"Sister, what did I hear you say just now?"
Lin Chen blinked, wondering if he had misheard.
"You heard it right. That's what Su Yuwei told me. She said that once I recover from the poison, I can begin practicing the art of swordsmanship!"
Lin Ning'er's eyes twinkled with anticipation and longing. "Xiaochen, if I do become a swordswoman, I'll work hard so that no one can bully my brother!"
Her soft words were laced with unwavering determination.
Lin Chen felt a pang of emotion at his sister's words. He realized that his sister deeply felt that she was a burden to him, and the news of her potential for swordsmanship had brought her immense joy.
"Sister, you... you can definitely become a powerful swordswoman! I can feel it!"
Lin Chen's original intention was to persuade Lin Ning'er to prioritize her health, but as the words reached his lips, they transformed into words of encouragement and support.
He realized that as long as it brought happiness to his sister, he would do anything. After all, his pursuit of strength and cultivation was driven by his desire to provide Lin Ning'er with a safe and empowered life, free from the fear of being bullied.
"With your support, I know I can achieve this."
Lin Ning'er beamed, feeling heartened by her brother's unwavering belief in her.
She reached for the spirit sword, caressing it gently. Her eyes glimmered with a newfound purpose. "The moment I held this sword, I felt a deep connection, as if I was destined to wield it. But I'm already twenty. Is it too late for me to begin cultivating?"
"Sister, as long as you're determined, no barrier can stand in your way. You'll succeed!"
Lin Chen reassured her with unwavering confidence.
Once they returned to their room, the smile on Lin Chen's face slowly faded.
He frowned, lost in contemplation. "What was Su Yuwei driving at? Why did she say that?"
He then reasoned that Su Yuwei, being her grandfather's disciple, had no reason to deceive them. There was no logical or emotional incentive for her to lie.
"Could it be that my sister genuinely has the aptitude for swordsmanship?"
Lin Chen pondered over this possibility, unable to come to a definitive conclusion. He resolved to inquire further from Su Yuwei about this matter.
"Hurry up, Lin Chen. Give me the Beast Yuan Fruit!"
Tuntun couldn't contain his excitement as soon as they entered the cultivation room. He rubbed his hands together, eagerly awaiting the treat.
"Here you go."
Lin Chen handed him the fruit, emphasizing the importance of this opportunity. "Listen carefully. You must strive to reach the third level. When I go out to fight, I don't want others to laugh at me for having a lowly second-level phantom beast as a companion."
"Hmph, reaching the third level is a piece of cake. Who are you looking down on?"
Tuntun snatched the fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.
A powerful aura erupted from his body, causing ripples in the surrounding space.
Unlike other phantom beasts, which consumed Beast Yuan Fruits to upgrade their abilities, Tuntun's consumption of the fruit unlocked his bloodline. With each increase in level, Tuntun's overall combat strength and Lin Chen's abilities would receive significant boosts.
For example, the proficiency of the Emperor's Art, the strength of the Wanmu Zhengrong Body, Tuntun's heightened perception, and even Lin Chen's appetite would all benefit from Tuntun's advancement.
Late that night, Lin Chen was jolted awake by an intense hunger. He sat up, his stomach churning and his body drained of energy.
He wondered why he had suddenly become so ravenous.
"I'm starving, I'm starving!"
Tuntun echoed Lin Chen's sentiment, adding, "Lin Chen, give me spirit jade! I need to feed on spirit jade!"
Lin Chen felt lightheaded and almost fainted. He had never experienced such intense hunger before.
"You... you're advancing, yet you're consuming all my energy in the process?"
Lin Chen groaned feebly as he retrieved a handful of two-marked spirit jades from his storage ring and tossed them to Tuntun.
Tuntun devoured the spirit jades voraciously, swallowing each piece whole. After consuming about twenty to thirty pieces, his hunger gradually subsided.
He sighed in relief. "I was so famished earlier. I didn't realize that unlocking the third level would be this energy-draining. Remember, I'm an ancient Hongmeng tree. How embarrassing would it have been if I had starved to death?"
Lin Chen rubbed his belly and got up. His intense hunger demanded more sustenance than just bland spirit jade.
He left the sect and headed to Lihuo City. He randomly selected a restaurant and ordered a feast of various dishes, indulging himself in a hearty meal.
He ate with abandon, not out of gluttony but out of sheer hunger.
Despite the late hour, the restaurant was bustling with patrons. At a nearby table, a group of men were discussing their troubles.
"This is already the seventh wave of attacks. If this continues, our caravan will be ruined. We might as well disband!"
"There's no other option. There are so many caravans, but they're targeting us, the Zhong family, specifically!"
"They're powerful, and I heard they have an inner disciple of the Lihuo Sect backing them. We can't afford to offend them."
"Why don't we just give them what they want? At least we can continue our business. No one wants to see our livelihood destroyed."
Several others chimed in, urging the man to surrender to their demands.
"Give in? That's exactly what they want!"
The man slammed his fist on the table. "I'd rather hire extra guards to escort our caravan than hand over our hard-earned possessions to those greedy vultures! They're not satisfied with charging us tolls every year. Now they want to drive us out of business!"
"Lin Chen, what's that delightful aroma?"
Tuntun emerged from Lin Chen's arms, his nose twitching excitedly. "It smells heavenly. It's definitely a treasure! It's somewhere nearby!"
Lin Chen glanced at the leftover food on the table. "If it smells good, just eat it."
"No, that's not what I mean!"
Tuntun explained, "This smell is very fragrant, and it's calling out to me!"
He followed the scent to the big man's table. "Lin Chen, it's here!"
"Where did you get this little tree?"
The big man frowned and raised his foot to kick Tuntun away.
"Hey, how dare you attack your Bro Tun? You're asking for trouble!"
Tuntun's agile body easily dodged the kick. He then transformed his arm into a vine and struck the big man's leg.
The man, enraged by the pain, stood up to retaliate.
"I apologize. This is my phantom beast. I failed to discipline him properly."
Lin Chen stepped in to defuse the situation, retrieving Tuntun and offering a friendly smile.
"A disciple of the Lihuo Sect?"
The men at the table noticed the mark between Lin Chen's eyebrows and their expressions flickered with surprise.
"He's a disciple of the Lihuo Sect. This is all a misunderstanding!"
The big man quickly composed himself and clasped his hands together.
In Lihuo City, disciples of the Lihuo Sect were highly respected. It was essential to treat them with utmost politeness.
"Lin Chen, he has something valuable that would benefit me greatly. Hurry, take it from him!"
Tuntun whispered excitedly in Lin Chen's ear.
Recalling the conversation he had overheard earlier, Lin Chen smiled and said, "Brother, I couldn't help but overhear your discussion. Are you in need of caravan guards?"