C12 He Learned It so Easily!?

Chapter Twelve: Unforgiving

"Ha, that poor guy really hit a streak of bad luck, tangling with that scourge, Lin Lang. Inside our main house, who doesn't know about Lin Lang's ruthless methods?"

Outside the small courtyard, a buzz of conversation filled the air.

Yet, in that moment, a commanding figure strode along the cobblestone path, and a voice like thunder boomed, "Stop!"

"Really, you have no regard for our family's rules. It's your first day here to train, and already you're causing trouble. What are you thinking?"

Patriarch Lin Yue, clad in a green robe with hands clasped behind his back, rebuked them, his face twisted in displeasure.

At once, the two combatants in the courtyard ceased their fight. Lin Tianyi, who had just been bested by Lin Xuan, glared with venomous eyes. Even in Lin Yue's presence, he hissed, "Lin Xuan..."

"Enough, silence!"

Patriarch Lin Yue was no pushover. With a single icy glance at Lin Tianyi, he made him feel as though he were trapped in an icy abyss, as powerless as if facing a prehistoric beast, no longer daring to boast. He bowed his head, beads of cold sweat dotting his forehead.

"If you wish to spar, the martial arts field is at your disposal. Must I remind you of that?"

Lin Yue lived up to his name; his mere presence was mountainous, instilling awe and fear in all who beheld him.

Even those gathered outside the courtyard felt a shiver run down their spines.

"Patriarch... It was Lin Xuan who flouted the family rules, striking me first. I was merely defending myself!"

Lin Tianyi bit back his anger, glaring at Lin Xuan, yet he dared not show any disrespect to Patriarch Lin Yue.

"Ha, the guilty party files the suit first. To set the record straight, Patriarch, it wasn't like that at all. Lin Tianyi started by hurling insults and provoking me. I endured it time and again, but he just kept pushing the boundaries until I couldn't take it anymore and had to retaliate!"

Lin Tianyi had his side of the story, and Lin Xuan had his own justifications.

Think I'm going to take the fall for this? Think again!

"You both dare to flout the Lin family's rules and show no signs of remorse, only offering excuses and shifting blame. As punishment, you will both report to the service department and perform hard labor for half a month!"

Lin Yue let out a cold snort, sparing no one from the top fifty. He meted out punishment without mercy and then stormed off in a huff.

"Hahaha, if only I had known it would come to this, I wouldn't have bothered in the first place. Now I'm stuck doing hard labor, hehe!"

"Exactly! These yokels have no sense of decorum. They got what they deserved. Patriarch Lin Yue's punishment was too lenient. They should be sentenced to at least a month of hard labor!"

As Lin Yue departed, the chatter outside the small courtyard resumed, with many reveling in the duo's misfortune. Some even added a layer of scorn and disdain to their comments.

Meanwhile, Lin Tianyi, bearing the brunt of the punishment, wore a look of utter distaste. Despite his extreme reluctance, he couldn't defy Lin Yue's command and resigned himself to his fate, albeit grudgingly.

His resentment towards Lin Xuan was palpable. With a sneer, he said, "Lin Xuan... are you happy now? Humph, you still have to join me in the labor room. You're worthless. Next time, I'll make sure you get what's coming to you!"

"Satisfied? Absolutely. As for next time, haha... you couldn't stand against me today. Next time, you won't even be worthy to carry my shoes!"

Lin Xuan's smile took on an odd twist as he parried Lin Tianyi's barbs and mockery, then chose to ignore him, fearing he might lose control and strike out once more.

"Back to menial work... Haha, I was just assigned to menial tasks when I arrived, and now, just a few days later, here I am again..."

But just then, Lin Xuan's words seemed to catch Lin Yumo's attention. The girl in purple furrowed her brow and cautioned Lin Xuan, "Lin Xuan... you should know that Patriarch Lin Yue's decision to assign you to menial tasks isn't meant to harm you, but rather to protect you. If you fell into the hands of the Lin Family Disciplinary Hall, you'd be in for a world of hurt!"

"Now that Patriarch Lin Yue has sent you to the servant quarters, the Disciplinary Hall won't bother you. Don't harbor any resentment towards the Patriarch, and don't defy his orders. You need to learn the art of patience and endurance!"

Upon hearing her words, Lin Xuan looked at the purple-clothed girl before him with some surprise. Her familiar features were unchanged, her face still charmingly pretty.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare defy the orders of the Lin family elder. You're worrying too much!"

What Lin Yumo didn't realize was that Lin Xuan, now equipped with the system, might not find working in the servant's quarters a punishment at all. In fact, it could even lead to a promotion!

Besides, Lin Xuan could see that Lin Yue's cultivation had reached the Fifth Level of a Spirit Warrior. Lin Xuan was nowhere near Lin Yue's league. He'd have to be out of his mind to go against the patriarch's commands!

"That's for the best!"

Lin Yumo nodded slightly and then turned to leave.

...

Lin Xuan returned the Demon Beast Encyclopedia to his room and conjured the system panel in his mind to check his status.

Host: Lin Xuan

Level: Spirit Cultivator, Sixth Stage

Experience: 700/1200

Spirit Skills: Storm Wave (Beginner: Proficiency 30/100), Ghost Fire (Beginner: Proficiency 20/100), Moon Shadow Step (Intermediate: Proficiency 220/400)

Weapon: Iron Sword

Divine Power: Herculean Strength

Cultivation Technique: Lin Family Heart Method

"I didn't expect I'd need so much more experience to level up. Sigh, the required experience multiplies at each stage. If I reach the higher levels, I'll need an astronomical amount of experience. How many demon beasts will I have to defeat to level up?"

Lin Xuan grumbled to himself and sighed, then turned his attention to his Spirit Skills.

"Storm Wave is too low-grade, its damage too insignificant. It's not worth grinding for proficiency. Ghost Fire, on the other hand, could be useful for its ranged damage!"

"I'll also need to keep grinding Moon Shadow Step. It's essential for kiting my opponents!"

Lin Xuan mused. With the system, he didn't need to engage in the same comprehension struggles as others; he simply had to practice to increase his proficiency. Once he maxed out his proficiency, he could level up!

Spirit Skill proficiency was categorized into five levels: Beginner, Initial, Large Success, Perfection, and Exemplary Mastery.

"The proficiency needed for Spirit Skills of different grades varies. For example, the low-grade Storm Wave requires only 100 points to reach Initial Stage, but the higher-grade Moon Shadow Step needs 200 points, double the amount!"

"I'm curious about what the Spirit Skills of High Grade of Low Rank and the top-tier ones are like," Lin Xuan mused with a hint of longing. He then unfurled the scroll imprinted with the Falling Cloud Palm technique.

The scroll didn't contain written instructions but the imprint of the Spirit Skill itself, which was beyond the capacity of mere words to convey.

To master it, one would typically need to deeply understand the imprint within the scroll.

But Lin Xuan had a system on his side, sparing him the hassle. A prompt from the system echoed in his mind: "Would you like to learn the Spirit Skill - Falling Cloud Palm?"

Abruptly, two choices materialized in the depths of Lin Xuan's consciousness.

"Yes!"

With no second thoughts, Lin Xuan affirmed his choice.

Instantly, a beam of white light burst forth from the scroll, piercing into Lin Xuan's mind.

"Huh? That was easy... Did I just learn it? What about the need for comprehension they always talk about?"

Lin Xuan scratched his nose, still in disbelief, as the Spirit Skill from the scroll had seamlessly transferred into his mind.

Simultaneously, the scroll that bore the Spirit Skill crumbled to dust.

"Heh, nobody would guess that a Spirit Skill which takes an ordinary person months of contemplation to learn, I've mastered in mere seconds. This system is outrageously powerful!"

He then proceeded to check his proficiency with the Falling Cloud Palm.

"Spirit Skill — Falling Cloud Palm (Entry Level: 10/200)"

"Damn, that's ruthless!"