Yao Lan

"Take these and cultivate diligently over the next few days."

Yao Chen clumsily caught the martial skill manuals. The moment he opened them, his eyes lit up.

Given Yao Chen's status, it was far from easy for him to gain access to cultivation techniques above the Profound tier in a place as rule-bound as the Medicine Clan.

He nodded vigorously, hugged the manuals to his chest, and ran to the other side of the jujube tree, carefully reading them page by page.

Lin Yu watched his earnest appearance, a faint smile lifting the corners of his lips before he turned and entered the pill-refining chamber again.

Over the next several days, the pill fire in the refining chamber barely went out.

Lin Yu remained inside day and night, refining batch after batch of pills—second-grade pills, third-grade pills—rotating through different formulas. His soul power was tempered through constant expenditure and recovery, while the fusion points in his sea of consciousness steadily climbed.

When the final batch of pills finally emerged, Lin Yu let out a long breath.

He stood in the pill-refining chamber, dozens of jade bottles of various sizes spread before him. The pills within glowed with a lustrous sheen beneath the moonlight stones, like the fruits of a bountiful harvest.

He did not rush to sort through those pills. Instead, he reached deep into his storage ring and took out a Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill.

A person could consume no more than two Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pills in their lifetime.

Lin Yu had already taken one Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill before this.

But he had no intention of swallowing this Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill directly.

His gaze fell upon another corner of his storage ring, where a seventh-grade medicinal herb Hu Jiujiu had given him earlier lay quietly.

It was emerald-green like jade, with faint spiritual light flowing between its stem and leaves. The spiritual energy it emitted remained astonishingly rich.

Lin Yu placed the Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill and the seventh-grade herb side by side in his palm. Calming his mind, he placed them both into the fusion panel.

Light flared brilliantly in his sea of consciousness. The phantoms of the two items slowly rotated on the panel. After confirming that the herb's medicinal properties would not conflict with those of the Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill, Lin Yu silently spoke.

"Fusion."

The light exploded, swallowing the phantoms of both items. Countless threads of spiritual light intertwined in midair as the immense medicinal power within the seventh-grade herb was drawn out bit by bit by an invisible force and injected into the body of the Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill.

The pill trembled violently within the radiance. Mysterious patterns surfaced across its purplish-red surface, while its color gradually shifted from deep violet to an almost ink-black violet-gold.

Before long, the fusion light slowly receded, and a brand-new pill drifted down from the air.

This pill was a size larger than the original Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill. It was entirely violet-gold, covered in dense and profound patterns, and faintly emitted the oppressive aura unique to a sixth-grade pill.

The medicinal power of the seventh-grade herb had fused into it perfectly, forcibly raising the Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pill by two grades and bringing it into the sixth grade.

Lin Yu pinched the pill between two fingers, sensing the majestic power contained within. A trace of satisfaction flashed through his eyes.

With this pill, he should be able to break through directly to a three-star Battle Spirit.

Without hesitation, he put the pill into his mouth.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. A scorching, surging medicinal force rushed down his throat, carrying the vast spiritual energy of the seventh-grade herb with it like molten iron poured into his meridians.

This medicinal force was tyrannical beyond measure. Wherever it passed, the walls of his meridians creaked under the strain, as though they might fail beneath the impact of this flood at any moment.

Lin Yu's expression remained calm as water. His hands held their seals steady, allowing the medicinal force to rampage through his body.

His soul power had long since spread out, firmly keeping every trace of medicinal force within the range of his spiritual awareness as he guided that dragon-like energy through the circulation route of his cultivation technique.

Boom!

The medicinal force exploded completely within his dantian, transforming into a rain of light that scattered through his limbs and bones.

At that instant, Lin Yu's entire body shook violently, and some invisible shackle within him shattered in response.

Battle Spirit—he had broken through.

Not long after, the surging medicinal force inside him gradually calmed, eventually turning into a warm stream that flowed into his dantian.

Lin Yu slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed through them before quickly fading into calm.

Lin Yu exhaled deeply. That breath of turbid air shot out like a white arrow for more than ten feet before slowly dispersing.

He stretched his body, and his joints crackled like bursting beans. Then he stood and pushed open the door, leaving the secret chamber.

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Yao Chen walked in from outside.

A few beads of sweat still hung from his forehead, and there was dirt on his sleeves.

Seeing Lin Yu emerge from the secret chamber, Yao Chen froze for a moment before a delighted smile bloomed across his face. He hurried forward in three quick strides and called out, "Brother Lin, you've come out of seclusion!"

Lin Yu nodded casually. Just as he was about to say something, his brow twitched slightly.

His gaze passed over Yao Chen's shoulder toward the alley outside the courtyard gate, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"A peak Battle Spirit has been following my little brother. I wonder what your intentions are."

He spoke loudly. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly beyond the courtyard walls.

The smile on Yao Chen's face immediately stiffened. He turned in the direction of Lin Yu's gaze, but saw nothing.

But he knew Lin Yu's soul perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. Lin Yu would never make such a claim without cause.

The courtyard outside fell silent for a moment, then an amused voice tinged with surprise sounded out. "What powerful soul perception, young friend. Your pill-refining ability is likely no worse than mine."

Before the voice had faded, a figure emerged from the corner of the alley and strode straight through the courtyard gate.

The newcomer wore the standard robes of a Medicine Clan elder. His beard and hair were grizzled, his face lean, and his brows carried the authority of one long in a high position. Yet deep lines of fatigue lay beneath his eyes, as though he had traveled for days without proper rest.

He entered the courtyard at an unhurried pace, his hands clasped behind his back. His slightly clouded eyes examined Lin Yu for a moment before he gave a faint nod.

At the sight of the newcomer, Yao Chen's entire body trembled. He blurted out, "Elder Yao Lan, why are you here?"

Yao Lan shifted his gaze from Lin Yu to Yao Chen.

He looked at the youth who had grown up in the clan. His lips moved, but in the end, he merely said softly, "I was only passing by. I didn't expect to see you here. Sigh..."

That sigh contained far too many complicated emotions.

There was helplessness, pity, and a trace of guilt that could not quite be named.

Yao Lan's eyes flickered a few times, as though words were lodged in his throat and could not be spoken.

Seeing Yao Lan's expression, Yao Chen suddenly felt fear rise within him.

It was an inexplicable chill that shot up from his back, climbing along his spine to the back of his head and making his scalp tingle.

His lips trembled slightly. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, yet he felt no pain at all.

"Elder, my mother... she's alright, isn't she?"