Spring passed, autumn came, and in the blink of an eye, another three months had gone by.
Summer in Qingxuan City arrived with startling ferocity, as if someone had set a fire in the sky. The old locust tree in the Lin family's back courtyard had its leaves curled tight from the heat, while cicadas shrieked relentlessly from the branches, their noise grating on the nerves.
Lin Chen sat by the window, an old yellowed book in his hands, but his gaze was fixed on something far away.
These past three months, his days had followed the same pattern—by day, he performed menial tasks for the clan, enduring contemptuous looks; by night, he cultivated the Chaos Art, striving to break through to the first layer of Qi Condensation. Over a hundred nights, he had struck against the seal more than a thousand times, each attempt ending in failure.
But his meridians were now nearly ten times wider than they had been six months ago.
"Soon," Jing Lao's voice echoed in his mind, calm as still water. "Your spiritual energy accumulation has reached the equivalent of an ordinary person's fifth layer of Qi Condensation. The seal is beginning to crack."
Lin Chen's fingers paused slightly.
"Crack?"
"Very small. Almost invisible," Jing Lao said. "But it exists. Each of your strikes leaves a mark upon it. Like water dripping through stone—seemingly futile, yet each drop changes it."
Lin Chen was silent for a moment, then turned a page.
"What are you reading?" Jing Lao asked.
"The Lin family genealogy," Lin Chen said. "I want to learn about my father."
"Did you find anything?"
"No." Lin Chen closed the book, his eyes darkening. "There's only one line about my father—'Lin Yuanshan, third branch of the collateral line, Foundation Establishment mid-stage, perished eight years ago in the Northern Wasteland Secret Realm.' It doesn't even say how he died."
"That's how it is in large clans," Jing Lao said flatly. "A collateral disciple dies—who would bother investigating?"
Lin Chen said nothing.
He returned the genealogy to its place, stood, and brushed the dust from his clothes.
"What day is it today?" he suddenly asked.
"The ninth day of the seventh month. Why?"
Lin Chen's brows furrowed slightly.
"The ninth day of the seventh month… this is when the Cangyun Sect sends people to Qingxuan City every year. Officially, they come to inspect the clans' compliance with sect regulations. In reality, they collect protection money."
"What are you worried about?"
"I can't say." Lin Chen walked to the window and looked toward the direction of the Lin family's main residence. "I just feel… something is off this year."
Jing Lao was silent for a moment.
"Your intuition is sharper than most," he said. "Those who possess the Chaotic Spirit Root are naturally sensitive to the flow of heaven and earth's energy. If you sense something wrong, then something is indeed changing."
Lin Chen was about to respond when hurried footsteps sounded outside his yard.
"Lin Chen! Lin Chen!"
A clear female voice came from beyond the wall, tinged with urgency.
Lin Chen recognized the voice—Lin Xue. His cousin, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, and the only person in this clan who treated him with kindness.
He quickly walked to the door and opened it just as a young woman in a pale green dress rushed in.
Lin Xue was two years older than Lin Chen, now eighteen. She had a gentle, refined beauty, with a softness in her features that put people at ease. But now her face was marked with obvious anxiety, fine beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.
"Xue Jie, what's wrong?" Lin Chen asked.
"Something's happened." She grabbed his sleeve, lowering her voice. "The Cangyun Sect people have arrived—two weeks earlier than usual. And they brought many more than before. Not one inspector, but three, along with over a dozen disciples."
Lin Chen's heart sank.
"Three inspectors?"
"Yes." Lin Xue bit her lip. "The clan leader has already gone to receive them. From the looks on their faces… it's not good. Brother Tianhe was summoned as well."
Lin Chen was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Do you know why they've come?"
Lin Xue shook her head. "The clan leader won't allow anyone to ask. But I overheard something outside the main hall—"
She leaned close to Lin Chen's ear, her voice barely audible:
"They're looking for something."
Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.
Looking for something.
His hand instinctively went to the bronze mirror in his robe.
"Don't panic," Jing Lao's voice sounded in his mind, steady and calm. "To everyone else, you are nothing more than a useless miscellaneous spirit root. No one will notice you. Stay calm and go about your business."
Lin Chen took a deep breath and offered Lin Xue a reassuring smile.
"Xue Jie, don't worry. The Cangyun Sect comes every year. Maybe they just want more spirit stones this time. It has nothing to do with collateral wastes like us."
Lin Xue looked at him, hesitating.
"You…" she began, then stopped. "Are you really not worried?"
"What do I have to worry about?" Lin Chen smiled, though it looked somewhat forced on his pale face. "A miscellaneous spirit root waste. The most valuable thing I own is this worthless life. Who would want to take it?"
Lin Xue's eyes suddenly reddened.
"Don't say that," she said softly. "You're not a waste. You just… haven't found the path that suits you yet."
Lin Chen felt a warmth rise in his chest at her reddened eyes.
In the entire Lin family, with over three hundred members, only this cousin still treated him like a human being.
"Xue Jie, I'm fine," he said, his voice gentler. "Go back now. Don't let anyone see you came to see me—it might cause trouble."
Lin Xue nodded. She turned and took a few steps, then looked back.
"Lin Chen," she said. "Whatever happens, take care of yourself."
"I will."
Lin Xue left.
The yard fell silent again, leaving only Lin Chen.
He stood in the doorway, watching his cousin's figure disappear around the corner, and the smile slowly faded from his face.
"Jing Lao," he said quietly.
"Yes."
"The Cangyun Sect… are they coming for you?"
Jing Lao was silent for a long time.
So long that Lin Chen thought he wouldn't answer.
"It's possible," Jing Lao finally said, his voice heavier than usual. "The Xuan Tian Fragment is an ancient divine artifact. Even broken as it is, its value is immeasurable. If the Cangyun Sect knows of its existence…"
"How could they know?" Lin Chen asked.
"That question," Jing Lao said, "should be directed at your father. How did he come to possess this mirror? Did he tell anyone about it?"
Lin Chen shook his head.
He didn't know.
He knew too little about his father's affairs.
"Regardless," Jing Lao said, "there is only one thing you need to do now—continue cultivating. Your spiritual energy accumulation is approaching the critical point. If you can break through to the first layer of Qi Condensation before the Cangyun Sect makes a move, you'll have a much better chance of protecting yourself."
"Protecting myself?" Lin Chen smiled bitterly. "What can the first layer of Qi Condensation protect against?"
"The first layer may not be strong, but it's enough to use basic techniques." Jing Lao said. "Though this old man is but a wisp of a remnant soul, what I can teach you should be more than enough to deal with a few Qi Condensation disciples."
Lin Chen's expression shifted.
"You can teach me techniques?"
"Of course. This old man was once…" Jing Lao stopped mid-sentence, his tone growing irritable. "Never mind. Let's not speak of the past. First, break through to the first layer of Qi Condensation. You can't even enter the door yet—what techniques can you learn?"
Lin Chen didn't press further.
He closed the door, returned to his bed, and sat cross-legged.
"It's still early today," he said. "I'll try again."
"You just attempted yesterday. Your spiritual energy hasn't fully recovered—"
"There's time." Lin Chen had already closed his eyes.
Jing Lao sighed and didn't stop him.