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[Name: Lin Kai]

[Age: 16/56]

[Realm: None (99/100)]

[Skills: Breathing Technique (450/500)] (Minor Accomplishment)

After the initial failures, Lin Kai became more and more proficient in absorbing the aura. Even though it wasn't much, he was able to absorb one strand every day and two if he got lucky.

Due to his unrelenting efforts during the past ninety days, he was finally about to make a breakthrough.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Kai didn't immediately rush for the breakthrough but first calmed himself down. After days of failures, he knew what haste could do to his practice.

Walking out of his house, he looked at the scenery in front of him with a smile. The seeds he planted have now turned into a patch of yellow orchids.

The size of the orchids was comparable to an adult's palm, each weighing almost half a pound. Just like Old Xu said, there was exactly one orchid on every plant. Judging by the sweet fragrance in the air, Lin Kai knew they were ready to be harvested.

Picking up a loose cloth bag, Lin Kai began to harvest the flowers. He would carefully walk to a plant and then gently pick up the flower. He did everything with great care as if afraid that the flower would shatter like glass. Amidst the overwhelming fragrance, he even wanted to take a bite out of one but managed to control himself. He knew the flowers were used for some basic medicines, so instead of wasting them, it would be better to just exchange them for resources he could actually use.

It took a while for him to finish gathering all hundred flowers. The only thing remaining in the field now were the plants that he needed to uproot for the next batch of crops.

But now was not the time.

Walking back inside his room, Lin Kai locked his door and window. Even though there was no other person beside him in this vicinity, he didn't want to take any risks.

Closing his eyes, he could only pray that his breakthrough wouldn't cause any turmoil.

Soon, he began the familiar breathing technique that he had done many times before.

Feeling the aura of heaven and earth, he slowly pulled it towards himself before gently guiding it towards his heart. Every step was done carefully and slowly. It was a crucial moment and the last thing Lin Kai wanted was to mess it up.

Hours passed but for Lin Kai, it felt like only a few seconds had passed. From sensing the aura to guiding it towards his heart.

This was also one of the reasons why he was able to practice every day for the past three months. Three months might have passed in the real world, but for Lin Kai, it only felt like a few days.

"Huff..."

As the ray of aura made its way toward his heart, Lin Kai tried to control his nervousness. Taking deep breaths, he focused on the ray and after almost an hour managed to guide it in his heart.

"BOOOOOOM"

It was as if someone lit up a powdered keg as Lin Kai felt his entire body was like a balloon that was about to explode.

Thankfully, it was just his illusion. But the changes in his body were rather real.

Right now, his entire body was trembling constantly as if it was under great pressure. As more and more time passed, his skin began to shed.

First, it was the hair, then it was his skin... Lin Kai felt like he was going through a rebirth.

He didn't know how much time had passed. Sometimes he felt like it had been weeks, while other times he felt like it had been just a few minutes. Stranded in this strange trance, when he opened his eyes, it was already night.

"Ugh..." The first thing that greeted his sight was the unholy mess of his shredded skin and hair lying all around him along with a fishy smell that had covered the entire room.

Opening his door and window in a hurry, Lin Kai didn't have time to explore the changes in his body before he picked up everything from his room, grabbed a set of new clothes, and rushed to the stream.

Without any hesitation, he jumped into the stream and finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Hahahaha"

Lin Kai finally let out a laugh while lying on the stream. He had managed to do something extraordinary. Something that would take years for others to accomplish. Lin Kai believed that if he were to report his progression, the sect would be more than happy to train and promote him. But this wasn't what he wanted.

With a smile, he looked at the innumerable stars up in the sky and raised his hand as if trying to grab them. The starry sky in this world was different from his. Even in his previous world, he didn't see a sky that was filled to the brim with these many stars.

After playing for a bit, he finally looked at the panel.

[Name: Lin Kai]

[Age: 16/66]

[Realm: Ist Step Condensation (1/100)]

[Skills: Minor Breathing Technique (460/500), Farming (10/100)]

"Haha, finally." Looking at the increased lifespan that went from fifty-six to sixty-six years, Lin Kai had a constant smile on his face.

His eyes then focused on the realm that had changed into the first step of condensation.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated before finding himself in a space of nothingness. It was his inner world. A vast space inside his heart that was now the foundation of his cultivation.

Other than his illusory body, the only thing in this space was the blurry outline of a nine-step stairway that reached high above in the unknown. Lin Kai tried to focus, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see it. It was as if he was wearing foggy glasses. The space around him seemed unstable. Lin Kai had a feeling that he couldn't spend too much time here. 

Even though he couldn't see it clearly, he could still see the dimly glowing first step of the stairs that was emitting hazy rays, slowly illuminating the area around it and making it somewhat stable. 

Lin Kai knew what it meant. The moment that first step lit up, it meant he had finally stepped into the path of cultivation.

Opening his eyes in the real world again, Lin Kai was about to stand up when his gaze froze. When he saw the panel, he didn't think there was any other change besides the realm. But when he looked at it again, he was surprised to find a new entry.

"Farming? When? How?" Scratching his head, Lin Kai was sure that the entry wasn't there till yesterday. He had been working as a farmer for three months. From planting the seeds to removing the weeds and watering the plants. He did everything by himself. And yet, even after all that, the farming skill never appeared. The only new thing he did was to harvest his crops. 

"So, does it only calculate harvesting or does it calculate the entire process?" Right now, Lin Kai didn't know for sure. But sooner or later, he was going to find out. 

Closing the panel, Lin Kai finally noticed the changes in his body. 

After going through this metamorphosis, he found that his raw strength had increased dramatically. Waving his hand around in the stream, Lin Kai was sure he could flatten a car with his bare hands. 

Other than this, he could now use the aura of heaven and earth. 

Raising his hand, Lin Kai tried to use the aura of heaven and earth. The moment he tried, his inner world trembled as the stair emitted a white brilliance. 

Soon, Lin Kai's right hand was covered in a layer of white. 

Right now Lin Kai didn't know any skills or techniques, so he just hit the water with his hand, and the moment he did, there was a loud sound of explosion as if someone threw a dynamite stick in the water. The water splashed up to ten meters, leaving behind an empty area in front of Lin Kai that was soon filled with water once again.

Lin Kai was both startled and frightened by this power. He had such power after condensing just one step. He didn't dare to imagine the strength of people with nine steps. 

"Hmm..." Looking at his inner world he noticed that the glow of the stairs had weakened significantly. Judging by the intensity, he could only use the aura two more times before running out of it. Though it was slowly beginning to recover by itself, unless Lin Kai started practicing again it would probably take days to reach its previous state.

After taking a refreshing bath, Lin Kai headed back home and went to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day for him.

-----------------

Waking up the next morning, Lin Kai packed his harvest and was about to head for the market to sell them. But the moment he stepped outside his house, he was greeted by the sight of a cart moving towards his house.

"Umm!?" Narrowing his eyes, Lin Kai wanted to see who it was. This was the first time in three months since someone came here. He couldn't help but speculate about the identity of the newcomer.

Slowly, the cart arrived near him and Lin Kai was finally able to see it clearly.

It was an ox cart but instead of an ox, it was being pulled by a blue creature that was somewhat similar to a rhino. With a sharp pointy horn above its nose, the creature was covered in blue fur. With a size that was twice the size of a normal rhino, its very presence gave off an intimidating aura.

Sitting on the cart behind it was the figure of a man and woman who seemed to be in their late twenties.

Though the creature was big, its speed was nothing to be scoffed at. Within a few moments, it was in front of Lin Kai's farm.

While Lin Kai was wondering what was going on, the man jumped down from the cart and looked at him carefully before asking a question.

"Are you Lin Kai?"