Chapter 21: Rapid Progress

An hour later, Lin Xiao was almost unrecognizable. His face was so swollen that he could barely see anything. Only after the training ended did Liu Jiao finally relent and heal him. Watching himself swiftly return to normal, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but marvel once more at the power of healing abilities.

But unlike before, those whom he had regarded as ethereal beings now seemed far less amiable. He had seen through their collusion—Sun Zhiyuan was in charge of beating him half to death, and Liu Jiao would step in when he couldn't go any further, restoring him to full vigor, only for him to be battered anew. Even though he knew it was for his own good, he couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

After an hour of being pummeled, the energy within him had stabilized once more. Sun Zhiyuan looked at the fully recovered Lin Xiao and couldn’t suppress a smirk.

"Hey, brat, time’s about up. How about a midnight snack?"

Lin Xiao took two steps back. "Come on, brother, have mercy. I really can't take any more!"

Sun Zhiyuan laughed. "Alright, just teasing you. Go get some rest."

Hearing he could finally leave, Lin Xiao felt as if he’d been granted a royal pardon and hurried away.

As Lin Xiao’s figure disappeared, Sun Zhiyuan and Liu Jiao exchanged a smile.

"What do you think of the boy’s performance today, Brother Sun?" Liu Jiao asked.

"Impressive! Really impressive. The fact that he endured is already surprising enough, and there are other things about him that astonish me. Keeping him here might truly be a wise decision."

"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Everything can wait until he passes the test."

…

Lin Xiao hurried back to his room, stripped off everything restrictive, and went straight for a shower. Though Liu Jiao could heal his injuries and fatigue, she couldn't wash away the copious sweat he’d worked up—he’d long wanted to freshen up.

After washing up, he noticed Sun Zhiyuan hadn’t returned yet. He was just about to lie down when his eyes fell on the weighted vest he’d set aside. Remembering Sun Zhiyuan’s insistence that he wear it even while sleeping, he hesitated but ultimately put it back on. Otherwise, he figured, if Sun Zhiyuan returned while he was asleep, he’d wake him anyway. Better not to have his rest interrupted.

Vest on, Lin Xiao finally collapsed onto his large bed. Exhausted from the day, he fell asleep the moment his body touched the mattress, journeying straight into dreams.

When Sun Zhiyuan came back and saw Lin Xiao sleeping so soundly—and truly wearing the weighted vest—he couldn't help but smile. Gently drawing the blanket over him, Sun Zhiyuan settled into his own bed.

Over the next several days, Lin Xiao continued Sun Zhiyuan’s training. He could feel his transformation. In just one week, he felt exponentially stronger than before. His body was now nearly perfect. Though not as intimidating as Sun Zhiyuan's, he had, within a week, developed defined abs—a fact that felt almost unreal to him.

The training regimen remained the same as the first day, but Lin Xiao now performed the exercises with ease. Sun Zhiyuan was amazed by Lin Xiao’s adaptability; by the third day, he’d added weights to Lin Xiao’s legs, and by the sixth, his arms as well.

Yet this didn’t break Lin Xiao—if anything, it made him push himself harder. Sometimes, he even added extra exercises on his own. After dinner, he would still spar with Sun Zhiyuan. Despite a week of brutal beatings, he had yet to land a single hit on his teacher—a fact that left him quite frustrated.

Only Sun Zhiyuan knew how much Lin Xiao had improved. By now, to avoid being touched by Lin Xiao, he had to suppress his own power to mid-second level. If he kept it at the first level, Lin Xiao would surely land a blow. But he kept this to himself, not wanting the boy to get complacent.

Lin Xiao could feel his progress. Now, he could function normally even while carrying three to four hundred pounds of extra weight. His internal spiritual power was growing quickly—he was now at the very peak of the first level. Such cultivation speed was astounding, surpassing even most S-class or higher ability users.

But it was not solely due to Lin Xiao’s own talent—the real advantage lay in the extraordinary conditions at the Red Sun Retirement Home. Every meal consisted of spirit beast meat, and recently, it had all been from at least fourth-level beasts. This meat not only strengthened his body but was also rich in spiritual energy, which he absorbed, fueling his rapid progress.

Liu Jiao’s contributions were crucial as well. Unlike others, Lin Xiao could push himself to the limit. Whenever he was exhausted, she would restore his strength; whenever he was injured, she would heal him. His days were packed and fulfilling.

Lin Xiao also noticed more and more elderly residents were coming to watch his training sessions. Occasionally, he would chat with them, gradually learning more about the people at the retirement home. Without even trying, he gathered bits of information he was curious about.

For instance, Liu Jiao was actually a ninth-level healing ability user. Sun Zhiyuan had awakened the White Tiger Beast Transformation, making him a ninth-level beast transformation user—his family could only awaken the White Tiger ability. Lin Xiao was stunned to learn this; in the memories of his body’s original owner, anyone who reached the ninth level was a figure of immense renown. How could a small city like Xuncheng harbor so many powerhouses?

But when he discovered that not a single elder here was below the sixth level, he grew numb. Here, he really was the weakest of all.

That was all he could learn for now. Any further questions were met with silence. But Lin Xiao was in no rush—he would be here for a long time yet, and the mysteries of this place would surely reveal themselves in time.

One day, after yet another beating, as Lin Xiao was about to sneak off for some extra training, Sun Zhiyuan called out to him.

"Lin, skip the extra practice today. There’s something I need to discuss with you."

Lin Xiao was surprised but didn’t question it, simply nodding quietly. Sun Zhiyuan was pleased with this; the boy had grown much steadier than when he first arrived.

Without any preamble, Sun Zhiyuan asked, "Kid, do you know about secret realms?"

Of course Lin Xiao knew. Though the original owner of this body had awakened a lackluster ability, his studies had been thorough. Secret realms had begun appearing around the world after the resurgence of spiritual energy, each inhabited by spirit beasts. Like the ranks of human cultivators, secret realms were divided into nine levels, with the lowest being first and the highest ninth. The beasts within rarely emerged, but if a high-level one did, it could spell disaster.

"I’m familiar with secret realms, but I’m curious—why are you bringing this up, Brother Sun?"