Sedimentation

After returning from Fenlai City, the training rhythm for Linley and Lin Yun became more intense than ever before.

The test results had moved Hogg to tears—he touched the two reports over and over with trembling hands, muttering things like "the ancestors are watching over us" and "the Baruch Clan has hope." That night, he stayed in the Ancestral Hall for the entire night, speaking at length to the portraits of the past clan leaders.

Linley and Lin Yun did not slack off because of their test scores; instead, they worked even harder.

Every day before dawn, the brothers appeared punctually in the small woods behind the mountain. Delin hovered before them, guiding their magic training with a stern expression.

"Linley, your Earth Spike is being cast too slowly." Delin's voice carried not a hint of emotion. "In a real battle, the enemy won't give you time to slowly condense your magic. You must reach the point where the moment a thought arises, the magic is formed."

Linley gritted his teeth and practiced over and over. Sweat dripped down his cheeks onto the ground, but he didn't have time to wipe it away. Stone spikes as thick as an arm erupted from the ground again and again; their speed increased bit by bit, and their power grew slightly with each attempt.

"Not bad, there is progress. Again."

Linley took a deep breath and continued his practice.

On the other side of the woods, Lin Yun's training was a completely different scene.

He was not practicing magic—he had already mastered the few Earth Element spells Delin had taught him. At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on a bluestone, eyes closed, immersed in deep Meditation.

In the surrounding space, magic elements of seven colors poured into his body continuously, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea. Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Light, and Dark—every element was being refined by him, converted into pure magic power, and stored within his body.

Delin drifted over, watching Lin Yun's state, a flash of amazement in his eyes.

This refining speed... it simply didn't seem human.

The cultivation of a single-element mage was like drinking water through a straw; a dual-element mage needed two straws working simultaneously; but Lin Yun's seven-element cultivation was like seven straws sucking water at once. Logically, such a volume of refining would cause mental fragmentation or a cultivation deviation. But Lin Yun's soul was strong enough to support it all, and the refining of the seven elements within his body remained orderly, never interfering with one another.

"What a freak," Delin muttered to himself.

Days turned into weeks.

Linley's progress was visible to the naked eye. His Earth Element magic became increasingly proficient; the casting speed of his Earth Spike shortened from the initial three seconds to under one second, and the scale and power of the stone spikes improved steadily. His Spiritual Energy was also growing constantly, having firmly reached the level of a Level 1 Mage and moving toward Level 2.

But compared to Lin Yun, these improvements seemed somewhat insignificant.

Three months later, on a morning, Lin Yun was sitting cross-legged on the bluestone meditating as usual. Delin, who had been guiding Linley's magic practice, suddenly turned his gaze sharply toward Lin Yun.

A powerful magic fluctuation erupted from Lin Yun's body.

It was a fluctuation caused by the simultaneous vibration of seven elements—the heaviness of Earth, the violence of Fire, the agility of Wind, the gentleness of Water, the ferocity of Thunder, the warmth of Light, and the depth of Dark. Seven distinct auras intertwined to form a strange harmony.

Delin's eyes widened.

"A breakthrough... to Level 4?"

He sensed the changes in the magic power within Lin Yun's body, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face. All seven types of magic power had taken a qualitative leap at this moment, officially crossing from the peak of Level 3 into the Level 4 realm.

More importantly, Lin Yun's Spiritual Energy had risen with the tide of this breakthrough, directly approaching the threshold of a Level 5 Mage.

"Seven-element Level 4..." Delin murmured. "It hasn't even been a year since he started practicing magic."

Linley also felt the fluctuation and stopped his practice, looking toward Lin Yun with a complex look in his eyes. But soon, that complexity was replaced by pure joy.

"Lin Yun broke through!" he shouted excitedly, happier than if he had broken through himself.

Lin Yun slowly opened his eyes, a seven-colored light flashing through them before vanishing. He looked down at his hands, feeling the abundant magic power within his body, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Level 4.

By the standards of this world, a Level 4 Mage could already cast intermediate magic, with combat power far exceeding that of an ordinary person. And he was a seven-element Level 4—this meant that in battle, he could switch to the most suitable magic at any time based on the enemy's weaknesses.

Using Water Element magic against Fire Element magical beasts, using Earth Element to restrict Wind Element enemies, using Light Element to purify Dark Element creatures... the advantages of cultivating all seven elements were manifesting step by step.

"What does Grandpa Delin say?" Lin Yun looked at Linley.

Linley listened for a moment, then relayed, "Grandpa Delin says your magic power has firmly reached Level 4, and your Spiritual Energy is close to Level 5. He has never seen such a speed of progress."

Lin Yun nodded, his expression unchanged.

He knew where his advantages lay—the powerful Spiritual Energy brought by the accumulation of three lifetimes of souls, combined with the Small Cauldron's ability to stack the cultivation results of two worlds, allowed his magic power to accumulate much faster than others. Level 4 was just a beginning; the road ahead was still long.

"However," Delin's voice became serious, "Lin Yun, you must remember that magic power is only the foundation. True magical combat relies on the comprehension of magic. These things cannot be obtained just by refining magic power; you need more actual combat and more reflection."

Linley relayed these words to Lin Yun.

Lin Yun nodded earnestly. He knew Delin was right—magic power was the ammunition, while the understanding of magic was the marksmanship. No matter how much ammunition one had, it was useless if the marksmanship was poor.

Besides magic, Lin Yun had not abandoned his warrior training.

Every afternoon, he would join Linley to continue practicing the Qi Cultivation Style and basic combat techniques with Hillman. Although Delin said that with his magical talent, specializing in magic was enough, Lin Yun had his own considerations.

First, in the Swallowed Star World, he needed a strong physical constitution to support the use of his Spiritual Force. The warrior cultivation of the Coiling Dragon World happened to nourish that body.

Second, he did not want to put all his eggs in one basket. While magic was powerful, a warrior's abilities were the final safeguard when encountering magic-nullifying fields or enemies with high magic resistance.

"Lin Yun, your Qi Cultivation Style is getting better and better." Hillman walked over, watching him complete a set of movements, his eyes full of approval.

Lin Yun's breathing rhythm was precise and steady, and the coordination of his muscles was just right. Every breath carried a strange sense of rhythm. After more than two years of training, his physical fitness had undergone a qualitative leap—his strength, speed, and reaction time far exceeded those of his peers.

"Try this." Hillman handed over a Wooden Blade. "The Twelve Basic Blade Techniques. I will demonstrate them once, and you follow along."

Hillman held the Wooden Blade, his stance steady, demonstrating the basic blade techniques one move at a time. Chop, stab, upward slash, sweep, point, lift, collapse, intercept, slash, frame, parry, block—each of the twelve basic blade techniques was clean and crisp, without a hint of hesitation.

Lin Yun watched intently, his brain running at high speed. Although he had never practiced the blade in his past life, his understanding of mechanics far exceeded that of ordinary people. The way force was generated in each move, the shift of the center of gravity, and the angle of attack all became quantifiable data in his eyes.

"Did you see clearly?" Hillman asked as he sheathed his blade.

"I saw it clearly."

Lin Yun took the wooden blade, closed his eyes, and ran through the twelve forms of blade technique in his mind. Then, he opened his eyes and began to practice.

The first form, Chop—the blade slashed diagonally from the upper right to the lower left with precise angles and steady force.

The second form, Thrust—the tip of the blade pointed straight ahead, with his arm, wrist, and blade forming a single straight line without the slightest deviation.

The third form, Upward Slash—the blade swept upward from below with a graceful arc and perfect speed.

The twelfth form, Block—the wooden blade held horizontally in front of him, steadily parrying an imaginary attack.

The twelve basic blade techniques were performed in one breath, smooth and fluid like flowing water.

Hillman's mouth hung open, unable to speak for a long time.

He had taught basic blade techniques for so many years, and even the most gifted students he had seen would have at least one or two forms go astray during their first attempt. Yet, every move and every stance of Lin Yun was as precise as a veteran who had practiced them thousands of times.

"Have you... practiced this before?" Hillman asked with difficulty.

"No." Lin Yun shook his head. "I just saw it clearly."

Hillman fell silent.

Seeing it clearly was enough to perform it so standardly? What kind of monster was this?

He had no idea that although Lin Yun had never practiced blade techniques in the Swallowed Star World, he had been using his Spiritual Force to manipulate objects every day, giving him a precision in force control that far exceeded ordinary people. Coupled with his understanding of physics and mechanics from his past life, replicating a move after seeing it once was not a difficult task.

"Keep practicing." Hillman suppressed the shock in his heart. "Practice every move until it reaches the level of muscle memory. There are no shortcuts for basic blade techniques; it relies entirely on repeated practice."

"Yes."

In the days that followed, Lin Yun spent an hour every afternoon practicing basic blade techniques. His rate of progress was astonishing—in just one month, he had mastered the twelve basic forms to perfection; after two months, he was already able to combine these basic moves into coherent offensive and defensive sequences; after three months, Hillman began teaching him more advanced combat techniques.

"Your talent... is truly terrifying. In just three months, your blade technique is as seasoned as a veteran with ten years of military service," Hillman couldn't help but exclaim after a sparring session.

Lin Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled. "Uncle Hillman is too kind."

Linley's warrior cultivation was also progressing rapidly.

Although not as exaggerated as Lin Yun's, his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline was awakening bit by bit under the stimulation of the Qi Cultivation Style. His physical fitness was far superior to his peers, with his strength being particularly prominent—at eight years old, he could already easily lift objects weighing over a hundred pounds.

When the sun of the Coiling Dragon World set behind the mountains, the moon of the Swallowed Star World was slowly rising.

The night in Yangzhou City remained quiet and oppressive, but Lin Yun's heart felt more fulfilled than ever before.

Half a year had passed, and his strength in the Swallowed Star World was also steadily improving.

The meditation method of the Coiling Dragon World had become his non-negotiable daily routine. Every night, he would spend at least an hour entering deep meditation to temper his Spiritual Energy. The precise control over elements he developed while refining magic power in the Coiling Dragon World transferred perfectly to the application of his Spiritual Force.

Now, his Spiritual Force coverage had expanded to a radius of two hundred meters. Within this range, no subtle movement could escape his perception—the sound of his grandfather turning over in the next room, the footsteps of a stray cat in the alley outside the window, the whispers of soldiers changing shifts on the distant city wall... everything was under his control.

He could manipulate more than twenty objects simultaneously, with the trajectory of each object precise to the millimeter level.

According to the standards of the Swallowed Star World, he roughly estimated that his Spiritual Force had reached the level of a Junior War General.

As for his status as a Warrior, his physical fitness had also reached the level of an Intermediate Warrior under the feedback of his warrior cultivation in the Coiling Dragon World. His strength, speed, and reflexes far exceeded those of his peers. During physical education classes at school, he had to deliberately suppress his strength to avoid being too conspicuous.

At school, he maintained a low profile. His grades were above average, his performance in physical education was "not bad," and he had friendly but not deep relationships with his classmates. No one knew that this quiet boy already possessed the strength to rival a War General rank warrior.

Only Luo Feng could sense his changes when the two of them were training.

But Luo Feng would not speak of it. They were brothers, the kind who could entrust their backs to each other.

Over the past six months, Lin Yun had also discovered an important phenomenon—the cultivation results of the two worlds were producing a kind of "resonance."

When he broke through to a Level 4 Mage in the Coiling Dragon World, his Spiritual Force in the Swallowed Star World surged significantly. Conversely, when he performed high-intensity training with his Spiritual Force in the Swallowed Star World, his Spiritual Energy in the Coiling Dragon World would also become more condensed.

This resonance was not simple addition, but a wonderful multiplicative effect.

It was as if his soul were a container, and the cultivation results of the two worlds were two kinds of liquid poured into it. Not only did the two liquids not repel each other, but they fused into a more powerful substance.

"Is this the power of the Small Cauldron?" Lin Yun muttered to himself.

He became increasingly convinced that this Small Cauldron was not just a teleportation tool, but a bridge connecting the cultivation systems of the two worlds. It allowed the laws of both worlds to resonate in a strange way within him, making his cultivation efficiency far exceed that of ordinary people.

But he also knew that this resonance did not come without a price.

Cultivation in both worlds required a massive investment of time and energy. Without proper planning, it was easy to neglect one for the other. Moreover, as his strength increased, the difficulty of cultivation in both worlds would grow, requiring even more investment.

He needed to find a balance point.

However, that was a matter for the future. For now, he just needed to keep moving forward.

Another morning arrived. On the hill behind Baruch Manor, Lin Yun slowly opened his eyes from meditation. A seven-colored light flashed through his eyes and vanished, and his overall temperament was even more composed than it had been half a year ago.

"Lin Yun, your Spiritual Energy is infinitely close to Level 5." Delin's voice drifted from the ring, carrying a hint of complex emotion. "You are only one opportunity away from officially stepping into the ranks of a Level 5 Mage."

Linley relayed these words to Lin Yun.

Lin Yun nodded without much expression. He knew that the opportunity could appear at any time—perhaps a battle, perhaps a sudden epiphany, or perhaps just a routine meditation.

It couldn't be rushed.

"Linley, your progress is also great." Delin turned to Linley. "You have already reached the peak of Level 1 and are about to break through to Level 2. At this rate, in another month, you should be able to steadily reach the level of a Level 2 Mage."

A smile appeared on Linley's face; this achievement was already considered top-tier among his peers.

"We leave tomorrow." Linley looked at Lin Yun, his eyes full of anticipation. "Ernst Institute... I heard it is the best magic academy in the Yulan Continent."

"Mm." Lin Yun nodded.

Tomorrow, Hillman would take them to the Ernst Institute, heading toward that legendary academy of magic.

Bebe seemed to sense Linley's emotions, chirping on his shoulder while its little claws excitedly tugged at his hair.

"Stop it, Bebe." Linley laughed, taking it down from his head and placing it in his palm.

That evening, Hogg called the two brothers into his study.

The study was not large, but it was kept very tidy. Several rows of yellowed books sat on the shelves, mostly family histories and handwritten manuscripts on warrior cultivation. An oil lamp was lit on the desk, its orange glow casting a warm and soft light throughout the room.

Hogg sat behind the desk, looking at his two sons before him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Tomorrow, you are leaving." His voice was somewhat hoarse. "Going to the Ernst Institute, to learn magic."

"Father..." Linley opened his mouth.

Hogg waved his hand, signaling him not to speak. "I know, the Baruch Clan has fallen, and I cannot give you much. But you must remember—no matter where you go, you are children of the Baruch Clan. Your ancestors were once the most powerful warriors on the Yulan Continent."

He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and took down a dust-covered wooden box from the top shelf. The box was not large, but it looked very ancient, its surface lacquer peeling and mottled.

"Both of you take this back and study it well; memorize every bit of it." Hogg placed the wooden box on the desk and gently opened it.

Inside was a book. There were no characters on its cover, but upon flipping it open, the first page displayed four large characters—Dragonblood Secret Manual.

Linley carefully took the wooden box as if he were holding a rare treasure. He knew this was the secret manual passed down through generations of the Baruch Clan, recording the core cultivation methods of the Dragonblood Warrior and the deeds of the family's ancestors.

"Father..." Linley's voice choked with emotion.

"Go." Hogg waved his hand and turned away, not letting them see his expression. "Study magic well, and wait until you return."

"Yes." The brothers replied in unison.

The night grew deep.

In the Swallowed Star World, his other body was sleeping in a low-rent housing unit in Yangzhou City. Tomorrow, he in the Coiling Dragon World would embark on the road to the Ernst Institute; meanwhile, he in the Swallowed Star World would continue to quietly accumulate strength at school, waiting for the day he could join the Limit Dojo.

Nine years old, two worlds running in parallel, the path to the magic academy begins.

Ernst, here I come.