Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

In the cool cave, Lin Dong lay leisurely in the stone pool, feeling the strange liquid seep into his body, bringing a sense of comfort. His face was filled with an expression of deep enjoyment.

In the pool water, thin strands of light red liquid adhered to Lin Dong’s body, then continuously seeped through his pores, nourishing the muscles and bones that had become sore from intense training. Under the nourishment of these liquids, Lin Dong’s body greedily devoured the beneficial liquid, as if it were a starving ghost that hadn’t eaten for years.

“Buzz!”

While Lin Dong had his eyes closed, the pool water suddenly rippled, and he immediately felt an itchy pain from under his skin all over his body.

The sudden itchy pain startled Lin Dong, and he quickly opened his eyes. But then, when he saw small pieces of skin flaking off his body, his shock immediately turned to wild joy.

Skin shedding, this was a phenomenon that only occurred when one truly advanced to the fourth level of Body Tempering!

“Finally, I’ve reached this step…”

Lin Dong licked his lips, feeling a bit excited. The nine levels of Body Tempering, the first three were simple physical training. Only by reaching the fourth level could one truly feel the benefits of cultivation. After skin shedding, the new skin was as tough as wood or stone, greatly enhancing both strength and resistance to attacks. Compared to the third level, it was a significant improvement.

Under Lin Dong’s watchful eyes, the skin flakes on his body quickly fell off. Once the flakes were gone, he rolled around in the stone pool, then jumped out, slowly touching his arm. Wherever his hand passed, it felt like touching smooth wood or stone, giving him a unique sense of hardness.

“Clap, clap, clap…”

Suppressing his excitement, Lin Dong immediately performed the Back Fist technique. As he completed the set of boxing moves, the wind whistled, and even the dust on the ground was stirred up. The momentum was far greater than before.

After finishing the boxing routine, Lin Dong chuckled, glanced at the stone pool, and said with a smile, “Thank you.”

After laughing, Lin Dong suddenly thought of something and frowned as he looked at the stone pool. After absorbing the liquid for about ten days, he felt that the light red liquid in the stone pool was gradually decreasing.

“It seems the light red liquid in the stone pool will eventually run out…” Lin Dong scratched his head, not feeling particularly panicked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle, no bigger than a finger, which was transparent. Upon closer inspection, two drops of red liquid could be seen inside the bottle.

Over time, while carrying the mysterious stone talisman, Lin Dong had discovered a small secret. Every five days or so, a small indentation on the stone talisman would fill with a tiny drop of red liquid. Lin Dong was not unfamiliar with this liquid; it was the same light red liquid that appeared in the stone pool after he dripped his blood into it. However, this tiny drop was much more concentrated than the liquid in the stone pool.

“It seems the stone pool cannot maintain the liquid for a long time.” Lin Dong mused. Otherwise, over the years, the stone pool would have been filled with the red liquid, rather than showing signs of depletion after just ten days of use.

“In the future, I’ll have to drip this in myself when I come here.”

Lin Dong touched the small bottle, feeling a bit reluctant. This liquid was rare, taking five days to produce just a tiny drop. Its value was self-evident. He also wanted to find a chance to secretly give a drop of the red liquid to Lin Xiao, as he believed this miraculous substance would greatly help with Lin Xiao’s injuries.

Sighing lightly, Lin Dong put the bottle away, put on his clothes, and slipped out of the cave, returning to the training area. However, just as he was about to start training, a figure suddenly ran over in a hurry, shouting, “Lin Dong, something’s wrong!”

“Lin Changqiang, what’s the matter?”

Lin Dong glanced at the figure, picked up two solid stone blocks, and lifted them forcefully, saying lazily.

The person who ran over was a boy who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, a bit chubby, and round like a ball. This boy was named Lin Changqiang, the son of Lin Dong’s fifth uncle. The two had a fairly good relationship, though Lin Dong knew that the boy was actually interested in Qing Tan, which was why he tried to get close to him. Overall, Lin Dong had a good impression of him.

“Qing Tan is in trouble.” Lin Changqiang panted after running for a while.

“Bang!”

The stone blocks in Lin Dong’s hands suddenly fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. His face darkened, and he asked, “What happened?”

Lin Dong cared deeply for his sister. The little girl had always been very sensible, and despite her young age, she showed no signs of being spoiled. At home, even his usually strict father couldn’t bear to be harsh with her. Though they were not blood-related, Qing Tan was undoubtedly treated like a little princess in the family.

“Damn it, it’s all because of that bastard Lin Shan.”

Lin Changqiang cursed, “Qing Tan went to the forest behind the mountain today and found a Red Sun Grass. Unfortunately, Lin Shan and his gang saw her, and now they’re blocking her from leaving.”

“It’s Lin Shan again!”

A flash of anger crossed Lin Dong’s eyes. Qing Tan had been running to the forest behind the mountain recently. Lin Dong knew her plan; she was looking for medicinal herbs to help with his cultivation. She had done this before, but after nearly getting injured during one of her searches, her father had forbidden her from doing it. He hadn’t expected her to sneak out again so soon.

“Lead the way.” Lin Dong dusted off his hands and said.

“Uh? You’re going alone? Why don’t we call Uncle Three?”

Seeing that Lin Dong was going alone, Lin Changqiang quickly tried to stop him. The last time, this guy had been beaten unconscious by Lin Shan. If he went again, he would likely get another beating. Although he also disliked Lin Shan, he had to admit that the guy was strong.

“Don’t argue. If Qing Tan gets bullied and you don’t help, you won’t be able to play with her anymore.” Lin Dong frowned. Lin Changqiang’s Uncle Three was his father, Lin Xiao. However, for matters involving the younger generation, having the adults intervene would only result in a few scoldings, which wouldn’t satisfy his desire for revenge.

“Alright, alright, I’ll lead the way. If Lin Shan tries anything, I’ll help you. I’m at the third level of Body Tempering now, so a few hits won’t hurt me.”

Lin Changqiang scratched his head, a bit afraid of Lin Dong’s threat, and quickly turned to lead the way.

Seeing Lin Changqiang’s round figure, Lin Dong couldn’t help but smile, but his face soon tightened. Clenching his teeth, he muttered, “Lin Shan, this time I’ll beat you like a dog!”

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