Recognition and Shock

Lin Chen's face flickered with shock and uncertainty.

Those violet eyes—he had seen them when the Lin Family was wiped out, hiding in the cellar.

And now, they appeared in his dream.

What kind of omen was this?

Could it be that surviving that massacre wasn't mere luck?

But rather, some curse placed on him?

Otherwise, how could this be explained?

He had never sleepwalked before, yet after a nightmare, he ended up here on his own?

Were those eyes deliberately guiding him to do something terrible?

Like assassinating the Sect Leader...

At the thought, Lin Chen couldn't help but shudder.

He looked up at the tower, then turned and ran back to his quarters.

Arriving at the sleeping room, he only then realized he had run out without even wearing shoes.

Lin Chen sat on the bed, his expression grim.

He had thought that helping the Lin Family uncover the truth and finally avenging them would be the end of it.

Now it seemed things weren't that simple.

From the moment he had transmigrated here, he had already been drawn into some earth-shattering conspiracy.

Of course, this was just his speculation—yet to be verified.

"I'm not sleeping anymore. Let's see how you control me then?"

Lin Chen made up his mind, simply sitting cross-legged on the bed to cultivate the Eternal Spring Art.

He hadn't cultivated, so he didn't know. But once he did, he was shocked.

The cultivation speed was as slow as a snail.

Sitting there for half an hour, he didn't feel the slightest change in the spiritual power within his body.

At that moment, he believed what the system had said.

This cultivation speed was terrifyingly slow.

Lin Chen's eyes were bloodshot as he stopped cultivating. "System, exchange for cultivation. Advance Eternal Spring Art to the Minor Success realm."

[Ding, deducting 500 Spirit Stones, exchanging for 500 years of cultivation. Eternal Spring Art Minor Success, lifespan increased by 20 years.]

A mysterious aura infused his body.

Lin Chen felt a change within himself.

He couldn't explain it, only sensing that the acquired turbidity in his body was decreasing, transforming toward the innate.

"I've become... cleaner?"

Lin Chen looked at his hands—they had clearly turned whiter. "So there's this effect too."

He re-sensed the spiritual energy, activated the technique, and found that his cultivation speed had indeed improved.

"System, how many Spirit Stones to advance to the fourth layer of Condensing Qi?"

[Host, under current conditions, 200 low-grade Spirit Stones can advance.]

Lin Chen sighed. He only had 150 Spirit Stones left now.

Not enough!

It seemed he would have to wait.

Since he wasn't planning to sleep anyway, Lin Chen got up to make charcoal.

When he had returned in the afternoon, he had already built a kiln and filled it with split firewood.

Now it was the middle of the night. Lighting the fire, distilling, and sealing it into charcoal would be ready just in time for noon.

After finishing all this, the sky was already growing light.

Lin Chen started making breakfast.

Spirit Rice porridge, Spirit Flour buns, Spirit Flour fried dough sticks, various pastries, and beast bone soup...

He made a full table.

Just as the steaming dishes were set out, Senior Brother and the other two rushed in through the door.

"Eating light in the morning is good for you."

Seeing the slightly disappointed looks on Qi Ruming and Jian Rushuang's faces as they entered, Lin Chen quickly explained.

"At noon today, there'll be roast chicken, roast goose, and roast lamb. It's just a pity my wine still needs a few more days to ferment."

Hearing this, both their eyes visibly brightened.

Even Ming Bufan grew interested. "I do have some wine stored, but it falls short of Master's spiritual brew."

"Senior Brother, how about we sneak a bottle..." Qi Ruming had just started speaking when he quickly shut his mouth.

But it was already too late.

"Who wants to steal my wine?" A voice came from midair, and a figure had already appeared at the table.

It was none other than Sect Leader Zhao Qingshan.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Greetings, Sect Leader!"

The four hurriedly rose to pay their respects.

Zhao Qingshan waved a hand, expressionlessly took a sip of congee, and a faint ripple stirred in his calm, well-like eyes.

He casually grabbed a steamed bun, took a gentle bite, and instantly found his mouth filled with fragrance.

This was a taste he had never experienced before, and he couldn't help taking another bite.

That second bite brought a different flavor.

It was an accumulated burst of aroma that not only satisfied his taste buds but also made him feel relaxed and refreshed.

It was simply satisfying, making him want to eat more.

Zhao Qingshan's eyes lit up.

There was something to this!

"This breakfast tastes pretty good today. Who made it?"

Zhao Qingshan slurped down a bowl of congee and ladled himself another.

"It was Lin Chen who made it. He put a lot of care into it," Ming Bufan answered truthfully.

Zhao Qingshan only gave a slight nod before launching into a frenzy of eating.

He devoured steamed buns and fried dough sticks one after another, bowl after bowl of congee.

Fortunately, Lin Chen had prepared plenty.

"All of you, sit down and eat together!" Zhao Qingshan glanced at the four and finally remembered to invite them.

They had already been swallowing their saliva eagerly, and now with permission, they sat down and dug in.

Lin Chen returned to the Kitchen and brought out all the remaining breakfast.

None of the five spoke a word; within a quarter of an hour, everything was polished off.

After the meal, Lin Chen cleared the table.

Zhao Qingshan asked his three disciples about their cultivation progress.

He answered the questions they raised, striking straight at the core.

Lin Chen, while tidying up the Kitchen, pricked up his ears to listen.

Zhao Qingshan truly lived up to his role as Sect Leader—when it came to cultivation matters, he answered every question, and each answer hit the vital point.

It was like a sudden enlightenment for the three who asked.

To be honest, even Lin Chen felt a sense of clarity dawning on him.

He suddenly felt that the four outside were asking questions on his behalf.

And Zhao Qingshan seemed to be teaching and lecturing just for him.

Because this kind of master-disciple exchange and explanation would never be heard by outsiders.

Otherwise, why call them personal disciples or closed-door disciples?

What did this mean?

It meant they didn't treat him as an outsider!

Lin Chen's heart warmed.

If Senior Brother's gentle elegance made him feel close, Zhao Qingshan's acceptance gave him a complete sense of belonging to a home.

After finishing his work, he walked outside. Seeing that Zhao Qingshan showed no displeasure and was still speaking freely, he stood to the side and listened.

Compared to the system's direct infusion, Zhao Qingshan's explanations were far more lively.

Often, a small trick could solve a big problem, saving a great deal of time.

Lin Chen felt he had gained a lot.

An hour later, Ming Bufan and the other two had no more questions, and Zhao Qingshan actually turned to Lin Chen.

"You there, do you have any questions?"

Lin Chen was slightly taken aback; in truth, he had no questions.

After all, with the system's support, any problem would be effortlessly resolved as his cultivation accumulated.

Since the Sect Leader had asked, he couldn't very well say no. After thinking it over, he asked.

"Sect Leader, why does my cultivation of the Eternal Spring Art feel as slow as a snail? Even when I push it with all my strength, I can't sense any progress?"

Hearing his question, the four across from him all laughed.

Zhao Qingshan glanced at Ming Bufan. "Bufan, answer him."

"Yes, Master."

Ming Bufan gave a slight fist-palm salute to the Sect Leader, then raised his head to look at Lin Chen.

"You possess a rare Five Elements Perfectly Balanced Spirit Root. Slow cultivation speed is normal.

In principle, you need to put in ten times, even a hundred times the effort of others to achieve the same results."

Ming Bufan explained patiently. "The Eternal Spring Art is not a technique for rapid advancement; it emphasizes building a solid foundation.

As the saying goes, haste makes waste. When you cultivate, you must calm your mind—don't force it, don't be anxious. Once you shed that restlessness, you will naturally see results. You..."

At this point, Ming Bufan looked back at Lin Chen. "Run the Eternal Spring Art. Let me see."

Lin Chen did as he was told, sitting cross-legged and circulating the Eternal Spring Art.

Everyone present was startled at the sight.

"He only received the technique yesterday, and he's already reached the Minor Completion stage?"

Ming Bufan was the first to react, shock surging in his heart.

Qi Ruming and Jian Rushuang both stared wide-eyed, speaking almost in unison.

"That can't be right—he's only been an inner disciple for two full days, hasn't he? How is his cultivation already at Qi Condensation Layer 3?"

"This is a Five Elements Waste Spirit Root? Even a top-grade spirit root couldn't advance to Qi Condensation Layer 3 in just two days, could it?"