Lin Yun and Little Ape were a perfect match. Ever since their first bout, Lin Yun had a thoroughly satisfying battle with Little Ape every single day.

The outcomes varied, with wins and losses on both sides. Overall, however, Lin Yun was still a cut above. Little Ape hadn’t fully matured yet, and his body was still a bit weaker than Lin Yun’s Flawless Flesh Body.

"Little Ape, you lost again," Lin Yun said with a smile, having secured his victory.

ROAR, ROAR, ROAR... Hearing this, Little Ape pounded his chest with both paws and roared angrily, as if to say, ’You only won by a hair. What’s there to be proud of?’

Lin Yun and Little Ape were playing in the courtyard when the old steward hurried in. "Young Hero Lin," he said to Lin Yun, "the young master and his father are back."

"Oh? Let’s go see how much they’ve changed in the past two months," Lin Yun replied with a smile.

At Lin Yun’s words, the old steward led him toward the main hall. Along the way, the steward added with a smile, "The change is so drastic, I almost didn’t recognize the young master."

Reading between the lines of the old steward’s words, Lin Yun had a good idea of what to expect. ’It seems their two months in the Mysterious City really did change them a lot.’

When he arrived at the main hall, Lin Yun immediately spotted Qin Shanlin and his son. Their clothes were tattered and ruined, making them look like a pair of beggars at first glance.

After two months apart, there was no trace of anger on the faces of Qin Shanlin and his son when they saw Lin Yun. Instead, they wore faint smiles—subtle, but genuinely from the heart.

"Brother Lin Shan..." Qin Shanlin approached Lin Yun and was the first to greet him.

Lin Yun returned the faint smile. "So, how was it? I trust the Mysterious City taught you both quite a bit?"

"Haha, a great deal indeed."

The three of them chatted calmly while Qin Shitian, seated at the head of the hall, beamed from ear to ear. The change in his son and grandson had clearly made him overjoyed.

Qin Shanlin and his son didn’t elaborate on their life in the Mysterious City, but judging by their appearance, Lin Yun knew it must have been harsh. Nevertheless, the experience was surely one that would benefit them for the rest of their lives.

After they had chatted for a while, Qin Shitian spoke up. "Shanlin, Feng, go get cleaned up. I’ll have the kitchen prepare some fine dishes tonight so our family can enjoy a proper meal together."

Hearing this, both Qin Shanlin and Qin Feng stood and bowed to Qin Shitian. "Father, I’ll go wash up then."

Once the two had left, Qin Shitian turned to Lin Yun to express his gratitude. "Lin Shan, this is all thanks to you. Without you, I truly don’t know what I would have done."

Lin Yun smiled faintly. "Elder Qin, you actually had many options. You simply doted on them too much. I remember my father once told me that you can’t always teach a person with words, but life experiences will surely make them see the light. Only through experience can one truly learn right from wrong."

"Haha, you’re absolutely right! Life is a much better teacher than any person could ever be," Qin Shitian roared with laughter.

That evening, Qin Shitian was in high spirits. He even broke his usual custom and started drinking with Qin Shanlin. Naturally, Lin Yun and Qin Feng joined in.

During the meal, Qin Feng spoke to Lin Yun with great solemnity. "Brother Lin, I’ve figured it out. I want to go to Yanhuang Academy with you."

Qin Shitian was initially surprised by Qin Feng’s words, but Qin Shanlin simply smiled, suggesting he was already aware of his son’s decision.

Lin Yun didn’t refuse Qin Feng’s request. He simply asked, "Are you sure you’ve thought this through? Life at the Academy won’t be like it is in this little town. You won’t be able to throw your weight around there." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

In response to Lin Yun’s question, Qin Feng nodded resolutely. "I have. I want to venture out into the world. I want to become stronger. The Qin Family can’t remain the top Noble Family of a small town forever. I will bring glory to our name."

Qin Feng’s words were firm and powerful, and Qin Shitian, who was listening from the side, was visibly moved. ’What more could an old man ask for than to see his descendants strive for greatness?’

"Alright. Since you’ve made up your mind, we’ll set out tomorrow. There’s less than half a month until the Academy starts recruiting," Lin Yun said, nodding at Qin Feng in agreement.

The meal lasted late into the night. Qin Shitian, who rarely drank, became completely drunk and had to be helped back to his room by Qin Shanlin.

Early the next morning, Lin Yun and Little Ape once again devoured an entire Tier Two Demon Beast. Afterward, with Little Ape perched on his shoulder, Lin Yun went to the main hall.

Qin Feng was already packed and ready, a clear sign that he was truly determined to go to the Academy.

"Here, this is what I promised you." Seeing Lin Yun arrive, Qin Shitian gestured to the one thousand Low Grade Primordial Stones he had already prepared.

Looking at the neatly arranged Primordial Stones—twice the amount he had been promised—Lin Yun spoke up. "Elder Qin, we agreed on five hundred. I will only take five hundred. Please, take the rest back."

Having spent over two months with the Qin Family, Lin Yun felt he had already gained more than enough from them; he certainly wasn’t going to accept one thousand Primordial Stones now.

With that, Lin Yun took only five hundred Primordial Stones, leaving the remaining five hundred untouched. For a family like the Qins, one thousand Low Grade Primordial Stones represented more than half of their entire fortune.

"Elder Qin, I don’t have much to offer in return, but please accept this Body Technique Martial Skill. Consider it a small token of my gratitude." After storing the Primordial Stones, Lin Yun produced a copy of Inch Step that he had handwritten late last night.

"Earth Level... Top Tier..." Qin Shitian stammered as he took the copied manual for Inch Step. An Earth Level Top Tier Martial Skill! This was something even Primordial Ocean Realm experts would kill for.

"No, no, no! This Martial Skill is far too valuable! I absolutely cannot accept it," Qin Shitian insisted, trying to refuse.

By this point, however, Lin Yun had already led Qin Feng out of the main hall and was heading away from the Qin residence. Only his voice drifted back to them.

"Please accept it, Elder Qin. Consider it a small compensation from me."

Lin Yun and Qin Feng were already far in the distance. Qin Shitian cradled the Inch Step manual in his hands as if it were a priceless treasure. A Secret Manual like this couldn’t be bought even for ten thousand Low Grade Primordial Stones.

"Father, you should accept it. It’s a gesture of Lin Shan’s goodwill," Qin Shanlin said from the side.

Outside the Qin residence, Lin Yun and Qin Feng mounted the two fine steeds that had been prepared for them. With a crack of the reins, they galloped out of town.

This journey to Yunlu County City would be the first time Lin Yun had ever truly left the Yunlu Mountain Range. He had spent his childhood at Iron Gate Pass, and though he had spent the last year on the run, he had never ventured beyond the perimeter of the mountain range.

On what could be considered their first long journey, Lin Yun and Qin Feng truly felt the vastness of the Celestial Spirit Continent for the first time. The mountains, the grasslands, the lakes—just the small Yanhuang Country alone made them feel as if the world was their oyster.

"I’m so envious of those powerful experts who can travel to every corner of the Eastern Domain," Qin Feng sighed.

"Don’t envy them," Lin Yun replied calmly. "In the future, we will be the ones to travel the entire Celestial Spirit Continent."