Thirty: Five Hearts Toward Heaven

After leaving the Limit Hall, Lin Yun didn't hurry home.

First, he went to the property management office in Bright Moon Residential District to complete the paperwork for choosing a detached villa in the Warrior Residential Area. Under the terms of his contract, he could choose any detached villa in a Warrior Residential Area within Yangzhou City and its surrounding districts. The staff member who assisted him was almost excessively courteous—after all, anyone who owned property in Bright Moon Residential District was either a warrior or a warrior's family member, and neither was someone to offend.

"Mr. Lin, here are the floor plans and locations of the vacant detached villas in Bright Moon Residential District. Please take a look." The staff member handed him a tablet displaying detailed information about the villas.

Lin Yun glanced over the options and chose the one closest to the Limit Hall. Not because he liked the hustle and bustle, but because it was nearby and would make it convenient to train.

"Certainly, Mr. Lin. Here are the keys to the villa. The property deed will be ready within seven business days, and we'll deliver it to your home. You can move in whenever you like."

Lin Yun took the keys, thanked the staff member, and left the property management office.

Standing on the tree-lined avenue in Bright Moon Residential District, Lin Yun looked at the brand-new set of keys in his hand, a complicated feeling welling up inside him.

He and his grandfather had lived in the subsidized apartment for more than a decade. Their home had been shabby, but every inch of its walls and every piece of furniture had been steeped in his grandfather's sweat and love. Now that they were about to move, it was hard not to feel reluctant. But he knew this was a necessary step. His grandfather was getting old and couldn't keep living somewhere like that. The Warrior Residential Area had a better environment, tight security, and professional medical facilities—all of which would benefit his health.

"Grandpa should like it here," Lin Yun murmured, quickening his pace.

When he got home, Lin Guodong was sitting on a little stool outside the convenience store downstairs, playing chess with Old Man Wang, the store's owner.

The moment he saw Lin Yun, Lin Guodong dropped his chess piece and hurried to his feet. "Yun'er, how did it go? Did you pass?"

His voice trembled, and his cloudy old eyes were full of hope.

Lin Yun smiled and took the Quasi-Warrior certificate from his pocket. Though the official credentials would take a few days to arrive, the Limit Hall had issued him a temporary certificate on the spot. He handed it to his grandfather.

Lin Guodong took the certificate, his hands trembling slightly. He looked it over again and again before suddenly lifting his head, his eyes red. "You passed? You really passed?"

"I passed," Lin Yun said. "Grandpa, as of today, I'm a Quasi-Warrior."

"Good! Good!" Lin Guodong choked up. He patted his grandson hard on the shoulder, his lips quivering as he struggled to speak.

Old Man Wang leaned over to take a look at the certificate, his eyes widening. "Old Lin, your Yun'er's become a warrior? A fifteen-year-old warrior? My goodness, what a promising young man!"

"Of course! He's my grandson!" Lin Guodong puffed out his chest, pride etched into every wrinkle on his face.

Lin Yun helped his grandfather up the stairs and back home, then said, "Grandpa, there's something else. The Limit Dojo assigned me a villa in Bright Moon Residential District. Let's pack up and move over in the next couple of days."

Lin Guodong froze.

"A villa? In Bright Moon Residential District?" His voice wavered. "You mean... that Bright Moon Residential District where all the warriors live?"

"That's right." Lin Yun nodded. "It's in the contract—a detached villa with permanent ownership. Grandpa, you won't have to live here anymore."

Lin Guodong fell silent for a long time. He turned to look at the mottled iron door, the peeling paint on the walls, and the scrap metal piled in the corner. At last, tears spilled from his eyes.

"If your parents were still here, they'd be so happy..." the old man murmured, his voice barely audible.

Lin Yun said nothing. He simply held his grandfather's hand tightly.

Moving turned out to be much easier than Lin Yun had expected.

There hadn't been much in the subsidized apartment to begin with: a few old pieces of furniture, several quilts, some pots and dishes, and a box of "treasures" his grandfather had kept for decades. It contained photos of Lin Yun's parents, some yellowed letters, and a few old objects whose age even Lin Yun couldn't identify.

With help from Luo Feng's family, they soon packed everything up, called for a truck, and headed to Bright Moon Residential District together.

The moment the villa door opened, Lin Guodong stood in the doorway, unable to move.

The marble floors, crystal chandelier, spacious living room, and bright floor-to-ceiling windows—all of it seemed like a dream to an old man who had spent his entire life in the slums.

"Grandpa, come on in." Lin Yun gently supported the old man's arm.

Only then did Lin Guodong carefully step inside. He set foot on the marble floor as though afraid of damaging it. He looked around, his lips trembling, before finally managing to say, "Th-this must have cost a fortune!"

"It didn't cost anything. The Dojo gave it to me," Lin Yun said with a smile. "Grandpa, make yourself at home. From now on, things will only get better for us."

Lin Guodong nodded, his eyes growing red again.

By the time they finished moving and saw Luo Feng's family off, it was already evening. Lin Yun suggested that Luo Feng and the others stay there too, but Luo Feng refused. Lin Yun knew he wanted to earn his way into the residential area through his own ability. Thinking of Luo Feng's current strength, Lin Yun didn't press him.

After settling his grandfather in, Lin Yun went to the supermarket by the residential area's entrance to buy some household supplies. Then he returned to his room, closed the door, and sat cross-legged on the bed.

It was time to cultivate Genetic Origin Energy.

He took the Genetic Origin Energy Cultivation Method he'd brought back from the Limit Hall out of his pocket and read through it carefully once more. The Five Hearts Toward Heaven Cultivation Method was simple in principle: turn the palms of both hands, the soles of both feet, and the crown of the head toward the sky. Then, through a special breathing technique and focused intent, absorb energy from the universe, refine it into Genetic Origin Energy, and fuse it into every cell in the body.

But simple didn't mean easy.

Lin Yun mentally reviewed every step of the method, then took off his shoes and socks and assumed the proper posture on the bed—legs crossed, palms facing upward, head held straight, spine upright, and entire body relaxed.

Five Hearts Toward Heaven.

He closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing according to the method.

Each breath came slowly and steadily. He focused his attention on the centers of his palms, the soles of his feet, and the crown of his head, imagining them as five whirlpools slowly turning and drawing in some kind of power from the world around him.

At first, nothing happened.

But Lin Yun didn't get impatient. Impatience was the last thing one wanted when cultivating. He'd learned patience long ago while cultivating magic in the Coiling Dragon World.

The seconds ticked by.

After an indeterminate stretch of time, an unusual sensation suddenly stirred deep in Lin Yun's awareness. It was faint, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake or a light rain falling on petals. Fleeting, yet real.

Cosmic energy.

He could sense it.

That energy filled the world, present everywhere yet difficult to grasp. It wasn't colorful and lively like the magical elements in the Coiling Dragon World. Instead, it was far more reserved and profound, like some ancient power that had slept for billions of years and was now slowly awakening.

Following the method, Lin Yun guided the cosmic energy toward his body with his mind.

Threads of cool energy flowed in through his five points, following the channels within his body and spreading to every corner. Wherever the energy went, his cells devoured it like starving beasts.

His cells cheered, rejoiced, and evolved.

Lin Yun could clearly feel his body changing—his muscle fibers tore and reformed, growing tougher; the density of his bones increased as the energy tempered them; blood rushed through his veins, carrying more oxygen and nutrients; and his internal organs grew stronger as the energy nourished them.

The sensation was incredible.

He lost track of time and everything around him, completely absorbed in his cultivation.

Cosmic energy poured into his body without end, absorbed by his cells and transformed into Genetic Origin Energy. The Genetic Origin Energy was stored deep within his cells like a dormant volcano, ready to erupt at any moment and grant him strength far beyond that of an ordinary person.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

Lin Yun didn't know how long he'd cultivated, until his cells finally gave him the signal that they were "saturated"—they couldn't absorb any more.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw that it was already light outside.

The night had passed.

Lin Yun took a deep breath, sensing the changes within his body.

He clenched his fist. He was countless times stronger than he'd been yesterday. With a light leap, he jumped down from the bed, landing almost silently. He tried throwing a punch. His fist tore through the air with a sharp crack—the sound of breaking the sound barrier.

"According to the cultivation method, the human body has never consciously absorbed cosmic energy since birth, so it's always been in a state of hunger. The first time someone absorbs cosmic energy, they absorb the most, and their strength improves the fastest!" Lin Yun could feel fundamental changes taking place throughout his body, inside and out.

High-Level War General.

His warrior cultivation had advanced from Intermediate War General to High-Level War General!

That was the result of cultivating Genetic Origin Energy for the first time. After being cleansed by cosmic energy, his cells had undergone a qualitative leap. He could still improve through cultivation in the future, but he would never again experience an advance this immense.

Lin Yun suppressed his excitement, closed his eyes, and shifted his consciousness to the Coiling Dragon World.

In the small grove on the hill behind Ernst, Lin Yun of the Coiling Dragon World sat cross-legged on a bluestone and slowly opened his eyes.

He looked down at his hands, sensing the changes within him—his warrior cultivation had advanced from the peak of the fifth rank to the sixth.

It wasn't a coincidence.

As the body in the Swallowed Star World cultivated Genetic Origin Energy, the power of evolution had resonated through the Small Cauldron and flowed back into the body in the Coiling Dragon World. Though the bodies in the two worlds were separate, they shared the same soul. That leap in life couldn't be divided.

And it wasn't just his warrior cultivation.

Lin Yun checked his Spiritual Force: at the peak of Intermediate War God, just one step away from High-Level War God.

His magic power was at the peak of the eighth rank, just one step away from the ninth.

Two worlds, two bodies, both advancing through the same cultivation session.

Lin Yun opened his eyes, seven-colored light flashing briefly in them as he felt a surge of excitement he could hardly contain.

The results of cultivating Genetic Origin Energy for the first time were indeed astonishing. But even more thrilling was the power of Dual World Resonance: a breakthrough in one world benefited the other at the same time. This compounding effect made his cultivation far more efficient than anyone else's.

"It's a pity this kind of major breakthrough only happens the first time," Lin Yun murmured.

He would continue to make progress through Genetic Origin Energy cultivation, but he'd never again cross an entire realm in a single session as he had today. Still, this was more than enough. With his warrior cultivation at High-Level War General, his Spiritual Force at the peak of Intermediate War God, and his magic cultivation at the peak of the eighth rank, he was already considered a top genius on Earth at fifteen.

Lin Yun stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The morning sunlight poured in, warming his face. In the distance, the detached villas of Bright Moon Residential District stood in neat rows, and the dewdrops on the lawns sparkled.

His grandfather was already busy downstairs. The sounds of pots and dishes came from the kitchen, and the aroma of millet porridge drifted through the air.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and headed downstairs.

"Grandpa, what are we having today?"

"Millet porridge, salted duck eggs, and your favorite meat buns!" Lin Guodong called from the kitchen, his voice strong and full of vigor. He seemed much more energetic than the day before.

Lin Yun smiled and sat down at the dining table.

A new day, a new home, a new beginning.

From today on, he was no longer an orphan with no one to rely on. He was a genius warrior receiving special attention from the Limit Dojo. His journey had only just begun.