A deathly silence continued to spread across the martial training grounds.
Lin Chen's calm yet infinitely domineering retort—"Who else thinks I'm trash? Who else wants to come up and 'offer me some pointers'?"—was like an invisible sledgehammer smashing fiercely into every Lin Family disciple's heart, leaving them silent as cicadas in winter, afraid to meet his gaze.
Sunlight fell over the youth's somewhat slender yet pine-straight figure, as though draping him in dazzling golden armor. He weighed the storage pouch "confiscated" from Lin Bao in his hand, his expression indifferent and his eyes icy. He was utterly unlike the "nervous" and "awkward" youth from before!
That stark contrast only made the crowd below feel an icy chill and reverence rising from the depths of their souls!
Trash?
If such a monstrous genius—someone who could severely injure a Body Tempering Realm Fourth Layer Peak cultivator with one punch and possessed foundations terrifyingly solid—could be called trash, then what were they? They did not even qualify as furnace slag!
Overbearing! Tyrannical! Unfathomable!
This was Lin Chen's truest impression in everyone's hearts at this moment!
All those previous speculations and doubts about his "luck," "good fortune," and "unstable foundations" had been blasted to pieces by that single punch, utterly wiped away!
On the high platform, the elders and clan heads wore varying expressions, but without exception, all were filled with shock and complicated emotions.
Great Elder Lin Zhenhong's face could no longer be described as merely livid—it was black as the bottom of a pot! He stared fixedly at Lin Chen, the killing intent in his eyes nearly surging forth in tangible form! Never in his wildest dreams had he expected his grandson, in whom he had placed such high hopes, to lose! And lose so thoroughly! So humiliatingly! Not only had he been severely injured and knocked unconscious in public, even the storage pouch on his person had been openly taken away by his opponent!
This was a naked slap across Lin Zhenhong's face! A slap across the face of the entire Great Elder faction!
He wished he could rush down from the platform immediately and tear Lin Chen into ten thousand pieces!
But the last shred of reason in him told him that he could not!
Before the eyes of the crowd, Lin Chen had won fair and square! Though his methods seemed ruthless, fists and kicks had no eyes in a martial contest, and injuries were unavoidable. Lin Bao had been so arrogant and provocative before; ending up like this, he had no one to blame but himself. If Lin Zhenhong forcefully stepped in now, he would only give others something to talk about and make himself look even more furious and frustrated!
More importantly, the strength and potential Lin Chen had displayed had far exceeded his expectations! This little bastard absolutely could not be judged through the eyes of the past anymore! This had to be considered over the long term!
Lin Zhenhong forcibly suppressed the towering fury and killing intent in his heart. He signaled several elders beside him, whose expressions were equally ugly, telling them to quickly send someone to carry away the unconscious Lin Bao for treatment. At the same time, his mind spun furiously as he considered how to deal with this suddenly risen thorn in his side!
Meanwhile, Clan Head Lin Xiaotian's feelings were a mixture of excitement and solemnity!
What excited him was that Lin Chen's performance had once again exceeded his expectations! That seemingly casual punch contained power and timing so exquisite that it reached the finest hair's breadth! This was absolutely not something an ordinary mid-stage Third Layer martial artist could accomplish! This child must be hiding a great secret! And he also contained immense hope for the rise of the Lin Family!
What weighed on him was Lin Chen's forceful, tyrannical style of conduct, as well as his nearly irreconcilable conflict with the Great Elder faction. It made him feel a trace of concern. Such exposed brilliance was not necessarily a good thing. Furthermore, Lin Chen's grudges with the Wang Family and Su Family also needed to be handled properly. How to balance the various factions, and how to guide this youth of limitless potential yet untamed pride onto the right path, would be a tremendous problem he had to face next.
Third Elder Lin Zhenyue stroked his beard, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Lin Chen with undisguised admiration and praise! Good lad! Truly a good lad! Not only was his strength formidable, but his mind far surpassed those of his peers! He knew how to endure, how to seize the right moment, and how to gain the greatest profit at the smallest cost! If someone like this were carefully nurtured, his future achievements would be beyond measure! Lin Zhenyue had even begun considering how to draw Lin Chen over to his side.
Amid the intertwining complex emotions throughout the arena, the steward presiding over the event finally came to his senses. He hurried onto the stage, glanced at the unconscious Lin Bao, then at the expressionless Lin Chen, and announced loudly in a voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremble:
"Match thirty-two, Lin Chen wins!"
With the announcement of the result, another wave of irrepressible gasps and discussion erupted from the crowd.
As for Lin Chen, he acted as though he had merely done something trivial. He slightly cupped his hands toward the high platform as a gesture of respect, then turned around and calmly walked down from the fighting stage beneath countless reverent, curious, jealous, and venomous gazes.
He did not return to the original crowd. Instead, he found a relatively secluded corner and resumed that "low-key" appearance, as though he were merely an ordinary spectator.
But he knew that from this moment onward, his standing within the Lin Family had undergone earth-shaking changes! No one would dare so casually regard him as trash that could be bullied at will ever again!
The practical combat matches continued.
Lin Yan and Lin Xue effortlessly defeated their respective opponents without suspense, displaying crushing strength that drew wave after wave of cheers.
The other matches had their own highlights as well, and some dark horses who usually hid their light and concealed their talents took the chance to emerge.
Yet no matter how fierce the battles became, everyone's gazes would drift, intentionally or not, toward the black-clad youth standing quietly in the corner.
He was the true protagonist of today! The brightest star, rising out of nowhere!
Lin Chen paid no attention to those gazes. His focus had already shifted to the storage pouch in his hand.
Although it was inconvenient to inspect it now, he could clearly sense the faint spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the pouch, along with the subtle sounds of objects knocking against one another.
Lin Bao really was quite wealthy!
The things inside should be enough to support his cultivation for some time! Perhaps... there might even be some unexpected surprises? Healing Pills, perhaps? Or the remnants of that Qi Condensing Pill that had caused his breakthrough attempt to fail?
Lin Chen's heart was full of anticipation.
The preliminary assessment did not come to an end until evening.
In the end, Lin Yan and Lin Xue unsurprisingly took the top two spots. Meanwhile, thanks to that shocking punch and the deterrent effect of no one daring to challenge him afterward, Lin Chen miraculously squeezed into the top ten as well! Though his ranking was not particularly high, for someone who had been trash with "zero cultivation" just three days ago, this was already a miracle worthy of being recorded in Lin Family history!
After the assessment ended, Clan Head Lin Xiaotian publicly announced the rewards for this preliminary assessment. The top ten disciples all received considerable rewards in spirit stones, pills, and Contribution Points.
When it was Lin Chen's turn to step forward and receive his reward, he once again became the focus of the entire arena.
Lin Xiaotian personally handed him a heavy brocade pouch. His gaze was full of complexity and expectation as he said, "Lin Chen, you performed very well today. You did not disappoint me. I hope you continue striving, guard against arrogance and impatience, and achieve even better results in the official assessment three days from now, bringing honor to our Lin Family!"
Though these words were conventional formalities, their weight was entirely different coming personally from the clan head! This was undoubtedly a way of showing everyone an attitude—the clan head had begun to value Lin Chen again!
Great Elder Lin Zhenhong stood nearby, his face so dark it seemed water could be wrung from it. He snorted coldly but said nothing further.
Lin Chen accepted the brocade pouch, putting on an expression of being overwhelmed by favor. He respectfully said, "This disciple will certainly give his all and not disappoint the clan head's high expectations!"
He kept his posture very low, and his words were humble, utterly unlike the forceful tyrant he had been on the stage earlier.
This once again left everyone confused and unable to fathom him. Had Lin Chen truly changed his nature? Or was his scheming simply too deep, and he knew how to conceal himself?
After receiving his reward, Lin Chen did not linger. Under countless complicated gazes, he swiftly left the martial training grounds and returned to his small courtyard.
He needed to inventory his "spoils of war" at once and make his final sprint of preparations for tonight's "hunt"!
After returning to his dilapidated courtyard and shutting the gate, the humility and respect on Lin Chen's face instantly vanished, replaced by icy calmness and anticipation.
He first opened the brocade pouch awarded by the clan head. Inside were fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones, three bottles of Qi and Blood Pills commonly used in the Body Tempering Realm, and a voucher for one hundred Lineage Contribution Points.
For ordinary Lin Family disciples, this reward was already extremely generous! It would be enough to support their cultivation for one or two months.
"Better than nothing." Lin Chen curled his lip and casually put away the brocade pouch. To him, these things were only appetizers.
What he truly anticipated was Lin Bao's storage pouch!
He took out the exquisitely crafted storage pouch embroidered with a ferocious leopard's head. Such storage pouches generally had simple restrictions that required the owner to use a particular hand seal or Spiritual Power to open.
However, for Lin Chen, who possessed the Myriad Dao Furnace, this was not a problem at all!
He did not even need to crack the restriction!
With a thought, he connected to the furnace!
"Refine!"
An invisible, delicate refining power instantly enveloped the restriction on the storage pouch!
Hiss...
With only an extremely faint sound, that layer of restriction—which would originally have taken some effort to crack—was instantly melted away and erased by the furnace's power like ice and snow!
Simple! Brutal! Effective!
A smile curled at Lin Chen's lips, and he impatiently sent his Spiritual Power into the storage pouch!
The next moment, his eyes instantly widened! An uncontrollable expression of wild delight appeared on his face!
"I've struck it rich! I've really struck it rich this time!"
The storage pouch was not large, only around one or two cubic meters. Yet the things piled inside were enough to make any Body Tempering Realm martial artist green with envy!
The first things that came into view were a small pile of Low-grade Spirit Stones, gleaming with a soft white light! A rough count showed at least three to four hundred of them! Seven or eight times more than the clan's reward!
Next came all kinds of pills! They were stored in exquisite Jade Bottles with labels attached. There were Rejuvenation Pills and Bone-mending Paste for healing, Qi Gathering Powder and Body Tempering Fluid for raising cultivation, and even several bottles of higher-grade pills specifically meant to help break through bottlenecks! On one of the bottles, the label clearly read—"Qi Condensing Pill (Remnant)"!
There really was one! Though it was only a remnant, the pure energy contained within absolutely could not be underestimated!
Aside from spirit stones and pills, there were several items in the storage pouch emitting faint spiritual energy fluctuations. One was a close-fitting soft armor that glimmered with a pale green light, clearly a defensive artifact. There was also a sharp short blade and several things that looked like talismans.
Though these things were not high-grade, they were still unexpected gains for the current Lin Chen.
"Lin Bao really is a walking treasure vault!" Lin Chen excitedly licked his lips. These things alone were enough to raise his cultivation speed by another level!
He dumped everything from the storage pouch onto the ground in one go, piling it into a small mound of treasure.
He did not begin cultivating immediately. Instead, he first carefully sorted the pills into categories. He had no need for the healing ones for now, while those ordinary cultivation-enhancing pills probably would not be as effective as directly refining spirit stones.
His gaze ultimately settled on the Jade Bottle labeled "Qi Condensing Pill (Remnant)"!
And those several hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones!
These were the keys to breaking through to a higher realm tonight!
As for the soft armor and short blade, he put them away for the time being. He could not understand the talismans, so he stored them away as well.
By the time he finished all this, night had completely fallen.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Chen immediately sat cross-legged, ready to begin another round of frenzied cultivation!
However, just as he was about to circulate his cultivation technique—
"Knock, knock, knock."
A light knocking sound rang out abruptly in the silent night.
Lin Chen's brows immediately furrowed! A trace of vigilance flashed in his eyes!
Who would come looking for him at this hour?
And why knock in such a "polite" manner?
He immediately concealed his aura, swiftly collected the spirit stones and pills on the ground back into the storage pouch—it belonged to him now—then rose to his feet, walked behind the door, and asked in a lowered voice, "Who is it?"
A somewhat aged yet respectful voice came from outside. "Young Master Lin Chen, this old servant is Liu Fu. By the clan head's order, I have come to deliver some things to you."
Liu Fu? That snobbish chief steward?
The clan head had sent him? To deliver things?
Lin Chen's heart filled with doubt. The clan head had already given him a reward during the day, so why send someone to bring him things again at night? And why send Liu Fu, someone who clearly belonged to the Great Elder faction?
There was something strange about this.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Chen decided to see what was going on first. His strength had increased greatly, so he was not afraid of Liu Fu trying any tricks.
He pulled open the latch and opened the door a crack, warily looking outside.
Sure enough, Liu Fu stood at the door. His face was covered in a flattering smile entirely unlike the one he had worn during the day. He carried a rather exquisite food box in one hand and a small bundle in the other.
"Young Master Lin Chen, you have suffered quite a fright." The moment Liu Fu saw Lin Chen, he immediately bowed and scraped, keeping his posture exceedingly low. "The day's assessment was exhausting. The clan head specially instructed the kitchen to prepare some nourishing late-night food for you, and he also had this old servant bring you some changes of clothes and daily necessities."
As he spoke, he offered the food box and bundle in his hands.
Lin Chen's gaze flickered, but he did not accept them immediately. He sized up Liu Fu, trying to see something beneath that ingratiating smile.
"The clan head is thoughtful," Lin Chen said flatly. "However, I cannot accept rewards without merit. Steward Liu, please take these things back."
He did not believe the clan head would suddenly care for him so much, much less that a self-serving man like Liu Fu would sincerely come to curry favor with him. There had to be something suspicious here!
"Oh, Young Master Lin Chen, what are you saying?" Liu Fu's smile grew even wider, even carrying a trace of panic. "You brought glory to the family today and crushed a powerful opponent—he deliberately avoided mentioning Lin Bao's name. The clan head is happy beyond measure! What does this little bit count for? If you refuse to accept it and the clan head blames me, this old servant cannot bear that responsibility!"
As he spoke, he forcibly stuffed the food box and bundle into Lin Chen's hands. Then he took out a small brocade pouch from his robes, secretly handed it over, and said in a lowered voice, "Young Master Lin Chen, the clan head privately asked this old servant to pass this on to you. He said it was... to calm your nerves."
Lin Chen accepted the brocade pouch. It felt slightly heavy, and there seemed to be quite a few spirit stones inside!
A private gift from the clan head? To calm his nerves?
Lin Chen became even more puzzled. What medicine was Lin Xiaotian selling from his gourd? First a public reward, then a private gesture of goodwill? Was he trying to win him over? Or... test him?
Without showing anything on his face, he put away the brocade pouch and said indifferently, "Thank the clan head for me."
"I wouldn't dare!" Liu Fu hurriedly waved his hands. "So long as Young Master Lin Chen is satisfied! Then... this old servant will not disturb your rest. I shall take my leave first."
After saying that, he bowed and scraped once more before cautiously turning and leaving. His back was utterly unlike the one he had shown during the day.
Watching Liu Fu disappear into the night, Lin Chen shut the courtyard gate. The calmness on his face instantly vanished, replaced by solemn thought.
He opened the food box. Inside were indeed several exquisite, appetizing dishes that still gave off steam, clearly freshly prepared. The bundle contained several brand-new sets of decent-quality clothes and some daily necessities.
Finally, he opened the brocade pouch the clan head had "privately" gifted him.
Hiss!
It actually contained a full one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones! Twice as many as the public reward from earlier that day!
"Winning me over... showing goodwill..." Lin Chen's eyes flickered uncertainly.
Lin Xiaotian's intentions were already obvious. He had seen Lin Chen's potential and wanted to repair their relationship, to bring him back under his control.
For Lin Chen, who urgently needed resources, this seemed like a good thing?
But Lin Chen's heart was full of vigilance!
He understood the thoughts of people in high positions far too well! So-called goodwill was often accompanied by exploitation and control! Lin Xiaotian was treating him well now because he had displayed value. Once he lost that value, or threatened Lin Xiaotian's interests, Lin Xiaotian would turn hostile faster than turning a page!
Moreover, the Lin Family was divided into numerous factions, with the Great Elder faction and the clan head openly and secretly fighting one another. Lin Chen had already thoroughly offended the Great Elder. If he carelessly sided with the clan head now, he would inevitably become a chess piece in their struggle, putting himself in even greater danger!
"Playing along... yes, I can only play along!" Lin Chen quickly came to a decision.
He could "accept" the clan head's goodwill, and he could accept every last resource offered. But did they expect him to be grateful beyond measure and obediently bow his head? Absolutely impossible!
The only person he could rely on now was himself! Only the Myriad Dao Furnace!
What he needed to do was make use of every resource he could use, raise his strength by any means necessary, then leap out of the Lin Family's muddy mire and seize control of his own fate!
Having understood this, Lin Chen's state of mind returned to calmness.
He put away the spirit stones sent by the clan head as well. Together with those in Lin Bao's storage pouch, he now had nearly five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones on hand! This was an enormous fortune!
He glanced at the food in the box. Though its fragrance was enticing, he did not touch it. Who knew whether something had been tampered with inside? A cautious sailor sailed for ten thousand years.
He had more important matters to attend to now!
That was—continuing his cultivation! Breaking through to a higher realm! Accumulating greater power for tonight's "hunt"!
He sat cross-legged once more and took out the bottle of Qi Condensing Pill (Remnant), his eyes shining with blazing light!
The pill Lin Bao had used and failed to break through to the Fifth Layer... the energy contained within it was surely extraordinary!
And with nearly five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones added to it...
Tonight, he would make his strength undergo another—qualitative leap!
The Myriad Dao Furnace began operating silently once again!
A soundless, frenzied devouring of energy unfolded once more within the dilapidated courtyard!
Before you continue