The Grand Mobilization

"How's the eldest's family doing lately?"

Inside the dim side room, Old Master Lin took a long drag from his pipe, his tone unhurried.

"Father..."

Lin De's face showed surprise.

"When the eldest was alive, you two were the closest. I figure no matter what I say, you wouldn't truly abandon them, mother and son."

Old Master Lin's voice carried a hint of melancholy and an indescribable complexity.

Regardless, Lin Yin was still his grandson, and Wang He was his eldest daughter-in-law. Even if things had soured badly over Lin Lin before, he hadn't hardened his heart enough to completely wash his hands of them. So he turned a blind eye to some of Third Son Lin De's actions.

"That boy Lin Yin works hard. I hear he recently got his stance skill down and entered Lingyun Martial Arts School."

As if grasping the old man's thoughts, Lin De breathed a sigh of relief. When it came to Lin Yin's achievements, he couldn't help but praise, his expression lightening.

"That kid's bone structure is no good, yet he actually managed to get in..."

Old Master Lin took another puff, his expression one of surprise.

"Good, good, good... that's fine too..."

A long sigh echoed through the room, and Old Master Lin began to close his eyes and rest again.

Seeing that the old man only praised but offered nothing more, a trace of helplessness crept onto Lin De's face.

He knew Lin Yin had done well, but it was clear the old man's focus was all on his youngest grandson, Lin Lin. His concern for Lin Yin felt more like a duty tied to blood.

Still, that made sense. Compared to Lin Yin's "hard-won" entry into the martial school, Lin Lin—who'd been praised for his exceptional bone structure from the start and picked by a master—was simply not in the same league.

"Sigh..."

With a soft sigh, Lin De silently walked out of the room.

The next day, Lingyun Martial Arts School.

As the hour of the Rabbit drew to a close, the vast training hall buzzed with noise—some practicing punches, others working on their stances.

Lin Yin, as always, found a small corner to himself and quietly practiced the Cloud Palm.

His palm technique was growing more refined by the day. Palm after palm, his body moved with the strikes, flowing without end. As he practiced, Lin Yin felt a gaze settle on him.

He withdrew his palms and steadied his breath. At that moment, the other person walked over.

"Junior Brother Lin, your palm transitions are getting smoother and smoother. You must be close to Minor Accomplishment by now."

Xu Chang's eyes gleamed with insight. Having mastered the Cloud Palm himself, he could see the nuances.

"Senior Brother, I'm still lacking some finesse."

Lin Yin's demeanor was calm.

In truth, beyond the Cloud Palm, his Qi and Blood Circulation and Breathing Rhythm were subtly aligning with the Cloud Stance—he was actually training both techniques at once! This unique method was his own creation.

"Good, good, good! As long as you know what you're doing."

Xu Chang lightly patted Lin Yin's shoulder, his voice full of emotion.

"Those fools who judge a man only by his bone structure are shortsighted. Junior Brother, it's only been a little over a month since you started, and you're already nearing Minor Accomplishment. Even among the direct disciples who entered the school, you'd be outstanding!"

"But let's be clear—while the Cloud Palm is exquisite, stance work is the foundation. Don't put the cart before the horse and neglect your stance training."

Xu Chang suddenly turned serious, offering a few words of caution. He worried Lin Yin might get too caught up in practicing the Cloud Palm and overlook the fundamentals of Qi and Blood Circulation.

"Only when your stance reaches Minor Accomplishment and you formally step into Ming Jin can you truly be called a martial artist!"

Looking at Xu Chang's earnest expression, Lin Yin didn't argue. Instead, he nodded seriously.

He naturally couldn't say that his Cloud Stance was also nearing Minor Accomplishment, with both stance and palm advancing side by side—that kind of claim would come off as a bit too "flashy."

"I'm glad you understand..."

Xu Chang nodded.

"Eat more meat these days. Breaking through to Minor Accomplishment in stance work is no small matter. The richer your Qi and Blood, the better your chances of breaking through. Even if you fail, with ample Qi and Blood to fall back on, you might still try again. Remember, stance work is the root."

Xu Chang stressed this repeatedly, then after a bit more small talk, hurried off.

Watching Xu Chang's quick retreating figure, Lin Yin's eyes held a contemplative look.

Though Xu Chang hadn't said anything outright, Lin Yin could clearly sense the urgency in his heart. This senior brother seemed to be placing some of his hopes on him.

Over these days at the martial school, Lin Yin had learned about many unspoken rules.

Just as Xu Chang had said—once one's stance reached Minor Accomplishment and they became a formal Ming Jin Martial Artist, their status and standing in the school would rise like a boat riding the tide.

Compared to the increasingly boisterous Second Senior Disciple Brother, the relatively low-key Senior Disciple Brother's side was sparse in numbers, and Xu Chang was getting desperate enough to grasp at straws.

Lin Yin's expression remained unchanged as he continued his training.

He had no intention of getting involved in the disputes between martial arts schools, but he was grateful for Xu Chang's care over the past days. His idea was not to be the one sticking his neck out, but he could offer some modest help.

"Break through as soon as possible in these coming days."

Previously, for the sake of "keeping a low profile," Lin Yin had diligently trained in the Golden Bell Shield and Vajra Stake Technique, slowing down his practice of the Cloud Stance and Cloud Palm.

After all, once the Cloud Stance stepped into Minor Accomplishment, no matter how he "performed" the palm technique, it wouldn't be too poor, making it easy for others to notice.

Gathering his mind slightly, Lin Yin continued practicing the stake technique.

Two days later, an unexpected piece of news caught Lin Yin's attention.

"Senior Brother Shi Yan failed his breakthrough!"

Xu Chang's voice was heavy, his face dark enough to drip water.

"Senior Brother Shi Yan?"

Lin Yin's expression shifted slightly. He had met this person a few times. When he first entered the martial arts school, Xu Chang had introduced him as a senior brother of their faction.

His Cloud Stance had long been nearing Great Accomplishment, and he had been grinding at the bottleneck of Minor Accomplishment for nearly a month. It was said he had been preparing the Great Medicine for the breakthrough.

Nearly two months had passed, so he must have gathered all the Great Medicine and such. Yet, unexpectedly, he had now failed the breakthrough.

Xu Chang's face was very grim, and Lin Yin could see the tension on his face.

Xu Chang's realm was at least as high as Shi Yan's, and his Cloud Palm had even reached Great Accomplishment before his stake technique.

Now, hearing that a martial artist of the same level, and his friend, had failed the breakthrough, he was naturally unsettled.

"After spending months accumulating Qi Blood with Great Medicine, all that effort wasted. Senior Brother Shi is in grave danger. If he can't calm the Qi Blood turbulence in the next few days, then..."

Xu Chang didn't finish the rest, his face pale with fear.

Aside from the entry threshold, every subsequent realm breakthrough carried great risk.

Shi Yan's situation clearly fell into the worse category. Failing the breakthrough had led to Qi Blood Backlash. Now, instead of increasing, his Qi Blood was collapsing, and his realm might even regress.

Xu Chang himself was nearing a breakthrough, and hearing such terrible news naturally made his hair stand on end.

"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer." Listening to Senior Brother Xu's faint murmurs, Lin Yin once again recognized the risks of breaking through.

This time, Xu Chang clearly had little mood to exchange pleasantries with Lin Yin. He simply delivered the news and left in a hurry.

Lin Yin's expression returned to calm. Just as he thought things would gradually settle down, the next situation once again reshaped his understanding.

The senior brothers who had been silent in the martial arts school for a long time all seemed to be making moves. Even Xu Chang was often nowhere to be seen, and the Qi Blood fluctuations around him were quite intense, as if faintly showing signs of a breakthrough.

Lin Yin vaguely sensed that the entire atmosphere of the martial arts school was becoming more and more wrong.

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