The sect master nodded with a smile. “Good! My expectations for you aren’t too high. Just ranking higher than the other participants from the top sects will be enough.”
“I’ll do my best,” Lin Yun replied.
“To be precise, there are 26 days left until the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet. We’ll set off in 15 days. During these 15 days, you should further consolidate your strength and prepare for the Ten Thousand Flowers Competition. This competition will be tough. You won’t be able to use any magical artifacts, so you’ll have to rely entirely on your own strength,” the sect master explained.
“I understand. I’ll use this time to focus on my cultivation,” Lin Yun said confidently.
“By the way, Sect Master, have you reached the fourth tribulation of the Void Refining Realm?” Lin Yun asked curiously.
“Thanks to the Tribulation Elixir you gave me last time, reaching the fourth tribulation is a certainty. I’ve been refining and improving recently, and I should reach it within half a month,” the sect master said happily.
The sect master continued with a smile, “Also, my divine sense has improved significantly thanks to the fire-carving technique you contributed to the Heavenly Sword Sect. I’ve been using this method to enhance my divine sense.”
Indeed, the sect master had made considerable progress thanks to the resources Lin Yun had provided. In addition to the elixir and the carving technique, the Saint-level manuals, artifacts, and weapons Lin Yun had contributed had also boosted his strength.
Hearing about the sect master’s progress, Lin Yun felt pleased. The sect master was the strongest fighter in the Heavenly Sword Sect, and the stronger he became, the better he could protect the sect.
“Then I’ll take my leave now,” Lin Yun bowed.
With that, Lin Yun exited the main hall and headed to his residence in the inner sect.
“Senior Brother Lin Yun!”
“Hello, Senior Brother!”
As Lin Yun walked through the Heavenly Sword Sect, disciples greeted him enthusiastically, and Lin Yun responded with a smile.
“Liu Suyun!”
Lin Yun ran into Liu Suyun, the granddaughter of Elder Liu Sudong, in the square.
She had joined the Heavenly Sword Sect in the same batch as Lin Yun. While she wasn’t the most outstanding among her peers, she was still considered above average.
“Senior Brother Lin Yun,” Liu Suyun said, visibly nervous.
Clearly, Lin Yun’s current strength was so overwhelming that it made her feel immense pressure in his presence.
“Liu Suyun, we’re friends. There’s no need to be nervous or feel pressured. Just call me Lin Yun,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“I don’t want to feel this way, but your growth has been so rapid that it’s hard not to feel left behind,” Liu Suyun said with a bitter smile, her beautiful eyes flickering.
Liu Suyun couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy. Lin Yun had joined the sect at the same time as her, yet he had now become the pillar of the Heavenly Sword Sect, while she hadn’t even begun to make progress toward the Body Unity Realm.
They were no longer on the same level.
Back in Dongtan County, she had sensed that Lin Yun would achieve great things in the future, but she hadn’t expected him to reach such heights.
“Don’t be discouraged. I’ll put in a word with the sect to allocate more resources to you. However, how far you go ultimately depends on your own efforts,” Lin Yun said.
“Thank you! I’ll work hard! You’re my goal!” Liu Suyun said with determination.
“Then I’ll get going now,” Lin Yun said before taking his leave.
Liu Suyun watched Lin Yun’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
She knew that this man was beyond her reach.
…
Lin Yun returned to his courtyard in the inner sect.
In the courtyard.
The little green dragon had taken human form and came forward to greet him.
“Kid, you’re back so soon? Why didn’t you stay longer in the comfort of your hometown?” the little green dragon asked, surprised that Lin Yun had returned so quickly.
“After spending over a decade in the cultivation continent, I’ve grown accustomed to its harshness and constant dangers. I felt out of place without that sense of urgency. I don’t belong to that world anymore,” Lin Yun said with a bitter smile.
“Hmm, that makes sense. Here’s the Mind Tower for you.”
The little green dragon handed the Mind Tower to Lin Yun.
“How have your gains been during this time?” Lin Yun asked as he took the Mind Tower.
Although Lin Yun hadn’t been away for long, the little green dragon had been cultivating inside the Mind Tower, which meant he had effectively been training for several months.
“Not bad. With the 30,000 Tribulation Elixirs from the ruins, I’ve made significant progress,” the little green dragon said confidently.
“Next, I’ll need to go into seclusion and focus on my cultivation for a while,” Lin Yun said.
With that, Lin Yun took the Mind Tower into the cultivation chamber and then entered the Mind Tower’s space.
**Inside the Mind Tower’s space.**
“Logically speaking, it’s time to break through to the Mahayana Realm. Let’s try to stabilize my foundation further,” Lin Yun murmured.
Back in the ruins, after mastering the fusion of insights, Lin Yun had been in a hurry to leave and hadn’t spent much time studying it.
After that, he had been focused on returning home and hadn’t been in a rush.
But now that he had decided to participate in the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet, he needed to push his cultivation to the Mahayana Realm as soon as possible.
During the Thousand Sects War and the subsequent exploration of the ruins, Lin Yun had relied heavily on the little green dragon to overcome challenges.
However, in the Ten Thousand Flowers Competition, he wouldn’t be able to rely on the little green dragon or any magical artifacts. He would have to depend entirely on his own strength.
With that in mind, Lin Yun began using spirit crystals to further stabilize his peak third-stage Mahayana Realm foundation.
**Two days later.**
*Buzz!*
A surge of immense energy erupted from Lin Yun’s dantian, spreading throughout his body with a radiant glow. Every inch of his skin, flesh, and organs was nourished and strengthened, as if he had undergone a complete transformation.
His dantian had formed a vast ocean of internal energy, far more abundant than during the Void Refining Realm.
From a distance, Lin Yun appeared to be enveloped in a golden light.
This energy fluctuation lasted for several hours before gradually subsiding.
*Boom!*
Lin Yun suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing in his dark pupils.
He gently raised his hand, feeling the surging power within his body.
“The Mahayana Realm… I’ve made it!” Lin Yun’s face broke into a wide smile, his heart filled with excitement.
Although he had known that breaking through to the Mahayana Realm was inevitable after successfully fusing his insights, the actual breakthrough still filled him with joy.
Reaching the Mahayana Realm was a significant milestone for Lin Yun.
It meant that for a considerable period, he could focus on rapid improvement without worrying about bottlenecks—until he reached the peak of the third-stage Mahayana Realm.
For now, Lin Yun didn’t need to worry about hitting any bottlenecks.
