Chapter 5: A Deep Brotherly Bond, The Clan Competition Begins!
[Ding! You touched Lin Dong and obtained a third-grade spiritual herb, Golden Sun Ganoderma!]
A third-grade herb—not bad at all!
Hearing the system notification, Lin Fan was pleasantly surprised. He then pretended to reach into his robe, retrieving the Golden Sun Ganoderma from the system space.
Lin Dong's eyes lit up as he saw the herb. "Lin Fan-ge, what kind of spiritual herb is that?"
"This is a third-grade herb, Golden Sun Ganoderma. I came to find you because I want you to help me refine it," Lin Fan said as he handed it over to Lin Dong.
"What do I need to do?" Lin Dong had learned that the stone talisman could refine herbs, but he wasn't sure how.
Lin Fan didn't answer immediately. "Let's head to the cave we usually go to, just in case someone sees us."
"Alright," Lin Dong had no objection to that.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the cave where Lin Dong had first found the talisman.
Only then did Lin Fan explain, "Hold the Ganoderma in one hand, then take out the stone talisman with the other and bring them close together. That's all you need to do."
Lin Dong nodded and followed his instructions.
As the herb approached within an inch of the talisman, a powerful suction force suddenly surged out from it!
The Golden Sun Ganoderma was instantly pulled into the talisman and disappeared.
"Lin Fan-ge, I…"
Lin Dong was stunned by what he saw and looked slightly embarrassed.
It looked like the talisman had just swallowed Lin Fan's herb.
Lin Fan smiled. "No rush. Just watch."
Following his words, Lin Dong stared intently at the talisman.
Suddenly, a crimson-golden light flashed from the groove at its center.
The glow grew more intense until, finally, two bean-sized crimson-golden pills condensed and rolled out.
Lin Fan had been prepared. He caught the pills as they fell, then turned to Lin Dong. "Now you understand, right?"
"These pills were formed by the talisman using the Golden Sun Ganoderma. What you just saw was the refining process."
Lin Dong smelled a familiar fragrance on the pills, just like the herb before. Combined with what he had seen, it all made sense now.
Lin Fan nodded approvingly. "Exactly. In the future, whenever you get a third-grade herb or higher, you can use this method to refine it. If the grade is too low, it's not worth the effort."
Lin Dong's eyes lit up. "Got it!"
"Alright, put the talisman away," Lin Fan said with a smile.
Once Lin Dong had done so, Lin Fan held out one of the pills. "Here, we'll split them—one for each of us."
Lin Dong waved his hands. "No, you found the herb, Lin Fan-ge. I can't take it."
Lin Fan's face turned stern. "What, are you treating me like an outsider? In that case, I won't ask for your help with refining herbs in the future."
"Okay, okay, I'll take it," Lin Dong said quickly. "From now on, whenever you find a herb, just let me know. I'll help refine it anytime."
"That's more like it," Lin Fan nodded with a smile. "Still, herbs of this grade aren't easy to come by."
"Hehe…" Lin Dong scratched his head sheepishly.
Lin Fan said, "We may not be blood brothers, but we're brothers all the same. The path of martial cultivation is long and full of obstacles. Only by supporting each other can we go further, and walk it more smoothly."
Lin Dong nodded solemnly. "You're right, Lin Fan-ge. From now on, we'll share our fortune and face hardships together!"
"Good man!" Lin Fan grinned and gave him a solid pat on the shoulder.
At that moment, the system's notification rang in his mind once again.
[Ding! You touched Lin Dong and obtained ten Body Tempering Pills!]
Joy surged in Lin Fan's heart. After half a month of no rewards, he'd now gotten two back to back—not bad at all!
In high spirits, he took out five Body Tempering Pills and handed them to Lin Dong. "Almost forgot—I got these pills recently, suitable for the Body Tempering stage. Here, take five."
"This… Thank you, Lin Fan-ge." Lin Dong initially wanted to refuse, but remembering Lin Fan's earlier words, he accepted them gratefully.
His appreciation for Lin Fan deepened, and he silently vowed to repay him in the future.
"No need for formalities between brothers," Lin Fan smiled. "It's best to take one every five days or so—see how your body handles it."
"As for the pill refined from the Golden Sun Ganoderma, save that for when you reach the sixth level of Body Tempering."
"Also, when you reach level six and your Yuan Force Seed is formed, you can try injecting Yuan Force into the talisman. That will allow it to merge into your body—easier to hide and keep it secret."
"Got it," Lin Dong said, both surprised and pleased, nodding firmly.
After chatting a bit more, Lin Fan said his goodbyes and left.
Over the following days, Lin Fan continued to use Body Tempering Pills to cultivate, occasionally "drawing rewards" whenever possible.
If he obtained any third-grade herbs or higher, he would ask Lin Dong to help refine them into pills, which the two would then split to use for their training.
Time passed unnoticed when immersed in cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, more than five months had gone by.
The day of the Lin Clan Competition had finally arrived!
During this period, with the help of pills and refined herbs, Lin Fan had reached the ninth level of Body Tempering!
Of course, as one's cultivation rose, the effects of Body Tempering Pills diminished.
Otherwise, he might have already broken through to the Earth Origin Stage!
Naturally, Lin Fan hadn't neglected martial techniques during this time either.
With his heaven-defying comprehension, learning martial arts had been effortless.
In addition to mastering Tongbei Fist, he had also cultivated two more techniques—Eight Desolation Palm and Stone-Splitting Kick—both of which he had trained to perfection.
He could've learned more, but he saw no need to waste time on low-tier techniques.
That morning—
After breakfast, Lin Xiao led Lin Fan, Lin Dong, and Qingtan to the Clan Trial Hall, heading straight for the VIP seats.
Over the past five months, Lin Xiao had completely recovered from his injuries. With the help of Lin Fan and Lin Dong, his cultivation had even surpassed his former peak, reaching the limit of the Heaven Origin Stage!
Now, Lin Xiao was the strongest cultivator in the Lin family—his former decline completely reversed.
The Lin family held considerable influence in Qingyang Town, and many guests had come to observe the competition.
As Lin Fan and the others arrived, all eyes turned to Lin Xiao, and murmurs stirred in the crowd.
There were few in Qingyang Town who didn't know him.
In the years after his injury, Lin Xiao had rarely appeared at the clan competition.
Even when he did, he stayed in the shadows, unnoticed.
But today, his public arrival was clearly out of the ordinary.
At the center of the VIP area, Lin Mang and his two sons also saw Lin Xiao and his family approaching.
Lin Shan instinctively shrank back, while Lin Hong shot Lin Fan a provocative look.
Lin Mang, on the other hand, glanced in Lin Xiao's direction, his brow slightly furrowed.
As Lin Xiao passed by, Lin Mang suddenly chuckled, raising his tea cup and speaking casually, "Third Brother, what made you decide to leave your corner of the estate today?"
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