The Effect of Spirit and Will

Looking at the Five-Colored Rooster on the ground, Lin Ye nodded affirmatively.

To a certain extent, a rooster could indeed be considered a top-tier predator.

"Buzz, buzz~~"

His phone vibrated twice, and Lin Ye swiped the screen open.

[Teacher Zhuang]: Xiao Lin, do you have some time?

[Teacher Zhuang]: I'm arriving in Coast City tonight. If you're free tomorrow, come by my place. It's about the gathering.

[Location: South Shore Huadu Mansion - No. 012]

Lin Ye glanced at the location, his heart filled with surprise. This was one of the most expensive residential areas in Coast City, with prices reaching over a hundred thousand per square meter.

Moreover, it seemed there were only villas there.

He had known his teacher had a deep background, but he hadn't expected it to be this deep.

"Alright, Teacher. I'll head over tomorrow morning."

"Buzz, buzz~~"

[Teacher Zhuang]: Then tomorrow morning at nine. I'll be waiting for you at home.

"Understood, Teacher."

Putting his phone away, Lin Ye looked at the stove nearby. The snakehead fish was almost done stewing, emitting a faint, savory aroma.

"Click."

He turned off the stove, lifted the pot, and poured it into a basin. A wave of heat mixed with the scent of fish spread through the air.

Lin Ye looked at the snakehead fish, his brow furrowing.

Why were there no ingredient prompts?

He grabbed the fish's head with his bare hand and squeezed gently. The skull cracked open, revealing the grayish-white brain matter inside.

"Slurp—"

The piping hot brain matter was fragrant and oily. He swallowed it directly, the aroma of fat lingering in his mouth.

After a while, Lin Ye silently looked at the body of the snakehead fish in the basin.

He had miscalculated.

But it was fine; the loss wasn't significant, though it was a pity since it was a rare chance to increase his intelligence.

He looked at the Five-Colored Rooster to the side. The rooster puffed out its neck, eyes wide and round, truly possessing the aura of "the sun dare not rise until I crow."

"Snap~"

He snapped the rooster's neck with his bare hands and used a blade to slice it open, extracting the ink-green gallbladder.

[Ingredient Name: Five-Colored Rooster Gallbladder]

[Ingredient Category: Flesh]

[Ingredient Rank: Mortal Rank]

[Edible Parts: Whole]

[Consumption Effect: Slightly increases Constitution, Agility, and Intelligence attributes; provides a minor boost to Spirit and Boldness.]

He rinsed it with water and swallowed it in one gulp.

A faint, bitter taste spread through his mouth, followed by a lingering sweetness.

A warm current flowed along the path of his internal energy, making his body feel slightly feverish.

After a while, the heat gradually faded, and a sense of heroic spirit surged in his heart.

Lin Ye looked at the sunset outside the window and actually felt an urge to make the sun stand still.

"Whoosh!"

He threw a punch. Even though it was the same movement as before, there was an indescribable feeling to it.

It was as if his fist could shatter any obstacle, and nothing in this world could stop him.

A few minutes later, Lin Ye stopped punching and adjusted his breathing.

"A minor boost to Spirit and Boldness—I wonder if it's permanent or temporary?"

The sensation he felt while throwing that punch was just like something mentioned in a TV show from his past life.

"Draw your sword! When meeting on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail!"

With this kind of mettle, even if one were slightly weaker in raw strength, they might still be able to crush their opponent.

Soul Whale Fist prioritized willpower above all else; if one's momentum weakened, their strength would diminish accordingly.

This principle held true even for martial arts that didn't emphasize willpower as much.

While increasing his Spirit and Boldness didn't technically raise his four-dimensional attributes, it had tangibly improved his combat effectiveness.

If the strength attribute was top-tier hardware, then Spirit and Boldness were top-tier software.

However, the current increase is not yet significant enough to reach a qualitative change.

"Monument," he silently recited in his heart.

[Desire of Gluttony (3/10)]

The count had increased by one; as long as he consumed seven more different ingredients, Desire of Gluttony would rank up.

I wonder what new effects will appear when that happens?

The next day, Huadu Music Mansion villa area.

Lin Ye stood outside the residential complex, where the deep black gate looked like the Nantian Gate from a movie.

The small window on the gate slid open with a "clatter," revealing the face of a man around fifty years old, his graying hair combed meticulously.

"Hello, sir. I am the property manager. Who are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?"

"Hello, I am looking for Professor Zhuang Huaizhang."

Lin Ye replied.

The property manager flipped through the register in his hand, "May I ask your name?"

"Lin Ye."

With a "click," the small door opened, and the manager, dressed in a black suit, bowed slightly.

"Hello, Mr. Lin. Mr. Zhuang has already given instructions. Please follow me."

As he spoke, he gestured toward a sightseeing cart nearby.

Sitting in the cart, the vehicle moved along the asphalt road, which was so black it had a blue tint, with only the faint sound of tires audible.

Large-leaf trees were planted on both sides of the road, their shadows completely covering the path.

The air was fresh and a gentle breeze blew; despite it being summer, it did not feel hot.

Not long after, turning a corner, Lin Ye saw a figure standing by the roadside in the distance—it was his teacher.

The sightseeing cart stopped, and Zhuang Huaizhang strode over, "Xiao Lin!"

"I wish you a pleasant day."

The manager nodded with a smile and drove away.

"Teacher."

Lin Ye looked at Zhuang Huaizhang.

Zhuang Huaizhang stepped forward, took his arm, and led him inside.

"Why are you only just arriving? It's almost eight o'clock. Have you had breakfast?"

"I've already eaten."

Lin Ye spoke, feeling a bit surprised in his heart; it seemed his teacher practiced martial arts?

He hadn't been able to tell before he started practicing martial arts himself, but now he realized it suddenly.

However, his teacher's physique was not robust; it was likely a form of health-preserving exercise.

"You've eaten? Alright then, let's start directly."

"Hmm? Did you get taller? Are you wearing elevator shoes? Your muscles have grown too, have you been going to the gym?"

"I signed up for a boxing gym, maybe I'm going through a second growth spurt."

Walking into the villa, several people were already waiting in the living room.

Leading them was a white-haired old man wearing brown traditional clothing from the Dynasty era, holding a soft measuring tape in his hand like a tailor.

Behind him, three young men who looked like apprentices stood somewhat nervously.

"Old Liu, I'll leave it to you."

Master Liu nodded slightly and looked at Lin Ye, "Mr. Lin, I wonder what color you prefer?"

Lin Ye was a bit confused, "Black."

"And regarding the patterns, Mr. Lin, do you have any preferences?" Master Liu continued to ask.

Lin Ye was stunned and looked at his teacher; he didn't understand these things.

Zhuang Huaizhang raised his hand slightly and looked at Master Liu, "Let's go with the gold bamboo pattern."

After speaking, he looked at Lin Ye again, "There's a gathering next month, I'm having a few sets of traditional formal wear tailored for you to wear then."

Lin Ye's mouth opened slightly; traditional formal wear was essentially a general term for the ancient clothing of the Dynasty era.

He looked at Master Liu, whose left chest bore the logo "Liu Clan."

Although he didn't know much about custom-made traditional clothing, he had heard a wealthy classmate mention the name "Liu Clan."

It was one of the top tailoring houses in Coast City, specializing in custom traditional formal wear, with a single set costing at least thirty to fifty thousand.

And that was the price for a regular tailor at Liu Clan; the man before him was clearly one of the older generation of the Liu Clan, so the price would only be higher.

"Can I cash this out?"

After struggling for a moment, he ultimately didn't ask the question.

After lunch, Lin Ye and Zhuang Huaizhang sat across from each other at the tea table.

"Teacher, I want to go to the Fulan Snowfield in the north of Tin Deer. Do you have any channels I could use to get there?"

Zhuang Huaizhang swirled his teacup. "The Fulan Snowfield? That's easy. I'll have your senior brother arrange it for you when the time comes."

"But it will have to wait until after the gathering. The gathering is on the evening of the seventh of next month, which is the day of the Beginning of Autumn, commonly known in our circles as the Yin Festival."

"Tap, tap, tap."

As they were speaking, the sound of footsteps echoed in the courtyard.

"Is the junior brother here?"

Qin Zhixu walked in, looking pleasantly surprised to see Lin Ye.

Zhuang Huaizhang raised his hand slightly. "You've come at the right time. Your junior brother says he wants to go to the Fulan Snowfield for a visit."

Qin Zhixu raised an eyebrow. "The Fulan Snowfield?"

"What a coincidence. I happen to be leading a team to the Fulan Snowfield in a while to collect some Snow Lotus."

"As for the schedule, the research team will stay for five days, and the visa is valid for fifteen days."

"I'll bring the team back on the fifth day. How about you stay there and explore on your own?"

"It's just a bit late in terms of timing; we have to wait until the day school starts because a professor from Tin Deer will be traveling with us."

Lin Ye's face lit up with surprise. School started on September 2nd, so the time was more than enough.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."

Qin Zhixu waved his hand with a smile. "Don't be so polite. As long as you don't mind the wait, it's fine."

After saying this, he looked at Zhuang Huaizhang. "Dad, are you still going?"

Zhuang Huaizhang shook his head gently. "I won't be going. From now on, I'll leave these trips to you."

Qin Zhixu didn't say much, simply nodding. "Alright."

To the side, Lin Ye was a bit bewildered, his gaze shifting back and forth between Zhuang Huaizhang and Qin Zhixu.

"Teacher, Senior Brother, you two..."

Zhuang Huaizhang finally realized what was happening and laughed out loud. "What? You didn't know I married into the family?"

"It was thanks to your teacher marrying in that I managed to preserve some of your grandmaster's legacy."

"Otherwise, by the time I was buried, I really wouldn't have had the face to see your grandmaster again."

Lin Ye fell silent upon hearing this, not knowing how to respond.

Seeing this, Qin Zhixu laughed heartily. "Haha! Alright, Junior Brother, I'll contact you after the gathering."

"By the way, you don't have a bank card for Tin Deer yet, do you? I'll get you a supplementary card when the time comes."

"If you want to buy anything in Tin Deer, just use this card. The laboratory will reimburse you, so don't worry about it."

Lin Ye smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Qin Zhixu nodded with a smile. "Alright then, I still have some things to discuss with Dad. Why don't you head back first?"

After Lin Ye left, Qin Zhixu slowly sat down and looked at Zhuang Huaizhang.

"I've verified it. They aren't coming this time."

Zhuang Huaizhang let out a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. "It's good that they aren't coming. It's good that they aren't coming."

Qin Zhixu's expression turned grim. "It wouldn't matter if they did come. Let Mom's side—"

"Thud!"

Before he could finish, Zhuang Huaizhang's teacup hit the tea table, cutting off his words.

"You should remember why I named you Zhixu."

Zhuang Huaizhang's expression was solemn, yet tinged with helplessness.

Qin Zhixu lowered his head slightly. "I remember."

The Qin Clan was a family of Secret Martial Arts, but he had not inherited the Secret Martial Arts bloodline of the Qin Clan.

Therefore, he was a member of the Qin family in name, but in reality, he was merely an outsider with a blood connection, unable to touch the core of the main lineage.

Zhixu... to know one's place.

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At dusk, Lin Ye stood before a street, his expression somewhat conflicted.

This was the very Dark Street where he had encountered the Flowing Shadow Dark Predator that night.

After a few minutes, he shook his head, ultimately deciding not to go and take a look.

Although there might be some gains to be had, increasing his exploration progress.

But if he were to run straight into the Flowing Shadow Dark Predator, that wouldn't be very good.

The giant half-human spider's body stood over four meters tall, practically the size of a small tank.

Running into it in a cramped area like Dark Street, he might not even be able to escape.

Just as he was planning to leave, a figure walked out from the street.

"Xiao Yi?"

"Senior Brother?"