Spiritual Power

After the convoy returned to Ironwood Manor, Lin Changqiang greeted Lin Dong and then went back to his own quarters.

A faint lamplight illuminated the slightly crude yet fairly tidy room. Lin Changqiang sat cross-legged on the bed and took a jade bottle from his bosom. Inside the bottle were five pale-red pills, precisely Yang Yuan Pills.

On this trip to Flame City, the Lin Family had obtained a total of thirty-two Yang Yuan Pills. Lin Zhentian took six, Lin Dong received four, while Lin Xiao, Lin Mang, Lin Ken, and Lin Changqiang each got five. The remaining two were given to Lin Xia and Lin Hong to help them break through to the Earthly Yuan Stage faster.

After using a Double Experience Card and tossing the Yang Yuan Pills to the system, Lin Changqiang put on the Daytime Prince outfit and lay down on the bed. If he hadn't asked the system and learned that Fashion items for the same body part couldn't take effect simultaneously, he would have wanted to put on the Ghost Captain too.

Lin Changqiang closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, waiting quietly. He knew that with Lin Dong's personality, he definitely wouldn't be able to hold out long before he started cultivating the Spiritual Power training method the old man had given him.

Sure enough, before long, Lin Changqiang felt his own Spiritual Power slowly begin to grow, seeping out from his mind and spreading outward. As the Spiritual Power extended, even though his eyes were tightly shut, he could clearly "see" the scene inside the room.

Lin Changqiang suppressed the urge to let his Spiritual Power spread further and instead withdrew it back into his mind. He had agreed with Lin Dong that today Lin Dong would take a look first, and tomorrow he would. If Lin Dong found out that he had cultivated Spiritual Power just like him without even looking at the method, it would be hard to explain.

Satisfied as he watched the steadily rising Spiritual Power experience, Lin Changqiang nodded, relaxed his body and mind, and drifted off to sleep.

This sale of Yang Yuan Stones had undoubtedly given the Lin Family a taste of profit. Thus, Lin Zhentian waved his hand and transferred nearly seventy percent of the Lin Family's manpower to Ironwood Manor. This posture clearly indicated they were preparing to "move their capital."

This move by the Lin Family naturally drew many puzzled glances. After so long, most people had long since learned about the tricks the Lei Family had pulled during the handover of Ironwood Manor.

Therefore, in the eyes of others, Ironwood Manor's value had long since declined. It was like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away. But now, the Lin Family was instead guarding it even more tightly.

As for the various rumors circulating outside, the Lin Family neither confirmed nor denied them, simply maintaining their silence. Because of this, although people were extremely curious, they had no clue.

Of course, there was one exception...

Qingyang Town, the Lei Family.

In a luxurious hall, over a dozen core members of the Lei Family were seated around a round table. At the head sat the Lei Family's patriarch, Lei Bao. But at this moment, his expression was terrifyingly gloomy, and the others held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

"Father, I sent people to investigate secretly afterward. That Hua An was indeed telling the truth. On this trip, the Lin Family appeared to be selling ironwood, but their real purpose was to sell Yang Yuan Stones!" Lei Pi stepped forward with a dark expression.

"Say what you want to say directly." Hearing this, Lei Bao's eyelids twitched slightly, and his face grew even uglier.

"In recent days, everyone must know about every move the Lin Family has made. We all know exactly how much ironwood is left in Ironwood Manor. If the Lin Family's actions were merely for the remaining ironwood, then Lin Zhentian must have been kicked in the head by a donkey."

Hearing Lei Pi's words, the others frowned slightly. The Lin Family had secured the fourth seat in Qingyang Town largely thanks to Lin Zhentian. Calling him an old fox would be more accurate; few would believe he had grown senile.

Since it wasn't for the ironwood, the Lin Family must have another purpose. Connecting this to the batch of Yang Yuan Stones they had sold, everyone's expressions turned grim.

"Therefore, if I'm not mistaken, the Lin Family has likely discovered a Yang Yuan Stone Mine Vein deep within Ironwood Manor!"

Lei Pi's words struck like a thunderclap, and the entire hall fell into dead silence. After a long moment, someone finally stood up in disbelief: "Nonsense! Our Lei Family operated there for years and never found any Yang Yuan Stone Mine Vein in Ironwood Manor!"

"But the problem is, we always focused only on the areas where ironwood grew. We never thoroughly explored the depths of the forest." Lei Pi also looked helpless. He took a deep breath and glanced nervously at Lei Bao. "Father, it seems we gave the Lin Family a very valuable estate."

"Bang."

Lei Bao's right hand clenched suddenly, and the teacup in his hand shattered with a crack, turning into a pile of powder. Tea splattered onto the ground with a "pat, pat" sound.

Yang Yuan Stone Mine Vein—just five words, yet they made Lei Bao's heart ache as if twisted by a knife. Looking at his twisted, ferocious face, everyone wisely kept silent, not daring to speak.

"Send out all of the Lei Family's eyes and ears. Keep a close watch on every move the Lin Family makes. If they set out for Flame City again, notify me immediately!" Lei Bao took a deep breath, slowly reining in his anger, but his voice was as cold as a rainy night's wind, sending chills down everyone's spines.

"Yes!"

Hearing this, Lei Pi and the others quickly responded respectfully. They exchanged glances and, without lingering, filed out of the hall.

As they left, the hall fell back into dead silence. Lei Bao sat on his chair with a cold expression, silent for a long time before he spoke again in a vicious tone: "Lin Zhentian, don't blame me for being ruthless."

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. During this time, Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong had returned to their old training routine from the Body Tempering Stage days at the Lin Family's back mountain.

During the day, the two sparred in Martial Arts. When they got tired from sparring, they would cultivate Yuan Power for a while. Lin Dong would also occasionally give pointers to the younger generation of the Lin Family, like Qing Tan. At night, they would sneak away from Lin Xiao and the others and gather in Lin Changqiang's room, sometimes cultivating Spiritual Power, sometimes absorbing the Yang Gang Qi emitted by the Daytime Prince outfit.

Under this calm training regimen, Lin Dong broke through to the early Heavenly Origin Stage faster than in the original story, while Lin Changqiang's cultivation also progressed naturally, reaching the Mid Heavenly Origin Stage.

"System, check personal information."

"Host: Lin Changqiang

Gender: Male

Cultivation Level: Mid Heavenly Origin Stage (37%)

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: Talisman Master Apprentice (21%)

Secret Techniques: None

Spiritual Power Art: Divine Movement Chapter (Beginner)

Items: Little Trumpet (2), Intimacy Rose (5), Double Experience Card (3), Double Gold Coin Card (4)...

Lottery Draw Count: 3."

Looking at his cultivation progress, Lin Changqiang let out a satisfied chuckle. During this period, in preparation for the impending attack from Black Dragon Stronghold, he had chosen not to cultivate both Spiritual Power and Yuan Power simultaneously. Instead, he had used all his daily auxiliary training sessions on Yuan Power, which could boost his combat strength more quickly.

"Bide your time long enough, and you'll achieve great feats!"