Chapter 046: Guardianship

Suddenly struck by misfortune, Zha One through Zha Nine were wrongfully imprisoned. Yet, not a single one of the nine brothers held any resentment toward Lin Zhan or Zha Ten Yun Yin for their absence; on the contrary, worry for the two weighed heavily in their hearts.

However, to enter the Ice Prison of the Disciplinary Hall was tantamount to receiving a death sentence. The difference between the Cloud Prison and the Ice Prison was but a single word, yet the outcome was worlds apart. If sent to the Cloud Prison, one could at least continue life as a menial disciple, still living as a human being; but to be cast into the Ice Prison meant only to become a ghost.

“Boss Cao, all nine have been taken in,” a subordinate reported upon returning.

Cao Jin rolled his bulging eyes. “None of you are to speak a word of this. If any superiors inquire, you’ll say these men defied orders and incited a mutiny. Is that clear?”

“We understand!” Cao Jin’s confidants instantly grasped his meaning.

And thus, a mere steward could erase an entire team of menial laborers from existence, laying bare the cruel law of the jungle that governed this world.

“Boss Cao, what should we do when Zha Eleven shows up?” one of the trusted men asked.

Cao Jin casually pointed to two of his subordinates. “You two stay behind. The moment he appears, seize him at once.”

“Yes, sir!” The two, both at the initial stage of the Yellow Rank, clasped their hands in assent. After seeing Cao Jin off, they swaggered into the small hut at the assembly point, preparing to wait for their prey.

They firmly believed that capturing a mere Zha Eleven would be effortless.

While such a grave event unfolded outside, Lin Zhan and Yun Yin within the heroic pool’s secret grotto remained entirely unaware.

Lin Zhan’s recovery had reached a crucial stage; his meridians and flesh had been completely renewed. Only later would he realize his physique had transformed into the legendary Innate Nine-Star Body, now able to ceaselessly absorb the light and energy of sun, moon, and stars, converting it for his own use.

With this foundation in place, the luminous small dragons gathered at the site of his dantian. In that intangible region of his lower abdomen, countless golden threads flickered and surged. As these threads spun ceaselessly, a dantian many times larger than before slowly took shape.

A pleasant warmth suffused his lower belly, leaving Lin Zhan slightly dizzy from comfort.

It took two hours for this construction to complete. Then, an immense surge of spiritual energy erupted from the first star, filling the new dantian to the brim with pure power.

Once crippled and his cultivation shattered, Lin Zhan now felt a strange and overwhelming joy as he experienced a series of breakthroughs. From the initial stage of the Human Rank, he ascended through three minor realms as swiftly as riding an elevator, without the slightest pause, soaring directly into the middle stage of Human Rank.

There, he lingered briefly at the Foundation Establishment stage, but soon the rapid ascent resumed, and he vaulted all the way to the peak of the late Human Rank before the process finally halted.

It seemed that even the critical trial of Foundation Establishment was but child’s play in this process. Furthermore, Lin Zhan had no control over this progression; it was as if his current peak Human Rank cultivation had fallen into his lap unbidden.

“This Nine-Star Diagram is truly a wondrous thing!” Lin Zhan could only sigh with heartfelt gratitude.

The waters of the spring, which had been swirling rapidly around him, gradually calmed. Throughout his advancement, the spiritual energy in the pool had continuously replenished him. By now, the first star, previously depleted by more than half, had recovered to nearly sixty percent—a remarkable restoration.

Naturally, Yun Yin, healing nearby, also benefited greatly from this process.

It was well known that Lin Zhan’s body was akin to a powerful furnace, able to amplify the spiritual might of others’ weapons—perhaps one day even reaching the fabled state of Weapon Qi, an extraordinary feat indeed.

Another function of his furnace-like body was healing. Thus, imperceptibly, Yun Yin’s injuries were wholly mended.

Meanwhile, as the spiritual energy in the pool continued to swirl and dance around Lin Zhan, it also poured into Yun Yin, washing away the barrier to her breakthrough to the Yellow Rank.

As Lin Zhan opened his eyes, he had no time to savor the transformation of his body before he noticed Yun Yin’s state.

She sat with eyes closed, her delicate nose subtly quivering, and her fair, lovely face was beaded with fine droplets of water. Her form, half-veiled by mist, was clad in a damp, pale blue gown, lending her an alluring, softly blurred beauty.

Lin Zhan realized Yun Yin must be assaulting her bottleneck. The sight was almost enough to make his nose bleed; he forced down a gulp and banished all stray thoughts, focusing wholly on guarding her through this critical moment, determined that nothing from the outside would disturb her.

Yun Yin’s breakthrough was to a major realm. Though it sounded simple, in truth, it was fraught with uncertainty; the slightest misstep could mean falling into a pit of disaster, failing to break through and suffering severe backlash.

And so, Lin Zhan remained utterly still, holding his breath, silently standing watch over this beautiful woman’s ascension.

Then, in what seemed a single instant, Yun Yin’s aura transformed. A subtle, indescribable force emanated from her, and her lashes fluttered as a smile she could not suppress blossomed across her face.

She opened her eyes, those jewel-like pupils gazing directly at Lin Zhan.

“Lin Zhan, thank you for watching over me.”

Her smile bloomed like a flower, pure and radiant, as if blossoming in Lin Zhan’s heart.

“Heh, congratulations on becoming a Yellow Rank expert!” Lin Zhan replied with a smile of his own.

He didn’t need to ask; it was clear that Yun Yin had succeeded in her breakthrough, advancing smoothly to the early stage of Yellow Rank.

“Stabilize your realm for a bit. I’ll go catch a few Ice Soul Silverfish. Haven’t eaten in days, it feels like.”

Truth be told, Lin Zhan dared not linger near Yun Yin in her drenched state; it was simply too tempting.

For Yun Yin, who’d grown up starved of motherly love, the happiness of being cared for was vivid and sweet. It was wholly unlike what Yun Mobei had given her. In her heart, Lin Zhan had become the second person in the world to treat her so well.

As she watched Lin Zhan’s broad back, a sweet, strange feeling welled up inside her.

At the poolside, Lin Zhan built a fire. He was no stranger to this place and had previously stashed some essentials here: firewood, a grill, and in one of the icy walls, several wild game, kept perfectly fresh by the cold, as if newly hunted.

Soon, flames crackled and leapt, and several tender Golden Armored Geese were set to roast.

Lin Zhan dove back into the hot spring, this time well away from Yun Yin. When he surfaced, he tossed up one Ice Soul Silverfish after another, the fish flopping and wriggling on the shore.