Furnace Opens! Myriad Daos Smelt!

In the back mountains of the Lin Family, the terrain gradually rose, and the trees became sparser, replaced by a vast area enclosed by a rough wooden fence and low stone walls. Even before getting close, a strong, pungent, and foul odor mixed with the bleating of livestock assaulted them with the mountain wind, almost making one gag.

This was the Lin Family's Crimson Flame Pig farm.

Completely different from the exquisite elegance of the Lin Family mansion's front courtyard and the solemn majesty of the central courtyard, the pig farm appeared crude and chaotic. The ground was muddy, mixed with black sludge, scattered fodder, and both dry and fresh livestock feces. Simple pigpens built from raw logs were arranged, and from within came the unique grunts of the Crimson Flame Pigs, tinged with a hint of irritability, and occasional sharp squeals.

These Crimson Flame Pigs were larger than ordinary domestic pigs, their fur a dark red, tusks exposed, and their eyes held a wild ferocity. Although they were low-level demonic beasts, when enraged, even ordinary strong men would find it difficult to resist them.

Some Lin Family servants or collateral disciples, dressed in coarse short tunics and stained with dirt, were shouting and driving the Crimson Flame Pigs, or laboriously cleaning the filthy pigpens. Every person's face showed numbness and exhaustion.

Lin Chen's arrival did not attract much attention. Or rather, even if someone noticed, they would only cast a glance, their eyes either indifferent or carrying a hint of imperceptible disdain – a good-for-nothing about to be expelled from the family, coming to a place like this, probably assigned to do hard labor, right?

Lin Chen paid no mind to these gazes. He walked directly towards a relatively cleaner small hut in the corner of the pig farm, which was where the pig farm manager lived and handled affairs.

Just as he reached the doorway, a hoarse voice, filled with obvious impatience, came from inside: "Who is it? Can't you see I'm busy? Get lost!"

Lin Chen's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He stopped and said loudly, "Lin Chen, ordered to come to the pig farm for work."

The door creaked open with a sudden push, and a short, stout middle-aged man with a fleshy face appeared in the doorway. He wore a greasy silk tunic, unbuttoned to reveal dark chest hair, and a belt inlaid with inferior jade stones around his waist. His small eyes glinted with shrewdness and ferocity.

This man was named Lin Zhong, the manager of the Crimson Flame Pig farm, and a distant nephew of the Great Elder, Lin Zhenhong. Relying on this connection and his position as manager, he acted arrogantly and bossily within the pig farm.

Lin Zhong narrowed his small eyes and looked Lin Chen up and down. Upon seeing that it was the "famous" good-for-nothing Lin Chen, a look of undisguised contempt and disgust flashed in his eyes. He curled his lips and spat on the ground.

"Oh? So it's you, you good-for-nothing?" Lin Zhong said sarcastically. "What? Finished showing off your might in the assembly hall, and now you know your place and come to this godforsaken place to find work? Let me tell you, I don't keep idlers here, and I certainly don't keep waste!"

His words were extremely harsh. A few servants who happened to pass by couldn't help but chuckle secretly, their gazes towards Lin Chen becoming even more disdainful.

Lin Chen's expression was calm, as if he hadn't heard Lin Zhong's insult. He simply said lightly, "It was arranged by the family."

"Arranged by the family?" Lin Zhong scoffed, picking his ear with his finger. "Fine! Since it's arranged by the family, I, Lin Zhong, can't refuse. However..."

He deliberately drew out his tone and scanned Lin Chen's slightly thin physique again with a scrutinizing gaze, a malicious glint flashing in his eyes. "Looking at your delicate skin, I'm afraid you can't even carry a pig, can you? How about this, don't say I, Lin Zhong, am bullying you. See over there?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the most remote and intensely smelly corner of the pig farm. There lay the corpses of dead Crimson Flame Pigs, along with large piles of cleaned filth. Flies buzzed around, creating a nauseating scene.

"That's where we handle sick and dead pigs. The work is a bit dirty and smelly, but it's quiet, and no one bothers you there." Lin Zhong wore a look of schadenfreude. "You'll be responsible for dragging those dead pigs to the designated deep pit in the back mountains and burying them, and also cleaning up all the manure and filth over there. If you do it well, you'll get two black steamed buns a day to fill your stomach! If you don't do it well... Hmph, then you'll starve!"

This was clearly deliberate obstruction!

Handling dead pigs and cleaning manure pits were the dirtiest, most tiring, and least desirable jobs in the entire pig farm! Moreover, the dead pigs there were often diseased, and ordinary people would avoid them, let alone drag and bury them. Lin Zhong assigning this task to Lin Chen was clearly intended to humiliate him, torment him, and make him retreat, or even work himself to death or die of illness here!

The servants around looked at Lin Chen with sympathy, but more with schadenfreude – offending someone from the Great Elder's faction, he deserved it!

Lin Chen sneered inwardly, but his expression remained calm and undisturbed, not even a flicker of his brow.

"Good," he said, just one word, then turned and walked towards the corner Lin Zhong had pointed to.

This reaction, however, caused Lin Zhong, who had been expecting Lin Chen to become angry, argue, or even cry, to pause. This kid... why no reaction at all? Was he really beaten silly? Or had he completely resigned himself?

"Hmph! A good-for-nothing is a good-for-nothing!" Lin Zhong spat at Lin Chen's retreating back, his face filled with contempt. "Let's see how many days you can last!"

He didn't know that at this moment, Lin Chen's heart was not filled with any humiliation or anger, but rather an irrepressible excitement and anticipation!

Handling dead pigs? Cleaning filth?

What others saw as a chore to be avoided at all costs, Lin Chen saw as... resources! Vast amounts of Vitality Essence that could be refined by the Myriad Dao Furnace!

This was exactly what he wanted!

The more remote and undisturbed, the more convenient it would be for him to act in secret!

Lin Chen suppressed his excitement and walked steadily towards the foul-smelling corner.

As soon as he approached, an almost suffocating stench of raw meat and decay hit him, nearly making him vomit on the spot. Several stiff, even beginning to rot, Crimson Flame Pig corpses were piled on the ground, and next to them were heaps of foul-smelling filth, with swarms of flies circling like dark clouds.

The environment here was a hundred times worse than he had imagined!

Even with Lin Chen's firm will, he couldn't help but frown at this moment.

He didn't start immediately. Instead, he carefully observed his surroundings first. This corner was indeed remote, quite a distance from the main pigpens and areas of human activity. There were only dense weeds and a few crooked trees around. If he was careful, it would indeed be difficult for people to discover him.

"Very good," Lin Chen nodded.

He endured the stench, found tools, and began to clean the mountains of filth. This task was indeed dirty and tiring, but he performed it meticulously, even more diligently than the servants specifically responsible for cleaning.

This was not because he was willing to endure hardship, but because he was preparing for his next action. Only by tidying up the surrounding environment a bit could he more conveniently handle the pig corpses and more easily find a hidden place for refining.

Sweat quickly soaked his thin clothes, and he was covered in mud and stench. But he didn't care, silently and focusedly doing the work at hand, like a truly numb laborer.

When Lin Zhong or other servants occasionally saw him like this, it only elicited a burst of laughter and even more disdainful glances.

"Look at that good-for-nothing, actually doing the work!" "Heh, probably afraid of starving to death!" "Putting on an act! I bet he can't last half a day!"

Lin Chen turned a deaf ear to these discussions.

It took him about an hour and a half, and he finally cleared more than half of the piled-up filth, and also became somewhat familiar with the surrounding environment. By now, the sun had gradually risen higher, and people in the pig farm had started to get busy. On the contrary, this remote corner became even more neglected.

The opportunity had arrived!

Lin Chen's eyes flickered, and he quickly scanned his surroundings, confirming no one was paying attention. He immediately walked to a Crimson Flame Pig corpse that looked relatively "fresher," not yet completely rotten.

This Crimson Flame Pig seemed to have died of illness. There were no obvious external injuries, but the life force within had completely ceased.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, held his breath, and attempted to place his palm on the cold, stiff skin of the Crimson Flame Pig.

Then, with a thought, he communicated with the Myriad Dao Furnace in his dantian!

"Melt!"

Buzz—!

A sensation entirely different from absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth or refining medicinal dregs washed over him!

The Myriad Dao Furnace seemed to instantly transform into an invisible, ravenous maw! A powerful, domineering suction force acted directly upon the carcass of the Crimson Flame Pig!

It was no longer drawing ethereal spiritual energy or medicinal potency, but directly extracting the essence from physical matter!

The surface of the Crimson Flame Pig's corpse rapidly became dry and lusterless, its fur losing its dark red hue. The flesh beneath the skin withered at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Strands of energy, carrying a dense scent of blood and the death aura of living beings, were forcibly pulled from the pig's corpse like viscous liquid. They flowed through Lin Chen's palm and surged into his meridians!

This energy was vastly different from spiritual energy and medicinal potency! It was filled with a wild, scorching aura, mixed with the unique ferocious energy of demonic beasts and the chilling cold of death!

For an ordinary martial artist, even one at the higher stages of the Body Tempering Realm, forcibly absorbing this energy would undoubtedly cause their meridians to rupture and lead to qi deviation!

But Lin Chen possessed the Myriad Dao Furnace!

As soon as this mixed and wild flesh and blood energy entered his body, before it could even inflict any harm, it was instantly pulled and drawn into the furnace within his dantian by an invisible force!

Boom!!!

Within the furnace, it was as if true divine fire was burning!

The viscous, wild, and impure flesh and blood energy, upon entering the furnace, was like scrap iron thrown into a steel refining furnace!

The ferocious energy, deathly chill, pathological toxins, and all sorts of useless blood and fat contained within were instantly incinerated, purified, and decomposed under the furnace's terrifying high temperature and mysterious power!

Hiss, hiss—!

Large amounts of black smoke and foul auras churned and annihilated within the furnace!

Finally, only streams of incredibly pure, pale red energy remained!

This energy was no longer as ethereal as spiritual energy, nor as gentle as medicinal potency. Instead, it was filled with explosive power and vigorous vitality fluctuations!

This was the purified—Vitality Essence—after being refined by the Myriad Dao Furnace!

The next moment, this pure and potent Vitality Essence, like a flood breaking through a dam, surged from the furnace and instantly rushed into Lin Chen's limbs and bones!

Rumble!!

Lin Chen felt as if his body had been thrown into a colossal furnace!

An indescribable heat and sense of power instantly spread throughout his entire body!

His blood felt like it was burning! His muscles were cheering! His bones were trembling!

The fatigue from a night of arduous cultivation and heavy labor was instantly swept away! In its place was an unprecedented sense of fullness, brimming with explosive power!

The strength of his physical body, under the scouring of this potent Vitality Essence, was rapidly increasing at an incredible rate!

The bottleneck of the Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Peak, which he was at, began to shake violently under the impact of this wild power! It felt as though just a little more effort would be enough to break through completely!

"It works! The effect is astonishing!" Lin Chen rejoiced inwardly!

Refining the Vitality Essence of demonic beast flesh and blood was far more effective in enhancing physical strength and vitality than refining medicinal dregs! This was practically a cultivation method tailor-made for the Body Tempering Realm!

He could feel every inch of his muscles, every bone, greedily absorbing this Vitality Essence, becoming tougher and stronger! Even his strength, speed, and resistance to damage were soaring in tandem!

"Continue!"

Lin Chen's eyes burned with fervor, and he unhesitatingly placed his palm on another Crimson Flame Pig carcass!

Refining! Absorbing! Purifying!

The cycle repeated!

In the corner of the small courtyard, one Crimson Flame Pig carcass after another withered at a visible rate, eventually turning into a pile of lifeless fur and bones. Meanwhile, Lin Chen's aura was climbing and strengthening at a terrifying pace!

The surface of his skin even emitted a faint red glow due to the excessive vitality, making him appear like a red-hot furnace radiating astonishing heat!

The bottleneck of the Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Peak, under his deliberate assault, was like a candle in the wind, teetering precariously!

Just as he was about to refine the third pig carcass, preparing to break through the bottleneck in one go—

"Hey! You useless trash! What are you doing? Slacking off, aren't you?!"

Lin Zhong's hoarse, angry voice rang out nearby like a thunderclap!

Lin Chen's heart leaped in shock. He abruptly withdrew his palm, forcibly interrupting the refinement! The Myriad Dao Furnace in his dantian instantly concealed its aura, and the red glow emanating from his body due to the surging vitality quickly receded.

He spun around sharply and saw Lin Zhong striding towards him with his hands on his hips, his small eyes filled with suspicion and displeasure.

"Damn it! I told you to deal with the dead pigs, what are you spacing out for?!" Lin Zhong reached them and saw the few noticeably shriveled pig carcasses on the ground, his brows furrowing even tighter. "What's going on with these pigs? Why do they look like they've shrunk?"

Although he sensed something was amiss, he couldn't quite figure out the reason, attributing it to the dead pigs dehydrating or being nibbled by some insects.

Lin Chen secretly felt fortunate. It was a good thing he stopped in time; otherwise, if Lin Zhong had witnessed the refinement process, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

He immediately lowered his head, adopting a look of utter exhaustion and subservience, and said in a hoarse voice, "R-return… return, Steward. I… I accidentally twisted my waist while moving the corpses just now, and I wanted to rest for a bit…"

As he spoke, he exaggeratedly grimaced and clutched his waist, as if he were genuinely injured.

Lin Zhong scrutinized Lin Chen with suspicion. Seeing his sweat-drenched forehead, his gasping breaths, the filth covering his body, and the cowardly expression befitting a "waste," most of his suspicion dissipated.

After all, in his eyes, Lin Chen was an utter failure, so how could he possibly cause any trouble in such a short amount of time?

"Hmph! A waste is a waste! Can't even do this little bit of work properly!" Lin Zhong cursed contemptuously and kicked a yet-to-be-processed pig carcass on the ground. "Stop playing dead with me! Hurry up and drag all this stuff to the back mountain to bury! If you don't finish before dark, you can forget about dinner!"

With that, he waved his hand in disgust, as if even looking at Lin Chen for another moment was bad luck. He turned and left, grumbling.

Watching Lin Zhong's retreating back, Lin Chen slowly straightened up, his eyes instantly regaining their previous coldness and sharpness.

That was a close call!

It seems even this secluded corner isn't absolutely safe. I need to be more careful!

But…

Lin Chen felt the surging power within him, on the verge of breaking through, and a cold smile curved his lips.

Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer… so close!

He no longer hesitated. He quickly found a dilapidated handcart and, enduring the stench, laboriously loaded the pig carcasses, their essence already drained, leaving only skin, fur, and bones, along with the remaining intact corpses, onto the cart.

After finishing this, he pulled the heavy cart towards the designated burial site deep in the back mountains.

This process would allow him to familiarize himself with his rapidly increased strength, while also keeping him out of sight of the pig farm and creating an opportunity for his final breakthrough!

The cart was heavy, especially on the rough, uneven mountain path, making it exceptionally difficult to navigate. But Lin Chen felt no strain at all!

Tempered by the Vitality Essence, his physical strength had become several times greater than before! Pulling this heavy cart felt like a leisurely stroll!

He even deliberately slowed his pace, carefully savoring the feeling of power coursing through his muscles, controlling the stride and force of each step, gradually integrating his surging strength into his body's instincts.

After about half an hour, he finally arrived at a more remote, desolate mountain hollow in the back mountains. A large, already dug pit lay there, emitting a foul odor, clearly a place the Lin Family used to dispose of waste.

Ensuring no one was around, Lin Chen pushed all the pig carcasses from the cart into the deep pit.

Having done this, he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he found a relatively clean large stone and sat down cross-legged once more.

He could feel the power within him, on the verge of breakthrough, had reached its peak! Like a volcano about to erupt!

Just one final push was needed!

"Now!"

Lin Chen's eyes sharpened, and his mind instantly sank into his dantian!

"Furnace! Open!"

This time, he didn't refine anything from the outside. Instead, he focused all his intent within his dantian's sea of qi, guiding the vast, boundless power accumulated from refining a large amount of Vitality Essence towards the tough, invisible barrier that hindered him from entering the Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer – launching the final assault!

Boom!!!

It was as if nine heavens' thunderclap exploded within him!

The power, accumulated to its limit, like a tiger released from its cage, with a destructive, unstoppable momentum, fiercely slammed into the barrier!

Crack!

A crisp sound, like shattering glass, echoed clearly in the depths of Lin Chen's soul!

That solid barrier, which had troubled him and kept him at the Body Tempering Realm Double Layer Peak, shattered under the impact of this violent power!

Rumble—!

Like a river bursting its banks!

Even more potent, more refined true qi instantly filled Lin Chen's dantian's sea of qi! The originally spinning vortex of qi suddenly expanded by more than double, the flow of true qi became faster, and the power became more pure and more robust!

A feeling of power far surpassing before spread through his limbs and bones!

Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer!

He did it!!!

With six days left before the Family Test, Lin Chen, relying on the Myriad Dao Furnace, his heaven-defying golden finger, and his own iron-like will, finally succeeded in breaking through and entering the Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer!

He had reached the minimum standard for the Family Test!

"Hoo…" Lin Chen exhaled a long breath of hot, turbid air and slowly opened his eyes.

Within his eyes, it was as if stars were flowing, flashing with confident and powerful light!

Feeling the vigorous, surging power within him, the sense of control brought by the further enhancement of his physical strength, Lin Chen slowly stood up and let out a silent roar towards the sky!

Three years of suppressed humiliation!

The crisis of being on the brink of desperation!

At this moment, it all seemed to be released with this breakthrough!

But this was merely the beginning!

The Body Tempering Realm Triple Layer was only the minimum standard set by Lin Xiaotian, merely allowing him to temporarily avoid the immediate crisis of expulsion!

To truly shock everyone at the Family Test in seven days! To make Lin Zhenhong, Wang Teng, and others pay the price! To completely control his own destiny!

This level of strength was still far from enough!

His gaze became firm and sharp once more.

"Myriad Dao Furnace, refining myriad daos…" Lin Chen whispered, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

Since it could refine medicinal dregs and the flesh and blood of demonic beasts, could it also refine higher-level things? Such as… cultivation techniques? Martial skills? Or even… the cultivation of enemies?!

A bolder, more insane thought quietly sprouted in his heart.

The furnace door was open!

The true path of myriad dao refinement had just begun to unfold before him!

In the next six days, he would make this Qingyang Town go mad in his name, Lin Chen!