Behind the Qingyun Sect, the old locust tree cast a crooked shadow on the ground. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged under the shade of the tree, tightly clutching the "Break and Rebuild Pill" in his hand.
He took a deep breath and put the pill into his mouth.
The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm yet domineering current that slid down the throat into the dantian. At first, there was a tingling, itchy sensation, which quickly turned into a tearing, excruciating pain—it was the broken meridians being forcibly stretched and reshaped, and the shattered dantian being gradually filled with spiritual energy.
Xiao Chen gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat instantly soaking his clothes. He didn't utter a sound, but stared intently at the air in front of him, his eyes filled with a thirst for power.
Lin Zhou watched lazily from a bamboo chair not far away. Seeing him trembling in pain, he casually slapped his hand on the stone table next to him.
"Buzz—"
A barely perceptible ray of light spread from the ground, enveloping the entire back mountain. In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from all directions surged wildly toward Xiao Chen like a drawn tide, gathering into a visible cloud of spiritual energy above his head.
"Phew..." Lin Zhou yawned. "I'll set up a spirit-gathering array so you don't recover too slowly and delay me from getting the reward."
This spirit-gathering array was a reward he received in his third year of signing in. It had been gathering dust in the warehouse for a long time, but it finally came in handy today.
With the support of a massive amount of spiritual energy, the warm current within Xiao Chen's body surged even more intensely. The excruciating pain from the reshaping of his meridians gradually subsided, replaced by a long-lost sense of fullness—a power even more immense than his peak was coursing through his limbs and bones!
"Qi Condensation... Foundation Establishment... Golden Core!"
In less than half a day, Xiao Chen's cultivation level soared like a rocket, breaking through his previous bottleneck and settling steadily at the early stage of the Golden Core realm!
He slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and raised his hand to punch the boulder beside him.
"boom!"
The boulder, half a person's height, shattered into dust in an instant.
Xiao Chen stared at his fist, his eyes blazing with unbelievable elation. He was back! His power had truly returned! And it was stronger than before, his foundation more solid than ever!
He suddenly stood up and grabbed the "rusty iron gun" that he had always carried on his back.
The gun, once in his hand, seemed to come alive, trembling slightly. Xiao Chen took a deep breath, the mantra of the "Prairie Fire Gun Manual" appearing in his mind, and his body moved instinctively.
Thrust, poke, chop, sweep...
After a series of marksmanship demonstrations, the gun moved like a dragon, accompanied by the sound of wind cutting through the air; sometimes as swift as thunder, sometimes as steady as a rock. Although it was the first time using it, it was as if he had practiced it hundreds of times, with every movement perfectly natural.
Is this the legacy of the ancient spear master?
Xiao Chen put away his gun and stood there, sweat beading on his forehead, but his heart was filled with excitement.
Lin Zhou nodded in approval: "Hmm, not bad, didn't embarrass me."
In reality, he couldn't tell the difference between good and bad marksmanship; he just thought it "looked pretty impressive."
Xiao Chen walked up to Lin Zhou and knelt on one knee: "Master, your cultivation has recovered. I humbly request that you allow me to return to Tianfeng City!"
"Why go back?" Lin Zhou raised an eyebrow.
"Revenge!" A fierce glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes. "The Xiao family abandoned me, Su Wanqing harmed me. If I don't avenge this, my heart will not be at peace. And those who bullied and humiliated me too!"
He paused, then said with utmost solemnity, "Once I have settled my score, I will return to serve my master, never abandoning him for the rest of my life, and dedicating myself to the Qingyun Sect!"
Lin Zhou clicked his tongue: "Revenge... that's too much trouble. Oh well, go ahead. If I don't let you go, you might develop inner demons, which will affect your future cultivation path."
But he also knew he couldn't stop these kinds of things. Anyway, as long as his apprentice didn't get himself involved in the trouble he caused, it was fine.
He took out three small jade bottles from his pocket and casually tossed them to Xiao Chen: "Here, take these."
Xiao Chen caught it, opened it, and saw three round pills inside, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance.
"Master, this is..."
"There are healing pills, life-saving pills, and one that can temporarily boost your cultivation level," Lin Zhou said casually. "You've just recovered, so don't get ambushed. I have plenty of these things in my warehouse; I can easily refine them, and they're worthless."
Xiao Chen's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the jade bottle.
Just casually refine it? It's worthless.
This grade of pill would cause a frenzy in Tianfeng City, yet his master said, "Just refine it casually."
Xiao Chen gripped the jade bottle tightly, his reverence for Lin Zhou deepening even further: "Thank you, Master!"
"Don't rush off." Lin Zhou waved his hand. "System... cough, I gave you ten days to comprehend the essence of the spear. How many days have passed? Go again tomorrow. Figure out the essence of the spear thoroughly today."
Xiao Chen was taken aback: "Spear intent?" Although his spear technique was strong, he had not yet reached the realm of "intent".
“Yes.” Lin Zhou stood up, walked to the corner of the yard, picked up a tree branch that had been broken by the wind. It was about the thickness of a wrist and looked unremarkable.
He casually tossed it into the air.
The branch traced an arc in the air and landed firmly on the ground in front of Xiao Chen with a "thud".
Strangely, as soon as the branch hit the ground, an incomparably sharp spear intent spread out, as if an invisible spear was suspended in mid-air, carrying an unstoppable sharpness that pierced straight into people's hearts!
Xiao Chen's pupils shrank sharply, and the hairs on his body stood on end!
This spear intent... is even purer and more domineering than what he felt outside the Eternal Spear Tomb!
He stared at the ordinary tree branch, as if he saw an ancient spear master standing there, indifferently looking down at him.
"This...this is..." Xiao Chen's voice trembled.
Lin Zhou clapped his hands, looking nonchalant: "Here, ponder it for a night, right? Once you've figured it out, go get your revenge tomorrow. Go early and come back early, don't disturb my peace and quiet."
After saying that, he turned and went back to the bamboo house, leaving Xiao Chen alone on the spot, staring intently at the branch stuck in the ground, his eyes filled with shock and fervor.
What kind of being is Master?
I guessed right, my master must be some kind of reclusive master!
How could a casually discarded tree branch contain such terrifying intent?
Xiao Chen took a deep breath, sat cross-legged in front of the tree branch, closed his eyes, and devoted himself to comprehending the meaning of the spear.
As night deepened, the back mountain of Qingyun Sect was silent, with only the spear intent emanating from the tree branch gradually merging with the aura emanating from Xiao Chen.
As dawn approached, Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes, a fleeting glimpse of a gun flashing in his gaze.
He picked up the rusty iron gun and gave it a gentle shake.
"Buzz—"
The tip of the spear emitted a soft, dragon-like cry, and a faint white spear light condensed.
Gun intent! He finally grasped the gun intent!
Xiao Chen looked in the direction of the bamboo house and bowed deeply.
Master's great kindness will never be forgotten by your disciple!
Tianfeng City, the Xiao family, Su Wanqing... are you ready to welcome my return?
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