Two months flashed by. Lin Haoming had completely absorbed all the spiritual marrow he obtained from the Marrow-Eating Bugs. He could clearly feel that his bones had become much more resilient, and his physical strength had increased significantly. By circulating his technique, accompanied by the crisp cracking sounds of his skeleton shifting, he could even instantaneously extend his arm by half a foot. As for the legendary Bone-Shrinking Art, he could now perform it with ease.
At this stage, Lin knew he had officially reached the entry level of this cultivation method. Of course, this was largely thanks to the Divine Bone Old Man's commentary, the ready-made spiritual marrow, and the Demon Accumulation Bead. Without these, such rapid progress would have been impossible.
Calculating the time, the battle for the Red Leaf Mountain Spirit Stone Mine was only half a month away. Lin decided to halt his cultivation for now.
---
Leaving Southern Liang
Upon leaving the Soaring Cloud Tower, Lin Haoming reunited with Li Shuntian. During Lin's seclusion, Li had settled his scores, executing the Palace Manager responsible for the internal atrocities with extreme cruelty—skinning him alive and refining his soul. Li had also installed a brother he liked as the new Emperor, charging him to treat their mother well.
With affairs in Southern Liang concluded, Lin prepared to return to the sect, bringing three youths with him. Among the two boys and one girl, the girl was a rare talent with a Dual Spirit Root of Water and Fire. Specifically, she possessed a Blazing Fire Physique where weak water actually fueled her strong fire.
Unfortunately, her spiritual marrow had been heavily extracted, leaving her naturally frail. If not for that, her future would have been limitless. Even so, Lin estimated she had a high chance of reaching Foundation Establishment. The two boys were ordinary children with Triple Spirit Roots.
When they arrived at the sect's Teleportation Hall, the children—experiencing a teleportation array for the first time—were overcome by the side effects and began to retch. Lin cast a small spell on each of them, and their complexions quickly recovered.
---
The Hall of Deacon Affairs
Lin wasted no time and headed straight for the second floor's Hall of Deacon Affairs. This hall managed the concrete daily operations of the sect. While it was headed by a Golden Core Ancestor, those elders were usually busy with their own cultivation, leaving the actual work to Foundation Establishment Deacons. Finding children with good aptitude and bringing them here typically resulted in a reward.
More importantly, Lin needed to explain the death of Qian Yuanshu. If the sect discovered the death of an inner disciple on their own, there would be an investigation.
After waiting for half an hour in a side hall, a white-bearded old man walked in unhurriedly. Lin recognized him as a Foundation Establishment senior and bowed respectfully. "Junior Lin Haoming greets Senior!"
"My name is Lu," the old man said, glancing at the youths. "Are these the children you found?"
Lin spun the cover story he had prepared: he had accompanied Li Shuntian back to his home country and accidentally discovered Qian Yuanshu's plot against these children. As for why Qian was doing it, Lin feigned ignorance.
Deacon Lu didn't care much for the details. He asked the children a few questions; having been terrified by Qian and saved by Lin, their gratitude was genuine and palpable. This was enough to satisfy the Deacon. He then checked their aptitudes.
Upon discovering the girl's talent, Lu's eyes brightened. "This little girl has excellent potential! Martial Nephew Lin, you have performed a great service. According to sect rules, merit must be rewarded. Let me calculate how many Sect Contribution Points you should receive."
Lin noticed the old man kept glancing at the youths without giving a final number. He realized immediately: this old fox wanted a kickback.
Lin wasn't one to be stingy. He pulled out a Mid-grade Spirit Stone and pressed it into the old man's hand with a smile. "This was recovered from that traitor. It should be turned over to the public!"
Deacon Lu's smile turned genuine as he pocketed the stone. "For the two boys, you receive one point each. For this girl, you receive ten. Including the elimination of a traitor who was harming the sect's future talents, I shall grant you a total of fifteen Contribution Points!"
Normally, it took one hundred Spirit Stones to exchange for a single point. Fifteen points were equivalent to one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. Lu was being quite generous, but Lin knew those points were vital. They weren't just for buying pills; they were the currency required to enter the Sect Library. To master the Divine Bone Art, Lin would need to consult many ancient texts.
"Thank you, Senior Lu. If I encounter similar matters in the future, I will surely seek your guidance again," Lin said, deliberately showing goodwill.
Lu was delighted. Usually, Qi Refining disciples offered ten or twenty low-grade stones as a respect gift. Lin's mid-grade stone made him a fat sheep worth keeping around. "Very good, very good!"
---
A Shocking Transformation
Leaving the hall, Lin returned to his small shop. As soon as he walked in, Bao Wenliang shouted, "Senior Brother Lin! You're finally back! Senior Xie has looked for you three times already. She said if you returned today, you must go see her immediately!"
"Senior Xie? Did Xie Ruolan succeed in her Foundation Establishment?" Lin focused on the title Bao had used.
Bao Wenliang nodded. "She came out of seclusion half a month ago. Immediately after, she came looking for you!"
Lin felt a wave of helplessness. Xie Ruolan was only seventeen, yet she had already reached Foundation Establishment. He had assumed she would spend more time deepening her mana before taking the Foundation Establishment Pill.
He had fantasized about bullying her one day; now, it seemed that dream was deferred for at least twenty or thirty years. And since she wanted to see him, he had no choice but to go.
"Wenliang," Lin said, gesturing to Li Shuntian. "You remember Shuntian. From now on, he's one of my men, just like you. He'll stay here. Teach him the rules, and don't bring up any of your past grievances."
Leaving the two of them to get acquainted, Lin turned back toward the second floor to face the newly-ascended Senior Xie.