C8 The Change in the Broken Copper.

Time flew by, and before he knew it, Chu Lin had been a servant disciple at the Martial Academy for a month.

In that time, aside from the daily chore of chopping half a ton of firewood, he and Yang Hu were tasked with tending to the herbal fields. Yang Hu ended each day exhausted, often falling asleep as soon as he returned to their quarters.

Eventually, Chu Lin decided to let Yang Hu manage the herbal fields alone while he took on the herculean task of chopping a full ton of firewood. It was a job that would break most ordinary men. Without the miraculous Broken Copper, and with only his Body Tempering Level Two cultivation, Chu Lin would have likely been left in a state of extreme weakness.

Chu Lin worried about Yang Hu's health if he kept up this pace. He also craved solitude. Although he had come to understand that Yang Hu was a decent person over the past month, the Broken Copper's secrets were too precious to risk exposure.

To avoid raising any eyebrows, Chu Lin feigned exhaustion daily, leaving his home with heavy steps and returning just as weary.

Initially, Yang Hu would spend evenings chatting with Chu Lin. But as fatigue set in, he began to fall asleep almost immediately upon his return.

On quiet nights, with the moon casting its glow overhead, a solitary figure would slip from the row of humble grass huts and dart along the mountain paths with agile grace.

"After a month of rigorous training, my Martial Crystal has expanded a full circle. I've absorbed thousands of drops of Spiritual Spring, yet I still haven't advanced to Body Tempering Level Three," Chu Lin mused with a hint of frustration.

Seated on a massive rock deep in the deserted woods, Chu Lin gestured and commenced a rhythmic breathing exercise, quickly sinking into a deep meditative state.

Every night, away from prying eyes, he practiced his cultivation. The Spirit Liquid bolstered his strength, but the elusive breakthrough he sought remained just out of reach.

"It looks like I need to find more time for cultivation," Chu Lin remarked, opening his eyes four hours later. He could still sense the Spiritual Energy coursing through his veins and lamented, "The Spiritual Spring's energy is so potent. It's a shame to waste it if I can't fully assimilate it."

Despite his clandestine research into the Broken Copper, Chu Lin had yet to unravel its mysteries.

A new concern arose as he noticed the Spiritual Spring's energy waning, taking longer to form each time.

"It used to be that soaking it in ordinary water would yield Spirit Liquid almost instantly. Now, it takes at least 15 minutes to achieve the same level of purity," he said, touching the Broken Copper with a sense of loss.

Dawn was breaking. Chu Lin stood, shaking the dew from his clothes with a pulse of Spiritual Energy, and hurried back to his dwelling.

Today, he was set to assist Yang Hu with the irrigation of the herbal fields. Lyi Laomu had promised them a day of rest if they completed a month's work on time. Chu Lin had not only managed to deliver a ton of firewood daily but had done so punctually, much to Lyi Laomu's surprise.

Yet Lyi Laomu's focus wasn't on Chu Lin; he was intent on disciplining Yang Hu.

Yang Hu's days were far from easy. Watering the fields was simpler than Chu Lin's task, but Lyi Laomu found ways to complicate it. After a month, Yang Hu rarely met his quotas.

The Martial Academy was a revered place for Martial Cultivators in the South Territory, home to numerous disciples and servant disciples alike. Managed in batches, a Manager oversaw the lodgings and the many servant disciples within.

The servant disciples' quarters lay on the outskirts of the mountains, often separated by over ten miles of treacherous paths, navigable only by Outer Court disciples who had attained the Body Tempering Stage.

Managers like Lyi Laomu held only slightly more prestige than servant disciples. They couldn't compare to an Outer Court disciple, yet typically possessed cultivation levels ranging from Body Tempering Level Three to Five—masters in their own right, especially against the novices under their charge.

"Mr. Chu, you've arrived," Yang Hu called out wearily as Chu Lin approached the fields.

Over the month, they had grown to accept each other as friends. Perhaps due to Chu Lin's superior strength, Yang Hu, though older, respectfully addressed him as "Mr. Chu."

For both Chu Lin and Yang Hu, within the walls of the Martial Academy, they were each other's sole companions.

Seeing Yang Hu's fatigued expression, Chu Lin felt a wave of anger toward Lyi Laomu. The fields required watering only three times a day, yet Lyi Laomu, out of spite, demanded it be done five times. Yang Hu's strength was insufficient for watering ten acres five times daily, much less for meeting such an impossible demand.

If Chu Lin hadn't been surreptitiously adding a drop of the heavily diluted Spirit Liquid to Yang Hu's water, Yang Hu would have surely succumbed to exhaustion long before now.

What's more, Yang Hu's diligent watering of the herb field twice daily could lead to complications. The Spirit Medicine cultivated there was destined for the Elders of the Outer Court. Any mishap in the field, and Yang Hu would be unable to withstand the fallout.

"Hu, take a break," Chu Lin said, relieving Yang Hu of the water bucket to tend to the herb field himself.

"Sorry, Mr. Chu. You finally get a day off, and here I am, imposing on you," Yang Hu apologized, his voice weary and his expression etched with remorse.

Chu Lin simply offered a reassuring smile and proceeded to the field.

Spirit Medicine, a vital resource for Martial Cultivators to rapidly boost their Spiritual Energy, was also essential for crafting pills.

"Such pure Spiritual Energy!" Chu Lin marveled, crouching before a plant, the energy washing over him. To any regular Martial Cultivator, this represented a boundless treasure.

Suddenly, the Broken Copper on Chu Lin's chest vibrated intensely, unleashing a powerful suction force. The Spirit Medicine before him withered in an instant, drained of its energy as if by magic.

A more violent suction followed, and in a heartbeat, over a dozen more plants wilted before his eyes.

"This is bad!" Realizing the gravity of the situation, Chu Lin's internal alarm sounded. He swiftly rose to his feet.