「The next day.」
Lin Yan saw his Fifth Uncle in the courtyard.
"Fifth Uncle?"
Seeing his Fifth Uncle, Lin Yan froze, subconsciously wondering if some misdeed of his had finally come to light.
"What’s the matter? Unhappy to see me?"
Seeing Lin Yan’s dazed look, Lin Shouzheng feigned anger.
"Not at all. I just didn’t expect you to come looking for me, Fifth Uncle."
Lin Yan explained with a smile, though he couldn’t help complaining inwardly, ’Probably no one in the clan would ever want to see Fifth Uncle show up at their door.’
The Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, the guardian of the clan rules.
Even someone as powerful as Brother Hai would be terrified to see Fifth Uncle.
"I’m done joking around. I came to bring you your resources from the Grand Competition."
Lin Shouzheng entered the courtyard, his expression turning serious as he took a Jade Box from his robes.
A treasure as significant as Cold Dew couldn’t be handed over by just anyone. He was responsible for personally delivering the rewards to the top three competitors of the Grand Competition.
"Inside this Jade Box, besides the five drops of Cold Dew awarded by the clan, there are two drops the Third Branch applied for on your behalf, and two more from your master. That makes nine drops of Cold Dew in total."
At the mention of "nine drops of Cold Dew," Lin Shouzheng felt a surge of emotion. The Third Branch was clearly starting to invest heavily in Lin Yan’s development, and Old Jiu was also incredibly dedicated to his disciple.
Besides the first-place winner of each Grand Competition, the various branches also received a small share of a precious item like Cold Dew. Since Lin Yan was from the Third Branch, it was understandable for them to give him two drops to cultivate one of their own. But for Old Jiu to give him two drops, he must have paid a hefty price to avoid discontent among the other members of the Fifth Branch.
As for the clan... the five-drop reward was the clan’s way of nurturing its geniuses.
"Thank you for making the trip, Fifth Uncle."
Lin Yan accepted the Jade Box but didn’t rush to open it. Instead, he went inside, retrieved a teapot, and brewed a cup of tea for his Fifth Uncle.
Seeing Lin Yan remain so calm in the face of such a great treasure, a flicker of appreciation appeared in Lin Shouzheng’s eyes. He had also delivered Cold Dew to Mingya and Mingsong. Mingya, having already broken through to the True Gang Realm, was relatively composed. Mingsong, however, was not so calm; he had subconsciously opened the box for a look the moment he received it.
It wasn’t that Mingsong didn’t trust him, his Fifth Uncle; he was just so fixated on the Cold Dew that he couldn’t wait to see it.
"Have Old Qi and your master mentioned the Refinement method for the Cold Dew?" Lin Shouzheng asked as he accepted the cup, before taking a sip.
"Yes, Uncle Qi told me."
Lin Yan nodded. Just yesterday at the pavilion, his Uncle Qi and master had explained the Refinement method for the Cold Dew.
Cold Dew was one of the Treasures of Heaven and Earth, and its cold nature was extreme.
A treasure like this wasn’t meant to be swallowed directly. Instead, one was to drip it onto their palm and slowly refine it by circulating their Cultivation Technique.
"The Cold Dew’s chill is too intense. I brought you a Warm Sun Pill from the clan’s Elixir Medicine Pavilion. Taking it will spare you some of the suffering from the cold energy’s assault during Refinement."
Lin Yan was taken aback when he saw the vial his Fifth Uncle pulled from his robes. His master had mentioned the Warm Sun Pill yesterday, telling him to exchange for it at the Elixir Medicine Pavilion, but the price wasn’t cheap—three hundred Contribution Points for a single vial.
After repeatedly asking his master and confirming that the presence of a Warm Sun Pill didn’t affect the absorption of the Cold Dew, Lin Yan chose not to make the exchange.
’I’m just too afraid of being poor!’
’Wouldn’t it be better to save those three hundred Contribution Points?’
’So what if I have to suffer a little?’
’The suffering that leads to a breakthrough is a sweet kind of pain anyway.’
"What’s wrong? Did your master already prepare a Warm Sun Pill for you?"
Seeing Lin Yan’s stunned silence, Lin Shouzheng assumed that Old Qi or Old Jiu had already gotten him one.
"No... I didn’t go exchange for one. Thank you, Fifth Uncle."
Lin Yan quickly accepted it. A smile appeared on Lin Shouzheng’s face. When he went to the Elixir Medicine Pavilion, he had specifically asked the clan member in charge of the records and learned that Lin Yan hadn’t exchanged for a Warm Sun Pill. That could only mean Old Qi or Old Jiu had prepared one for him.
He had been worried his gesture might have been redundant.
Regardless of whether Lin Yan was telling the truth or not, he had extended his goodwill, and Lin Yan had accepted it.
As the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, he naturally had to be impartial and selfless.
However, he also represented his own branch. A genius like Lin Yan, once he stepped into the True Gang Realm and matured, would be able to influence many of the clan’s affairs.
"Alright, I won’t delay your Refinement of the Cold Dew any longer. Do your best to break through to the True Gang Realm, and bring glory to our Lin Family when the time comes to compete against the other three great families."
Downing the tea in one gulp, Lin Shouzheng set the cup down, offered a few more words of encouragement, and turned to leave.
"Fifth Uncle, I’ll see you out."
After escorting his Fifth Uncle to the courtyard gate and waiting until he was out of sight, Lin Yan stepped back inside and closed the gate.
’If you bloom, the butterflies will come.’
Lin Yan thought to himself as he walked back into the courtyard.
His Fifth Uncle, as the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, had not only delivered the Cold Dew but had also gifted him a vial of Warm Sun Pill. It was a clear attempt to build a favorable relationship with him.
He had finally caught the eye of Top True Gang Realm experts like his Fifth Uncle.
’In the end, a Martial Artist’s strength is what truly matters.’
After a moment of reflection, Lin Yan focused his mind and his gaze fell upon the Jade Box.
Inside lay the Cold Dew, an item that every Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation clan member dreamed of obtaining.
Lin Yan took a deep breath and slowly opened the Jade Box.
The moment the lid was lifted, a wave of coldness washed over his face.
Lin Yan instantly circulated his Blood Gang, his head recoiling half a foot.
This chill was different from the cold that permeated the air in the Ancestral Land’s stone chamber. This was a more solidified cold, like an icy breath surging up from the depths of the Nine Netherworld—it was pure cold.
Lin Yan’s gaze quickly fell upon the contents of the box. The inside of the Jade Box had been carved with nine small indentations, and in each one lay a single drop of silvery-white liquid.

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