Time passed swiftly. A year and a quarter slipped by in silence.
Inside the secret chamber, Rin Tianhai sat motionless on a meditation cushion. A few months earlier, he had already broken through the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement.
Star-like motes of spiritual energy floated around his body, entering through his Sky Spirit Cover and fingertips before gradually permeating every part of his being.
An hour later, he ended his cultivation.
When his eyes opened, a flash of brilliance streaked across his pupils. His aura was steady, calm, and profound.
Several jade bottles lay scattered across the chamber, empty and lifeless, though faint traces of medicinal fragrance and residual energy still lingered in the air.
By now, Rin Tianhai had been in closed-door cultivation for over a month. During this period, he alternated between alchemy and cultivation, refining pills until his strength and divine sense were drained, then meditating to recover before resuming again.
Alchemy consumed enormous amounts of spiritual power and divine sense, leaving him utterly exhausted each time. Yet, he never resorted to Restorative Elixirs to recover; instead, he pushed his limits and polished himself through sheer perseverance.
The process was grueling, but the rewards were extraordinary.
Over the year, he had completely used up all forty sets of Qi Condensation Pill materials. Refining them was far more difficult than producing Fasting Pills.
Of the forty sets, only twenty six batches succeeded, barely a twenty percent success rate. Each batch yielded between one and three pills, resulting in a total of forty-six Qi Condensation Pills.
Added to the fourteen pills left over from his previous breakthrough, he should possess sixty in total.
But throughout these months, he maintained a strict regimen, consuming two Qi Condensation Pills each month, leaving him with twent-eight pills in reserve.
His alchemy practice itself had also contributed to his growth. Without that added tempering and extra resource benefit, he would not have reached the early stage of the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement so quickly, even with the aid of pills.
Despite having an adequate supply of elixirs, Rin Tianhai decided not to continue secluded cultivation as time to do clan monthly inspection task had already slightly passed.
Now, with the next inspection due, he finally stepped out from seclusion, emerging into the courtyard outside his loft.
Two Mortal Race brothers of the Rin Family, Rin Shan and Rin Hai, had kept vigil outside for over the year, faithfully awaiting orders.
Seeing Rin Tianhai emerge, Rin Shan hurried forward, bowing deeply.
"Rin Shan greets the Old Ancestor with respect!"
The two brothers were indeed thoughtful. Ever since arriving in Lubeck Town, they had received no specific instructions, yet they continued their duty day and night without complaint.
Rin Tianhai waved his hand casually.
"No need for formalities. Take these discarded pill residues. Though useless to cultivators, they still contain medicinal essence. If stewed into a soup, they can strengthen the body, improve health, and cure long-standing ailments. There is enough here for dozens of your people."
With a gesture, a mass of pill dregs floated into Rin Shan's hands.
Rin Shan's face lit up with joy, though he remained cautious as he offered thanks. For mortals, such residues were a priceless tonic, even if worthless to cultivators. By collecting these remnants and gifting them to the family's mortal branches, Rin Tianhai accumulated karmic merit while ensuring the Rin bloodline prospered.
The five major mortal towns of the Rin Family were all descended from cultivators, though their bloodline had thinned over generations. Still, the chance of birthing new cultivators among them remained higher than common folk.
Leaving further matters to the brothers, Rin Tianhai summoned the Lubeck Sword and soared into the skies.
Within half a day, he had patrolled the lands within a hundred-mile radius of Lubeck Town, slaying more than ten Mortal Beasts along the way.
Suddenly, a ripple passed through his divine sense.
"Hm?"
For over a year and a half, he had never once encountered a true Monster Beast near Lubeck Town. Yet today, he sensed one, a Striped Crocodile.
This creature was a First-Order, Middle Stage Monster Beast. Adult Striped Crocodiles could grow into Second-Order Middle Stage beasts. This one was still a juvenile.
Normally, they lived in groups ranging from dozens to hundreds. To find a lone one here, less than a hundred miles from the Purple Cloud Mountain Range, was unusual.
But since he had encountered it, there was no reason to let it escape. This was the perfect chance to test himself in battle against a Monster Beast for the first time.
The Lubeck Sword turned into a streak of cyan light as Rin Tianhai sped towards the valley where the beast lurked.
Within moments, he reached a river valley over ten miles long, flanked by dense forests. A wide river cut through it, flowing eastward from the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.
Beneath its calm surface, a massive shape moved stealthily, a Striped Crocodile, more than three feet wide and over twenty feet long, swimming upstream.
Sensing Rin Tianhai's formidable aura, the beast dove deeper, attempting to hide.
A cold smile touched Rin Tianhai's lips.
"Hmph. Do you think you can escape me just by hiding?"
Without hesitation, he infused the Lubeck Sword with spiritual energy. It streaked into the river as a brilliant cyan blade, splitting the waters dozens of feet deep.
The Striped Crocodile reacted instantly. It turned its massive head and spat out a water arrow, thick as a tree trunk, which clashed violently against the descending sword light.
The impact exploded with thunderous force, sending shockwaves across the river, killing countless fish and hurling others onto the banks.
The clash only fueled Rin Tianhai's fighting spirit. He unleashed three more sword strikes in rapid succession.
The crocodile countered with more water arrows, explosions booming as the two forces collided. Using the cover of the blast, the beast lunged forward with gaping jaws.
But Rin Tianhai remained calm. Channelling his technique, he invoked the Huoyuan Slash, transforming his sword into a blazing inferno that shot directly into the beast's maw.
A deafening boom shook the valley. The Striped Crocodile thrashed violently before collapsing, floating lifeless upon the river's surface.
Its insides had been utterly incinerated.
Rin Tianhai moved swiftly, cleaning the battlefield. He skinned the carcass, extracted a pure white Demon Core, harvested its blood, claws, and tail, and finally departed upon his sword light, his heart steady after his first true battle against a Monster Beast.