xuance stepped forward, his arms glowing with a dark golden luster. The Xuanjin Battle Bone drove the power of his entire body, and the thunder blocking his path was blasted apart by him one after another.
The momentum of the Six-Color Thunder Prison was astonishing, but landing on him, it could only leave a few faint scorch marks.
The smile on Lin Nan's face froze.
An elder nearby coughed.
"A Grandmaster's physical body is indeed a bit unreasonable."
"Hasn't he already been suppressed to the ninth stage of Martial Artist!" Lin Nan was extremely surprised.
That elder said, "The qi-locking ring suppresses the Cultivation, but he is a physical-training Martial Artist, and his physical body remains."
On the stage, Lin He also discovered the problem.
Lin Xuance passed through the thunder prison and arrived before him in the blink of an eye. As his fist edge fell, the thunder scales protecting in front of Lin He vibrated violently, then shattered into a sky full of fragmented light.
A huge force struck his chest, and Lin He slid backwards more than ten meters, his soles leaving two black marks on the ground.
"Your thunder is very strong."
Lin Xuance withdrew his fist and glanced at the scorch mark on the back of his hand.
"But you rely too much on the power of the Talent itself. Where the attacks land, when to retract your strength, how to connect the next move—you are still very raw in all of this. If you keep fighting like this, the one whose True Qi is exhausted first will definitely be you."
"Stop using an elder's tone to lecture me. The match is not over yet, and it's still uncertain who will leave the stage first."
Thunder light exploded beneath his feet.
Lin He used Thunder Flash Step to quickly widen the distance, and the Meteor Thunder Finger, thunder spear, and thunder pellet flew out one after another. Just as Lin Xuance was about to close in, a Six-Color thunder net already fell from above, completely sealing off all his retreats.
This round of offensive was faster than the Six-Color Thunder Prison. Lin Xuance protected his eyes and throat, crashing out from the thunder net. Lin He's moves were all used up; his clothes were quite torn, but no decent wounds could be seen on the surface of his skin.
On the contrary, Lin He was forced to close quarters, his left arm taking a heavy blow, and a piercing pain came from his ribs.
In the spectator stands, a group of people said in surprise,
"Lin He has quite a few moves, so why does hitting him feel like scraping Gua Sha?"
"Even an S-Rank Talent can't win?"
"Talent represents the upper limit, but Lin He only awakened a few days ago."
Lin Chuan kept his eyes fixed on the stage.
Ye Qinghe said softly, "Lin Xuance is holding back. What he hits are all the arms and ribs, avoiding the true vital points."
Lin Chuan smiled.
"He is examining Lin He. When the Longdu Main Familysent him over, it wasn't just to participate in the competition. Since the Lin Clan produced an S-Rank Genius, the Main Family side cannot possibly not have ideas. He is examining whether Lin He is worth bringing back."
"Aren't you worried?"
"If someone is willing to spend money to cultivation Lin He, I'd be too happy."
Lin Chuan spoke these words with complete sincerity, filled with fraternal affection.
Lin He retreated to the edge, with only half a step left behind him before going out of bounds. His left arm hung limply, and with every breath, his ribs ached along with it.
Lin Xuance stopped five meters away, not rushing to continue attacking.
"Your Talent is very good, but the development time is too short. cultivation for another three years, and you might have the qualifications to beat me. After all, you are S-Rank."
S-Rank was also known as the Emperor Grade, representing the potential to impact the Emperor Realm. Lin Xuance being willing to give a three-year evaluation already acknowledged Lin He's Talent.
Lin He couldn't be happy at all. What he wanted was to win now; winning three years later meant the position of Young Patriarch would have nothing to do with him long ago.
The six kinds of thunder were still flowing in his body. When a wisp of cyan thunder light passed through his injured left arm, the originally severe pain actually lessened a bit.
Lin He's heart stirred, and he suddenly recalled Lin Xuance's combat style from just now.
The Mystic Gold power was hidden within the bones, first strengthening the body, and then erupting through the fists. Since the Xuanjin Battle Bone could be used this way, why should the Six-Color Ancient Thunder only be blasted outward?
After this thought appeared, Lin He became even more excited, as if he had discovered some new continent.
Boom!
The Six-Color Thunder light completely turned around, rushing into Lin He's entire body along the meridians!
Cyan thunder surged into the injured left arm, blue thunder wrapped around the legs, red thunder drilled into the muscles, and gold thunder rapidly diffused along the bones. The black and white thunder gathered between his hands, and the destructive aura it emitted made Lin Xuancechange his expression for the first time.
S-Rank Talent Profound Meaning—Six Thunders Piercing the Body!
Lin He's injuries began to recover, his speed and strength simultaneously surged, and his aura briefly approached the Martial Master level. The six kinds of thunder were also burning his body, and this state could be maintained for thirty seconds at most.
Lin Xuance looked at his changes, a bit more seriousness entering his eyes.
"Developing a Talent Profound Meaning on the spot, as expected of S-Rank; you truly did not disappoint me. Since you can still fight, I will accompany you for another thirty seconds."
Lin He moved his left hand, which had recovered sensation.
"Thirty seconds is enough."
Blue thunder light flashed, and he instantly appeared at Lin Xuance's side.
Lin Xuance's hands completely turned dark golden, and the Steel Bone Fist was launched accordingly. The fists of the two collided successively in the center of the stage, and the roar of metal mixed with thunder spread across the entire venue.
This time, Lin He was not easily beaten back again. The red thunder and gold thunder strengthened his body, and Thunder Flash Step made his speed a notch faster. He continuously changed positions around Lin Xuance, attacking his ribs, waist, abdomen, and knee joints.
Lin Xuance's Steel Bone Fist was still tyrannical, yet he had to turn around and defend following his speed.
"Lin Xuance has been forced back!"
"The six kinds of thunder can actually be used to strengthen the body; this is the truly terrifying place of an S-Rank Talent."
Listening to the discussions around him, Lin Nan had a smile on his face once again.
"I said long ago that Xiao He's Talent is unmatched. What he lacks is just an opportunity."
Lin Xuance was also forced to the edge. He could see that Lin He could not hold on for long; as long as he stabilized a few attacks, this match would still be won by him.
"Your Profound Meaning is very strong, but unfortunately the time is too short."
"It's enough to send you down!"
Lin He suddenly abandoned the side attack and charged straight at Lin Xuance from the front.
Lin Xuance raised his arms, and just as his Steel Bone Fist gathered, Lin He used Thunder Flash Step to forcibly change direction, brushing past his fist edge while his right hand simultaneously formed sword fingers.
Black and white thunder intertwined at his fingertips, rapidly transforming into a half-meter-long thunder dragon.
"Meteor Thunder Finger Third move—Little Thunder Dragon!"
The Little Thunder Dragon crashed into Lin Xuance's waist side, and the erupted power pushed him past the edge of the stage. Lin Xuance quickly steadied himself after landing, his Xuanjin Battle Bone completely unscathed, but he was already out of bounds.
The Six-Color Thunder light on Lin He's body also dissipated at the same time. His legs lost strength, and he knelt on one knee on the stage, panting heavily.
The referee looked at Lin Xuance below the stage, then looked at Lin He.
"In the second semifinal, Lin He wins!"
Lin Xuance proactively removed the qi-locking ring, returned to the stage, and extended a hand toward Lin He.
"You won. After returning to Longdu, I will submit a Geniusrecommendation for you at the highest level. You already have the qualifications to enter the Main Family's youth sequence."
Lin He grabbed his hand and stood up.
Lin Xuance continued, "A recommendation can only open the door for you. After entering the youth sequence, no one will yield to you just because you come from Haicheng. Your combat experience is still far behind; how to walk the path hereafter is up to you."
This time, Lin He did not talk back.
"I will prove that my S-Rank is not just potential."
In the spectator stands, Lin Chuan had already stood up and clapped vigorously.
"Oh! breakthrough on the spot, younger brother, well done!"
His voice suppressed everyone nearby, and even Lin He on the stage could hear it clearly.
"Keep it up for the finals in three days; it would be best if you comprehend two more moves."
Lin He raised his head to look at him, his gaze very cold.
"Rest assured. Three days later, I will return everything I suffered today in full."
"Such ambition."
Lin Chuan clapped even harder.
"Do not slack off these three days; drink potions when you should, and cultivation cultivation techniques when you should. If you lack money, look for Lin Nan; don't stand on ceremony with him!"
Lin Nan's expression turned dark.
Lin He's heart felt equally stuffy and blocked.
Yet he did not know that the Talent Profound Meaning he had painstakingly comprehended had already begun delivering goods to Lin Chuan.
[Bound enemy Lin He comprehends S-Rank TalentProfound Meaning: Six Thunders Piercing the Body!]
[Triggered a thousand-fold return!]
[Host gains higher-level thunder-infusion comprehension of thunder power, Purple Heaven Divine Thunder bearing capacity is greatly enhanced!]
[Congratulations to the host for mastering the Talent Profound Meaning—Zixiao Piercing the Body!]
A wisp of purple thunder roamed inside Lin Chuan's body.
He could clearly feel that his flesh and blood, bones, and meridians were all undergoing changes.
The power of Zixiao Piercing the Body was stronger, and the duration would also be longer.
Lin He had almost roasted himself with electricity on the stage just to exchange for a Talent Profound Meaning.
When it came to Lin Chuan, the upgraded version arrived directly in his account.
The biological younger brother was responsible for Cultivation, and the System was responsible for thousand-fold processing.
The division of labor in this Clan was becoming more and more reasonable.
The battle information on the large screen was quickly updated.
[Young Patriarch Selection Tournament · Finals]
[Match Time: Three days later]
[Lin Chuan versus Lin He!]
Chapter 53: Binding Several More Members of the Tianyi Cult!
After Lin Chuan returned to his residence, Pei Wubing was still following Lin Qi.
To be precise, he was following the Demon Blood Tracking Poison.
This poison neither harmed the body nor caused any discomfort; as long as Lin Qi remained within a three-hundred-kilometer radius, Pei Wubing could sense his general direction.
As for sending people to tail him, Pei Wubing had never even considered it.
The Tianyi Cult had been able to hide in Daxia for so many years, and their people might exist within the Martial Arts Association, the military, and various major families.
The more people who knew about this matter, the faster Lin Qi would disappear.
Therefore, ever since Lin Chuan prepared the Demon Blood Tracking Poison, only the Shifu and disciple knew about the whole affair.
Driving alone, Pei Wubing constantly maintained a distance of over five kilometers from Lin Qi.
Lin Qi successively changed two taxis and drove around the urban area for nearly an hour. Pei Wubing didn't need to see him at all; he just needed to move along the direction from which the poison's signal came.
At six in the evening, the poison marker stopped in the western suburbs.
Pei Wubing parked his car behind a barren hill and took out a map to check the nearby buildings.
There was only one abandoned machinery factory in that area.
The map showed that the machinery factory had gone bankrupt eight years ago, with the factory grounds covering nearly two hundred mu, and inside there were three underground warehouses that had not been filled in.
Sitting in the car, Pei Wubing had no intention of getting close.
Lin Qi's Mental Strength was close to two hundred marks.
With such high Mental Strength, he was already capable of perceiving subtle abnormalities in the surroundings. Besides, there was no guarantee that there weren't members with even higher Mental Strength inside.
Although Pei Wubing was a Martial King, he had never specifically cultivated any techniques for concealing his aura.
If he dared to approach, Lin Qi might detect it.
Once the Tianyi Cult discovered someone was tracking them, the Demon Blood mark in Lin Qi's body would instantly destroy his memories, and this lead would be wasted.
Pei Wubing took out his phone and sent a message to Lin Chuan.
"Lin Qi stopped at the abandoned machinery factory in the western suburbs, and the situation inside is temporarily unknown. I won't get close, and you shouldn't come either."
Lin Chuan had just finished taking a shower. Seeing the message, he replied:
"Shifu, you really understand me. I had already taken off my pants and didn't plan on going anyway."
"You brat!"
Looking at the message, a vein bulged on Pei Wubing's forehead.
He was increasingly suspecting that taking on this disciplewas meant to spike his high blood pressure.
Inside the abandoned machinery factory.
Lin Qi pushed open the iron door of the innermost workshop.
Six people were already waiting inside.
Five of them were scattered across various parts of the workshop, wearing ordinary work clothes, superficially indistinguishable from the workers laboring nearby.
The last person was sitting on an abandoned machine tool, wearing a bronze mask on his face.
Just as Lin Qi walked up to the other party and before he could speak, the bronze mask arrived right in front of him.
Bang!
Lin Qi took a kick to the chest.
His entire body flew backward over a dozen meters, his back crashing through a brick wall, and shattered bricks and dust instantly buried him.
"Letting you participate in the Lin Clan Martial Competition was to secure the position of Young Patriarch and control more resources of the Shen Family."
The bronze mask jumped down from the machine tool and slowly walked toward Lin Qi.
"As a result, you couldn't even enter the finals, and in a livestream with over two million people, you even helped Lin Chuan practice the Thunder Flash Step to Perfection."
"The Cult spent three years nurturing you, and this is the kind of good-for-nothing it produced?"
Lin Qi crawled out from the shattered bricks, fresh blood already flowing from the corner of his mouth.
The bronze mask was a true Grandmaster and also the squad leader of the Tianyi Cult's Haicheng stronghold.
Lin Qi's Mental Strength was close to two hundred marks, which was already astonishing enough among the younger generation in Haicheng, yet he still didn't dare to resist in front of the other party.
"I'm sorry, failing the mission is my responsibility."
Lin Qi lowered his head.
"Lin Chuan hid too many methods. He possesses spiritual telekinesis and also prepared six third-grade magic blades. Give me another chance. After the finals end, I will definitely kill him with my own hands."
A Tianyi Cult member nearby chuckled.
"You had all six of your flying shuttles pinned to the ground by him, and you still want to kill him? Next time change it to twelve, and it still won't work, you know!"
Silver-white light lit up in Lin Qi's eyes.
The moment he looked up, the bronze mask had already stepped on his shoulder.
Crack!
A crisp sound came from Lin Qi's shoulder bone.
"You lost the match, but your temper has grown quite a bit."
The bronze mask applied force continuously.
"Lin Chuan is currently riding a wave of immense popularity and is also Pei Wubing's disciple. Many people have come from the provincial capital. If we launch an attack immediately, it will only expose the entire stronghold."
"First find out his residence, movement route, and the protective forces around him. Once the finals end and the people from the provincial capital leave Haicheng, we will find an opportunity to kill him."
After he finished speaking, he looked at the remaining five people in the workshop.
"Starting today, Lin Chuan is added to the Haichengstronghold's must-kill list."
"Whoever can bring back his head, I will apply to the higher-ups for a portion of Divine Blood for them, plus three months of cultivation resources."
All five Tianyi Cult members looked at Lin Qi.
Lin Chuan defeating Lin Qi had already proven his own value.
Killing such a Genius would not only earn rewards but also increase one's merit within the Cult.
Kneeling on the ground, Lin Qi's hatred for Lin Chuan in his heart was also crazily increasing.
If Lin Chuan hadn't used him to practice his movement technique, he wouldn't have become a laughingstock in the livestream, let alone come back and get beaten up in front of so many people.
Far away in his residence, a System prompt suddenly popped up in front of Lin Chuan.
[Bound enemy Lin Qi's hatred toward the host has greatly increased!]
[Current reward multiplier increased to 1.2 times!]
[Detected six brand-new enemies!]
[The six targets have included the host on the must-kill list. Do you want to bind them?]
Seeing the last sentence, Lin Chuan didn't even have time to dry his hair.
Lin He had to cultivation hard for so long just to support a single-person workshop for him.
The Tianyi Cult was different.
Upon meeting, they first sent six new employees.
"Bind!"
"Don't leave a single one behind, weld them all to me!"
[Binding successful!]
Lin Chuan immediately picked up his phone and called Pei Wubing.
"Shifu, there are at least seven Tianyi Cult members in the machinery factory."
Pei Wubing fell silent for two seconds on the other end.
"How do you know?"
"The poison I left on Lin Qi can not only track him, but also sense murderous intent directed at me."
Lin Chuan casually fabricated a reason.
Pei Wubing did not continue to press the matter.
Every type of poison-attribute talent had its own secrets; since Lin Chuan was unwilling to explain, as a Shifu, he wouldn't pry into it thoroughly.
"Seven is just the number currently confirmed."
Pei Wubing reminded him: "There are three more warehouses beneath the machinery factory, and there might also be other sentries nearby. Exactly how many people this stronghold has is something we cannot conclude yet."
"Understood."
"The Tianyi Cult must not be underestimated. I didn't even dare to get close from five kilometers away. You, a tier-six Martial Artist, shouldn't think that just because you won a few matches, you can wipe out a Tianyi Cult stronghold."
"Rest assured, I cherish my life very much."
Looking at the six newly added names on the Systempanel, Lin Chuan smiled very sincerely.
With so many outstanding employees having just started their jobs, how could he bear to go over and beat them to death right away?
Late that night.
In the underground warehouse of the abandoned machinery factory, seven Tianyi Cult members simultaneously began to cultivation the Tianyi Art.
Lin Qi had been injured by the squad leader, and in order to recover as quickly as possible, he cultivated with exceptional effort.
The remaining six were also preparing for the upcoming mission.
As the Tianyi Art circulated, the power within the underground cave's demon blood was absorbed by them, their Mental Strength slowly increasing, while the contamination and faith imprints continuously invaded their consciousness.
When it reached Lin Chuan, all those messy things were completely stripped away by the System.
What remained was only the purest Mental Strength and control comprehension.
[Bound enemy cultivations the Tianyi Art, Mental Strength has increased!]
[Triggered three hundred times return!]
[Bound enemy cultivations the Tianyi Art, Mental Strength has increased!]
[Triggered seven hundred and twenty times return!]
System prompts appeared successively.
Lin Chuan had originally lain down, but soon sat back up.
A massive amount of Mental Strength continuously poured into his Sea of Consciousness, and his perception of the surroundings rapidly became clear. Walls, tables and chairs, doors and windows, and even the leaves blown by the wind in the courtyard all appeared within his spiritual perception.
The weapon box vibrated gently.
Clang!
Six magic blades flew out of their scabbards simultaneously, hovering in the room.
Previously, controlling the six magic blades required Lin Chuan to divide his attention and determine the position of each blade separately.
Now, with a single thought, the six magic blades could accelerate, turn, and stop simultaneously.
The blade edges crossed paths in flight, with only a few centimeters between each other, yet not a single collision occurred.
Three in the morning.
The final wave of Mental Strength merged into the Sea of Consciousness.
[Host's Mental Strength increased to 257 marks!]
Looking at the System panel, Lin Chuan felt quite good.
In the span of a single night, his Mental Strength directly increased by one hundred and twenty-two marks!
Every time a Spirit Reader advanced to a major tier, the threshold would surge tenfold.
One hundred marks allowed one to become a first-transition Spirit Reader.
One thousand marks made one a second-transition Daoist Grandmaster.
Ten thousand marks allowed one to enter the third-transition King of Thoughts.
Lin Chuan was still a long way from the second transition, but two hundred and fifty-seven marks of Mental Strengthalready exceeded the first-transition threshold by more than double.
More importantly, this was only seven people.
Above the Haicheng stronghold were branch altars, and above the branch altars were even higher layers.
If all those people wanted to kill him...
Lin Chuan suddenly felt that causing even more trouble for the Tianyi Cult didn't seem quite so dangerous anymore.
Of course, this idea was somewhat suicidal.
However, fortune favors the bold.
He had the System, Pei Wubing, and some intelligence left over from his past life. As long as he wasn't foolish enough to blindly charge into the Tianyi Cult's headquarters alone, the danger was completely controllable.
The more people the Tianyi Cult sent out, the more enemies he could bind.
The more they wanted to kill him, the stronger he would become.
The next morning.
The news of Lin He defeating Lin Xuance spread to the provincial capital.
A tier-three Martial Artist who grasped the S-Rank TalentProfound Meaning Six Thunders Piercing the Body on the spot, and ultimately forced the Longdu Grandmaster who suppressed his Realm out of the arena.
Lin Xuance's Xuanjin Battle Bone was undamaged, but Lin He had only awakened the Six-Color Ancient Thunder for a dozen days before completing his first talent development.
Such a speed was enough to enter the first tier across the entire Dongzhou Province.
Several forces that had originally planned to send only ordinary observers raised their guest specifications overnight.
The Provincial Martial Arts Association GeniusObservation Group.
The admissions departments of two academies.
Leiming Equipment Group.
As well as provincial families such as the Tang Family and the Shen Family, arrived in Haicheng one after another.
Among them, the ones who received the most attention were two S-Rank geniuses preparing to participate in this year's provincial martial arts examination.
Tang Hanyi, eighteen years old, S-Rank Extreme Frost Domain, a core member of the provincial capital's Tang Family of this generation.
Shen Ye, eighteen years old, S-Rank Phase-Free Flowing Shadow, who had already obtained the special enrollment assessment qualifications of two prestigious academies in advance.
The finals had not yet begun.
Two S-Rank geniuses from the provincial capital had already arrived in Haicheng simultaneously.
Chapter 54: The Lin Clan Holds a Banquet, Geniuses from the Provincial Capital Arrive
Accompanying the Tang Family and Shen Family to Haicheng were also a few young Martial Artists from the provincial capital.
Wei Ziang, 18 years old, A-Level Golden Flame Battle Body.
His father is the chairman of Tiangong Equipment Group, and his Clan specializes in producing Martial Artistweapons and high-grade defensive gear.
When Wei Ziang came out of the airport, he was followed by two assistants, and even the long saber he carried with him was a Tier 4 custom weapon.
He Yunzhou is also 18 years old, with an A-Level Wind Scar Talent.
The He Family controls nearly 30% of the medicinal material channels in Dongzhou Province, and many martial arts gyms and potion companies have to sit around the He Family's dining table first if they want to get low-priced raw materials.
The two of them came this time following their Clan elders, and watching the finals was only one of the purposes.
The Lin Clan simultaneously produced two young experts, Lin Chuan and Lin He.
Lin He even defeated a Longdu Grandmaster who suppressed his Realm when he was at Martial Artist Level 3.
Lin Xuance lost by stepping out of bounds, and his Xuanjin Battle Bone was completely unharmed, but what the outside world truly cared about was that Lin Hecomprehended Six Thunders Piercing the Body in just over a dozen days.
S-Rank Talent.
Young.
Behind him there is also the Martial King Shifu Thunder King Yue Jinglei.
These three things combined were already enough to change everyone's judgment of the Haicheng Lin Family.
Some time ago, Lin Nan ran around looking for people because of the matter regarding Qingsong Ridge, and many provincial capital enterprises couldn't even be bothered to answer his calls.
Now the situation has completely changed.
Less than half a day after the provincial capital representatives arrived in Haicheng, the Lin Clan Chamber of Commerce received more than a dozen cooperation intentions.
Lightning-attribute equipment, Demonic Beast material processing, logistics around Qingsong Ridge, Martial Artisttraining bases...
The cumulative cooperation scale exceeded one billion yuan.
When Lin Qingxue walked into the study holding a stack of documents, Lin Nan was holding the phone, talking with the vice president of Leiming Equipment Group.
"Rest assured, President Zhao, the development speed of Xiaohe's Six-Color Ancient Thunder is obvious to all. After the finals end, I will personally take him to the provincial capital, and we can discuss specific cooperation then."
Putting down the phone, Lin Nan looked at the documents on the table.
"Were all of these sent today?"
"There are still a few companies preparing their proposals."
Lin Qingxue pulled out the top one, "Tiangong Equipment Group wants to build a Demonic Beast material processing plant in Haicheng, with an initial investment of 200 million. The He Family is preparing to build a medicinal material storage center, and the targets of several other companies are all around Qingsong Ridge."
When she said this, her tone carried some emotion.
"Dad, Xiaohe won this match just in time. In the past, when these people saw the Haicheng Lin Family, they would only arrange people below to perfunctorily deal with us. Now the Tang Family and Shen Family have both personally sent people over, and even the admissions heads of the two War Academies have come."
Lin Nan leaned back in his chair, and finally a few more smiles appeared on his face.
Some time ago, Lin Chuan first took away Qingsong Ridge, and then publicly exposed Lin He for falsely claiming credit, forcing him, the family head, into awkward situations several times.
Lin Nan was holding back a breath of Qi.
Now all parties from the provincial capital gathered in Haicheng, and with more than a dozen cooperation intentions delivered to his hands, he finally regained a bit of the feeling of being the head of the Lin Clan.
"I said long ago that Xiaohe has an S-Rank Talent and will sooner or later lead the Lin Clan into the provincial capital. Relying on poison, movement techniques, and spiritual power, Lin Chuan can indeed take some advantage during the Martial Artist stage, but what truly determines the upper limit is still talent and brilliance."
Lin Qingxue nodded along.
"Once Xiaohe becomes a Martial Master and develops more Profound Meanings of the Six-Color Ancient Thunder, Lin Chuan won't be able to catch up to him anymore."
"Therefore, in the finals three days later, Xiaohe must win."
Lin Nan picked up the cooperation proposals on the table.
"Only when he obtains the position of Young Patriarch can these cooperations truly land. As for the projects around Qingsong Ridge, let them hand over their proposals first, and we can discuss the specifics later."
The next evening.
The Lin Clan manor was brightly lit.
In the capacity of the host, Lin Nan hosted a banquet to invite all the guests who rushed over from the provincial capital.
Dozens of luxury cars drove into the manor successively.
The observation group of the Provincial Martial Arts Association, the admissions department of the War Academy, equipment groups, and provincial-level families—guests from all sides filled the two-story banquet hall.
Lin Nan stood at the entrance to personally greet them.
People whom he usually had to make an appointment in advance just to meet were taking the initiative to shake hands with him today, and some people even started calling Lin He the future Qilin child of the Lin Clan.
The smile on Lin Nan's face never stopped.
He was very clear that these people were willing to come to Haicheng mainly because they valued Lin He.
Before the banquet started, the person in charge of Leiming Equipment Group took out a cultivation contract.
"Sixty million yuan for three years?"
Mother Lin sat aside, and after seeing the contract amount, her eyes lit up.
The person in charge smiled and explained, "This is just the basic cultivation fee. As long as Lin He is willing to become a signed Martial Artist of Leiming Equipment Group, he can also receive two sets of lightning-attribute equipment for free every year, as well as no less than five million yuan worth of lightning-attribute potions."
"Once he enters the Martial Master Realm, the contract grade will be upgraded again."
Lin Nan took the contract and carefully read a few pages.
Twenty million yuan a year, plus equipment and potions.
Such conditions placed in Haicheng were already enough to make any young Martial Artist's heart flutter.
He turned his head to look at Lin He.
"Xiaohe, what do you think?"
Lin He's heart was indeed somewhat excited.
However, he did not agree immediately.
Lin Xuance had already sent his information to the Longdu Main Family. As long as he entered the youth sequence of the Main Family, equipment companies and major forces in the Imperial Capital would likely contact him.
Leiming Equipment Group was very famous in Dongzhou Province, but placed in the entire Great Xia, its weight was much less.
If he signed a three-year contract now, when encountering a better choice later, he would instead be bound by the contract.
"The finals haven't been finished yet, it's too early to talk about these now."
Lin He pushed the contract back to the tabletop, with a modest smile on his face.
"I have just awakened, and both my strength and experience are far lacking. After the match ends, I want to ask Shifu first before giving you a reply."
The person in charge did not display angry; instead, he looked at him with even higher regard.
Being able to remain calm in the face of sixty million yuan, this mental state had already surpassed many peers.
"That's how it should be. You can read the contract slowly, and if you are unsatisfied with any conditions, we can continue to talk."
Having said that, he handed his private business card to Lin He.
This time, Lin He did not refuse.
On the other side of the banquet hall.
Tang Hanyi held a glass of ice water, watching the match recording of Lin He and Lin Xuance.
In the footage, all six types of thunder poured into Lin He's body, and Six Thunders Piercing the Body erupted accordingly.
"How long did it take him from Awakening to comprehending his talent Profound Meaning?" Tang Hanyiasked.
"A dozen days or so."
Shen Ye sat aside, his whole person seeming to blend with the shadow behind the chair.
"At Martial Artist Level 3, the first time using Six Thunders Piercing the Body, the eruption is already close to a Martial Master. Although the duration is only thirty seconds, the development speed is indeed very fast."
Tang Hanyi took a sip of ice water.
"Placed in the provincial capital, he can enter the first tier."
Wei Ziang glanced at Lin Chuan sitting in the distance.
"What about the other one? I've watched his matches. He simultaneously cultivations poison-attribute talent, fist techniques, spiritual power, and movement techniques. His methods seem even more numerous than Lin He's."
"Very comprehensive."
Shen Ye only gave three words.
He Yunzhou smiled and asked, "You mean he is inferior to Lin He?"
Shen Ye looked at Lin Chuan's match data.
"Extreme-Realm fist techniques, Perfection-grade Thunder Flash Step, First-Tier Spirit Reader, plus poison-attribute abilities. Looking at the current stage alone, his actual combat capability is very strong, and he might not necessarily lose the finals."
"However, the Martial Artist Realm is only the beginning of cultivation."
Tang Hanyi put down the water cup and took over the topic.
"S-Level is also called Emperor Level, representing the potential to impact Martial Emperor. Once Lin He enters the Martial Master and Grandmaster Realms, the Six-Color Ancient Thunder will also continuously awaken new talent Profound Meanings."
"Lin Chuan Shifus many abilities, but he lacks a core talent that truly determines the upper limit. Now he can rely on Martial Technique completion degree to gain an advantage, but in a few years, whether this advantage can be maintained is hard to say."
Wei Ziang understood.
One Shifus a large number of methods in the early stage, and his combat capability is very strong.
The other possesses an Emperor-Level talent; the higher the Realm, the greater the advantage.
In their view, Lin Chuan might win the present match, but Lin He's future is obviously much more worthy of investment.
Before the banquet started, the Lin Clan staff quickly arranged the seat cards.
Lin Nan personally arranged the main table.
Lin He's position was right in the middle, with Tang Hanyion the left and Shen Ye on the right.
Wei Ziang, He Yunzhou, and a few young geniuses from the provincial capital were also arranged nearby.
Lin Nan hoped that Lin He would take this opportunity to enter the circle of the younger generation of the provincial capital in advance.
As for Lin Chuan, his position was placed at a nearby table.
Sitting at that table were all young Martial Artists from Haicheng.
In Lin Nan's heart, although Lin Chuan could fight now, his status and talent were still not qualified enough to enter the top-tier young circle of the provincial capital.
Seeing the seating arrangement, Lin Chuan didn't have much reaction.
He could eat wherever he sat.
Anyway, today's dishes were paid for by Lin Nan, and he was only responsible for stuffing them into his mouth, which didn't have much to do with which table he was at.
Soon, Ye Qinghe walked into the banquet hall.
She was wearing a light cyan long dress, with her long hair casually tied behind her head. As soon as she appeared, quite a few people near the main table looked over.
The Ye Clan is one of the strongest medicinal Dao families in Dongzhou Province.
Ye Qinghe is also the only granddaughter of Medicine King Ye Tianxing.
Wei Ziang and He Yunzhou came to Haicheng following their elders this time, originally harbouring the intention of getting to know her.
Lin Nan also specially arranged Ye Qinghe's position at the main table, right between Wei Ziang and He Yunzhou.
Wei Ziang tidied his collar.
He Yunzhou had already stood up, preparing to pull out the chair for her.
Ye Qinghe walked up to the main table, glanced at her own seat card, and then looked up to search for Lin Chuan.
Soon, she saw the person at the nearby table.
Ye Qinghe picked up her own seat card and directly left the main table.
He Yunzhou's outstretched hand paused on the back of the chair.
The smile on Wei Ziang's face also faded away.
Quite a few young people from the provincial capital around looked over along the direction of Ye Qinghe's movement.
Ye Qinghe came to Lin Chuan's side and placed the seat card on the table.
"Sit further inside a bit."
Lin Chuan made space for her.
"Not sitting at the main table, why run over to my place?"
"That table of people couldn't go three sentences without talking about talent, contracts, and how many companies their families have. Listening to it is tiring."
Ye Qinghe pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Your place is still better."
Beside the main table, Wei Ziang sat back down.
He had specially asked Lin Nan to arrange Ye Qinghe near him, but as a result, the other party didn't even say a greeting and directly took her seat card to Lin Chuan's table.
He Yunzhou looked at Lin Chuan, and then looked at Ye Qinghe.
"It seems their relationship is relatively close."
Wei Ziang gently tapped his fingers on the tabletop.
"Even if the relationship is close, one must still mind the occasion. So many people have come from the provincial capital, yet she went to sit at the table of Haicheng young people and was unwilling to stay at the main table."
In their view, this was no longer just changing a seat.
Ye Qinghe, right in front of everyone, chose Lin Chuan, and also left all of them, the so-called provincial capital geniuses, out in the cold.
Chapter 55: Lin Chuan Finishes Eating
After the banquet officially began, Lin He quickly became the center of attention.
The Provincial Martial Arts Association GeniusObservation Group was the first to come over, inviting him to participate in next month's Thunder-attribute Martial Artist exchange meeting.
Leiming Equipment Group promised that as long as Lin Hewas willing to sign, the group's Tier 4 Thunder Cultivation Room would be open to him for free.
The admissions teachers from the two War Academies also walked over and sat down.
"Classmate Lin He, with your talent, as long as you perform normally in the provincial martial arts exam, entering the War Academy will not be a problem at all."
"Do you have a target for your application now?"
Lin He put down his wine glass and acted very modest.
"I am only at Tier 3 Martial Artist; it is still too early to talk about these things. As for defeating cousin Lin Xuance, it also involved a large component of luck. If the arena were a bit larger, the person who lost would probably have been me."
The people nearby listened and appreciated him even more.
Being able to comprehend the innate Profound Meaning on the spot during battle was in itself proof of talent and Comprehension.
Although Lin Xuance was not injured, he was indeed forced out of the arena by Lin He.
This achievement cannot be faked.
"Victory and defeat inherently include rules, terrain, and on-the-spot reactions. Being able to seize the opportunity is your ability."
"Classmate Lin He does not need to be too modest. There are not many people in the entire Dongzhou Province who comprehended the innate Profound Meaning before the age of eighteen."
"When you enter the Martial Master Realm, the power of the Six-Color Ancient Thunder will continue to increase. By then, you will have a spot in the top ten or even top five of the provincial martial arts exam."
Lin He continuously declined with his mouth, but inside he was blooming with joy.
He had been suppressed by Lin Chuan in Haicheng for so long, and today he finally regained everyone's attention.
Provincial Martial Arts Association, War Academy, Equipment Group.
These big figures that could previously only be seen in the news were now all surrounding him, proactively asking about his future plans.
Lin He glanced at Lin Chuan next to him.
Lin Chuan's table was very quiet.
Not a single provincial capital faction went over.
This was normal.
He possessed S-rank Six-Color Ancient Thunder and had the potential to charge towards the Martial Emperor in the future.
Although Lin Chuan won many matches by relying on messy methods, his talent upper limit was right there.
Leading for a short time did not mean leading forever.
Lin Nan sat to the side, the smile on his face never disappearing.
"Xiao He has been sensible since childhood, and in cultivation he has never needed others to urge him. Being able to develop the innate Profound Meaning so quickly with the Six-Color Ancient Thunder relies not only on talent, but also on his own hard work."
Mother Lin also chimed in: "This child is just too modest. It was clearly a match he won himself, yet he insists there is an element of luck."
Lin He lowered his head slightly.
"Mom, what I said are all facts. Cousin Lin Xuancesuppressed his Realm and also showed mercy to me. If it were changed to a real life-and-death battle, I definitely would have already lost."
His modest and sensible appearance once again drew a chorus of praise.
At another table.
Lin Chuan was burying his head in eating.
Tier 5 Golden-Horned Deer Tendon—this thing was extremely expensive, and Lin Nan had spent a fortune for this banquet.
Tier 4 Snow-Feather Chicken.
And a plate of soup made from a three-hundred-year-old spiritual ginseng.
Normally, wanting to eat such a meal would cost at least several million yuan.
Today Lin Nan was treating, so Lin Chuan naturally wouldn't be polite.
Ye Qinghe watched him pick up another large piece of deer tendon and couldn't help reminding him: "The energy of Tier 5 Demonic Beast materials is very strong. If you eat too much at once, don't let it blow you up tonight."
"It's fine, my body is good. If you don't believe me, touch it—eight-pack abs."
Lin Chuan lifted his upper garment, revealing his muscles.
Ye Qinghe glanced at him and actually reached out to touch them.
Truth be told, many young misses loved touching abs.
"Does it feel a bit hard on the hand? Sorry, your brother is just this solid."
"Keep flattering yourself; I'm afraid it's just muscle stickers."
She opened the medical box she brought with her, took out a light cyan potion from it, and placed it beside Lin Chuan's hand.
Lin Chuan picked it up and shook it.
"What is this thing?"
"Poison."
Ye Qinghe tidied up the medical box.
"Drink it down, just right to drug you to death."
"So ruthless?"
Lin Chuan wore an expression of surprise.
"Are you trying to murder your husband?"
The movement of Ye Qinghe's hands paused for a moment, and her earlobes quickly turned red.
She raised her hand to grab the potion.
"Give it back to me!"
Lin Chuan hid the potion behind his back.
"You ask for things back after giving them away? Young Miss Ye, don't you know that spilled water cannot be gathered up?"
"I don't want to give it anymore now."
"That won't do. Once the thing reaches my hands, it's mine."
"Then drink it, hurry up and drink it to death!"
Ye Qinghe glared at him in anger, but the redness on her face never dissipated.
She originally just wanted to send a Meridian-Clearing Potion to help Lin Chuan clear out the accumulated Demonic Beast energy in his body.
As a result, coming out of this guy's mouth, the meaning completely changed.
The people at the nearby tables all saw this scene.
Especially Wei Ziang and He Yunzhou.
Before the two came to Haicheng, the elders in their families had all mentioned Ye Qinghe.
A-rank Hundred Herbs Spiritual Heart.
The Medicine King's only granddaughter.
The Ye Clan's connections, resources, and potion channels in the provincial capital were not weaker than the Tang Family or Shen Family at all.
More importantly, Ye Qinghe was also pretty, just like a little Fairy.
Wei Ziang and He Yunzhou originally both wanted to take advantage of this banquet to get to know her.
As a result, after Ye Qinghe entered the door, she first moved her seat next to Lin Chuan, and now she was playfully arguing with Lin Chuan in public.
The relationship between the two of them was somewhat close!
Wei Ziang raised his wine glass and walked over with He Yunzhou.
"Ahem, Qinghe, first time meeting, let me introduce myself."
"My name is Wei Ziang, and the chairman of Tiangong Equipment Group is my father. The Provincial Medicine King Research Institute just established an auxiliary talent development project this year, and my aunt is in charge of one of the laboratories."
"With your Hundred Herbs Spiritual Heart, you are fully qualified to participate in the internal testing. If you are interested, I can get a quota for you."
Ye Qinghe glanced at him.
"We are not that familiar, just call me Ye Qinghe."
The smile on Wei Ziang's face stiffened for a moment.
He reported Tiangong Equipment Group and the Provincial Medicine King Research Institute, originally thinking Ye Qinghe would give him some face at least.
As a result, his first sentence was doused with cold water.
"Alright, Ye Qinghe."
Wei Ziang quickly adjusted.
"I just feel that A-rank auxiliary talents are very rare. Staying in Haicheng all the time makes it hard for you to receive the best cultivation."
"I have my own cultivation plan and do not need an internal quota. Thank you."
Ye Qinghe refused very decisively.
He Yunzhou smiled and took over the topic.
"Young Shifu Wei also means well; you don't need to refuse so quickly. The potion research level in Haichengindeed has a huge gap compared to the provincial capital."
"When you participate in the provincial martial arts exam in the future, sooner or later you will have to go to the provincial capital. Getting to know some friends in advance is always beneficial."
Saying this, his gaze fell on Lin Chuan.
"Lin Chuan, you should also be preparing to participate in this year's provincial martial arts exam, right?"
Lin Chuan was in the middle of picking up a piece of deer tendon. Hearing someone call him, he raised his head and glanced over.
Then he continued eating.
He Yunzhou waited for a few seconds, discovering that Lin Chuan wasn't prepared to answer at all, and the smile on his face faded quite a bit.
"Your results in Haicheng are not bad, but the HaichengClan tournament and the provincial martial arts exam are completely two different levels."
"Families the scale of the Haicheng Lin Family are everywhere in the provincial capital. Bringing this kind of Clan tournament to the provincial capital is simply uninfluential."
"We came over this time all for Lin Qi, and it has nothing to do with you."
"As for your match, although Lin Qi is a Spirit Reader, he was fighting you in an arena match, and many truly fatal methods could not be used. If he really wanted to kill you and all six flying shuttles attacked your vital points, you might not have had a chance."
Lin Chuan ate on his own, still ignoring him.
But Ye Qinghe couldn't listen any longer.
"Lin Qi's flying shuttles were constantly attacking the lower abdomen, knees, throat, and back of the head; the match recording is right online. Is this still called not attacking vital points?"
He Yunzhou's expression stagnated.
"I was just giving an example."
"You don't even understand the match, do you even need to give examples?"
Ye Qinghe was unsparing, outputting with all her might. Lin Chuan was her friend and someone who had saved her life; how could she allow the other party to casually insult him because of her?
"Do you even know how to give examples? Do you have that IQ?"
He Yunzhou's face turned ugly.
He originally wanted to use reviewing Lin Chuan to showcase the vision of a provincial capital Genius.
As a result, Ye Qinghe didn't leave him any face at all.
Wei Ziang put down his wine glass.
"Let's not talk about the details of the match for now. Lin Chuan's Thunder Flash Step and Spiritual Power are indeed very strong among Haicheng's younger generation, but he cultivations in too many directions."
Shen Ye also walked over at this moment.
He had just heard the conversation of several people, and his gaze lingered on Lin Chuan for a few seconds.
"Poison-attribute, fist techniques, movement technique, Spiritual Power."
"In the Martial Artist Realm, there is less content to cultivation. Cultivating all these abilities at the same time shows no problems for now. When reaching the Martial Master stage, cultivation techniques, Martial Techniques, and talents all require a lot of time to develop, and a person's energy can hardly support so many directions."
Lin Chuan raised his head.
"Why are all of you so fond of acting like teachers?"
Shen Ye's tone was calm.
"I'm just reminding you."
"Do I need your reminder?"
Shen Ye obviously didn't expect Lin Chuan to speak so aggressively.
He ranked very high among the younger generation in the provincial capital, and had also obtained special admission qualifications for two War Academies in advance.
When young Martial Artists met him, which one wasn't completely convinced and submissive?
Yet Lin Chuan looked at him like he was a busybody.
Shen Ye frowned slightly.
"A person's energy is limited; this is common sense. When other people develop their talents to a higher level, your advantage will become smaller and smaller."
"Lin He's path is much clearer than yours; obviously he is much smarter than you."
"The Six-Color Ancient Thunder itself is a complete system. He only needs to continue developing his talent to gain more Profound Meanings. Thunder can attack, Body Refining, increase speed, heal injuries, and in the future even form a Domain."
"No matter how many things you cultivation, you are just piecing several different paths together."
After listening, Wei Ziang nodded.
"What Shen Ye said is already very polite."
"To put it bluntly, your current achievements, Lin Chuan, are because Haicheng's younger generation is too weak. If it were changed to the same match in the provincial capital, it would be impossible for you to win all the way to the finals."
He Yunzhou finally found an opportunity and chimed in: "And those Demonic Beast combat records of his don't have complete recordings either."
"Killing the Tier 3 Ghost-Faced Poison Spider at Black Stone Mountain and the Shadow Poison Cat in the Dark Night Cavern—what everyone sees is just the results and official announcements."
"I heard that his grandfather left behind quite a few connections in Haicheng during his lifetime, and the Poison King is now his Shifu. Just how much moisture is in this, who can say for sure?"
The surrounding voices gradually quieted down.
Several young Haicheng Martial Artists looked at He Yunzhou simultaneously.
Lin Chuan saved more than 8,000 people in the Dark Night Cavern.
Yet in the mouths of this group of provincial capital geniuses, it actually became a combat record manufactured through connections.
Ye Qinghe stood up with a cold face.
"He Yunzhou, say it again."
Lin Chuan reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Don't rush, let him speak."
Ye Qinghe looked back at him.
Lin Chuan still wore a smile on his face, but his eyes had already turned cold.
Over at the main table, Lin He also noticed the situation and quickly walked over holding a wine glass.
"Big brother, Young Shifu Wei and Young Shifu He have no malicious intent, and Shen Ye is just giving you some suggestions from the perspective of the provincial martial arts exam. Don't be too narrow-minded."
"Listening more to their suggestions will be beneficial to you."
"Besides, everyone is a young person; there's no need to make things unpleasant over a few words."
After listening, Wei Ziang and the others all felt that Lin Hewas still more modest.
The S-rank Genius had already proactively provided a way out; if Lin Chuan continued to make a fuss, it would only make him look like he lacked bearing.
Lin Nan also walked over.
"Lin Chuan, Shen Ye is a provincial capital prodigy, how are you talking to him?
He has already obtained special admission qualifications for two War Academies, his experience is beneficial to you.
Young people should listen more to other people's opinions, and not always feel that everyone is targeting you."
Wei Ziang revealed a smile again.
"Uncle Lin is right."
"It's not that we look down on you, we just want to let you know the gap between Haicheng and the provincial capital in advance."
"Lin He will most likely enter the imperial capital in the future, or even join the youth sequence of the Longdu Main Family. By then, the Lin Clan's industries and the responsibilities of the future Clan head will mostly likely still fall onto you."
"If a Clan in Haicheng wants to develop toward the provincial capital, it must learn to get along with provincial capital factions."
Wei Ziang patted the table in front of Lin Chuan.
"If you humbly learn some rules now, it won't do you any harm in the future. Otherwise, when you become the head of the Lin Clan in the future, even if you want to bow your head and see us, it will be hard to have the opportunity."
Lin Chuan finished eating the dishes and put down his chopsticks.
Wei Ziang thought he had finally taken the words to heart.
"It's good that you can understand. It's normal for young people to have a bit of temper; once you've been to the provincial capital, you will naturally know how big this world is."
Lin Chuan threw the tissue into the trash can and stood up.
"Are you done talking?"
Wei Ziang nodded.
"Pretty much."
"That'll do."
Lin Chuan glanced at Wei Ziang, He Yunzhou, and Shen Ye.
"Don't wait for the college entrance examination either."
"The few of you running your mouths, want to step outside right now and spar with me?"