Azure Grade Talent - Heart Like Ice

In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed.

Before long, outside the private courtyard where Lin Yi lived at Dongshan Martial Academy.

First Master Wan of the Wan Family, Wan Hai, approached Lin Yi with a broad smile on his face. Beside him was Wan Yong, dragging his badly injured body as he obediently knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a single sound.

"You are?"

Seeing the bedraggled Wan Yong and the unfamiliar middle-aged man before him, Lin Yi frowned slightly and asked.

"Young Master Lin."

Wan Hai smiled and took the initiative to answer:

"My name is Wan Hai. I manage the main branch of the Wan Family in Prefecture City, and I am also the father of that little beast, Wan Yong."

"Oh, so you are First Master Wan."

Lin Yi nodded upon hearing this and said:

"I have long heard of First Master Wan's great reputation. Throughout Dongshan Prefecture, you can certainly be called famous far and wide."

"But I wonder what brings First Master Wan here today? Could it be that you have come to avenge your son?"

"How would I dare? Young Master Lin, you misunderstand."

At those words, Wan Hai repeatedly shook his head and explained with a smile:

"Young Master Lin possesses heaven-shaking talent. My Wan Family has barely enough time to seek your friendship—how could we dare offend you?"

"Besides, what happened between you and Wan Yong at the Martial Arts Arena today was this little beast's fault from the start. His skills were lacking, yet he provoked you for no reason, and that was why he ended up in such a state."

"So after he returned, I gave him a harsh scolding. And when I learned that he had lost Five Thousand Taels of Silver to you at the Martial Arts Arena, I did not dare delay. I immediately rushed over with the silver to deliver it to you."

"Furthermore, to express our apologies, the Wan Family has decided to give you an additional Fifteen Thousand Taels of Silver on top of the Five Thousand Taels, making a total of Twenty Thousand Taels of Silver. I only hope that Young Master Lin will not hold this matter against my Wan Family in the future."

As he spoke, Wan Hai directly pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his robes.

"Twenty Thousand Taels?"

Looking at the large-denomination banknotes in Wan Hai's hand, each worth a thousand taels, Lin Yi was stunned, his mind going blank.

Good lord! He had just been worrying about not being able to scrape together sixteen thousand taels of silver! Yet in the blink of an eye, Wan Hai had delivered a full twenty thousand taels to him.

Twenty thousand taels of silver—after evolving a talent, he would still have four thousand taels left over.

He could continue saving those four thousand taels, or directly "recharge" them into the Attribute Panel and wait to evolve his next talent.

In any case, these twenty thousand taels were absolutely timely help in a snowstorm!

At that thought, a smile appeared on Lin Yi's face.

"First Master Wan, you jest. What happened between Wan Yong and me was merely a trivial matter."

"I, Lin Yi, have never held grudges. Why would I take such a small matter to heart?"

"However, since First Master Wan is willing to offer twenty thousand taels to settle this matter, refusing it would instead make me, Lin Yi, seem unreasonable."

"Fine! I will accept these twenty thousand taels! As for the matter between Wan Yong and me, let it end here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yi reached out, took the banknotes worth twenty thousand taels of silver from Wan Hai, and tucked them into his robes.

Seeing this, Wan Hai also breathed a sigh of relief. He then smiled at Lin Yi and said:

"Seeing how magnanimous Young Master Lin is, I can finally rest easy. As for this little beast, how does Young Master Lin intend to punish him? Break one of his hands? Or one of his legs? Even if you kill him, I, Wan Hai, would not have the slightest objection!"

"What! Father, I—"

"Shut up!"

Seeing the fear on his son's face, a trace of heartache flashed through Wan Hai's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by reason and coldness.

It could not be helped! Lin Yi's talent was simply far too high. Even his own family had no way of dealing with him.

If they did not let him vent his anger completely this time, then if he recalled this matter after growing stronger in the future, the Wan Family would be finished!

Compared to the entire Wan Family, a mere son could be discarded if necessary.

"Forget it!"

Looking at the father and son staring tensely at him, Lin Yi shook his head slightly and smiled.

"Since I said I would not pursue this matter, then I will not."

"Have Wan Yong kneel here for the night! Send someone to pick him up tomorrow morning!"

"Yes! Young Master Lin is merciful!"

Hearing this, Wan Hai was instantly overjoyed.

"Yes! Many thanks, Young Master Lin!"

Wan Yong, still on the ground, immediately revealed a smile as well. He let out a fierce sigh of relief in his heart and even felt somewhat grateful toward Lin Yi.

"Mm."

Lin Yi nodded lightly, then turned and headed back into the courtyard.

To be honest, he was rather baffled as well. Although he possessed some talent, he had yet to truly grow. In the eyes of the Wan Family, which had several third-rank experts, he should not have amounted to much, right?

Did they really need to be so respectful to him, even willing to offer up Wan Yong to appease his anger? There was probably something going on behind this that he didn't know about!

Still, whatever it was, Lin Yi knew one thing—when your strength was inferior to another's, even if you seemingly held the advantage, it was best not to push them too hard if you could avoid it.

Otherwise, if they truly leaped over the wall in desperation and spared no cost to kill you, then you would really be finished for good.

"Go back and evolve a talent!"

With that thought, Lin Yi immediately swept all these trivial matters from his mind. Once he returned to his room and shut the door, he promptly said silently to the Attribute Panel in his mind:

"Attribute Panel, charge sixteen thousand taels of silver and help me evolve a talent!"

"Whoosh!"

Inside the martial arts training room, as Lin Yi's command fell, the sixteen thousand-tael silver notes in his arms instantly vanished into thin air.

Immediately afterward, the charging number on his Attribute Panel began to climb rapidly.

10%

20%

60%

80%

On the Attribute Panel, the number rose swiftly, shooting up to 100% in the blink of an eye.

Then...

"Rattle!"

The previously transparent Attribute Panel abruptly changed, transforming in an instant into a vast and boundless painting of the starry sky.

Within the starry-sky painting, the familiar six colors of stars—white, red, yellow, cyan, purple, and gold—still glittered.

But this time, White Stars were no longer the most numerous, occupying only around 30% of all the stars in the entire starry sky.

Meanwhile, Red Stars outnumbered White Stars instead, making up roughly 35%.

Yellow Stars had also increased considerably, accounting for about 25%.

Of course, the increase in Cyan Stars was even greater. They had shot up from less than 3% before to 9%, nearly 10%, more than tripling in number and tinting the entire starry sky faintly cyan!

"I never expected the Cyan Stars to increase so much this time. It looks like I really have a strong chance of drawing an Azure Grade talent!"

At this sight, Lin Yi's eyes lit up.

A 10% chance was neither particularly high nor particularly low.

If he got lucky this time, he really might hit the jackpot in one pull and obtain his first Azure Grade talent.

Lin Yi was filled with anticipation.

The next moment...

"Whoosh!"

Within the starry-sky painting, as the scroll fully unfurled, a star suddenly shot down from it, about to fly out of the painting.

The instant he saw the star's color, Lin Yi's eyes shone brilliantly, filled with boundless excitement.

"Azure! I actually drew it!"

An Azure Grade talent—this was an unparalleled talent that appeared only once in a billion people!

Even among First-Rank Martial Artists, only a small handful likely possessed such a talent. It was incomparably rare, incomparably terrifying!

Now that he had obtained such a talent, so long as it was not a physique-aptitude type, then no matter what type it was, he had struck it rich. How could he not be ecstatic?

As his thoughts turned, the Azure Star on the starry-sky painting flew out from the scroll and merged into Lin Yi's brow.

At once, he felt an incomparably wondrous sensation rise from his body and soul.

That feeling was so marvelous that even Lin Yi himself could not describe it.

But there was one thing Lin Yi could be certain of—his talent had grown stronger once again!

[Talent: Heart Like Ice]

[Grade: Azure Grade]

[Description: With a heart like ice, you remain unshaken even if the heavens collapse; amid ten thousand changes, you remain steadfast, your spirit serene and your aura clear.

You are born with an incomparably calm and powerful mind. When faced with hardship, desperate situations, or even life-and-death crises, not only will you not feel fear, but you will grow even calmer, thereby awakening the terrifying potential truly hidden within your body!]

"What?! The more danger I face, the calmer I become, awakening the terrifying potential truly hidden within my body? Isn't this the talent all the protagonists in web novels had in my previous life?"

When he read the Attribute Panel's description, Lin Yi froze for a moment before being overwhelmed by shock and wild delight once more!

A standard protagonist talent from web novels—did its strength even need explaining?

After all, it bore the heavy responsibility of letting the protagonist break through against the heavens in desperate straits, then slay powerful enemies.

If this talent could erupt in full, Lin Yi felt that during that brief period of eruption, the enhancement it gave him might be even more terrifying than some Mystic Purple Grade talents!

Before such terrifying power, even with the minor flaw that it could only erupt when he faced desperate danger, it was still among the very best of Azure Grade talents.

"I never imagined my luck would be this good this time."

At this thought, Lin Yi smiled.

"Not only did I draw my first Azure Grade talent on the very first try, but it's actually this exceptional."

"With this talent, once I achieve success in martial arts and return to Guangling Commandery in the future, even if I truly encounter some danger along the way, I'll not only have a strong chance of turning peril into safety, but may even break through in the midst of battle!"

"This ability to preserve my life is far stronger than that of martial artists at the same level."

"Mm, I'll wait for it to show its power at a critical moment someday."

Deeply satisfied, Lin Yi then began cultivating diligently once more.

And so, under Lin Yi's formidable talent, the vast number of notes at Dongshan Martial Academy, and Zhao Hai Hong's careful guidance, Lin Yi's strength and realm began rising at a breathtaking pace.

Just five days later, his Full Moon Star Saber, which had already reached (Great Accomplishment, 92%) progress, completely filled the remaining 8% gap and broke through from Great Accomplishment to the Perfection Realm.

Eighteen days later, his Martial Cultivation broke through once again, rising from the late Subordinate Sixth Rank to the peak of Subordinate Sixth Rank.

Twenty-eight days later, his Power Exertion Realm also broke through, advancing from Extreme Strength Minor Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment.

After that, Lin Yi and Zhao Hai Hong, grandfather and grandson, spent their first year after arriving in Dongshan Prefecture City at Dongshan Martial Academy.

At the same time, Lin Yi easily defeated Lin Tianqing in the Year-End Grand Competition, thoroughly becoming the number one person at Dongshan Martial Academy. This shook all of Dongshan Prefecture and earned him even more cultivation time in the Red Dragon Pool.

With the aid of that additional Red Dragon Pool cultivation time, Lin Yi's Martial Cultivation improved even faster, charging at top speed toward the Martial Arts Fifth Rank level.

Then, another month passed amid Lin Yi's frenzied advancement.

Dongshan Prefecture, Wangwu Mountain—the largest mountain range in all of Dongshan Prefecture.

It spanned several thousand li in every direction, its terrain complex and its dense forests rampant. It had always been a strategic stronghold, easy to defend and hard to attack.

As a result, it had long drawn countless bandits and mountain bandits of every size to nest within it, where they ran wild and caused trouble.

Qingfeng Stockade, located east of Wangwu Mountain, was one of the countless strongholds within the mountain, one that could be considered first-rate.

Its stockade chief was named Lu Chong. His cultivation had reached the peak of Third-Rank Martial Arts, and he excelled with a pair of Sun Moon Twin Blades.

Once battle began, his twin blades spun and shifted in turns, their speed incomparably fierce. Blade shadows blanketed the sky, as though three heads and six arms were striking at once, like Nezha from myth and legend. Thus, those of the Martial World gave him the nickname—Six-Armed Nezha!

At this moment, within Qingfeng Stockade's Assembly Hall, the tall, imposing, rough-featured stockade chief, Six-Armed Nezha Lu Chong, sat upright in the seat of honor.

To his left stood a refined scholar in his thirties, handsome and elegant, slowly fanning himself with a feather fan.

To his right was a young man with a face like polished jade, swordlike brows, and starry eyes. He was far more handsome than Lu Chong, though a closer look revealed that his brows and eyes bore some resemblance to Lu Chong's.

Below Lu Chong, the stockade's chieftains, each with a different appearance—some handsome, some fearsome, some bizarrely shaped—sat on either side, silently awaiting Lu Chong's orders.

"Gentlemen!"

Seeing that all the important figures of the stockade had arrived, Lu Chong slowly spoke from the seat of honor.

"A few days ago, I received word that, one month from now, an enormous auction will be held in Baichuan Prefecture City, near Dongshan Prefecture."

"This auction is anything but ordinary. Even in Baichuan Prefecture City, it is held only once every three years. And this time, I heard that an Enlightenment Pill will appear as the auction's grand finale treasure!"

At the words "Enlightenment Pill," Lu Chong's breathing abruptly quickened, and intense yearning flashed through his eyes.

"What? An Enlightenment Pill!"

"Great Chieftain, this is a heaven-sent opportunity for you! You must seize it!"

Everyone present cried out in excitement.

An Enlightenment Pill was a rare medicinal pill that only a First Rank alchemy grandmaster in the Nine Provinces could refine!

After consuming one, a person's comprehension could be greatly enhanced for a short period. Though it could not compare to the legendary state of sudden enlightenment, its effect was still extraordinary.

Lu Chong was already a peak Third-Rank Martial Arts expert, at the Perfection Realm of Limit Breaking First Layer. He only needed to comprehend Breaking Limits Second Layer to break through into Martial Arts Second Rank.

If he could obtain the Enlightenment Pill this time and break through into Martial Arts Second Rank, Qingfeng Stockade as a whole would become the foremost stockade in Wangwu Mountain. How greatly would people like them benefit then?

"Mm. I also know that the Enlightenment Pill is my opportunity to break through into Martial Arts Second Rank."

Lu Chong's eyes blazed with heat.

"It's simply too precious. Even ordinary First Rank pills fall far short of it."

"Five years ago, an Enlightenment Pill appeared in Dongyang Prefecture of Chuzhou, and it ultimately sold for the sky-high price of 3.82 million taels of silver. This time, it may cost even more."

"But even if I exhaust every effort, sell many treasures that are immensely important to me, and use some silver that will not affect the stockade's operations, I can at most barely raise two million taels. How am I supposed to compete for this Enlightenment Pill?"

"That is why I summoned you brothers here today—to see whether you can help me come up with an idea."

"This..."

As Lu Chong's words fell, the excitement on every chieftain's face immediately vanished, their eyes flickering.

Although each of them was a Fourth Grade Martial Dao or even Third-Rank Martial Arts expert, if they pooled their resources and gritted their teeth, they could scrape together the more than 1.8 million taels of silver.

But everyone had selfish motives. They were merely Lu Chong's sworn brothers, not his Dad. Why should they hand over their entire fortunes just to let him break through?

Besides, even if they did contribute and Lu Chong successfully bought the pill, he might not necessarily break through in the end. Wouldn't their money then be thrown into the water?

After all, they did not believe Lu Chong would repay them when the time came.

Thus, everyone fell silent. After a moment, the Elegant Scholar beside Lu Chong's eyes shifted as he suddenly thought of something. Smiling faintly, he spoke:

"Great Chieftain, I have a plan! Perhaps it can scrape together several hundred thousand taels of silver for you."

"Oh, several hundred thousand taels of silver?" Lu Chong's eyes lit up. "May I ask, sir, what exactly is this plan?"

Hearing this, the Elegant Scholar smiled slightly, then slowly uttered a name: "Dongshan Martial Academy—Lin Yi!"

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