Time flowed quietly.
Like water passing through a mountain stream.
Ever since the incident involving Lin Zheng and the subsequent investigation, life within the Lin Training Centre had gradually returned to normal.
The fear caused by the beast tide slowly faded.
Disciples resumed hunting missions.
The market regained its vitality.
Only those who had truly experienced the dangers of the cultivation world understood that peace was merely temporary.
Beneath the calm surface—
Storms were constantly gathering.
---
Inside his cultivation chamber.
Lin Sheng sat cross-legged atop a jade meditation platform.
The surrounding room was silent.
Only the rhythmic circulation of True Qi echoed faintly within his body.
His eyes remained closed.
Yet inside his mind, countless streams of information continuously flowed.
The chip was analyzing.
Calculating.
Optimizing.
For months now, Lin Sheng had devoted a large portion of his time toward understanding the true structure of the Innate Realm.
The deeper he investigated—
The more shocking his discoveries became.
---
The Innate Realm was commonly divided into three major stages.
Inner Energy.
Inner Strength.
Outer Strength.
Each realm further contained Early, Middle, and Late Stages.
Together—
Nine minor realms.
Most martial artists spent decades crossing them.
Many never succeeded.
According to common knowledge, the Innate Realm revolved around opening nine major acupoints.
Each acupoint acted as a reservoir.
A storage center for True Qi.
As cultivation increased, the amount of True Qi that could be stored also increased.
Eventually—
The acupoints would become the foundation for later realms.
However—
The chip had discovered something unusual.
Something that ordinary martial artists didn't know.
---
Within Lin Sheng's mind, a three-dimensional image of the human body floated.
Countless meridians glowed with golden light.
Nine major acupoints shone brilliantly.
But surrounding them—
Three additional points appeared.
Hidden.
Concealed.
Almost impossible to detect.
The chip had only discovered them after months of scanning and analyzing his own body.
"Three hidden acupoints..."
Lin Sheng thought quietly.
His eyes slowly opened.
A faint light flashed within them.
These hidden acupoints were not recorded within the ordinary martial arts manuals available in Cloud Mist Market.
Even many Innate Scriptures didn't mention them.
The vast majority of rogue martial artists would never discover their existence.
---
Through further analysis, Lin Sheng arrived at a conclusion.
The Innate Scriptures of the Lin Training Centre weren't actually incomplete.
Rather—
They contained methods to open one hidden acupoint.
The tenth acupoint.
The legendary symbol of Innate Perfection.
A realm very few disciples ever reached.
Most martial artists stopped after opening the ninth acupoint before attempting the breakthrough into Xuan Gang.
But those who opened the tenth acupoint possessed stronger foundations.
Greater True Qi reserves.
Higher chances of success.
The difference wasn't obvious immediately.
Yet it became increasingly important in later realms.
---
As for the remaining two hidden acupoints—
The chip still lacked sufficient information.
Their existence alone already exceeded the knowledge of most martial artists.
Perhaps only ancient inheritances possessed records regarding them.
Perhaps they belonged to a higher level of martial cultivation entirely.
Either way—
Lin Sheng had no intention of revealing such discoveries.
---
His attention returned inward.
Currently—
All nine major acupoints within his body had already opened.
True Essence flowed continuously through them.
The gaseous True Qi of the past had long since transformed.
Now liquid True Essence circulated throughout his meridians.
Each drop contained astonishing power.
The seventh acupoint.
The eighth acupoint.
The ninth acupoint.
All fully opened.
---
Yet surprisingly—
His cultivation realm remained at Innate Outer Strength Early Stage.
If outsiders discovered this, they would likely think something had gone wrong.
Normally—
Opening all nine acupoints required reaching at least Late Stage Outer Strength.
Yet Lin Sheng had achieved it far earlier.
The reason was simple.
The chip continuously optimized every breakthrough.
Every circulation route.
Every aspect of cultivation.
As a result, his foundation became increasingly solid.
Almost absurdly so.
---
Unfortunately—
The final stages of the Innate Realm couldn't simply be rushed.
Opening acupoints required time.
Patience.
Accumulation.
Even the chip couldn't violate fundamental laws.
The barriers surrounding the hidden acupoints needed gradual erosion.
Forcing them open would only damage future potential.
---
This was why certain pills were forbidden.
Many medicinal pills could rapidly flood the body with energy.
However—
Attempting to force open acupoints using such methods often damaged them permanently.
A damaged acupoint might still open.
But future cultivation would suffer.
Some martial artists gained temporary speed only to cripple themselves later.
---
According to the chip's calculations—
Even with perfect efficiency, Lin Sheng still required approximately one and a half to two years to fully complete the Innate Realm.
For others—
Such speed would already be monstrous.
For him—
It felt somewhat slow.
Still.
Cultivation was not a race.
The stronger the foundation—
The higher one could climb.
---
Meanwhile.
Elsewhere within the Core Courtyard.
Another disciple was facing his own challenges.
---
Inside a secluded cultivation room.
Lin Shou sat motionlessly.
A faint golden-red glow surrounded his body.
Pure Yang True Qi flowed continuously through his meridians.
The temperature inside the room rose steadily.
Even the wooden furniture emitted faint creaking sounds from the heat.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
Yet his expression remained calm.
Focused.
Determined.
---
Unlike his teammates—
Lin Shou's cultivation had become increasingly strange.
Ever since obtaining the inheritance of the Chaoyang True Scripture, his cultivation speed had accelerated dramatically.
At first, he assumed it was due to the quality of the scripture.
After all—
The Chaoyang True Scripture vastly surpassed the Scorching Flame Innate Scripture.
Its circulation routes were more efficient.
Its True Qi purer.
Its foundation stronger.
---
Yet over time—
Lin Shou noticed something unusual.
Even compared to expectations from the scripture itself—
His progress remained excessively fast.
Too fast.
---
Currently—
He had only fully filled his fifth acupoint.
Yet he was already attempting to impact the seventh.
Such cultivation speed bordered on absurdity.
Even Lin Sheng would raise an eyebrow upon hearing it.
Naturally—
Lin Shou began investigating.
---
Over the past few months, he spent countless hours within libraries.
Researching ancient records.
Searching through cultivation manuals.
Studying old notes left behind by previous generations.
Eventually—
He discovered something.
---
There existed special constitutions within the cultivation world.
Rare physiques blessed by heaven itself.
Some were born with exceptional affinity toward specific elements.
Others possessed extraordinary talents.
A few even enjoyed natural advantages throughout cultivation.
---
Among them was a physique known as the Pure Yang Constitution.
Or more commonly—
The Yang Body.
---
Individuals born with such constitutions possessed overwhelming Innate Yang energy.
Their vitality exceeded ordinary people.
Their blood was rich.
Their bodies naturally generated Yang Qi.
Cultivating fire-based and lightning-based techniques became significantly easier.
Body refinement progressed rapidly.
Recovery abilities improved.
Even their lifespan often surpassed ordinary cultivators.
---
The records described several methods through which such constitutions could arise.
The first involved bloodlines.
The second involved heavenly treasures consumed during pregnancy.
The third—
And rarest—
Involved birth timing.
---
A child born during a Yang Hour.
On a Yang Day.
Within a Yang Month.
During a Yang Year.
All four overlapping simultaneously.
Under extremely specific circumstances.
Could result in a Pure Yang Constitution.
---
Lin Shou stared at the ancient text.
The more he read—
The more everything aligned.
His cultivation speed.
His affinity toward Yang-based techniques.
The transformation of his True Qi.
The ease with which he cultivated the Chaoyang True Scripture.
Everything fit.
---
"Could it really be..."
He muttered softly.
The possibility shocked him.
If true—
His talent far exceeded his original expectations.
---
Unfortunately.
Every advantage came with a price.
The records also described the dangers of possessing such a constitution.
---
Pure Yang individuals were treasures.
Walking cultivation resources.
Especially for certain groups.
---
Female demonic cultivators specializing in Yin cultivation often hunted Yang Body possessors.
Absorbing their Yang essence greatly enhanced cultivation.
Some dual cultivation techniques specifically targeted such physiques.
---
Even worse—
Certain female yao beasts possessed similar instincts.
To them—
A Yang Body was equivalent to an extremely rare spiritual medicine.
Something worth fighting over.
Something worth killing for.
---
Lin Shou's expression became ugly.
The thought alone was unpleasant.
---
"So I'm basically prey."
He muttered bitterly.
The ancient records didn't sugarcoat the matter.
If news spread—
His life would become very difficult.
---
Fortunately—
Very few people possessed the ability to identify such constitutions directly.
As long as he remained careful.
As long as he concealed the characteristics of the Chaoyang True Scripture.
The risk remained manageable.
---
His thoughts returned to the inheritance.
The Chaoyang True Scripture truly was extraordinary.
Compared to the explosive and reckless nature of the Scorching Flame Scripture—
The Chaoyang method felt completely different.
Its flames weren't wild.
They were controlled.
Refined.
Dangerous in subtle ways.
---
If Scorching Flame True Qi resembled a raging inferno—
Then Pure Yang True Qi resembled sunlight.
Warm on the surface.
Yet capable of burning everything from within.
---
Once an opponent became infected by his True Qi—
The Yang energy would continue spreading internally.
Gradually igniting the target's body from the inside.
A terrifying ability.
---
The downside was equally obvious.
The characteristics differed too much from his previous cultivation method.
If the elders noticed—
Questions would arise.
Questions he couldn't answer.
---
Thankfully—
The two techniques shared enough similarities.
Fire-based foundations.
Yang attributes.
Related circulation routes.
With careful control—
He could disguise the Chaoyang True Qi as an enhanced version of the Scorching Flame True Qi.
At least temporarily.
---
"Until I find a suitable concealment technique..."
Lin Shou thought.
"I'll continue hiding it."
---
The Pure Yang True Qi slowly returned to his dantian.
The room's temperature gradually cooled.
Silence returned.
---
Outside.
The moon hung high above the Core Courtyard.