Chapter 81: The Cultivation Chamber

Mu Hanyu asked with a gentle smile, "Mr. Lin, how do you find this spiritual tea?"

"It's quite good," Lin Yi nodded.

Though it didn't compare to the spiritual tea he brewed himself, for martial artists below the innate level, it was still very beneficial.

Hearing this, Mu Hanyu smiled softly, "Mr. Lin, as long as you join our Martial Arts Association, you may drink as much spiritual tea as you wish here. Moreover, when making purchases, we’ll grant you a significant discount."

Lin Yi set down his teacup and replied, "No need. I won’t join any organization, nor do I lack money."

Mu Hanyu was momentarily at a loss for words. Indeed, Lin Yi had spent several hundred billion just on spiritual stones; his personal fortune must be vast.

Yet she was reluctant to give up on Lin Yi, a grandmaster who might one day become a revered spiritual master.

"By the way, where do you source your spiritual stones?" Lin Yi asked with curiosity.

Seeking to strengthen her rapport with Lin Yi, Mu Hanyu didn’t conceal much. "Actually, eighty percent of our branch’s spiritual stones come from the Magic Capital and the Imperial Capital, with a few collected by ourselves."

Lin Yi fell silent. He had thought the spiritual stones of the Martial Arts Association in Shan Province were self-collected, but it turned out otherwise.

There are over thirty provinces in the country, each with its own branch of the Martial Arts Association.

Even if each province sent just three hundred low-grade spiritual stones, that would total over nine thousand. Not to mention the mid-grade stones—clearly, the Magic Capital and Imperial Capital are truly overflowing with wealth.

"If I were to buy up all your spiritual stones, how long would it take to restock?" Lin Yi inquired further.

"As long as we report it to the higher-ups, in a few days a specialist will deliver more. Each shipment typically brings three thousand low-grade and three kilograms of mid-grade spiritual stones," Mu Hanyu answered.

Lin Yi nodded. "Do you have any high-grade spiritual stones?"

Mu Hanyu smiled and shook her head. "Mr. Lin, high-grade spiritual stones are only available in the Imperial Capital and the Magic Capital. Even then, they’re not sold externally."

"I see."

Having obtained the information he wanted, Lin Yi handed his black card to Mu Hanyu. "Bring me all the spiritual stones you have."

"Of course," Mu Hanyu replied sweetly.

Before long, a uniformed staff member arrived carrying a backpack.

The staff here were all quite strong, each at the first level of the innate realm.

"Mr. Lin, please verify the count," Mu Hanyu said.

Lin Yi swept the contents with his spiritual sense and confirmed the quantity was accurate.

Transaction complete, he returned to the main hall.

Feng Yuling ingratiated herself, "Mr. Lin, I just spent two thousand points to book two cultivation rooms. Would you like to come see them with me?"

Lin Yi had nothing better to do; it was a good opportunity to see just how extraordinary these cultivation rooms were rumored to be.

Still, the price was steep—two rooms for two thousand points, equivalent to twenty million in cash.

Ordinary martial artists would find it unaffordable; only strong innate practitioners could afford to cultivate here from time to time.

Feng Yuling was very familiar with the place. After a few minutes’ walk, they arrived at the cultivation rooms.

From the outside, they looked no different from hotel rooms, each with a room number on the door.

Lin Yi’s was number eighty-eight, likely chosen deliberately by Feng Yuling.

"Mr. Lin, we can stay in the cultivation room for up to three hours, so if you’re about to break through, be sure to keep track of the time," Feng Yuling reminded him.

Lin Yi nodded and was just about to enter when a figure suddenly blocked his way.

"Get lost! This cultivation room is for my exclusive use."

A bald, burly man glared coldly at Lin Yi. His strength was at the eighth level of the innate realm, his inner energy abundant and his foundation solid.

"Tsk tsk, Tian Huang is bullying other martial artists again."

"Hey, that kid looks familiar."

"Familiar? That’s the guy who just bought all the spiritual stones in the hall."

"Who knows what rich kid he is—he’s not even a martial artist, yet dares to come buy up all the spiritual stones with so much money. Isn’t he just advertising himself as a fat sheep?"

The crowd watched the scene unfold with interest.

Feng Yuling didn’t seem worried at all, even looking amused.

Did they really think Mr. Lin was an ordinary man just because he showed no inner energy?

Tian Huang’s eyes grew greedier as he listened to the onlookers.

"Kid, if you know what’s good for you, leave your spiritual stones behind, or I’ll make you leave here on a stretcher," Tian Huang threatened arrogantly.

Lin Yi didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, "Isn’t there anyone in charge here?"

"Hah! My grandfather is the third elder of the Martial Arts Association. Who dares to interfere with me?" Tian Huang sneered.

"Oh," Lin Yi realized. No wonder Tian Huang dared to act out even within the Association—he had connections.

Seeing Lin Yi remain unmoved, Tian Huang grew furious. "Kid, I’ll count to three. If you don’t hand them over, don’t blame me for what happens next."

Lin Yi shook his head. "Count if you want."

Saying this, he strode forward.

Tian Huang had never been so disregarded before; his anger boiled over.

"Rising Dragon Fist!"

He threw a punch at Lin Yi.

But his fist was caught in Lin Yi’s grasp.

Tian Huang tried to wrench his arm free, but it was as if caught in an iron vice—he couldn’t budge it.

His fury mounting, he swung his other fist at Lin Yi’s head.

But just as he raised his arm, Lin Yi’s foot struck him in the stomach.

Bang.

Tian Huang was sent flying over five meters and landed, coughing up blood.

He was all bluster and no substance—despite his strength, his combat experience was poor, not even as formidable as An Cheng, whom Lin Yi had met the day before.

"You—you dare hit me?" Tian Huang pointed at Lin Yi, his face twisted in resentment.

"Get lost," Lin Yi replied coldly, entering the cultivation room without a backward glance.

As for Tian Huang and his so-called third elder grandfather, Lin Yi paid them no mind.

The cultivation room was small, about the size of a private suite in a hotel, and simply furnished with just a meditation cushion.

Lin Yi sat cross-legged, and immediately, spiritual energy began to rise from every corner of the room.

"A simplified spirit-gathering array," Lin Yi observed, instantly seeing through the room’s workings.

The array was crude, using only eighteen low-grade spiritual stones.

The spiritual energy here was far inferior to what Lin Yi could assemble with his own formation.

He tried cultivating for a while; the conversion rate was low, and there were many impurities.

The difference between low-grade and mid-grade spiritual stones lay in the purity of the spiritual energy they contained.

After about half an hour, someone suddenly pounded on the door.

"Open up! Open the door, kid, hurry up and open the door!" Tian Huang’s voice called from outside.

Lin Yi’s gaze grew cold. The last thing a cultivator needed was interruption.

Even though he usually didn’t care, being disturbed by a stranger still provoked a trace of anger.

Click.

Lin Yi opened the door to see Tian Huang grinning smugly at him.

Beside him stood a spirited old man, a grandmaster whose aura was unstable—he must have just broken through.

"Grandfather, he stole my cultivation room and injured me," Tian Huang immediately played the victim.

The onlookers all cast disdainful glances at Tian Huang, but with a grandmaster for a grandfather, who would dare provoke him?

Tian Zhi looked Lin Yi up and down, then said coolly, "Do you know where you are? How dare you cause trouble here?"

Lin Yi ignored Tian Zhi and walked over to Tian Huang.

"What are you doing?" Tian Huang jeered.

Lin Yi said nothing, simply raised his foot and kicked Tian Huang in the stomach.

Bang.

Tian Huang was sent flying once more.

The crowd was stunned—no one had expected Lin Yi to strike so decisively.

And right in front of his grandfather! At this rate, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to survive.

Tian Zhi was briefly taken aback, then his expression darkened as he glared at Lin Yi. "You insolent brat! How dare you cause trouble in the Martial Arts Association before my very eyes? Today I’ll cripple your limbs to uphold our authority!"

With that, Tian Zhi raised his hand and struck at Lin Yi.

Inner force surged around him; even a half-step grandmaster would be severely injured by such a blow.

Bang.

Yet Tian Zhi’s palm was stopped by a faint barrier of true energy.

"Qi Barrier!"

Tian Zhi’s pupils contracted in shock. The qi barrier was a grandmaster’s technique, its power dozens of times stronger than inner force.

He hadn’t expected Lin Yi, who looked so young, to possess a protective qi barrier.

Wait—Tian Zhi suddenly recalled the recent uproar about the young grandmaster.

Though he himself was a grandmaster, he had only just broken through, not even a match for Feng Yi.

Let alone that young grandmaster, who had dispatched a seasoned grandmaster with just a few moves.

At this realization, Tian Zhi’s legs went weak.

But it was too late to back down.

Lin Yi glanced at him indifferently and lightly extended his palm.

It appeared feeble to the onlookers, but to Tian Zhi, it locked onto his entire being in an instant.

"Run!"

Tian Zhi tried to flee, but that slow-moving palm landed squarely on his chest.

Bang.

He was sent flying, his chest caving in.

Silence.

Everyone watching from the cultivation rooms stood agape.

What had they just witnessed? A grandmaster struck down by someone who, to their eyes, wasn’t even a martial artist.

"Grandfather!"

Tian Huang’s pupils shrank. For all his arrogance, he now realized he had provoked a terrifying enemy.

Footsteps echoed closer. Tian Huang looked up to see Lin Yi standing before him.

"B-Brother, let’s talk this out—"

But it was too late.

Lin Yi stomped on Tian Huang’s arm.

A sickening crack sounded as bone shattered.

No one dared to plead for Tian Huang.