Recaps

Lin Qin trained relentlessly at the Baruch Clan’s guard ground, cultivating Battle Qi and developing his own ideas about strength and momentum. After glimpsing a mysterious figure move through the wind, he realized that careful observation could also count as diligence, and his journey across the Yulan Continent began in earnest.

• Lin Qin completed a thousand broadsword swings and continued training, while Hillman noted his rapid Battle Qi growth and perseverance.
• Lin Qin recalled how witnessing a Saint Realm powerhouse and learning of the Baruch Clan’s decline had awakened his conviction, Heaven Rewards Diligence.
• Lin Qin spoke with Linley about momentum, describing how repeated practice could turn strength and will into instinct.
• A dark figure flashed past the training ground, and Lin Qin caught its wind-borne arc and realized that observing the world could help him grow.
• Lin Qin closed his eyes to study the figure’s movement as morning sunlight reached the training ground.

Linley trained his mental control by sculpting while Lin Qin refined his swordsmanship and explained how he developed strength and Battle Qi. Hiri summoned Lin Qin to meet Hogg about his rapid progress as the Ernst Institute enrollment season approached.

• Linley carved a stone figure with a Flat Blade to train his control over mental power while Lin Qin practiced sword swings nearby.
• Linley asked whether daily sword practice bored Lin Qin, who explained how he learned to coordinate his body and Earth Battle Qi with each strike.
• Linley recognized that Lin Qin was nearing the warrior realm of controlling force, while Lin Qin asked about Linley’s stone carving.
• Linley described how carving strengthened his mental control, and the two compared their different training methods.
• Hiri told Linley and Lin Qin that lunch was ready and that Hogg wanted to question Lin Qin about his Battle Qi cultivation.
• Lin Qin headed to meet Hogg, aware that he needed to keep training before the Ernst Institute enrollment season.

Lin Qin told Hogg about his rapid Battle Qi progress and training, earning the clan head’s approval. Afterward, Lin Qin returned to the woods to refine his swordsmanship, while Hogg wondered whether the clan might be turning around.

• Lin Qin met with Hogg, confirmed he was a Level 3 Warrior, and described his intense daily training.
• Hogg praised Lin Qin’s perseverance and invited him to seek training advice from Hogg or Hillman.
• After Lin Qin left, Hogg looked at the Baruch Clan’s dragon relief and wondered whether the clan was nearing a turnaround.
• Lin Qin went to the woods and practiced sword swings, using Battle Qi and the path of the wind to improve his technique.

Linley and Lin Qin took Ernst Institute’s entrance examination, where Linley’s extraordinary results drew widespread attention and Lin Qin earned admission with strong but less exceptional scores. Lin Qin accepted his place in the Earth Element Magic Class and looked forward to pursuing his own training at the institute.

• Linley placed his hand on the Crystal Ball and earned superior affinity in Earth and Wind Elements and high spiritual force, astonishing the crowd.
• Hogg reacted with pride and relief at Linley’s results as Linley returned to the group.
• Lin Qin tested high in Earth and Wind affinity and high in spiritual force, though his results paled beside Linley’s.
• The examiner admitted Lin Qin to the Earth Element Magic Class and recommended that he could also train as a warrior.
• Lin Qin took his badge and resolved to use his time at Ernst Institute to study and practice swordsmanship.

At the Ernst Institute, Lin Qin trained relentlessly in magic and warrior basics, mastering Earth Spike Spear through repeated practice. His near-instant, unusually powerful spell impressed his instructor, while Lin Qin remained focused on improving beyond his peers.

• Lin Qin studied Earth Spike Spear in class, then spent the afternoon repeating the spell and practicing sword swings and physical exercises in the woods.
• Lin Qin reviewed his notes in his dormitory and added insights from his training.
• During practice class, Lin Qin cast an exceptionally fast and powerful Earth Spike Spear, surprising the instructor and his classmates.
• Lin Qin told the instructor he had practiced a few extra times and returned calmly to the line.
• Lin Qin trained with weighted equipment and his greatsword at the Warrior Division's training ground, ignoring the reactions of the other students.

Lin Qin shared a meal and future ambitions with his roommates, then resumed his demanding cultivation routine the next day. After Keane tried and failed to keep up with his morning run, Lin Qin ate breakfast at the cafeteria and headed to class.

• Lin Qin joined Luo De, Keane, and Carl for dinner, and they discussed rumors, their goals, and his ambition to become strong enough to understand the rules of power.
• Keane asked to run with Lin Qin in the morning but stopped before completing two laps and returned to meditate.
• Lin Qin continued his workout, then ate breakfast in the cafeteria, exchanging a nod with Linley before heading to magic theory class.

During an Earth Element class, Lin Qin used a swiftly formed shield to stop Luo De’s stray Earth Spike Spear from hitting Aileen. After class, he reflected on his instinctive control of Earth Element and planned to experiment with more shapes during practice.

• Instructor Matt taught the students how to cast and shape the Earth Wall Technique, then paired them up for practice.
• Luo De formed a crooked Earth Wall, and Lin Qin struck its weak point with an Earth Spike Spear.
• Lin Qin cast a sturdy Earth Wall, but Luo De’s misdirected spear flew toward Aileen.
• Lin Qin raised a Small Earth Shield in an instant and blocked the spear before it hit Aileen.
• Instructor Matt praised Lin Qin’s quick reaction and precise control, while warning Luo De to focus.
• Luo De thanked Lin Qin and offered to buy him grilled meat, as Lin Qin decided to practice shaping the spell further.

Lin Qin trained at the Warrior Division grounds, where his disciplined swordsmanship caught the attention of Barker. After they sparred, Barker praised Lin Qin’s fundamentals and practiced copying his efficient technique.

• Lin Qin practiced weight training and sword strikes at the Warrior Division grounds while nearby students discussed his training.
• Barker introduced himself and challenged Lin Qin to a spar using basic swordsmanship without Battle Qi.
• Lin Qin deflected Barker’s attacks and countered with precise, economical movements, impressing the onlookers.
• Barker ended the spar, praised Lin Qin’s fundamentals, and imitated his way of putting power into his strokes.
• Lin Qin finished training and returned to the dormitory, content with his routine.

Yale Dawson took Linley, Reynolds, George, and Lin Qin on a day trip through Fenlai City, where they explored shops and sampled pastries. Lin Qin later returned alone to Ernst Institute and resumed his sword training and meditation.

• Yale Dawson invited Linley, Reynolds, George, and Lin Qin to explore Fenlai City, and they traveled there by carriage.
• The group visited a magic-item shop, where Reynolds admired a fire-aligned staff, George examined scrolls, Linley considered a jade pendant, and Lin Qin studied crafting materials.
• Yale bought pastries on Champs-Élysées Avenue, and Lin Qin enjoyed the treat and reflected on life beyond cultivation.
• As evening approached, Lin Qin declined dinner with Yale and the others and went to inspect weapons in the city's blacksmith shops.
• Lin Qin returned to Ernst Institute alone and headed to the rear hills for sword practice and meditation.

Lin Qin steadily developed his combat skills, magic, and understanding of the Laws of the Earth through relentless daily practice at the Ernst Institute. He remained largely unnoticed, but his resolve strengthened and those who knew him began to sense his potential.

• Lin Qin followed a strict daily routine of study, meditation, sword training with Barker, and Earth magic practice.
• Lin Qin and Linley occasionally exchanged insights about stone carving and spell practice over lunch.
• Lin Qin refined his Earth spells, learning to cast Earth Spike Spear nearly instantly and precisely control Earth Wall Technique and Earthquake Technique.
• After hearing an instructor describe ascetics who reached the Saint Realm through perseverance, Lin Qin became more resolved to pursue that path.
• Lin Qin listened to upperclassmen discuss the dangers of the Magic Beast Mountain Range and memorized their accounts.
• Lin Qin's Battle Qi, understanding of the Laws of the Earth, and magical control steadily improved, though he remained unknown to most students.

After an exhausting night of sword practice, Lin Qin broke through from Level 3 Warrior to Level 4 Warrior. He tested his newly strengthened Battle Qi, then meditated to consolidate his realm.

• Lin Qin sensed that his depleted Battle Qi was gathering strength as he recovered from intensive sword practice.
• Lin Qin guided his Battle Qi through the Basic Battle Qi Manual while slowly practicing with his greatsword.
• Lin Qin broke through to Level 4 Warrior, and a stronger stream of Battle Qi filled his meridians.
• Lin Qin slashed a boulder with concentrated Battle Qi, leaving a smooth, several-inch-deep cut.
• Lin Qin sat down to meditate and consolidate his new realm.

After reaching Level 4 Warrior, Lin Qin adjusted to his increased strength and began experimenting with combining Battle Qi and magic. His roommates learned of his breakthrough, while Lin Qin settled back into his routine.

• Lin Qin’s improved strength and energy needs became apparent during his daily training, classes, and meals.
• Barker noticed Lin Qin’s breakthrough during a spar, then fought him using Battle Qi and admired his solid fundamentals.
• Lin Qin experimented with using Battle Qi to strengthen Earth Spike Spear and Earth Wall Technique during his evening training.
• Luo De, Carl, and Keane noticed Lin Qin’s stronger aura, and he told them he had reached Level 4 Warrior.
• Lin Qin listened to his roommates chat after washing up as his new strength became part of everyday life.

Lin Qin continued his rigorous training, sharpening his swordsmanship and refining his Earth Element magic while sensing a faint connection to the earth’s laws. He kept pursuing that insight through practice as Linley’s reputation and strength grew at the Ernst Institute.

• Lin Qin trained regularly with Barker, whose experience no longer gave him a clear advantage in sparring.
• Lin Qin practiced combining several Earth Spike Spears and improving Earth Wall Technique through repeated casting.
• During meditation, Lin Qin briefly sensed the earth’s Pulsation and suspected it was a glimpse of the laws Doehring Cowart had described.
• Lin Qin kept the sensation to himself and focused more closely on the movement of power and elements during training.
• Lin Qin occasionally met Linley, whose aura and reputation continued to grow, and they exchanged brief cultivation insights.

Lin Qin shared breakfast with Aileen, who thanked him for protecting her during magic practice and asked about his intense training. After class, he began sensing the wind’s movement and considered applying what he learned to his sword training.

• Lin Qin found Aileen sitting in his usual dining hall corner and joined her for breakfast.
• Aileen thanked Lin Qin for shielding her during Earth Wall Technique practice and said her control had improved through further practice.
• Lin Qin told Aileen that training felt worthwhile when he could feel himself growing stronger.
• After Wind Magic Basics, Lin Qin sensed the wind around a fallen leaf and found it different from the earth.
• Aileen and her friend spoke with Lin Qin before heading to the library, and Lin Qin went to the Warrior Division training grounds to try applying air resistance to his sword swings.

Lin Qin found a book on force application during a library visit with Aileen, then celebrated his level-four breakthrough with a barbecue in the dormitory. After enjoying the company of his roommates, he picked up his greatsword to continue training.

• Lin Qin met Aileen in the library and helped her reach a book before she directed him to books on force application.
• Lin Qin read Essentials of Basic Force Application and found that its account of how power traveled through the body matched what he had learned from practice.
• Luo De organized a dormitory barbecue to celebrate Lin Qin's breakthrough to level four, and Keane and Carl joined in.
• Luo De teased Lin Qin about reading with Aileen, but Lin Qin said they had only run into each other and she had pointed him toward a shelf.
• Lin Qin helped clean up after the meal, then picked up his greatsword to resume training.

As year-end exams approached, Lin Qin honed his Warrior and magic skills while his Level 4 Battle Qi neared its limit. He broke through to Level 5 Warrior and finished the night by confirming his increased physical strength.

• Lin Qin's strength and swordsmanship reached the peak of Level 4, and Barker recognized that he was close to a breakthrough.
• Lin Qin demonstrated rapid, carefully controlled Earth Spike Spears and a reinforced Earth Wall Technique shaped by his study and practice.
• After exhausting himself with sword swings, Lin Qin meditated and his Battle Qi surged, shattering the barrier to Level 5 Warrior.
• Lin Qin spent the night consolidating his breakthrough, then punched a tree with enough force to leave a deep mark without using Battle Qi.

Lin Qin excelled in both the magic and warrior year-end assessments, earning excellent and outstanding ratings and gaining recognition at Ernst Institute. He remained focused on building strength and planned to take mercenary assignments during the break to experience real combat.

• Lin Qin hit nearly twice as many moving targets as the previous leader in the practical magic assessment, impressing Instructor Matt and the other students.
• Lin Qin demonstrated early-stage fifth-level warrior strength and defeated Barker in their sparring match.
• Lin Qin won his remaining sparring matches and received an outstanding rating in the warrior assessment.
• The institute announced Lin Qin's excellent magic result and outstanding warrior result, bringing his dual magic-and-warrior cultivation to wider attention.
• Instructor Matt praised Lin Qin's progress and offered to help with his magic questions, while Barker, Luo De, and the others congratulated him.
• Lin Qin stayed focused on strength and planned to take simple mercenary assignments during the break.

Lin Qin registered as a mercenary in Fenlai City and accepted an E-rank quest to escort a caravan to Black Stone City. He joined the caravan after proving he was a Level 4 Warrior, and the group departed through the city’s west gate.

• Lin Qin registered at the Mercenary Guild as a G-rank mercenary and received a Black Iron Badge.
• Lin Qin chose an E-rank quest to escort a merchant caravan to Black Stone City.
• Lin Qin found Old John’s caravan and met its guards and the other mercenary, Hake.
• Lin Qin released his Level 4 Warrior battle qi, convincing Old John that he could handle the journey.
• Lin Qin, Hake, and Old John set out with the caravan through Fenlai City’s west gate.

Lin Qin and Hake helped defend the caravan from a pack of Wind Wolves on a remote mountain road. After the fight, the caravan continued onward with its guards impressed by Lin Qin’s skill.

• The caravan entered a remote mountain road, where the horses grew uneasy and Hake warned everyone to prepare for danger.
• Seven or eight Wind Wolves attacked the wagons, and Lin Qin raised an earthen wall to stop one from tearing into the goods.
• Lin Qin killed two Wind Wolves with precise strikes, then joined Hake in defeating the rest of the pack.
• Lin Qin checked that Old John and the guards were safe, then gathered the Magic Crystal Cores and pelts from the wolf corpses.
• Hake learned that Lin Qin attended the Ernst Institute, and the caravan resumed its journey with new respect for him.

On the way to Black Stone City, Lin Qin was wounded when a seemingly helpless traveler lured him into a bandit ambush, but he helped defeat the attackers and learned to distrust appearances. He completed the caravan job, collected his payment, and returned to Fenlai City with a more guarded outlook.

• Near Black Stone City, Lin Qin approached a bloodied traveler who claimed bandits had killed his companions and stolen their goods.
• The traveler attacked Lin Qin with a poisoned dagger, and armed bandits emerged from the bushes to ambush the caravan.
• Lin Qin resisted the poison and killed the attackers, leaving the bandit chief alive for questioning while Hake and the guards fought alongside him.
• Lin Qin treated his wound and remembered Hake's warning to stay wary of strangers in the wilderness.
• The caravan reached Black Stone City safely, where Lin Qin received twenty gold coins, then he returned to Fenlai City and turned in the job.

During the break, Lin Qin took mercenary jobs in the Magic Beast Mountain Range and gained wilderness and combat experience. Back at the Ernst Institute for the new semester, he applied what he had learned and decided he would return to the mountains.

• Lin Qin took gathering and hunting jobs in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, using his magic and swordsmanship to defeat magical beasts, including an Iron-Backed Mountain Cat and a Sharp-Clawed Eagle.
• Lin Qin learned to track magical beasts, use the terrain, and attack efficiently, while rising from Black Iron to Bronze mercenary rank.
• Lin Qin returned to the Ernst Institute and resumed training, showing Luo De and the others how actual combat had changed his movements and demeanor.
• When Barker noticed Lin Qin's improved swordplay and combat awareness, Lin Qin said he had taken mercenary jobs, and Barker remarked that actual combat was the best teacher.
• Lin Qin looked toward the Magic Beast Mountain Range and resolved to return there.

Lin Qin helped Aileen solve a problem with a Water Element magic array, and they talked about training and his mercenary work. They agreed that Aileen could ask him for help with magic in the future, while Luo De teased Lin Qin about their time together.

• Lin Qin sat beside Aileen in the library and used diagrams about Battle Qi to explain how to guide the magic array's energy through a difficult node.
• Aileen thanked Lin Qin and asked about the mercenary jobs he had taken over the break; Lin Qin said he had faced some trouble and gained experience.
• Lin Qin warned Aileen not to overwork herself, and they discussed magic control before walking toward the dormitories together.
• Aileen asked if she could consult Lin Qin about magic problems, and he agreed before they said good night.
• Luo De teased Lin Qin about returning from the library with Aileen, but Lin Qin said they had only discussed magic.

Lin Qin teamed up with Aileen to clear a Burrowing Badger nest, and their successful quest brought them closer. Aileen asked to accompany him as he pursued strength and explored the world, and Lin Qin agreed.

• Lin Qin accepted a D-rank quest to clear Burrowing Badgers and agreed to team up with Aileen, who had reached the third level as a mage.
• Lin Qin and Aileen traveled to the mountains north of Black Stone City and used a plan to defeat the Burrowing Badgers together.
• While gathering the beasts’ claws and pelts, Aileen asked about Lin Qin’s goals, and he said he wanted to grow stronger, see more of the world, and understand power.
• Aileen asked whether she could someday see the world with Lin Qin if she became stronger, and he earnestly agreed.
• Lin Qin and Aileen turned in the quest and split the reward, then agreed to team up again on a suitable quest.

Lin Qin and Aileen grew closer through training and shared time, then attended an outing at Crescent Moon Lake with their friends. After Lin Qin told Aileen she was an important companion he wanted beside him as they grew stronger, their bond settled into a new understanding.

• Barker asked Lin Qin if he and Aileen were dating, and Lin Qin said they were friends who helped each other improve.
• Aileen invited Lin Qin to a day trip to Crescent Moon Lake with Yale, Linley, Reynolds, and George, and Lin Qin agreed.
• At the lake and on the ride back, Lin Qin and Aileen looked after each other.
• Aileen asked Lin Qin what they were to each other, and Lin Qin called her an important companion he hoped would stay by his side.
• Lin Qin walked Aileen to the girls' dormitory and realized his life now had a clear place for her.

Lin Qin continued his winning streak in the elite tournament, using solid swordsmanship and instant Earth Element magic to defeat his opponents. He beat Cain in the quarterfinals and advanced to the semifinals.

• Lin Qin defeated a fifth-level warrior by blocking his attacks and knocking him off the stage.
• Lin Qin wore down a Light Element mage’s defenses and won after disrupting his casting rhythm.
• Lin Qin advanced through the tournament as Aileen cheered him on, while Linley also moved forward with ease.
• Lin Qin dodged Cain’s Lightning Arrows and used Earth Spike Spears and an earthen wall to disrupt and withstand Cain’s spells.
• Lin Qin slowed Cain with Gravity Technique, disarmed him with a heavy sword strike, and won the quarterfinal match.