C5 A Girl Called Su Qian.

After departing from the Mu Mansion, Chu Lin followed a narrow path to the mansion's secluded back hill, where a grand structure stood amidst the rolling hills. This was the ancestral hall of the Mu Mansion, a sacred place where the departed ancestors were honored and guarded around the clock.

From a distant peak, Chu Lin gazed at the hall, his eyes brimming with a touch of melancholy. "Father, today I was cast out by Mu Hee. I wonder how long it will be before I can return to this hall to honor you. Mu Hee is a vile man, twisting the truth with his power, leading to your wrongful disgrace. At last, I've uncovered some of the truth about the past. Father, you never should have spared Mu Hee's life."

Kneeling, Chu Lin bowed his head several times towards the hall, his gaze hardening with resolve. "One day, I'll come back to reclaim your spirit tablet and reveal the whole truth to everyone."

Chu Lin's prospects were grim. The Mu Mansion was fortified with numerous guards and Elders, and Mu Hee was a formidable Spirit Martial Stage master, a force to be reckoned with throughout the Great Barbarian City.

Today, Chu Lin faced utter humiliation. His fierce counterattack had irrevocably severed his ties with Mu Hee and Mu Rui. Seeing the murderous intent in Mu Hee's eyes, Chu Lin knew his life would be in grave danger if he lingered in the city.

Narrow-minded Mu Hee would not let him off easily. Despite public declarations of mercy, Chu Lin was well aware of Mu Hee's duplicity.

"Mr. Chu Lin," a soft, familiar voice called from behind. A figure in light green had quietly approached.

"Qian?" Chu Lin turned, his initial surprise softening into warmth. Su Qian, his childhood friend and the only one who faithfully mourned his father each year, stood before him. It was her loyalty to Chu Lin that brought her here.

Yet, as time passed, Su Qian had blossomed into the Su family's brightest jewel, widening the gap between her and Chu Lin in both status and strength. Now, after a year apart, Chu Lin felt a sense of estrangement.

Facing the beautiful girl, Chu Lin's spirits sank. "I've been expelled from the Mu Mansion. I've lost the right to call you Qian. Why come to see me?"

"Mr. Chu Lin, you should lift your spirits," Su Qian said, her delicate face breaking into an enchanting smile. "Remember how you'd vow to always protect me from harm? Are you going back on your word now?"

Chu Lin coughed awkwardly, recalling how he'd always rush to Su Qian's defense, despite the beatings he'd endure. "You're the Su family's treasured prodigy. You don't need a nobody like me for protection," he said, bitterness lacing his words.

Su Qian's eyes softened as she handed Chu Lin an envelope. "I know you're leaving the Great Barbarian City today. Take this as my parting gift. Open it once you're outside the city."

Her cheeks flushed, Su Qian rose on her toes and planted a gentle kiss on Chu Lin's cheek, her fragrance enveloping him. "You're destined for greatness. I'll wait for your triumphant return."

Stunned, Chu Lin watched as Su Qian darted away, her light green silhouette fading into the distance. He smiled, tucking the envelope close to his heart.

After a final, silent glance at the ancestral hall, Chu Lin turned and strode away. He had to leave the Great Barbarian City before the Meeting of Three Mansions concluded.

Outside the city, a figure dashed through the darkened hills with unyielding speed. "The Martial Academy is the South Territory's sanctuary for warriors!" he shouted, clutching an enrollment document that glimmered with faint golden light and pulsed with Spiritual Energy. "Enrollment document" it read, marking the start of a new chapter.

"Qian, I can't believe you've given up your spot at the Martial Academy for me," the young man said, his expression a mix of emotions. He furrowed his brow and heaved a long sigh before tucking the document back into his pocket after a moment's pause.

This young man was none other than Chu Lin.

Chu Lin had never anticipated that the envelope from Su Qian would contain the Martial Academy's enrollment document. With this document in hand, he could become a disciple at the Academy—a tremendous honor and opportunity for a young Martial Cultivator from the South Territory.

Typically, only the elite families of the South Territory had the privilege of receiving such documents. In a smaller city like the Great Barbarian City, they had to be obtained through less savory means—either stolen or purchased.

Regardless, for the three major families of the Great Barbarian City, an enrollment document was an invaluable treasure. Those who studied at the Martial Academy had the potential to ascend to the esteemed Black Tortoise Stage—a monumental achievement for any family.

In the Great Barbarian City, the stature of a Black Tortoise Stage expert was lofty indeed. Everyone knew that even Mu Hee, the head of the Mu Mansion, had only reached the Spirit Martial Stage.

Abruptly, Chu Lin halted and gazed back toward the Great Barbarian City, a resolute look etching his features. "Qian, wait for me. I won't disappoint you," he declared.

With that, Chu Lin broke into a run once more. He wasn't one for excessive sentimentality. Despite the gift's value, he wouldn't dream of returning it to Su Qian, especially since Mu Hee had his eyes set on that very enrollment document. Going back to the Great Barbarian City now would spell danger for Chu Lin.

So, he carried Su Qian's generosity close to his heart, vowing to one day return to the Great Barbarian City to repay her kindness.

Time flew, and a month had swiftly passed.

Chu Lin was now far from the Great Barbarian City, drawing ever nearer to the Martial Academy. He hadn't stopped for a moment in that month, wary of Mu Hee's potential assassins. He traveled by night and rested by day for the first two weeks, then took to the main roads for the latter half.

Whenever hunger struck, Chu Lin would sip from the Spiritual Spring water infused with Broken Copper, sustaining his vitality for days at a stretch. The value of the Spiritual Spring and the enigma of the Broken Copper became ever clearer to him.

Yet, despite consuming over a hundred drops of the Spiritual Spring, with each fully absorbed by his body, he noticed that while his strength and speed had significantly improved, his Martial Crystal remained unchanged.

"With an inexhaustible supply of Spiritual Spring, my body seems like a bottomless pit. At this rate, reaching Body Tempering Level Three could take ages," Chu Lin mused.

Three months of rigorous training had revealed peculiar aspects of his physique. It wasn't that he couldn't cultivate; rather, his body required several times more Spiritual Energy than the average person.

Then, one day, a vast mountain range came into view, with a sprawling city nestled at its base.

"At last, I've arrived at the Martial Academy in Vast Martial City!" exclaimed Chu Lin.