112: Chapter 112 Gathering Hidden Strength!

Hearing that Lin Tian had actually taken on another month of tasks, Elder Qian was stunned for a moment before shaking his head. A wry expression appeared on his wrinkled face, and he muttered, "Suit yourself, suit yourself. My Baicao Valley has practically become your personal Immortal Cave for seclusion and cultivation. But that's fine too; with you here, these flowers and plants have certainly saved me a lot of worry."

His words were true. In the two months Lin Tian had been tending to the medicinal fields, not only had he made no mistakes, but he had actually managed Zone A3 better than ever, making it more vibrant than before. Even a few withered old medicinal plants had regained their vitality. With such a diligent and "useful" free laborer, Elder Qian was naturally happy to be at leisure.

In the days that followed, Lin Tian continued to repeat that monotonous yet fulfilling rhythm.

After breaking through to the Realm of Muscle and Bone Resonance and reaching the Peak of Rank 3, his efficiency in cultivating the "Purple Qi Diagram" had indeed greatly improved.

Previously, he could only struggle to complete three or five cycles a day. Now that he had stepped into the "Proficient" Realm, his control over visualization, Qi guidance, and circulation had undergone a qualitative leap. Coupled with the more vigorous Qi and blood from his increased cultivation, and his more refined Divine Thought, he could now stably circulate the "Purple Qi Diagram" for over seven cycles every day!

The Spiritual Qi in the valley was abundant. Although its attributes were not a perfect match, it had the advantage of being peaceful and pure. Supplemented by the two "qi-blood pills" he received each month, his speed in condensing Purple Haze Internal Energy was more than twice as fast as when he was at Zixia Peak!

Those wisps of pure, refined light purple Internal Energy no longer just merged into his muscles and bones to nourish his body as before. Instead, they began to follow the specific routes recorded in the "Purple Qi Diagram," slowly gathering and settling deep within his Dantian. They merged with his Qi and blood, forming a small, swirling purple cyclone that contained vibrant life force and a subtle, sharp edge.

Although this cyclone was small, it was exceptionally solid. Every rotation seemed to cause his entire body's Qi and blood to resonate slightly, bringing his control over his body and use of strength to an entirely new level.

Day after day, the cyclone gradually grew, and its color shifted from light purple to deep purple, with fine purple electric sparks seemingly flashing within it from time to time.

Finally, on the twenty-fifth day after accepting the new task, as Lin Tian completed his seventh cycle of circulation during the midnight hour, he injected a newly condensed stream of pure Internal Energy into the Dantian cyclone— "Hum—!"

Deep within his Dantian, the solid, purple-saturated cyclone, which had expanded to the size of a fist, suddenly shuddered!

Then, like an ignited purple nebula, it abruptly collapsed and condensed inward!

In an instant, all the Purple Haze Internal Energy was compressed, forged, and transformed! Finally, it turned into a drop of crystal-clear "Purple Haze True Liquid," resembling liquid amethyst, yet seemingly containing infinite Sword Intent and vitality, which quietly floated in the center of his Dantian!

At the same time, a mysterious and inexplicable aura erupted from Lin Tian's Dantian, instantly flowing through his entire body!

The pores all over his body relaxed, as if he had developed a deeper resonance with the outside world. Between his breaths, there was a faint, light purple mist flowing in and out.

The sound of Qi and blood rushing within his body was no longer as clamorous as a river; instead, it became deep and restrained, like an undercurrent in a deep pool, yet the power it contained had surged by more than several times!

With a slight movement of his intent, that drop of "Purple Haze True Liquid" could split off a strand of Hidden Force as refined as silk, yet capable of penetrating anywhere. It instantly reached his fingertips, hair tips, and every subtle part of his body, controlled at will, moving as smoothly as he wished!

Rank 4 Hidden Force! Success!

Lin Tian slowly opened his eyes, a flash of purple passing through them, deep as the starry sky.

He gently clenched his fist. Without mobilizing any Qi or blood, he merely moved his intent, and a trace of imperceptible Purple Haze Hidden Force quietly emerged from the Laogong point in his palm, silently sinking into the ground in front of him.

"Sss..." An extremely faint sound, like a water droplet falling onto a red-hot iron, rang out.

On the iron-hard bluestone-paved floor, a tiny, bottomless hole the size of a grain of rice with mirror-smooth edges was left behind. At the mouth of the hole, there was a faint trace of a scorch mark, and a lingering, soft yet sharp force permeated the air.

"So this is Hidden Force..." A satisfied arc curled up at the corner of Lin Tian's mouth. The power of this strand of Hidden Force was more than ten times stronger than the penetrating damage of his full-force Bright Energy punch at the Peak of Rank 3!

Moreover, it was more concealed, vicious, and difficult to defend against!

If he were to face a Rank 3 Martial Artist like Hall Master Lie Fentian again, he wouldn't even need to use "Wind-Facing Slash" or "Four Elements as One." With just one palm strike at close range, the Hidden Force would pulse and could easily shatter their internal organs and Meridians, leaving them with no external injuries while their life was extinguished inside!

Only three short months!

From first entering Rank 3, to Muscle and Bone Resonance, and then to breaking through the Bottleneck in one go, condensing liquid into force, and stepping into the Realm of Rank 4 Hidden Force!

Such a cultivation speed was unheard of in a frontier place like Heishan City, and even in the Inner Sect of the Qixia Sect, where geniuses gathered, it would be enough to leave people dumbfounded!

According to common sense, even for a Core Disciple with top-tier talent and sufficient resources, it would take at least a year of hard work to Cultivate from the Early Stage of Rank 3 to Rank 4. Every hurdle—the accumulation of Muscle and Bone Resonance, the condensation and storage of Internal Energy, and the breaking of the Bottleneck—required patient, persistent effort and opportunities for insight.

Yet Lin Tian, in a corner where no one held high hopes for him, relied on the "clumsy method" of the Proficiency System, the quiet environment of Baicao Valley, his own unremitting diligence, and the meager assistance of two qi-blood pills per month to forcibly compress this process into just three short months!

If this matter were to spread, it would be enough to cause quite a stir on Zixia Peak, and even throughout the entire Qixia Sect!

It would be enough to make Peak Master Su Hanyan, who had once judged him as "rotten wood" and discarded him like worn-out shoes, jump up from her cloud bed in shock, doubting if she had misjudged him!

It would be enough to make those new and old Disciples who had once mocked him and avoided him drop their jaws in shock and regret their past actions!

However, none of this happened. Since that day, Su Hanyan had never paid attention to this Disciple who "brought shame upon her," so she naturally did not know of his progress.

As for others on Zixia Peak, they had long since forgotten this "fake Genius" who lived in a corner of the back mountain and had been "exiled" to Baicao Valley for a long-term task.

Only here in Baicao Valley, Elder Qian, who seemed to care only about flowers and plants and ignored worldly affairs, was the sole witness.

The commotion of "Muscle and Bone Resonance" could still be explained as an imminent Breakthrough, but when he officially stepped into Rank 4, that mysterious aura that erupted instantly and then quickly retracted, along with the deep purple that flashed in Lin Tian's eyes when he opened them, could not be hidden from Elder Qian, who was nearby and possessed unfathomable cultivation.

Almost at the very moment Lin Tian broke through, Elder Qian's figure appeared outside the bamboo house like a ghost.

He did not push the door open but just stood quietly under the moonlight, sharp light flickering in his cloudy old eyes, his face filled with undisguised astonishment.

"This kid... actually succeeded? Rank 4 Hidden Force?" Elder Qian stroked his beard and muttered to himself, his tone filled with disbelief.

"Three months... from the Early Stage of Rank 3 to Rank 4... this speed... Heh, that Su girl from Zixia Peak, I'm afraid she misjudged him ridiculously this time!

Where is this any 'rotten wood'? It is clearly an unpolished jade covered in dust—no, it is a pearl that has already polished itself to shine!"

He had guarded Baicao Valley for many years and had seen at least eight hundred to a thousand Inner Sect Disciples. There were not a few with outstanding talent, but someone like Lin Tian, whose Heart-Nature was as steady and resilient as a rock, who could endure loneliness, toil silently in a place unnoticed by others, and finally complete an astonishing leap without making a sound, was truly rare.

What was even more rare was that after this kid's Breakthrough, his aura was deep, condensed, and heavy, with no signs of being flimsy. Clearly, his Foundation was extremely solid, and it was definitely not built up forcibly by Medicinal Pills.

Lin Tian pushed the door open and walked out. Seeing Elder Qian in the courtyard, he hurriedly bowed and saluted: "Elder Qian."

Elder Qian looked him up and down as if seeing this young man for the first time. After a long while, he sighed: "You kid... you hid it really deep.

With talent to this extent, you were still willing to honestly stay in my Baicao Valley, tending to these flowers and plants, for three whole months. This Heart-Nature surprises me even more than your cultivation level."

Hearing this, a sincere smile appeared on Lin Tian's face. He said, "Elder, you flatter me. That this Disciple could make progress is largely thanks to Baicao Valley. The environment here is quiet and elegant, far from the hustle and bustle, with no one to disturb me. It is just right for this Disciple to Cultivate with a calm heart and comprehend my Cultivation Technique.

Moreover, in these two-plus months, following the Elder, I have not only completed the Sect tasks but also learned a lot of precious knowledge about Spirit Medicine cultivation and identification, benefiting greatly. In my heart, this Disciple has nothing but gratitude for the Elder."

These words came from the bottom of his heart.

The tranquility of Baicao Valley was the key to his ability to focus without distraction and sprint with all his might. Elder Qian seemed eccentric, but he was actually cold on the outside and warm on the inside. Not only did he tacitly allow him to stay for a long time, but he also didn't hold back when occasionally pointing out knowledge about Spirit Medicine, and he even secretly protected him during his Breakthrough. Lin Tian kept this kindness in his heart.

Elder Qian listened and nodded slightly, a trace of gratification flashing in his eyes. Not arrogant or impetuous, knowing how to be grateful—this Heart-Nature was indeed rare.

"You are right; this Baicao Valley is indeed an excellent place for quiet cultivation. If not for my duties, I would also be happy to Cultivate here in seclusion."

Elder Qian nodded, then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious. "However, kid, since you have already broken through to Rank 4 and stepped into the Realm of Hidden Force, you should know that the path ahead will not be so easy to walk."

He looked at Lin Tian and said in a deep voice, "Rank 4 Hidden Force focuses on accumulation and qualitative change. If you want to accelerate your cultivation and improve the quality and quantity of your Internal Energy, besides the hard work of patient cultivation, you need to rely on external objects.

The Sect distributes one 'seven-colored inner essence pill' every month, specifically for Disciples at Rank 4 and above to assist in cultivation, and its effects are extraordinary. But this one pill alone is far from enough for those who are truly ambitious in the Martial Dao.

If you want to obtain more, there are only two ways: one is to complete high-difficulty tasks released by the Sect with generous rewards; the second is to spend a large amount of money to purchase them."

"Purchase?" Lin Tian's heart stirred. He currently had nearly twenty thousand taels of silver on hand and didn't know what to use it for, so he hurriedly asked, "I wonder, what is the value of this 'seven-colored inner essence pill'?"

"One hundred taels. Each." Elder Qian slowly spat out the words.

"One hundred taels?!" Even though Lin Tian was somewhat prepared, he couldn't help but gasp.

This price was several times higher than he had expected! One had to know that one hundred taels of silver was enough for an ordinary family of three in Heishan City to live comfortably for ten years! Even in the Qixia Sect, it was a huge sum of money for an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple.

"Think it's expensive?" Elder Qian glanced at him and said indifferently, "What kind of Medicinal Pill do you think this is? The 'seven-colored inner essence pill' is made with several rare 'precious medicines' as the main ingredients, supplemented by dozens of aged Spirit Medicines, and refined by experienced Alchemists within the Sect using unique secret methods! How can it be compared to those 'qi-blood pills' refined from ordinary medicinal materials?"

Precious medicines?! Lin Tian's heart shook. He naturally knew the preciousness of "precious medicines." The "red blood vermilion fruit" that had helped him break through all the way back then was a precious medicine.

Among the Spirit Medicines cultivated in this valley, there were indeed a few protected by special Restrictions that had extraordinary auras; presumably, these were the "precious medicines" that Elder Qian mentioned. Every time he tended to them, he was doubly careful, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

"It's not just that precious medicines are hard to come by," Elder Qian continued, "The Pill Formula for this 'seven-colored inner essence pill' is unique to our Qixia Sect, and the refining technique is a core secret that outsiders cannot imitate at all.

This pill can greatly purify and strengthen the Internal Energy of a Hidden Force Martial Artist, accelerate the accumulation and qualitative change of Internal Energy, and also has miraculous effects on breaking through small Bottlenecks.

One hundred taels each, it seems like an astronomical price, but for Inner Sect Disciples who urgently need to improve their strength, it is in short supply. It is often snapped up as soon as it is put on the shelves at the 'Danxia Pavilion'."

So that was it! Lin Tian suddenly realized. Exclusive Pill Formula, precious medicine main ingredients, core Alchemy techniques—no wonder it was so expensive and scarce. This "seven-colored inner essence pill" was likely one of the important means for the Qixia Sect to control core cultivation resources, encourage Disciples to forge ahead, and simultaneously recover Sect contributions.

"However, you don't need to worry too much." Seeing Lin Tian deep in thought, Elder Qian added, "You have just broken through, and the monthly quota of one pill, plus your own hard cultivation, is enough for you to stabilize your Realm and improve steadily.

If you really want to advance rapidly, it won't be too late to consider earning contributions or silver to purchase them. Besides..." He paused and looked at Lin Tian meaningfully. "Breaking through to Rank 4 means you are qualified to Cultivate more profound martial arts within the Sect.

The subsequent chapters of the 'Purple Haze Sword Technique' of Zixia Peak, as well as the unique skills of other branches, and even the many Cultivation Techniques and insights of predecessors collected in the Scripture Pavilion, are all open to you. Choosing a suitable main cultivation martial art that can fully unleash the power of your Hidden Force is more important than blindly taking Medicinal Pills."

Lin Tian's eyes lit up.

That's right, breaking through to Rank 4 was not just a qualitative change in Internal Energy, but also meant he could come into contact with and Cultivate higher-level offensive means!

He had not yet come into contact with the "Purple Haze Sword Technique," but Zixia Peak established itself through the sword Dao, so its core sword technique must be extraordinary. He had the Foundation of the "Wind-Facing Slash" saber technique and had a deep understanding of being "fast, accurate, and ruthless," so switching to the sword Dao might not be difficult.

More importantly, he had the Proficiency System; any martial art, as long as he received the Legacy, could be continuously improved through hard training!

"Many thanks for the guidance, Elder!" Lin Tian bowed solemnly again. "This Disciple understands. Stabilizing my Realm and choosing a suitable martial art is the top priority."

"Hmm, it's good that you understand." Elder Qian waved his hand. "Alright, since you have broken through, your task in Baicao Valley is about done. Prepare yourself and go back to your Zixia Peak. That is where there are better cultivation resources and legacies suitable for you now."

Lin Tian nodded, already having a plan in his mind. First, return to Zixia Peak to hand in the task and receive this month's "seven-colored inner essence pill." Then, go to the Scripture Pavilion to look up martial arts suitable for a Hidden Force Martial Artist to Cultivate, especially sword techniques. Finally, see if there are any suitable, generously rewarded, and not-too-time-consuming Sect tasks he can accept to accumulate capital for purchasing "seven-colored inner essence pills" in the future.

"Oh, that's right," before leaving, Elder Qian suddenly remembered something and said casually, "If you are truly interested in Alchemy or Spirit Medicine cultivation, in the future when you are free, you can often come to my place to wander around.

Some superficial common knowledge of the Dao of Alchemy or the characteristics of Spirit Medicines—if I'm in a good mood, perhaps I can teach you a little more."

Hearing this, Lin Tian felt warm in his heart and bowed, saying, "This Disciple will definitely come to bother you often. Take care, Elder."

Watching Lin Tian's figure disappear on the mountain path leading to the valley entrance, Elder Qian stood in front of the bamboo house, looking at the brightening sky in the distance, and muttered to himself: "Three months, Rank 4 Hidden Force... Su girl, oh Su girl, I'm afraid your Zixia Peak has missed out on a true hidden dragon this time.

However, a dragon will eventually soar into the sky. Let's see what kind of waves this kid can stir up in this Qixia Sect..."

He turned and walked towards the medicinal field bathed in the morning light. His calloused hand gently stroked a dew-covered Spirit Medicine, a slight smile appearing on his face.

This Baicao Valley, it seemed, hadn't been this interesting for a long time.