Cultivation Begins with Skill Points-Chapter 171 Return

"You little rascal, always full of tricks. Do you think I’m that old-fashioned? Of course, such treasures are to be kept for oneself first."

Yin Daoyan naturally saw through Zhong Lin’s thoughts and jokingly scolded him.

Zhong Lin scratched his head and laughed foolishly, maintaining his childlike innocence.

"Pack up, let’s go home."

"Alright."

During this outing, not only did they obtain two Heavenly Essence Fruits, but they also acquired a batch of Spirit Stones. The harvest was enormous, and the smiles on the faces of the master and disciple never faded.

They hurried on their way when they came, but returned leisurely, with Zhong Lin constantly holding a piece of Spirit Stone. Using the "Five Elements Mixed Essence Skill," he drew on its energy like a trickle, continuously increasing his True Qi.

With the help of these Spirit Stones, Zhong Lin’s Martial Arts Cultivation advanced rapidly. In less than half a month, he had reached the Middle Stage of the First Grade Pure Essence Realm.

The so-called Early Stage, Middle Stage, and Late Stage are not strictly divided, mainly depending on the amount of True Qi in the Dantian. When True Qi can fill half of the Dantian, it is considered the Middle Stage.

One day, while Zhong Lin was cultivating, he heard a crisp sound from his palm. Instinctively looking down, he saw that the fist-sized Spirit Stone had turned into a pile of white powder, which scattered to the ground with a gentle breeze.

Although he had expected this, Zhong Lin still felt a bit of regret.

In the past, when using Spirit Stones for cultivation, he never dared to absorb all the energy at once. He only absorbed a portion before switching to another, hoping to see if these Spirit Stones had a self-restoration function.

Unfortunately, it was too fanciful. Whether under moonlight, sunlight, water, or fire, the energy in these Spirit Stones showed no change. Once absorbed, it couldn’t be restored.

This means that all these Spirit Stones are non-renewable resources. Once their energy is depleted, they turn into powder like the one before him.

Yin Daoyan also watched this scene, sighed, and said, "No wonder such Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are not mentioned in books. Even if obtained by our predecessors, they must have been exhausted long ago."

He paused, seemingly remembering something, and took out the five Spirit Stones that Zhong Lin had shared with him from his pocket, then stuffed them all back into Zhong Lin’s hands.

"Master, what are you doing...?"

"Spirit Stones are quite useful to me, but even more so to you. With these Spirit Stones, I might only break through to the First Grade Pure Essence Realm, but you can quickly reach the Peak of the First Grade. The Breakthrough Pill is about to be refined, and I don’t want our master-disciple pair to be unable to protect it, letting others benefit instead," Yin Daoyan said. frёewebηovel.cѳm

"It’s not that serious, right? After all, there’s the Sect Master."

Zhong Lin showed a puzzled expression.

Yin Daoyan said with a grave expression, "Zhong Lin, remember, never test people’s hearts. The heart is the most unpredictable thing. The Breakthrough Pill is crucial for breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm. If we really manage to refine it, neither the three Supreme Elders nor the other eight Elders will stand by idly, even if the Sect Master suppresses any unrest. If your cultivation hadn’t reached the First Grade Pure Essence Realm Middle Stage, I wouldn’t consider refining it so soon. Now, with the help of these Spirit Stones, reach the Peak of the First Grade early on. Once the Breakthrough Pill is completed, you’ll first step into the Grandmaster Realm and protect me."

Even though Yin Daoyan is incredibly loyal to the Sect, he wouldn’t risk the Breakthrough Pill by testing the three Supreme Elders and the other eight Elders. This is no longer just an Elixir, but a supreme path to becoming a Grandmaster, capable of driving anyone mad in pursuit of it.

Having said so much, Zhong Lin no longer refused, nodding in agreement.

"Disciple understands."

Since knowing these Spirit Stones are non-renewable, Zhong Lin no longer absorbed them cautiously, but fully utilized their energy, significantly speeding up the growth of his True Qi, hoping to reach the Perfection of the First Grade before leaving the Black Wind Forest and returning to the Sect.

After a few more days, the two of them continued their unhurried journey through the forest, but now there were obvious paths underfoot, no longer requiring them to clear the way. Having a path indicated they were about to exit the forest.

In these days, both the master and disciple were almost sick of seeing the monotonous scenery. They just wanted to leave, have a good wash, eat a decent meal, and sleep soundly.

Zhong Lin suddenly pricked up his ears, his expression unchanged, his gaze sharp as a knife, looking towards the front.

Seeing Zhong Lin’s reaction, Yin Daoyan quickly became vigilant. His disciple’s cultivation far surpassed his own, so something dangerous must be approaching.

With several screams, two blood-covered figures fled from the forest in panic. Both were heavily injured, their faces filled with terror.

"Is it them?"

The two young men were the Xu Family father and son they had encountered some days prior. Unlike their previous noble demeanor, they now resembled defeated dogs, their aura utterly chaotic.

Suddenly, the leaves in the forest ahead rustled, followed by the slow emergence of a two-meter-long, jet-black arm as thick as an adult’s thigh.

Seeing this arm, Yin Daoyan’s expression changed and he blurted out, "Long-Armed Golden-Backed Ape."

His voice full of surprise, clearly recognizing the creature.

The next moment, a three-meter tall, pitch-black ape with golden patterns on its back leaped from the forest.

Information about this creature quickly appeared in Zhong Lin’s mind.

Mutant Beast, Long-Armed Golden-Backed Ape.

Named for the golden patterns on its back, it possesses immense strength and incredible agility, along with iron-like arms. It’s said that a Third Grade Martial Artist once fought it but was smashed into pulp by its iron arms.

In the distance, the Xu Family father and son also noticed Zhong Lin and his master, looking surprised, but Xu Kelin nonetheless shouted, "Run, quickly run."

Despite his words, Xu Kelin’s face showed a hint of joy, grabbing Xu Sijin’s arm and running towards Yin Daoyan.

He had already determined Yin Daoyan to be an Upper Third Grades Martial Artist, and in this life-and-death crisis, he would not miss this chance.

Yin Daoyan glanced at Zhong Lin, who understood immediately.

The saying, "A disciple should undertake difficult tasks," was surely meant for a time like this?

With a shake of his back muscles, the Horse-Slaying Saber flew into the air and landed in Zhong Lin’s hand.

Clang!

A soft sound as the long saber left its scabbard, its hazy light suddenly shining brightly.

With the saber in hand, Zhong Lin’s once calm aura instantly turned sharp and dazzling.

"Sweeping thousands of troops."

The saber light appeared, a golden Sword Qi nearly a hundred meters long emerged in mid-air. The surrounding air was forcibly parted by the saber light, and the air currents it stirred swept the area like a fierce wind.

Amidst the clanging of the saber, a visible crack appeared in the sky, with the waves of air and atmosphere abruptly split into two.