Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Lin severed the last manifested line. His body shuddered violently, and a light, joyful sense of breaking free from a cage welled up within him. His entire state rose to another realm.
The heavens were vast, the earth boundless, his heart clear, and his thoughts far-reaching.
But he immediately realized that his shackles had not been completely removed. Like a kite, he could soar through the sky, yet an invisible line still bound him, ready to drag him back to the ground at any moment.
His expression darkened.
Just as he had suspected.
The manifested alter ego lines were not all of them. Others remained hidden.
He could not tell, however, whether they came from his flesh or his soul.
After being cleansed by the Shadow Scholar's tea, his body and soul had become increasingly integrated as one. He could no longer sense any divide between them.
And so.
Chen Lin calmed himself, drank a little under half a bottle of Beauty Finger Sap, and rapidly restored his body.
He had no choice.
The last line he had severed had been extremely thick. Even with the aid of the Straw Weaving Saber Technique, the backlash had been severe. Variegated crystal marrow could hardly restore him completely, so he could only use Beauty Finger Sap.
The next energy tide would arrive soon. He could not afford to remain weakened.
Time hurried on.
Another year passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Lin's body finally recovered, but he did not immediately use a Cloud-Dispelling Fruit to search for the hidden lines. Instead, he waited for the energy tide.
At the same time, he tried to trade with others for variegated crystal marrow.
"Your cultivation speed is astonishing, Fellow Daoist Chen, but