Sixth Level of the Spirit Martial Realm

In fact, Lin Chen had not just broken through.

A year earlier, he had accumulated enough experience to level up and had spent points to break through to the sixth level of the Spirit Martial Realm.

"Seven years in the Herb Garden, and my martial cultivation has caught up with Elder Lin Song's level back then without me even realizing it."

Lin Chen murmured to himself.

Before Lin Chen arrived at the Herb Garden, Elder Lin Song had already been at the peak of the Sixth Level of the Spirit Martial Realm.

Now, seven years later, Lin Chen had advanced from the first level to the Sixth Level of the Spirit Martial Realm.

Elder Lin Song, meanwhile, had finally overcome the bottleneck to the next minor level not long ago and reached the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm.

"The Spirit Martial Realm has ten levels. The first three are considered early stage, the middle three are mid stage, and the next three are late stage. The tenth level is the peak."

"Now that Elder Lin Song has advanced to the late stage, he ranks third among the Li Family's elders."

Lin Chen's thoughts began to wander.

But he soon shook his head and put the matter aside. With a thought, he called up his Character Panel.

\n[Character]: Lin Chen

[Age]: 25/211

[Life-Bound Divine Artifact]: Greenedge Sword (Tier 2, Fine)

[Realm]: Sixth Level of the Spirit Martial Realm (289/1490)

[Sword Dao]: (3864/5000)

[Martial Arts]: Evergreen Art, Sixth Layer; Thunderlight Sword Technique, Mastered; Swimming Body Step, Minor Mastery

[Idle Training]: Miasma Forest (In Progress)

[Idle Training Rewards: 58–62 experience points per month; tiny chance of obtaining Spirit Stones, spirit herbs, pills...]

[Remaining Experience: 550 points]

"The Evergreen Art really does extend my life. It wasn't obvious at first, but as my cultivation has risen, my lifespan has grown by more than ten years."

Lin Chen was quite pleased by the increase. Who wouldn't want to live longer?

Then Lin Chen turned his attention to the Sword Dao entry.

"I'm not far from comprehending Sword Intent now."

"But as I continue studying the Sword Diagram, the Sword Qi descending from the sky grows increasingly indistinct. It still wipes me out in one strike, but the Dao resonance within it has faded."

"At this rate, once I comprehend Sword Intent, the Sword Diagram will become an ordinary painting. There'll be nothing left to learn from it."

As Lin Chen thought this over, he collected his idle training rewards. Then a servant hurried into the courtyard.

"Young Master, Elder Lin Song asks you to come to his study."

The servant delivered the message.

"Understood. I'll go now."

Lin Chen answered, a flicker of puzzlement crossing his mind.

Though Elder Lin Song had stopped cultivating in seclusion after breaking through to the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm, he rarely summoned Lin Chen without an important reason, much less sent someone specifically to fetch him.

Had something happened?

As Lin Chen pondered this, he walked toward Elder Lin Song's small building deep within the Herb Garden.

He entered the building and came to the study. After a light knock, Elder Lin Song's steady voice sounded from inside:

"Come in."

Lin Chen pushed open the door. A faint scent of ink and medicinal herbs hung in the study.

Elder Lin Song was not seated behind his desk as usual. He stood with his back to the door, hands clasped behind him, gazing at a map hanging in the center of the wall.

"Elder Lin Song."

Lin Chen stepped forward and greeted him respectfully.

"You're here." Elder Lin Song did not turn around. He merely raised a hand, beckoning Lin Chen closer. "Take a look at this."

Lin Chen walked to his side and studied the map.

It was finely detailed, depicting Kaiyang City and the mountains and rivers for hundreds of miles around it.

Kaiyang City lay at its center. Beyond it stretched rolling mountains, winding rivers, vast wilderness, and forests. In the northwest corner, a mountain range extended into the map, with a mark beside it showing the location of the Herb Garden.

One place on the map, however, bore a label written in black: Blackwind Stronghold.

"This is a map of the area around Kaiyang City."

Lin Chen spoke softly. He was familiar with it.

Elder Lin Song finally turned around. Seven years had passed, and his face seemed a little older, but his eyes had grown sharper and harder to fathom.

He pointed to Kaiyang City on the map. "Kaiyang City is neither especially large nor especially small. The two main powers within it are the Lin Family and the Li Family, both martial clans."

His voice was calm.

"With two families sharing one city, friction is inevitable. For decades, they've fought openly and schemed in secret over the markets and the division of resources."

"In recent years, though, relations between them have eased considerably. They're hardly close, but at least they've kept up a show of peace, with few major clashes."

Lin Chen listened quietly without interrupting.

"The reason for that,"

Elder Lin Song continued, moving his finger across the map, "is Blackwind Stronghold."

"Blackwind Stronghold sits on Blackwind Cliff. It's a band of ruthless outlaws led by Li Baichuan, who has reached the ninth level of the Spirit Martial Realm. He's merciless, and he has plenty of capable fighters under him."

Elder Lin Song's gaze chilled.

"Their resources are limited, and the area around Blackwind Cliff is relatively barren. They've long coveted Kaiyang City. Raiding merchant caravans and harassing nearby villages and towns are routine for them. Because we face this common threat, the Lin Family and the Li Family have managed to coexist in peace. You could call it... an alliance between those who aren't allies."

Lin Chen understood that well.

A power either had the overwhelming strength to dominate a city and claim the surrounding lands for hundreds of miles, or it maintained a delicate balance of power, as the three factions did now.

After all, his previous life had already shown him that a triangle was the most stable structure.

"But things are different now."

Elder Lin Song's gaze sharpened. He pressed his finger hard against a patch of dense forest beside Blackwind Cliff on the map.

"The Li Family sent us a piece of intelligence. About half a month ago, one of their herb-gathering teams ventured into the outskirts of Blackwind Cliff to collect a rare herb called Snakeheart Orchid. Instead, they stumbled upon this."

He took out a fist-sized gray-black stone with a dull metallic sheen.

"Do you recognize it?"

Elder Lin Song handed the stone to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen took it and examined it for a moment. "Is this Black Iron Ore?"

"That's right."

Elder Lin Song nodded approvingly.

"This ore is extremely valuable. Refine it, and you get Refined Black Iron—the primary material for forging Spirit Grade weapons."

Lin Chen's heart jolted. He immediately understood what mattered.

"Is there a small Black Iron Ore Vein underground?"

Lin Tie gave a slight nod.

"Exactly. After receiving the Li Family's intelligence, our Lin Family investigated as well. We confirmed that Blackwind Stronghold has been mining it in secret for some time."

Lin Chen was stunned.

Even a small vein could bring enormous wealth to a city the size of Kaiyang City!

Elder Lin Song went on.

"Blackwind Stronghold's chief is at the ninth level of the Spirit Martial Realm, after all. And he holds Blackwind Cliff, which is easy to defend and hard to attack."

"Perhaps the Li Family couldn't take the vein alone, or perhaps they feared suffering heavy losses and letting us swoop in to claim the prize. In the end, they sent someone to the Lin Residence to propose a partnership."

Lin Song looked at Lin Chen, his gaze deep.

"Possessing treasure is enough to make an innocent man guilty."

"That small vein lies in Blackwind Stronghold's territory, but its fate is no longer theirs to decide."