557: Too bad, it's too late! (5k)

Under normal circumstances, one can only begin to have the opportunity to perceive the existence of Dao Rhythm or the Power of Rules after reaching the third level of the Boundary Realm.

Yet he was only at the first level of the Boundary Realm, and he hadn't broken through for very long, yet he was actually able to unleash the power of Dao Rhythm and the Power of Rules.

This left Lin Yang extremely shocked.

The System also replied immediately:

"Host, congratulations, you have mastered a trace of Dao rhythm power ahead of schedule!"

Lin Yang was stunned: "It really is the power of Dao Rhythm?"

Before the System answered, although he had some guesses, he didn't dare to be certain.

But now...

"I actually really mastered a trace of Dao rhythm power?"

Lin Yang felt it was surreal; he couldn't believe that he had muddled his way into mastering a bit of Dao rhythm power just like that!

This was the most coveted thing for countless experts stuck at the limit of the third level of the Boundary Realm who were trying to break through to the Guiyuan Realm!

He had just mastered it like that??

"What on earth is going on?!" Lin Yang took two deep breaths to suppress the shock in his heart and asked again.

He was too curious.

"Host, the System is not clear about the specific situation, but it should have some relationship with the fact that you have frequently used the 'Boundary' during this period of time," the System replied.

"Related to the 'Boundary'?"

Lin Yang frowned: "Could the 'Boundary' also make it easier for people to master the power of Dao Rhythm and the Power of Rules?"

"If that's the case, then the 'Boundary' is simply too terrifying, right?"

"Host, you only unleashed a trace of Dao rhythm power by chance; you have not yet truly had a substantial realization of the Dao. The System suggests you immediately return to Yun Que City for a short period of seclusion to attempt to achieve a true realization of the Dao," the System suddenly reminded him again.

"Oh, oh, okay!"

Lin Yang understood the System's meaning.

The fact that he had hazily unleashed a trace of Dao rhythm power just now might have been caused by the 'Boundary' or other reasons, and it was not because he had truly achieved a realization of the Dao.

Therefore, it was best for him to take this opportunity to immediately go into seclusion, carefully savoring the feeling of when he had just unleashed a trace of Dao rhythm power, to try and see if he could completely seize the opportunity to truly feel the existence of the Dao!

With this thought in mind, Lin Yang hurriedly tidied up the corpse materials of this ferocious beast and returned at top speed.

There was nothing more important than comprehending the "Dao"!

Even money couldn't compare!

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Lin Yang felt burning in his heart.

No matter what reason caused him to be able to unleash a trace of Dao rhythm power now, as long as he could take this opportunity to truly feel the existence of the Dao, then the difficulty of breaking through to the Returning Origin Realm in the future would be greatly reduced.

Moreover, his combat power could also instantly soar to a terrifying level.

With a single strike, he could sever the head of a second-level Boundary Realm ferocious beast; with such power, even human experts at the third level of the Boundary Realm would only be instantly killed!

The power of Dao Rhythm was too strong!

Lin Yang returned in a rush; he didn't even have time to go to the Star Divination Tower to sell the ferocious beast materials before returning to the Villa, immediately going into seclusion without a word, not even greeting He Linchuan.

He Linchuan and He Linxue saw this, exchanged glances, and together withdrew from the courtyard.

"Master is in such a rush to go into seclusion; he must have had some new realizations, right?"

He Linchuan guessed, feeling happy for Lin Yang: "Perhaps Master has had a new breakthrough! We should not stay in the Villa for now to avoid disturbing Master."

He Linxue nodded: "Brother, you are also about to break through to the Breaking Universe Realm, right?"

"Yeah, almost there. The resources Master gave me are very abundant, plus the spiritual power in the courtyard is ten times richer. I have made great progress over this past month, and it won't be long before I can break through."

He Linchuan clenched his fists, his eyes full of excitement.

"Congratulations, Brother!" He Linxue was very happy for her brother.

He Linchuan smiled: "This is all thanks to Master. If not for Master being willing to take me as his disciple and bestowing upon me a large amount of resources, it would have been very difficult for me to break through."

"We must thank Lord Lin Yang properly." He Linxue nodded repeatedly again, "However, Brother, the best way for you to thank Lord Lin Yang now is to work hard to improve. Only when your strength is higher can you help Lord Lin Yang with some small tasks."

"Yeah, I understand!"

He Linchuan's eyes flashed with light, and then he said: "Little sister, Master is in such a rush to go into seclusion, it must be very important, and I don't know how long it will take. It is not convenient for us to disturb him in the courtyard. Let's go back to the family and live for a while. I can also take the opportunity to continue improving. With the resources Master gave, even without the ten times richer spiritual power, it won't delay things much."

"It would be best if I break through to the Breaking Universe Realm before Master comes out of seclusion; that would be a little surprise for Master."

"Okay." He Linxue naturally had no objections.

She was not very resistant to returning to the He Family either.

Although they were not well-regarded in the family before, since He Linchuan was taken as a disciple by Lin Yang, the family had already invited them back several times over the past month.

The attitude had also changed significantly.

Therefore, she was not very resistant.

He Linchuan thought for a moment, then wrote a note telling Lin Yang that because he saw him rushing into seclusion and was afraid that staying would disturb him, they were returning to the He Family to stay for a while, and then he and He Linxue tiptoed out of the Villa.

Along the way, the siblings felt that the sun was much brighter than before.

Soon, the two happily returned to the He Family.

"Young Master Linchuan, Miss Linxue, you are back?"

As soon as they returned to the family, a respectful voice came.

The butler, who had been completely impolite to them before, was now looking at the two with a fawning smile on his face.

This appearance startled both siblings, but they quickly came back to their senses.

He Linchuan's eyes flashed, and he said slowly: "We are back to live for a period of time."

"Great, great, the Family Head and the others have long been looking forward to Young Master Linchuan returning to live here!"

The butler smiled and led the way: "Young Master Linchuan, the Family Head knows you are back today and is already waiting in the main hall."

He Linchuan nodded faintly and followed the butler toward the main hall.

He did not feel it was very surprising that He Zhang and the others knew he was back.

Someone must have been guarding outside the Villa, observing the situation at all times.

Now, there was no telling how many people in the city were constantly watching the Villa, waiting for Lin Yang to leave the city.

As soon as the siblings came out, every little move they made would be reported back to the family in advance.

In the main hall.

As soon as He Linchuan arrived, he saw He Zhang, who had previously extremely loathed and mistreated the siblings, also wearing a smile, taking the initiative to greet him: "Nephew Linchuan, you have finally returned. Your Uncle has really missed you during this time."

"Family Head, if you have something to say, just say it." He Linchuan's eyes narrowed slightly, maintaining his distance, and he did not show any closeness because of He Zhang's current kindness.

This caused He Zhang's brow to furrow imperceptibly, but he continued with a smile: "Nephew Linchuan, Uncle knows that in your heart, you might have some unhappiness because of past events, but Uncle also hopes you understand. Our family has a large business, and money really needs to be spent where it is most effective. Uncle didn't intentionally want to make things difficult for you or anything by sending you to the Desolate Grassland; rather, everyone in the family must strive for the family, so that we can gain a firm foothold in the city."

He Linchuan's expression did not change, and he only said faintly: "Family Head, you speak too seriously. If the Family Head has no other instructions, Linchuan will take his leave."

He couldn't be bothered to say more to this hypocritical He Zhang.

He Zhang saw this and still didn't care; he just rubbed his hands with a chuckle and said: "Linchuan, why call me Family Head? That's too distant. Call me Uncle; we are close uncle and nephew after all."

"..." He Linchuan was silent and did not respond.

He Zhang looked at He Linchuan's cold, keep-away-from-me attitude, and a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes, but it quickly dissipated, and he still smiled: "Linchuan, you have taken that Your Excellency Lin Yang as your master; this is a big event and a happy occasion. But now that so much time has passed, reasonably and properly, our family must invite your master to come so we can pay our respects. Otherwise, outsiders will say that our He Family does not know etiquette."

If a younger generation member of the family takes a master, the family members must also solemnly Host a banquet for the master.

This is a very common thing and etiquette in the Mirror Ruins Realm.

Firstly, because the master-disciple relationship is too important.

Secondly, usually those who can take disciples are some experts and big figures; the family can also take this opportunity to make some connections.

Although He Zhang did not like He Linchuan, he still had to go through the motions of these superficial efforts and procedures.

He Linchuan heard this, and his brow furrowed: "Family Head, my Master has been in seclusion, I'm afraid he cannot come."

As soon as these words were spoken, before He Zhang could say anything, He Jinchang, who was on the side, suddenly couldn't help but shout: "He Linchuan! What do you mean by this?"

"You have only just become a disciple, and you already want to sever ties with the family?"

"Hmph, it was just seclusion. You didn't even send word, you just said you couldn't make it?"

"He Linchuan, you don't really think that just because you took on a master, you can disregard the family like this, do you?"

He Jinchang looked at Linchuan with great displeasure:

"Ever since you walked through the door, you've had a cold face. What? Did you find a good master and now think you're better than everyone else?"

"Don't forget, if we hadn't sent you to the Desolate Grassland for training, where would you have had the chance to meet that person and become his disciple!"

A cold glint flashed in He Linchuan's eyes. He shot a cold look at He Jinchang, his eyes flickering for a moment, but he ultimately ignored him.

This made He Jinchang even more displeased, and he opened his mouth to scold him again.

But before he could get the words out, he was angrily rebuked by He Zhang, whose face was cold: "Enough! Jinchang, shut your mouth!"

He Zhang looked at He Jinchang with fury: "In the future, you are not allowed to have this attitude toward Linchuan. We are family, and you are cousins; you should be friendly and harmonious with each other. If I see you treating Linchuan like this again, I will not spare you!"

"Father..." He Jinchang opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but under He Zhang's cold gaze, he didn't dare to speak again.

He Zhang then revealed a smile again and said to He Linchuan:

"Linchuan, don't lower yourself to the level of this brat. Since your master is in seclusion and it's inconvenient for him to come out, we will just wait for him to finish. You haven't lived in the clan for a long time, so I've had people clean up and prepare new rooms for you two. Go back to your room and rest first."

As he spoke, he signaled for the butler to lead the He Linchuan siblings away.

After they left, He Jinchang couldn't help but say:

"Father, why are you being so polite to that Xiao Hu? He just got lucky and found a master. Besides, hasn't it been confirmed by some big shots over these past few days through special means that his master has no background? The supreme treasure in his hands was probably just a stroke of luck too. He's not worth such courtesy at all!"

He Zhang glanced at him coldly: "You are simply too impatient. Have you forgotten our plan?"

At the mention of the plan, He Jinchang's expression froze.

He Zhang continued to snort coldly: "From now on, until his master comes to visit the family, stop provoking He Linchuan. If you ruin the plan, you can go accept your punishment yourself."

"...Yes, Father." He Jinchang seemed to think of something terrifying; he immediately shrank his neck and obediently agreed.

On the other side, the He Linchuan siblings were led by the butler to a relatively luxurious small residence.

"Young Master Linchuan, this is the residence the family head has prepared for you and Miss Linxue." The butler said, then left.

"Such a nice house..." He Linxue looked around.

He Linchuan just took a casual glance and said: "This is all because of my master's reputation."

"Yeah, ever since you became a disciple of Lord Lin Yang, the people in the family have been much more respectful toward you."

He Linxue understood this, but she was still happy: "Regardless, at least we are living a life with dignity now."

He Linchuan didn't say anything more, casually found a room, and began to continue improving himself.

He didn't know how long Lin Yang's sudden seclusion would last, so he was even more impatient to seize every moment to break through to the Breaking Universe Realm before Lin Yang finished his seclusion.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, in the Villa in the high-end residential area, Lin Yang slowly opened his eyes.

A flash of seven-colored light streaked through his eyes.

"The existence of the Dao... truly profound!"

Lin Yang whispered, slightly raising his right hand, a thread of mysterious power condensing in his palm.

This was a trace of Dao rhythm power.

Yes, that's right.

Over these past six months, he had successfully sensed the existence of the Dao!

It was a feeling that could not be described or explained.

Vast.

Mysterious.

Profound.

Indescribable, untouchable.

It was just a sense in the dark, being able to perceive the existence of a certain Dao between heaven and earth.

"Unfortunately, I can only vaguely sense the existence of the Dao; I still cannot truly resonate with it, let alone comprehend it."

Following that, Lin Yang dissipated the power and stood up with a touch of regret.

Although he had sensed the existence of the Dao, his current realm was ultimately lacking, and he could not yet directly comprehend it.

He could only barely manage to actively condense a trace of Dao rhythm power for his own use.

This was just pure power, not any Dao Rhythm technique.

However, despite this, this trace of Dao rhythm power was terrifyingly strong.

At the very least, with the enhancement of this power, he was confident that even without a "Boundary," he could kill any existence at the third level of the Boundary Realm who had not yet truly mastered Dao Rhythm techniques!

The Dao rhythm power is truly terrifying!

"I didn't realize I had been in seclusion for half a year..."

Subsequently, Lin Yang sensed the time spent in this seclusion and sighed softly as he walked out of the room.

During his seclusion, it only felt like a second had passed.

Following that, he saw the message He Linchuan had left for him earlier.

"This kid... he wanted to give me a surprise?"

After reading the message, Lin Yang smiled. In half a year, he estimated that He Linchuan should have broken through.

He directly sent a message to He Linchuan, telling the kid that he had finished his seclusion.

He Family.

He Linchuan had already successfully broken through to the Breaking Universe Realm two months ago.

But because Lin Yang had been in seclusion, he hadn't disturbed him.

Today, He Linchuan, who was consolidating his cultivation, received Lin Yang's message and was instantly overjoyed, replying repeatedly:

"Master, you have finished your seclusion?"

"Your disciple has not failed your expectations; I have already broken through to the Breaking Universe Realm!"

He excitedly reported his situation to Lin Yang and informed him of the intention of He Zhang and others for him to come to the He Family to pay his respects.

Lin Yang did not refuse this.

Since this was a common etiquette in the Mirror Ruins Realm, he naturally had no objections. Moreover, going there this time would also be a good opportunity to stand up for his silly disciple, so that the people of the He Family would not dare to bully He Linchuan at will in the future.

Therefore, he pondered for a moment and replied to He Linchuan: "Very well, Master will prepare a bit and will go shortly."

Having said that, he put on the dragon-head mask, concealed his aura, and left the Villa, preparing to first go to the Star Divination Tower to sell beast materials, and then prepare a proper apprenticeship gift for He Linchuan to give him at this opportunity.

On the other side, He Linchuan was also very happy after receiving Lin Yang's reply. He first found He Linxue, gave her some money, and asked her to go out and buy some things. Then he found He Zhang and informed him that his master would arrive shortly.

"Oh? Your Excellency Lin Yang has finished his seclusion? And is coming immediately?"

He Zhang was startled at first, and a strange look flashed in his eyes, but he quickly smiled and said: "That's great, Uncle will go prepare right now!"

Having said that, he quickly left.

"Why do I feel like something is not quite right with him?"

He Linchuan frowned.

His perception was very keen; he had detected an abnormal reaction from He Zhang.

It was a feeling he couldn't put into words.

"That kind of excitement doesn't seem like normal happiness, but rather like... the excitement of a beast before hunting its prey?"

He Linchuan frowned and thought for a long time, finally coming up with a suitable description.

He had experienced many life-and-death crises in the Desolate Grassland, and the feeling He Zhang gave him now was just like the excitement of some beasts when they saw their prey!

This was very wrong.

He Linchuan thought, turned around, and took out his communication tool, wanting to tell Lin Yang not to come yet.

He didn't know what He Zhang wanted to do, but He Zhang's subconscious reaction just now made him feel very uncomfortable.

That was definitely not a normal happy reaction to meeting Lin Yang.

But before he could send the message, he suddenly felt a force that was difficult to resist envelop him.

"He Zhang... what are you trying to do?"

He Linchuan was instantly alarmed.

"Hmph, He Linchuan, I knew it. For you, this brat, to survive so long in the Desolate Grassland, your perception must be very keen. My subconscious reaction just now must have made you suspicious. Now it seems, that is indeed the case."

He Zhang appeared with a cold face, no longer wearing the smile from before, but instead showing coldness and murderous intent.

As he spoke, he directly imprisoned He Linchuan:

"Xiao Hu, although your reaction is fast, unfortunately, it is too late!"