Desperate Situation! Mysterious Iron Piece

The night was deep, like an unresolvable darkness, temporarily concealing the clamor and conspiracy within the depths of the Lin Family mansion. Yet, at the edge of this silence, Lin Chen's dilapidated small courtyard seemed to have become the eye of a storm, brewing unknown drastic changes.

Carrying a chill and the nauseatingly hypocritical atmosphere of the assembly hall, Lin Chen returned to this place, the only one that belonged to him, yet also a symbol of his shame and despair.

He pushed open the creaking courtyard gate, and the familiar desolate scene greeted his eyes—weeds swayed in the night wind, the medicinal dregs piled in the corner emitted a faint burnt smell, and the air was filled with a stale, abandoned scent.

However, Lin Chen's state of mind at this moment formed a stark contrast with his surroundings.

Within his chest, it was as if a raging fire was burning!

The scenes in the assembly hall were branded into his mind: Lin Zhenhong's aggressive demeanor, Lin Bao's distortion of facts, Wang Teng's sinister cruelty, Lin Xiaotian's indifference as he wavered between family interests and so-called kinship, and the gazes of the surrounding elders and stewards—some sympathetic, some contemptuous, some gloating…

All of this transformed into the most primal, most powerful motivation, injected into his unyielding heart!

"Seven days!" Lin Chen stood in the center of the courtyard, clenching his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. "Seven days from now, Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer!"

This was not merely a goal, but his only chance to break free from this desperate situation and seize control of his own destiny!

He knew very well that Lin Zhenhong and Wang Teng would not let this matter rest. If he failed in the family test seven days later, what awaited him would be far more than just "crippling his cultivation and expelling him from the family." Wang Teng's whispered threat of "worse than death" was no idle talk. He could even imagine the brutal revenge and pursuit he would face once he lost the insignificant identity of a Lin family disciple!

This was a true desperate situation! With a fierce tiger blocking his path ahead and a ten-thousand-foot cliff behind, he had no retreat!

His only chance of survival lay within his dantian's sea of qi, with that mysterious, faintly glowing black iron piece—the black iron piece!

The Myriad Dao Furnace!

This sole relic left by his mother, this mysterious iron piece that had been dormant for three years but awakened at his most desperate moment, was his only trump card against this dire situation! It was also his greatest reliance for defying fate!

"Hoo…" Lin Chen exhaled a long breath, forcing himself to calm down. While anger and unwillingness could provide motivation, only absolute calmness and focus could bring the Myriad Dao Furnace's power to its fullest extent.

His gaze fell once more upon the mountain of medicinal dregs piled in the corner.

These wastes, worthless in the eyes of others, were now, in his view, the foundation stones for building a staircase to survival!

Without any hesitation, Lin Chen strode to the pile of medicinal dregs and sat down cross-legged again. He paid no mind to the dust still clinging to his body, nor did he care about the cold touch of the ground. His entire mind instantly sank into his dantian.

Buzz!

As his consciousness communicated, the black iron piece suspended above his sea of qi—the core of the Myriad Dao Furnace—emitted a low hum once more. Black, ethereal light flowed, and an invisible, domineering suction force instantly emanated from his body, enveloping the medicinal dregs before him!

This time, Lin Chen no longer cautiously scooped up handfuls as he had before. He directly extended both hands and, like a famished tiger pouncing, pulled a large amount of medicinal dregs towards him!

"Melt!"

A low shout echoed in his heart!

The Myriad Dao Furnace seemed to sense his desperate resolve, and its operating speed suddenly accelerated! The invisible suction force became even more ferocious, like a greedy vortex, madly extracting the last vestiges of essence from the medicinal dregs!

Chichichichi—!

A series of grating, subtle sounds erupted densely! A large amount of medicinal dregs visibly shriveled and turned to ash at an astonishing rate! Wisps of energy currents, varying in color and carrying heavy impurities, were forcibly pulled into Lin Chen's body like a confluence of a hundred rivers, surging through his meridians towards the Myriad Dao Furnace in his dantian!

Inside the furnace, the invisible flames, capable of incinerating all things, burned even more vigorously! No matter how mixed or impure the energy, upon entering, it was like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun, instantly decomposed, refined, and purified!

Vast amounts of impurities were refined into nothingness, leaving behind only streams of energy, weak yet incredibly pure medicinal power! These energies were of various colors; some were light green, containing the vitality of plants; some were crimson, carrying a trace of fire-attributed energy; others were earthy yellow, possessing a heavy essence… Clearly, these medicinal dregs originated from the refining processes of different pills, and the residual medicinal properties also varied.

If an ordinary martial artist absorbed such mixed energy, they would suffer damaged meridians at best, or even fall into qi deviation at worst!

But the Myriad Dao Furnace seemed to possess a miraculous power to transform the rotten into the divine! It perfectly smelted and harmonized these pure medicinal energies of different attributes, ultimately transforming them into a gentle and peaceful energy flow, yet one imbued with vast vitality, which slowly flowed into Lin Chen's meridians—newly repaired but exceptionally resilient and broad!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Lin Chen felt waves of warmth, like rushing rivers, continuously scouring his limbs and bones! With each scouring, his physical body became tougher, his blood and qi more vigorous, and the true qi in his dantian more condensed!

His cultivation base of Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Early Stage soared upwards like a rocket!

Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Early Stage Peak!

Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Middle Stage!

In less than half an hour, he had already broken through to the Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Middle Stage! And this rate of improvement showed no signs of slowing down!

"Faster! Even faster!" Lin Chen cried out in his heart, his hands continuously pushing the surrounding medicinal dregs towards him, letting the furnace devour and refine them madly!

He forgot about time, forgot about fatigue, forgot about everything around him! His entire being was immersed in the extreme pleasure of rapidly increasing strength and the intense desire to fight against despair and control his destiny!

In the small courtyard, only the mountain of medicinal dregs was visibly diminishing, and a faint heatwave subtly emanated from Lin Chen's body due to the high-speed circulation of his true qi.

The moon climbed to its zenith, then slowly began to set in the west.

At the darkest hour of the night, a sound of footsteps, accompanied by a slightly old and tired voice, echoed from outside the courtyard.

"Alas… what a sin…"

A stooped old servant, carrying a food box, walked shakily to the courtyard entrance. He was Lin Fu, responsible for delivering Lin Chen, this "cripple," his three meals a day. When Lin Chen was still a genius, Lin Fu had been respectful to him, but over the past three years, he had gradually become indifferent and numb.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and saw Lin Chen in the courtyard, looking as if he were possessed, covered in dust, surrounded by powdered medicinal dregs. A flicker of complex emotion flashed in his cloudy old eyes—pity, confusion, but more than anything, numbness and resignation.

"Young Master Lin Chen… this is today's meal." Lin Fu placed the food box on the stone steps at the courtyard entrance, his voice dry. The food box was very simple, and the food inside was even more coarse—just two dark, hard buns and a bowl of bland vegetable soup.

This was the treatment for a "cripple" in the Lin Family.

On any other occasion, Lin Chen might have felt a trace of humiliation due to this deliberate neglect. But at this moment, he didn't even lift his eyelids.

His entire focus was immersed in the profound operation of the Myriad Dao Furnace and the frantic growth of power within his body! Everything external seemed to be isolated from him.

Seeing Lin Chen's "foolish" appearance, Lin Fu shook his head and sighed, "Alas, he must have been too stimulated and gone mad… Well, it's better to be mad than to be conscious and suffer after being kicked out…"

He said no more, turned, and quietly left, leaving behind the simple food box and Lin Chen, who remained immersed in his cultivation.

Lin Chen was completely unaware of Lin Fu's arrival and departure.

His consciousness was currently engaged in a peculiar exchange with the Myriad Dao Furnace.

As more and more medicinal dregs were refined, his control over the Myriad Dao Furnace became increasingly adept. He even faintly sensed that this furnace was not merely an inanimate object; it seemed to possess a faint trace of "spirituality"!

It could discern the quality of energy contained within different medicinal dregs! For dregs with purer and more concentrated energy (perhaps remnants from refining higher-grade pills), the furnace absorbed them at a significantly faster rate, converting them into more potent energy!

Furthermore, Lin Chen discovered that during the refining process, not only was his cultivation improving, but his mental power also seemed to be slowly growing! Every communication with the furnace, every guiding of energy, felt like a tempering of his will and soul!

What surprised him even more was that as the refining continued, his meridians, which had been repaired and reshaped, seemed to be continuously tempered, widened, and strengthened by the pure medicinal power! The walls of his meridians became more crystalline and translucent, capable of accommodating and transmitting more True Qi!

"This Myriad Dao Furnace... it's simply an unparalleled treasure tailor-made for me!" Lin Chen was inwardly shocked, his reverence and gratitude for this mysterious iron piece deepening.

He even had a feeling that the "accident" three years ago, which had caused the blockage in his meridians, might not have been entirely a bad thing. Was it precisely because of that anomaly that his body could withstand the impact when the Myriad Dao Furnace awakened? Did it allow his meridians to become far superior to ordinary people after being reshaped by the furnace?

Although this was just speculation, it ignited a more fervent hope in Lin Chen's heart!

The night passed uneventfully.

As a sliver of white appeared on the eastern horizon, the first ray of dawn pierced the darkness and fell upon the sleeping town. Lin Chen finally opened his eyes slowly.

In his eyes, a sharp glint flashed and disappeared, like two cold stars, piercingly sharp!

After a night of frantic refining, the mountain-like pile of medicinal dregs in front of him had shrunk by a full third! At least several hundred catties of medicinal dregs had been thoroughly refined and absorbed by him!

And his cultivation had soared like a rocket, successfully breaking through the barrier of the Body Tempering Realm Double Layer and steadily entering—

Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Peak!

He was now just one step away from the Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer!

Feeling the surging power within him, which was several times stronger than the previous night, and the ceaseless flow of refined and pure True Qi in his meridians, Lin Chen finally displayed a heartfelt smile!

In a single night, he had advanced two minor realms, reaching the Double Layer Peak!

Such a cultivation speed, if it were to spread, would be enough to shock the entire Qingyang Town! It might even drive those so-called prominent families and major sects into a frenzy!

This was the heaven-defying power of the Myriad Dao Furnace!

However, Lin Chen did not let himself be blinded by joy.

He clearly felt that as his cultivation increased, the energy provided by these ordinary medicinal dregs was beginning to have a diminishing effect. To break through the barrier of the Double Layer Peak and enter the Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer within the remaining six days, he would likely need to refine more, or even higher quality, materials!

"Medicinal dregs... still not enough." Lin Chen's gaze swept over the remaining pile of dregs, his brow furrowed slightly.

Moreover, mere realm advancement was not enough. The family test often not only examined cultivation but also likely included combat assessments. He needed to quickly familiarize himself with his rapidly increasing strength and transform it into actual combat power! Otherwise, having a high realm would be merely a facade, making it difficult to deal with Lin Bao, let alone the ruthless Wang Teng!

"Cultivation, combat, resources..." Lin Chen quickly calculated in his mind.

Seven days seemed like a long time, but in reality, it was extremely pressing! He had to race against time!

He stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff muscles and bones. Staying up all night and continuously operating the furnace at high intensity was a huge burden on his body and mind. If not for the continuous nourishment of his body by the furnace's energy, he would have likely collapsed long ago.

Even so, he felt waves of fatigue and hunger at this moment.

He glanced at the already cold food box placed on the stone steps, his expression indifferent. Relying on the family to provide cultivation resources was like dreaming while awake. To obtain better resources and improve his strength, he could only rely on himself!

"The Crimson Flame Pig farm in the Lin Family's backyard..." a thought suddenly flashed through Lin Chen's mind.

It was an industry of the Lin Family, raising a low-level demonic beast called the "Crimson Flame Pig." This beast had delicious meat and its hide also had some value, serving as a source of income for the Lin Family. More importantly, the Crimson Flame Pig contained a trace of fire-attribute energy within its body. Its blood and inner core (though rarely formed) were great tonics for Body Tempering Realm martial artists!

Of course, the truly valuable parts would not be accessible to him, a "waste." But the pig farm processed quite a few dead or culled Crimson Flame Pigs every day. Those blood, flesh, and bones that others considered worthless might be "resources" he could refine!

Furthermore, working at the pig farm would help him cover his tracks, preventing others from discovering his abnormal increase in strength.

With this thought, Lin Chen no longer hesitated. He tidied up briefly, cleaned the ashes of the medicinal dregs in the courtyard, and then pushed open the courtyard gate, heading towards the direction of the Lin Family's backyard.

The Lin Family mansion was gradually waking up in the early morning.

He occasionally encountered early-rising servants or Lin Family disciples out for morning exercises on the way.

When they saw Lin Chen, their expressions varied.

Some people avoided him from afar as if he were a plague, fearing to be tainted by bad luck.

Others pointed and whispered, their eyes filled with contempt and schadenfreude.

"Look, isn't that Lin Chen? I heard the Patriarch summoned him for a lecture last night?" "More than a lecture! I heard Miss Su publicly broke off their engagement, and he impudently talked back, even offending Young Master Wang!" "Tsk, tsk, he truly brought it upon himself! The Great Elder has already declared that if he doesn't reach the Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer in the test seven days later, his cultivation will be crippled and he'll be expelled!" "Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer? Hahaha, if he can reach it, I'll write my name backward!" "I think this waste is completely beyond saving. He's probably given up and is just waiting to be kicked out."

These harsh remarks buzzed like flies.

If it were the Lin Chen of the past, hearing this might have made him feel angry, humiliated, or even desperate.

But now, his heart was as calm as a lake.

He didn't even bother to cast a sidelong glance at those people.

You cannot talk about ice to a summer insect; how can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan?

These short-sighted individuals, who only knew how to curry favor and kick someone when they're down, were not worth wasting even a sliver of his emotions on.

His only goal was to become stronger!

And then, with absolute strength, he would trample all doubts, mockery, and disdain under his feet!

With a firm belief, Lin Chen's figure disappeared into the morning mist leading to the backyard.

There, perhaps not only Crimson Flame Pig flesh awaited him, but also another starting point on his path to becoming a powerhouse and confronting this cruel fate!

And in his dantian's sea of qi, that mysterious black iron piece—the Myriad Dao Furnace—was emitting a faint glow, like a dormant ancient beast, ready to devour everything and refine all dao!

In the face of a desperate situation, the spark of hope had been ignited!