Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 97 Chenxi: Family Banquet and the Second Transformation of the Soul

December 13th is Lin Yan's sixteenth birthday in this world.

Inside the Deep Water Bay villa, there was no festive noise, only a warm and tranquil atmosphere. Lin Yan had given prior notice that he wouldn't accept any gifts, only his presence. By evening, Lin Yi, Lin Er, Lin Gang, Wang Yuling, along with the two teachers, Master Fu and Master Zhen, who had been specially invited from his spatial dimension, plus Xiao Qi, who was circling around Lin Yan's feet, constituted his entire "family."

An enticing aroma wafted from the kitchen. No external chefs were hired; Wang Yuling and several Foundation Establishment puppets skilled in cooking were handling everything. They naturally used top-quality spiritual ingredients produced within the space, but the cooking methods leaned towards home-style preparation.

"Young master, try this. It's a braised beef brisket in a fiery broth. I've been simmering it all afternoon, and it's cooked to perfection." Wang Yuling, wearing an apron, personally brought over a large clay pot of steaming hot meat. The broth was bubbling away, the meat was tender and juicy, and the aroma was rich.

"And this stir-fried jade shoots is the most refreshing and helps to cut through the richness."

"This silver-scaled fish was specially caught by Lin Gang in the cold pool of the space today. He just steamed it with some spirit scallions and ginger, and it's very fresh."

The dishes weren't numerous, but each one was exquisite and carefully prepared, filling the not-so-large dining table. There was no dazzling sunset, only the rising steam and the mouthwatering aroma of home cooking.

"Please sit down, everyone. There aren't so many formalities today." Lin Yan smiled and invited everyone to sit down. He picked up his chopsticks first, took a piece of beef brisket, and savored it carefully. Then his eyes lit up. "Yu Ling, your cooking is absolutely amazing! Even the chefs in the space can't compare!"

Wang Yuling immediately beamed, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes smoothed out: "Young Master, eat more if you like! Cultivation is hard work, look how thin you've become, you need to nourish yourself!" She kept putting food on Lin Yan's plate, as if he were still a child who needed to be taken care of.

Lin Gang spoke the least, silently cutting the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside, and fragrant lamb chops into small pieces and placing them on the plate in front of Lin Yan.

Lin Yi then took out a jar of his treasured Hundred Flowers Honey Wine and poured a small glass for each person. The wine was sweet and refreshing with a faint floral fragrance. It was not very strong and was perfect for adding to the festivities.

Lin Er laughed as he recounted some amusing incidents that had recently occurred within the group. A manager from a foreign firm had tried to ingratiate himself with outdated information, but Lin Er easily saw through his scheme.

The two elders, Fu Lao and Zhen Sou, leisurely sipped their wine while discussing the subtle connection between a certain rune structure and the transformation of array nodes. Occasionally, they would ask Lin Yan for his opinion, as if they were testing each other's knowledge or having a casual chat.

Xiao Qi was the busiest, sitting on its own high stool with a small plate in front of it. Inside were roasted spirit beast meat chunks and steamed fish belly, specially prepared by Wang Yuling without much seasoning. It ate with grunts and whimpers, its tail wagging like a propeller, and occasionally rubbing its head against Lin Yan's wrist to show its satisfaction and happiness.

There were no fancy toasts, only the unspoken understanding and blessings exchanged in the occasional glances when raising a glass.

"Happy birthday, young master."

Eat more.

"This fish is good."

The words were simple, yet filled with the warmth of family. Lin Yan leaned back in his chair, listening to everyone's casual conversation, eating the ever-filled bowl of food, and sipping the warm mead from his glass. His heart was filled with a sense of grounded and warm happiness. This simple and cozy interaction felt far more comfortable and precious to him than any grand celebration.

After the meal, Wang Yuling still served a cake that wasn't very big, but it was very exquisite, with sixteen small candles simply stuck on it.

"Young master, make a wish," she said gently.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating every face gathered around the table. Lin Yan looked at them, smiled slightly, closed his eyes, then quickly opened them again, blowing out all the candles in one breath.

His wish was simple: he hoped that this time could last longer.

Everyone shared the cake; it was sweet but not cloying. Old Fu and Old Zhen were too old to eat too many sweets, so they only took a small bite before continuing to hold their hot tea and watch the young people with smiles.

As night deepened, the banquet finally came to an end.

Elder Fu and Elder Zhen returned to their space to continue their research. Lin Yi and Lin Er took their leave and returned to the city to handle some business. Wang Yuling directed the puppets to clean up the mess. Lin Gang, as always, disappeared into the shadows to fulfill his duties.

Lin Yan carried Xiao Qi, who was stuffed and had a round belly, to the seaside terrace. The night breeze was cool, but it couldn't dispel the warmth in his heart.

Xiao Qi let out a burp, found a comfortable position in his arms, and fell asleep purring softly.

Gazing at the calm sea and sparse starlight in the distance, Lin Yan felt an extraordinary sense of peace and contentment. The path of cultivation was long and lonely, but with these "family members" by his side, it no longer seemed so cold and unbearable.

This sixteenth birthday was nothing earth-shattering, just a simple home-cooked meal and a few heartfelt words, yet it was enough to comfort his soul and become a warm and bright light deep in his memory.

The warm afterglow of his birthday celebration still lingered in his heart, yet Lin Yan dared not slacken in the slightest. The path to immortality was long and arduous, and only strength was fundamental. He entered the space once more, adjusted his state to its peak, and began preparing for the second stage of cultivation of the "Divine Demon Visualization Technique" and the "Great Zhou Celestial Body Refining Technique."

First, one must refine a second-tier elixir—the Soul-Nourishing Pill. The ingredients required for this pill are much more precious and complex. The main ingredients are a hundred-year-old Soul-Stabilizing Flower, the bile of a late-stage second-tier demon beast, the Heart-Bewitching Python, and Dew-Gathering Grass. There are more than ten auxiliary ingredients, and the requirements for the heat and timing of fusion are several times more stringent.

Lin Yan arrived at the alchemy room in the courtyard, calmed his mind, and carefully recalled the details of the pill formula and many key points passed down from his ancestor.

He carefully placed the prepared medicinal herbs into the alchemy furnace in order, his mind highly focused, controlling the flames. However, when fusing the Soul-Stabilizing Flower and the Bewitching Python's gall bladder, the two vastly different medicinal properties clashed violently. With a muffled "bang," black smoke billowed from the furnace, the liquid was completely ruined, and a burnt smell filled the air. Failure.

Lin Yan was not discouraged. He immediately closed his eyes and recalled the incident, discovering that the tempering of the bile to remove impurities was slightly off, causing its violent nature to not be completely quelled. He adjusted the bile processing method.

The second time, the fusion went much more smoothly, but the timing of adding the Dew Grass was a little too early. Its mild medicinal properties failed to effectively neutralize the conflict between the two, resulting in three pills that were dull in color and had blurred patterns, making them only inferior in quality.

Lin Yan put away the low-grade pills without a second thought (intending to feed them to demonic beasts later) and continued his analysis. He discovered that not only timing, but even the slightest difference in the spiritual energy contained in the medicinal herbs could affect the final quality of the pill.

After numerous failures and adjustments, Lin Yan achieved an unparalleled mastery of the timing, spiritual energy infusion, and medicinal fusion at each step. When the final pill-condensing incantation was executed and the furnace opened, three pills, each the size of a longan, perfectly round, shimmering with a deep, eerie light, and bearing clear cloud-like patterns on their surfaces, floated silently within. Their fragrance, subtle yet penetrating the very soul, emanated from them—they were indeed top-grade Soul-Nourishing Pills! Of course, this was also thanks to Lin Yan's rigorous training in first-tier pills during his Qi Refining stage, which allowed him to master second-tier pills so quickly.

Looking at the three hard-won top-grade spiritual pills, Lin Yan let out a long sigh of relief. The way of alchemy is also a form of cultivation, and it allows no room for carelessness.

After adjusting his state, Lin Yan swallowed a top-grade Soul Nourishing Pill. As the pill dissolved, a cool yet powerful medicinal force surged into his sea of ​​consciousness.

He immediately activated the second stage of the "Divine and Demonic Visualization Technique." The familiar, soul-crushing grinding force descended once more! Immense pain instantly overwhelmed his consciousness.

But unlike the first transformation, in the countless cycles of his soul being crushed and then reassembled by the power of medicine, he needs to use his supreme will to guide those broken soul fragments so that they are no longer just passively enduring, but actively condensing and building!

"Condense!" Amidst boundless pain, Lin Yan steadfastly maintained a sliver of clarity in his mind, using his will as a brush and his soul power as ink to painstakingly sketch a complex structure—an ancient and majestic phantom of a millstone!

This process was extremely slow and incredibly painful. Each attempt to condense his soul power was accompanied by the backlash from the loss of control, as if carving into his torn soul. But he gritted his teeth and persevered, his divine sense being frantically squeezed and forged under extreme pressure.

After an unknown amount of time, just when he felt he was on the verge of collapse, the illusory image of the millstone, which was formed from his own soul power and connected to his mind, finally appeared with difficulty and in a blurry way in his sea of ​​consciousness!

Although it appeared ethereal and uncertain, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind, it had indeed taken shape! From then on, he no longer needed to visualize an external millstone; this phantom could operate on its own, grinding and purifying soul power! More importantly, it initially possessed the terrifying ability to devour external soul attacks, such as possession, and to grind and transform soul illusions!

The intense pain receded like a tide, replaced by a weariness originating from the depths of his soul, and an indescribable sense of power and control. He had successfully stepped into the first level of the second transformation of the "Divine and Demonic Visualization Technique"! With just one level, the strength and resilience of his divine sense, as well as his control over his soul power, had increased by a huge step.

Having just caught his breath from cultivating his soul power, Lin Yan dared not stop, knowing he needed to press on with undiminished vigor. Dragging his weary soul, he began preparing for the second stage of the "Great Zhou Celestial Body Refining Technique."

The preparation of the medicinal bath was relatively simple. He put dozens of kinds of spiritual herbs that could temper the body and stimulate blood and qi into a huge wooden tub, boiled it with spiritual spring water, until the liquid turned as black as ink and emitted a strong medicinal power and a scorching heat.

"Lin Gang!" Lin Yan summoned his most trusted guard.

"Young Master." Lin Gang held a specially prepared iron-core wooden stick, as thick as a bowl and incredibly tough, with a solemn expression.

"Let's begin, no need to hold back." Lin Yan took off his shirt, revealing his muscular upper body, stepped into the open space next to the medicine barrel, lowered his waist and immediately began to circulate his body-refining technique.

Lin Gang took a deep breath, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He knew this was the path his young master had to take. So, he swung the wooden stick, sending a whistling sound through the air, and smashed it hard into Lin Yan's back!

A dull, loud crack!

The immense impact caused Lin Yan's body to sway violently, and a clear, red, swollen welt appeared on his skin instantly, accompanied by a specific vibration frequency, followed by a searing pain!

But this was just the beginning! Lin Gang strictly followed the requirements of the method, and the shadows of the stick fell like raindrops, evenly covering Lin Yan's entire body from front to back! Snap! Snap! Snap! The dull sounds of striking echoed in the space.

Lin Yan gritted his teeth, his muscles tense, veins bulging, enduring the torture-like blows. Each strike brought excruciating pain, as if his bones were about to shatter. But he had to stay conscious, fully circulating his internal energy, guiding his blood and qi to resist and absorb the force of the blows, stimulating his body's potential.

He was hit countless times until his skin was red and swollen, and even bleeding in some places. When he felt he was about to reach his limit, he suddenly jumped into the scalding hot medicinal bath!

"Hiss—!" The intense heat and excruciating pain simultaneously irritated his damaged skin, almost causing him to faint. But he forced himself to endure it and frantically circulated his internal energy. The medicinal power, like countless fine needles, surged into his body through the opened pores and tiny wounds, combining with his blood and qi to repair the damage and strengthen his skin membrane in a domineering manner.

Pain and repair intertwined, destruction and rebirth coexisted. He could clearly feel his skin becoming increasingly resilient with each breakage and reconstruction, gleaming with an extremely faint metallic sheen.

As the medicine was gradually absorbed and the color of the liquid in the bucket lightened, Lin Yan weakly crawled out of the bucket. He collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to move even a finger, his body feeling like it was falling apart, every inch of his skin groaning in pain.

But upon closer inspection, he could see a faint, yet real, iron-gray sheen rising from the bottom layer of the skin!

The second stage of the Great Zhou Celestial Body Refining Technique, Iron Skin Realm, first level, is complete!

At this moment, he lay on the ground like a dead dog, almost overwhelmed by the extreme exhaustion and pain of both his soul and body. But deep within this boundless suffering, an indescribable joy and satisfaction were growing—it was the immense sense of accomplishment of breaking through his limits and feeling himself truly becoming stronger!

"It's true... the cultivation technique has tormented me a thousand times, yet I still love it like my first love..." He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, muttered to himself, and then could no longer hold on, falling into a deep sleep.

In his dream, the illusory millstone in his sea of ​​consciousness slowly turned, and the iron-gray luster beneath his skin shimmered faintly. The pain was real, but the path to becoming stronger was equally real. And this was merely the beginning of the second cycle.