After three long days of hard labor and toil, Lin Tian finally, on a moonless and windy night, transported a pile of parts crafted from rough, freshly-forged metal to the Lin family training ground.
Without even pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow, he hurriedly began assembling and laying out the pieces. Under the shadow of the moon, after an entire night of relentless work, a human-powered bicycle generator was finally complete.
Once the preparations were in place, Lin Tian stood beside the contraption, quietly waiting for the three young figures to appear.
As the core of the Lin family's younger generation, these three were particularly favored. Lin Mo and his companions, aside from their extraordinary talents, were also known for their relentless dedication.
Every morning, at the first light of dawn, these three would already be on the training ground, unwavering in their commitment to their training. And today, as usual, they appeared on time, just as expected.
However, upon arriving at the training ground, they were taken aback to see a figure hunched over, diligently pedaling the bicycle. Sweat poured down his forehead. As they approached and got a clear view of his face, their expressions shifted to one of surprise.
"Cousin, am I seeing this correctly? Isn't this the so-called 'genius waste' of our Lin family, Lin Tian?" Lin Chen circled the bicycle, exaggerating his tone as he spoke. As Lin Mo's loyal follower, Lin Chen had not refrained from mocking Lin Tian for all these years.
Lin Tian had kept to himself, staying hidden in his room for a large part of his life, and much of the reason behind it lay in the presence of the person before him.
In the past, upon hearing such words, Lin Tian would have scurried off in shame, like a rat fleeing from the streets. But he was no longer the same Lin Tian who used to retreat in solitude.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes. "I'll tell you this now—starting today, I'm no longer a waste."
Hearing this, the three of them couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Who gave you the courage to say such a thing? Do you honestly think that by pedaling this rusted contraption, you'll be able to cultivate?" Lin Chen scoffed, dripping with disdain.
"Hmph, I won't tell you," Lin Tian replied proudly, raising his chin with an air of defiance.
"Brother, let's get on with our training," Lin Xue said, her voice dripping with disinterest. After all, they were here to train, not to watch someone play the fool.
Upon hearing Lin Xue's remark, Lin Mo nodded absentmindedly. But just as the three were about to turn and dive into their training, a faint smile spread across Lin Tian's face. He then quietly released a trace of spiritual energy from within.
As the Lin family's most gifted, these three were exceptionally sensitive to spiritual energy. Especially with Lin Tian's energy being so concentrated—hundreds of times more potent than the ambient air—they could not possibly fail to notice.
"Spiritual energy… He actually has spiritual energy!" Lin Tian, in awe of his own discovery, muttered to himself. He pressed harder on the pedals, as though trying to summon more and more spiritual power.
Just at that moment, the three of them, with malicious intent in their eyes, started walking toward him.
"What is this all about?" Lin Mo's expression was filled with confusion. Though initially uninterested in the contraption beneath Lin Tian's feet, the sudden appearance of spiritual energy around him piqued his curiosity. His gaze shifted to the device with a hint of greed flickering in his eyes.
"This is…" Lin Tian began to boast but immediately caught himself. He quickly clamped his mouth shut, his eyes now tinged with caution.
Seeing this reaction from Lin Tian only fueled Lin Mo's curiosity. He was now even more convinced that the object beneath Lin Tian's feet held some peculiar secret.
With a surge of spiritual power, Lin Mo reached out, grabbing Lin Tian and tossing him aside as easily as one would toss a helpless chick.
"What are you doing?" Lin Tian asked, rubbing his aching head in annoyance.
"You really think I'm going to let you off?" Lin Mo crouched down, his eyes glinting with greed as he activated his spiritual power, enveloping his fist with flames.
"Flame Fist? What are you planning to do?" A flash of fear passed through Lin Tian's eyes when he saw the fire surrounding Lin Mo's fist.
Once a cultivator reaches the third level of Qi Refining, they gain the ability to practice martial techniques. Martial techniques are ranked from one to ten, with each rank further divided into upper, middle, and lower levels.
The Flame Fist that Lin Mo had cultivated was an advanced technique of the second rank in the Lin family's secret library. When combined with spiritual power, a punch could cause significant damage by unleashing flames.
Given Lin Mo's current cultivation level, a single punch could easily take Lin Tian's life.
"Brother, stop!" But just as Lin Tian began to retreat in fear, a figure stepped forward and blocked his path. The moment Lin Tian saw who it was, a flash of amusement crossed his eyes.
"Xue'er, are you really going to protect this waste?" Lin Mo's face darkened as he spoke with displeasure.
"Indeed, we are all members of the Lin family. I will not stand by and watch as you fight among yourselves. If you wish to harm Lin Tian, you'll have to get past me first," Lin Xue replied firmly, stepping forward with unwavering resolve. It seemed she was ready to face Lin Mo head-on for Lin Tian's sake.
"Fine, you'd better spend your life protecting such a waste." With that, Lin Mo spat and stormed off, visibly displeased.
"Brother, wait for me!" Lin Chen hurriedly called after him, quickly following.
After the two left, Lin Xue turned toward Lin Tian with a concerned look. "Lin Tian, are you alright?"
Had it not been for the memories from his previous world, Lin Tian might have been moved by the concern in her eyes. However, now, seeing this situation, a mischievous urge stirred within him.
But he knew he had to maintain his act.
"I'm fine, thank you, cousin," Lin Tian replied with an innocent blink, his voice filled with feigned vulnerability.
"We are family, no need to thank me," Lin Xue smiled warmly as she helped him up. "By the way, Lin Tian, since you seem to treasure this item so much, what exactly is it?"
Hearing this, Lin Tian couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He knew she was impatient, but he hadn't expected her to be this eager. She had just helped him up and already couldn't wait to ask. It was just the opening he needed.
"It's something my master gave me," Lin Tian said cautiously, looking around warily.
"Your master?" Lin Xue was puzzled. She clearly had no idea when Lin Tian had acquired a master.
"Yes, my master," Lin Tian replied carefully. "Cousin, I'll tell you this secret, but you must promise not to tell anyone else."
Lin Xue nodded, her curiosity now piqued even further.
"My master is someone I met recently. He saw that my constitution was special and took me as his disciple. He helped me forge this item. He said that if I sit on it and quickly pedal the footrests, my cultivation speed will increase. If I follow his instructions, one day, I'll be able to enter the first level of Qi Refining."
"Is that true?" Lin Xue gasped in astonishment. If the device really worked as Lin Tian described, it would be a treasure beyond measure.
Seeing her reaction, Lin Tian knew she was starting to believe him. But to fully convince her, he knew she had to experience it for herself.
"Cousin, don't tell me you don't believe me?" Lin Tian feigned a look of displeasure. "If you don't believe me, you should try it for yourself."
"Well… it's your master's gift, so I'm not sure," Lin Xue hesitated, pretending to decline politely.
"It's fine. Since you've been so kind to me, I must share this good thing with you." Lin Tian pushed her onto the contraption. Watching her pedal, a subtle smile spread across his face.
Though he had only arrived in this world recently, Lin Tian knew that spiritual energy entered a cultivator's body through their breathing. This meant that if a cultivator increased their breathing speed, their cultivation speed would also accelerate.
After vigorous exercise, the heart rate quickens, and as the breathing becomes more rapid, the cultivation speed would increase accordingly.
Of course, Lin Tian was aware that this temporary boost in cultivation speed would have little allure for someone like Lin Xue. So, as she pedaled furiously, he surreptitiously retrieved a small jade bottle, which contained the spiritual liquid he had accumulated over the past few days.
When the bottle was opened, the rich, pure spiritual energy surged out, and Lin Xue's eyes widened with delight as she absorbed the energy.
Lin Xue had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. With this concentrated energy, she easily broke through the barrier and surged ahead, her cultivation rising steadily.
Once her cultivation had stabilized, Lin Xue dismounted the contraption, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Any lingering doubt she had vanished completely.
"Lin Tian, thank you so much," she said gratefully.
"I didn't expect this to actually be a good thing! Since it's so valuable, you should definitely share it with us." Just as she finished speaking, Lin Mo and the others slowly approached, their eyes glinting with delight.
When Lin Xue spoke those words, they understood her thoughts clearly. They had discreetly stepped aside, waiting for the chance to pry the secret from her.
"You two, what are you doing back here?" Lin Tian's expression shifted to one of alarm when he saw them approach. He rushed to the contraption, determined to protect it. But Lin Mo casually waved his hand, as though swatting away a fly, sending him flying aside.
"From now on, this is ours," Lin Mo said with a smile, making no attempt to hide his intentions.
"This was given to me by my master. How can you just take it?" Lin Tian protested angrily. "If you do this, Cousin Lin Xue will never forgive you."
"Oh, really?" Lin Mo sneered. "I'm curious to see how your Cousin Lin Xue plans to stop us."
As Lin Tian turned to seek help from Lin Xue, he saw her stepping forward, her expression conflicted as she spoke hesitantly, "Lin Tian, since this thing helps with our cultivation, as a member of the Lin family, you shouldn't hide it. You've wasted so much time on your cultivation already, and a little more delay won't hurt. Besides, we're the core of the younger generation in the Lin family. If we become stronger, the Lin family will truly rise. Don't you want the Lin family to thrive?"
Hearing Lin Xue invoke the Lin family's greater good, Lin Tian almost couldn't stop himself from laughing. Since the age of six, the Lin family had treated him like an abandoned child, casting him aside without a second thought. For nine years, he had felt no warmth from them.
These nine years had been agonizingly slow for him, but not once had anyone from the Lin family cared for him. In his heart, he no longer regarded this cold, heartless place as his home.
"Fine, I understand," Lin Tian said, his face filled with sorrow as he turned and left without looking back.
Watching Lin Tian's despondent expression, Lin Mo furrowed his brow. "Xue'er, it seems this blow really hit him hard."
"He's just a waste. Even if he died, I wouldn't give it a second thought. What's wrong with using him a little?" Lin Xue coldly ripped away her facade, speaking with utter disdain.
What they didn't know was that at that very moment, Lin Tian was already racing toward the back mountain, holding a bottle of nearly full spiritual liquid.
As the liquid slowly entered his body, his bones and muscles felt noticeably stronger. Yet, it was clear that he still had some distance to go before a breakthrough.
Though Lin Tian was not surprised by the results, just as he was about to leave, an icy chill suddenly surged up from behind him, sending a wave of goosebumps down his spine.