Lin Chen looked utterly bewildered.
Those Purple Eyes were the ones he had seen when the Lin Family was wiped out, while he was hiding in the cellar.
Now, they had appeared in his dream.
What could this be hinting at?
Could it be that his survival in that massacre hadn't been mere luck?
Had he been cursed somehow?
Otherwise, how could he explain what was happening now?
He'd never sleepwalked before, yet after having a nightmare, he'd gone wandering off on his own?
Were those eyes deliberately guiding him to do something terrible?
Like assassinate the sect master...
At the thought, Lin Chen couldn't stop himself from shuddering.
He glanced up at the tower, then turned and ran back to his quarters.
Only when he reached his bedroom did he realize he'd run all the way there without even putting on his shoes.
Lin Chen sat on the bed, his face grim.
He'd thought that once he helped the Lin Family uncover the truth and finally avenge them, that would be the end of it.
Now it seemed things weren't so simple.
From the moment he'd transmigrated, he'd been caught up in some earth-shattering conspiracy.
Of course, that was only his guess. He still needed to verify it.
"I'm not going to sleep. Let's see how you control me now!"
Lin Chen made up his mind and simply sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate the Eternal Spring Art.
He hadn't known how bad it was until he tried.
His cultivation speed was slower than a snail.
He sat there for half an hour without feeling the slightest change in the spiritual power inside him.
At that moment, he believed what the system had told him.
His cultivation speed really was terrifyingly slow.
Lin Chen's eyes were bloodshot. He stopped cultivating. "System, exchange cultivation and advance the Eternal Spring Art to Minor Achievement."
[ Ding, 500 Spirit Stones deducted. Exchanged for 500 years of cultivation. Eternal Spring Art reached Minor Achievement. Lifespan increased by 20 years. ]
A mysterious energy flowed into his body.
Lin Chen felt his body change.
He couldn't explain it, but he could feel the acquired turbid energy within him diminishing, transforming toward the Innate.
"Did I get cleaner?"
Lin Chen looked at his hands. They had visibly grown fairer. "I didn't know it could do that."
He sensed the spiritual energy again and circulated his art. His cultivation speed had indeed improved.
"System, how many Spirit Stones do I need to advance to Qi Condensation Layer 4?"
[Host, under your current conditions, 200 Low-Grade Spirit Stones will be enough.]
Lin Chen sighed. He only had 150 Spirit Stones left.
Not enough!
Looks like he'd have to wait.
Since he wasn't planning to sleep anyway, Lin Chen got up and went to make charcoal.
When he'd returned that afternoon, he'd already built the kiln and filled it with chopped firewood.
It was the middle of the night now. He could light the fire, distill the wood, and seal it up to make charcoal, ready to use by noon.
By the time he finished, dawn was already breaking.
Lin Chen started making breakfast.
Spirit Rice porridge, steamed buns made with spirit flour, fried dough sticks made with spirit flour, all kinds of pastries, and beast-bone soup...
He filled the whole table.
As soon as the steaming dishes were brought out, the three senior brothers crowded through the door.
"Eating something light in the morning is good for you."
When Lin Chen saw the faint disappointment on Qi Ruming and Jian Rushuang's faces as they entered, he immediately explained.
"We're having roast chicken, roast goose, and roast lamb at noon. It's just a pity my liquor needs a few more days to ferment."
At that, their eyes visibly brightened.
Even Ming Bufan grew interested. "I've got some liquor saved away, though it's not as good as Master's spirit liquor."
"Senior Brother, why don't we sneak a bottle..." Qi Ruming had only just begun to speak when he hurriedly shut his mouth.
But it was too late.
"Who's trying to steal my liquor?" a voice came from above. A figure appeared by the table.
It was none other than Sect Master Zhao Qingshan.
"Greetings, Master!"
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
The four hurried to their feet and bowed.
Zhao Qingshan waved a hand, then drank a mouthful of porridge without changing expression. His placid eyes rippled faintly.
He casually picked up a bun and took a small bite. Its fragrance instantly filled his mouth.
It was a flavor he'd never experienced before. He couldn't help taking another bite.
This bite tasted different again.
A layered fragrance burst across his palate, not only pleasing his taste buds but leaving him feeling refreshed in body and mind.
It was so satisfying that he wanted more.
Zhao Qingshan's eyes lit up.
This was something special!
"This breakfast tastes pretty good. Who made it?"
Zhao Qingshan slurped down a bowl of porridge and ladled himself another.
"Lin Chen made it. He put a lot of care into it," Ming Bufan answered honestly.
Zhao Qingshan merely nodded, then began eating like a man possessed.
He ate bun after bun and fried dough stick after fried dough stick, and drank bowl after bowl of porridge.
Fortunately, Lin Chen had made plenty.
"Sit down, all of you. Eat!" Zhao Qingshan glanced at them, finally remembering to invite them.
They'd been swallowing their saliva for ages. Now that they had permission, they sat down and dug in.
Lin Chen returned to the Kitchen and brought out all the leftover breakfast.
Not one of the five said a word. In less than fifteen minutes, they'd cleared everything.
After the meal, Lin Chen cleared the table.
Zhao Qingshan asked his three disciples how their cultivation was going.
He answered the questions they raised, tailoring his explanations to each one.
As Lin Chen tidied the Kitchen, he listened intently.
Zhao Qingshan was truly worthy of being a sect master. When it came to cultivation, he answered every question and always got straight to the heart of the matter.
The three disciples listened as if a veil had been lifted from their minds.
Honestly, even Lin Chen felt as if his thoughts had suddenly cleared.
He suddenly felt like the four people outside were asking questions for his sake.
And Zhao Qingshan seemed to be teaching and explaining things to him.
After all, exchanges and explanations between master and disciples like this weren't something outsiders were supposed to hear.
That was why they were called Inner Disciples, closed-door disciples.
What did that mean?
It meant they didn't consider him an outsider!
Warmth filled Lin Chen's heart.
The senior brother's gentle manners had made him feel welcome.
Zhao Qingshan's acceptance had made him feel, at last, that he truly had a home.
Once he'd finished tidying up, Lin Chen went outside too. Seeing that Zhao Qingshan didn't look displeased and was still speaking at length, he simply stood to one side and listened.
Compared with the system's direct infusion of knowledge, Zhao Qingshan's explanations were more nimble and alive.
Often, one little trick could solve a major problem and save a great deal of time.
Lin Chen felt he'd gained a lot.
An hour later, Ming Bufan and the other two had run out of questions. To Lin Chen's surprise, Zhao Qingshan turned to him.
"Hey, you. Got any questions?"
Lin Chen froze for a moment. He actually didn't have any questions.
After all, with the system's help, any problem would eventually resolve itself as his cultivation accumulated.
But since the sect master had asked, he couldn't just say no. He thought for a moment before asking.
"Sect Master, why does the Eternal Spring Art feel slower than a snail when I cultivate it? Even when I circulate it with all my strength, I can't feel any progress."
The four across from him laughed when they heard his question.
Zhao Qingshan glanced at Ming Bufan. "Bufan, explain it to him."
"Yes, Master."
Ming Bufan clasped his hands toward the sect master, then looked up at Lin Chen.
"You have a rare Five Elements Waste Spirit Root, with perfect balance across all five elements. It's normal for your cultivation speed to be slow.
"Normally, you'd have to work ten, even a hundred times harder than other people to get the same results."
Ming Bufan explained patiently. "The Eternal Spring Art isn't a cultivation method for rapid advancement. It focuses on laying a solid foundation.
"As the saying goes, haste makes waste. When you cultivate, you need to keep a level head. Don't force it or become impatient. Once you've put aside your restlessness, you'll naturally make progress. You..."
At that point, Ming Bufan looked at Lin Chen again. "Try circulating the Eternal Spring Art. Let me have a look."
Lin Chen did as he was told, sitting cross-legged and circulating the Eternal Spring Art.
The people present were instantly shocked.
"He only got the cultivation art yesterday, and he's already reached Minor Achievement?"
Ming Bufan was the first to react, stunned.
Qi Ruming and Jian Rushuang's eyes widened. They spoke almost at the same time.
"Wait, hasn't he only been here for two full days? How did he reach Qi Condensation Layer 3?"
"This is a Five Elements Waste Spirit Root? Even someone with a High-Grade Spirit Root couldn't reach Qi Condensation Layer 3 in two days, could they?"
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