Inside the small hut, candlelight flickered, casting shock and ecstasy across Lin Yan's young face.
The warm current flowing out from the jade pendant was like a spring stream melting through ice, winding gently yet powerfully through his meridians. It gradually washed away the stagnation that had built up over years of failed attempts to draw in Qi. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as if pulled by an invisible force, turned into countless tiny specks of light, pouring in through the cracks of doors and windows, rushing eagerly into his body, flowing along his meridians toward his Dantian.
Lin Yan fought to calm his excitement. Holding his breath, he carefully guided the spiritual energy according to the methods of the Art of Drawing Qi. In the past, no matter how hard he tried, spiritual energy slipped through his fingers like sand, vanishing the moment it neared his body. But today, the energy was unusually docile, like birds returning to their nests, flowing orderly through his meridians. With each cycle, the spiritual energy grew denser, and a faint warmth slowly rose in his Dantian.
He looked down at the black jade pendant in his palm. It trembled more violently now, its warmth stronger, and an extremely faint black glow lingered on its surface, nearly invisible to the naked eye.
"It was you… you helped me…" Lin Yan whispered softly, his fingers brushing the pendant gently, filled with gratitude. He finally understood that what his parents had told him to protect was no ordinary heirloom. This pendant might just be his only hope to turn his life around.
The night passed without sleep.
Lin Yan remained immersed in cultivation, tireless. He circulated the Art of Drawing Qi over and over, guiding spiritual energy through his meridians in endless cycles. The energy in his Dantian grew thicker and thicker, gathering like a stream until a tiny whirlpool of spiritual energy took shape.
Near dawn, a surge of warmth erupted from his Dantian. The whirlpool contracted sharply, then slowly spread outward. A far stronger stream of spiritual energy than before rushed through his meridians and spread throughout his body, bringing a numbing, comfortable sensation to his bones and flesh.
Mid-stage of Qi Condensation!
Lin Yan's eyes snapped open, a sharp light flashing within them. In just one night, he had gone from being completely unable to draw Qi into his body to directly breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Condensation. If word of this speed got out, it would shake the entire Qingyang City.
He could clearly feel his body was far stronger than before, his senses unnaturally sharp. The faint rustle of wind through leaves outside the window, the distant crowing of roosters and barking of dogs — all sounded crystal clear.
He clenched his fists, feeling the surging spiritual energy within him. The humiliation and resentment in his heart were gradually replaced by confidence and resolve. From this day on, he was no longer the bullied good-for-nothing. He now had the strength to fight back, the confidence to uncover the truth behind his parents' deaths.
As soon as the sky turned pale, Lin Yan got up and tidied himself. He hid the black jade pendant close to his chest again, changed into a slightly cleaner set of rough cloth clothes, and headed for the Martial Arts Arena. He knew his path of cultivation had only just begun. He needed more spiritual energy, more systematic cultivation methods — and the Martial Arts Arena was the place with the densest spiritual energy in the Lin Clan, as well as his only way to access cultivation resources.
He had barely reached the entrance when he ran straight into Lin Hao and his two lackeys.
At the sight of Lin Yan, Lin Hao immediately broke into a mocking grin, stopped, and blocked his way.
"Well, well. If it isn't the Lin Clan's useless trash. Enjoyed being burned last night? You still dare show your face here? Looks like I didn't teach you enough." Lin Hao crossed his arms, his tone contemptuous, his eyes full of provocation.
His lackeys chimed in: "Young Master Hao, this waste has a short memory. Why not teach him another lesson and put him in his place?"
Lin Yan lifted his head and looked calmly at Lin Hao, no longer bowing his head in submission as he once had. Spiritual energy slowly circulated within him, and a faint aura emanated from his body — not overwhelming, yet carrying an unignorable resolve.
"Move aside," Lin Yan said, his voice still calm, but with newfound weight.
Lin Hao froze, surprised that Lin Yan dared speak to him this way. He sized Lin Yan up and down, detected the faint fluctuation of spiritual energy on him, and immediately scoffed.
"What's this? Trash, you actually dare to resist? With your newly achieved Qi Condensation, you think you can act arrogant in front of me?"
Lin Hao had long reached the Late-stage of Qi Condensation, and was considered fairly talented among the main family's disciples. Naturally, he thought nothing of Lin Yan, who had just broken through to mid-stage.
He suddenly raised his hand, channeling sharp spiritual energy, and slapped toward Lin Yan's chest, clearly intending to teach him a brutal lesson.
The main family disciples who had arrived early to practice saw this and stopped what they were doing, gathering around with expressions of amusement. No one believed Lin Yan could block the strike.
Facing Lin Hao's palm, Lin Yan's gaze hardened. He instantly channeled spiritual energy to his chest and instinctively raised his hand to block.
A dull thud crashed out as their palms collided, and a shockwave rippled outward.
Lin Hao felt a numbing pain in his hand. An unexpected force came from Lin Yan's palm, forcing him back two steps, his face twisting with disbelief.
"You… how could you be this strong? You actually managed to draw Qi into your body?!"
Lin Yan stood firmly in place, his palm slightly numb but not stepping back even an inch. He looked at the shocked Lin Hao and spoke flatly:
"What I am or am not is none of your business. Provoke me again, and I will not show mercy."
The surrounding main family disciples erupted into commotion, talking animatedly among themselves.
"What's going on? That useless Lin Yan actually drew Qi into his body?"
"Impossible! He has a four-element chaotic spiritual root — how could he possibly condense Qi, let alone block Lin Hao's palm?"
"Am I seeing things? His spiritual energy fluctuation… it's already mid-stage Qi Condensation!"
The chatter cut into Lin Hao's ears, turning his face red and white in turn — shocked and furious. As a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, he had just been blocked by a once-useless trash. It was utter humiliation.
"You're courting death!" Lin Hao roared. His spiritual energy exploded as he charged at Lin Yan again, his palm strikes even sharper than before.
Lin Yan's gaze turned solemn. He dared not be careless. Although he had broken through to mid-stage Qi Condensation, his cultivation base was still shallower than Lin Hao's. He could only rely on the speed at which his Primal Chaos Spirit Vein circulated spiritual energy to nimbly dodge Lin Hao's attacks while looking for an opening to counter.
The two tangled in the center of the arena — one fierce and aggressive, the other agile and elusive. Lin Hao's strikes were powerful, yet he could never land a hit on Lin Yan. Instead, his frequent attacks drained his spiritual energy greatly, and his movements gradually slowed. Meanwhile, Lin Yan, relying on the advantages of his Chaos Spirit Vein, recovered spiritual energy extremely quickly, growing calmer and more composed with every exchange.
Just then, a dignified voice boomed:
"Stop this instant!"
Everyone turned toward the sound. An elderly man in a cyan long robe was walking slowly over, a faint aura of the Foundation Establishment realm swirling around him. This was Lin Kun, an elder of the Lin Clan's main family, who oversaw the Martial Arts Arena. He was notoriously strict, and all the main family disciples feared him.
Lin Hao and Lin Yan both halted at once. Lin Hao quickly restrained his spiritual energy, bowed his head, and said respectfully:
"Greetings, Elder Lin."
Lin Yan also bowed slightly, saying nothing. He could feel Elder Lin Kun's gaze resting on him, filled with scrutiny and doubt.
Lin Kun's eyes lingered on Lin Yan for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he spoke sternly:
"Lin Yan, you are merely a collateral servant. How dare you brawl with main family disciples in the Martial Arts Arena, and even use spiritual energy? Do you know your crime?"
Seeing his chance, Lin Hao immediately complained:
"Elder Lin, don't be fooled by this trash! He was the first to speak insolently to me and resist me, so I only struck to discipline him! Besides, he has a chaotic spiritual root, yet he suddenly condensed Qi — this is extremely strange! He must have used some crooked, unorthodox method!"
Lin Kun's expression grew graver. He looked back at Lin Yan, his tone probing:
"You have truly drawn Qi into your body?"
Lin Yan lifted his head, met Lin Kun's gaze, and nodded calmly:
"I have."
Lin Kun fell silent for a moment, a strange glint flickering in his eyes. He had been present when Lin Yan's spiritual root was tested years ago, and he clearly remembered that Lin Yan possessed a four-element chaotic spiritual root, making cultivation impossible. Yet now, the fluctuation of spiritual energy on Lin Yan was unmistakable — genuine mid-stage Qi Condensation. Suspicion stirred in his heart.
He suddenly recalled that when Lin Yan's parents died, they had left behind certain relics. Though they appeared ordinary, Lin Yan had guarded them carefully. Could Lin Yan's sudden success in cultivation have something to do with those items?
Lin Kun's gaze drifted slightly downward, landing on Lin Yan's chest — exactly where the jade pendant rested. A barely noticeable cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and a plan formed in his mind.
The main family had long coveted the relics left by Lin Yan's parents, but had never found a proper excuse to seize them. Now that Lin Yan had suddenly begun cultivating, they had the perfect reason.
"Lin Yan, with your chaotic spiritual root, you should never have been able to cultivate. Yet you suddenly condensed Qi. You must be in possession of some evil, unholy object, defiling the Lin Clan's cultivation grounds." Lin Kun's voice turned icy, his expression stern.
"Seize him! Take him back to the main residence for interrogation, search his quarters, and find that unholy thing!"
Lin Yan's heart sank. He knew Lin Kun was only making up an excuse — his real goal was to seize his parents' relics, to take the mysterious jade pendant.
He clenched his fists, spiritual energy surging within him, and stared firmly at Lin Kun:
"I possess no evil objects. You cannot arrest me!"
"Insolence!" Lin Kun snorted. The aura of a Foundation Establishment realm expert exploded outward, a powerful pressure crashing down on Lin Yan.
"A mere collateral servant dares to defy me? Seize him!"
Two Lin Clan guards in cyan martial uniforms stepped forward at once, lunging toward Lin Yan. Both were at the Peak of Qi Condensation, far above Lin Yan's level.
Lin Yan knew full well he stood no chance. He looked at the charging guards, then at the icy-faced Lin Kun and the gloating main family disciples around him. His resolve hardened.
He understood — the main family of the Lin Clan would never let him go. Today, he would either be captured and forced to hand over the pendant, or fight with his life and flee the Lin Clan.
The instant the guards' hands were about to make contact, Lin Yan spun sharply, unleashing all his spiritual energy, and sprinted toward the back gate of the arena. He knew the back gate was the most weakly defended part of the Lin residence — his only chance to escape.
"Stop him! Don't let him get away!" Lin Kun roared, surprise flashing in his eyes. He had not expected Lin Yan to dare run.
The guards gave chase immediately, and Lin Hao followed hot on their heels, unwilling to be outdone. The main family disciples on the arena also crowded over, eager to watch the spectacle.
Lin Yan ran with all his strength toward the back gate, his spiritual energy draining rapidly. The sounds of pursuit and shouting rang in his ears. He knew he could not stop — if caught, the pendant would be taken, and he would lose his life.
The black jade pendant against his chest warmed once more, a faint stream of spiritual energy flowing into his body, easing his exhaustion. Lin Yan's heart warmed, strengthening his determination to escape.
Little did he know that by running, he was not only breaking completely with the Lin Clan's main family — he was also being swept into a far greater storm.
And the mysterious pendant would, along his path of flight, gradually reveal the secrets it had hidden for so long.