Two and a half months passed.
For most of the continent, those months had been chaotic.
But inside Yuelan City, life continued with surprising calm.
The streets were lively as always.
Merchants shouted prices.
Cultivators moved between training halls.
Children ran through plazas where spirit-powered screens displayed sports matches from the previous week.
Above the city, the spiritual energy remained stable and rich, nourished by the invisible currents of the Dragon Qi Luck Vein flowing beneath the territory.
Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere—
the world outside was anything but calm.
Inside a shaded courtyard of the Lin Clan residence, several members of the group sat around a large table.
But instead of cultivation manuals or scrolls—
they were all looking at their phones.
Small rectangular devices made with refined spiritual metals and communication crystals.
On the screens, information flowed continuously.
News reports.
Discussions.
Maps.
Even arguments between cultivators.
This was something new.
Something that had only appeared during the past two months.
A primitive network.
The Yuelan Information Network.
It was still small.
Still simple.
Only a handful of sites existed.
But it was already changing the way information moved.
On Ning Tian's screen, a page refreshed.
At the top of the interface a title appeared.
Lin Clan Journal
Below it, a headline:
"Conflict Continues Over Newly Formed Soul Crystal Vein in Western Star Luo Territory."
Ma Xiaotao leaned closer.
"Another one?"
Ning Tian nodded slightly as she scrolled.
"Third battle in two weeks."
Wu Feng let out a low whistle.
"All for a crystal mine?"
Ning Tian turned the phone so the others could see.
"High-grade Soul Crystals."
"Recently formed."
"That makes them extremely valuable."
Across the table, Jiang Nannan was reading something else.
Her screen displayed a different page.
Lin Clan Forum
Hundreds of messages filled the discussion threads.
Cultivators arguing about cultivation techniques.
Merchants discussing new trade routes.
Adventurers posting sightings of rare treasures that had appeared after the world's expansion.
Jiang Nannan read one aloud.
"'New mountain range appeared near the border of Heavenly Soul and Sun Moon. Both empires claim it.'"
Wu Feng snorted.
"Of course they do."
Honghong lay stretched across the table, her cerulean tails slowly swaying as she lazily watched the screens.
"…The world grows and humans immediately start fighting over it."
Lin Huang sat nearby, leaning slightly back in his chair.
His phone rested loosely in his hand.
On the screen, a detailed map slowly updated.
New territories that had appeared after the planet's expansion were being marked one by one.
He spoke calmly.
"Resources create pressure."
"Pressure creates conflict."
No one disagreed.
Because the scale of the changes was enormous.
New Soul Crystal veins had appeared across the continents.
New lands had risen where none existed before.
Borders between empires had become uncertain.
And everywhere—
armies were mobilizing.
Ning Tian closed the journal page and opened another.
"This network is spreading faster than expected."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"It was inevitable."
The foundation for the system had existed long before the world changed.
Years ago, the Lin Clan had already begun mining and refining Twin Stones—paired crystals capable of transmitting spiritual signals between each other.
Back then they had mostly been used for communication devices.
But after the world's recent evolution, new resources had appeared.
Using those materials, the Lin Clan had succeeded in refining an improved version.
Twin Spirit Stones.
Unlike ordinary Twin Stones, these could be synthesized through alchemical refinement.
But they could also form naturally in certain high-energy environments.
The result was a far more stable communication medium.
With enough of them—
a network could be built.
And that network had already begun to spread through Yuelan City.
Access, however, was not free.
At the bottom of every screen a small notification reminded users of the cost.
Monthly Access Fee:– Soul Crystalsor– Soul Gold Coins
Within the Lin Clan territory, Soul Crystals had quietly begun functioning as currency, especially among cultivators.
It was far more practical than ordinary money.
Honghong glanced at Lin Huang.
"…You built an information economy."
Lin Huang didn't look up from the map.
"Information has value."
Across the courtyard, Ling Luochen spoke quietly while reading her phone.
"There are already merchants selling cultivation manuals through the forum."
Ning Tian nodded.
"And adventurers posting resource locations."
Wu Feng grinned.
"So the entire continent is fighting over resources…"
"…while Yuelan is selling information about them."
Honghong chuckled softly.
"…That's cold."
Lin Huang finally locked his screen and placed the phone on the table.
"Efficient."
Above them, the branches of the World Tree rustled gently in the wind.
The city beyond the courtyard remained peaceful.
But through the screens in their hands—
they could all see it clearly.
The world outside
was entering a new era of conflict.
The Lin Clan Archive System had existed for years.
It had not been created recently.
Its origin went back to an incident that had happened long before the recent evolution of the world.
An attack.
Or rather—
an attempted manipulation.
Years ago, certain forces had orchestrated a carefully planned assault against the Lin Clan.
The goal had not been simple destruction.
It had been a probe.
A test.
An attempt to observe the clan's defenses and gather information while simultaneously damaging its reputation among other powers.
If the attack had succeeded, the Lin Clan would have appeared weak.
Unreliable.
An easy target.
But the result had been the opposite.
The Lin Clan had responded decisively.
And the incident had provided the perfect justification to strengthen their internal systems.
One of those responses had been the creation of the Mind Archive Formation.
A massive information storage formation capable of recording and organizing enormous amounts of data.
At the time, it had already been considered an extremely advanced system.
But the recent evolution of the world had pushed that system much further.
Ning Tian scrolled calmly through the interface displayed on her phone.
Lines of information appeared instantly.
Mining reports.
Trade records.
Formation maintenance logs.
Resource distribution charts.
All of it connected to the same system.
"The archive is processing reports faster than before," she said.
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"The formation core improved."
The improvement came from materials.
Years ago the Lin Clan had already established production lines for Twin Stones, paired crystals capable of transmitting spiritual signals.
But after the world's recent expansion—
new minerals had appeared.
Using those materials, the Lin Clan had succeeded in refining something better.
Twin Spirit Stones.
These stones were synthesized using Twin Stones as their base.
But unlike the original crystals, they could also appear naturally in high-density spiritual environments.
Their stability was higher.
Their transmission efficiency was far greater.
Which meant the entire information network could expand.
Honghong flicked one of her tails lazily while watching the screens.
"…So the old archive system just evolved."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
Ling Luochen looked up from her phone.
"The storage capacity increased too."
"That's the memory crystal arrays," Ning Tian replied.
"New materials made them easier to refine."
Wu Feng leaned back in her chair.
"…So the Lin Clan basically upgraded its entire intelligence network."
Honghong chuckled softly.
"…Primitive internet."
Ning Tian smiled faintly.
"That's not wrong."
She switched back to the Lin Clan Forum.
But before she could read the next discussion thread—
Ma Xiaotao suddenly stretched her arms.
A faint surge of phoenix flames flickered around her fingers.
"…Something feels different lately."
Wu Feng rolled her shoulders.
"…Yeah."
"My body feels stronger."
Tang Ya quietly examined the flow of energy within her meridians.
The devouring power circulating inside her felt smoother than before.
Even Jiang Nannan frowned slightly.
"…My spatial control improved."
Ning Tian looked up from her screen.
Then she smiled slightly.
"It's starting to show."
The others looked at her.
Wu Feng raised an eyebrow.
"What is?"
Ning Tian lifted one finger and pointed toward them.
"My blessings."
That immediately reminded them.
She had explained the phenomenon before.
Her Ten Treasure Glazed Pagoda buffs could now leave extremely small permanent traces.
But only with repeated use.
Ning Tian spoke calmly.
"We've been training together every day for two months."
"That's enough time for the first effects to appear."
Honghong's tails swayed slowly.
"…Slow growth."
Lin Huang nodded.
"The best kind."
Ma Xiaotao flexed her fingers.
"…So you've been secretly strengthening us."
Ning Tian shook her head.
"It's still very small."
"But over time…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
Because the result was obvious.
The longer they stayed together—
the stronger everyone would become.
Lin Huang stood up.
Then casually walked over and pulled Ning Tian into a brief hug.
"…Good work."
Ning Tian froze immediately.
Her face turned slightly red.
"L-Lin Huang…"
But he simply patted her head once.
"My Tian'er did well."
Across the table—
the others stared.
Ma Xiaotao's eyebrow twitched.
"…Again?"
Wu Feng crossed her arms.
"Hmph."
"He spoils her too much."
Bingdi turned her head away.
"…Shameless human."
Honghong laughed softly.
"…Now the jealousy starts."
Lin Huang ignored them completely.
And Ning Tian,
still slightly embarrassed,
quietly returned to scrolling through the forum.
The conversation gradually drifted away from the network and the archive system.
Because while information was spreading across the continent—
inside the Lin Clan territory, cultivation remained the most important topic.
Across the courtyard, a loud thud suddenly echoed.
Boom.
Everyone turned their heads.
At the far side of the courtyard, a training dummy made from reinforced spiritual wood had just been sent sliding several meters across the stone floor.
Lin Yuxin stood nearby.
Her small fists were still raised.
The dummy stopped only when it hit a stone pillar.
Honghong blinked.
"…That's new."
Wu Feng stared.
"…She's stronger."
Lin Yuxin turned around immediately when she noticed everyone looking.
Her eyes lit up.
"Brother!"
She ran toward Lin Huang excitedly.
Before he could react, she had already reached him.
"Did you see that?!"
Lin Huang nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Lin Yuxin looked extremely proud.
"I broke the third dummy this week!"
Wu Feng rubbed her chin.
"…That thing is reinforced with spirit wood."
Ma Xiaotao raised an eyebrow.
"And she punched it across the courtyard."
Honghong flicked one of her tails.
"…That kid was already absurdly strong."
Ling Luochen looked toward Lin Huang.
"You improved her cultivation foundation recently, didn't you?"
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"A month and a half ago."
That was when he had created a new technique for her.
Not a combat technique.
A cultivation method.
One designed specifically for Lin Yuxin.
Because her body was unusual.
Her physical strength far exceeded what normal human cultivators could achieve at her level.
Which meant ordinary cultivation methods were inefficient for her.
So Lin Huang had created something different.
A technique based on Spiritual Culinary Energy.
The concept was simple.
Food infused with spiritual energy could nourish the body far more effectively than raw spiritual power alone.
The technique allowed that energy to circulate through the body gradually.
Strengthening bones.
Muscles.
Meridians.
And most importantly—
improving the foundation of cultivation.
The effect was slow.
But extremely stable.
Lin Yuxin grabbed Lin Huang's sleeve excitedly.
"The food cultivation works really well!"
Wu Feng blinked.
"…Food cultivation?"
Lin Huang explained calmly.
"It converts spiritual nutrition into cultivation energy."
Honghong chuckled.
"…You turned eating into training."
Lin Yuxin nodded enthusiastically.
"And it tastes good!"
Ma Xiaotao laughed.
"That's the most important part."
But the results were already obvious.
After only a month and a half—
Lin Yuxin's body had become even stronger.
Her physical power had increased noticeably.
Her energy circulation had stabilized.
And her cultivation foundation had become far more solid.
Wu Feng folded her arms.
"…That kid is going to be terrifying when she grows up."
Honghong glanced at Lin Huang.
"…You really spoil your family."
Lin Huang didn't deny it.
"That's normal."
Lin Yuxin puffed out her chest proudly.
"I'm brother's number one supporter!"
Ma Xiaotao laughed again.
"I believe that."
Across the courtyard, the damaged training dummy was still leaning against the pillar.
Tang Ya glanced at it quietly.
"…That's a lot of physical strength for her age."
Lin Huang simply said:
"She'll grow."
Above them, the leaves of the World Tree rustled softly.
And in the peaceful courtyard of the Lin Clan—
far away from the conflicts shaking the continent—
cultivation continued
at its own steady pace.
The courtyard gradually returned to calm after Lin Yuxin's enthusiastic display.
Servants quietly replaced the damaged training dummy.
Lin Yuxin herself had already run off toward another part of the residence, still excited about showing the results of her training.
Honghong watched her go, one cerulean tail swaying slowly.
"…Your sister might become even more troublesome than you."
Lin Huang replied calmly.
"She has potential."
But the focus of the courtyard soon shifted again.
Because the people sitting around the table were not ordinary cultivators.
Each of them had undergone enormous changes during the past two and a half months.
Especially after the contracts with the ferocious beasts.
Wu Feng leaned forward, resting her heavy sword beside the table.
"…Speaking of strength."
She looked toward Lin Huang.
"The contracts changed more than just the soul rings."
Lin Huang nodded.
"That was expected."
The contract system he had created did not only grant soul rings.
It also established resonance between the cultivator and the spirit beast.
That resonance affected:
Bloodline.
Elemental affinity.
Energy circulation.
And cultivation pathways.
Tang Ya raised her hand slightly.
A faint devouring aura appeared for a moment before disappearing again.
"My control over the devouring power improved."
The presence of the Ten Thousand Demon King had stabilized the plant energy within her system.
Devouring and growth no longer clashed as violently.
They supported each other.
Ma Xiaotao stretched slightly.
Scarlet flames flickered across her palm.
The heat was far more stable than before.
"Phoenix fire and Scarlet King fire finally stopped fighting each other."
Her flames now burned deeper.
Denser.
More controlled.
Nearby, Jiang Nannan quietly stepped forward.
A faint ripple distorted the air around her.
Space.
Wind.
Lightning.
The three elements flowed around her body with far greater harmony than before.
"The spatial control became much easier."
Ling Luochen watched the distortion carefully.
"The Tyrant Emperor's influence."
Jiang Nannan nodded.
"Yes."
Wu Feng cracked her neck.
Golden energy flickered faintly beneath her skin.
Her physical presence alone had grown noticeably heavier.
"Xiong Jun's strength is ridiculous."
Honghong chuckled.
"…Of course it is."
"But your body seems to be handling it."
Wu Feng smirked.
"That's because of the ring systems."
That was the second major development during the past two months.
All of them had begun cultivating the three ring systems Lin Huang had introduced.
Qi.
Blood.
And Mind.
Tang Ya lifted her hand slightly.
Seven faint rings of energy rotated slowly around her meridians.
Qi Rings.
Energy reservoirs linked to internal circulation.
Wu Feng activated her aura briefly.
Seven heavier rings pulsed through her bloodstream.
Blood Rings.
Strengthening the body directly.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes glowed faintly.
A subtle pressure filled the air around her mind.
Seven nearly invisible rings rotated within her spiritual sea.
Psychic Rings.
Enhancing perception and spiritual power.
Each of them had managed to form up to seven rings in each system.
Qi Rings.
Blood Rings.
Psychic Rings.
Twenty-one auxiliary rings supporting their cultivation.
Honghong observed quietly.
"…Your system really is strange."
Lin Huang replied calmly.
"It stabilizes cultivation."
Instead of relying only on soul power—
the three systems strengthened different aspects of the body.
Energy.
Physique.
Mind.
Ning Tian watched the others carefully.
Even her analytical mind found the changes impressive.
"The synchronization between systems improved."
Lin Huang nodded.
"That's the goal."
The contracts with ferocious beasts had accelerated everything.
Bloodlines had strengthened.
Elemental affinities had sharpened.
Energy circulation had become smoother.
Wu Feng leaned back again.
"…Feels like we skipped years of training."
Lin Huang didn't disagree.
"Some advantages accumulate."
Above them, the World Tree rustled softly.
The spiritual energy flowing through the courtyard remained calm.
Stable.
But everyone present could feel it.
The group had grown much stronger
during those quiet two and a half months.
The two and a half months of cultivation had changed far more than just their strength.
The most visible transformation had appeared after the completion of Medullary Refinement.
The process had reshaped their bodies.
Not drastically—
but unmistakably.
Their skin had become smoother.
Healthier.
Subtle spiritual luster now surrounded their bodies.
Their bone structure had refined slightly, improving posture and physical balance.
Their movements became lighter.
More controlled.
Even their eyes carried deeper clarity.
Honghong looked around the courtyard slowly.
"…So that's what medullary refinement does."
Wu Feng flexed her fingers.
Golden strength pulsed faintly beneath her skin.
"It feels like my whole body got rebuilt."
Lin Huang nodded calmly.
"That's essentially what happened."
During Medullary Refinement, the bone marrow became infused with spiritual energy.
That energy produced higher-quality blood.
Which strengthened the body continuously.
The process also pushed their constitution into a new stage.
High Human Bloodline.
A level rarely seen among ordinary cultivators.
Across the courtyard, Ma Xiaotao casually leaned against a pillar.
Scarlet flames flickered gently around her hand.
Unlike before—
the flames were calm.
Controlled.
Her resonance with the Scarlet King had completely stabilized the fusion between Phoenix Fire and Scarlet Flame.
She glanced toward Lin Huang.
"Rank 73."
Her cultivation had grown the fastest among the group.
Not surprising.
Her phoenix bloodline and the Scarlet King's power were extremely compatible.
Nearby, Tang Ya sat quietly at the table.
Dark devouring energy flowed gently around her fingertips.
The resonance with the Ten Thousand Demon King had allowed her to balance devouring with plant vitality.
Her cultivation had stabilized at Rank 72.
More importantly—
her control had improved dramatically.
She no longer needed to constantly suppress the devouring instinct of her martial spirit.
Wu Feng rested her heavy sword against the table.
Golden strength surged faintly beneath her skin.
The influence of Xiong Jun had drastically strengthened her body.
Her cultivation had also reached Rank 72.
But her physical strength had increased even more than her soul power.
Every movement now carried the weight of ferocious beast strength.
Nearby, Jiang Nannan quietly stepped forward.
Space distorted faintly around her.
Wind and lightning flickered briefly before stabilizing again.
Her resonance with the Tyrant Emperor had greatly enhanced her spatial awareness.
Her cultivation had reached Rank 72 as well.
But her greatest improvement was control.
Teleportation techniques that once required full concentration now felt effortless.
Not far away, Ning Tian stood calmly beside Zhang Lexuan.
The Ten Treasure Glazed Pagoda appeared briefly behind her.
Its aura was clearer than before.
The contract with the Radiant Spirit Stag had strengthened her spiritual sensitivity.
But her most important ability remained the same.
Her permanent blessings.
She had continued applying buffs during daily training.
And now—
the effects were slowly becoming visible.
Ma Xiaotao glanced at her.
"My flames feel denser lately."
Wu Feng nodded.
"My body got stronger too."
Ning Tian smiled slightly.
"It's starting."
The permanent traces left by her amplification buffs were still small.
But after two and a half months—
they had begun accumulating.
Lin Huang added calmly:
"Over years it will become very noticeable."
Honghong flicked one of her tails.
"…Your support user is quietly turning everyone into monsters."
Zhang Lexuan stood beside Ning Tian.
Moonlight gathered softly around her.
The Moonlight Jade Hare she had contracted resonated deeply with her martial spirit.
Her lunar energy had become much purer.
Her soul power had reached Rank 72.
But the real improvement was spiritual perception.
Her connection to celestial rhythms had grown far stronger.
Su Mei had also progressed noticeably.
The Golden Vitality Crane she contracted strengthened her life-energy circulation.
Her cooking had become far more potent.
Meals she prepared now actively supported cultivation.
Her own cultivation had reached Rank 71.
Ju Zi stood quietly near the table.
The faint presence of the Thousand-Eye Spirit Owl could occasionally be sensed behind her.
Her spiritual perception had sharpened significantly.
Her mental processing speed had increased.
Even her connection to the Mind Archive Formation had improved.
Her cultivation had reached Rank 71.
Across the courtyard, another figure stretched lazily.
Xu Tianzhen.
Solar flames flickered faintly around her hair.
Her contract had been formed in a remote volcanic forest on the Douluo Continent.
Her partner—
a powerful spirit beast born from solar fire.
A Solar Flame Lion.
The creature's natural affinity with sunlight perfectly matched her martial spirit.
Her cultivation had reached Rank 72.
But more importantly—
her solar flames had become far more explosive.
Finally—
one more figure sat quietly near the edge of the courtyard.
Qiu'er.
Unlike the others—
she had not formed a contract.
Because she was already a spirit beast.
Her cultivation had advanced steadily.
Now she had reached Rank 75.
Her aura remained calm.
But the power hidden within it had grown significantly.
Honghong looked around the courtyard slowly.
"…That's a ridiculous lineup."
Wu Feng grinned.
"Not bad."
Lin Huang remained calm.
Because every one of them had grown stronger.
Exactly as he had planned.
And this—
was only the foundation
for what would come next.
The courtyard remained lively after everyone finished discussing their progress.
Training results.
Contracts.
New cultivation systems.
Two and a half months of effort had clearly paid off.
The atmosphere was relaxed.
Even the usually quiet Ling Luochen allowed a faint smile to appear.
Honghong lay lazily across the table again, one tail slowly swaying.
"…You people really progressed a lot."
Wu Feng stretched slightly.
Her bones produced a series of faint cracking sounds.
"Medullary refinement feels incredible."
Ma Xiaotao nodded.
"My body feels lighter too."
Jiang Nannan took a few steps across the courtyard.
Her movements had become smoother.
Almost weightless.
Even Tang Ya's aura had become calmer.
The devouring energy around her now moved in controlled cycles rather than unstable bursts.
But while everyone was quietly examining their own changes—
Lin Huang was observing something else.
He looked around the group slowly.
Then nodded in satisfaction.
Wu Feng noticed immediately.
"…What?"
Lin Huang leaned back slightly.
His expression remained calm.
But his next words made several of them freeze.
"The best improvement for me…"
"…was your appearance."
Silence.
Wu Feng blinked.
"…What?"
Lin Huang continued casually.
"Medullary refinement improved your bodies."
"Better posture."
"Clearer skin."
"Better energy circulation."
He nodded once.
"I feel more blessed every day."
Then he added calmly:
"Having so many beautiful wives is already fortunate."
A brief pause.
Then he finished the sentence without hesitation.
"Especially during dual cultivation."
For a moment—
the entire courtyard froze.
Then chaos exploded.
Ma Xiaotao's face instantly turned red.
"L-LIN HUANG!"
Wu Feng grabbed the handle of her sword.
"You shameless bastard!"
Tang Ya covered her face slightly.
"…You really have no filter."
Even Zhang Lexuan looked away with a faint blush.
Ning Tian's face had already turned completely red.
Bingdi snorted loudly.
"…Disgusting human."
Honghong burst out laughing.
"…You walked straight into that one."
Lin Huang remained perfectly calm.
He didn't look embarrassed at all.
Instead he shrugged slightly.
"I only stated facts."
Wu Feng pointed at him.
"You could at least pretend to be embarrassed!"
Lin Huang tilted his head slightly.
"…Why?"
Honghong wiped a tear of laughter from her eye.
"…He has a point."
Ma Xiaotao crossed her arms and looked away.
"…Idiot."
But despite the reactions—
no one actually denied the statement.
Because the changes from medullary refinement were indeed noticeable.
Their bodies had improved significantly.
Even their aura and presence had become more attractive.
After a moment, the chaos gradually settled again.
Lin Huang then continued speaking.
This time his tone returned to normal.
"Appearance aside…"
"…your cultivation progress is also good."
Everyone focused again.
Lin Huang tapped the table lightly.
"You've stabilized your soul power."
"Rank seventy-two on average."
He glanced toward Ma Xiaotao.
"Seventy-three."
Then toward Qiu'er.
"Seventy-five."
The others nodded.
The recent contracts and training had accelerated their growth significantly.
But Lin Huang wasn't finished.
"There's another step I expect from you."
Wu Feng raised an eyebrow.
"…What step?"
Lin Huang answered calmly.
"The third soul core."
That immediately caught everyone's attention.
Tang Ya blinked.
"…Third?"
Because most cultivators never even formed a second soul core.
Yet Lin Huang was talking about a third.
Lin Huang explained calmly.
"You already have the foundation."
"You have resonance cultivation."
"You have multiple energy systems."
"You also have the support of contracts."
All those factors together made something normally impossible—
suddenly plausible.
Ling Luochen narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…You think it's achievable."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
Not immediately.
But eventually.
"The sooner your energy systems synchronize…"
"…the easier it will become."
Honghong flicked her tail slowly.
"…So now you're planning to turn them all into monsters."
Lin Huang didn't deny it.
"That was always the plan."
Above them, the leaves of the World Tree rustled softly.
The courtyard remained peaceful.
But the path ahead—
was becoming more ambitious
with every step.
The courtyard gradually quieted again after Lin Huang mentioned the fourth soul core.
For a moment, none of the girls spoke.
The idea itself sounded absurd.
Creating even a second soul core was something that most cultivators on the continent would never achieve.
Yet here—
they were calmly discussing a fourth.
Wu Feng crossed her arms.
"…You're serious?"
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Tang Ya frowned thoughtfully.
"The third core was already difficult."
Ma Xiaotao leaned against the table.
"And that was after months of preparation."
Lin Huang tapped the surface of the table lightly.
"You already have most of the requirements."
The group immediately focused again.
He continued calmly.
"Control of soul power."
"High density energy."
"Stable energy systems."
His gaze briefly moved across them.
"Qi Rings."
"Blood Rings."
"Psychic Rings."
Those systems had been the reason their cultivation remained stable even while advancing so quickly.
Lin Huang continued.
"The last requirement is the method."
He didn't elaborate further.
Because everyone present already knew what he meant.
The Yin–Yang Soul Core Method he had created.
A technique that allowed energy circulation to stabilize instead of collapsing when a new core formed.
Wu Feng rubbed the back of her neck.
"…Still sounds crazy."
Tang Ya nodded.
"Fourth core…"
Ling Luochen spoke quietly.
"It would drastically increase energy circulation capacity."
Zhang Lexuan added:
"And stabilize higher cultivation stages."
At that moment—
a calm voice spoke from nearby.
"Actually…"
"It's not that difficult."
Everyone turned.
Qiu'er sat quietly beneath a nearby branch of the World Tree.
Her golden eyes observed them calmly.
"As long as your energy circulation remains stable…"
"…creating another core is simply a matter of control."
Honghong flicked one of her tails.
"…Easy for a spirit beast to say."
Qiu'er shrugged slightly.
"Your systems are already unusually stable."
She looked toward Lin Huang.
"The method you created solves the biggest problem."
Tang Ya blinked.
"…Energy collapse."
Qiu'er nodded.
"Exactly."
The biggest danger when forming a soul core was instability.
But with multiple ring systems regulating circulation—
the process became far safer.
Wu Feng exhaled slowly.
"…Still sounds insane."
Lin Huang simply said:
"Not immediately."
"But eventually."
The conversation might have continued longer—
if footsteps hadn't echoed from the entrance of the Lin Clan residence.
Several members of the clan guards stepped aside respectfully.
Two figures entered the courtyard.
The first was a girl with long blue hair and bright eyes.
Her presence carried a clear aura of strength.
Behind her stood two elders wearing the robes of the Haotian Sect.
Wu Feng blinked.
"…Well."
"Looks like the Haotian Sect finally sent her."
The girl stepped forward calmly.
Her gaze briefly scanned the courtyard.
Then stopped on Lin Huang.
This was her first time seeing the Lin Clan directly.
Wang Dong'er had arrived in Yuelan City.
The elder behind her spoke politely.
"The sect has delivered the young lady safely."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"You're welcome here."
But before anyone else could speak—
another pair of figures appeared at the entrance.
One of them looked extremely familiar.
Huo Yuhao stepped into the courtyard.
Beside him walked a girl with short silver hair who looked around curiously.
Ke Ke.
The moment she noticed the group gathered in the courtyard—
her eyes widened.
"…Wow."
"So this is the Lin Clan."
Ju Zi smiled faintly.
"Keke."
Keke immediately waved enthusiastically.
"Senior Ju Zi!"
Her gaze then drifted toward Yuhao again.
Ma Xiaotao immediately noticed.
She smirked.
"Well now…"
Tang Ya followed her gaze.
"…Oh?"
Wu Feng grinned.
"Future Miss Huo?"
Keke froze.
Her face turned bright red.
"W-What?!"
Yuhao nearly choked.
"T-That's not—!"
Laughter immediately spread across the courtyard.
Even Honghong chuckled softly.
But while the others were distracted—
Lin Huang suddenly looked toward the distant horizon.
A faint sensation brushed across his perception.
Subtle.
Ancient.
And unmistakably divine.
Honghong noticed immediately.
"…What is it?"
Lin Huang narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Angel power."
Honghong blinked.
"…Angel?"
Lin Huang nodded slowly.
The aura was extremely faint.
But it carried the unmistakable trace of a fallen divine inheritance.
Something ancient.
Something that had not completely disappeared.
Honghong tilted her head.
"You're thinking about her."
Lin Huang didn't deny it.
"Yes."
If remnants of that inheritance still existed—
they might help someone very important.
When Wu Feng noticed his expression she frowned.
"…Is it dangerous?"
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"The Angel God was defeated."
"But that doesn't mean everything vanished."
Then he added casually.
"…Anything that helps my little angel is worth checking."
And far away—
beyond the peaceful walls of Yuelan City—
something ancient
was quietly beginning to stir.