Chapter Six: The Black Iron Staff

"I... I admit defeat..." Zhang Bao hastily begged for mercy.

Lin Cheng halted, casting a cold glance at the people behind Zhang Bao. The followers who had come with Zhang Bao all lowered their heads, afraid that they would be the next target.

Turning, Lin Cheng walked over to Fatty Lin, reached out, and helped him up. "Are you alright?"

Fatty Lin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shook his head. Casting a look at Zhang Bao, he said, "That guy wasn't even my match before. I didn't expect his strength to have increased so much after just a few days..."

Lin Cheng asked, "What happened? Why did they bring people here to cause trouble?"

Fatty Lin replied sheepishly, "They said Lin Yi stole one of their black iron rods. They chased Lin Yi to the village entrance, and I happened to run into them. Seeing things weren't looking good, I told Lin Yi to go find you first..."

"A black iron rod... Is it really worth all this fuss over a metal stick?" Lin Cheng, puzzled, strode toward Zhang Bao and questioned angrily, "Just for a black iron rod, you beat Lin Hu like this and humiliated him? Do you think our Lin Family Village is defenseless?"

"Hmph. Don't get too cocky, Lin Cheng. Even if you beat me today, it won't be long before you all get what's coming to you..." Zhang Bao, though afraid of Lin Cheng, mustered his courage as he thought about his imminent future. "Let me tell you, I've already been chosen by the immortals of the Azure Sun Sect. In a few days, I'll be joining them... As for you, you'll spend your life rotting away in this poor mountain village..."

"Don't be so full of yourself, Zhang Bao," Lin Yi chimed in, "I'll have you know, Brother Cheng and Brother Hu are also about to join the Azure Sun Sect..."

At that moment, Lin Yi walked up, holding a black iron rod. "Brother Cheng, Brother Hu, this is the thing. Early this morning, I found it by the river while fishing. They insisted it was theirs and threatened me to hand it over. I'd rather throw it into the latrine than give it to them..."

Lin Yi handed the black iron rod to Lin Cheng. He weighed it in his hand; apart from its slight heaviness, it was nothing more than a broken, ordinary stick.

Handing the rod to Fatty Lin, Lin Cheng stared at Zhang Bao and said sternly, "Apologize to Lin Hu, or I'll break your other hand."

Zhang Bao was a little stunned—it really was just a broken iron stick.

He'd only heard his underlings say they'd seen Lin Yi pick up a glowing treasure by the river, so he brought his men after Lin Yi in a hurry. The two villages had never gotten along, and he'd been at odds with Lin Hu and the others since childhood. Now that he had been found by the immortals of Azure Sun Sect to possess a fire spiritual root and was about to join them, he was even more brazen, beating Lin Hu with no restraint. Who would have thought that the "treasure" Lin Yi found was just a broken stick?

"Lin Cheng, don't push me too far... My distant cousin joined the Azure Sun Sect long ago..." Zhang Bao gritted his teeth, "Today was just a misunderstanding. I don't even want the iron rod. You hit me, I hit you—let's call it even, alright?"

Lin Cheng looked at Lin Hu, seeking his opinion. Lin Hu walked up to Zhang Bao.

With two crisp slaps, he snarled, "Get lost."

Zhang Bao clenched his fists, his eyes practically spitting fire. He wanted to retaliate, but seeing Lin Cheng standing to the side, he swallowed his anger and left in humiliation.

As everyone departed, Lin Yi looked at Fatty Lin, guilt written on his face. "Brother Hu, it's all my fault. If not for me, you wouldn't have been beaten..."

"It's not your fault. That guy's been itching to hit me for a while. Still, I'm surprised he got into the Azure Sun Sect. If Madman hadn't arrived today, I really would have been in trouble." Fatty Lin said this as he handed the black iron rod back to Lin Yi.

Seeing Lin Hu return the rod, Lin Yi quickly declined, "This whole mess started because of this stick. I have no use for it; you keep it for protection, Brother Hu."

Lin Hu played with it for a while, swinging it a few times in his hand. Finding it comfortable to hold, he accepted it with a nod. "Thanks."

With that, the three walked back toward the village.

Seeing that Fatty Lin wanted to ask something, Lin Cheng took the initiative, "You want to know how I suddenly became so strong? Heh..."

Both Lin Hu and Lin Yi turned to look at Lin Cheng, waiting for an answer.

Seeing their curiosity, Lin Cheng shrugged and replied vaguely, "I can sense a bit of true essence now. That punch just now was imbued with it... As for Zhang Bao, he should count himself lucky his hand didn't shatter."

He wasn't ready to tell them that he had already reached the third level of the True Qi stage, opened his spiritual core, and expanded his inner sea. That would be too shocking.

He remembered the instructions of the man in white, and with the protection of the Heaven-Deceiving Formation, he felt reassured.

Returning home, Lin Cheng resumed his daily chores—chopping wood and tending the fire. His father had left early to gather herbs in the mountains, while his mother sat in the inner room, working on her needlework. Life in the village was simple: no great wealth, but little trouble. In these final days, Lin Cheng simply wanted to spend as much time as possible with his parents.

A day passed quickly. By dusk, the village was bathed in golden light, peaceful and harmonious.

His father had returned early, and after dinner together, Lin Cheng went back to his room to begin his nightly cultivation.

Within his golden inner sea, six drops of sword essence floated. Lin Cheng circulated the Five Elements Sword Art, absorbing a drop of sword essence into his body as instructed.

Immediately, cracking sounds came from his limbs and bones. If one looked closely, one could see his muscles, bones, and flesh being continuously tempered.

He continued to absorb the sword essence—one drop, two, three, four... Until all six drops were consumed, his skin seemed to glow with a burning golden light.

His flesh and blood underwent the sword essence's refinement. Though the pain was excruciating, Lin Cheng remained silent, gritting his teeth and enduring it. Compared to the agony he'd experienced during his earlier Five Elements Body Tempering, this pain could no longer sway him.

He didn't know how long had passed, but eventually the golden radiance faded from his body.

Exhaling deeply, he stood up and stretched, feeling the increasingly powerful strength within him, a satisfied smile curling his lips.

Suddenly, a strange odor caught his attention. Looking down at his sweat-soaked clothes, he frowned.

His skin was covered in a layer of black, sticky filth, foul-smelling and disgusting. Hurrying off to wash, he enjoyed a good bath and a restful night's sleep.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Today was the appointed day when the Azure Sun Sect would come to fetch them. From early morning, the village was festively decorated, with children chasing and laughing, the whole village alive with excitement.

The old village chief insisted on giving Lin Cheng and Lin Hu a proper send-off. Every household brought out their finest food, and dozens of banquet tables filled the village square. Everyone spent a joyful morning together.

At the entrance to the Lin Family Village, the old chief offered countless words of advice, urging the two to listen to their master and cultivate diligently.

Behind them, the villagers watched with hopeful eyes, making the pair feel an immense pressure.

Holding the transmission jade the Azure Sun Sect elder had given them, Lin Cheng recited the incantation. Less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense later, a rainbow streaked across the sky. A man in crimson robes appeared before the crowd—tall and imposing, with a dignified bearing that made the villagers burst into applause.

"You two are the ones who passed the test to join the Azure Sun Sect this time?" the crimson-robed man asked impassively.

Lin Cheng and Lin Hu quickly nodded. With a wave of his hand, the man unfurled a fiery red folding fan, which instantly grew in size. He signaled the two to step on, and in a flash, they soared away in a rainbow of light.

All that remained were the stunned villagers and the lingering voices of Lin Cheng and Lin Hu echoing in the sky—

"Father, Mother, Elder... take care of yourselves..."