Breaking through to become a Level 4 Warrior hadn't disrupted Lin Qin's routine. Instead, it was like pouring more efficient fuel into his cultivation engine. He spent no less time or effort on training. If anything, now that his increased strength let him endure more intense workouts, his daily routine had become even more packed and... monotonous.
At the Warrior Division, Barker had come to regard Lin Qin as his ideal sparring partner. They trained together regularly, starting with basic swordsmanship and gradually adding more Battle Qi techniques. Barker realized that Lin Qin's progress was almost inhuman. He rarely made the same mistake twice, and his control over his strength improved visibly. Barker had once been able to gain the upper hand through his greater combat experience, but now Lin Qin often matched him blow for blow with instinctively precise blocks and counterattacks.
"Have you been secretly taking some kind of wonder drug?" Barker asked after one sparring session. He sat on the ground, panting, and looked at Lin Qin, who was only slightly short of breath.
Lin Qin shook his head, picked up his waterskin, and took a drink. "I'm just following my routine." He was telling the truth. His "medicine" was swinging his sword, meditating, and casting spells over and over, day after day.
Barker rolled his eyes and gave up trying to figure it out. Some people were born to crush everyone else's confidence.
His progress in magic was just as striking. Level 2 Earth Element spells posed no challenge to him, and he had even begun studying the theory and basic elemental models behind some Level 3 spells. But he still focused on delving deeper into basic magic.
In a clearing behind the mountain, Lin Qin stood with his eyes closed. He didn't chant a spell; he simply concentrated his mental strength and guided the earth element.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Three Earth Spike Spears shot from the ground in front of him at nearly the same moment, each from a different angle, forming a simple triangular formation. This wasn't the Level 3 spell Chain Earth Spike Spear. Rather, through countless repetitions, he had forced himself to compress and link the casting process for several Level 1 Earth Spike Spears, achieving a similar effect. It consumed more magic power than the actual Level 3 spell, but it was flexible and fast—and he had mastered the technique through sheer practice.
He let the spell dissipate, then began practicing Earth Wall Technique. A wall of earth rose, and then sections of it thickened, forming several raised supports and making the structure sturdier. He even tried roughening the wall's surface to make it harder to climb.
These refinements were insignificant, nowhere near the level of the Laws of Profound Mysteries. Yet they reflected his most direct understanding and application of the earth element's properties, gained through countless repetitions. His Heaven Rewards Diligence talent was gradually distilling and accumulating these seemingly minor refinements and insights, like streams flowing into a deep pool.
Late at night, as Lin Qin meditated, his mind sank not only into his body but also seemed to merge with the elemental forces of the world around him. This was especially true after practicing Earth Element magic and Earth Battle Qi: his awareness of the land beneath his feet grew clearer and clearer.
It wasn't sight or sound, but a weighty, all-encompassing sense of "existence." He could vaguely feel the earth's Pulsation, its solidity and stability. During one deep meditation, he even caught the faintest rhythm of the earth's "power." It seemed to resonate in some wondrous way with the rhythm of strength passing through him when he swung his sword, and with the course of his Battle Qi as it flowed through his body.
The sensation vanished in an instant. He couldn't grasp it, let alone understand it. But Lin Qin knew it might be a glimpse of the "laws" Doehring Cowart had mentioned—the beginnings of something beyond techniques and magic power, pointing straight to the origin of the world.
He didn't rush things or mention it to anyone. He simply kept the sensation in mind. Then, with every swing of his sword, every spell he cast, and every meditation, he paid even closer attention to the flow of power and the arrangement and vibration of the elements.
He knew it would take more accumulation, and a vast amount of "effort."
Meanwhile, Linley's reputation at the Ernst Institute continued to grow. His twin-element superlative talent, combined with the astonishing insight he had shown in stone carving, had made him the focus of the Institute. Lin Qin occasionally ran into Linley in the dining hall or on the road, and could sense that Linley's aura was becoming more concentrated. Clearly, he was progressing at an incredible pace.
When they met, they still only exchanged a simple nod, occasionally sharing their insights on cultivation. Lin Qin sensed that Linley seemed to have some personal worries, but he never asked. Everyone had their own path and secrets.
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