Early in the morning, more than a hundred new students stood in neat rows on the training ground.
This was everyone's first Lin Arts class. The ground was wide and level, paved with bluestone. Weapon racks and wooden training posts stood around the field.
Three elders in blue robes stood in the center.
The man in the middle had white hair and beard, with a thin and dignified face. He was Elder Jiang of the Giantwood Academy.On his left stood an elder with wild, unruly hair and sharp, spirited eyes, carrying the air of a free-spirited eccentric—Elder Chen.On the right was a gentle-looking elder with smiling eyes—Elder Li.
Elder Jiang stepped forward. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly to everyone.
"Today's first Lin Arts class will be taught jointly by the three of us. I specialize in the Water and Metal elements. Elder Chen specializes in Fire and Earth, while Elder Li specializes in Wood and Water."
He glanced over the students.
"You should already have heard Headmaster Shen explain the principles of elemental interaction between spiritual power and Lin Arts yesterday."
Everyone nodded.
Elder Jiang continued:
"In the cultivation of Lin Arts, the most important principle is the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements.
Metal restrains Wood.Wood restrains Earth.Earth restrains Water.Water restrains Fire.Fire restrains Metal.
And generation works as follows:
Metal generates Water.Water generates Wood.Wood generates Fire.Fire generates Earth.Earth generates Metal.
"If the attribute of your spiritual power restrains the attribute of a Lin Art, you cannot learn it. If the attributes generate each other, it can be cultivated. And if the attributes are the same, it is best suited as your main path."
"When you enrolled, your spiritual attributes were already tested. So now choose the elder whose elemental system matches your own."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"Alright," Elder Jiang said. "Begin choosing now.
Wood and Water attributes—stand with Elder Li.Fire and Earth attributes—stand with Elder Chen.Water and Metal attributes—stand with me.
If you are unsure, come ask us."
The students began moving.
Li Chen said to Lin Fei, "Xiao Fei, you're pure Wood, so you should definitely go with Elder Li."
"What about you?" Lin Fei asked. "You're Wood and Earth dual-attribute. Those two restrain each other. So will you cultivate Wood Lin Arts or Earth Lin Arts?"
"I'd better ask the elders," Li Chen said. "My grandfather used to teach me Earth techniques. I'm not sure whether I can still learn Wood ones."
He stepped forward to consult the elders.
Lin Fei nodded.
Just then, Hu Mei walked over through the crowd and smiled at him.
"Shall we choose Elder Li together?"
"Sure," Lin Fei said, "but I want to wait for Li Chen first. I don't know what he'll pick."
"I'll wait with you then," she said.
"Alright."
After a while, Li Chen returned. Seeing Hu Mei beside Lin Fei, he immediately straightened his expression.
"Elder Jiang said I can cultivate both Wood and Earth Lin Arts."
"Aren't those two elements mutually restraining?" Lin Fei asked.
"Because my spiritual power contains both Earth and Wood. So even though the two conflict, I can still learn either type."
"Then let's just go to Elder Li together."
Lin Fei pulled Li Chen toward Elder Li's group, and Hu Mei followed behind.
Soon the students split into three groups.
Lin Fei noticed Zhou Ping had chosen Elder Chen. Liu Jinfa was also in that group. When Liu Jinfa saw them, he looked reluctant.
Lin Fei waved.
Liu Jinfa gestured back as if saying: Wait for me after class—I'll bring snacks!
Lin Fei then glanced at Elder Jiang's group. At the front stood the Lu brothers, Lu Zhenhuan and Lu Zhenyu. Since they possessed attribute-less spiritual power, they could cultivate any elemental Lin Art.
At this moment, Elder Li began speaking.
"From today onward, you will cultivate Wood and Water Lin Arts under me."
"Remember—Lin Arts are not brute force. You must use your heart to sense the resonance between spiritual power and the world."
He walked to a maple tree at the edge of the field. Red leaves covered the ground.
Elder Li raised his hand and waved lightly.
Instantly, the fallen maple leaves rose into the air, circling around him like countless red butterflies.
"This is the most basic Wood-element Lin Art—Leaf Dance Technique."
He moved his palms slowly, and the leaves followed his motions—sometimes fluttering like butterflies, sometimes falling like rain.
"With spiritual power guiding the leaves, they move as your will moves. Eventually, they can become your weapon."
Suddenly he pointed forward.
The leaves shot out like a storm of flying blades, traveling several meters before slowly falling.
"This is the basic Leaf Dance Technique. Though simple, it tests your control over spiritual power."
"Now I'll teach you the hand seals and incantation. Begin practicing."
Soon the students memorized the method and began practicing under the trees around the training ground.
Lin Fei also walked beneath a maple tree.
He raised his hands, recalled Elder Li's movements, and formed the seal.
"Wood Style — Leaf Dance Technique!"
He felt spiritual power gather in his hands.
He extended his palm toward the fallen leaves.
One by one, red leaves began to float upward.
Soon more and more leaves rose, circling slowly around him like a swarm of bees.
Li Chen and Hu Mei stopped practicing to watch.
Even Elder Li walked over, surprise flashing in his eyes.
The leaves rotated around Lin Fei's body. Though somewhat chaotic, the technique had already taken shape.
It seemed as if invisible threads were pulling the leaves around his arms, shoulders, and head.
"Not bad," Elder Li said with a smile.
Lin Fei noticed him and lost focus—several leaves dropped.
"Don't lose concentration. Hold it steady," Elder Li said.
"You have pure Wood spiritual power?"
Lin Fei nodded.
"No wonder," Elder Li said. "Pure Wood cultivators learn Wood techniques twice as fast as ordinary people. And you've already reached the peak of the Spirit Motion Realm, so mastering it is naturally easier."
"But reaching this level so quickly…"
"Have you practiced before?" he asked.
"No," Lin Fei shook his head.
Elder Li paused, clearly surprised.
"To master this technique," he continued, "the first key is momentum. Guide the leaves according to the natural flow—move with the wind. When the momentum gathers, it forms power."
He guided Lin Fei's palm forward.
The red leaves surged out like a flowing tide, flying three or four meters before slowly descending.
"The second key is precision."
Elder Li flicked his finger.
A single leaf rose into the air, tracing a graceful arc around Lin Fei's shoulder before stopping right before his eyes.
"This depends on your control over spiritual power."
Lin Fei nodded seriously.
"I understand."
"Good. Continue practicing."
Elder Li walked away to observe other students.
Nearby, Li Chen and Hu Mei hurriedly resumed practicing.
Although both had ten-grade spiritual power, their control over the technique was still clumsy.
Li Chen could only lift seven or eight leaves before they dropped again.
Hu Mei performed slightly better, maintaining more than ten leaves spinning around her—but the motion was unstable and far less controlled than Lin Fei's.
The morning passed quickly in practice.
The afternoon cultivation class was entirely different.
Because they were new students, the class focused mainly on external cultivation techniques.
The instructor, Elder Meng, was a stern old man with a dark face and sharp brows.
"To cultivate techniques, you must begin with external training," he said with his hands behind his back.
"If your bones and muscles are weak, then even powerful spiritual power is nothing but a castle in the air."
He scanned the students.
"You think a Lin Master only needs to stand far away and cast spells in battle? Ridiculous!"
His voice thundered across the field.
"In real combat, your spiritual power will run out. Your techniques may be countered. When that happens—what do you rely on?"
"Your body. Your strength. The ability to run, jump, endure blows, and strike back."
Everyone fell silent.
"From today onward," Elder Meng continued, "you will run ten miles every day, climb the mountain twice, and hang from the horizontal bar for half an hour."
"This is not punishment. It is a required course."
"If you endure it, you gain another chance to survive in battle. If you cannot—go home and farm!"
"Ah?!" the students groaned.
Elder Meng glared.
"You think that's too little? Add another lap!"
No one dared complain again.
They began running—around the training ground, along the mountain paths, through the forest—until their legs trembled and their lungs burned.
After running came mountain climbing.
The academy was built on a mountain. Hundreds of stone steps stretched from base to summit. Two round trips left everyone's knees shaking.
Finally came the horizontal bar.
They had to hang in midair for half an hour without letting go.
Lin Fei dropped after only fifteen minutes and was forced to repeat the exercise.
That night in the dormitory.
Lin Fei's legs were so sore he could barely lift them. Blisters covered his palms. He couldn't even hold his chopsticks.
He collapsed onto the bed and nearly fell asleep instantly.
Li Chen wasn't much better, but he endured with clenched teeth.
"My grandfather said," Li Chen panted, "external training is like this. If you endure it, you'll get through."
"When he was young, he ran twenty miles, climbed the mountain four times, and hung from the bar for an hour every day."
"What we're doing now isn't even half of that."
Lin Fei lay face down on the bed.
"Your grandfather… how strong is the Ninth Lin Master now?"
Li Chen thought for a moment.
"Although my grandfather lost an arm, he's still a Heavenly Realm expert. In the Giantwood Kingdom, he's among the strongest."
Lin Fei remembered the nine cultivation realms Headmaster Shen had mentioned.
The Heavenly Realm was the eighth realm.
"What realm do you think the headmaster and elders are in?" Lin Fei asked.
"Probably not higher than the Asura Realm," Li Chen said. "Heavenly Realm experts are extremely rare. Anyone who reaches the peak of the Asura Realm is already called a Half-Step Heavenly powerhouse."
"Are there many Heavenly Realm experts?"
"Very few. Someone at that level can become the chief Lin Master of a nation. My grandfather is one."
"I see…"
Lin Fei murmured softly.
"Then what kind of power does a God-Transformation Realm expert possess…?"
"The Tenth Lin Master… Lin Feng…"
As he wondered about this, his eyelids grew heavy.
Soon, he drifted into sleep.