Chapter 20: How to Become Stronger Without Paying

The Heart-Clearing Lotus is a snow-white lotus flower. As Lin Heng held it in his hand, he could feel a powerful surge of vitality emanating from it, along with the ability to accelerate his cognitive functions. Without hesitation, he consumed it.

In terms of taste, it was sweet and melted the moment it touched his tongue. A refreshing sensation flowed throughout his body; beyond his physique being tempered and his vital energy (qi and blood) becoming more robust, Lin Heng felt the speed of his thoughts increasing.

Next, Lin Heng consumed the Five-Element Ganoderma. This is a spirit fungus shrouded in five-colored light. Upon swallowing it, he clearly felt the vital energy within his internal organs being activated. His ability to digest and absorb food improved significantly, and his capacity to recover his spirit and vitality was enhanced.

Finally, Lin Heng consumed the Blood Pear, which was crystal clear and looked as if it had been carved from blood-colored glaze. His entire body’s vital energy was powerfully nourished and sublimated, becoming even more potent. Every drop of his blood turned a brilliant, ruby-like crimson, imbued with terrifying life force and vigor.

After quietly contemplating the nourishing effects brought by these rare treasures, Lin Heng began to wield his sword to practice, facilitating his physical transformation. The vital energy within him surged, continuously nourishing his entire body. At the same time, a vast amount of natural energy from the world converged toward him, combining with the medicinal potency of the three treasures to wash over his body as a more refined essence.

He could clearly feel his sinews, bones, flesh, internal organs, and brain growing. His body grew rapidly, soon stretching by five centimeters to reach a height of one meter and seventy. Old skin began to shed from his body's surface. The newly emerged skin, while maintaining its fair and jade-like appearance, became tougher and more resilient.

By the time the transformation concluded, Lin Heng had fully digested the three treasures, reaching the third level of the Grandmaster realm. At this moment, his bodily functions had seen a leap in performance; his cognitive speed and physical strength were incomparable to what they had been before. At this rate of growth, by the time Lin Heng reached the ninth level of the Grandmaster realm, his body would reach maturity and achieve its peak, perfect state prematurely.

Beyond this practical increase in combat power, Lin Heng could clearly feel that his speed in absorbing and refining the natural energy of the world had increased. Although the gain was modest—about three percent in total, with each treasure contributing one percent—it was indeed faster. Given Lin Heng’s natural talent and aptitude, even such a slight bonus was rare.

This meant that all of Lin Heng’s future cultivation, recovery speed during combat, and the power of his sword techniques would receive a three-percent boost from the natural energy of the world. This justified the price of five hundred thousand taels of silver for a single rare treasure.

"It is getting late; I shall take my leave, Master." With the three treasures refined, the moon was already at its zenith. Lin Heng bid farewell to Xiao Rang. Although the physical transformation had dispelled the exhaustion accumulated from a day of training, his body was still in a growth phase, requiring sleep to realize its full potential. Thus, he still felt sleepy.

"Rest well, my disciple." Xiao Rang watched Lin Heng's progress with a nod of satisfaction. Advancing two levels of cultivation through three rare treasures represented a highly efficient conversion rate. At this pace, Lin Heng’s future was limitless.

After receiving permission, Lin Heng returned to his room, washed up, and went to sleep. Upon waking, he felt his physical state was better than ever. With the help of his maid, he washed, ate a breakfast of spirit-infused food, and then headed to the Cold Pool. He applied Vajra Massage Oil to his entire body, and once absorbed, he swallowed a Snow-Heart Pill before beginning his day’s training.

In the ice-blue waters of the Cold Pool, Lin Heng, his skin shimmering golden from the massage oil, danced with his sword. He could clearly feel the icy chill of the pool stimulating his potential, while the massage oil turned into a searing heat that burned from his skin deep into his body. In his stomach, the Snow-Heart Pill dissolved into a cold current, constantly nourishing his brain and spirit.

After adapting to this state, Lin Heng entered a state of focus where he became oblivious to his own existence. His figure darted through the water, his sword light flashing like a dragon in its element. Apart from a brief quarter-hour break for lunch, Lin Heng practiced his sword in the Cold Pool all day without pause.

By evening, as Lin Heng assessed his progress, he immediately noticed the changes. Compared to the day before, his cultivation had progressed significantly, with clear improvements in his physique, internal breath, and spirit.

"If I continue at this pace, I can transform my physique once every four months. Combined with the year of cultivation time saved by yesterday's three rare treasures, at this rate, I can reach the perfection of the twenty-seventh level of the Grandmaster realm in at most five or six years."

"If nothing goes wrong, I will reach the Great Grandmaster realm much sooner than expected."

"Indeed, one cannot grow stronger without spending money."

As he calculated these thoughts, a smile appeared on Lin Heng's face. While reaching the Great Grandmaster realm before the age of twenty-five was already impressive, the prospects of reaching it years earlier were clearly even broader.

Driven by his rapid progress, Lin Heng felt a stronger motivation than ever. He entered a state of extreme focus, ignoring the world outside and dedicating every waking moment to his cultivation.

Just as Lin Heng was focusing on his training, news of him becoming a Grandmaster at under ten years of age, accompanied by invitations to his Grandmaster Ceremony, spread throughout the entire Lan Prefecture martial arts world. Everyone who heard this was stunned. They had only just digested the shocking news of Lin Heng reaching the Innate realm at age seven, and now, just two and a half years later, he had already become a Grandmaster!

Such a heaven-sent genius was truly a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. If all went well, he would inevitably become a legendary expert at the Celestial realm. Many martial artists began gathering at the Cloud Sword Palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of this peerless prodigy. Some wandering martial artists and neutral factions were also secretly tempted; if they pledged allegiance to the rising star that was the Cloud Sword Palace now, they might reap the benefits once Lin Heng mastered his craft.

Of course, there were also many who wanted Lin Heng dead. The news of such a young Grandmaster threatened many forces in the shadows; they knew that once Lin Heng matured, there would be no place left for them. Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the martial arts world, an undercurrent began to surge.

While the Cloud Sword Palace prepared for Lin Heng’s Grandmaster Ceremony, a secret meeting was being organized by the Lihen Pavilion, a major evil sect, involving several other large factions, all with the singular purpose of assassinating Lin Heng.