The Treasures Palace was far more crowded than Fang Lin had expected, and the moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by a vast sea of disciples moving from one display to another with eager eyes and hushed conversations. Rows upon rows of weapons, rings, scrolls, and rare items were arranged neatly across the hall, each one glowing faintly under the soft light of spirit lamps. The atmosphere carried both excitement and quiet frustration, as most disciples could only look but not afford what they desired.
Fang Lin walked forward calmly, his gaze scanning the surroundings without lingering too long on any one item. As he moved deeper into the hall, he soon noticed two familiar figures standing near a display case that held a long azure spear.
Xuo Mu was the first to spot him, and his tired eyes immediately lit up with excitement as he rushed forward.
Xuo Mu said, "Fang Lin! Where did you go yesterday? You were taken away by that red-robed elder, and we thought something had happened to you. Later, Instructor Luo told us you had already passed the trials and became an outer sect disciple!"
Xue Ji stood beside him, her expression calmer, but there was clear relief in her eyes. She had also been worried, but since Xuo Mu had already spoken everything, she simply nodded slightly.
Fang Lin smiled faintly and replied, "Elder Feng took me away personally to conduct the final inspection. I passed, so I did not need to take the public trial."
As he spoke, Fang Lin took out his outer sect disciple token and showed it to them.
The moment Xuo Mu saw the number, his face brightened even more.
Xuo Mu laughed and said, "53579? That is very close to ours! I am in 53582, and Xue Ji is right next to me in 53583!"
Hearing this, Fang Lin felt a slight warmth in his heart. Even in a new place like this, he was not alone.
After a brief moment, Fang Lin said, "We will have time to talk later. Let's look around first."
Xuo Mu's expression quickly turned into one of frustration as he sighed and said, "Everything here is too expensive. We can only look."
Fang Lin chuckled softly but said nothing more, as his attention had already shifted. While he appeared to be casually browsing the treasures, his true focus was elsewhere.
He was thinking about the golden sphere within his sea of consciousness.
The three of them followed a maid who began introducing the lower-priced items first. The cheapest weapon on display was a simple blue sword labeled as a middle-level mortal-grade treasure, priced at twenty-five gold coins.
Fang Lin's gaze moved across several items before it suddenly stopped at a red-striped ring.
The description read: a spatial ring, lower-level Earth-grade, capable of storing items within a five-cubic-meter space.
Fang Lin quietly observed it and felt a faint sense of surprise.
"Just five cubic meters… and it costs two hundred gold coins," Fang Lin thought.
He lowered his gaze slightly, and his mind turned inward.
"I already have a spatial treasure that can hold far more… and it is hidden within my spiritual sea. If others knew about it…"
Fang Lin did not finish the thought.
Instead, his expression became slightly heavy.
His thoughts shifted to Uncle Wei.
"Why did you leave without saying anything…" Fang Lin thought quietly. "You left me with a sword, a technique, and a treasure. You wanted me to walk this path… but why alone?"
For a brief moment, Fang Lin's chest tightened with emotion.
Xuo Mu noticed his expression and immediately asked, "Fang Lin, what are you thinking about? Do you like that ring? It is too expensive… I only have fifteen gold coins."
Fang Lin shook his head gently and replied, "No. I was just thinking about Uncle Wei."
Xuo Mu paused for a moment before saying, "Now that you mention it… I did not see him when we left the village. You never told me what happened."
Seeing that Xuo Mu was about to continue endlessly, Fang Lin quickly led both of them out of the Treasures Palace.
Soon, the three returned to the outer disciple residence area.
Fang Lin stood before his room and said, "I am going to begin cultivating the Qi method provided by the sect. You two should also start soon. We can meet later in the evening."
Xuo Mu nodded eagerly, and Xue Ji also agreed.
They soon separated.
Fang Lin entered his room and closed the door behind him.
The room became silent.
He sat down cross-legged on his bed and slowly closed his eyes.
His consciousness entered his spiritual sea.
There, the golden sphere floated quietly.
Fang Lin focused on it.
Then—
Boom.
A stream of information flooded his mind.
Fang Lin's body trembled slightly as he absorbed everything.
The name of the technique appeared clearly.
Soul Metamorphosis Technique.
Fang Lin's breathing grew slightly heavier as he continued reading.
This technique was not related to Qi.
It was a soul cultivation technique.
It strengthened the soul.
Refined the sea of consciousness.
And unlocked terrifying abilities.
The technique had several levels.
The first level—
Solid Soul State.
Each level was further divided into lower, middle, upper, and peak stages.
Fang Lin's eyes widened slightly.
"A soul technique…" Fang Lin whispered.
Then he continued reading.
The first skill—
Soul Stealer.
Fang Lin carefully read its description and immediately felt a chill.
This skill could extract memories directly from another person's mind, as long as their soul was weaker. It could even place a soul lock and control a person's life or death under specific conditions.
The second skill—
Soul Trasher.
Fang Lin's heart trembled slightly as he read it.
This skill directly attacked the opponent's soul, making it unstable, weak, and vulnerable. If the opponent's soul was too weak, it could even shatter completely.
Fang Lin slowly opened his eyes for a moment, then closed them again.
"This… is dangerous," Fang Lin thought.
But at the same time—
It was incredibly powerful.
He immediately began practicing the method described within the technique.
Time passed quietly.
After nearly two hours, Fang Lin's forehead was covered in sweat, and a faint pressure built inside his mind.
He stopped.
But he could feel it clearly.
His soul had grown stronger.
At this rate—
He would soon enter the Solid Soul State.
Fang Lin exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.
Then he reached for the Qi manual.
The manual described the Qi Conjunction Realm.
Fang Lin read carefully.
This was the first true cultivation realm, where spiritual Qi was drawn into the body and merged with the meridians, flesh, and dantian. The realm was divided into four stages: early, middle, late, and peak.
It focused on strengthening the body, improving speed, and forming the foundation of cultivation.
Fang Lin nodded slightly.
"This is the starting point," Fang Lin thought.
He began practicing.
He followed the instructions and recited the mnemonic silently.
Soon—
He felt it.
Thin strands of Qi entered his body through his pores.
The feeling was subtle at first.
Then clearer.
The Qi flowed slowly through his body like a gentle stream, moving through his meridians and nourishing his flesh.
Fang Lin focused deeply.
Time passed without him noticing.
The Qi continued flowing.
Circulating.
Strengthening.
Then—
A faint barrier inside his body shattered.
Fang Lin's body trembled slightly.
He had entered—
The Early Stage of Qi Conjunction.
Fang Lin did not stop.
He continued cultivating.
The flow of Qi became smoother.
Stronger.
More natural.
His body adapted quickly.
Before long—
He reached the peak of the early stage.
Just one step away—
From breaking into the middle stage.
At that moment—
A knock sounded on the door.
Fang Lin slowly opened his eyes.
The cultivation session ended.
But inside his heart—
A new path had already begun.