Inside the cool cave, Lin Dong soaked comfortably in the Stone Pool. He allowed the strange liquid to slowly seep into his body, feeling an immense sense of refreshment. His thin face wore a look of pure enjoyment, his eyes half-closed.
Beneath the crystal-clear water, thin strands of red liquid, resembling algae, clung to Lin Dong's body before seeping through his pores. They continuously nourished and tempered his bones, causing a strange sensation of itching and soreness to spread throughout his body. Yet, his body did not seem to reject this liquid at all. On the contrary, as if sensing its immense benefits, it greedily and frantically absorbed the liquid like a starving ghost that had not tasted blood in a thousand years.
*Gurgle... gurgle...*
While Lin Dong was still half-asleep, the water in the pool suddenly began to ripple and churn. Immediately after, a sharp, piercing pain spread throughout his entire body, erupting like his skin was being torn and his flesh flayed.
The sudden pain startled Lin Dong, causing him to instantly snap his eyes open. He watched in awe as the skin on his body began to peel off in sheets, shedding like a snake. The panic in his eyes instantly transformed into ecstatic joy.
Shedding skin and exchanging bones—had he really just advanced to the Fourth Layer of the Tempered Body stage so easily?!
"I've finally reached this step...!"
Lin Dong licked his lips, his heart pounding with excitement! Among the Nine Layers of the Tempered Body, the first three layers were purely for physical conditioning. Only upon reaching the Fourth Layer could one truly feel the benefits of cultivation. The newly formed skin was as tough as wood and stone, granting strength and defense far superior to the previous three layers.
Lin Dong watched closely. Once his old skin had completely shed, he swam a lap around the pool before leaping out of the Stone Pool. He slowly stroked his bare, sturdy arm. It felt as though he were touching a smooth block of cold iron, and a strange sensation of hardness vibrated back into his palm.
*Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...*
Suppressing his excitement, Lin Dong immediately began to execute the Penetrating Back Fist. As his fists whipped through the air, they kicked up a howling wind that actually blew away the dust on the stone floor. Its power was on a completely different level than before.
With withdrawing his stance, Lin Dong chuckled. He looked toward the Stone Pool, cupped his hands, and smiled.
"Many thanks!"
As his smile faded, Lin Dong seemed to suddenly remember something. He narrowed his eyes and looked down at the Stone Pool. He noticed that after ten days of continuous absorption, the pale red liquid within the pool had depleted significantly.
"It seems this liquid isn't infinite..."
He scratched his head, but showed no signs of regret. Reaching into his robes, he rummaged around and pulled out a small, transparent vial about the width of two fingers. Inside, two drops of red liquid could be seen...
Over the past few days, he had been carrying the mysterious Stone Talisman with him. He had discovered that every five days, a drop of red liquid would seep out from a tiny hole on the talisman. This liquid was not unfamiliar to Lin Dong; it was the very substance that, when diluted in the Stone Pool, created the red water. However, this pure liquid was far more concentrated than the water in the pool.
"Perhaps the Stone Pool itself couldn't retain much of it."
Lin Dong pondered. After so many years, the Stone Pool should have been overflowing with this liquid, rather than showing signs of drying up after a mere ten days of use.
"In the future, whenever I come here, I'll just have to add another drop."
Lin Dong caressed the small bottle, feeling a twinge of regret. This liquid was truly precious; it took a full five days to produce just one tiny drop. He had to find an opportunity to secretly give some to Lin Xiao. With such miraculous effects, it would definitely be of great help to Lin Xiao's injuries!
With a sigh, Lin Dong put the small bottle away, dressed, and slipped out of the cave to return to his training ground. However, just as he was about to start practicing, a figure rushed toward him from the distance, shouting:
"Lin Dong! This is bad...!"
"Lin Changqiang, what's wrong?"
Lin Dong cast a casual glance at him, bent down to powerfully lift two large boulders, and asked listlessly.
The newcomer was a rather chubby youth of about thirteen or fourteen named Lin Changqiang. He was the son of Lin Dong's Fifth Uncle, and their relationship was average. However, Lin Dong knew that this guy only hung around him to get closer to Qingtan. Still, all in all, he wasn't a bad fellow.
"Something's happened to Qingtan!"
Lin Changqiang seemed to have run a long distance, gasping heavily for breath as he spoke!
Thud!
The boulders in Lin Dong's hands crashed straight to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. With a grim expression, he asked:
"What happened?"
Lin Dong cared deeply for his adopted younger sister. Although the little girl was young, she was extremely intelligent and lively, without a single trace of being a stubborn, spoiled child. Because of this, even Lin Dong's father, who was usually incredibly strict, doted on her and had never scolded her once. Though Qingtan was not related to them by blood, there was no doubt that she was the little princess of the family.
"Damn it, it's all because of that bastard Lin Shan..."
Lin Changqiang cursed angrily:
"Today, Qingtan went to play in the forest behind the mountain and accidentally found a stalk of Red Sun Herb. Who would have thought that Lin Shan and his bunch of rascals would spot her? They're blocking her path over there right now!"
"Lin Shan again...!"
Rage flared in Lin Dong's eyes! Qingtan had been heading to the forest behind the mountain for the past few days, and Lin Dong knew her intention was to find some spiritual herbs to aid his cultivation. She had done this before, but after she took a bad fall and was seriously injured in the forest, Lin Dong's father had strictly forbidden her from entering it. Who would have thought that after only a short period of peace, she would sneak out to search again!
"Lead the way!"
Lin Dong brushed the dust off his hands and spoke in a low, harsh voice.
"Huh? Just you? Maybe we should call Third Uncle..."
Seeing Lin Dong walking away with a grim determination, Lin Changqiang hurriedly tried to stop him! Last time, Lin Dong had been beaten unconscious by Lin Shan's gang. If he went now, he would only be asking for another beating. Although Lin Changqiang disliked Lin Shan, he knew that the guy's fists were very tough!
"Cut the crap. If we're too slow and Qingtan gets bullied, don't even think about coming here to play with her ever again!"
Lin Dong frowned. The "Third Uncle" Lin Changqiang referred to was his father, Lin Xiao! However, when it came to these squabbles among children, even if the adults stepped in, they would at most scold and lecture the offenders. How could that possibly appease the resentment burning in his chest?
"Al... alright! Follow me. If Lin Shan tries to make a move later, I'll help you guys block him. I've already reached the Third Layer of the Tempered Body stage, so taking a few punches shouldn't be a problem!"
Lin Changqiang scratched his head, seemingly intimidated by Lin Dong's threat, and quickly turned around to lead the way.
Watching Lin Changqiang's chubby figure waddle ahead, Lin Dong couldn't help but chuckle. However, his smile quickly faded, replaced by a tense and sullen expression.
– Lin Shan, this time I will definitely beat you like a dog..!