Breakthrough, Heavenly Origin Stage!

After killing the Black Iron Demonic Leopard, the Lin Family quietly began mining the vein. Every worker involved in the mining had been carefully selected.

For those chosen, the Lin Family offered generous compensation and even allowed them to bring their families to live in Ironwood Manor. This way, they were rewarded while also preventing leaks.

Lin Changqiang clearly couldn't help much with this kind of thing, but he didn't head back to Qingyang Town either. Instead, he stayed behind, claiming he was on the verge of breaking through to the Heavenly Origin Stage and wanted to cultivate in a place rich in Yang Gang Qi.

Over the past two months, Lin Changqiang either sparred with Lin Dong or fought demonic beasts to hone his combat skills. When he got tired, he'd head to the Yang Yuan Stone Mine Vein and ask for a few Yang Yuan Stones to absorb.

So now, two months later, he had finally broken through to the Heavenly Origin Stage and obtained the "warmth" he'd dreamed of!

"Dong, congratulations to the host for breaking through to the Heavenly Origin Stage. Reward: Lottery Draw Opportunity ×3, Reward: Fashion—Daytime Prince (Wearing it makes you handsome, increases all experience gained by ten percent; continuously condenses Ninth-grade Yang Gang Qi)."

"This system really goes out of its way to make me condense the highest quality Yuan Dan." Lin Changqiang clicked his tongue, almost moved. "Check personal info."

"Host: Lin Changqiang

Gender: Male

Cultivation Level: Heavenly Origin Stage Initial (One Percent)

Martial Arts: Pure Yuan Finger (Fourth-grade), Mysterious Gate Seal (Fifth-grade), Fire Dance Whirlwind (Sixth-grade)...

Cultivation Art: Azure Yuan Art

Spiritual Power Level: None

Secret Technique: None

Spiritual Power Art: None

Treasures: Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear (High-grade Spirit Treasure), Ghost Captain (Fashion)...

Lottery Draw Count: 11"

"Eleven times? Use them all!"

Finally, Lin Changqiang had waited for this day.

"Dong, eleven Lottery Draw Opportunities used successfully. Congratulations, host has obtained:

Double Experience Card ×3, Double Gold Coin Card ×2, Intimacy Rose ×3, Panda Rongrong's Mask (When worn, can freely change appearance, but only to someone the host has seen before, and only three times per day)

Rename Card (Abandon the past, change your face, start anew. After use, all people's favorability toward the host becomes fifty, and they lose any memories related to the host)

Mid-Autumn Mooncake (After use, all people with blood ties to the host gain five favorability points)."

"Aside from the basic Experience Cards, Gold Coin Cards, and Intimacy Roses, among the other three items, only Panda Rongrong's Mask seems useful?"

Lin Changqiang frowned, a bit frustrated. The Rename Card seemed overpowered, but he'd never have a use for it. The Mid-Autumn Mooncake could be used, but what was five favorability points good for?

Fortunately, just as Lin Changqiang was feeling down, the system timely gave him a boost.

"Dong, congratulations to the host for reaching the Heavenly Origin Stage. The third equipment slot has been unlocked. Equipment worth nine hundred gold coins or less has been unlocked."

"As usual, first slot for Scholarship Gem, second slot for Boots of Swiftness, third slot for..."

Just as Lin Changqiang was about to pick one of the most expensive items like the Snow Mountain Round Shield, an equipment worth just over seven hundred gold coins made his eyes go wide.

"Evolution Crystal, Wear Stats: Current maximum Yuan Power and maximum Spiritual Power increased by ten percent.

Unique Passive—Valiant Reward: Every time the host breaks through a minor realm, instantly recover all Yuan Power, Spiritual Power, and injuries; every time the host breaks through a major realm, permanently increase the corresponding maximum Yuan Power or maximum Spiritual Power by ten percent."

"That's way too broken!"

Lin Changqiang's breathing grew rapid.

The first effect of Valiant Reward was decent, but for someone with Holy Light Protection like him, it was just icing on the cake.

But the second effect was something else. A ten percent boost might not seem huge, but the number of times it could trigger added up. Accumulated over time, it was terrifying!

If he and Lin Dong both had their maximum Yuan Power at the start of the Heavenly Origin Stage counted as one, and it doubled with each major realm breakthrough, Then through the Yuan Dan Stage, Three Realms of Creation, Nirvana Stage, Life Profound Stage, Death Profound Stage, Samsara Stage, and Ancestor Realm, Lin Dong's final Yuan Power would be 1024, but his would be 2656!

"Looks like what suits me best is indeed the artillery mage build, huh?" Lin Changqiang, while daydreaming about unleashing Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger like he was casting Fireball Technique, equipped the Evolution Crystal in the third slot.

"Changqiang? Changqiang?" Lin Changqiang opened his eyes with a goofy grin, only to find Lin Dong staring at him with a puzzled look. "What are you grinning about?"

"Uh, I remembered something happy." Lin Changqiang felt a bit awkward too, since he'd just looked pretty dumb. He decided to strike first. "Never mind that. Why are you suddenly looking for me? Shouldn't you be fighting with little animals in the woods at this hour?"

"That's called fighting demonic beasts!" Lin Dong raised an eyebrow and shouted in annoyance, but then sighed as if resigned to fate.

"Grandpa plans to go to Flame City tomorrow to sell the Yang Yuan Stones we've mined recently and exchange them for Yang Yuan Pills to boost the Lin Family's strength. I remember you've been saying you wanted to go to Flame City for a while. How about it, want to come along?"

"Go? Of course I'm going! I've been waiting for this day."

Lin Changqiang narrowed his eyes. If he remembered correctly, on this trip to Flame City, Lin Dong would run into some guy trying to force a sale with his cultivation. If it weren't for the famous "no fighting allowed here" rule in the fantasy world stopping that guy, Lin Dong would've been lucky to escape with just a layer of skin peeled off.

"Alright, I'll head back then." Seeing Lin Changqiang's enthusiasm, Lin Dong smiled and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Just then, Lin Changqiang suddenly grabbed Lin Dong's arm and gave him a meaningful look. "Don't leave tonight. Let's sit together until dawn~"

"Sit here till dawn?" Lin Dong's face twisted with disbelief as he shot Lin Changqiang a wary look, unsure what the guy was up to.

"Hehehe, Lin Dong, let me show you my big treasure (ω)"

Lin Changqiang, with the speed of lightning and the clatter of a ringing bell, pulled out the Daytime Prince from his Four-Dimensional Shirt under Lin Dong's stunned gaze.

"Ta-da-da-da-da, da~da~da—the Yang Gang Treasure Robe!" The signature Doraemon BGM kicked in again.

"To be honest, I found this Yang Gang Treasure Robe in an abandoned house at Ironwood Manor. I discovered it can continuously condense Ninth-grade Yang Gang Qi to help with cultivation. I didn't tell you earlier since we'd just broken into the Earthly Yuan Stage."

Lin Changqiang wagged his head and spouted nonsense, completely at ease now that Lin Dong's favorability had crossed seventy.

"Now that I'm at the Heavenly Origin Stage and you're at the late Earthly Yuan Stage, I'll graciously allow you to train with me, seeing as you're my little bro~"

"..." Lin Dong flashed a dead-fish look, totally out of character for him. "Don't you think this situation feels a bit familiar?"

"Does it?" Lin Changqiang feigned confusion at first, but soon, under Lin Dong's disdainful gaze, he flew into a huff. "Damn it, just say whether you're in or not!"

Unexpectedly, Lin Dong didn't play hard to get like usual. Instead, he fell silent for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and fixed a sharp gaze on Lin Changqiang, as if making a major decision.

"Changqiang!"

"??? What?" Lin Changqiang was taken aback by Lin Dong's solemn tone.

"Let's become sworn brothers!"