Improved Treatment, End of Wall-Facing Reflection

After eating, he took another four Ginseng Qi Nourishing Pills.

As Lin Lin's cultivation deepened, ordinary daily meals alone could no longer meet the demands of his training. His need for medicines that replenished qi and blood was growing ever greater.

Feeling that his qi and blood had recovered considerably, Lin Lin sat upright on the stone bed, assuming the Five Hearts Facing Sky posture as he began cultivating his inner art.

After cultivating for some time, Lin Lin had already become extremely proficient in inner art cultivation. Before long, he entered meditation.

His mind focused within his body, guiding the inner breath in his Dantian Qi Sea through the Twelve Principal Meridians and toward the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Everywhere it passed felt warm and comfortable, and the fatigue accumulated from a day of cultivation was swiftly and effectively relieved.

His meridians were also nourished in the process, growing stronger and able to accommodate more violent inner breath rushing through them.

After completing one circulation, his inner breath returned to his dantian, having grown slightly stronger.

After calming his overheated qi and blood, Lin Lin immediately began a second round of cultivation.

He repeated this cycle until all four points of Meridian Durability had been exhausted, only then finally ending this session of inner art cultivation.

At that moment, Lin Lin felt as though his entire body had been hollowed out.

Not only was his body exhausted, but his mind had also become sluggish. His mental energy had been utterly depleted during the cultivation process, leaving him completely spent.

"Now that my meridians have been nourished to minor completion, they can accommodate inner breath circulating throughout my entire body. If I continue cultivating at this pace, I should reach major completion in another two or three months. Then I can begin nourishing and cultivating my acupoints. When that time comes, my combat strength will undergo a leap in growth."

After briefly sensing his own progress, Lin Lin summarized it in his heart.

After that, he had no spare thought for anything else. He simply wrapped himself in his blanket and fell deeply asleep.

"Little Lin, Little Lin, wake up."

A gentle call by his ear roused Lin Lin from sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his mother, Zhang Fei, softly calling to him. His father, Lin Yue, stood beside her with a faint smile on his face, looking at him gently.

Compared to the last time he had seen his father, when the man had worn an expression of disappointment at his failure to live up to expectations, and compared to his mother's usual fierce manner at home, their attitudes now were as different as heaven and earth.

It seemed that both his parents were in very good spirits.

Looking outside, the sky was already bright.

That sleep had been far too comfortable. It felt as though he had only just fallen asleep one moment, and in the next, time had skipped straight to morning.

"Mother, Father."

Lin Lin called to his parents, then decisively got up and dressed.

At that moment, Lin Yue smiled and said, "Come, the hot water is ready. Wash up—your mother has prepared your favorite Crab Roe Soup Dumplings."

As he spoke, he set a basin of hot water and a towel before Lin Lin.

Beside him, Zhang Fei had already placed the Meat Congee and Crab Roe Soup Dumplings on the stone table, calling Lin Lin over to eat.

Lin Lin looked at his parents with a little flattered surprise. In the past, he had been loathed by everyone at home; whichever parent or elder saw him would have to scold him a few times. When had he ever received such treatment?

But after giving it some thought, Lin Lin came to understand the change in his parents' attitude.

They had probably noticed the changes in him as well. After all, although a month of grueling cultivation had darkened and roughened his skin, it had also made his build much sturdier.

At a glance, this was clearly proof of great progress in martial arts.

His parents had scolded him and urged him to cultivate because they hoped that, in these chaotic times, he would possess the ability to survive independently.

This was one way elders showed their love for the younger generation.

And now that Lin Lin had become disciplined on his own, understood what was right, and was working toward it instead of remaining as lazy and scattered as before—

His parents naturally put away their harsh side and showed Lin Lin only their gentler side to encourage him. They no longer worried that excessive indulgence would turn him into a useless person.

Having understood this, Lin Lin accepted his parents' kindness with ease.

After washing up, he sat around the table with his parents and ate breakfast.

Though they were in the cold and gloomy Yin Wind Gorge, there was still a touch of the warmth and joy of a happy family.

"Father, Mother, I've cultivated diligently over the past month. I've already brought the sword art Hundred Flowers in Disarray to a level of miraculous mastery. My progress with Hundred Flowers True Qi is also quite good—I've reached the point of consummate skill, and my inner breath has attained the level of Meridian Unblocking. In a few more months, I should be able to achieve Acupoint Opening."

As he ate, Lin Lin reported his cultivation progress over the past month.

He did not make grand vows before his parents about how hard he would work in the future. His current cultivation progress alone was enough to demonstrate the change in his mindset.

Hearing this, Lin Yue and Zhang Fei exchanged a glance. Both saw expressions of mingled surprise and delight on the other's face.

They had already witnessed his swordsmanship through earlier observation. Now, Lin Yue reached out and checked Lin Lin's pulse, testing his inner breath, only to find that it had indeed begun to take shape.

They had thought that if their son could bring his swordsmanship to the level of minor accomplishment and condense inner breath during the past month, he would already have worked hard enough.

They had never expected that their child, once he became diligent, would bring them such an enormous surprise—one could even say it was somewhat shocking.

To cultivate inner art and swordsmanship to such a degree in one month required not only diligence, but also considerable talent and aptitude. Who would have thought that their child, who had once been lazy and playful, would spend a month facing the wall in reflection in Yin Wind Gorge and seem to have suddenly had his mind opened, becoming so outstanding?

Such talent was worthy of being called a martial arts prodigy.

"Good, good, good! Since Little Lin possesses such talent, I, as your father, must naturally support you with all my strength. Tomorrow, I'll go buy you Hundred Flowers Heart Clearing Pills!"

Lin Yue reached out and checked Lin Lin's pulse, discovering that his inner breath had indeed begun to take shape.

Lin Yue looked at Lin Lin with delight, praising him again and again.

The Hundred Flowers Heart Clearing Pill was a Cultivation Secret Medicine of Hundred Flowers Valley, refined from various precious medicinal herbs and flowers. Its effect in assisting cultivation was several levels stronger than that of the Ginseng Qi Nourishing Pill.

Naturally, matched to its effects was its exorbitant price.

Even with Lin Yue's current financial means, if he supplied Lin Lin with Hundred Flowers Heart Clearing Pills over the long term, it would prove the saying that a half-grown boy could eat his father into poverty.

Yet even knowing the consequences, he was willing to pay.

At worst, he would have to live a little more frugally for a while and make more contributions to the sect.

"You need to focus on cultivation, yet you still have to waste time on chores like washing clothes and cooking. Tomorrow, Mother will purchase a few maids and servants to handle those trivial matters for you, so you can concentrate on cultivation."

At the side, Zhang Fei spoke excitedly as well.

Every parent hoped their child would become a dragon. Since their child was striving so hard, they naturally had to support him with all their strength.

Seeing his excited parents, Lin Lin could not bear to reject their goodwill.

Besides, his daily cultivation truly did require such things now. Thus, he nodded and gladly accepted his parents' kindness.