Chapter 13: Enlightenment and the Street Stall
The next three days passed in near isolation.
Lin Yuan didn't join the usual group training. He didn't spar, didn't compete, didn't waste a single movement. Instead, he stayed in a quiet corner of the camp, sitting cross-legged for hours at a time.
To others, it looked like rest.
To him—
It was war.
Inside his mind, the Infinite Battle Law unfolded again and again. Every pathway, every flaw, every inefficiency was broken down, examined, and rebuilt. His Boundless Comprehension wasn't just analyzing anymore—
It was evolving.
The stronger his foundation became, the clearer everything appeared.
Like climbing a mountain.
The higher he stood—
The more he could see.
---
"Still sitting?" Pang Hu muttered on the second day, chewing on something. "Brother Lin, at this rate you'll become a statue."
Lin Yuan didn't open his eyes. "Statues don't get beaten up."
"…That's actually a good point."
---
By the third day—
Something changed.
---
Lin Yuan's breathing slowed.
Then slowed again.
Until it almost… disappeared.
---
Inside—
Everything became quiet.
No distractions.
No noise.
---
Then suddenly—
Clear.
---
The scattered fragments of the Infinite Battle Law aligned perfectly in his mind. The violent external method, the internal refinement he created, and the countless small adjustments—
All merged.
---
No more conflict.
No more instability.
---
Just one—
Complete—
Flow.
---
Lin Yuan's eyes snapped open.
A faint pressure spread from his body, subtle but sharp.
---
"…Done."
---
Not 30%.
Not 40%.
---
Complete.
---
He stood up slowly, stretching slightly. His body felt lighter, yet stronger. Every movement carried a natural rhythm, as if even breathing had become part of cultivation.
---
Pang Hu blinked. "Brother Lin… you feel different."
Lin Yuan glanced at him. "I always feel different."
"…No, this time it's scary different."
"…Good."
---
But Lin Yuan didn't rush to find Zhao Feng.
Instead—
He walked out of the camp.
---
Pang Hu froze. "Wait… you're leaving? What about the fight?!"
"I'll be back."
"…That's what people say before they disappear forever!"
---
Outside the training grounds, the streets were busy.
Vendors shouting. People bargaining. Martial practitioners moving back and forth.
Lin Yuan looked around once.
Then—
Nodded.
---
A short while later—
A small, simple stall appeared at the roadside.
A wooden board placed in front:
---
"Guidance on Techniques – Errors, Improvements, Deductions"
"Payment: Technique Manuals Accepted"
---
Pang Hu stared at it in disbelief.
"…Brother Lin."
"…What is this?"
---
Lin Yuan sat calmly behind the stall.
"A business."
---
"…You're going to get beaten up."
"Probably."
"…Should I run now or later?"
"Stay. You'll learn something."
"…Like how to escape?"
"…Exactly."
---
At first, no one approached.
Then—
A young cultivator stepped forward, clearly amused.
"You?" he said, crossing his arms. "Giving guidance?"
---
Lin Yuan nodded. "Show me your technique."
---
The man smirked and demonstrated a basic fist art. Strong—but rough, full of unnecessary movements.
---
Lin Yuan watched once.
Then spoke.
---
"Your third strike loses force because your stance shifts too early. Your breathing is out of sync on the fourth movement. And your final blow—completely wastes momentum."
---
Silence.
---
"…You're guessing."
---
Lin Yuan stood up.
"Attack me."
---
The man sneered and rushed forward, using the exact same technique.
---
First strike—
Blocked.
Second—
Redirected.
Third—
Collapsed halfway.
---
The man stumbled back, eyes wide.
---
"…Again," Lin Yuan said calmly.
---
This time—
The man adjusted slightly.
But not enough.
---
Every flaw Lin Yuan mentioned—
Appeared.
---
Perfectly.
---
The crowd around them grew quiet.
---
"…How did you—"
---
Lin Yuan sat back down.
"Next."
---
Pang Hu leaned in and whispered, "…Brother Lin."
"…This is actually working."
"…Of course."
"…Can I open a food stall next to you?"
"…No."
"…Unfair."
---
Soon, more people came.
Some curious.
Some doubtful.
Some clearly looking to cause trouble.
---
One man slammed a half-burnt manual on the table.
"This technique is incomplete," he said. "If you can deduce the missing part, I'll believe you."
---
Lin Yuan picked it up.
Flipped through it once.
---
Then closed it.
---
"Missing the energy circulation after the second phase," he said. "You're supposed to redirect it through the left meridian, not the right. Otherwise it collapses."
---
The man frowned. "That's impossible to know."
---
Lin Yuan sighed slightly.
"Try it."
---
Reluctantly—
The man did.
---
A moment later—
His expression froze.
---
"…It works."
---
The crowd erupted.
---
Pang Hu's jaw dropped. "…Brother Lin."
"…You're cheating."
"…No."
"…Then this is worse."
---
Lin Yuan leaned back slightly, calm as ever.
---
Technique after technique—
He analyzed.
Corrected.
Improved.
---
And quietly—
Collected.
---
Each manual he received—
Each flawed technique—
---
Was absorbed.
Understood.
Integrated.
---
His path—
Was becoming more complete.
---
Because unlike others—
He didn't just learn techniques.
---
He refined them.
---
As the sun began to set, Lin Yuan closed his eyes briefly.
For a moment—
He could feel it again.
---
That state.
---
Not full enlightenment—
But close.
---
The higher he stood—
The more everything revealed itself.
---
"…Interesting," he murmured.
---
Pang Hu sat beside him, still stunned.
"…Brother Lin."
"…If you keep doing this…"
"…You might actually become something terrifying."
---
Lin Yuan opened his eyes.
A faint smile appearing.
---
"I already am."
---
Somewhere in the distance—
News of a certain stall began to spread.
---
And soon—
It would reach the wrong person.
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Zhao Feng.