chsdbacks Chapter 109 The Bet
Chapter 109 The Bet
The voice came from behind the door, exactly the same as the old voice Lin Yan had heard in the hall earlier.
Lin Yan pushed open the door.
The space on the fifth floor was much smaller than he had imagined, only the size of an ordinary study, with a few small windows on the four walls and an old wooden table in the middle of the room.
There was a person sitting behind the table.
Lin Yan had imagined what the Master of Wenyuan Pavilion would look like many times. As one of the few fifth-rank experts in the Great Yan Dynasty, Lin Yan thought he might be an old man with a sage-like demeanor, a wise man with white hair and a youthful face, or a dignified and solemn old man.
But the person in front of him was thin and small, with sparse white hair and a face full of wrinkles. If Lin Yan had seen him in Black Wind Ridge, he would have thought that the refugees had gathered a new group of refugees.
When Lin Yan entered, the old man was writing something on a piece of paper with his head down. There were several drafts next to him, which at first glance were all diagrams of the human body's meridians.
"Have you made your choice?"
"I've made my choice." Lin Yan handed over the "Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique" with both hands.
The old man then looked up and glanced at the book cover.
"The Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique?" The old man's voice carried a hint of surprise. He tossed aside the brush in his hand, flipped through the contents, and asked, "Are you sure you want to choose this one?"
"Confirmed, I hope Your Excellency will grant my permission."
"Kid, do you know how difficult this skill is to master?"
Lin Yan thought for a moment, "I found it in a corner on the third floor. It was forgotten in that place, so it must be quite difficult to cultivate there."
"Not simple?" The old man chuckled. "It's more than simple. Since this technique was acquired by the Wenyuan Pavilion, seventeen people have tried to master it, and without exception, they all reached the third rank. Do you know how many of those seventeen people ultimately succeeded?"
Lin Yan shook his head.
"Not a single one." The old man held up two fingers. "Seventeen people. Two of them went mad from practicing the technique to the point of demonic possession. The other three persisted for several years, but they all stopped progressing and eventually gave up."
At this point, the old man pushed the book back in front of Lin Yan.
"Seeing that you have reached the peak of the second rank at such a young age, I can give you another chance. Go down and choose a new sect. It won't be considered a breach of contract."
Lin Yan stood there thinking, without answering immediately.
Seeing that he was still persistent, the old man was not impatient. He tapped the table a few times with one finger, pulling Lin Yan back from his thoughts.
"Don't just look at the Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique and think it's powerful. Its training method can be described as cruel. This body forging technique starts from the skin, then moves to the flesh and bones, and finally to the blood. It uses herbs to stimulate and true qi to beat the body. The pain you have to endure at each level is several times greater than before. How do you think the power of the Dragon Elephant comes about? It's earned by risking your life."
Lin Yan swallowed hard, but still didn't respond.
"I'm not saying this to scare you. I see you have good aptitude. You cultivate both spirit and body, which has great potential. As long as you work steadily, reaching the fourth-grade Qi Transformation Realm is only a matter of time. There's no need to risk your life on a single cultivation technique."
Having said that, the old man stopped urging him and picked up his brush to continue sketching on the paper, giving Lin Yan ample time to consider.
Lin Yan recalled many things. He remembered that when he was in Black Wind Ridge, he dared to practice anything in order to survive. At that time, he had no choice; if he didn't fight desperately, he would be exploited to death.
Now that he has the Crown Prince as his "backer," an official position in the capital, and his mother and sister living a life of comfort and ease, it seems he really doesn't need to work so hard anymore.
But is this really the case?
The matter of the incomplete breathing manual and the "Yan King's Heart Sutra" made him realize that the Crown Prince must be brewing a huge conspiracy. The court is now corrupt, and the old emperor is not long for this world. When chaos descends, what level can he reach? If he only seeks stability, the times will probably not give him much time.
In this world, without strength, everything is meaningless.
Believe in yourself, take a gamble. So many people have failed before, but Lin Yan has a skill panel.
Lin Yan raised his head and looked at the old man.
"Master, my mind is made up, and I will not change it."
"Hmm? You've thought it through?"
"I've thought it through. If one is afraid of even pain on the path of cultivation, how can one climb to a higher realm?"
The old man put down his pen, his wrinkles crinkling together, and gave Lin Yan a smile.
"Haha, you're quite an interesting kid. How about we make a bet?"
Lin Yan was taken aback. "What bet?"
"I'll give you a year. If you can master the Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique to the second level, you'll win. I'll allow you to choose another technique from the Wenyuan Pavilion, and I'll personally guide you in its cultivation."
Lin Yan's eyes lit up immediately. A year later, he should have broken through to the third grade of the Unending Realm. If he could choose another cultivation method, he could take the "Yan King's Heart Sutra" with him and learn the cultivation methods of the fourth and fifth levels. In addition, with the guidance of the Wenyuan Pavilion Master, a powerful expert in the Innate Realm, a few pointers would be enough to save him from many detours.
"What if I don't manage to do it within a year?"
"If you lose, it's simple: you can just discard the 'Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique,' resign from your post, and go home to farm."
Winning this bet would be great, but losing would be like going back to square one.
"Why is the Pavilion Master willing to make this bet with me?" Lin Yan asked.
"Because the heights that cultivators in this world can reach ultimately come down to two things: talent and temperament. Talent is innate, while temperament is cultivated through hardship. Many people are exceptionally talented when they are young, but in the end they still become just ordinary people because they cannot endure hardship or pain."
The old man sighed and continued, "I've been in this Wenyuan Pavilion for almost a hundred years and have seen too many geniuses. Some came in full of vigor, chose a good technique, but neglected to practice, their skills were not refined, and they made no progress even after several years. Others were arrogant and chose powerful techniques, but in the end, they couldn't endure the pain, couldn't break through, and died in despair. Since you already know the bad endings of every one of the seventeen practitioners of the Dragon Elephant Body Forging Technique, your insistence on choosing it has piqued my interest."
"I'll take the gamble," Lin Yan said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
The old man chuckled, gently lifted his hand, and the brush began to write on the paper by itself. He then took out a small seal and stamped it on the paper.
"This is the bet. Bring it to me in a year." The old man handed the paper to Lin Yan. "Alright, I'll make a copy of the cultivation technique for you now."
After a short while, the old man handed Lin Yan a warm, smooth jade slip.
"You can see the contents once you inject your true energy. Remember, you can't rush this technique."
Lin Yan accepted the jade slip, nodded solemnly, turned around, went downstairs, walked out of the Wenyuan Pavilion, hailed a carriage, and rushed back to the Lin residence.