Chapter 4: Heaven-Defying Comprehension, Body Tempering Level Six!
Lin Fan froze when he saw Lin Dong's gesture.
Heaven knows, he truly had no designs on the ancestral stone in Lin Dong's hand!
The story he'd made up was simply to give him a reason to guide Lin Dong in unlocking the stone's abilities early—so that he might benefit a little himself as well.
It was also to lay the groundwork for displaying his "foresight" in the future.
Looking at Lin Dong's serious expression, Lin Fan couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. "Don't tell me you really thought I made all that up just to get your stone talisman? The one you have isn't the same as the one in my memories."
"This one is even more mysterious and profound—maybe it's the real ancestral treasure, a true divine artifact of heaven and earth! Keep it safe, and don't let anyone know about it, except the three of us."
Lin Dong quickly responded, "I never meant to doubt you!"
Though in truth, he had briefly suspected it... even if the thought had only flashed through his mind.
Lin Fan's expression grew solemn as he said softly, "The memories that suddenly appeared in my head... they left me uneasy. At first, I wasn't planning to tell anyone—I was afraid I'd be seen as a freak."
"But just now, Qingtan was in danger. I couldn't stand by and do nothing, so I mentioned the stone talisman. If even a replica in that life could do it, then this real divine artifact surely could too."
"Also, I wanted you both to understand how serious this is. Just a fake talisman allowed me to rise rapidly and drew the attention of countless powerful people. What more if this one is real?"
Seeing Lin Fan's expression, Qingtan quickly stepped forward and hugged him. "Lin Fan-ge, don't think like that. You're not a monster. You're the one who always protects me—my dearest Lin Fan-ge."
In this life, perhaps because they were both orphans, and because Lin Fan often stood up for her, Qingtan's bond with him was especially close.
Lin Dong could only rank second.
Lin Fan's actions just now made her feel even more grateful and affectionate toward him.
Lin Dong, both ashamed and touched, said seriously, "Lin Fan-ge, don't worry. I'll never tell anyone about your secret."
"You're my closest brother. Of course I trust you," Lin Fan nodded slightly and reached out a hand.
Lin Dong did the same, grasping his hand firmly. Nothing more needed to be said between them.
Lin Fan spoke gravely, "My extra life's worth of memories, Qingtan's unique constitution, and the stone talisman in your hand—these are all world-shaking secrets. If even one leaks, the entire Lin family could be destroyed!"
"So, only the three of us can know. Not a word to anyone else. At least not until we're strong enough to protect ourselves."
"Mm!"
Both Qingtan and Lin Dong nodded solemnly.
"Alright, it's getting late. Qingtan, rest early. Lin Dong and I should head back too. Tomorrow, let's keep working hard."
After a moment, Lin Fan let go of both of them and smiled.
With a wave to Qingtan, he turned and left the room.
Lin Dong followed behind, saying goodbye before he left as well.
After separating, Lin Fan returned to his own room.
He locked the door tightly, then began reflecting on the day's gains.
"A thousand Yang Essence Stones, ten Body Tempering Pills, three Yin Pearls… pretty impressive!"
"Plus, that scene just now gave me and the others a shared secret, strengthening our bond. That's a major win too."
"And now, time to test out the Heaven-Defying Comprehension!"
Sitting cross-legged, Lin Fan closed his eyes and began to recall the martial technique Uncle Lin Xiao had taught him—Tongbei Fist.
Many parts that had previously confused him suddenly became clear. Before long, he had grasped the technique on a much deeper level.
In fact, he even surpassed Lin Dong by one step—comprehending the essence of the tenth strike of Tongbei Fist ahead of him.
Delighted, Lin Fan stood up and immediately began practicing the form in his room.
Pa! Pa!
In the dark, his body moved like a nimble monkey, sweat pouring down like rain as he tirelessly executed the technique over and over again.
Pa! Pa! Pa!
Eventually, during one sequence, ten crisp sounds rang out simultaneously—it was only then that Lin Fan stopped.
"The tenth strike of Tongbei Fist! This one doesn't come from the arms, but from within the body—released from the inside out!"
"If I had mastered the tenth strike earlier today, I might've been able to face Lin Hong on my own—even defeat him—without needing Lin Xia to step in!"
Feeling the strength of the full technique, Lin Fan was quite satisfied.
Seeing that it was already deep into the night, he chose not to continue cultivating and went to rest instead.
Pacing yourself—that was the path to long-term success.
In the days that followed, Lin Fan began taking Body Tempering Pills to aid his cultivation.
He discovered that the effect was far better than before—many times more effective, in fact.
However, each pill's effect only lasted five days.
So, he took one pill every five days and focused on training with full effort.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.
One day, during his training, Lin Fan suddenly sensed a strange energy forming in his bone marrow.
The mysterious energy slowly flowed through his marrow, releasing a force that spread throughout his entire body.
"This is… a Yuan Force Seed!"
After a moment of thought, Lin Fan realized what it was, and joy welled up in his heart.
To temper one's strength into the marrow, allowing the birth of a Yuan Force Seed within—it was the hallmark of the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm!
"Less than twenty days since I broke through to the fifth level, and now I've reached the sixth!"
"Not bad! This cheat really feels amazing!"
Feeling the changes in his body, Lin Fan was ecstatic.
After a brief pause, he didn't continue cultivating. Instead, he decided to go find Lin Dong.
Over the past half month, outside of his own training, he'd also used the lottery system to "touch" a few familiar people. But he hadn't gotten anything especially good.
The best reward so far had been a second-grade spiritual herb from Lin Xiao.
As for Lin Dong and Qingtan, he hadn't received anything new from them.
Figuring he might be lucky today, Lin Fan decided to go try his luck with Lin Dong again.
"Lin Fan-ge, you're here!"
Lin Dong, in the middle of cultivating, paused and called out with a smile when he saw Lin Fan approaching.
Lin Fan stepped forward and patted Lin Dong's shoulder. "Lin Dong, cultivation is important, but don't overdo it. You've got to balance work and rest—it's the key to long-term growth."
Lin Dong nodded. "Thanks for the reminder, Lin Fan-ge. I'll keep that in mind."
At that very moment, the system's beautiful voice finally rang out in Lin Fan's mind once again!
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