On Lan Yaoye's side,
Compared to Lin Chen's calm mood, her situation was closer to a volcanic eruption.
As she flew through the air, her mind replayed the scene she had just witnessed over and over again.
Is… is that supposed to be that big?
Her face burned hotter with every passing second.
When it came to matters between men and women, Lan Yaoye was practically a blank slate. Back when she was younger, she hadn't cared about such things at all. She was wild, straightforward, and violent by cultivation standards—a complete tomboy.
Any male cultivator who dared to pursue her ended up beaten half to death.
That was why she had earned two nicknames in the cultivation world.
The first was Flower of Starfall—a title given to her for her beauty during her generation.
The second… was far more fitting.
Crimson Demoness.
That title alone was enough to scare most men away.
And so, when she finally grew older and began to think about relationships, there was no one left who dared to approach her.
Which was precisely how she had ended up becoming an older, leftover woman.
She froze mid-flight.
"…Excuse me?"
Ahem.
Correction.
A refined young lady, admired by all.
She nodded firmly. "That's better."
Yet despite that composure, the refined young lady's heart was racing wildly—beating like that of a young girl experiencing her first stirrings of emotion.
This was her first time experiencing something like this.
And worse—
The first man to ever leave her this flustered… was her own disciple.
Her spiritual energy wavered slightly as her thoughts spiraled.
This is bad. This is very bad.
Lan Yaoye clenched her fists and accelerated, disappearing into the night sky, her ears still burning red.
She needed time.
Lots of time.
And preferably… distance.
The next day,
Lin Chen discovered an unexpected benefit from the refinement.
His cultivation hadn't just broken through to the third stage of the Essence Forging Realm—it had surged straight to the peak of the third stage, leaving him only a single step away from the fourth.
That alone was surprising.
But the real good news came after.
During cultivation, he noticed something even more important—his body showed zero resistance to medicinal pills. The refinement had completely reset the tolerance his body had built up over time.
In other words, pills would now work on him at full effect again.
Lin Chen's eyes lit up.
"That means…" he murmured, "I can use pills freely and push my cultivation higher before the Secret Realm opens."
Time was tight. This was the best possible outcome.
"Alright," Lin Chen said, cracking his knuckles. "Close cultivation it is. Aiva, same as always—support me. We won't be leaving this room until our resources are completely used up."
[Understood. Initiating support.]
With that, Lin Chen sealed himself inside, preparing for an intense period of cultivation.
At the same time,
Within the Starfall Sect, inside a certain elder's room—
"Damn it!"
A furious shout echoed through the chamber as a chair was flung aside, crashing into the wall.
"Can't those little shits do anything right?" the elder roared. "I sent that idiot to deal with Yu Feng matter—so why has he vanished for nearly two weeks?"
His expression darkened.
"Did the sect catch wind of something?" he muttered. "Did they find the pawns I planted and quietly dispose of them?"
Two Inner Court disciples disappearing without a trace was no coincidence.
"I need to report this to Master immediately," he said through clenched teeth. "We must move the plan forward—otherwise, we'll never obtain the Heavenly Stone."
Then he hesitated.
"But Master is busy preparing for the Secret Realm," he muttered. "If I disturb him now… I'll be the one punished."
His fist slammed down onto the table.
"Damn it! Why do I have to clean up after those useless fools?"
His expression twisted with fury.
"Who the hell is messing with me?" he snarled. "When I find them, I'll skin them alive, cripple their cultivation, and throw what's left to the beasts."
The killing intent in the room thickened, heavy enough to make the air feel oppressive.
***
A week later,
Lan Yaoye paced back and forth in front of Lin Chen's residence, her steps restless, her brows tightly furrowed.
"Should I go in… or not?" she muttered to herself.
Ever since what she had accidentally seen the night before, the image simply refused to leave her mind. The more she tried not to think about it, the clearer it became. It was driving her insane.
So she decided to go speak with her disciple, hoping that the image would finally leave her mind, allowing her to focus on something else instead.
After a moment, she clenched her fists.
"I'm his master," she said firmly. "Of course I can do this."
She stepped forward and reached for the door—
Only to find it locked.
"Huh?" She blinked. "He usually never locks it."
Her gaze shifted, and she noticed a notice pinned to the door.
She pulled it off and read.
{ Dear Master,
I have decided to enter closed-door cultivation until the Secret Realm opens.
Do not disturb me.
I am serious.
If you choose to ignore this notice and barge in anyway, be advised.
I will immediately go find another elder and take them as my master instead.
Please consider this carefully.
—Lin Chen }
Her expression shifted from confusion… to disbelief… to fury.
She crumpled the note in her hand and tore it apart.
"How dare that brat threaten me!" she roared. "Does he really think my title as his master is something he can toy with? Fine—I'll go in there right now and beat some sense into him!"
Her temper flared instantly, all thought replaced by pure muscle-bound instinct.
She took a step forward, spiritual energy surging around her—
Then stopped.
Her raised hand froze midair.
Silence followed.
After a long pause, she clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned away.
"Tch… fine," she muttered. "I'll let you cultivate for now."
Despite her explosive temper, she was still his master. And no matter how irritating her disciple could be, she would never interrupt closed-door cultivation—not when his foundation and future were at stake.
Fifty days have passed.
During that time, Lin Chen's cultivation skyrocketed due to several factors working together—the pills he consumed, a cultivation manual with 500% efficiency, and his steady, if average, natural talent.
Individually, none of these would have been remarkable.
Together, they were terrifying.
In just fifty days, Lin Chen advanced seven stages in succession, reaching the ninth stage of the Essence Forging Realm. Such a pace could only be described as monstrous.
"Hahaha…" Lin Chen laughed softly. "Now all I need is some real fighting in the Secret Realm. Once my cultivation stabilizes, breaking through to the next realm within a month won't be a problem."
Rapid advancement always demanded consolidation. Cultivation gained too quickly had to be tempered through battle and pressure. And there was no better place for that than a Secret Realm, where cultivators fought over treasures with their lives on the line.
"Aiva, show me my status," Lin Chen said.
During his period of closed-door cultivation, he had grown accustomed to this method. At his request, Aiva would project the information directly into his field of vision—clear, concise, much like the status screens from the games of his previous life.
A familiar translucent display appeared before his eyes.
[ Name: Lin Chen
Cultivation: 9th stage of Essence Forging
Talent: Average
Cultivation Manual: Cultivation Manual Version 2 (High-grade Illustrious)
Physique: None
Bloodline: None
Notable Traits:
– Strong physique due to Tyrant Body Refinement
Techniques:
– Lightning Phantom Step (High-grade Spirit)
– Bloodstorm Desolation Art (Mid-grade Illustrious)
– Soaring Sky Dragon Tempest Art (Low-grade Saint) ]
*****
Technique Grades:
Mortal → Profound → Spirit → Illustrious → Saint → Immortal
Each Grade ⟶ Low | Mid | High
Realm Breakdown:
Root Vein Awakening → Essence Forging → Pulse Convergence → Soul Embers → Spirit River → Heavenmark → Voidshatter → Celestial Ascension
Each Realm ⟶ 1st Sub-Realm → 2nd → 3rd → 4th → 5th → 6th → 7th → 8th → 9th
*****
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