Time flowed like water and drifting clouds. Before anyone knew it, the scorching summer had passed, and a cool, refreshing breeze swept across the land.
Yet, though the summer heat had faded, the hearts of many in the Lin Family burned hotter by the day. This was because the most important event of all—the Family Competition—was about to begin.
***
Deep within a dense forest, a figure flickered. A set of fist techniques, executed with near-flawless mastery, flowed from his hands like drifting clouds and flowing water. Crisp, sharp cracking sounds echoed continuously through the woods.
As the eighth crisp crack rang out, the figure's momentum suddenly shifted. His fist opened into a palm, instantly whipping up gusts of wind. The fierce force of his palm strike sent the dry leaves on the forest floor swirling into the air.
The transition between these two completely different martial arts—the fist and the palm—was exceptionally fluid in his hands. It was a seamless shift that could only come from countless repetitions, devoid of even the slightest awkwardness.
As the palm strike finished, the figure withdrew his stance and stood still.
"Excellent!"
Just as Lin Dong finished his routine, a voice filled with satisfaction drifted over from nearby. Lin Xiao approached with a warm, easy smile, followed closely by Qingtan. Standing opposite Lin Dong, she playfully winked at him, her expression incredibly adorable.
"Not bad! In a mere three or four months, you've not only mastered the Penetrating Back Fist to the eighth echo, but you've also trained the Eight Desolations Palm to such a level of proficiency. This progress is truly remarkable!"
Lin Dong scratched his head, chuckling inwardly. He had naturally held back during this demonstration. Let alone the eighth echo of the Penetrating Back Fist, he could easily produce the tenth echo at will now. As for the Eight Desolations Palm, after two months of bitter cultivation, he had already mastered the fusion of hardness and softness, making its destructive power no weaker than the tenth echo of the Penetrating Back Fist.
With these two trump cards, it was highly unlikely that any of his peers in the Lin Family could match him.
"The Family Competition begins tomorrow," Lin Xiao said with a smile. "With your current strength at the fifth layer of Body Tempering, combined with the Penetrating Back Fist and the Eight Desolations Palm, securing a decent rank shouldn't be difficult."
Body Tempering consisted of nine layers. Only the fourth layer showed obvious external signs, while the subsequent layers mostly involved internal physical changes. Thus, without a thorough examination, it was virtually impossible to detect a person's exact level. Although Lin Dong had actually reached the sixth layer of Body Tempering two months ago, he had kept his terrifying cultivation speed hidden, thanks to the Stone Talisman.
Consequently, even Lin Xiao believed that Lin Dong was still at the fifth layer. He had no reason to doubt it; after all, advancing from the second layer to the fifth layer of Body Tempering in just half a year was already an incredibly rapid progression.
"Father, has your strength recovered?" Lin Dong asked suddenly, studying Lin Xiao's face.
Hearing this, Lin Xiao also smiled. He stroked Lin Dong's head and said softly, "Over these past few years, because of my situation, the three of you have suffered quite a lot of grievances. But rest assured, from now on, Father will never let this kind of thing happen again!"
Lin Dong looked at Lin Xiao in surprise. At this moment, his father unexpectedly no longer showed any of his past despondency. This feeling was very similar to how he used to be, except that back then he possessed a sharp, spear-like edge, whereas the current Lin Xiao seemed much more reserved and steady.
Lin Dong nodded slightly, his eyes turning a little red. Over these past few years, he had only ever wished for one thing: to see Lin Xiao stand back up again. Fortunately, he had succeeded.
"Haha, it's getting late. There's no need to train anymore today. Rest well tonight to prepare for tomorrow's Clan Competition." Lin Xiao patted Lin Dong's shoulder, then turned and left.
Looking at Lin Xiao's retreating figure, Lin Dong clenched his fists and muttered in a low voice, "Father, rest assured. Tomorrow, I will give everyone a shock. The son you raised will definitely become the most outstanding!"
"Brother Lin Dong, if you run into Lin Hong tomorrow, you must be careful! Today, I heard Lin Changqiang say that that guy might have already reached the seventh layer of Body Tempering." Standing to the side, Qingtan had waited for Lin Xiao to leave before stepping forward, her small face filled with worry.
"Seventh layer of Body Tempering?"
Lin Dong was startled, but then he sneered. It seemed that in order for Lin Hong to achieve a good result in the Clan Competition, his father had indeed gone to great lengths!
However, just what kind of capability did the seventh layer of Body Tempering have?
***
Night enveloped the earth, and moonlight filtered through the window, casting slanted beams into the room.
Lin Dong sat cross-legged on the bed, drew a small bottle from his robes, and then directly dripped two drops of the Stone Talisman's liquid into his mouth.
Over these past few years, Lin Dong's body had already fully adapted to this Stone Talisman liquid. Even though he was taking two drops now, he could still completely withstand it.
After the two drops of Stone Talisman liquid entered his body, Lin Dong's face flushed slightly red. A faint white mist curled up from the crown of his head, and his body became quite hot.
Because he had adapted, Lin Dong did not roll around on the ground like the first time. This time, his body only trembled slightly a few times. He could feel the seed of Yuan Power flowing within his bone marrow, and this warm, overflowing sensation grew increasingly intense.
After two months of cultivation, Lin Dong could clearly feel that the seed of Yuan Power within his bones had grown stronger and stronger. Sometimes, there were even signs of it wanting to break out of his bones. Lin Dong understood that this was a sign of an impending breakthrough.
However, Lin Dong did not actively force this situation. Although he knew that if he did, he probably would have reached the seventh layer of Body Tempering long ago, for some unknown reason, deep down he felt it would be better to let this step happen naturally, like water flowing to form a channel.
And this suppression and accumulation had lasted until now...
As the two drops of the Stone Talisman's liquid merged into his body, a vibrating sensation once again emanated from deep within his bones. It grew increasingly intense until, after a moment, even Lin Dong's body began to tremble slightly.
"Is it finally going to break through the bones...?"
Sensing this situation, Lin Dong could not help but take a deep breath. As long as the Yuan Power seed broke through the shackles of his bones, it would flow into his meridians. At that point, he would be able to absorb Yuan Power from the world to temper his body. This was an extremely crucial turning point!
"Buzz!"
His body trembled more and more violently. Suddenly, a low, almost imperceptible sound echoed from within Lin Dong's body.
As that low sound rang out, Lin Dong's vision suddenly went dark. In that brief moment of daze, he saw a transparent, glowing walnut inside his body. The light flowed slowly within him, and a strange suction force suddenly surged forth. Under this suction, the surrounding energy of heaven and earth actually began to ripple faintly, eventually seeping into his body along with Lin Dong's breathing.
"Is this the Yuan Power seed? How did it get so big?"
Lin Dong's vision quickly returned to normal, but immediately after, a look of astonishment appeared on his face. Normally, when a Yuan Power seed broke through the bones, it would at most be the size of a pinky finger. Yet, his Yuan Power seed was actually ten times larger than normal!
"Could it be because of the Stone Talisman's liquid?"
Lin Dong's expression turned a bit peculiar. The size of the Yuan Power seed determined the speed of absorbing Yuan Power. His Yuan Power seed, right from the very start, seemed to have already put him a giant step ahead of others...
After pondering for a long time, Lin Dong still could not figure out the root cause. He could only shake his head and collapse onto his bed. Everything was now ready. All that was left was to wait for tomorrow's Family Gathering...
"Lin Hong, if you want to ask for Qing Tan's hand in marriage, we'll have to see if you have the ability first!"