The Decaying World-Chapter 58 - 53: Exploration 1

Time passed, and the days flew by.

Ever since You Ying’s group passed by the Qingfeng Sword Sect and nearly caused a tragedy, Mingde had been drinking out less often. He would frequently sit on the roof of the Daoist Temple, gazing at the hazy sun beyond the mist.

Weiwei, on the other hand, took Xiaohu and Xiaopang and threw herself into expanding the senior training class, truly treating it as a business and starting to make money.

Since Lin Hui was the one who perfected the Seven-Section Quick Sword, twenty percent of the income went directly to him.

Lin Hui tried to refuse several times, but to no avail, so he eventually accepted it.

He, in turn, was busy taking his medicine daily, constantly pushing his Qingfeng Sword’s evolution forward.

With a steady supply of Full Essence Powder from his father, combined with the materials he gathered himself, dose after dose of the powder rapidly shortened his Blood Seal’s evolution time.

In the blink of an eye, more than three months passed. Finally, the Qingfeng Sword completed its evolution.

Lin Mansion, in the training grounds.

In the square training grounds, Lin Hui heard the voice of the Lin Clan Patriarch, Lin Chaoyi, coming from the central courtyard outside. The subservient, pleading tone of the voice made him frown slightly.

This was already Lin Chaoyi’s sixth visit to the Lin Mansion.

At first, his father wouldn’t even let the man through the gate. It was only after his uncle—Lin Hongzhen’s father—personally pleaded on his behalf that things finally eased up a bit.

After that, Lin Chaoyi learned his lesson. He brought Lin Hongzhen’s father with him every time he visited, and Lin Shunhe, too embarrassed to turn them away, had no choice but to let them in.

"Ding Ning, get things ready. I’m going out," Lin Hui ordered in a low voice.

"Yes, sir." From a short distance away, Ding Ning quickly responded. "Young Master, will you be needing a carriage?"

"No need."

Lin Hui gripped his sword, gave it a gentle flick, and casually executed a Qingfeng Sword technique.

In that instant, all eighty-one techniques of the perfect version of the Qingfeng Swordsmanship flooded into his mind like a torrent.

Every technique of the Qingfeng Swordsmanship he had practiced before was corrected and perfected in that moment. The swordsmanship was fine-tuned, technique by technique, becoming perfectly suited to his own body and constitution.

’So this perfect version is actually the most perfect version *for me*? No wonder Master couldn’t achieve the optimal effect when he learned my perfect Seven-Section Quick Sword. It’s because it’s fine-tuned to my own physical and mental state.’

Lin Hui instantly understood.

Just then, the Blood Seal’s characters appeared before his eyes, displaying information about the Qingfeng Swordsmanship.

’Perfect Qingfeng Swordsmanship—The fundamental swordsmanship of the Qingfeng Sword Sect. Possesses a strong Body Tempering effect and a chance to generate Inner Strength. This art was perfected over generations by the Observatory Masters of the Qingfeng Temple and later fully evolved by you.

Evolvable Branches: 1’

’Looks like there’s no choice to be made,’ Lin Hui thought. He had expected to be thrilled after the Qingfeng Swordsmanship finished evolving, but when the Blood Seal actually displayed the completion message, he was surprisingly calm.

At this moment, he felt a sense of anticipation, but it was overshadowed by a feeling of satisfaction, as if everything had simply fallen into place.

After training so hard for so long, his efforts had finally borne fruit. The feeling was perfectly logical and natural.

SHH.

As he mentally selected it, the evolvable branch item opened up.

’1—Gale Swordsmanship (A powerful swordsmanship derived from Qingfeng Swordsmanship. It uses a special, flowing Inner Strength as its primary method of attack. Executing a sword strike can summon a fierce gale.)’

"..." Lin Hui stared speechlessly at the crimson characters.

Qingfeng Swordsmanship turning into Gale Swordsmanship... Isn’t that name a bit... lazy?

But the Blood Seal had provided the path, so he could only choose to trust it. After all, the martial arts he had evolved before had never let him down.

He opened the entry for Gale Swordsmanship, and the required resources and time immediately popped up.

’Gale Swordsmanship—

Required Resources: 3 years of stored energy.

Required Time: 3 years.’

’That long...’ Lin Hui’s brow furrowed.

If not for the medicine helping to shorten the time, he worried he might give up before it was done and choose to evolve something else instead.

Standing in the center of the training grounds, he stared at the evolution option for Gale Swordsmanship, paused, then slowly raised his sword and began to personally test the Qingfeng Sword’s Body Tempering.

Amidst the SWISH SWISH of the blade cutting through the air, he could clearly feel his perfect, intuitive grasp of every point of force in the swordsmanship. It was as if the art itself was coordinating with him; he merely had to lift his hand and swing casually to achieve the most perfect state.

It was as if this Perfect Qingfeng Swordsmanship had become his own instinct.

He couldn’t help but become somewhat engrossed in this state of perfect harmony.

Without realizing it, he performed the swordsmanship technique after technique, repeating the entire set ten times. Suddenly, a warm current surged from his chest and flowed throughout his entire body.

Lin Hui felt as if his entire body was immersed in a hot spring, incredibly comfortable.

’Is this the Second-Time Body Tempering?’

He could clearly feel his body become lighter. His thoughts and vision felt as if they had been washed clean with fresh water, becoming exceptionally clear.

Lin Hui only snapped out of it when Ding Ning returned.

"Young Master, everything is ready. You may change your clothes now," Ding Ning said softly.

"Understood." Lin Hui nodded, sheathed his sword, and walked along the edge of the training grounds toward his bedroom.

On the way, he saw a wooden cage placed on the corridor in front of his bedroom. Inside the cage were five small, orange-yellow chicks.

The chicks were scrambling messily over each other to eat the rice bran, cheeping chaotically.

"Young Master, these are the chicks you asked me to buy," Ding Ning said quietly from behind him.

"Mm," Lin Hui nodded. He was planning to run a test.

Approaching the cage, he crouched down, reached out to open the door, and snatched the fattest chick.

Ignoring the chick’s frantic struggles and cries, he silently invoked the Blood Seal.

’Evolve free-range chicken chick?’

The Blood Seal’s dark red characters quickly materialized at the bottom of his vision.

’Free-range Chicken Chick: A chick purchased from the farmer’s market by Ding Ning of the Lin Mansion. Healthy body, delicious meat. Currently somewhat terrified.

Evolvable Branches: 3.’

’It worked!’ Lin Hui’s heart leaped. Due to his ingrained way of thinking, he had never tried to use the Blood Seal on a living creature before. On a whim, he’d had Ding Ning buy a live animal to test, and to his surprise, it had actually worked.

Three evolvable branches.

He quickly opened them to check.

’1—Purgatory Bird Chick.’

’2—Cold Seal Bird Chick.’

’3—Phoenix Chicken Chick.’

Looking at these three branches, Lin Hui’s eyes widened. He was rather stunned; judging by the names alone, the potential of all three branches was immense.

Without hesitation, he first opened the third branch.

’3—Phoenix Chicken Chick: A young rooster chick containing a trace of Phoenix bloodline. Upon reaching adulthood, it will acquire a special ability and be immune to some low-intensity flames. Its strength and recovery will be greatly enhanced.

Required Resources: 2 years of stored energy, ten catties of Parasol Tree Soil.

Required Time: 3 years.

Note: For living evolutions, you must ensure the target does not have a strong will to resist. After evolution is complete, the living being will automatically become subordinate to the Blood Seal wielder and cannot betray them.’

Lin Hui let out a breath and released his grip. The characters before his eyes vanished.

Now he understood what kind of changes occurred when the Blood Seal was used on a living creature.

Collecting his thoughts, he still didn’t immediately choose to evolve his Qingfeng Swordsmanship into Gale Swordsmanship. Instead, after changing his clothes, he armed himself with his sword and left the Lin Mansion alone, heading for the road that led from the town to the Inner City.

Now that the perfect version of his Qingfeng Sword was complete, he needed to use it for Body Tempering and to generate Inner Strength. This would take time, so he was in no rush. He planned to first understand all the risks of the path ahead before he arduously cultivated his Inner Strength. This would help him determine whether he should evolve something else before his swordsmanship.

As for the matter of Inner Strength, the natural first step was to find his master, Mingde. At that moment, Mingde was drinking with friends in a tavern near the Inner City.

Lin Hui followed the town’s main road, subconsciously using the footwork from the Qingfeng Temple’s swordsmanship. His speed was considerably faster than that of an ordinary person.

Before long, he passed through the central district and arrived at a five-story tavern built right up against the massive white wall of the Inner City.

The tavern’s exterior was pure white, making it seem to merge with the city wall. A flagpole over ten meters tall stood out front, flying a cloth banner that served as an advertisement: Good Fortune Tavern - Xinyu Branch.

The tavern also had a small courtyard outside, enclosed by a white wall. At the courtyard entrance stood several waiters handing out flyers.

Lin Hui walked over and, along with a few young people who were chatting as they entered, stepped into the courtyard and went through the main entrance.

Inside, there was a din of noisy drinking and boasting, with the faint sound of musical instruments drifting from the private rooms.

Lin Hui glanced across the crowded main hall on the first floor. The square tavern tables were filled with Outer City People eating and drinking.

His gaze swept the room, and he soon spotted his master, Mingde, at a table in a corner against the wall.

The old man was drinking with Huang Shangying, the Steward of the Illusion Tower. This Huang Shangying was the same old friend of Mingde’s who had previously collected materials for Lin Hui.

At their table were also a sweet-looking young woman with straight-cut bangs and a man in blue robes, who were speaking to each other in low voices.

Apparently, these two young people were with Huang Shangying.

Lin Hui slowly walked over, positioning himself where his master could see him.

"Master," he called out in a low voice.

"Hui, what are you doing here?" Mingde looked up and broke into a smile.

"Have you eaten? Your Uncle Huang is treating today, sit down and have a bite!" He waved, trying to find a seat, but there wasn’t an empty spot anywhere nearby.

"There’s no need, Master. I came to ask you about something." Lin Hui glanced at Huang Shangying. "Lin Hui greets Uncle Huang."

"Ah, it’s you. Lin Hui, right? You’re a promising one." Huang Shangying still had some impression of Lin Hui. "Your father, is he that Boss Lin from the United Supermarket?"

"He is," Lin Hui nodded.

"That’s quite something. The United Supermarket is doing big business, not much less than our Illusion Tower." Huang Shangying’s words seemed to catch the attention of the other two young people at the table.

Over the past year, the stir caused by the United Supermarket was much greater than Lin Hui had imagined. As young people who were receptive to new things, they were naturally better informed.

Upon learning that it was Lin Hui’s father who had started it, the way they looked at him immediately changed.

A flicker of interest in getting to know him appeared in their eyes, but since no introduction was made, they couldn’t very well interrupt their elder’s conversation and could only wait for an opportunity.

The young woman with the straight-cut bangs also casually—or perhaps not so casually—puffed out her chest, doing her best to emphasize her figure.

After exchanging a few more words, Mingde and Huang Shangying had Lin Hui wait a moment before they stood up to leave, showing no intention of introducing the young people to each other.

Only after Mingde and Lin Hui had gotten up and left did Huang Shangying turn to the two young people. Seeing their confused expressions, he smiled.

"Don’t blame me for not making introductions. That Lin Hui has a profound background. His father is the big boss who recently made contact with Lady Rain Palace Youying. Someone who can come into direct contact with an Upper-Tier Summoner and walk away unscathed is not someone you’re qualified to associate with."