Chapter 022: The Essence Spring

  The scene was reminiscent of eight years ago, when Lin Yuan had held a blood-soaked Yang Tian in his arms. The cold, determined look in Lin Yuan's eyes back then mirrored the one he wore now. It was as if Yang Tian was seeing that same pair of dark, resolute eyes from the past.

  *Cough... Cough...* Lin Yuan coughed violently, his face contorting in pain. Yet, beneath the pain, a faint smile of relief appeared. Over the years, he and Yang Tian had relied on each other for survival, and Lin Yuan had never doubted the boy's potential.

  "Foster Father, I'm sorry I came late. Are you alright?" Yang Tian carefully laid Lin Yuan on the ground, his eyes scanning the horrific wounds that covered his foster father's body. The sight of broken bones peeking through the flesh made Yang Tian's heart ache.

  "I'm fine. Just some flesh wounds. I won't die from this," Lin Yuan said with a weak smile, patting Yang Tian's head. His gaze then fell on the shattered iron chains on the ground, and a look of astonishment crossed his face.

  "Xiao Tian, where have you been all this time? How did your cultivation improve so quickly? These chains were forged from black iron. Even a ninth-level Blood Refining expert wouldn't be able to break them so easily," Lin Yuan said, his voice filled with disbelief as he examined Yang Tian's small hands.

  "Ah, I just had a breakthrough," Yang Tian scratched his head, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh, right! Foster Father, take this. It'll help you recover."

  Yang Tian quickly pulled out a Fire Dragon Fruit and, without waiting for Lin Yuan to respond, stuffed it into his mouth.

  "What kind of fruit is this?" Lin Yuan was startled but quickly sat cross-legged. The potent medicinal energy of the fruit rapidly healed his external injuries.

  "Foster Father's cultivation hasn't improved in years. This might help him break through," Yang Tian thought as he watched Lin Yuan enter a meditative state. He then turned his attention to a formation ahead and walked over.

  "The Star Martial Arts Hall must be after something valuable inside," Yang Tian muttered, staring at the green energy barrier. He extended his hand, generating a suction force that pulled a piece of iron chain toward the formation.

  *Whoosh! Whoosh!*

  As soon as the iron chain touched the green barrier, dozens of energy blades materialized out of thin air, piercing through the chain and dissipating shortly after.

  "A killing formation? Who could have set this up?" Yang Tian took a deep breath, feeling a sharp pain on his skin even from this distance. Only those deeply versed in formation arts could create such a deadly array, and it required a significant amount of blood stones and rare materials. Most major sects had protective killing formations, but this one was powerful enough to slay even the strongest experts.

  Suddenly, Lin Yuan's absorption of heaven and earth essence surged. The essence in the room converged toward him, and his blood energy churned violently. The potent medicinal energy of the Fire Dragon Fruit refined his body, and the abundant life force caused his graying hair to gradually turn black.

  "Haha, Foster Father is about to break through! I didn't expect the Fire Dragon Fruit to enhance life force as well. In the future, Foster Father will surely step into the Martial Artist realm and greatly extend his lifespan," Yang Tian thought, scratching his head as he watched Lin Yuan's youthful vigor return.

  Lin Yuan's body trembled as the medicinal energy of the Fire Dragon Fruit permeated his being. His cultivation level broke through, but the absorption didn't stop. The rate at which he consumed energy was even faster than before, causing ripples in the surrounding space.

  "He's going to break through two levels in one go!" Yang Tian's joy grew. Lin Yuan had accumulated a lot of energy over the years, but his worry for Yang Tian's health had held him back. Now, with the Fire Dragon Fruit's energy, his dormant blood energy was fully activated, and a vast life force continued to bloom.

  "Tomorrow is the martial arts tournament," Yang Tian clenched his fists, a sharp killing intent flashing in his eyes. He then pulled out a jade slip and immersed himself in the cultivation of the Gale-Splitting Palm.

  Martial skills held a significant place on the continent, no less important than cultivation techniques. In battles between peers, possessing a profound martial skill could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

  In the entire Qing Stone Town, there might not be a single Earth-grade martial skill. If an auction house were to sell one, it would undoubtedly cause a frenzy, with prices soaring to tens of thousands of blood stones. The Gale-Splitting Palm Yang Tian had obtained was at least an Earth-grade mid-level skill, if not higher.

  Martial skills were categorized similarly to cultivation techniques. Legend had it that some Heaven-grade techniques possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth. Like the giant's fist technique Yang Tian had witnessed, which could effortlessly shatter stars—though that required immense cultivation to support.

  On the continent, Heaven-grade martial skills were held by those at the very top of the pyramid. When ancient ruins yielded high-grade martial skills, it often sparked bloody conflicts across the land.

  Yang Tian sat cross-legged in the cave, his breathing steady and his mind clear. The profound insights of the martial skill resonated within him.

  Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. His hands, resting on his thighs, rose into the air as he channeled all his blood energy into them. The surrounding heaven and earth essence was drawn in, converging onto his palms.

  A vortex of blood energy formed on his palms, and the surrounding essence poured in. However, the energy flow wasn't smooth. Yang Tian's expression changed slightly as he swung his hand, sending a crimson blade of energy toward the wall.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  *Boom!* The blade of energy sliced through the air, leaving a faint crack on the wall. The damage was minimal, barely visible to the naked eye.

  "Hmm..." Yang Tian frowned, dissatisfied with the result. The wall could have been shattered with pure physical strength alone. It seemed mastering a martial skill wasn't as easy as he thought.

  But Yang Tian wasn't discouraged. He immersed himself once more in the cultivation of the Gale-Splitting Palm...

  Three hours later, Yang Tian's hands moved with fluid precision. The sound of tearing air echoed as multiple afterimages danced around him, creating an almost mesmerizing display. The blade of energy on his palms was much more refined than before.

  "Ha!" With a low shout, Yang Tian sent several blades of energy flying toward the wall. Sparks flew as cracks rapidly spread across the surface.

  "Not bad," Yang Tian nodded in satisfaction. Mastering a martial skill to this extent in just a few hours was no small feat, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

  "Break!"

  A sudden shout caught Yang Tian's attention. He turned to see Lin Yuan's mouth and nose wide open, greedily absorbing the dense heaven and earth essence around him. His body glowed like a furnace, refining the energy.

  "He's almost there. Breaking through to the ninth level isn't easy," Yang Tian muttered, frowning slightly. Then, as if remembering something, he slapped his forehead and pulled out three blood pills from the spatial ring he had looted earlier. With a flick of his finger, the pills flew into Lin Yuan's mouth.

  The furnace-like energy within Lin Yuan surged as he sensed the potent medicinal energy. A wave of gratitude washed over him—who else but Yang Tian would be by his side at a time like this?

  "Break!" Lin Yuan once again mobilized his blood energy. With the help of the powerful medicinal energy, his aura soared, and the faint blood energy around him solidified.

  "After the Fire Dragon Fruit transformed his dantian, Foster Father's strength now surpasses even Wang Feng's. His chances of breaking through to the Martial Artist realm have greatly increased," Yang Tian thought, scratching his head with a pleased smile.

  A moment later, Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes. He carefully sensed the surging blood energy within him, which was now several times stronger than before. His combat power had reached an astonishing level.

  "Xiao Tian, what kind of fruit is this? Its effects are incredible. It actually expanded my dantian," Lin Yuan said, his voice filled with awe. He had never heard of any treasure on the continent that could alter one's dantian.

  Even the Qingyang Continent had been searching for such items, but their prices were astronomical, enough to drive even major sects into a frenzy.

  "It's just a rare fruit I stumbled upon. You can only take one, though. Any more won't have much effect," Yang Tian said with a chuckle.

  "Xiao Tian, you must never let anyone know about this fruit. Years ago, the Qingyang Continent was searching for fruits related to the dantian. If word gets out, powerful experts will come after you," Lin Yuan warned.

  "Don't worry, Foster Father. I understand the dangers of possessing such a treasure," Yang Tian said, smiling as he looked at Lin Yuan's rejuvenated face.

  "The effects of this fruit are truly astonishing. Not only did it expand my dantian, but it also enhanced my life force. It's unbelievable," Lin Yuan said, touching his now younger-looking face. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "Xiao Tian, what happened during these past days?"

  Yang Tian recounted everything that had happened...

  *Bang!*

  After hearing Yang Tian's story, Lin Yuan's face twisted in rage. He slammed his fist into the wall, shouting, "Star Martial Arts Hall!"

  "Foster Father, what exactly is inside here that they're so desperate to get?" Yang Tian asked, pointing at the killing formation.

  "Ah," Lin Yuan sighed, his expression turning somber. "Long ago, the Dragon Star Martial Hall was a renowned institution across the Qingyang Empire. When my grandfather was the hall master, we faced a powerful enemy."

  "Although we defeated them, the Dragon Star Martial Hall was severely weakened, and our resources were nearly depleted. Some took advantage of the situation and stole our cultivation techniques. That's why we ended up in Qing Stone Town."

  "This killing formation was left by my father before he passed away. Inside lies an Essence Spring!"

  "An Essence Spring!" Yang Tian's eyes widened in shock, and he couldn't help but suck in a breath. Essence Springs were legendary treasures on the continent. Every prominent family possessed one.

  Cultivating near an Essence Spring was dozens of times faster than normal meditation. Even without actively cultivating, one's strength would increase daily. The power of an Essence Spring was truly terrifying.

  "But..."

  Lin Yuan waved his hand, cutting Yang Tian off. He smiled bitterly, "Although this killing formation is incredibly powerful, my cultivation isn't strong enough to activate it. My father, fearing I wouldn't be able to protect the Essence Spring and preserve our ancestors' legacy, sealed the formation completely. I can't open it."

  "Uh..." Yang Tian's mouth twitched, and he rolled his eyes. "What level of cultivation is needed to open it?"

  "I'm not sure if I can do it now, but I'll try," Lin Yuan said. He walked up to the formation and began drawing arcs in the air with his fingers. Several talismans appeared in the air.

  "Go!" Lin Yuan waved his hand, and the talismans flew toward the green barrier. As they made contact, ripples spread across the surface.

  Lin Yuan's fingers moved rapidly, creating more talismans that flew toward the formation. As time passed, his face grew pale, and his once abundant blood energy began to wane.

  "This formation is insane. It requires such a complicated method to open?" Yang Tian muttered, scratching his head in disbelief. In just a short while, Lin Yuan had formed over a thousand hand seals.

  *Sizzle...*

  Suddenly, the green barrier rippled violently, and a small door slowly opened. At the same time, a surge of dense heaven and earth essence burst forth, almost tangible in its intensity.

  "Holy... this is insane," Yang Tian's eyes widened as if he had just eaten a divine fruit. His entire body felt incredibly comfortable, and his pores greedily absorbed the overwhelmingly rich essence.

  "Truly worthy of an Essence Spring. Though, for me, its use isn't as significant," Yang Tian thought, shaking his head slightly. While the essence here was several times denser than inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring, the path of martial arts required tempering one's will through life-and-death battles to reach the pinnacle.

  Cultivating through meditation alone might speed up progress, but it would eventually erode the heart of a true warrior.

  Inside the formation, a ten-foot-wide spring gushed with essence. This chamber would soon become a treasure trove.

  "Xiao Tian, this was the foundation of the Dragon Star Martial Hall in its heyday. Unfortunately, my talent is limited, and I may never reach higher realms to fulfill our ancestors' wishes," Lin Yuan said, patting Yang Tian's head with a faint smile.

  "Foster Father, once I've grown stronger, I will restore the Dragon Star Martial Hall to its former glory," Yang Tian declared, clenching his fists with determination.

  "Ha, I'll be waiting for that day," Lin Yuan said, his heart warmed by Yang Tian's words. Then, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he clenched his powerful fists. "But first, we need to deal with the present. The Star Martial Arts Hall must pay for what they've done."

  "Agreed," Yang Tian nodded, and the two of them leaped back into the room.

  Inside the room, Yang Tian and Lin Yuan stared at the head instructor's lifeless body, which had collided with the wall. A sense of satisfaction rose within them.

  "Haha, the old bastard killed himself. He actually killed himself!" Lin Yuan burst into laughter, the gloom of the past few days dissipating.