The Yin Sha Scripture, a Two-Star High-Grade internal cultivation manual, had a total of eleven levels.
Lin Xiao was currently at the seventh level. Raising it to the eighth level required 16 Potential Points, and raising it to the ninth required 18. But raising it to the tenth required 21 Potential Points, while reaching the eleventh level—the level of complete mastery—required a full 27 Potential Points.
Because this was his first time advancing, Lin Xiao needed to rest for a day or two after each level before continuing, allowing his meridians and body to adapt to the sudden increase in internal power. The farther he progressed, the longer the adjustment period became.
After more than half a month, Lin Xiao sat cross-legged in the secret chamber where he cultivated in seclusion. Before him floated the attribute ability panel that only he could see. It displayed the tenth level of the Yang Sha Technique, with the green button showing that 27 Potential Points were needed to advance to the next level.
He took a deep breath and pressed it with his mind. All 27 Potential Points evaporated in an instant, transforming into an invisible, transparent force that poured into his body.
If he had been able to look inward at that moment, he would surely have discovered a layer of transparent flames suddenly burning within him. They flowed through his limbs and bones like water, converging toward his meridians. The streams gathered into rivulets, and the rivulets merged into thicker, more turbulent rivers, which finally poured into his Dantian, transforming into an incomparably vigorous Yang Sha internal power that merged with his existing strength.
But this was not the end. Although the Yang Sha Technique had reached its complete eleventh level, that was not the end because this cultivation method was no ordinary internal technique. It was a special one.
Lin Xiao opened the attribute panel again. Of the 136 Potential Points he had, 82 had been used to raise the Yang Sha Technique, leaving him with 54 Potential Points.
He then turned his gaze to the Yin Sha Scripture. This Two-Star Mid-Grade yin-type internal technique had only nine levels in total. He was currently at the seventh, but raising it to the eighth level required not 16 Potential Points, but 18—actually more than the Yang Sha Technique, despite both being at the same level.
The rules for assigning points did not mean that cultivation methods of the same grade consumed the same number of Potential Points at each level. The cost was related to the type of technique and its total number of levels.
Generally, internal techniques of the same grade consumed more than other martial arts. Even among Two-Star Mid-Grade internal techniques, some had ten levels while others had only eight. If their total consumption was the same, the cost assigned to each level would naturally differ.
Lin Xiao did not stop. He directly raised the Yin Sha Scripture to its ninth and fully mastered level in one go, consuming a total of 43 Potential Points and leaving him with 11.
A total of 125 Potential Points had transformed into cultivation power and merged into his body. Lin Xiao now possessed... a full 120 years of Yang Sha internal power and 100 years of Yin Sha internal power. Combined, that was 220 years of cultivation. Counting a sixty-year cycle as one major cycle, he possessed a truly formidable cultivation base of three and a half major cycles.
However, he still could not unleash more than two hundred years of internal power because the two forces belonged to completely opposite types. He still needed to merge them into one, using the secret method recorded in the Yang Sha Scripture to refine the power of the Yin Sha Scripture and fuse the two together.
In truth, the situation had been the same when Yang Sha had tried to draw out the power of the Yin Sha Maiden. At the same time, the Yang Sha Scripture and the Yin Sha Scripture could be cultivated together and directly fused.
It was simply that Yang Sha had not possessed the ability to cultivate the Yin Sha Scripture while practicing the Yang Sha Scripture. Ultimately, his aptitude had been insufficient. One only needed to look at how Yang Sha had been over seventy before cultivating the Yang Sha Scripture to mastery to understand that without this shortcut, he might never have been able to master both yin and yang in his entire life.
This cultivation method was a trap for anyone. But Lin Xiao was different—he could cheat his way forward. With the foundation he had established by absorbing the Yin Sha Maiden's cultivation under her guidance, along with half of Yang Sha's power, and with the support of ample Potential Points, he had gained this formidable cultivation in less than half a year. Now, only the final step remained: merging all this power.
This step could likewise be completed by cheating with Potential Points, but it required a full 50 Potential Points to achieve in one go. He had only 11 left, so he naturally could not continue cheating his way forward.
Even though he could not fuse the powers yet, possessing more than three major cycles of cultivation was already astonishing. Even if he could not unleash all of it—even if he could only use the 120 years of Yang Sha internal power from the mastered Yang Sha Scripture—it would still be enough to make him a first-rate martial artist in the jianghu.
By the time Lin Xiao officially emerged from seclusion, another month had passed. His injuries had also completely healed. Sitting in a grand armchair at the entrance of the main hall of Xiao Yun Courtyard, he rocked back and forth in the sunlight while pondering what to do next.
Over the course of that month, his injuries had healed, but the gang had also undergone enormous changes. First of all, he had once again become a commander without troops.
Most of his subordinates had died in that battle, while the rest had suffered severe injuries. Even those who survived were essentially crippled and could only withdraw gloomily to the second line. There was no way they could continue following him.
There was nothing he could do about it. He could only try his best to arrange decent jobs for them. As for those who had died, besides the compensation provided by the gang, he had also given their families a large sum of money to settle them.
After this matter, if Lin Xiao had been able to step forward, he could have attracted a large number of gang members to join him. After all, his solitary battle against three experts from the Iron Boat Gang had proven his strength. Unfortunately, he had gone to recover from his injuries. Then he had cheated his way to higher cultivation, spending a full month without showing his face. Once that excitement cooled, no one came. Thus, he was once again all alone.
Of course, he did not care. Subordinates were merely icing on the cake to the current him. As long as he had strength, that was enough.
His cultivation would not break through again anytime soon, so it was time to put revenge on the agenda. The Iron Boat Gang could wait, but he absolutely could not let Shi Zhongyu, who had plotted against him, off the hook.
However, he needed to think carefully about how to take revenge. Charging straight to his door and killing him was a good idea, but it was the final option. Before that, it would naturally be best to kill him through conventional means.
After rocking in the armchair for the entire morning, Lin Xiao changed his clothes and went out. He first visited Zhuang Jing, the hall master of Great River Hall. Lin Xiao had come from Great River Hall, so he was naturally close to this hall master. He needed to strengthen their relationship properly, while also taking the opportunity to ask about a few things.
Zhuang Jing was quite surprised by his visit. After the servant served tea, he waved the servant away. He lifted his cup and drained it like a cow drinking water. While chewing the tea leaves, he said:
"You brat definitely don't visit the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Speak. What brings you here? But if you're asking me to help you deal with Shi Zhongyu, forget it."
He chewed the tea leaves into pieces and swallowed them in a few mouthfuls. Then he drank another sip of water, tilted back his thick neck, rinsed his mouth, and swallowed before continuing:
"If you have definite evidence, I wouldn't let such a traitor off even without you asking. But you have no evidence. We can't do anything to him based solely on your word. You understand, right?"
Lin Xiao smiled and nodded.
"That's why I haven't mentioned this matter once during the past month. I came today simply to ask the hall master about a few things."
"Go ahead."
"I heard that the next gang leader will be chosen from among the gang's Three Outstanding Figures. What I want to ask is, what conditions must one meet to become this successor?"
Before you continue