27: Chapter 27 Internal Stability Leads to Strength

After the people from Green Robe Hall retreated, the air in Sunset Town remained tense.

Lin Yue didn't let the Guard Team slack off; instead, he added more night patrols, especially near the spirit fields and the mine tunnels, specifically instructing the guarding clansmen:

“If there is any unusual movement, send word immediately. Do not hesitate.”

The Chamber of Commerce's Guard Team brought by Deacon Zhang stayed in town for the time being. Zhao Meng led his men to set up a simple defensive line outside the town, with guards patrolling in shifts to prevent Green Robe Hall from returning.

At dusk, Lin Yue held a simple banquet in the Ancestral Hall. On the table were wine brewed from spirit grain and several dishes made from Spiritual Vegetables, without too much fanfare.

“Fellow Daoist Lin is certainly composed.”

Zhao Meng took a sip of wine and laughed, “If it were me, I'm afraid I would have searched through Black Wind Forest by now to root out Green-Faced Old Ghost's lair.”

Lin Yue set down his wine cup and said calmly, “Impulsiveness won't solve the problem.”

“Green Robe Hall has operated in Black Wind Forest for many years; a hard fight would only result in mutual losses.”

He looked at Deacon Zhang.

“As for next month's companion spirit iron ore, my clan can provide thirty percent more, but we require settlement in Grade 2 Yao Beast inner cores. I wonder if the Chamber of Commerce can agree to this?”

Deacon Zhang thought for a moment and nodded, “That's fine. However, these Grade 2 inner cores cost 5,000 Spirit Stones each. I will have Steward Liu prepare two inner cores and bring them together next month.”

After the banquet ended, Lin Yue returned to his study. He didn't enter the Grotto-Heaven immediately but first checked the Cultivate logs of the clan's younger generation.

Seeing that most people's Cultivate progress had slowed due to the day's events causing emotional fluctuations, he picked up his brush and wrote a comment in the logs:

“External disturbances are the triggers for Heart Demons. Only those who steady their minds can make progress.”

After handling the clan's affairs, he calmed his mind and sank his consciousness into the Grotto-Heaven.

Inside the Grotto-Heaven, the world tree sapling stood quietly in the center of the spirit field. The silver patterns on its leaves were slightly brighter than in the outside world, but it was far from achieving significant growth.

The Tall, Thin Cultivator sat cross-legged next to the sapling, his Face pale. Clearly, his spiritual power consumption during the day had been significant. Seeing Lin Yue appear, he didn't even lift his eyelids, exuding a resistant numbness.

“The spiritual power injected today is thirty percent less than yesterday.”

Lin Yue's voice was flat but carried an unquestionable pressure. “Do you think I don't dare to kill you?”

The Tall, Thin Cultivator suddenly looked up, a hint of stubbornness flashing in his eyes. “My spiritual power is excessively depleted; I need quiet rest to recover.”

“Quiet rest?”

Lin Yue stepped closer and stepped on a Spiritual Plant by his side. It was a Spirit-Condensing Grass he had specifically planted the day before to monitor the surrounding spiritual power fluctuations.

The blades of grass wilted instantly. “In this Grotto-Heaven, your recovery speed is up to me.”

He took out a qi gathering pill from his sleeve and threw it on the ground in front of the Tall, Thin Cultivator. The pill rolled to his hand.

“This is today's ration,” Lin Yue said coldly.

“If you fail to reach yesterday's injection amount again tomorrow, don't expect to get any pills. Furthermore, you will need to inject for an extra hour every day until the deficit is made up.”

The Tall, Thin Cultivator looked at the pill on the ground and then up at Lin Yue. His eyes were full of humiliation, but he didn't dare to talk back—

He had tried to resist, but the result was being suppressed by the Grotto-Heaven's rules, causing his spiritual power to flow backward, making him so pained he nearly fainted.

Seeing this, Lin Yue's tone softened slightly. “But if you can meet the target for three consecutive days, I will give you a Clear Spirit Fruit, which can alleviate the burning sensation from spiritual power exhaustion.”

He paused and added, “Although this fruit isn't rare in the outside world, it's much better than you forcing yourself to endure right now.”

The Tall, Thin Cultivator's fingers twitched. He knew the effects of the Clear Spirit Fruit; it was a good medicine for Cultivators who had excessively depleted their spiritual power.

He stared intently at Lin Yue, as if trying to judge the truth of his words.

“Believe it or not, it's up to you.”

Lin Yue stopped looking at him and turned toward the Spirit River.

The spirit river water was still calm. The Spirit-Nurturing Grass on the bank grew as usual, with no new spiritual items born. The pebbles at the bottom reflected a faint light, and everything was almost the same as yesterday.

He leaned down and scooped up a handful of water, probing it with spiritual power. He only felt a weak flow of Spiritual Qi, consistent with the concentration of previous days.

“The Spiritual Qi conversion efficiency hasn't changed.”

Lin Yue muttered to himself. With a flick of his finger, a drop of spirit river water landed on the back of the Tall, Thin Cultivator's hand.

“Although this water is ordinary, it can reduce the sluggishness when you inject spiritual power. Consider it a ‘convenience’ for you.”

When the back of the Tall, Thin Cultivator's hand touched the spirit river water, he indeed felt a gentle aura traveling through his Meridians, slightly easing the stinging pain caused by the previous spiritual power depletion.

He looked at the qi gathering pill on the ground and finally picked it up, saying in a low voice, “I will meet the target tomorrow.”

“Better be.”

Lin Yue glanced at him. “Don't play any tricks. The Grotto-Heaven's rules can monitor the intensity of your spiritual power injection in real-time. Even a trace less counts as failing the target.”

After saying that, he walked toward the Mineral Vein area. The Ore of the companion spirit iron ore vein was still embedded in the rock wall. The density of the silver filaments was the same as yesterday, with no sign of thickening.

He casually knocked off a piece of Ore and weighed it; it was almost identical to the ones mined the day before.

Over at the Spirit Stone Mineral Vein, the number of Low-Grade Spirit Stones on the rock wall hadn't increased much. There was still only one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone embedded in the corner, no different from before.

“It seems the fluctuations in the outside world haven't affected the Grotto-Heaven's Foundation yet.”

Lin Yue knew what was going on. This was the normal state; upgrading a Grotto-Heaven wasn't that easy.

He returned to the World Tree. The Tall, Thin Cultivator had already begun injecting spiritual power. Although the speed wasn't fast, he was much more serious than before.

Lin Yue didn't speak again, just stood aside, watching the patterns on the sapling's leaves flicker steadily, neither brightening nor dimming.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he spoke: “I won't break my word regarding the Clear Spirit Fruit. However, if you dare to fake the spiritual power, such as using impure spiritual power to make up the numbers, you know the consequences—”

“Do you want to taste the feeling of spiritual power backflow again?”

The hand the Tall, Thin Cultivator was using to inject spiritual power paused for a moment, then he circulated his spiritual power even faster, his voice carrying a hint of endurance: “I won't.”

Lin Yue nodded in satisfaction and turned to exit the Grotto-Heaven.

Outside the window, the night grew deeper. The lights of Sunset Town went out one by one, with only the occasional sound of patrolling guards' footsteps.

Lin Yue looked at the Cultivate logs on the table. The comments from the younger generation were gradually increasing, mostly phrases like ‘Cultivate with a peaceful mind, undisturbed by external factors.’

He picked up his brush and wrote on the last page: “External threats are controllable; internal stability brings strength.”

Whether it was the clan's younger generation or the Tall, Thin Cultivator in the Grotto-Heaven, both needed hope given under pressure and leeway left within constraints.

By applying both kindness and severity, everything could develop in a controllable direction. This was true for the Grotto-Heaven, and it was the same for the clan.

In the night, the world tree sapling inside the Grotto-Heaven quietly absorbed spiritual power. There was no obvious growth, yet in every wisp of injected spiritual power, it was quietly accumulating strength, just like the current state of Sunset Town—

Calm on the surface, but firmly taking root within.