The crowd watched Lin Yu leave the courtyard. They didn’t linger long either, departing in twos and threes.
Lin Yan also bid farewell to Lin Yu and headed to the Third Branch to see Brother Hai.
"Your Qi Blood has surpassed the halfway mark for the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing?"
Lin Minghai leaned against the railing of the Lake Heart Pavilion, watching Lin Yan approach as he asked nonchalantly.
Glancing at the height of his Martial Arts Tree, Lin Yan nodded. "Yes, it’s past the halfway mark."
’I’m not exactly lying,’ he thought. ’It is past the halfway mark... just by a lot.’
"Half a year... Not bad. It’s time to start thinking about the Blood Exchange Realm."
Hearing Lin Yan’s reply, the nonchalant look on Lin Minghai’s face vanished. "Within the clan, the Blood Exchange Realm is a major dividing line. Even for direct family members, only after stepping into the Blood Exchange Realm can you truly receive the clan’s full support. As for you, reaching it sooner will allow you to make a name for yourself in the upcoming branch competition."
Lin Yan already knew about the branch competition. He had heard it confirmed by other branch clan members while eating in the dining hall, but the clan had yet to announce an official date.
"Brother Hai, has the date for the branch competition been set?"
"Yes, it’s a month and a half from now. As for the rewards... all I can tell you is that they are extremely generous."
Lin Minghai gave a mysterious smile, leaving him in suspense.
"Brother Hai, can’t you reveal just a little?"
Lin Yan had his own thoughts about the branch competition. If the rewards were generous, he would participate. If they were just average, he’d pass.
He couldn’t care less about the empty title of being first in the branch competition. Whoever wanted it could have it.
"I can’t."
Lin Minghai shook his head. The clan had ordered that the branch members were not to be told about the rewards.
The reason was simple: they were afraid that if the branch members knew the rewards, they would recklessly try to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm, some even before their Qi Blood had reached the halfway mark.
As long as they successfully broke through, their strength would completely crush any Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist, even if they had broken through with only ten percent of their Qi Blood filled, let alone less than half.
But that kind of Blood Exchange Realm Martial Artist was not what the clan wanted.
The clan wanted Martial Artists with both strength and potential, not those who had exhausted their potential to reach the Blood Exchange Realm.
"Don’t think about the rewards. Right now, you need to focus on the Blood Exchange Realm."
Seeing Lin Yan’s pensive expression, Lin Minghai assumed he was trying to guess the rewards. He had no idea that while Lin Yan was indeed thinking about the rewards, his reasons were completely different.
"There are no written copies of the clan’s Blood Exchange Realm Technique. To practice it, you must go to a specific place. Whenever you’re ready, you can go to the Library Pavilion. State your purpose once you arrive, and someone will naturally guide you."
"Alright, I’ll head to the Library Pavilion in a bit."
Hearing this, Lin Minghai fell silent for a breath. "There’s no need to be in such a hurry. You can take a few more days to adjust your condition. Once you enter that place, you can’t come out until you either break through to the Blood Exchange Realm or fail."
After Lin Yan finished speaking with Brother Hai, a servant hurried across the connecting bridge, looking like he had something to report. Lin Yan didn’t continue the conversation, instead rising to take his leave.
「An hour later.」
Lin Yan appeared outside the Library Pavilion. According to Brother Hai, breaking through to the Blood Exchange Realm would take some time, so he had gone back to his room to pack a few changes of clothes.
He had no choice. The Lin Family estate was enormous. The round trip took an hour, and that was with him rushing at full speed without a single stop.
A large estate makes for a long journey.
"Senior, I wish to cultivate the Blood Exchange Realm Technique."
Stepping into the Library Pavilion and once again arriving before the long table, Lin Yan cupped his fist and stated his purpose directly.
"We are both Lin Clan Members. There’s no need to call me ’Senior’."
Lin Qinghe said with a chuckle. Hearing this, Lin Yan pondered for a moment. "Then I will call you Uncle. Uncle, may I ask your name?"
"I’m from the Qing Generation. In terms of seniority, you’d have to call me ’Grandpa’."
Lin Yan: ...
"Haha, I’m just joking with you."
Lin Qinghe stroked his beard. He was indeed from the Qing Generation, a generation higher than the Shou Generation. It was just that his father had been born late, and had also had him late in life.
"Follow me."
Lin Qinghe stood up, pushed open a door behind the cabinet, and led Lin Yan inside. Only then did Lin Yan realize there was a whole other world within the Library Pavilion.
Behind the door was a courtyard, and in its very center stood a stone tower.
The stone tower wasn’t tall. Inside, there was only a single spiral staircase leading underground, its walls inlaid with Fluorite.
Stepping onto the stairs and descending, Lin Yan could clearly feel the temperature dropping. Although it was quite cold outside at this time of year, the two kinds of cold were completely different concepts.
Here, he could even feel his Qi Blood becoming calmer than it was outside.
"The most difficult part of transitioning from Skin Smoothing to Blood Exchange is controlling the turbulence of your Qi Blood. The clan went to great expense to build this place. It can suppress that turbulence, giving you an extra ten percent chance of breaking through to the Blood Exchange Realm."
Lin Qinghe, walking ahead, offered this explanation. Realization dawned on Lin Yan, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. ’To practice Martial Arts... it really pays to be backed by a major power.’
From the beginning of Skin Smoothing, joining a Martial Arts Hall allows you to enjoy exclusive Secret Medicine, increasing your Qi Blood and the chances of breaking through.
Now, it was the same for the Blood Exchange Realm. Even if ordinary Martial Artists obtained a Blood Exchange Realm Technique, they wouldn’t have access to an environment like this that could suppress the turbulence of their Qi Blood.
A quarter of an hour later, they reached the bottom of the stairs and arrived in an underground plaza.
Lin Yan looked toward the front of the plaza and saw rows of stone chambers.
"The Blood Exchange Realm Technique is carved inside each of these stone chambers. You will see it once you enter. Three meals a day will be delivered to your door. All you have to do is focus on the Refinement of your Qi Blood and strive to step into the Blood Exchange Realm."

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