Two More Years

It was early morning when Lin Yun returned to the Ernst Institute.

He climbed over the wall behind the mountain and followed the familiar path, returning to his dormitory without making a sound. Morning mist permeated the campus, the white stone walls looming in and out of the fog, with the occasional chirping of birds echoing from afar. The institute was quiet, as most students were still fast asleep.

Pushing open the gate to Dormitory 1987, he found Linley standing in the courtyard practicing Earth Element magic. Seeing Lin Yun walk in, he froze for a moment before his eyes widened in shock.

"Lin Yun?!" Linley rushed over in two or three strides, looking him up and down. "You're finally back!"

"I didn't expect the inheritance to take so long," Lin Yun said with a smile.

Linley wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply patted his shoulder. "It's good that you're back."

Lin Yun glanced at the courtyard; the doors to the rooms of Reynolds and Yale were still shut, clearly indicating they were still asleep. He lowered his voice. "Has anything happened at the institute these past few months?"

"Nothing major." Linley also lowered his voice. "The instructors asked a few times why you weren't attending class, and I told them you were in seclusion in the back mountains researching magic. They didn't ask any further. After all, given your previous grades, they've been quite lenient with you."

Lin Yun nodded. He had already decided—he would not reveal his Seventh-Rank mage cultivation for the time being. While the Seventh Rank was the threshold of the strong, on the Yulan Continent, there were still the Eighth and Ninth Ranks, not to mention the Saint Realm. With his current strength, he was far from being able to roam the continent at will. Exposing too much would only invite unnecessary trouble.

"I haven't told anyone about your breakthrough," Linley added. "Grandpa Delin also said not to make it public for now."

"Good," Lin Yun said.

He decided to continue "lying low" at the institute. He would attend classes, cultivate, and practice stone carving as usual, pretending to be an ordinary Sixth-Rank mage. As for his Seventh-Rank cultivation and the inheritance of Necromancy, he would let them remain his trump card, to be revealed only when truly needed.

After returning to the institute, Lin Yun's life returned to its former rhythm.

During the day, he would occasionally attend a few practical combat classes to maintain a certain attendance rate so as not to arouse the instructors' suspicions. Most of the time, he spent his days in the small woods behind the mountain cultivating—practicing Seventh-Rank Light, Wind, and Thunder Element magic, studying advanced Dark Element incantations, and consolidating the foundations of his Necromancy.

He did not neglect his stone carving, either. Every evening, he would spend half an hour sitting in the courtyard, using his carving knife to chip away at the stone in his hands, bit by bit. He had practiced the Flat Blade Style to the point of perfection, and the works he produced were so lifelike that even Delin marveled at his progress.

"Your stone carving skills are almost catching up to the level I was at back in my day," Delin remarked with a sigh. "This shows that your mental energy has become extremely solidified. Keep at it; it will be of great help to your future magical cultivation."

Lin Yun nodded and continued his carving. He wasn't short on money now, so he naturally didn't need to sell his carvings; he simply treated it as a secret technique for cultivation!

At night, it was time for Necromancy. He would find a secluded corner, project his soul power into the stone tablet inside his Space Ring, and continue to comprehend the mysteries of the Law of Death. The core inheritance of the tablet had ended, but it still contained many fragments of the Law of Death, enough for him to study for a long time.

Soul Perception, Soul Soothing, Soul Barrier—he could already skillfully use these basic techniques. As for undead summoning, he would occasionally summon the Dark Blade into the world to let it adapt to the environment. The Dark Blade was powerful; as a peak Seventh-Rank undead knight, combined with its equally undead warhorse, its combat prowess was not to be underestimated.

However, he never used Necromancy in public. Every time he summoned the Dark Blade, he chose a sufficiently remote location and immediately used Light Element magic to purify the undead aura from his body afterward. Caution was the most important lesson he had learned in the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

Days passed by, peaceful and fulfilling.

Before he knew it, nearly two years had gone by.

Lin Yun was now fifteen.

During these two years, he did not deliberately pursue breakthroughs, but simply cultivated, comprehended, and accumulated day after day. The seven types of magical power circulated within his body like seven small streams of different colors, each flowing on its own yet echoing one another. He did not rush to learn new Seventh-Rank spells, but instead polished the magic he had already mastered until he could cast every spell instantly with just a thought.

The breakthrough came naturally.

It was an ordinary morning, and Lin Yun was meditating in the back mountains as usual. The seven types of magical power within him suddenly underwent a subtle change—they became more solidified and purer. While the quantity hadn't increased much, the quality had risen to a new level.

Eighth Rank.

He opened his eyes, a seven-colored light flashing through them before vanishing. There was no surprise, nor excitement, just a calm acceptance. The Eighth Rank was not the end, merely a step toward higher heights.

In terms of his path as a warrior, his progress was relatively much slower.

For two years, he had persisted in practicing the Qi Cultivation Style and basic blade techniques every day without interruption. However, the concentration of his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline was too low; he could not cultivate Battle Qi and could only rely on the Qi Cultivation Style to strengthen his body. Naturally, progress with this method could not be fast.

At fifteen, his strength as a warrior had reached the peak of the Fifth Rank. He was only a step away from the Sixth Rank, but he didn't know how long it would take to cross that threshold.

"Your physical fitness is already very strong," Delin said after an assessment. "A peak Fifth-Rank warrior could already serve as a squad leader in the army. But compared to your magical cultivation, it is indeed lacking. This is the limitation of your bloodline; it cannot be rushed."

Lin Yun nodded, not paying it much mind. Magic was his primary focus, and being a warrior was merely an auxiliary. Peak Fifth-Rank was enough.

Over these two years, Linley's progress had been equally astonishing.

He was even more diligent than Lin Yun—waking up before dawn every day to cultivate and training until late at night. His Earth and Wind Element magic improved daily through his repeated polishing, and his secondary study of Fire Element magic had not fallen behind either. Delin's evaluation of him grew higher and higher, saying he was "more outstanding than expected."

At fifteen, Linley broke through to become a Sixth-Rank mage.

This speed was more than a year ahead of the original timeline. Delin said this was largely due to the "stimulation" from Lin Yun—having a younger brother whose talent far exceeded his own, Linley had never once relaxed his requirements for himself.

"Sixth Rank." Linley stood in the small woods behind the mountain, looking at the Earth Element magic condensing in his hand, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Still a long way to go."

Lin Yun smiled. "You're already very fast."

"Still far behind you." Linley shook his head, his tone devoid of jealousy, carrying only a firm resolve. "I will keep chasing."

Bebe crouched on his shoulder, chirping twice and patting his cheek with its little paws, as if to say, "Go for it."

Linley stroked Bebe's little head, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Lin Yun, I want to go to the Magic Beast Mountain Range for training."

Lin Yun was slightly stunned.

"As a Sixth-Rank mage, I can't learn much more at the institute," Linley said earnestly. "I need real combat; I need to temper myself on the edge of life and death. Just like you did back then."

Lin Yun was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Go. Take Bebe with you."

"Chirp!" Bebe chirped, patting its chest with its little paws, looking as if to say, "Leave it to me."

Three days later, Linley took Bebe and quietly left the Ernst Institute, embarking on the road to the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

When the sun of the Coiling Dragon World rose, the moon of the Swallowed Star World was slowly setting.

Over the past two years, Lin Yun's other body had been growing in sync.

The fifteen-year-old Lin Yun was tall and straight, no different from a youth of seventeen or eighteen. His face still carried a hint of boyishness, but the composure and depth in his eyes far exceeded those of his peers.

In terms of Warrior cultivation, he had already reached the fifth stage of the Apprentice level—according to Earth's standards, this was the High-Level War General rank. This speed was not considered fast, but it had the advantage of being solid. He persisted in his basic training every day, never once slacking off.

Regarding Spiritual Force, his progress was even more apparent. Two years ago, his Spiritual Force had already reached the Primary War God level, but due to the limitations of his physical strength, he could only exert the power of a High-Level War General. Over these two years, he had been working hard to improve his physical fitness while simultaneously tempering his Spiritual Force.

Today, his Spiritual Force had reached the eighth stage of the Apprentice level—the Intermediate War God level. Although his physical fitness had improved to the High-Level War General rank, it was still three tiers lower than his Spiritual Force. According to the laws governing Spiritual Masters, the strength he could exert was limited to the peak of the Primary War God level at most.

"Still a bit short," Lin Yun muttered to himself.

But even so, a fifteen-year-old High-Level War General and a Primary War God-level Spiritual Master was already considered a top-tier genius on Earth.

Of course, on the surface, he still only displayed the level of a Senior Trainee nearing the status of a prospective Warrior, but even then, the Limit Dojo placed great importance on him. Dojo Master Jiang Nian had spoken with him more than once, hoping he would abandon his studies and focus entirely on breaking through to the Warrior realm.

Lin Yun politely declined every time. He had his own rhythm and did not want it disrupted by anyone.

Luo Feng's progress over these two years had been equally astonishing. Under Lin Yun's supervision and guidance, his Warrior cultivation had also reached the Senior Trainee level, two years ahead of the original timeline.

"You're much more impressive than I am," Luo Feng sighed after a training session.

Lin Yun smiled. "You will catch up, too."

Luo Feng shook his head and didn't respond, but a flicker of determined light flashed in his eyes.

The night grew deep.

In the small woods behind Ernst Institute, Lin Yun sat cross-legged on a bluestone, closed his eyes, and slowly circulated the magic power within his body.

The seven-element magic power flowed slowly through his body, and his eighth-level cultivation was now completely stabilized. His mental power was more condensed than it had been two years ago, and his soul power was also growing steadily through the practice of Necromancy. Although his Warrior cultivation was a bit slower, his peak fifth-level strength would not become a weakness in close-quarters combat.

In these two years, he had not rushed to pursue higher levels, choosing instead to consolidate his foundation. He had built a solid base for his seven-element magic, mastered the techniques of Necromancy, and pushed the stone-carving method of tempering mental power to its limit.

He did not need to be too fast. He was still young and had plenty of time.

In the Swallowed Star World, his other body was growing in synchronization. His High-Level War General Warrior cultivation and Primary War God-level Spiritual Force already made him a top-tier existence on Earth. However, he knew that beyond Earth lay a vast universe, where there were Planetary Level, Stellar Level, and Universe Level powerhouses, as well as Universe Masters capable of destroying galaxies with a mere thought.

Compared to those beings, he was currently nothing.

He needed to continue growing stronger. In both worlds, he would grow in tandem, with each side promoting the other.

Lin Yun opened his eyes and looked at the starry sky above. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows across his face.