Lin Changkong casually found an empty room and pushed the door open.
The room wasn't large, simply furnished with a bed, a table, and a chair, with a wooden clothes rack standing in the corner.
The window panes were covered with plain white paper, allowing soft and warm sunlight to filter through.
Though simple, it was clean and tidy, evidently maintained regularly over time.
He closed the door and sat down by the bed.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.
The golden panel still floated there quietly, as if unchanged through eternity.
In his heart, Lin Changkong silently commanded, "System, enhance my cultivation level."
As soon as the words fell, the golden panel trembled slightly, and a surge of warm energy flowed from the depths of his Dantian, spreading instantly to every part of his body.
His whole body shuddered.
A faint golden light emanated from within him, enveloping his entire being.
The light wasn't blinding; instead, it was warm and gentle, like the sun on a winter's day, wrapping him in a comforting warmth.
Lin Changkong felt as if he were soaking in a warm spring, every pore relaxing, every nerve unwinding.
Then, a strange sensation rose in his heart.
He could clearly "see" inside his own body.
The once blurry meridians now appeared vividly before his "eyes," crisscrossing like river channels.
The once stagnant blood and Qi began to flow slowly, surging forward along the meridians.
Deep within his Dantian, a wisp of mist as fine as a hair was slowly taking shape.
That was Spiritual Qi.
The hallmark of a Cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, successfully drawing in Qi and condensing the first wisp of Spiritual Qi.
And this was just the beginning.
The golden light continued to circulate, and his body began to undergo a deeper transformation.
He could feel every cell in his body cheering, as if parched land had finally received nourishing rain.
Cells were growing stronger, filling up, evolving at an incredible speed.
Power was emerging.
Not the kind of wild, uncontrollable power, but a gentle strength that became one with him.
It was as if this power had always belonged to him, only now awakened.
Even more miraculous was the change on a mental level.
The feeling was hard to describe, like a thin mist that had always shrouded his mind was now dissipated, revealing a clear world.
His thoughts became unprecedentedly clear, and many things he couldn't understand before now became obvious with a single thought.
Many things he couldn't remember now came back vividly, without a single error.
His comprehension was also improving.
The entire process of transformation, he didn't know how long it lasted.
Perhaps a stick of incense, perhaps just a moment.
When the golden light gradually receded back into his body, Lin Changkong slowly opened his eyes.
He looked down at his hands.
They looked no different from before, still long and slender, still with distinct joints.
But he could clearly feel that these hands were different now.
Clenching his fists, a sense of power arose naturally.
It wasn't brute force, but a more mysterious power that resonated with heaven and earth.
He leaped lightly, his whole body floating down from the bed, his feet touching the ground almost silently.
His body's coordination, flexibility, and balance had all improved by more than just a notch.
Lin Changkong stood in the room, quietly sensing the changes in his body.
After a moment, he smiled.
"This feeling is amazing, my whole body is filled with strength."
He murmured to himself, his tone filled with irrepressible joy: "It's truly a transformation in every aspect."
It wasn't simply an enhancement of cultivation, but an upgrade in every aspect from physical to mental, from comprehension to talent, from foundation to potential.
If he were to test his Spirit Root again now, he was sure the result would not be "Mortal Grade."
Although his cultivation was only at the 1st Layer of Qi Refining, the Spiritual Qi within him was solid and rich, his foundation as stable as that of a seasoned Cultivator.
The kind of superficial cultivation built on pills was worlds apart from his current state.
He had finally become an Immortal Cultivator.
Fifteen years.
From crossing into this world, from a bewildered child to now.
Fifteen years of waiting, fifteen years of endurance, fifteen years of unwillingness and despair all vanished at this moment.
Lin Changkong stood by the window, looking out at the crooked-neck old tree through the window paper, his smile growing brighter.
Just then, deep in his mind, the System's voice sounded again:
[Congratulations to the host for breaking through the Qi Refining Stage and becoming a Cultivator. Reward: Basic Sword Art, Heaven-Sundering Draw Sword Art.]
Lin Changkong was slightly taken aback.
"There's an unexpected reward?"
He had thought the System's function was just to enhance his cultivation level annually, not expecting an additional reward upon breaking through.
Although it wasn't some heaven-defying divine skill, the words "Basic Sword Art" gave him more reassurance.
Things too heaven-defying often meant great risks.
And Basic Sword Art was just what he wanted.
Taking things step by step.
Lin Changkong let his consciousness sink into his Sea of Consciousness, looking at the newly appeared golden text, Heaven-Sundering Draw Sword Art.
With just a brief glance, he understood it was a sword art that emphasized "one strike, one kill," where the sword remained sheathed until it unleashed a thunderous force, focusing on an unstoppable momentum and lightning-fast speed.
He memorized it silently, not in a hurry to practice.
There was plenty of time.
"Alright, let's take it slow."
Lin Changkong withdrew his thoughts, feeling immensely pleased:
"Let's lay low for three to five years, ten to eight years, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west, and then, we'll see who the hero is."
He stood up and stretched his muscles.
Interestingly, after his transformation and cleansing, he didn't have the legendary impurities expelled from his body.
Perhaps due to the golden light, those impurities had already been evaporated cleanly, leaving no trace.
Lin Changkong pushed the door open and stepped out.
At that moment, Elder Willow on the lounge chair suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze fell on Lin Changkong, first sweeping over him casually, then:
"Hmm?"
A faint sound of surprise came from deep in the old man's throat.
Lin Changkong's heart skipped a beat, but his hands didn't stop moving. He slightly turned his head towards the lounge chair, asking calmly:
"What's the matter, Elder?"
Elder Willow didn't answer immediately, just stared at him for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his seemingly cloudy eyes.
After a moment, the elder spoke slowly:
"You... successfully drew Qi into your body and broke through the Qi Refining Realm?"
His tone carried a hint of uncertainty and a trace of doubt.
Lin Changkong understood, he had been seen through.
He didn't panic, just nodded, his expression calm:
"Yes, Elder! The Spiritual Qi here is abundant. While resting in the room just now, I suddenly had an insight and, without realizing it, broke through."
This statement was half true and half false.
The breakthrough was real, the sudden insight was not.
Elder Willow narrowed his eyes slightly: "Have you practiced before?" This chapter is updated first at g.com.
"Reporting to the Elder, I practiced some basic martial arts with the village warrior and a breathing technique while in the mountain village."
Lin Changkong replied sincerely: "But those were just mundane skills, I didn't expect... they would actually be useful."
This wasn't exactly a lie.
He had indeed practiced some martial arts, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to protect Luo Qinghan and the others on their way to the Azure Cloud Sect.
Elder Willow nodded slightly upon hearing this.
"I see."
He didn't ask further, closing his eyes again.
But the trace of doubt in his heart didn't completely dissipate.
Could a mundane breathing technique allow someone with no foundation to suddenly draw Qi into their body?
And in just this short hour?
This speed was a bit too fast.
However...
Everyone has their secrets.
He had guarded this Library Pavilion for over two hundred years, seen people and events far more bizarre than this.
As long as this kid behaved and didn't stir up trouble, he couldn't be bothered to care.
Lin Changkong saw that Elder Willow wasn't going to pursue the matter, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He bowed and said, "Elder, I'll be on my way."
Elder Willow waved his hand, saying nothing.
Lin Changkong turned around, his gaze sweeping over the courtyard.
He saw a wooden rack leaning against the wall in the corner, with two brooms on it.
One was larger, with thick bamboo branches, appearing quite heavy.
The other was smaller, with fine bamboo branches, no different from an ordinary broom.
He walked over and picked up the smaller one.
The moment he held it, he was slightly taken aback.
This broom... was heavy.
It looked ordinary, but in his hand, it weighed several dozen pounds.
With his previous strength, he probably couldn't have lifted it.
But now, Lin Changkong flipped his wrist, the broom twirling in his hand effortlessly.
A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he carried the broom to the center of the courtyard and began sweeping the fallen leaves.
Swish, swish.
The sound was gentle and rhythmic.
On the lounge chair, Elder Willow's newly closed eyes opened once more.
He turned his head slightly, looking at Lin Changkong's back, his gaze falling on the broom.
That broom was made of Mystic Iron Bamboo.
Mystic Iron Bamboo, as the name suggests, was as hard as mystic iron and heavier than usual.
This broom looked ordinary, but it required a cultivation level of at least the 3rd Layer of Qi Refining to lift and wield.
And Lin Changkong... was only at the 1st Layer of Qi Refining.
Yet when he picked it up, he did so with such ease, as if it were just an ordinary bamboo broom.
Elder Willow's gaze lingered on Lin Changkong for a moment, a hint of imperceptible astonishment flashing in his eyes.
"Strange! Strange!"
He murmured softly, his voice so low only he could hear.
He knew the weight of that broom better than anyone.
To lift it at the 1st Layer of Qi Refining, and with such ease...
This kid was interesting.
He closed his eyes again, not looking any further.
But the heart that had been silent for over two hundred years stirred slightly.
In the courtyard, the soft sound of sweeping continued, unhurried and rhythmic.