If Lin Yun pinned his hopes for growth on others, he would’ve likely tried every means to curry favour with Emperor Xingwu back when he was still in the Xingwu Empire.
Hearing this, Hall Master He of the Martial Tournament Hall felt that Lin Yun’s ambition and resolve were beyond his reach. He realised he shouldn’t judge Lin Yun with his own limited perspective.
“Lin Yun, you’re truly different from us. We’re mired in the mud, but you rise above it unstained. You can stand firm against a prince, holding fast to your principles and boundaries. I hope you carve out a place for yourself in the heavens,” Hall Master He sighed.
“Hall Master He, I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave,” Lin Yun said, clasping his fists.
…
Elsewhere.
Inside the Tongshen Hall of the imperial palace.
“Your Majesty, Prince Ji Yuan lacked martial virtue. If he’d continued suppressing his cultivation, he would’ve surely lost to Lin Yun,” the red-furred cat said.
Emperor Huoyun’s expression was less than pleased.
“This child Ji Yuan has excellent talent and a high bloodline purity, giving him a strong foundation. He learns quickly and breaks through realms swiftly, but his character is nowhere near Lin Yun’s. If his character were even half as good as Lin Yun’s, I’d be content,” Emperor Huoyun said, shaking his head.
With a wave of his hand, the projection before him vanished.
“Still, Lin Yun’s strength exceeded my expectations. He must’ve unleashed his full power today, and he’s stronger than I anticipated,” Emperor Huoyun remarked.
After a pause, he continued, “It’s good for Lin Yun to face some setbacks. It’ll spur him to strive harder. I’ve tried several times to let him taste defeat, but he’s always prevailed. This time was just right.”
Once, Emperor Huoyun sent Lin Yun to the Endless Sea for the Great Kun Ruins, hoping he’d face failure’s sting. Yet Lin Yun succeeded against the odds.
Emperor Huoyun had long wanted Lin Yun to experience setbacks to temper him, but it never happened.
…
Elsewhere.
Lin Yun headed straight for the imperial treasury.
His mind, however, was still on the recent events.
Though Ji Yuan’s breaking of his promise to suppress his cultivation irked Lin Yun, he wasn’t angry.
Was unfairness normal? Absolutely.
Unfairness permeated every corner of the world.
The weak were victims of injustice. To change that, one had to grow stronger. Complaining endlessly only kept you weak!
This experience made Lin Yun realise his strength was still lacking.
Against a prodigy like Ji Yuan, even with cultivation suppressed to the same level, the fight was tough. Lin Yun was still not strong enough.
Previously, Lin Yun’s Tribulation Realm opponents were mostly from sects or clans, whom he could easily crush.
But looking higher, people like Ji Yuan, with illustrious backgrounds, wielded weapons, techniques, and resources that rivalled Lin Yun’s—some even beyond his reach.
Forces with immortals surely had such geniuses too!
Lin Yun had to compete with them.
Still, today wasn’t without gains. Lin Yun successfully mastered the sixth form of the Shadow Sword Technique during the battle.
Soon, Lin Yun arrived at the imperial treasury.
Upon entering, he went straight to the third floor.
“Isn’t that Lin Yun? It’s been a while,” the elder on the third floor greeted him with a warm smile.
“Senior, I’ve been serving as the Lord of Dongyuan Prefecture, so I rarely come here,” Lin Yun replied with a smile.
“I’ve heard about your exploits. Being the Lord of Dongyuan Prefecture is no easy task, yet you’ve held firm. I even heard you conducted a major purge—truly a hero among the young,” the elder said, grinning.
“Senior, you flatter me. It may seem glorious, but only I know the hardships involved,” Lin Yun said with a courteous smile.
“Of course. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. By the way, you’re here to pick a technique, right? His Majesty sent word—you can choose one Heaven’s Path-grade technique,” the elder said, still smiling kindly.
“Yes, I’m here to select a technique, Senior. I’ll start looking,” Lin Yun said, visibly excited.
Heaven’s Path-grade techniques were so rare that even spirit crystals couldn’t buy them outside.
“You’re eager, aren’t you? Go pick one,” the elder said, waving his hand with a grin.
Lin Yun headed to the technique section on the third floor.
There were many techniques available.
With various types to choose from, Lin Yun considered his needs. For offensive techniques, he already had the Shadow Sword Technique and Shaking Heaven Hand, both formidable when mastered, so he didn’t need more.
For defensive and body-refining techniques, he had Withered Silence.
Soon, Lin Yun’s gaze settled on a technique called Eye of Void Silence.
This Eye of Void Silence could pierce through the void, leaving nothing hidden.
“If I master this Eye of Void Silence, I won’t have to worry about enemies escaping,” Lin Yun murmured.
If an enemy used a teleportation artefact to flee, the Eye of Void Silence could instantly discern their direction, allowing pursuit.
Once, when the demon clan sent two beasts to attack Lin Yun, and Huo Zhen arrived, the beasts fled swiftly. Lacking a way to track them, Lin Yun had to let them go.
As a Heaven’s Path-grade technique, the Eye of Void Silence’s ability to track escapees was exceptional.
With it, enemies would rarely escape.
“Alright, this is the one,” Lin Yun decided.
“Lin Yun, don’t you want a body-refining technique?” the elder asked, puzzled.
“I already have one, so I’m good,” Lin Yun said with a grin.
“I see. Alright, I’ll get it for you!”
The elder retrieved the Eye of Void Silence and handed it to Lin Yun.
“Senior, I’ll take my leave,” Lin Yun said, bowing after receiving the technique.
“Young man, train hard. Your future is boundless,” the elder said, smiling.
“Thank you for the kind words.”
With that, Lin Yun left the third floor.
He descended to the second floor.
The second floor was much larger, stocked with numerous Super God-grade and Holy Spirit-grade items.
“I should buy some resources here.”
Lin Yun browsed the second floor, spending millions of spirit crystals on several high-quality pills, including ones for healing, rapid inner energy recovery, and temporary strength boosts.
Then, Lin Yun left the treasury.
After exiting, he headed to the palace to bid farewell to His Majesty.
